Candida and Auto-Brewery Syndrome

After I wrote my 'Candida and Alcoholism: Many Symptoms in Common' blog post the other day and shared the link on the EiR Facebook page a researcher and friend from Education and Services for People with Autism (ESPA) Research pointed out a newspaper article and a medical case study that both discuss 'auto-brewery syndrome'.
This is referring to the fermentation of carbohydrates by an overgrowth of yeast/Candida in the upper gut which leads to the production of significant amounts of alcohol, so much so that people can test over the drink drive limit without having had a drink.
I live with auto-brewery syndrome myself and must maintain a diet of meat, fish, eggs and low carbohydrate vegetables, nuts and seeds to avoid symptoms of alcohol intoxication and hangover.
Here are the links:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-honestly-officer-ive-got-autobrewery-syndrome-1148050.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16720504
Has anyone else been diagnosed as having auto-brewery syndrome? Or do you experience symptoms you feel are consistent with it?
Advice would be appreciated
I am so confused right now, maybe I can get some things clear from people who have experienced the same. Any helpful comment is welcomed.
I have been struggling with similar digestion problems for more than a year now.
One of the doctors I have visited agreed that it is candida that causes this (labor tests showed multiple times that an oversized amount of candida was in my throat), but most of the doctors insisted that candida cannot cause any of these, it is just a "fashionable" scape goat...
Even though all my sympthoms show that this must be the case: I can't eat any sugar, I'll get drunk right away, and I'll feel hungover for a day at least.
Also, I absolutely cannot tolerate anything with yeast in it, I would have difficulty with breathing right away, even by smelling it, and the pain that starts in my chest would spread all over my body...
No dairy products, no sweet fruits, no vinegar, no refined oils, no presercatives... Just as the commenters here have already listed their diets.
Also, I do think this diagnosis can be pretty possible since I had taken sooooo many antibiotics in the past years, because of many many dental problems unfortunately. And for a long time I didn't take any probiotics, because I had no idea about how it worked, and my G.P. didn't mention the importance of this. So I messed up my digestion big time... Fair enough.
But my problem is: I was told it will be cured after taking the designated medication (fluconazole) and keeping the diet. But now it's worse than ever...
It's true that after the first negative test I was so overjoyed that I started to eat potatoes and bananas right away... After some days, the sympthoms came back, the test became positive, as well...
But my latest negative test result was in November, and I had given my bowels a rest for about two and a half months.
And just some days ago I tried to eat chocolate, just to test my condition.
Well, after two little pieces, I got drunk right away... Feeling dizzy, hazy mind, nausea, and that typical alcoholic feeling in my throat and esophagus...
I must mention that some of relatives on my mother's side are the same, including my mother. She can get drunk just by eating an apple with empty stomach or drinking orange flawoured soft drink. She had had this condition since she was about 23.
She insists her body lacks some enzimes, that's why she has this, but what if it's an untreated case of candida infection?
So I was wondering: might it be in my family's genetics?
If so, can it be cured or not?
Any of you taking medications and keeping the diet: have you ever managed to get cured?
Mind you, I'm from Central Europe, so our healthcare may be different from the one you know. If you now any good doctors, it may not be a help for me. Your advice is worth more for me.
My country has a national healthcare system, by the way, but it's staggering and most of the good doctors have already immigrated.
Lately I have visited private doctors, hoping they'd be better-informed but they had no idea what to say.
Sorry for the long post and thank you everyone who had the patience to read my story
Also, sorry for any mistakes I have made, English is not my mother tongue.
Olivia (32)
P.S. I have no problem with gluten, I have been tested and it was negative. And I don't know whether it has anything to do with this but I have had hyperthyreosis for about 3 years which is being treated well, my medication works well on this.
I also eat nuts(except cashews, peanuts, and pistachios) and seeds and have been cooking all my veggies in cold-pressed organic coconut oil w/ anti- fungal herbs...yum!! On my salads too. Sorry I forgot this info before. suzanne
I feel for your husband. I have sufferered for more than 15 years without knowing about ABS. I am no expert but I recently gave up all grains,(all baking done with alternative flours) milk,(except yogurt ) replaced splenda with Zyla(birch tree sweetener from USA) and no yeast, and only eat berries(very small amounts) . No other fruits. I am unable to eat meat at this time. At the same time I began "Yeast Cleanse". After about 10 days the constant fog has begun to lift. I have more energy. After I finish w/ the cleanse I will begin probiotic rebuilding. Hope this helps increase my cognitive thinking. Hope this might give you ideas for your husband. God bless- suzanne.
I have to say I am not as bad as your husband so he must have some very bad days.
At this point I would just say there is a lot of info on this site that I am just taking some of that in.
Normally my foggy head days I know are associated with chemical exposure. Strong cleaners etc, not saying his is but don't rule anything out.
Try to look for patterns, my first wife was the one to spot it. She did the bathroom on a weds and I was bad on a Thursday. So she swapped the days and watched to see if my bad day moved and it did. It was only after she had moved the day three times she even told me what she had suspected. That was 20 years ago.
So my advice would be read a lot and keep an open mind.
My question is for those of you who have this illness, do you have any tricks or suggestions for continued maintenance of this illness? Brian has been sick for just over a year. He can work, though some days it is difficult because of nausea or foggy brain. I really try to keep good food for him to eat around, but some days it just isn't enough. Because of a nauseous stomach some weeks he just doesn't eat enough and he starts loosing weight he frankly doesn't have to loose. Some days he still gets so sick he cant walk or function. Lucky for us this isn't as often as it used to be, but I feel like the illness is really affecting his confidence to just function like an adult. I am trying to support him any way I can....for example I am on here looking for any advice because he struggles really embracing the fact that he may always have this illness.
Please and Thank you for any advice you may give.
Thanks for your messages! You are absolutely right, I refer to those symptoms as hypoglycemia, but when I did have my blood checked, my blood sugar levels were normal at that time! It's just that the symptoms are so exactly those of severe hypoglycemia, and I wasn't eating any sugar, so I thought that they must have been a weird form of low blood sugar which doesn't show in the blood. This thing about toxins is really interesting, it's good to know these awful yeasts are dying, but yeah, my god, it's hellish !! It gives me so many horrendous symptoms, it even messes with my short term memory, and since recently it tends to make me very depressed. I think one thing I'll have to work on is how to manage those episodes of "die off", because they get so strong that I end up doing the stupid thing I did yesterday, and eat plenty of sugar... Maybe I should eat a bit more vegetables and be a bit drunk all the time rather than cut all sugars, because it's too hard core... I don't know. I wrote to the clinic in any case, and I am waiting for their reply!
Are you sure that's what happened to you.
I have a friend who is type 1 diabetic, I was feeling very weird one time at work and he said what I was describing was hypoglycaemia that he gets. He checked my bloods and I was fine.
It was in fact fungal die off because I had not eaten sugar and the toxins they release when they die give you the same effect.
It's bloody awful!!!!
I am sure Maffs site has more
And better on this.
I could be wrong but worth checking
My step sisters problem was a food issue. However her doctor had sent her for just about every test they knew and finally asked if it could be a mental issue she had. She was distraught when she phoned my mum and step dad. They asked me if Dr Econs could help and I thought it was worth going. She was there for 5 hours on her first visit. Having all sorts of tests. I was a bit jealous as he only took 30 minutes to know it was a fungal issue with me.
She had spent years trying for a child but without success. I think it was because she was so ill.
She has just had her first child age 40 something and is really loving life as she is much better now
I will ask her to register.
I understand when you are so desperate to find help you will do almost anything.
Thank you very much for your reply! It's such a relief to know I am not alone, although I am sorry that you also have to go through this horrible illness... At least, it's good to know you found a treatment that relieved the symptoms. Thank you ever so much for this doctor's name, I will try to get an appointment with him as soon as possible!! Right now, I live on the continent, but I don't mind going back to the UK to see him, honnestly I'd go anywhere to see a light at the end of this tunnel. I really hope you and your step sister will be able to get your antifungals again very soon !
In my post I mentioned I used Dr Econs who used a sugar test and can give you prescriptions for drugs privately. Where are you in the uk. His website is Airedale allergy clinic.
First consultation cost around £100.
My NHS doctor has changed and does not believe a word of it and I cannot get a repeat prescription for antifungals.
Looks like I will have to go back and see him again.
Saved both me and my step sisters normal lives
I have just found your website, what a relief to find out I am not alone! This past year has been a pure hell to me, and it's not over, but at least now I know what is going on. It all started with a huge fatigue and some episodes of feeling really fuzzy and weird cognitively after eating in January 2015, and from there things got progressively worse and worse. I became intolerant to foods I had been eating without a problem for nearly thirty years, with and more cognitive problems strikingly linked to what I was eating. I thought i might be celiac and cut out gluten, but things only got marginally better. By May I started feeling...well, drunk (it's quite a distinctive feeling, you really cant mistake it) without a drop of alcohol. I suspected something was linked to sugar as by that time I had developped insulin résistance and yeast was found in my stool, so I cut out all sugar, and went straight into a hellish phase of what I now know to have been severe hypoglycemia. After a while things got slightly better, but by that time I was diagnosed with an infectious disease which required 3 months of antibiotics. By the end of those 3 months, I was feeling off my face drunk 24/7. It took me another month to think of testing my alcohol levels (after waking up smelling of booze, after having only eaten cabbage and potatoes the day before) : they were sky high, and seem to remain so whatever I eat, even vegetables. I have totally cut out all grains, fruit, sugars, 99 percent of vegetables (except boiled lettuce), fish (as I have developped a huge histamine intolerance). The only times the breathalyzer shows zero is after I have eaten only meat for a few days. But then I usually feel horrifically hypoglycemic. I ended up going to a naturopath who tested me for SIBO and found out my fasting methane levels were of 27 ppm (instead of below 3 ppm). We didnt even do the second part of the test, as I was already fermenting so much.
Could you advise me where to from here? Can things get even marginally better? Do you know of any doctor, anywhere on the planet, who could help me? I would do anything to get out of this nightmare, and, honnestly, sometimes I am really close to just giving up. Today, I was so depressed after such a long struggle that I decided to binge on anything I wanted, and get drunk on crisps and chocolate.
Anyway thank you for any help you could offer!
I guess I'm blessed in one way. My cardiologist told me
about 13 years ago that the fruit I ate was fermenting before
hitting my bloodstream, but had no idea how it was possible.
My regular doctor here in the states, already knows I am not your common (normal) lol patient because I also have Dysautonomia. I need to get with him again since now I have proof that I'm not crazy. nice to meet you ,suzanne
Maff,you asked why I can't eat meat.... Every time I do
I feel awful! get very nauseated, reflux, maybe vomit.
But that is only the beginning as it takes me 2 days more
of stomach pain, bloating, feeling as though I have the flu.
(complete with fever) with diarrhea ending, day three is usually better but not great. Getting back into eating again is
slow.
I can eat very small amounts of seafood or fish, but if I eat
too much, I feel sick but not to the degree above.
If milk products are so bad, is the Greek low fat yogurt better
because of the live cultures? I have tried to supplement
some of my protein this way because if cheese is out now,
I'm left with very little to keep me full. I appreciate that you are willing to help so many people. God Bless, suzanne
Nice to meet you. I'm from Leeds - now living in Middlesbrough with my fiancee. At one point I never thought being engaged to be married this year or owning a home would be possible but here I am, so I just want to start by saying always have hope at the front of your mind!
I should no doubt not say this but again from experience I personally came to a point where I realised that the easiest way to get the treatment(s) I felt would help me was to be a bit clever and work with various specialists in their narrow approaches at the same time. A treatment can be new, experimental or somewhat controversial but if it falls within a specialist's area of expertise (e.g. immunology) then they are much more likely to work with you and be more flexible. There is certainly no harm in working with your immunologist to tackle multiple allergies; a stronger, balanced immune system is better able to fight back against fungal / yeast infections and is therefore a beneficial avenue. A holistic approach is the only way to ever recover properly from gut dysbiosis / auto-brewery syndrome and your own immune system is your most potent weapon / ally.
On this site we have a dedicated forum section for Candida/yeast problems and other related gut issues (see 'Support' menu up top). If you post there regarding a sympathetic doctor in the North West of England someone will hopefully come to your assistance.
Good luck!
he was however intrigued at my numerous allergies.
I came across your site searching for documentation to take next time to try to get him to think about it as a cause.
By the way my name is Andrew and I live in Burnley, uk
where is best to post to try to find someone in my area who may know a doctor who would help
It certainly sounds like you're going through a rough time with this and list all the typical signs and symptoms of someone who has trouble fighting off yeast/fungi that's got out of control for whatever reason (there could be many).
From experience I'd regrettably say it's very difficult to convince a doctor who's stubbornly closed-minded on this subject to "see the light". There's a huge amount of research on the importance of gut microbial balance to overall health in the scientific literature nowadays but still many doctors are stuck firmly in their medical school textbooks of decades past. Have you had Dr Econs write to or call your new doctor directly? It's much harder for them to ignore one of their peers, particularly an expert in the field! If this hasn't worked then I suspect it may well be easier for you to change doctors/surgeries and present them with the recommendations of Dr. Econ and the Airedale Allergy Clinic. Better still is if you can get a recommendation of a doctor in your area who other sufferers have found to be open to treating gut yeast overgrowth; that way it takes away the stress of trying to convince doctors who may be sceptical for you. Try posting in our forums and those on other similar sites (or even your own social profiles (Facebook etc) and hopefully you'll get some recommendations. If I can do any more to help you personally please let me know and I will do my utmost as I know all too well how nightmarish auto-brewery syndrome and its symptoms can be. Best wishes.
high blood pressure, today was 179/99 and thats on medication.
it was averaging 190/120 before medication
Frustrating shopping trips are very familiar to me and most everyone on the site, so at least you're not alone however difficult things are right now! The key is trial and error to find ways to work around sensitivities and intolerances and build a diet that works for you individually. Having to avoid meat makes things much more difficult unfortunately, can I ask why you cannot eat it? What about fish and seafood, eggs? Dairy is best avoided as the proteins (particularly casein) don't tend to be properly digested when we have gut ecology problems which results in the production of morphine-like substances (beta-casomorphin etc) being absorbed and interfering with neurological and immune function; sensitivities are also common. Given you say you can't eat meat you may have to cut yourself some slack and decide which foods are the lesser of many evils as eating nothing is obviously not a solution! Re: biofilms - I believe the best solution is a supplement from Klaire Labs named Interfase Plus. It's a formula of various enzymes such as cellulase and hemicellulase that act to 'digest' the biofilms thus better exposing microbial colonies to the antimicrobial agents you choose to take.
I hope this gives you a few things to think about and implement. Of course, if you have more questions please post them and I'll try to help you out as much as possible. Take care.
Found your website a couple of weeks after trying again to get my doctor to recognise the fact I have auto brewery syndrome.
I went to see Dr Econs of Airedale allergy clinic a few years ago who did a 1 gram sugar followed by a blood test. The one gram of sugar put me over the drink drive limit.
my doctor at the time was happy to follow Dr Econs advice and precribed me anti fungals.
Problem is she has left the practice and the doctor i see now does not believe a word of it and will not prescrib me anti fungals.
Reading some of the current artocles and info on here I realise I probably did not tak e them for long enough and it returned within about 3-4 months.
I have been able to live fairly normally but recently my symptoms have got a level where I am again feeling fairly poorly.
I have a long list of syptoms.
multiple chemical sensetivity
loads of allergies,
food intolerances
yeast symptoms are
floaters in my eyes which look like all the pictures of yeast.
nasel irritation, nasel drips
constant. thrush on my tongue
coughing phlegm every day
severe bloating after some foods
muscle pain
joint pain
sores which appear anywhere
itchy butt,
finally if a eat or drink anything with sugar, last time was a twirl bar, I get so drunk I tend to go to sleep or pass out, certainly my partner cannot wake me for 4-5 hours.
How can I convince my GP I have this when he is so set against it
went shopping today for things I can eat. It was most
frustrating. I can't eat meat so I checked out vegan
substitutes, but they all had wheat gluten in them. Is
dairy bad too because of the milk sugar? Would no lactose
milk be ok? Also you mentioned 1 strain that most likely
causes our body to brew. What natural spices or foods
would help break down their biofilms? I love oats can I have those if they are steel-cut? Sorry for all the questions
I'm so glad that there may be something that can help. Suzanne
I can really empathise with your husband and know first hand how awful it is. You feel totally helpless being poisoned by your own body. I have been living with auto-brewery syndrome for 15 years, since I was 18/19 years old. I have been able to manage its severity somewhat by sticking to a very low carb diet over the years but no treatment has so far succeeded in resolving the problem.
I have come across and worked with many specialists who recognise and work with patients with this problem. These specialists tend to be naturopathic doctors (NDs) or medical doctors who have opened their eyes and now practice integrative/functional/nutritional medicine. I know in Canada there are a couple of ND medical schools so I would suggest contacting them for a list of licensed NDs practicing near you. An ND will run functional tests like a comprehensive digestive stool analysis (CDSA) and intestinal permeability testing (for leaky gut) to find out exactly what is going on in your husbands gut. Chances of treatment being successful are always much higher if you know what is truly going on rather than just taking a best guess!
If your husband is only having epsiodic issues every 3 months I would think antifungal and antibacterial drugs or nutritional/herbal remedies (along with quality probiotics) may be very beneficial. Probiotics alone are unlikely to cut it however. I highly recommend reading The Yeast Syndrome and The Yeast Connection as Tracy and I mentioned below if you haven't already.
If this "conventional" route doesn't work you might be interested a blog post about the success of fecal transplants which you can read here - www.ei-resource.org/myblog/… can also visit the Home Fecal Transplants group where there is a huge amount of information about this method of resolving gut dysbiosis - which auto-brewery syndrome really is.
I hope this helps you and your husband out a little. Best wishes to you both.
My husband lives with debilitating Auto brewery syndrome. Despite living a very clean lifestyle and taking probiotics, he seems to have an episode every 3 months. Thank you for your info. Have you come across any specialists working with this illness?
In any case William Crook may well have related the same story or a similar one in The Yeast Connection, I would not be surprised. Auto-brewery syndrome is likely much more common than anyone acknowledges. Unfortunately in my case I go straight to the hangover without experiencing the more pleasing effects of ethanol!
I'd recommend both books to everyone. You can pick them up for pennies on Amazon and both are in the EiR bookstore/reviews section at: www.ei-resource.org/jreviews/book-store-and-reviews/Environmental+Illness+Books/candida-a-gut-dysbiosis_c61_m606/