Yeast Sensitivity - Experience With This?

[Waitingindreams]

I just saw my naturopathic doctor this past Tuesday (April 29, 2014) and he mentioned to me how a patient's rosacea cleared up after he tested positive for sensitivities to wheat and yeast, and gave them up. I thought it was interesting - but I didn't, at first, give it too much thought. My rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, and candida have all been huge indications that I have not fully healed and something else is wrong...that and the fact that I still, occasionally, have diarrhea/loose stools. I hadn't seen a pattern...until now. While at his office, I took a food sensitivity test (it tests 96 foods and only cost $139 - definitely worth it).

 

That night, I had steamfresh brown rice (no additives or sauce) steamfresh mixed vegetables (no additives or sauce) topped with some daiya shreds and gluten free Wishbone Italian dressing. My stomach felt crampy and bloated afterwards, but I assumed it was the rice. I went to the bathroom and got slightly sick, but felt immediate relief after going (similarly to how I'd feel after eating lactose, but the entire meal was lactose/dairy free)

 

The following morning I had the same thing, and then had to run to the bathroom at work a few hours later. I started to realize it was yeast that was bothering me. There is yeast extract in both the daiya cheese and the salad dressing. Ugh. Okay, so I decided to test it when I got home from work. I grabbed an Ener-G English Muffin (tons of yeast) spread some hummus on it, and put the daiya cheese on it. Sure enough, within 2-3 hours I was paying for it. Again, the meal was gluten free and lactose free. So, I've concluded that I have a yeast sensitivity..it would explain why I've had diarrhea occasionally here and there but never saw a pattern to it, or worried about it too much. (it's not at all the same as when I eat gluten) On top of the GI symptoms, I noticed my candida got noticeably worse, and I thought back on some rosacea triggers and, apparently, a good deal of them contain yeast.

 

So, today, May 1st - is my first day of going yeast free. Oi. I get my results back on May 30th, I don't want to wait that long. I'm really feeling that yeast is an issue. Can anyone share their experience - - what symptoms did you have, how long did it take to get yeast out of your system, and are there tons of hidden yeast sources like there are with gluten? Any surprise foods contain yeast? Thanks so much for the advice/insight!

[1desperateladysaved]

I have a problem with yeast being in my airspace.  The smell of yeast makes the glands in my neck smell.  I have kept sugar (including fruits) to a minimum.  I noticed a yeast rash on my body as I eliminated foods that I didn't tolerate.  The yeast, I believe, like to feed on sugar and don't like protein much.  I think they liked the foods I didn't tolerate also.  I take a pro-biotic that has a kind that consumes yeast.  There is a prescription that discourages yeast growth, but it probably takes some good bacteria with it.

[IrishHeart]

after he tested positive for sensitivities to wheat and yeast, and gave them up

 

While at his office, I took a food sensitivity test (it tests 96 foods and only cost $139 - definitely worth it).

 

 

I keep posting this information for people, but no one seems to take heed.

 

THERE ARE NO VALID TESTS FOR FOOD SENSITIVITIES. Sorry.

 

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[Waitingindreams]

Well I already took the test..there's nothing I can do now. I didn't see your warning post(s) (or anyone else's) until after I took it.   Either way, I am feeling better since eliminating the yeast (not completely better, as it's only been one day...but I didn't feel sick to my stomach all day like I did the past few days)

 

This question was mainly about people's experience with yeast so that I could compare/contrast and learn more about avoiding it, since I strongly believe it is an issue. I didn't even get my results from the test back yet, so it doesn't help me at all to tell me the test results will mean nothing. I understand what you're saying, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I think this should be a pinned thread warning other people from getting similar tests done if it's really that big of an issue. I'm sure other people who are still feeling sick turn to this option immediately, thinking it will provide some insight. Personally, even though it might be inaccurate, it's still a start for me. I can just test all of the foods that came up "positive" with elimination diets. Something else is wrong, whether it be just yeast or something else I'm eating that's bothering me. Something else needs to be done and I figured this was a good start. 

[kareng]

I know someone, not a Celiac, who is allergic to baking yeast. So it is certainly possible.

However, that isn't the same thing as a yeast infection on your skin, as was mentioned. At least, I think you were asking about eating yeast not some unusual skin condition? And an internal yeast infection is a whole other thing.......

[Waitingindreams]

Trust me I'm confused about it myself. I do have candiadasis, and i've had it for years. I've tried different topical creams as well as Diflucan to get rid of it. It's improved significantly since I gave up gluten, but it's still there. I have a rash on my chest. No actual yeast infections 'down there', just the rash on my chest. I've also cut back significantly on sugar to stop feeding the rash. 

 

As for the internal yeast...I didn't really think about it too much until my doctor mentioned the other patient giving up yeast and seeing an improvement in his rosacea. I then started to pay attention to what I was eating that had yeast in it, and I would notice my cheeks flushing from a rosacea flare up, and/or bad GI symptoms (cramping, bloating, and diarrhea)

 

So I am done with yeast! Already feeling like I made the right choice. I thought more people would have an issue with yeast, I did find an article that claimed it to be common..but I guess not. Rats.

[FruitEnthusiast]

This is another perspective you might consider. I have been sensitive to mold in foods for years. As far as I know there is no test you can have to find out if it's an issue for you, not even an Allergist can test for it.

 

Yeast is one of the many things a mold sensitive person will have trouble with as well as any fermented, cultured, or aged foods. There is mold in many foods we eat, cheeses for example are an obvious example. Most people won't react to the safe, edible molds in the foods we eat. Others, can have a reaction to molds in foods, in the same way we react to gluten when others don't.

 

Examples of foods that can bother someone who is mold sensitive: cultured foods like cheese or yogurt, fermented foods like vinegar, soy sauce, or alcohol, aged foods like nuts or dried fruit, mushrooms (a fungus), and yeast.

 

It's easy to find a more complete list online of mold containing foods. You might check it out and see if you react to any of those foods as well. I can get away with eating a certain amount but I get symptoms if I overdo it.

 

I hope you are not sensitive to mold, but it might be worth a look just to see.

[Waitingindreams]

Thank you, that is something to consider! Vinegar definitely does bother me. I haven't noticed an issue with mushrooms or nuts, but I'll keep an eye out. It's hard to say about the cheese/yogurt because I'm lactose intolerant and they bother me regardless :\ I never drank much alcohol, but my rosacea does flush whenever I do have a drink or two. 

 

Here is something interesting: Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, my allergies were acting up BIG time. I've always had bad seasonal allergies, but they were so bad that my allergy medicine was completely ineffective. I finally went to see an allergist. He tested me for allergies by doing the prick test on my arms...the one with the trees/grasses/pollens swelled up so badly that he was actually very startled, and he immediately had the nurses rub the stuff off. I didn't think much of it, I knew my allergies were bad. Then he sent me for bloodwork to get tested for food allergies. When I got the results back, I was told that I was allergic to peanuts. What? I was on a huge peanut butter kick..I just ate peanut butter that morning! I avoid peanuts now to be cautious, but I don't think I am truly "allergic". However, after I started feeling like yeast was an issue...I looked up foods containing yeast and peanuts were on the list. I wonder if that is why I came up as allergic to peanuts? 

 

I will definitely keep the possibility of a mold sensitivity on the back burner. I am determined to figure out what is going on here! I have so many skin issues and I'm frustrated that I haven't seen much relief since going gluten free. I even make sure to use gluten free skin/hair care, just in case! It all seems to help, but only a tiny bit. 

[cyclinglady]

Consider mold in your house.

Your rash? I love Tea Tree oil. It is great for fungus and bacteria. Might be worth trying. My daughter uses it to treat her acne and says it works better than the commercial products I have purchased. I use it too for my nails and face. I wash with tea tree oil soap too. Though she is young and I do not want to pull out the big guns yet!

It is best to get to the source and wine is a definite trigger for me. That is why I switched to good beers years ago. Until my dx. Now I rarely drink and it is usually vodka which does not bother my face.

We need to drink though. 60 Minutes featured a story about the 90+ club. UC Irvine tracked data for the past thirty years at Leisure World, a huge retirement center. You live longer if you drink coffee and alcohol, exercise, socialize, play games. I would live there in a flash if they had a celiac dedicated cafe. Wouldn't that be great?

[Waitingindreams]

Hmm, I hope there isn't mold in the house! Agh! I didn't even think about that. 

 

I've tried tea tree oil before - I never saw too much of a difference! I need specifics..what brand? How much? Did you dilute it with water, and if so how diluted? Etc. I tried Paul Mitchell's tea tree oil shampoo/conditioner at the recommendation of a hair stylist for my dandruff...but then recently saw it, unfortunately, has wheat in it so that would explain why that never helped...and then I tried Dr. Bronner's tea tree oil liquid soap (on my scalp) and that seemed to help slightly, but again no huge difference. If you can give me what you do specifically, then I'll give it a shot. I'm driving myself crazy, I'm always running out to buy new products to try to help all of my skin issues. I've seen little to no relief with the dandruff on the scalp, either. I completely switched to gluten free hair care/skin products and it HELPED, but the problem is still there. 

 

The candida rash is very stubborn. I've tried Diflucan orally, ketocazonale (sp?) cream and desonide lotion topically, as well as apple cider vinegar topically and organic, virgin coconut oil both topically and orally. It goes through spurts where it's getting 'better', but I haven't gotten it to go away fully since my diagnosis. Sugar seems to really aggravate it, same with yeast. I do tend to eat low sugar already. 

 

I love coffee! I miss my iced coffees. I got 2 last month and I loved them..but I paid for them by running to the bathroom shortly after. I don't know if it's just Dunkin Donuts coffee or what. I just get a regular, medium sized decaf iced coffee (no flavor, nothing!) and it goes right through me. I think coffee is related to yeast somehow, isn't it? It would explain a lot since there is no gluten in coffee. It's not the lactose either...I would always take 3+ lactaid pills with the coffee...though if I try it again, maybe I'll ask for no milk and add in almond milk when I get home to test it. I really think it's the coffee itself that is an issue, though. I thought it was caffeine, which is why I switched to decaf...but it still makes me run to the bathroom. 

 

Grapes, vinegars, coffee, all bother me and make my rosacea flare up/give me GI symptoms. It would make sense why I was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as well..due to the yeast. 

[cyclinglady]

Maybe you have a milk allergy and not just lactose intolerance. Milk has always affected me my whole life. Intestinal problems and nasal issues with minutes of consuming it. Use an alternative. Maybe you should try coffee made at home and drink it plain. Yucky I know, but you have to test foods in their simple forms otherwise too many variables. Like your using dressing. Maybe it was not the vinegar. Maybe it was the garlic which was in the hummus. Too. Garlic is a huge Rosacea trigger for me. Now it makes my mouth tingle, so I avoid it like the plague. Do you eat something every single day? Like OJ? Whew! It is hard to find the foods that create symptoms.

To test, take a food out of your diet and then eat it in its pure form on day 8 and record your symptoms. Wait 48 hours before you decide to add that food back into your diet.

A donut shop? There is the possibility of getting glutened. I would never order from there!

We use undiluted tree oil. Always test. Cost about $8.00/tiny bottle. But again, trying to find the source of your skin reactions is critical. Are you sure your rash is fungal? Is it rosacea on your chest? Did a derm take a sample? Topical anti-fungals should do the job especially if you are sugar lite and that includes all sugars even potatoes, corn, rice, etc. Anything with carbs.

[Waitingindreams]

I'm going to message you!

[ezgoindude]

wooooow,  I am still undiagnosed, but waiting you hit some of my irregularities spot on. 

 

I'm just starting a semi paleo kinda diet, but I've noticed anything with vinegar (any kind of vinegar), after a few days i'll get burning/gnawing in the upper right portion of my chest, and similar enough will get the big "D". 

 

When I was first trying with probiotics at first, I noticed ones like Florastor that were primarily yeast would be similar "glutened" symptoms back, and within a few hours at that.

 

 

Whether or not I have celiac or NCGI yeast is a problem for me.

[Waitingindreams]

Oh wow! See, according to a few articles I found, it stated that a yeast issue is pretty common in people with celiac disease and it often mimics the symptoms of being glutened...but it doesn't seem like too many people have a known issue with it. 

 

Ener-G apparently makes a yeast free bread, but i haven't seen it in stores...and I don't know if it has any other foods I can't have/you can't have. Also, stay away from grapes and coffee! Coffee always made me run to the bathroom, but I never really thought about it. I assumed it was like that for everyone. As for grapes, they have yeast on them...and I don't know how you react to them, but the last time I ate them (and literally it was just grapes and blueberries) I was very sick for about 30-45 minutes...but felt fine after using the bathroom. I still eat berries with no issue, but I don't bother with grapes anymore. 

 

What probiotic do you take now? I'm currently off probiotics completely because my naturopath doctor wants me to start taking 2 a day, and they're expensive! So I'm waiting on his recommendation (I'm seeing him in a few days) 

 

Anyway, I have noticed slight improvements in my rosacea since being off the yeast! I don't get the "hot flashes" really anymore, but my cheeks are still pinkish. I just realized I have a problem with legumes as well, so maybe that'll help rid of the rosacea even more.

[ezgoindude]

I'm always hesitant to pass recommendations when I still don't know what's going on lol but so far I've noticed to start simple with probiotics, don't jump the guns.

My mom swears for florastor, which is yeast based, and has used it for years. I can't handle it. We're opposites tho, she's usually constipated, everything tends to run through me.

Culturelle was good for me, it's about 17 bucks. It is only one strain of lactobacillus, and most recommend 20 billion units or more which I don think it has. Any vegetarian based probiotics are calming for me, I accidentally had kefir based probiotics and was very gassey.

As a guy though it's been hard to keep up with buying tho, I have not seen any large amount of benefit from any specific strand.

I'm the same with coffee.....which is the most depressing because it was a staple in my life lol.

[FruitEnthusiast]

Interesting, the connection between Celiac and yeast. I also read about the natural occurring yeast on the skin of grapes. Apparently apples have it too.

[Waitingindreams]

I can't eat apples either But my reaction is different - when I eat an apple (even if it's washed thoroughly and peeled) my throat will close up. I can't eat any fresh fruits other than berries. However, if I cook the apples (or other fresh fruits, like pears) then I can eat them. There is some kind of protein that mimics pollen or something. I just avoid it all! Grapes never made my throat close, but man did i have a lot of nausea last time I ate them.

[MermaidPaz]

I notice that I have issues with yeast.  When I have had a food exposure or am healing I stay away from it altogether.  The symptoms are not worth it.  After I have recovered, small amounts of yeast containing foods (like a glass of wine) don't seem to bother me.  However, if I had wine everyday I would see a resurgence in symptoms.  This is part of the reason that I do not eat a lot of leavened breads.  If you think it's hard to make a nice doughy bread without gluten, it's impossible without yeast!  Dr. David Clark actually lists yeast among the top three cross reactant foods for those with gluten issues.

[Waitingindreams]

I've never homemade my own bread (though I want to eventually) but I think I'd stick with paleo bread recipes. They have store bought paleo bread that's pretty good, not at all doughy but I like it! And of course there's no yeast. They use apple cider vinegar instead of regular vinegar, which is (apparently) fine to have if you have a yeast issue. I've read from multiple sources that apple cider vinegar actually helps kill/fight candida, so I would think it'd be okay on a yeast free diet.

 

How long did it take you to recover? I'm still learning what my food sensitivities are and what I can and can't have, but I know right now yeast is a definite no-no.

[MermaidPaz]

It took about a month on a strict autoimmune protocol for my body to heal enough for me to identify certain food triggers.  Often, it's hard to pinpoint a trigger until you have eliminated it from your diet for a time.  During the elimination phase, the only foods containing any significant quantities of yeast that I consumed were apple cider vinegar and kombucha.  I use apple cider vinegar in my food and also haircare, and I have never had a problem with it.  That said, you also don't really just glug down a glass of vinegar like you would wine or kombucha.  After being on the elimination diet for a matter of weeks I could tolerate yeasty drinks like wine or kombucha a few times a week, but if I have been exposed to wheat or teff I become much more sensitive to yeast during that time.

 

If you haven't already done an allergen elimination diet, perhaps you should think about it.  I can honestly say that I probably never would have discovered my adverse reaction to many foods were it not for this elimination and controlled re-introduction.  I still struggle daily living in a house that is not gluten free and having to battle the bread crumbs.  I get cross contamination exposures frequently now and this does hinder my progress with reintroducing safe foods and zeroing in on trigger foods.  So as far as recovery, I'm not recovered at all at the moment and unfortunately have to limit yeast for the time being. 

[Waitingindreams]

Thank you for your insight/advice! i am currently doing elimination diets myself - and, so far, have come to the conclusion that I have issues with yeast and all legumes. (Goodbye, my beloved hummus  ) That was a slow realization - it started with being tested for allergies and finding out I had a "peanut allergy", to noticing that all beans (black beans, kidney beans, etc) made me run to the bathroom...to noticing symptoms after eating soy, and then finally - hummus. No more legumes for me! Since giving up yeast, I have noticed less flare ups with my rosacea. I still have pink cheeks, but not really any more hot flashes and a burning sensation in my face. I am soon getting tested for thyroid and adrenal issues, though, so that could have something to do with the lingering pink tint.

 

I also am avoiding corn for the time being. I don't know if I have a true corn sensitivity, but I know that sugar alcohols usually derived from corn (sorbitol, xylitol, etc) bother me terribly.

 

What other foods did you find you had trouble with? And agh, hang in there I live in the same kind of environment - I live with 3 gluten eaters that don't understand cross contamination and don't really care to learn too much about the disease. I'm not totally recovered yet either - I am reminded of that when I see my skin, but after giving up legumes/yeast I feel significantly better. Hopefully we'll both heal soon!

[FruitEnthusiast]

I also am avoiding corn for the time being. I don't know if I have a true corn sensitivity, but I know that sugar alcohols usually derived from corn (sorbitol, xylitol, etc) bother me terribly.

 

I've had a sensitivity to yeast and corn for many years. You may know all about corn sources, but I thought I'd mention a couple in case you don't know about them. Citric acid and ascorbic acid are corn, not citrus, and they are such a common additive. It's even used to rinse packaged vegetables like baby carrots and salad mixes. Another one that shocked me was that some plastic has started to be made from corn to avoid the BPA plastics. Some water bottles are made with it, and some cans are lined with it (I never knew canned food even had a plastic lining, but it does). I think only very sensitive people need to worry about that one. Hope this isn't TMI.

 

There are good sites online that list all the sources. It's staggering how many places corn can be found. I'm lucky, I'm only mildly sensitive to it, but since all these sensitivities add up, I'm very careful. There are very few things I can eat at this point too.

 

I so relate to you user name, Waitingindreams. That's exactly how it feels. Waiting to get well, instead of being sick all the time... dreaming of the things I might do when I'm well enough to have a "normal" life again.