char
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8315
posted
Hi again.
My 13yr old son is eating the house down. Has put on weight steadily since infected 5 yrs ago. Has worsened to point he is sneaking food after I go to bed. Starting to feel like eating is becoming an obsession.
Has been on abx for a year and a half with some progress. Currently on Mepron and Zith.
We have been adjusting pain and psych meds as we kept thinking they were the culprit. Recently started Topamax, discontinued Nuerotin which was a proven offender. (appetite increased when we increased the dosage)
He is sedentary with leg and foot pain. We are swimming as we can, 1 or 2 times per week. He has a hard time getting out with herxing hard right now.
Could yeast make him go crazy for food? He is on a wheat-free diet, but he cheats with chicken nuggets and occasionally takes a peptide capsule and has bread and such.
He has Asperger Syndrome under lyme and babs and has a limited reperatoire of foods he will eat due to smell and texture issues.
We are moving back to former home and he has friends and more to do which hopefully will help. (and if he can handle, I am planning to keep him busy with homeschool, crankiness and all)
What do you think? This got long, guess it is a bigger problem than I thought.
posted
Yes, yeast can be responsible for food cravings, esp since being on abx. Even just minor offenses like eating some bread or breaded fried chicken can make it worse. It's very difficult for teenagers especially to understand this and be strong enough not to cheat or give in to cravings. It will be a tough job for you, but you need to stay on him about it. A mini trampoline can give him an easy way to get some exercise even when he doesn't feel like it.
-------------------- You're only a failure when you stop trying. Posts: 945 | From U.S | Registered: Oct 2004
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You say your son was dx'ed 5 years ago -- do you believe he was infected earlier on, perhaps from birth? The reason I ask is that lyme seems to be correlated with the Autistic-spectrum disorders. (For readers who are not familiar with this, Asperger's syndrome is fairly similar to high-functioning autism.)
In addition to the meds/yeast/lyme causing craving problems, Asperger's often goes hand in hand with OCD symptoms, so food may well be an obsession for him. Is he being treated with a psych med that helps control OCD-type symptoms?
Glad to hear he is off the Neurontin -- it tends to pile weight on folks very rapidly. Topamax tends to cause weight loss, but also has a host of side effects of its own, particularly cognitive ones.
I don't have any answers for you -- just expressing my sympathy.
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Char, I agree with the above poster.
I'm learning the hard way of avoiding ALL WHEAT/RYE AND COW'S MILK, EGG WHITES, CHEESES, & GARLIC.
Sneaking in a little disrupts everything else we have sacrificed to gain a little goes away when we cheat; me included!
My mentality doesn't get it all the way yet..but I am trying.
Talked to Wisc. allergist specialist, Dr. Kroker, yesterday. He had me stop all supplements this week to see if I regain any ENERGY vs. the full-time fatigue. NO CHANGES. He was going to order diflucan again for me, and "NO SUGAR" as that causes the overgrowth of yeast.
Mentioned the diflucan was supposed to give me ENERGY LEVEL BACK; ordered 10 days of diflucan & call him back in 10 days for update.
1 of my delayed responses to my allergy testings was CANDIDA YEAST. Bettyg ....good luck w/son!
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char
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8315
posted
Thank you friends,
I don't think he was infected from birth. I wasn't sick then and Asperger's runs in the family. Guess you never know, but we all got sick when we lived in Rockland County, NY.
An OCD drug is something that we haven't tried. A good idea.
Yes,I must muster the moral courage to get both kids on anti-yeast diet. Dr. did labs for it and I am looking forward to her going over results with the kids. Bottom line it is up to me, of course. I am pretty good with it and I feel a lot better.(and am lighter!)
mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
hi Char-
My friend's son with Asperger's(8th grade) also has cravings for carbs. He would also be sedendary if it were his choice. Mom keeps him moving. He buys stuff he can't eat at school even though cafeteria staff knows he isn't allowed to. So maybe Asperger's and adolesence are playing a roll too. Yeast can be causing the pain for sure and I think abx the cravings. I craved carbs when I was on abx. But mepron really cut my appetite.
He does not have lyme or at least I don't see symptoms and I do his afterschool care.
He has suddenly gotten much taller and lost some of the chubbiness, so he really did need the food!
Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Char,
I am so sorry you are going through this. I cannot speak with experience about Asperger's, only know a tad because of my experience with Celiac Disease/being gluten-free prior to getting Lyme. Many autism/Asperger's patients do better being gluten-free and casein-free as you know.
But I will say that some of the antibiotics and other meds I've been on for Lyme have made me ravenous. When I was on Doxy (my first antibiotic), I would be ravenous two hours after a meal. I was packing on weight and finally commented to my LLMD who said, yes Doxy can do that.
My weight has been up and down with Lyme due to the disease itself but also the antibiotics, seizure meds, etc. So it's good that you've been able to see some direct correlations such as with Neurontin.
Best of luck, Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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Hafve you ever considered that he is a 13 year old boy? Is he fat? Overweight? If not I would not, apart from the grocery bill worry too much about it.
Believe me the 13 year old male animal is a voracious beast. He can probably eat his weight in 72 hours. Plus he has all the hormones and insanity of puberty. Plus lyme madness. I highly approve of your getting him into swimming. If he is prone to being overweight the sight of all those healthy and well proportioned strong swimmers cannot be but a beneficial influence. It gets him out of the house, away from the sewer television and the brain number computer. He gets out among people who are, I have found, really quite sane, normal, healthy and good to be around. Further I have discovered that swimming definately, at least in my case, helps with all the symptoms. It is difficult but definately worthwhile. So maybe a little less desperation, a pinch of gentle humor, a dash of patience and more physical exercise and trying to get him around people, particulary people his age might be of help. Cheers. And Good Luck. Thomas Parkman
-------------------- Thomas Parkman Posts: 341 | From Columbia SC 29206 | Registered: Feb 2003
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groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
Hi Char
Candida can make you crave carbs ect Big Time--
When I had candida real bad I craved candy- chips(carbs)Real Bad- I dont even like candy-never have--
I found my self eating 5 big candy bars aday- for weeks--
Once I got the candida under control the candy-carb cravings went away - --not to return-- So candida can do it-
If your son is eating Good food and is not Over Weight- maybe no big deal--
Teen age boys Do eat ALOT --Normaly-
I found the best way to deal with carb cravings is not to buy any Bad foods to begain with-
I dont even walk down the cerial- bread- candy- chips- icecream -ect iles in the store--
Out of sight out of mind --
I know its hard for anyone else in the family who dose not have any candida- diet-weight problems-
But Cleaning up the whole families diet could be a Good thing-all around--
hope this helps --Jay--
Posts: 2999 | From Austin tx USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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