[cobluegirl]

Here is some info I got off a thread on mdc...

Probiotics, antibiotics, yeast and eczema.

Quote:
The gut flora of healthy individuals is very stable (Sears et al., 1950,19-%); this stability may in part be due to interbacterial inhibition (Sprunt and Redman, 1968). Alteration in the level of normal flora by antibiotics has long been known to allow secondary infection by pathogenic bacteria and yeasts (Keefer, 1951; Seelig, 1966).

Occasional publications describe abnormal fecal flora in patients with atopic eczema. Kuvaeva et al. (1984) studied 60 infants in Moscow with IgE mediated food allergy and eczema. They reported a decrease in anaerobic bacteria and lactic acid-producing aerobes and an increase of Enterobacteriaceae. Severity of eczema was directly proportional to severity of dysbiosis. No control data are given. Ionescu et al. (1986) studied fecal flora in children and adults with atopic eczema. Compared with healthy controls, there was a marked reduction in Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Enteroccoccus species in the great majority of cases. This was associated with increased concentrations of Candida species, Proteus, Klebsiella, and Staphylococcus allreus, and appearance of atypical coliforms and Clostridium innocutan.. The high frequency of hypoalbumenernia, indicanuria and steatorrhea in the eczema group suggested small bowel bacterial overgrowth with secondary malabsorption. In neither of these studies is it possible to determine whether abnormal bowel flora caused allergy or whether food-allergic disease destabilized gut flora.

http://mdheal.org/microbes.htm

It's his gut dysbiosis that is related to the sleeping problems.

I've done a lot of reading about the gut-brain connection... the gut produces the neurotrasmitters, makes perfect sense. Yeast and bacteria produce alcohol like toxins and volatile fatty acids. Ever drink too much and have very interrupted sleep?

If foods are not being broken down properly, the peptides can create opiate like compounds (gluten and dairy peptides are well studied in the ASD community) which effect behavior, like kids get high off them and them have a crash.

Personally I experienced it too ... horrible insomnia, buzzing anxiety, couldn't fall asleep/shut my brain off. Woke during night and stayed awake. All related to digestion... to fermentable foods such as grains, potatoes, corn, sugar that I wasn't digesting properly and they were feeding the bad gut bugs. I understand the issue with my DS only too well. Sadly, I was able to heal myself but DS is still being a tough nut to crack.

Right now we are awaiting stool tests from Great Smokies with a holistic Ped that will probably px herbs. And doing homeopathy. In addition to diet, the SCD, that worked with me but not with him.

The 2 best books I've found on the gut brain issues relating to food and digestion are:

"Breaking the Vicious Cycle"
www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info

"Enzymes for Autism" or "Enzymes for Digestive Health" (they are both the same)
www.enzymestuff.com

The Gut-Brain Connection
Recent studies show that functional GI symptoms are not necessarily the result of dysfunction in the bowel, but may be due to disturbances in brain-gut pathways.
By Harvard Health Reports

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?s...catref=bcat143


Quote:
Emotions
It's no secret. Emotions often find their outlet in the gut. Nerves, stresses, emotional upsets, mental problems, and other psychological factors can wreak havoc with the GI tract. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal system are intimately connected.

The entire journey of food through the 30-foot-long digestive tract is quarterbacked by a remarkable communication network known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). This intricate nerve complex is located in the gut wall and communicates with the brain via the spinal cord. In turn, hormones, neurotransmitters, and connections to the central nervous system that affect muscle, mucosa, and blood vessels in the digestive tract influence the ENS.

The ENS communicates with the brain, first via the sympathetic nerves that pass to and from the gut through transformers called sympathetic ganglia. These nerves connect to the spinal cord and then to the base of the brain. In addition, parasympathetic nerves link to the base of the brain via the vagus nerve from the upper gut or the sacral nerves from the colon. The gut and brain use neurotransmitters to send electrochemical messages to one another by way of these nerves. Scientists say that this complex, sophisticated "gut-brain" system is nearly the equal of the body's central nervous system.

Recent imaging studies of the brain show that functional GI symptoms are not necessarily the result of dysfunction in the bowel, but may be due to disturbances in brain-gut pathways that alter pain thresholds, control movement through and contractions of the GI tract, and influence behavior. [Jane note: except that what is or is not produced in a malfunctioning bowel produces the raw materials for the brain.]

We know that the brain has a direct effect on the stomach if only because the thought of eating can set off the stomach's appetite juices even before food gets there. But the action goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. A patient's distressed gut might, therefore, be as much the cause as the product of depression.