Since it can be serious for IBD sufferers, and mant of us take antibiotics which can lead to secondary C.Diff infections, I thought this article would be informative.
Even mentioned in hospital literature pamphlets, Saccharomyces boulardii may be a life-saver for those who contract severe intestinal bacterial infections such as Clostridium Difficile, a highly contagious form of diarrhea, often caused by broad spectrum antibiotics which kill all intestinal flora – good, bad and indifferent. Beneficial bacteria live by the millions in the intestines of human beings and aid in the breakdown and digestion of food. Along with the beneficial bacteria, there are disease-causing bacteria as well, held in check by the good bugs!
In a worst case scenario, virulent forms of C. difficile can cause diarrhea or dysentery (bloody diarrhea) severe enough to cause dehydration which in turn can cause tachycardia (an abnormally rapid heartbeat), toxic megacolon and even death. Intravenous rehydration is required and careful monitoring of the patient to ensure safe return to normalcy.
The very antibiotics used to fight C. difficile infection will kill the beneficial bacteria in the intestines as well as the harmful bacteria. C. difficile is difficult to eradicate because it produces spores rather than multiplying as most bacteria, by binary fission. Spores are similar to seeds in that they have a hard shell and can survive for weeks or even months on surfaces. Whereas many bacteria have permeable cell membranes that make them more vulnerable to antibiotics, C. difficile is designed to survive harsh conditions.
Enter Saccharomyces boulardii -- a beneficial probiotic which is a yeast similar to brewers yeast.
S. boulardii also produces spores and is therefore difficult for an antibiotic that has eradicated other beneficial bacteria, to kill this beneficial yeast probiotic. S. boulardii is non-systemic, which means that it remains in the gastrointestinal tract and does not spread elsewhere in the body, plus it grows at the high temperature of 37 degrees Centigrade.
Two daily doses of 500 mg of S. boulardii given along with one of two antibiotics (vancomycin or metronidazole) can significantly reduce the rate of recurrent Clostridium difficile whose toxins can cause infection and pseudomembranous colitis. The antitoxin secretions of S. boulardii degrade the toxins secreted by Clostridium difficile and inhibit these toxins' ability to bind to receptors in the microvilli (bristle-like structures) lining the intestine.
Saccharomyces Boulardii Can Benefit Both Adult and Child
Evidence indicates that S.boulardii can be used as a preventative treatment for antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) in both adults and children.
Adults taking 250 mg of S. boulardii twice a day for five days can experience significant reduction in diarrhea symptoms.
It has been tested versus a placebo in cases of pediatric acute diarrhea with resulting reduction of symptoms. Children over the age of three months taking two doses of 250 mg a day for five days and children under three months of age taking 125 mg twice daily for five days were successfully treated for acute diarrhea.
S. Boulardii Provides Help with IBS, IBD, Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis and Traveler's Diarrhea
Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can have significant reduction in the number and consistency of bowel movements. A dosage of 250 mg of S. boulardii three times a day can also benefit inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with prevention of relapse in Crohn's disease to those in remission. Patients with moderate ulcerative colitis can also benefit from the same dosage of Saccharomyces boulardii.
A prophylactic dose of 250 mg S. boulardii per day versus a placebo was shown to significantly reduce occurrences of travelers’ diarrhea in vacationers.
Stage IV AIDS patients suffering from diarrhea but receiving S. boulardii gained weight while a placebo group lost weight during an eighteen-month trial.
It has been demonstrated that S. boulardii also has anti-inflammatory effects and increases immune response with protection against invading microbes in both gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
Saccharomyces boulardii lyo is often marketed as a probiotic in a lyophilized (freeze-dried) form in gel capsules. It is available at many natural health food stores.
The only contraindication for the use of S. boulardii is in patients with yeast allergies, central venous catheters or those who are severely immunocompromised. The highly concentrated probiotic normally used for the treatment of Clostridium difficile colitis, may cause fungemia in critically ill patients. The two strongest risk factors for fungemia are broad-spectrum antibiotic use and fungal overgrowth or colonization.
Patients Must Help Themselves
Apparently medical staff does not inform patients that help exists for diarrhea by using a probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii. This is possibly because hospitalized patients who are the most likely to contract highly contagious C. difficile are prescribed conventional medicine rather than a probiotic sold in health food stores. Broad spectrum antibiotic use, especially over a prolonged period of time, may induce diarrhea or allow Clostridium difficile to overtake the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
C. difficile can produce toxins and even pseudomembranous colitis and at worst toxic megacolon which may require surgery to remove part or the entire colon (large intestine). Patients therefore must self-advocate and either ask or demand the possibility that S. boulardii can alleviate their diarrhea, either in hospital or at home.
References:
* World Journal of Gastroenterology, Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients, Accessed September 14, 2010
* PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed, search saccharomyces boulardii Accessed September 14, 2010
* PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmed, Treatment and prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea, Accessed September22, 2010
Read more at Suite101: Deadly C. Difficile Dysentery Neutralized by S. Boulardii http://www.suite101.com/content/dea...tralized-by-s-boulardii-a275750#ixzz1BJmgRLXq
