Posted by ccf neuro M.D.* on November 23, 1997 at 13:45:02:

In Reply to: physical causes of OCD posted by Joe H on November 07, 1997 at 00:45:08:

I am interested in finding out about the physical causes of OCD.
I read about OCD being caused by strep infections and viruses, but I
also read about Candida overgrowth causing OCD. This is very interesting,
because antibiotics used to fight strep can cause overgrowth of Candida.
Could the OCD actually be caused by Candida overgrowth brought on by the
antibiotics used to fight strep?
OCD could be caused by many different things. I wonder if OCD has
something to do with the immune system either failing, malfunctioning
or both. If anyone knows or can find information in this area I'd be very
interested. I'm also interested in alternative therapies for OCD.
If anyone can share any information in this area it might be helpful.

Thanks in advance Joe H
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Joe,

Thank you for your question. I am not aware of any link between Candida overgrowth and any neurological or psychiatric disorder, although it has been blamed for a myriad of medical conditions, since it is an easy target insofar as EVERYBODY has Candida in their body and its balance with bacteria is always shifting. OCD is looking to be a primarily inherited/genetic disorder. Like any medical conditon, stress, infection and the associated alterations in immune function and overall body function they cause often serve as triggers to unmask or unleash if you will an underlying illness. It may well be for instance that in a prewdisposed individual that an antibody produced against an infecting Strep bug or voirus crossreacts with the nerve receptors in the brain that are abnormal and imbalanced in OCD, triggering the first symptoms. Luckily, several effective treatments are currently approved for OCD and correct the underlying imbalances irrespective of their apparent cause, none of which affect the growth of Candida but any one of which will effectively control symptoms in the majority of persons taking them. Any good psychiatrist should be able to get this under control for you. Be careful about making links between things. For instance, you might observe that only women get pregnant, and therefore conclude that being a woman is the cause of pregnancy. The same erroneous logic can be applied to many simultaneously observed phenomena, which have no necessary causal connection. This is why our country carefully regulates and requires the rigorous testing and studying of new drugs and treatments for variuous medical conditions. Such careful, scientifically based, controlled treatment trials are not in place in the world of alternative medicine, allowing for unlimited, unsubstantiated claims of health benefits (including various alleged means of "purging" one's body of "Candida overgrowth") without a shred of legitimate evidence to back them up. The real tragedy is that there are undoubtedly many effective, safe, genuinely beneficial treatments lost amidst this sea of false claims and half truths. Please remember that information provided in the forum is intended for general medical informational purposes, and that the actual diagnosis and treatment of your specific medical condition should be strictly in conjunction with your treating physician(s). We hope you find the information helpful.