6 replies to this topic

[gman89]

Hi everyone,

I've been suffering from moderate to severe acne for years and seemed to be able to keep it moderate by cutting out all sugary drinks and replacing them with green tea and water. I'm also taking a few supplements that have helped, including fish oil and a multi-vitamin.

Anyway I seemed to never be able to get over the next hump as anything else I tried to take things a step further never worked. I then found out that the yellow/whitish tongue that I have may be a symptom of a yeast infection that may be an underlying cause of my acne. I mentioned this to my doctor who initially said it was a fungal infection and told me to use these drops on my tongue and then swallow the accumulated liquid. When this didn't work I took a course of Ranitidine which had no effect either.

Most recently I was prescribed Nexium (40mg) and am beginning my 3rd week of tablets. The worrying thing is that the doctor says if the Nexium works, I will have to be on it for a lengthy period. My concern is that I have been reading up on the side effects, and ironically one is acne. Apparently there are multiple reasons why one might take Nexium and those suffering from acne usually state that they never had a problem with it before. If my yellow tongue is a symptom of something that may be causing my acne, I'm wondering if taking the tablets might do more good than harm.

Cheers.

Edited by gman89, 11 February 2012 - 11:36 PM.

[k3tchup]

strange... really strange. first i've had stomach issues before. I've been prescribed generic pepcid and alike for years but i never had acne then. I dont have such needs for it anymore but i also stopped drinking coffee and other harsh beverages.

now second, nexium? the healing purple pill:Esomeprazole is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which backward flow of acid from the stomach causes heartburn and possible injury of the esophagus (the tube between the throat and stomach). Esomeprazole is used to treat the symptoms of GERD, allow the esophagus to heal, and prevent further damage to the esophagus. Esomeprazole is also used to decrease the chance that people who are taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) will develop ulcers (sores in the lining of the stomach or intestine). It is also used with other medications to treat and prevent the return of stomach ulcers caused by a certain type of bacteria (H. pylori). Esomeprazole is also used to treat conditions in which the stomach produces too much acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Esomeprazole is in a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of acid made in the stomach.

how in the hell is that going to help acne? I see many say it can cause but what the hell is all i can say. You should google yellow tongue and see what you get because i dont think nexium is the answer but thats just me. keep us updated.

[gman89]

Thanks for the info.

Well I don't get chest pains and such, it's really just the yellow tongue. Am I being misdiagnosed or is it possible to have only a few (or one) of the symptoms?

By the way, is a candida infection the same or related to GERD?

Cheers

[k3tchup]

Thanks for the info.

Well I don't get chest pains and such, it's really just the yellow tongue. Am I being misdiagnosed or is it possible to have only a few (or one) of the symptoms?

By the way, is a candida infection the same or related to GERD?

Cheers

No i wouldnt think so.

Candida is a yeast infection and GERD is basically acid reflux. I've had candida while i took doxycycline. Basically doxcy killed off all good bacteria which resulted in a yeast over population. I've had acid reflux as well as kid. I drank too much coffee, but that's what we nurse's drink to keep going so i can safely say for me both were not connected. I had both at separate times, like years apart. I've been working as a nurse since 15 when i ate anything that walked and drank loads of coffee and no water. I took doxcy last year and had candida because of it.

Research yellow tongue because again my better judgement says you are.

edit
i did a quick mayo clinic search and they say it can be from bacteria or a sign of a more serious problem like gallbladder or liver problems. I've had an ultra sound done on my gallbladder 2 years ago because of strange pains. I was told to stay away from foods like dairy specifically milk (whole/2%) because of the fat content.

the picture reminds me that i might have had this before but it was temporary and i did as the doc said and was fine. and again i didnt have acne at this time.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/yellow-tongue/MY01069

Edited by k3tchup, 12 February 2012 - 02:25 PM.

[gman89]

Sorry to bump this topic, but after a couple of months I'm still battling this issue. I completed most of the course of Nexium and it had no effect at all on improving my acne or ridding me of this yellow tongue business, although that's probably not really a surprise. In addition, I'm still not entirely sure if it is even tied to my acne or if I'm just wasting my time.

I think I might provide a few more details whether they're helpful or not. I've had the yellow tongue for as long as I can remember, since at least 8 years old if not earlier. From my research, bad breath can be associated with it and that is something that I definitely have. My mother also has the same problem, but she never seemed to suffer from acne.

I've also taken some decent steps in improving my diet. Two months ago before I started this thread I was on several supplements and had cut out all sugary drinks, consuming only water and green/black tea. I had a moderately healthy diet that was based on exclusion rather than inclusion. Fast foods and dairy were out, and I halved my bread intake. I've improved on this by ensuring that 70% of my meals in terms of volume are vegetables. My included vegetables are a combination of Sauerkraut, Red Cabbage, Peas, Broccoli, Coli-flour, Beans and Carrots. I've also been consuming 2-3 cloves of garlic a couple of times per week. Sometimes I do couple this with something that might not be completely healthy like fried potatoes, but the proportions are generally small.

To be honest, I saw further improvements on my skin for about a month and I got a bit complacent in dealing with the whole yellow tongue issue. But after a fresh break-out including fairly painful acne on my scalp I think it's time I up the ante on this again. The problem is that I'm out of ideas, and unless the tiny amount of chocolate I ate the other day is the reason I'm guessing that there is a law of diminishing returns associated with improving my diet further (although I'm probably not as informed as some other people here).

I should stress that I'm not trying to search for information that proves my acne is tied with this yellow tongue thing, but it's just that I can't think of anything else. Any help would be great. Thanks everyone!

[Quetzl1]

The yellow tongue thing might well be a manifestation of candida or some other yeast. I don't have a clue why your doctor put you on Nexium, that seems useless and apparently it was. Do you have any other symptoms that could possibly be connected? Athlete's foot, dandruff, jock itch, fatigue, headaches (especially after eating sugar)?

The problem with candida/gut dysbiosis is that just diet won't be enough, unless you're playing for endgame (talking years here). You have to devastate the "bad microbe" poopulation so the "good microbe" population can return.

Diflucan (Fluconazole is its generic name) is commonly prescribed to keep fungal/yeast infections in check.

But usually candida manifests itself as a white coating on the tongue. That you mention bad breath suggests bacteria - it might be worth going to the doctor so they can take a tongue scrape and look at it under a microscope so you really know what's going on.

[gman89]

Thanks for the reply.

I actually do have dandruff and have suffered from it for quite a long time as well. My mother does not however, but she is always feeling fatigued and sick and no one seems to know why either, although I say this with caution as I don't want to jump to conclusions too quickly.

Hopefully next time I go to the doctor he'll go ahead with the tongue scraping that you mentioned.