Hyperactivity associated with HBOT -
due to yeast infection?
Why HBOT sometimes causes hyperactivity?
Many doctors and parents who follow the Defeat Autism Now! protocol have seen some amount of hyperactivity and stimming in autistic children undergoing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT. Typically this happens around the 10th to 20th session onwards.
Some doctors have suggested that this is due to an overgrowth of yeast and that it would be wise to wait till yeast infection is solved and other gut issues are settled before doing HBOT.
Given that oxygen – such as in the form of hydrogen peroxide and ozone – is anti-fungal, could this negative behavior be due to yeast die-off rather than an increase in yeast?
Well, doctors in this camp are very specific. They claim that HBOT increases yeast.
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Oxygen, by its oxidative nature, is anti-fungal. That is a well established fact. So there is no way that HBOT can directly increase yeast.
However, I have looked at the published literature and found that hydrogen peroxide is not a very effective anti-fungal. Some candida species have cell walls that can resist the oxidative stress created by oxygen.
But while oxygen might not be very effective in destroying yeast, there is no evidence that oxygen will actually promote the growth of yeast. If we are to believe this group of doctors, there has to be another reason.
This might be found in the fact that the good bacteria species – that is, probiotics – in our body are actually anaerobic, meaning they thrive in a low oxygen environment. So what happens when you increase the oxygen levels in the guts? They could die off, leaving the tougher yeast species to populate the guts. This may explain the hyperactive behavior and stimming associated with HBOT.
However, not all hyperactivity and stimming is associated with yeast infection. For example, we are aware that Vitamin mB12 therapy often kicks up such behavior in the first five to six weeks. This is due to the brain being super charged from the therapy. The same can also happen in HBOT.
You can usually distinguish the difference. In yeast induced hyperactivity and stimming, the behavior is usually aimless. In a situation where the brain is super charged, you can usually see some increased cognition, awareness and language besides the negative behaviour.
HBOT has many benefits that out-weigh the side effects.
And while it might be a good idea to wait till the guts are completely well before commencing HBOT treatment, this may not be realistic and practical. Very few people actually have very good gut health. That said, I would not put any person with very serious yeast infection into a hyperbaric oxygen chamber until at least some of the problem clears up.
A more practical approach would be to keep taking a high-dose probiotics while on HBOT. Also, don't forget to give your child antioxidants, such as Vitamins A, C and E.