Chinese Medicine, Candida Cleanse, Diet and Hypnotherapy Reverses Shy-Drager Syndrome also known as MSA

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, June, 2001 by S. Colet Lahoz

Shy-Drager Syndrome is a rare progressive neurologic disorder that is terminal. The NIH reports about 100,000 cases of this disease in the United States. It is a progressive disorder of the central autonomic nervous system. Discovered only in 1960, it is characterized by orthostatic hypotension which causes dizziness or momentary blackouts upon standing or sitting up. Other symptoms include bowel and bladder incontinence, atrophy of the iris, anhidrosis, tremor, rigidity, incoordination, muscle wasting and ataxia. It is a disease that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages but within a year of onset most patients develop postural hypotension. For the majority of patients, the unstable blood pressure is often the cause of severe headaches, double vision, impairment of speech, sensory changes, difficulties in breathing and swallowing, and irregular heartbeat. Constipation and sexual impotence in males are evident early in the course of the disease. The condition worsens over several years leading to disab ility and premature death.

There are three types of Shy-Drager Syndrome: Parkinson-type which may include symptoms of Parkinson's disease such as slow movement, stiff muscles and mild tremors. Cerebellar type characterized by loss of balance and tendency to fall and combination type which may include symptoms of both types.

Current Western Medicine methods of treatment are limited to controlling symptoms. Anti-parkinson medication such as L-dopa, may be helpful but it can also lower blood pressure even more. To relieve low blood pressure, high levels of salt and fluids are recommended.

Prognosis: Patients usually die within 7 to 10 years after the onset of symptoms. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death, although irregular heartbeat may be responsible for death in some patients.

Case Study

Eldred Soeffker (a.k.a. Al), age 73, a retired businessman and inventor from Annadale Minnesota was first seen at The East West Clinic on September 14, 1999. He was driven to the clinic by his wife Marge. He was diagnosed in 1996 at the Minneapolis Veterans Hospital. Al was told that there was no cure for his illness, and by August 1999 his system had begun rapid deterioration. He had the classic symptoms of the combination type

Shy-Drager syndrome: muscle weakness, inability to get up from chair or bed without assistance. Hypotension was being corrected with high salt diet. He had both bladder and bowel incontinence and was using Depends [TM]. His speech was sluggish and he hallucinated frequently, "seeing people, men, women and children." He also complained of low back and cervical neck pain due to a herniated disc in the lumbar vertebrae. Colon was weak and had frequent constipation. He also had psoriasis in the scalp. Other complaints included hearing loss, sexual dysfunction, severe drooling, visual distortions (he often sees gold trimmings on objects). He also complained of having distortions with his urination; it would come out in a spray rather than a stream.

In 1996, the combination of prescription drugs Levodopa 25 mg., Carbidopa 100 mg. and Fludrocortisone produced severe hallucinations. Symptoms appeared within three weeks of being on these drugs, yet he was kept on these medications for three years. By the time I started treating A1 these hallucinations were so frequent and severe that it became one of his most persistent and debilitating problems.

Alternative Therapies

I was eager to assess Mr. Soeffker's condition using the methods inherent in the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine, that of tongue and pulse diagnosis as a way of identifying the pattern of disharmony that may be at the root of his illness. His tongue was dry and pale with indentations at the borders. All 12 pulses were weak and thready. Both findings were indicative of a pattern of severe chi (energy) and yang deficiencies. This pattern explained the symptoms of low energy; muscle weakness, muscle incoordination, hypotension, impotence, slow and sluggish movements, bowel and bladder incontinence. Since all channels were involved, it signified a condition that has been chronic and severe. Using Dr. John Trowbridge's Candida questionnaire I was able to determine that he had candidiasis. Symptoms such as psoriasis, and weakness of the colon led me to the possibility that he suffered from systemic yeast overgrowth or candidiasis.

I believe that the Shy Drager Syndrome is possibly an outcome of long standing candidiasis. Dr. AV Costantini, MD, director of The World Health Organization division on Mycotoxins has documented through research that mycotoxins from long term fungal infestation can lead to autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus Erythematosus, Sjogren's etc. [2] Shy Drager Syndrome, with Parkinsonian-like manifestations may fall into this category

My own observations over the 16 years that I have practiced TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of Candida Related Complex concurs with Dr. Constantini's findings that many types of cancers, and chronic progressive diseases are outcomes of long standing, undiagnosed and untreated candidiasis.