Seborrheic Dermatitis...yeast?

My husband was diagnosed with SD on his scalp two years ago at age 48. He was prescribed a topical steroid by the dermatologist. Not wanting to rely on a band-aid solution with side effects, I did lots of research on the internet to find a root cause for this new condition.

By way of background, he has been prone to acne ever since I've known him. He also has a very ruddy complexion (don't know if that is rosacea). Also, in the last couple of years (coinciding with the Great Recession), he has been working loooooonnnnng hours and enduring very stressful job-related expectations. He has also been a frequent headache sufferer for about 9 years.

As a result of internet research, we tried lots of "natural" topical remedies (e.g., tea tree oil, emu oil, apple cider vinegar) that appeared to be ineffective or possibly exacerbated the situation. I finally came across a very concise protocol to follow, based on the principle of a fungal cause for seborrheic dermatitis. It involved an anti-yeast diet (no bread, no sugar, no alcohol, no vinegar, no mushrooms; basically, avoidance of anything yeast-promoting. In an ideal world, this would be a diet based heavily on vegetables, with good protein (fish), and limited fruit. I tried very hard to provide this for my husband. It is very time consuming, since even commercial salad dressings apparently ALL have vinegar.

The anti-yeast diet seemed to agree with him. He lost a stubborn 10 pounds; his SD scalp condition improved markedly, and his headaches seem to have decreased in frequency (he has kept a calendar of them for years). However, new areas of his body developed symptoms. I am positive that when he was diagnosed, only his scalp was involved. Since then, a similar scaly, red rash has appeared in the genital area, and later, on a small area just inside one nostril (apparently common areas for SD). Also, he became aware of night-time jock itch. So the confusing thing is that while his scalp is much better, symptoms have appeared in other parts of his body. Can this be the yeast die-off that I've heard of???

As a side note, although a very important one, based on my own personal previous experience with nipple thrush (began during breastfeeding), I had discovered that I could absolutely, reliably, completely clear up my symptoms with one or two days of taking grapefruit seed extract tablets. So, with the encouragement of the results from the anti-yeast diet, and to sort of help along with the difficulty of being absolutely faithful to the anti-yeast diet, my husband tried two supplements (NOT concurrently). First he tried daily garlic supplements, which noticeably kept his genital skin symptoms at bay, but pretty soon the odor was excreting through his pores. Then he tried grapefruit seed extract, which accomplished the same thing with no odor. The noteworthy thing about this is that the GSE so directly affects his skin, that redness begins to return when he is due to take his next dose.

I don't consider this a cure at this point. This regimen allows him to use the topical steroid occasionally (once every few weeks or once a month--on his scalp only; he doesn't use anything topical on the other areas). I am not particularly comfortable with him taking any supplements on a long-term basis, so I really wish I knew if his symptoms are die-off related.

I would be interested in getting expert help from a naturopath, but in my limited experience, it seems one can get caught up in a wild-goose chase, paying for lots of expensive supplements, with possibly no end in sight. (Recommendations, anyone?)

In conclusion, I will say that following the strict anti-yeast diet has been very helpful, but is difficult, especially with having differing dietary needs within the same family. (For the record, I ate the same stuff I fed my husband. I also lost weight--more than I wanted to, but have since gained a little back. I also feel very good on the diet.)

I feel fairly confident that yeast is a factor in my husband's case. I don't know if it is the only one. I would encourage sufferers to try grapefruit seed extract and see if they notice an improvement in their SD.

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