Fucking thrush- someone save me please!

[EmilyBennetWitch]

I’ve got thrush. Never had it before, it’s fucking awful. To start with, it was just so itchy I wanted to cry. Now I’m using canisten and it burns. I literally had a panic attack tonight and had to wash it off. Is it supposed to hurt when I put the gel on? How do I get rid of the thrush if the cure feels like putting salt in a wound. Do I just need to man up and get on with it? Or does this sound like somethings not right? I called the doctor when it started because I’ve never had thrush so wasn’t sure this is what it is. But they won’t see me. Said to use over the counter medication, but what if it’s not thrush? How long do I wait, with my fanny burning off? Argh!

[quote ThinWomansBrain]@Chocaholic9 - the lactulose looks interesting - I googled and it describes it as being for constipation - have I got the wrong thing?
NHS Lactulose

& which brand of probiotic would you reccomend?[/quote]
Yes, it's used for constipation. You have the right thing. It's a prebiotic (it makes good bacteria grow), so for this to work you also need to put a probiotic into your vagina on alternate days. Day 1 lactulose, day 2 a probiotic, it will provide instant relief and crowd out the yeast overgrowth almost immediately.

For insertion, I use Jarrow formulas femdophilus for the lactobacillus reuteri and Culturelle 'women healthy balance' for the lactobacillus crispatus.

You can get both on i herb.

My sympathies to you, OP. I’ve recently had a horrible case of thrush and I can’t used the OTC creams or pessaries as they set my vagina and flaps ON FIRE. I understand they work perfectly well for some women and I’m happy for them but they make things worse for some of us.

I eventually got into the GP after being fobbed off twice on the phone by the triage nurse who told me to use the Canesten pessaries, even though I had told her 20 seconds before that I can’t. Anyway, when I got in to see the GP she had a quick look and said it was classic thrush, she was totally sure, not BV or STD as they present differently and prescribed me an oral flucanozole tablet, which did improve things a lot. GP did say it was an “opening salvo” but I was happy to be in the system, quite honestly. The discharge got more clumpy over the next few days and there was a lot more of it but was definitely less stingy and my vulva calmed down a lot. I wouldn’t say it has totally gone and I am considering going back to the GP to get it sorted once and for all if it’s still there when I’ve finished this period, but it is better.

The canesten cream that is supposed to relieve symptoms made my labia sore, cracked and bleed, it was horrendous. Sudocream was the only thing I found that eased the flap sting. It did hurt a little when I first put it on but the relief was palpable within minutes and I still put a little on at night onto my clean vulva in the areas where any discharge may ‘gather’ and sting overnight.

Best of luck, OP.

I get thrush every month between ovulation and my period starting. Any creams/yoghurt/anything wet makes me feel so uncomfortable and itchy. The gel pessary is better than the tablet one but both do the job, hopefully you'll feel better in a couple of days OP. I'm on the mini pill now so I'm hoping that'll keep the thrush at bay.

As GrandmasCat has said, anyone on this thread who has recurrent thrush may want to consider getting checked for diabetes. I had it about 6 times in a row last winter and eventually got a test when I started to feel thirsty in the night too.

Since starting medication and changing to a low-sugar diet, I have not had a recurrence.

People who are saying they use sudacrem/metanium do you use that and the pessary/gel/cream? Or instead?

I find the oral tablet stronger than the pessary, so bear that in mind.

After I had DS1 I had TERRIBLE never ending thrush, and in the end my doctor made me take a tablet every day for weeks. It eventually went but I remember it ruled my life, it was so bad.

The tablets work though. Hope you feel better soon.

@EmilyBennetWitch - with the mix of creams/pessaries, the pain had got progressively worse rather than better, also had a bout of diarhea to add to the joys.

I stopped using everything for a couple of days, then another pessary, followed by metannium on the cracked skin / open wounds, and cannesten on the less sensitive bits.
My GP described nappy creams as working more like barrier cream - sudocream is soothing, metanium has more active ingrnedeints and will help heal.

I can’t use the pessaries so I used an oral tablet and the sudocream to ease the soreness on my labia.

If I use the canesten external cream, the one which is meant to relieve symptoms but not actually do anything to treat the thrush, my flaps go hard and sore and it’s worse than what the thrush itself does. You only need a really thin film of it and it’s magic. It may sting on first application, it did for me, but the relief came in minutes and it was like magic.

Get the over-the-counter tablet from your pharmacy.. It's brilliant and works within hours.

I used sudocrem/bepanthen with the oral medication I was given last time and I’ll do the same if it comes back again but I’m 3 months free now so hopefully it’s done the trick.

I'd not heard of the sudocrem option. I also didn't know there was a generic version of canesten - it figures I guess as it's been around a long time. Good to know. I seem to have "grown out" of thrush but suffered a lot with it when I was younger.

When I got really desperate I did the pill/pessary/cream combo, fortunately the cream has never burnt me.

With me it seemed to be hormonal - and if I ate too many satsumas!

I also agree that the manufacturers of sanitary towels need to stop making them perfumed!

I get it loads. Fluconazole tablets are the answer, I just buy them cheaply online now and keep a stock in. Plus canesten cream, a load of bio yoghurt up your fanoola (put big knickers on to catch it and lie down for a bit 😂) and cut down on sugar in your diet. And probiotics. And apple cider vinegar in the bath water, get the good stuff.

How many flucanozole do you take and at what intervals to knock it on the head, @PinkPiranha11 ?

Fluconazole is a life saver;you can order it on next day delivery from Amazon.

Also something called double base gel is bloody fantastic

@ThinWomansBrain

My thrush started about three months ago - canisten and emoillient cream prescribed by the GP can make it worse if I use for too long - the Canesten pessary is good. I didn't have any issues with GP running tests.

Now trying to use ovestin cream as a long term solution, but a side effect of that is itching and thrush. That's eased a bit now that I've got through the initial stages and only need to use it twice weekly.

One thing I found that helps (in addition to alternating Ovestin and Canesten cream) were long long baths with E45 bath oil (also baths with baking soda, is there anything that baking soda doesn't do?).

My GP also reccomended metanium nappy cream (reccomended unoficially, it's not authorised for adults/thrush) and that does work well.

Have you been tested for diabetes?

That's how I found out I had diabetes;I had thrush that just wouldn't go away.

Natural live yoghurt is good, messy, but does eases the symptoms and rebalances your levels of bacteria and yeast.

@Pachonga I saw the GP a couple of years ago and she recommended 3 tablets spread over 9 days to knock it on the head. She said it’s perfectly safe if you’re otherwise healthy & have no issues with your liver (I’m not sure what effect fluconazole has on the liver but perhaps it’s not great in high doses if you have liver problems?)
Anyway it does work - you can buy 3 tablets for around £7 on online chemist sites. The are not canesten but that’s just a brand name for the same thing.

Thank you so much, @PinkPiranha11

The initial flucanozole prescribed by my GP made a huge difference but I’m not sure it’s fully gone so will try that regime of it is still kicking around after my period. My liver is fine, but good to bring this up for other posters.

After reading four pages of responses, I think I'm the only one in the universe who bathes fanjo in salty water. Twice a day clears up all the appalling itching.
(I'm allergic to the dairy option).

Can I remind you to make sure your other half needs to be treated too or you'll get reinfected

@PinkPiranha11 fluconazole (and other anti fungal s) affect the liver enzymes. Very high liver enzymes are a symptom of liver failure. But that’s very, very high. In most people they will go up after a course of anti fungals and quickly recover afterwards.

Had recurring thrush for about 15 years. Tried yogurt, pessaries, tea tree oil, canesten, avoided sugar, only cotton knickers, everything. Then discovered Optibac probiotics for women. They're life changing, honestly. I don't even think about it anymore as haven't had an issue for months, even after a recent course of antibiotics.

Hope it clears up for you soon OP! I get the most hideous thrush when I take antibiotics. I usually use the oral cream and it’s ok, but it sounds as though you’ve got helpful advice here.

Well I’m hoping it’s the antibiotics that have done it (I’m on them permanently for another issue, but recently changed the type) rather than that I’m diabetic