Doctor won’t prescribe thrush treatment

[Loserlacey]

As above.
i get it quite often when compared to others. I’ve got it to a point whereby I can control it. However I have got it again.
doctor won’t prescribe it. I must have been about 10 months ago since I was last prescribed.
i Pre pay for my medications and I earn £24k a year.

When I had thrush every month for a decade, I ended up buying fluconazole from Amazon. People feel iffy about that but it did the job and didn’t break the bank, and no pharmacist to get round. They’d be finitely remember someone going in every month 😄

@YesItsMeYesItsMe I hadn't thought to check Amazon. Thanks.

Essential bit missing from my post about the order being cancelled was the online pharmacy bit.

Never been able to order from the same place twice!

Top tip - don't be so fucking patronising.

Another top tip - don't waste money buying things you don't need 'just in case'.

You're welcome and can thank me later when you need some of this stuff and don't need to wait days or overpay at the pharmacy.

I'll own up. It's actually not my idea. Apparently people have done it through the ages. You can even buy a little box specially made for storing this stuff in, with a little white cross on it. Handy hey.

You mean first aid as in accident

Funny how period poverty is a thing but me having to spend £10+ on treatment is seen as normal.

Multiple people have provided links to £1.09 for fluconazole and £1.95 for 20g cream. You are ignoring them all. Why?

gosh yes, why waste your money on such things when you can just force the nhs to pay for everything you want!

That's a great idea. Perhaps you should get your tampons on prescription with your pre-payment certificate as well. Try asking. The NHS is free, right!

I didn't think it would have been your idea, far too intelligent for you. Oh and who waits days? There's this amazing thing called Amazon Prime. Usually next day delivery but sometimes same day. You should try it sometime.

Strangely enough I have most of the things suggested, not the box though, I find the bathroom cupboard suffices.

i need multiple days of treatment… pharmacy can’t give.

I asked DD (who works in a pharmacy) about it. She says they are not allowed to sell more than 2 thrush treatments within 6 months. After that, it has to be checked by a GP in case it’s:

1. a STI
2. an effect of uncontrolled diabetes
3. vulval cancer

They aren’t allowed to sell thrush treatments at all to women over 60, because thrush is less common in that age group; and the symptoms are the same as vulval cancer, so it needs to be checked out by a GP. Pharmacy staff however don’t like to frighten women customers by saying, it could be cancer!

She agreed women are just likely to go to different pharmacies to get more treatments; but pharmacies have a duty of care to their customers, and they are acting for their good. GPs frequently tell patients to go buy something over the counter at a pharmacy, when it’s not licensed for that use, unless it’s by prescription; and the pharmacy can’t sell it to them. Then the patients call the pharmacy staff “stupid shop girls!”. DD has been training for 3 years.

So OP next time, you consider a pharmacist an idiot, think on - pharmacy staff are leaving in droves due to poor pay and abuse from customers, and maybe it’s the GP, who was wrong? All three pharmacists and one of the dispensers are leaving in the next few months, where she works - and they advertised for 2 years to get one pharmacist.

@Quisquam that's interesting about the possibility of cancer, I didn't know that.
But if a woman has thrush that clearly responds to the treatment and goes away then surely that's not the situation? Cancer symptoms aren't going to clear up and return like that.

I didn’t ask at length about cancer; but if it were a case of uncontrolled diabetes causing recurrent thrush, then the thrush would go away, with treatment; but come back again - while I guess the patient is at all the risks of uncontrolled diabetes, because they don’t know about the link?

I know, I saw the GP about another vaginal condition, causing itchiness; but which I knew wasn’t thrush. The GP told me what it was; prescribed something with advice on easing symptoms (no soap, no biological powders, etc) and I needed to do regular checks, looking for vulval cancer, as it was a higher risk with the condition!

So OP next time, you consider a pharmacist an idiot, think on

I called the pharmacist an idiot (on here, not to his face obviously!) and to be fair it's the worst pharmacy I've ever had the misfortune of using. When I was trying to buy the first pack of thrush treatment he didn't know what I was asking for. I asked for Diflucan for thrush (I couldn't remember the generic name) and he was telling me it's not used for thrush. It turned out he thought I meant diclofenac. Let's just say he doesn't fill me with confidence!

Yes of course, the online pharmacy Amazon.

Have you ever actually bought fluconazole online? Next day delivery from Amazon Prime for a couple of quid? Never seen it myself. (no, not the op, who likes spending a tenner a go because she buys it when she needs it). Oh - you two would get along really well!

For your first aid kit, you need a pharmacy, not Amazon. I recommend buying in advance because that way you will save £££££. But if you like to follow a Japanese car production just in time system, you go right ahead. You can join op in crying over the £10 a go medicines, which you are not going to find in the main on Amazon btw. What with it not being a pharmacy.

I read something a few months ago about how 'the modern generation' didn't know how to do simple self care and expected the GP to do everything. At the time it seemed far fetched. Little did I know I would soon be explaining the concept of buying common tablets and creams for minor ailments and keeping them at home for use when required.

I'll add to the list bite and sting relief cream. Always comes in handy. And sudocrem, which has multiple uses.

Btw op, have you thought about asking for meal replacements on your pre payment certificate as well? Save you a fortune

Yes, I checked:

www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/vulval-cancer/symptoms

Cancer Research Uk recommend women check for vulval cancer - maybe that is what is missing from thrush advice; but then would that make women anxious?

Oh by the way I recently used Boots Online GP as couldn’t be arsed with actual GP and they prescribed me something (rosacea not thrush) and sent it to my door. Amazing option!!

I don't know why you're being such an arsehole but I'll bite.

Didn't you know you can get medication from Amazon? Every day's a school day!

I buy my antihistamines from Amazon, 12 months supply for a few quid. They only last me a couple of months so I keep stocked up because I'm organised. We ran out of Rennies, 2 packs arrived the next day. My Elastoplast hypoallergenic plasters also came from Amazon (same day delivery) and if I needed it, guess what, they could deliver me some Sudocrem by tonight as well! (Just in case you think I'm completely inept I do have those in the cupboard).

What are you wittering on about the modern generation for? I'm presuming you're either old and patronising or very young and have just discovered the internet but I have no idea who you're referring to.

I've not tried that. I recently had a phone consultation with a GP through Babylon and they were excellent, much more thorough than my usual GP.

Plus, it's way cheaper to buy it online. I paid for fluconazole in local pharmacy something around 7-8 quid for a tablet, whereas in pharmacy online it was £4.5-5 for 3 pack! It's the best treatment for me, no pessaries, creams etc.

You won’t receive nhs prescriptions but they are great!

Brilliant post 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

@YesItsMeYesItsMe Hi, I also get thrush every month and have done for about 5 years - what stopped yours in the end? I am at a loss!

@MassiveSalad22 Do you know what eventually stopped your thrush coming back?

@OoooohMatron What stopped your thrush in the end?