Oral thrush in baby and breast for me not responded to treatment - any tips?

[perfectstorm]

After 4 weeks of failed prescription treatment for thrush, including staph-related antibiotics for me on top of BFN's recommended fluconazole/Daktarin regimen, I'm basically resigning myself to the apparent reality that dd's thrush is unclearable, and therefore so is her reinfecting me. So:

I'm cutting out sugar and yeast
I'm taking good (enteric coated, fridge-stored, 50,0000000) probiotics
I'm taking coconut oil in various foods
I'm eating a good diet with plenty of garlic, iron etc
I'm eating lots of porridge!

The idea is I boost my immune system and gut health, and repopulate my good gut flora, and with luck that will support dd's. (No homeopathy, please.)

Has anyone any tips on how to best support my own gut health, or how to combat the thrush topically in a way that won't be bad for a newborn? Because this is bloody miserable, I have to say. Especially as we also had to deal with a severe tongue-tie, so all in all feeding has never been painfree. And she is currently clusterfeeding, too. This hurts and she is feeding for several solid hours at times.

Tongue tie and thrush seem very similar in effect, depressingly.

Is the baby being treated? If not, they should be as you are reinfecting each other.

Can you get Gentian Violet in the UK?

We've both been treated according to the protocol the Breastfeeding Network recommend - a loaded dose of Floconazole followed by a week of 150mg doses daily for me, and nipple cream after every feed; and 4 times daily oral Daktarin gel for the baby. At first it worked for me but it didn't on her, and she's reinfected me. They're talking about repeating the whole thing, but the floconazole in my milk really upset her gut badly so I'm loathe, especially as it doesn't solve the problem if she still has it, anyway.

I don't think they use gentian violet here anymore, no.

Have they swabbed both of you to check that what you have is (still) thrush?

Grapefruit seed extract can help clear deep seated thrush. Couple if drops in a glass of water to be drunk slowly throughout the day. Not to be applied to the skin. Have you had or are you susceptible to vaginal thrush?

Agree with getting a swab to double check it is thrush

Sometimes vasospasm can cause similar pain to thrush. Do you have nipples that change colour after a feed (tri phasic colour change) blanched nipple with extreme pain when blood rushes back in

Could it be raynauds?

I'm in a similar situation so watching with interest. I'm 2 weeks into treatment and although the tablets worked to start with I've finished and its now back :( I also found the tablets upset my tummy, did you have any problems with them or was it just your daughter?

Watching this thread too. After a treatment of Canesten cream for me and Nystatin for DS, it feels like it's back and my GP surgery has closed for the day! Had his latch checked by a NCT BF consultant and she feels it is fine.

Looking at the Grapefruit seed extract on Amazon, there are so many products at different concentrates, very confusing.

Sorry not to be back - she's been cluster feeding, but last 2 days has been every hour in the daytime.

She was swabbed and so was I: thrush (plus staph on breasts as a bonus for me). It's obvious, anyway - white pearly lips, thick white tongue, plaques on roof of mouth.

Stevie, Nystatin isn't that effective in many cases, apparently? The protocol they advise most is the loaded dose of 400mg fluconazole tablet first day, then between 100 and 200 for a further 10, plus Daktarin cream for nipples after each feed. Daktarin gel 4 times daily in the baby's mouth. It's usually effective, but unfortunately not for us. Nystatin plus Canestan isn't recommended anymore. Here - my GP gave me this to read, maybe show yours? Also bear in mind that tongueties can be hard to diagnose - I've had a qualified, board certified lactation consultant miss my son's posterior tie completely, and a midwife thought dd wasn't tied. In addition, you can't tell how good a latch is from the outside. Mine looks perfect from the outside because you can control the angle, and bring them on correctly when they gape... but you can't bring their tongues over their bottom jaw to cushion compression, and you can't make them suck the nipple up out of the hard palate, either.

Auntflossy I felt a bit yuk, but wasn't too bad. But my GP warned me a lot of women are, so I was lucky there. It's shit, isn't it? Staggering there is so little research when it affects so many, and they are so gung-ho on breastfeeding as a public health issue. Feeding through broken glass is no picnic.

Thanks for the grapefruit seed extract tip; shall try that. Have also bought some nipple shields for those hellish 4 am feeds - have to see whether they affect her latch.