Beating thrush the standard way?

[Moomma]

Has anyone ever succeeded in getting rid of thrush just by using the first line of defence prescribed by GP - Daktarin cream for me, Nystat drops for the baby? All that I've read so far says that the Nystat is useless (and indeed the GP did say 'he'll just swallow it, to be honest' - which made me wonder why he bothered prescribing it.) 11-week-old DS has very small amount of thrush on his tongue but I have been suffering for a few weeks with sore nipples and pain within the breast after feeding. I can't believe how long it took me to put two and two together. I have had a badly cracked nipple on one side since DS was two weeks old, which is where the thrush got started, I now think, but I assumed the painful feeding was because of the damaged nipple.

By the way, the GP had never heard of thrush in the milk ducts and told me that pain within the breast would have nothing to do with thrush. He also told me to take DS off after 15 minutes per side, as my boy likes long, leisurely feeds of an hour or more. My trust in this man is therefore on the low side.

Am also taking acidophilus supplements, garlic supplements, avoiding sugar like it's lethal, eating live yoghurt, drinking green tea and using vinegar solution on nipples after each feed, as well as being obsessive about changing breast pads and washing his clothes and mine. I am totally determined to beat this. I just want to know if I should go back and see a different GP this week, or if this current course of action has any chance of working.

So annoyed about it - I have had a few ups and downs with breastfeeding, which I love and am proud to do, but had to use supplementary formula-feeds for the boy for his first few weeks as he was born early, his weight gain was slow and doctors were getting edgy. He's now exclusively breastfed and as bonny as they come, but still on the slender side - tall, though. I can't believe that there's yet another thing to worry about...

I heard that they're not prescribing the gel for bbay anymore as some MUm shoved it all in the baby's mouth and now its deemed a choking risk...

for you. GPs know bugger all about breast thrush. It sounds like you have it inside your breasts, which is generally only shifted with a course of fluconazole, an oral anti-fungal medicine. You need to print out the thrush leaflet from this page and take it to your gp. If he won't prescribe it then see another doctor.

Everything else you're doing is brilliant, but unlikely to clear it if it's in the milk ducts.

I was in the same boat and did everything that you are doing - all of which is right. But in the end, I had to go with the fluconazole - nothing else shifted it and it was making us both miserable. That deep-in-the-breast pain is vile.

Do keep on with the Nystatin whilst you are on fluconazole though. Make sure you are both clear of it at the same time. I didn't the first time but did the second and it never came back.

Oh dear. Sympathies - thrush is rubbish.

In addition to all the advice here, use cotton breast pads and boil wash them after each wear (and change at least once a day, too).

I eventually managed to get rid of mine by using double strength canesten that I bought from the chemist, but I don't suppose this is advised generally. definitely go back to the doctor as others suggest.

Will do! Thanks all, especially for the link to the leaflet - really helpful. I'm also going to ask if they can prescribe something else for the boy apart from Nystat. Thrush is evil...

I managed to get rid of my (agonizing!) thrush with just diet: as you describe no sugar (not even fruit) and virtually no refined carbs. Took 5-7 days then I continued a bit longer to make sure. I may have been lucky though.

My GP knew nothing about it either.