thrush and ttc - help!

[lavenderlilaclily]

Hi, I thought I'd post to get some advice because I am absolutely losing my mind over this.
2 months ago I lost my first pregnancy at 23 weeks - it has been absolutely devastating. My partner and I are desperate to ttc again, and we have the all clear from doctors etc, however for the past month I have been battling a raging case of thrush that I just can't seem to shift. It's so painful and persistent so we can't BD.
I was on antibiotics a week after birth and I think the antibiotics alongside all the hormonal changes caused it...I initially did a canesten pessary duo thing, but it didn't really work. So I went to the GP who confirmed thrush. She prescribed 6 days pessaries and 7 days of low dose flucanazole, and then told me after treatment to use a moisturiser like replens as I had quite bad atrophy. So I did this, and when I put the moisturiser in a few days after I had stopped all the treatment, the thrush came back and it was angry. I did another pessary, and also got another 150mg flucanazole from boots, which finally felt like it was doing the trick for a few days, but now I can feel it coming back.
Please help ladies as I don't know what to do!!! I'm about to start my period I can feel and I can't bear the thought of losing another cycle over this. After everything I've been through the past few months it just feels so unnecessarily cruel 😥

I’m the same! I am prone to thrush and find it very hard as it usually appears right after my period meaning I miss some of my fertile days. I have found the internal cream and external cream from canesten to work better than the tablet thing. I have the constant fear that it’s going to come back so I avoid getting soap or anything down there

I'm so so sorry for your loss, @lavenderlilaclily

I'm quite prone to thrush and also find the internal/external cream duo from Canestan better than the oral treatment.

Two other things I've also found helpful:

1. This spray is great both for treatment and prevention for me: https://www.feelunique.com/p/Salcura-Topida-Intimate-Hygiene-Spray-50ml It feels really soothing when you put it on.

2. I've been trying to increase my levels of friendly vaginal bacteria so have been using this: https://www.boots.com/multi-gyn-floraplus-5-x-5ml-10113673 It also can be used as a thrush treatment. It does say it can slow down sperm if you use it pre sex - I'm TTC so just don't use it round fertile week and wait till after ovulation/use it straight after my period instead.

Best of luck - I really hope it works out for you.

I'm very sorry for your loss OP.

I've also had thrush immediately after broad spectrum antibiotics (and am not usually prone to thrush at all). Presumably this is because the antibiotics have killed your normal healthy flora, and therefore something that helps restore your bacteria might help? I think people used to put Greek yoghurt up there (!) but maybe a better option would be to get a specific cream/product for this purpose?

Is your H reinfecting you? He needs to be treated too, even with no symptoms.

Your husband might be carrying the candida too and reinfecting. Live yoghurt is fantastic and an oral supplement called Candaway can help. It stopped me getting thrush as did grapefruit seed oil. It's the antibiotics and the stress which isn't helping. So sorry for your loss - it must be so hard

@lavenderlilaclily

So so sorry for your loss, I can't imagine how hard that must be.

Definitely get your partner treated as well. From experience, pharmacists get funny and sometimes won't sell something for men because they don't think it affects them, but it definitely does! Double up by giving your partner the oral pill and also use the cream. Just tell the pharmacist it's for you. And make sure the cream is the right strength, 1% canesten isn't strong enough, I think it's 2% you need.

Best of luck xx

Thank you all 💕
I have treated my husband with a one dose tablet and also the cream. But I know it’s not him reinfecting me atm because I’ve had it so bad that we haven’t been able to have sex for 3 or so weeks!
AF came a few days ago and I felt some relief, but now that it’s tapering off I can feel the thrush coming back and I just can’t take it. I haven’t tried the internal canesten cream just the pessaries so maybe will give that a go. Have tried multigyn flora plus but doesn’t seem to help either :( feel so horrible and burning and just want to cry!! My fertile days are coming up soon and I’ve no idea how I’ll be able to BD with this still going on

Might you be anaemic?
I had chronic thrush. At the same time it was also discovered that I was anaemic. When I started to take iron tablets, the thrush disappeared.

Another time, I cleared obstinate thrush by supplementing with vitamin c, vitamin b complex and royal jelly. The key part of the B complex is biotin and the key part of the royal jelly is pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). It's best to get high quality vitamins. Aim to supplement for at least three months.

I suffered with recurrent thrush for a while. Doctor tested me for diabetes as that can cause recurrent thrush. Then they put me on a 6 month course of fluconazole. I had to take 3 tablets in the first week (one every other day) then one tablet a week for the 6 months. That sorted it for me. As others have said also treat partner and take probiotics. Optibac do one especially for vaginal flora

@tormentil that’s really interesting about the link between anaemia and thrush, I had no idea. I might well be iron deficient as I’m a veggie, I was pregnant for 23 weeks and then lost a lot of blood after birth...there is iron in my pregnacare tablets that I take but maybe it’s just not enough? I’ll look into a higher quality iron supplement, thank you!

@crochetcrazy1978 yes I think the long courses of fluconazole are meant to be very effective. But you’re not meant to take fluconazole when pregnant/actively ttc so I want to avoid it, as I just can’t wait 6 or more months.

[quote lavenderlilaclily]@tormentil that’s really interesting about the link between anaemia and thrush, I had no idea. I might well be iron deficient as I’m a veggie, I was pregnant for 23 weeks and then lost a lot of blood after birth...there is iron in my pregnacare tablets that I take but maybe it’s just not enough? I’ll look into a higher quality iron supplement, thank you!

@crochetcrazy1978 yes I think the long courses of fluconazole are meant to be very effective. But you’re not meant to take fluconazole when pregnant/actively ttc so I want to avoid it, as I just can’t wait 6 or more months.[/quote]
Ahh I didn't realise you couldn't take it when ttc

@lavenderlilaclily I had post partum haemorrhage and needed to build my iron back up. The best tablets I found were the bog standard ferrous sulphate tablets you can buy from the pharmacy (and were also much cheaper than health food brands). To find the right dose for you, take one tablet, the next day increase the dose and keep on increasing daily until you get either loose or constipated (affects different people differently). When you find that level, reduce the dosage slightly so you can take it without being loose/bunged up. It might be worth asking for a blood test too to check your levels.

Hello, struggling with the same issue OP and I don’t suppose you ever sorted the Thrush out for good and if so what did you do?