Vaginal thrush. Canesten not working. What can Dr give me now?

[alphabetspaghetti]

I have had thrush for at least four months. I think it could be longer but I went through a stressful time and may not have noticed.

Initially I was prescribed the pessary and cream, but have moved onto 150mg of Fluconazole and I have been prescribed to take this every three days for a week and then on a weekly basis...but it's still here.

I have been looking for natural solutions so have tried natural yoghurt, acidophilus, garlic, lavender, tea tree etc. I have also eliminated all sugars and yeast from my diet.

I wear cotton pants and 'air' the area at any opportunity I get. I have also been tested for every STD known to man and had a diabetes test which was negative.

I am not constantly itchy and do not have constant discharge but it's still lingering. On a positive note, my test tesults have gone from +++ to just +.

I realise that there are different strains of thrush so I must ask the Dr to check that I am being treated for the right one. I'm not sure if that would show up on the typical thrush test.

So, I am going to head to the doctors this week because I have had enough. I want to have a sexual relationship (which we are not at the moment so not passing it back and forth) with my husband and this is just getting in the way and making me feel anxious and down.

I would rather do this the natural way but that just doesn't seem to be working so I am going to ask the doctor for something stronger. Has anyone had any luck with another med?

I used to have persistent thrush that diflucan wouldn't get rid of.

Since I have cut sugar down drastically (all forms, including most fruits), I haven't had a recurrence.

I would also add, given the differing viewpoints here, that it might be worth considering that there isn't only one cause of thrush.

I am a fellow chronic sufferer so am watching this thread with interest. I have suffered for years. Amazingly, I've been ok for the last month though I am constantly on edge that it is on it's way back.
Look forward to hearing any further suggestions

MoChan - I'm sorry that you felt my comments were patronising. Quite the contrary, they were meant to be light-hearted (as you could see from the use of s).

"Well why didn't you pre-empt it?"

Because saying "Now I will debunk something you haven't said but I think you might say" would actually be very patronising.

"I wasn't talking about sugar reaching the vagina, I was talking about candida reaching the vagina"

Apologies if I have misunderstood, but "candida reaching the vagina" from the gut is not only fantastical (because there is no passage between two organs) but also meaningless because it is already part of the vaginal flora.

Thrush doesn't happen because you are suddenly infected with candida (hence no need to shoot DH on suspicions of infidelity ). It happens because of hormonal fluctuations, soaps/detergents, and especially because the bacteria that keep the candida growth in check are killed off due to the antibiotics you are taking.

"I am some kind of bumbling, un-enquiring idiot for having trusted the advice given to me by a medical professional"

I don't think you are an idiot, at all. Medical professionals are not infallible, and they do give advice based on other concerns than scientific efficacy - for example, some doctors recommend homeopathy. Not because they are idiots or are not aware of the complete lack of scientific evidence that it works better than placebo, not to mention the ridiculous claim it is based on that diluting a solution makes it stronger, but because they think the patient might find some comfort from it.

Thank you, hermione. I'm glad that my posts helped

Hermione if you are a terminal sufferer, maybe something isn't working.
I have heard that diet is very important in treating thrush from several different sources. Why do you assume Cote is an expert on this?

Is it really the no-sugar diet that is working, though? MoChan says it took more than three months of no-sugar combined with probiotics for her thrush to go away.

Could it be that the thrush ran its course and went away after three months, as good bacteria repopulated her vaginal flora and her hormones rebalanced? "For many men and women, thrush goes away by itself", after all.

I am not claiming to be an expert, just someone with a minimum of knowledge on how the human body works, who has researched this at some length due to my own recurring thrush some years ago.

Everyone here obviously has internet access and things I have said here are easily verifiable:

• that there is no internal passage between the gut and the vagina
• that "leaky gut" doesn't mean poo is leaking into your other organs
• that it is a rare condition that doesn't concern everyone
• that candida already exists in the vaginal flora
• that yeast species used in baking don't cause infections in humans
• that the sugar you eat is completely absorbed in the small intestines and doesn't even make it to the large intestines, let alone go out in your poo

I'm happy for you to argue against any of the above, if you so wish, but not discard all I have said because you have "heard" something from some people.

Have you tried taking a probiotic, alphabet? That can help restore good bacteria in the gut, which can then help to deal with the overgrowth of candida. Go to a healthfood shop and ask for acidophilus - it should be kept in the fridge.

Poor health or diet:
Food such as sugar, dairy products, coffee, tea and wine contribute to thrush by increasing urinary sugar which in turn encourages the growth of yeast in the vagina.

As a qualified practicing medical microbiologist of over 19 years I can confirm that depleting sugar intake definately benefits in the treatment of thrush. (Sorry)

Out of all the advice here, this was the best. it's too bad you were yelled at for it.

If I had thrush that lasted for months I would look into detergents and scents I'm using in that region of my body. I adore perfume but unscented detergents and body washes are best for keeping our bodies thrush free. Also, airflow is very important. Sad the gp gave such useless advice. they sometimes do that because they want to help and I guess cutting sugar out of your diet can only be good for your whole health if not for thrush.

best advice was from CoteDAzur.

MoChan, I am a nutritionist and sugar definitely feeds the yeast infection.
There is definitely such thing as a 'leaky gut'.
You should research the microbiome - the gut and the vaginal bacteria are all interconnected, which is why probiotics like 'candex' are recommended for yeast infections.
The Gut-Brain-Axis is also really interesting with the microbiome affecting neurotransmitters and therefore negatively effecting mood.

I think MoChan went away some years ago............................

I had chronic thrush - went to the Dr for something else, had bloods taken and was found to be anaemic. Took prescribed iron - and thrush disappeared. Maybe get your iron tested.

You could always try proskin candida? Worked for me and loads of my friends.

I don't think they prescribe proskin candida as my doctor didn't when I asked for an alternative to canesten. But although it is expensive it lasts ages and works better than the canesten because it keeps working whereas the canesten eventually becomes ineffective. Proskin is well worth giving a go.

Had a similar issue earlier this year with what I thought was thrush. Also prescribed the same treatments as you but it wouldn't go away. Saw another GP who immediately diagnosed it as bacterial vaginosis and prescribed dalacin cream. Hey presto, all symptoms gone in a few days. It did recur a couple of weeks later but another course of treatment saw it off.
Go back to your GP and ask if it could be something else

I suffered from thrush for years and years, I remember crying at the prospect of having to be romantic with my (now) husband as I just knew it would result in thrush. I am ecstatic to say it has gone and there were a number of reasons I believe- for me personally- i have conquered it. The main culprit was my form of contraception, how many years I was happily pill popping the combined pill whilst battling a never ending cycle of thrush and never given thought that the estrogen in my pill could have been a contributor. I also found out about boric acid, sounds terrifying as it is labelled as an irritant and mildly toxic so your nether regions would (naturally) seem the last place to shove it but I implore you to type candida and boric acid into google and have a read, it has saved my fanny more times then I care to mention. I made my own capsules as per instructions online. The other massive change I made (out of pure pure desperation) was having the mirena coil fitted, again seems absolutely daft that shoving a plastic device up my ever angry vagina would help but a doctor I spoke to said that she believed the mucus "plug" that forms around the cervix due to the progesterone in the coil could actually prevent the spread of the candida virus and studies had found no more of the candida virus on the iturus of an non or using ius user. All I can say is that through sugar reduction, exercise, the eradication of esteogen in my contraception and the use of the mirena coil and boric acid I am now free, and I know everyone body and person is different but if this post could help even one person from this wretched condition, it would make my day 💕

Years ago I had thrush that wouldn't go with Canesten. I was prescribed some pessaries & cream I think were called Nyastin. It was the only thing that worked.

I think I can help you.
This will bring you immediate natural relief.
You will have to buy a large sterile syringe 60ml from an online store-try Colonic supplies-cheaper than Amazon.
Then you buy the following:
Bottle of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
Bottle of Distilled white Vinegar
Bottle of Distilled water

Mix 20 ml of each in a sterile glass, and then fill the syringe.
insert into the vagina gently [ I do this in a bath to avoid a puddle ] lying down in the bath gently release the liquid into the vagina and hold for 30 seconds or so.

You may find it stings a little, but this will go after a few minutes. Rinse the outer vulva with tepid water, pat dry.

You will need to keep the area lubricated so no friction can happen with underwear- my best tip is to buy a pot of Organic Coconut Oil from Aldi [ about £2.00 ] and use this on the external area.

This will kill the thrush immediately. The relief is instant.

Then take a really good Probiotic, I use Raw 80,000,000 strength-the ones in Holland and Barrett etc are just too weak to do any good.

I would use this as a douch after any sexual activity too , as it will also help prevent UTI's.

Having just been through 6 months of hell- using Gp medication, this is the one way to get clear of thrush without having to disrupt the whole flora of the gut.

I do hope this helps someone
NB make sure the Hydrogen Peroxide is no more than 3% strength.