Persistent thrush - anything to help?

[Diege]

Suffering really badly with thrush - the only really respite I get is during middle of my period for a day or two, then starts again for 3 weeks or so . Canestan, diflucan etc, don't touch it, nor does natural yog etc!! Read somewhere on here about powders/sachets or something that do wonders, but can't seem to find thread. Any help at all would be gratefully received!!!

Have you been to your GP? If Diflucan makes no difference at all it may well not be thrush.

Tis thrush apparently - have had it confimed time after time

By a swab I should add, not self-diagnosis.

Are you reinfecting yourself? Are you healthy? Try a decent multivitamin and probiotic and hot wash your knickers. Poor you!

Yes, you need a professional opinion on this as difflucan and canestan are pretty effective on thrush. I was going to suggest all the usual anti-fungal stuff and taking pro-biotic tablets but if it is not thrush these won't work.

A friend of mine found that vastly reducing yeast intake helped stopped her recurring thrush.

Are you using the Canestan pessaries? they work for me whereas the cream does nothing. Failing that, I can't help - go back to your GP?

Don't want to be gross, but make sure you also hot wash any towels you that use - also, hate to say it but sex can aggravate it - if you are having sex with a partner or husband make sure he treats himself - men can carry it with no symptoms I think. Also, certain spermicides on condoms won't help.

Cotton knickers, no thongs, no tight jeans/trousers.

And see your gp.

Ditto Rantum, years ago me and my OH spent an itchy summer passing it back and forth! Took lots of cream and washing with tea tree oil plus judicious use of condoms to cure him while I just took a Diflucan LOL.

Sitting in a not-hot salty bath or swimming in the sea helps too.

Oh, horrible
I had to do a serious 'cutting out sugar and yeast products' thing to finally get rid of mine about 7 years ago. Diflucan etc all stopped working for me too - disaster. Its REALLY hard as everything has sugar in it but it was well worth it. I think I managed just over 2 months and then slowly reintroduced it. Lost a lot of weight too as I've a really sweet tooth!!

I've only had it twice since and both times it was after antibiotics and cutting out sugar/yeast again for a short time has helped quickly.

HTH

Hi Diege

I recently discovered something called Cytolitic Vaginosis which apparently is like the opposite of thrush - an overgrowth of lactobacillus rather than not enough. The symptoms are supposed to be very similar.

Last summer I had a really bad case of what I thought was thrush and I was self treating with OTC stuff for several weeks and nothing was working. Eventually I went to the Dr and did have a positive result for BV, not thrush. I had it again in the Autumn and was given antibiotics to treat BV although I wasn't re-tested.

Ever since then I have noticed I get the same symptoms each month, as soon as I have ovulated (well I assume) I start to get the symptoms. At the moment they are minor just a bit of discomfort and itching. It goes as soon as I get my period and comes back again during the 2nd half of the month.

I was idly googling one day and found lots of references to this Cytolitic Vaginosis so I am wondering if that is what I have.

It might be worth having a look at the description to see if it fits.

I have not yet tried the recommended treatment of sitting in a bath of bicarb!

HTH

Oh, sorry x posts.

The pessaries that the Dr prescribes are stronger than the OTC stuff, do you get it from your GP or OTC?

second the cutting don on yeast - my thrush is driectly related to drinking beer.

My advice would be to completely avoid all soaps/shower gels/bath additions of any kind "down there". Pears soap was my miracle discovery for preventing thrush, I have NEVER had it in the seven or eight years since using only Pears and stopping adding anything to the bath.
I know, reads like an advert but it really saved my sanity let me tell you.

Thank you so much for all your responses ( hi Feetheart!). I have a feeling that my thrush is certainly related to diet - my diet is rich in yeast and sugar, to the point of addiction and I work long hours in a highly stressful job, and have 3 dds under 6. When I cut out yeast and sugar a few years ago (yes, this has been happening on and off for years)it did vastly improve. It gets so bad sometimes that I can tase yeast in my mouth when I wake up, which perhaps suggests it's 'riddled' in my body.
Will certainly try the probiotics from health food shop. Have tried everything my GP can offer, and he is a homeopathy sceptic so won't get anything more than diflucan which does actually ease it for a few days, but then back with a vengeance. The infecting thing is certainly true for DH, though it doesn't really bother him . Having said that, he's as keen as me to get it sorted!

Oh KERRYMUM, meant to ask, do the refridgerated probiotics have a special name?
Strangely, the only time I've been thrush-free is during my 3 pregnancies (after worst cases ever always suggesting a BFP!)

Thank-you!

Reading this has made me think - I am addicted to sugar and although I can control my thrush by cutting out beer I ought to think baout cutting sugar and yeast for a bit too really.

Post about how you go.

my gpadvised me to add salt in the bath this soothed mine for a bit!

If you're not using condoms you really ought to, otherwise all the treatments on your part(s) are for nothing. When you are finally clear then he can do a treatment himself whether he feels symptoms or not then you can stop using condoms.

But bear in mind that some spermicides aggravate the problem for you - so use condoms that maybe don't have spermicide on them.

I do seem to get a bad reaction to the spermicides on condoms, so useful advice there. Don't feel I'll ever be 'rid' of it at the moment but lots of constructive advice, thanks . It's just really draining having it constantly - it's even keeping me awake some nights, so of course I find myself reaching for a sugar-fix, and so the cycle continues..