Recurrent thrush - has anybody had a GP referral?

[cluckyagain]

Hi - posting a new thread on advice (thanks SWM!) Has anybody else ever had a GP referral for further help/investgations for recurrent thrush? I've had it for 20 yrs now, pretty much every month and have tried dietary intervention myself but with only short term success. Any and all advice welcomed. P.S. I have tried tea tree, sugar reduction, supplements, yoghurt, EVERY anti fungal medication going both medical and homeopathic and pretty much anything else you can think of! TIA

Anyone? x

Haven't had experience myself, but you should definitely get it checked out as it can be a sign of other problems, such as diabetes.

In my experience the patients I have referred (after fully investigating to make sure that they don't have an underlying reason for their thrush) usually come back with the same advice: It probably won't be cured, use regular antifungal treatments throughout the cycle and during flare-ups and take all measures to prevent getting it (cotton knickers, no douching/fragranced toiletries, no tight trousers/tights, etc, etc).

Very occasionally, it turns out not to be thrush in the first place.

By all means go and see your GP or ask for a referral to gynae, but don't expect miracles! Sorry not to be more optimistic and helpful.

Ah, I've just seen your other thread.

I had assumed that you meant vaginal thrush.

I think you will find most doctors are not massively supportive of your nutritional therapist's diagnosis of leaky gut/systemic candidiasis. It is not a recognised medical condition. It is a dustbin diagnosis used by non medically trained 'therapists' in a fraudlent and careless (and often scaremongering) manner.

If you believe yourself to be unwell, please go and see your GP and be examined and investigated in a more orthodox manner by someone who has your health as their concern, not your wallet.

Thanks emma - yes vaginal thrush. It's just so incredibly, incredibly frustrating! I have to say that the only reduction of symptoms which I have seen has been when on the low sugar diet as recommended (and when pg!) As I said in the other thread, NO anti fungals work so I am literally raw for most of any month without any respite. I can understand that GP's are skeptical, but it;s extremely difficult to stay in the 'medical model' and happy with the advice given by my GP (which was exactly the same as yours!) when no orthodox treatment works AT ALL - no antifungals, even given for 3 weeks at a time, in between periods - believe me, I've tried them all. I don't feel unwell - apart from thrush (and a vastly nasty tummy and bottom end after gluten!) I am physically very fit (lots of cardio exercise) and have a healthy diet so there should be no reason for it. My nutritional therapist is a friend who is not charging for her services - the supplements were bought from health food shops, not from 'her' so she really is not in this for the money. Sorry if I sound worked up about it but there is only so much of the same advice I can take - given with great medical care and sympathy I know, but all the same not helpful to me personally. Sorry - really not meaning to take this out on you but it's just so flipping, sodding, blinking crappy!! Feel free to sign me off as a difficult patient! Thanks again x

P.S. Yes, I have been examined regularly and it is high thrush levels (+++ usually)and bacterial vaginosis on occasion too just for fun. It's the investigation part which I need but so far have not been offered anything else - what is there? (not diabetes, nothing colonic, not coeliac)

Sorry, don't know your personal circumstances and I am probably asking the obvious anyway.

Do you have a partner and if so have they had treatment?

HI - yes - dh. We use condoms for flare ups and try to grab the odd 'rubber free' moment at any opportunity when the birds aren't singing for me!! Dh treated last week (again!) as was I for the last 3 weeks (some use!), although generally better during and immediately after periods. Seriously spontaneous sex life!!

Is it thrush? Or somethng else?

I was palgued by this for years. It would respond once to an anti-fungal, and then never agin. Even the chemo dose of anti-fungals had no effect.

However it wasn't always thrush. Someties it was vestibulitis which is caused by too many anti-fungal pessaries. It was also irritated nerves due to suffering from thrush.

Homeopathy has worked when everything else has failed. I have to say, it sounds like it could be one of the above rather then thrush.

I have seen loads of experst and gynae's. That's how I know about it. Where are you based?

Not quite the same thing but I've had thrush on my nipple and DS mouth - have been treating it by washing breast in vinegar. Creates an environment which the yeasty thrushy stuff can't live. Might be worth investigating - and is definitely less medical...

p.s. this was suggested in Ina May Gaskins' book Spiritual Midwifery so isn't just me being wacky!

Clucky I'm not surprised you are feeling desperate as I also suffer from recurrent thrush and have just had a bad flare up.

I don;t really get much relief from pessaries, this time diflucan did the trick eventually - GP didn;t prescribe, so I went and bought some otc after two weeks of misery.

Anyway while I was googling for anything I might not have tried before, I did come across several references to a different strain of candida called candida glabrata (which is respondent to the current anti-fungal treatments).

It might be worth asking your GP whetehr they can confirm whether you have candida albicans or the other type?

Sorry i meant not respondent

ok,...this is probably tmi but anyway...
Have you had a internal exam, like a smear or the such in a while?
If not, it might be worth seeing the practice nurse.
I had terrible thrush for 6 months, and BV and we thought the problem was my coil. When I had an internal the doctor discovered a piece of plastic (ie the top of a tampon wrapper) up there that had become infected and was causing all sorts of problems.
Shot in the dark but you never know. Believe me I was just slightly surprised

Can't help with the professional advice, but have you tried always ironing your knickers. (Can I use the word gusset?) It may help.

what does that do gybegirl?

My pal used to do this because all her undies were being washed on 40 and she used to get thrush a lot. She gave them a good steam iron to kill anything there and whether it was co-incidence or not, once she'd cleared her thrush by normal medicine, it didn't come back. It's maybe worth a go.
For oher crack pot ideas, my sister swears by scoffing a pack of refreshers if you ever get a twinge of cystitis (spelling not my strong point). That one's even worked for me.

I'm not trying to make light of it by the way. It genuinely seemed to help my friend.

I'm not doubting the existence of recurrent vaginal thrush, more the whole body phenomenon!

Sounds like you've had the obvious underlying conditions excluded, and there's nothing else that I would suggest that you could need in the way of investigations. A full culture with specific drug sensitivities might be useful, but you may have already had that.

I feel extremely sorry for my patients who have this, and I can imagine it is not a whole lot of fun for you or your partner. Nothing to do with being a difficult patients, more to do with there sometimes being no satisfactory treatment for a condition- very frustrating.

I had this a few years back and went to my local GUM clinic - I think they gave me double the oral tablets that you were supposed to have - they said they didnt like to do it very often- but it did the trick (plus it was free from the clinic!!).

Yes, the GUM clinic were pretty helpful to me as well.

It's just going there.....I felt so itchy , and was terrified I was going to see one of the 6th formers I teach there...or even worse a Y11...in fact that was why I askd for a referral to a Gynae rather then go there

Thanks for all the messages!
Fizzbuzz - yes, def thrush unfortunately - very high levels apparently ( I would love it to be something else!)
Nicky - not tried vinegar as been advised to keep away from it as it's fermented - tried tea tree though - no effect.
Frayednot - thanks - I didn't know about the other type, but will perhaps mention to GP (at risk of seeming like sad old loony!)
Gybegirl - interesting one. One of the books suggest boil washing all undies (who on earth does this?!) but perhaps a good iron would help. I'll try - thanks!
Emma (thanks again!) - no not had a culture with drug sensitivities - will ask if possible.x
justbeme - yup - had this too - didn't work unfortunately.....sodding birds!
fizzbuzz - how embarrasing! I don't have that complication thank goodness.

Shall visit GP again and see what she says.
xx

Clucky - I've been reading your thread with interest after suffering for the last year with recurrent Thursh problems, although have had it on and off since puberty.

I paid to visit a Gynaecologist as was so fed up with the problem. In my case she suggested it was linked to low oestrogen levels and indeed when I had my levels checked it did have a highish FSH and Low Oestrogen for my age, I'm 37. After having a terrible reactin to the local oestrogen, she said it was the base as oppose to the oestrogen it's self she wants to start me on HRT which I am reluctant. If your suffering again at the moment it could be worth having your levels checked?

When I was tested in April I had a +++ Candida Albicans result and a ++ mixed skin flora result (not sure what this is). Before I start the HRT my GP has referred me to a Dermatologist who specialises in 'lady bits' to see if I haven't now caused myself a skin problem with over use of all the Thrush creams etc. I am at the moment suffering with my first bout of really bad Thrush in months. I changed my hugely and believe it really did help but gave up in the summer hence why I'm suffering again. Anyway I took a Diflucan tablet everyweek for 6 weeks, you can do this for up to 3 months which might be worth a try.

I should have my appointment in the next few weeks, fingers and my get to the bottom of this.

Can I ask have you every hads a bout of Thrush whilst on your period?

sorry for the long post, I really simpathise with you

I was referred to a gynae - apart from the usual he prescribed weekly Diflucan for 4 months - the second time fixed it for good.

Avoiding sugar helped too - sushi is my decadent food now! Ironically when most people get UTIs and thrush in pregnancy, I stopped getting them... possibly a drastic solution?

I had thrush every month for 3 or 4 years, so I can really sympathise.

When you say that your diet is 'healthy', what do you mean? One of the things that really helped to sort it out for me (as well as IBS, which was an unexpected bonus) was following a low carbohydrate diet. I.e. it wasn't just about removing obvious sugar from my diet.

I agree that avoiding sugars really helps. This is the first time I've ever had problems during my period. Has anyone else had this? I took a Diflucan Thursday and again today and I think it's finally shifting.
You know I never had a problem during pregnancy either!
I was really strict for 2/3 months on a sort anti-candida diet and I do think now it made a big difference, the only problem was I just got too thin and looked ill.