Intimate wash for thrush prevention

[Usernamaste]

In the last couple of years I’ve developed a horrible musty smell between my legs. I’m guessing it’s menopause-related as I have never smelt anything like it before. I feel so self conscious as I can smell it through my clothes so I imagine other people can too.
I used a BV treatment (had BV in my 20s and it smelt completely different but thought it was worth a go). It didn’t really help.
I used a thrush internal treatment and it helped briefly but then the smell came back.
I’ve recently used Canesten cream on my vulva and it does seem to have got rid of the smell, but possibly only temporarily.

I don’t want to keep using thrush treatments, but can anyone recommend an unperfumed intimate wash designed to keep thrush at bay please?

I don’t currently use any soap that might aggravate it, just water. I use unperfumed washing powders, and haven’t started using new products that could be responsible. I use HRT but am thinking of asking for a higher dose as it doesn’t seem to be helping with anything much at the moment.

I use sebamed body wash that I buy from savers. Have had a dermol wash prescribed for me before too.

I eat lots of yogurt with live cultures. It keeps the gut and vaginal biome healthy and balanced.

Those washes cause issues. You don’t need them, just wash externally with a plain soap and water, that’s enough. I found limiting sugar in my diet the most effective way to prevent thrush

Fem 0% wash. Works for me and isn't as harsh as soaps

Water.

you don’t need a special soap.

When I say I use the body wash I don't use it on my vulva but for the general area and my leg creases. I use it instead of soap in those areas as I had lots of itching there beforehand and was prescribed the dermol to help with that.

Dermal 500 to wash with and then you can use a Moisturiser like Cetraben on the vulva.

It might also be worth repeating the thrush tablet as sometimes more than one course is needed.

You can also get Canestan probiotic capsules that you insert vaginally which help to balance things.

Also avoid too much sugar and eat fermented foods like kimchi or kombucha or take probiotics.

Check if you have any symptoms of diabetes as well as this can cause repeated thrush.

I noticed a smell when on HRT and stopped it in the end. The smell disappeared almost immediately. The downside was putting up with menopausal symptoms but for me the thought that others might have noticed I smelt was worse.

I would go to the doctor and get yourself properly checked out, rather than trying to guess what's wrong and trying random treatments.

Agree with @TheSmallAssassin

@ImNoReady As I said in my original post, I currently only use water and yet the problem persists. I haven’t used any kind of soap for many years.

The dermol wash is antimicrobial. It was dermol 500 I was prescribed to use as a soap substitute a while ago. Sebamed seems to be ok for my skin there too

I forgot to say in my first post, I don’t eat any sugar at all, and not much in the way of carbs either, so that isn’t the cause.

@TheSmallAssassin @mathanxiety I’ve been trying to get a routine GP appointment for months with no success. My GP surgery is in a bad way. I was going to try to get an appointment at the STD clinic as a last resort but that seems almost impossible as well.

Do you think it's from the vagina or from the external areas e.g. leg creases?

Do you sweat a lot? I sometimes use stick antiperspirant on my inner thighs as I get sweaty in that area.

I had an experiment with antiperspirant during the recent heatwave but it didn’t seem to make much difference to my sweatiness or to the smell, but yes, I am a bit sweaty!
But I think that, given my current success with the cream, that it’s coming from my villa.

Lol, vulva.
My villa smells just fine.

I’ve never had thrush or anything before, other than BV a couple of times in my 20s, so I do think the menopause must be responsible.

Why don't you want to continue with the treatment for thrush? If it works, then you have thrush! So treat it till it goes!
Then see if you can get an appointment at a sexual health clinic. They've seen it all.

Every woman's vulva/vagina is different. For me I find water as main wash is sufficient and then every few days or so I use a mild shampoo on my pubic hair.

It’s not that I don’t want to continue with treatment. It’s that I treat it, it appears to go away for a bit, and then it comes back again. The pharmacist told me I could only use the internal thrush treatment once every six months, so I can’t keep using it.
And it’s impossible to get an appointment at the sexual health clinic, otherwise I would have gone ages ago.

100% recommend wellgard vitaflora intimate probiotics.. I am diabetic and get thrush regularly, with that musty smell you are speaking of. Have been taking these for 9 months and not had thrush once, and feel much better down there.

There's a Canesten probiotic which you insert in your vagina. It's very good! Use every day after an infection and then once a week.

I eat natural yoghurt daily for the same reasons.
Also I don't use soap or washes in intimate regions, only plain water.

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Sorry that was a link and a half but this lotus wash has great reviews