Recurring thrush during pregnancy

[AR23]

Hi,

I've had thrush for about the last 4 weeks. The GP gave me Canestan combi treatment (pessary and external cream) at week 13. Then the same treatment again at week 16 because the symptoms came back.

I am now 17 weeks and there's been no improvement since the last treatment (it's been a week now). Called the GP, and this time she's given me a prescription for the internal canestan cream. Has anyone used this internal cream during pregnancy?

Also, I have had 2 swab tests done, and both came back showing thrush....but just been reading online that sometimes women can mistake bacterial vaginosis (BV) for thrush. Would my swab test have confirmed whether it was BV or thrush?

It would have confined BV if it was that instead of thrush. I had both last pregnancy

I've had constant thrush this pregnancy. It's awful just keeps coming back no matter what I do. Dr and midwife tell me it's hormone related

@mintypea5

I thought so, just wanted to check with others. Thanks for that.

Also, what treatments/advice have docs given you regarding the thrush? How many treatments and which ones have you had so far? Is it something we may just have to live with throughout pregnancy? This will be my 3rd type of treatment

Creams and pessary... apparently not all treatments are safe in pregnancy. My dr basically said that I'm just unlucky// will have to just put up with it it

It really gets me down makes me feel like I've done something "wrong" hygiene wise

@AR23 currently have just come off the phone for my 6th treatment for thrush! So annoying currently 26 weeks pregnant! My swan this tome came back with both thrush and bv so to answer that question yes hun it does show, it's so annoying isn't it 😭😭

@dollytutu

Thanks for the info re BV vs thrush in a swab test. My GP was going to just write me a prescription the 2nd time for thrush, and I had to ask for a swab test. She was like it's 90% probably a recurrence of thrush but I asked her to do another swab anyway.

Aww bless, that's so horrible and annoying. I haven't had much external itching but definitely have internal itchiness. Did you have a swab test every time before they gave you a treatment? Also I presume you've also just been given creams and pessaries?

@AR23 this is only my second swan I have no sign of bv apart from I had a gush of clear fluids which they thought was my waters (Thts how much was) they thought I was in preterm labour swabbed me and phoned today to say it's both however at the time they just have me thrush treatment I have had Pessary and cream each time, I believe it's the oral tablet you can't have on pregnancy! Not heard of the internal cream to be honest and can't imagine it's as strong as the Pessary ?

I feel your pain! I had thrush a month ago for two weeks and now and then I feel a tingling and I put some cream on as soon as I do which seems to nip it in the bud! Not much more one can do I'm afraid, it is hormone related. Plain yoghurt with no sugar helps with discomfort as well!

I had it the whole way through one of my pregnancies, it was so bad that I had bought and packed the oral treatment in my hospital bag to take it as soon as i had given birth!

@dollytutu

Ah I see.

Yes, just the oral tablet that you can't have. Internal cream and pessary do the same thing (think they're equal in terms of strength). Internal cream is preferred if you also have vaginal dryness, which I don't. But I guess the doctor is just trying to see if the cream makes and difference as I've already used the pessary twice.

When i went for my 16 week midwife appt, I told her about the thrush....she said it cane take up 3 months to clear!! :'(

When I was having DS I never not had thrush. It was horrible. Had the cream and pessary which would clear it for a few days then it would come back. When I had an internal inspection due to bleeding which was unrelated the doctor was shocked at how bad the thrush was but there aaa nothing I could do other than keep taking the cream and pessary. That was from about 19 weeks up until I gave birth. Thankfully with this pregnancy I’ve not had it (currently 32 weeks) and I hope it stays that way!
I feel for you, it’s very frustrating

@Nov19

Oh gosh, so just pessaries and cream on repeat? I find the external cream useless as my itchiness is internal. Well, it's good to know I''m not the only one out there battling with this.

I had thrush for the first 4 months of pregnancy and nothing really helped. The gp gave me 6 pessaries to take - 6 days in a row. That was when I got the best result but even then it still came back. Rather than use one pessary and waiting a few days, perhaps ask for multiple?
Sorry for the discomfort, good luck for your pregnancy.

I also had ongoing thrush in my recent pregnancy. I took an oral probiotic every day which did help clear it (although I was still prone to reoccurrence). I reckon cutting down sugar would have helped but I wasn’t willing to do that

If it makes you feel any better, DS is now 4 months and I’ve not had it since.

You can have the oral tablet. The research only shows that if you take it repetitively/special high doses it might be an issue. My doctor told me it was fine as a one off last time and it was the only thing that knocked it on the head for me this time.

Ask your doctor for it specifically. I must admit that I bought it for myself whilst wearing baggy clothing so the pharmacist couldn't tell I was pregnant. But that's just me!

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2654841/

"Oral fluconazole should be considered as a second-line therapy to treat VVC. There have been case reports in which fluconazole has been associated with major malformations, but only at higher doses (≥ 400 mg/d).9,10 There is no increased risk of major malformations associated with short-term use of 150 mg of fluconazole to treat VVC.11"

Thanks all, I’m Going to complete this 3rd treatment of the Canesten internal cream since I already have a prescription for it, if it still doesn’t go, then I’ll ask the doctor for a 6 day course of the pessary or something.

My GP said a flat out no the oral tablet. But I’ll ask again if the thrush persists. Just feel like I’ve been to the GP soooo many times in the last 4 weeks :(