Recurrent mild thrush - what to do?

[ImbarbaraB]

I seem to be constantly suffering with mild thrush on and off for months now

Anytime I have my period it happens
Anytime I bath it happens (have stopped even using bubbles but it still happens?

It’s not full on ferocious but it’s generally uncomfortable

What can I do?

OP especially as you are breastfeeding, altering your diet should be the last step after exploring the other excellent possibilities listed here- coil, heat, exercise, probiotics, GP etc.
If you crack it let me know!!

I think if I wasn’t breastfeeding I’d be happier to cut things

I used to low carb but I just can’t seem to keep myself fuelled enough without some carbs now I’m breastfeeding

I know that feeling 😂 low carbs and breastfeeding = eating crumpets at 2am to stave off the shakes...

You mentioned exercising - i had low level thrush for a year having only ever struggled with it when pg before. Tried everything but just couldn't shake it.
Then the bike i was using to commute to work broke and for various reasons i ended up not replacing it. Realised after about a month the thrush had finally cleared - tried cycling briefly again and it came back. Thankfully since covid I've been able to park at work rather than 1.5 miles away & so haven't needed to cycle & the thrush still hasn't come back. I was only cycling ~15 mins twice a day but i really think it was that.

@flossletsfloss

Definitely speak to your gp. I've had it recurring for years and now I'm on a long term treatment and haven't had one episode. I was investigated for diabetes etc but some people are just prone to it. My periods, baths, tights, over exercising all triggered it. Don't suffer in silence there are plenty of treatment options.

Out of interest what was your long term treatment?

I’ve found the GP utterly useless.

Following as I also suffer with this.
I'll read any advise that other have x x

Yes it’s sold as a product for BV but works for thrush - it simply keeps vagina at a PH that thrush cannot survive in, but healthy bacteria can.

Someone else upthread said they had an allergic reaction - if your thrush is very Bad/active And you are tender, it can sting like hell on application. (Like salt or lemon juice in a cut/wound) But Normally you cannot feel a thing.

Go to a sexual health clinic, whatever treatment my GP gave me, as soon as I finished it the thrush came back & got worse. I went to the sexual health clinic & they gave me 14 days of oral tablets, Canestan with hydrocortisone & an antifungal wash to use, the thrush has never come back despite being on extended courses of antibiotics. Mine was so bad my skin was blistering & peeling, they also gave me some cream with lidocaine in it to numb the pain ( sort of turbocharged vagisan) They also told me no hot baths, no soap, to wash all my knickers in pure soap not washing powder, no fabric conditioner, I soaked them in a bucket with plain soap flakes & then in a boil wash with no detergent & white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner. I also found brand new knickers brought it on, it was something that the factory used, I soaked any new ones in water with white vinegar & then on a wash with no detergent. Depending on your age you might also get given oestrogen cream as dropping hormone levels can make it harder to get rid of. The doctor I saw was an older doctor & she told me more in 10 minutes than I had ever been told in multiple visits over 20 years to my own doctor.

Have you tried changing your toilet roll? I had recurring thrush like symptoms and after cutting out all sugar, nightshades bathing in boring water with no bubbles and generally being miserable, simply changing the loo roll fixed everything. I find the standard Andrew and Puppies on a roll awful. I wouldn't dream of using a scented one. The best is the Andrex Quilts. If you Google Toilet roll thrush a few interesting results come up including a thread on here which made me sit up and take notice.

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/3515638-To-wonder-if-I-could-be-allergic-to-toilet-roll

@PinkPlantCase

Are you 100% sure it’s thrush? I thought I was getting thrush every period and in between and it turned out to be a kind of contact dermatitis.

Washable pads cotton pads and an emollient like diprobase have made a huge difference.

I don’t use any bubble bath etc and only wash down there with aqueous cream if I want to use more than water.

That was my experience, and if it's happening around period time, worth checking out for you OP.

I'm not sensitive to soaps or anything else, but can't use disposable sanitary pads and liners, I get a hot itchy feeling which feels a lot like thrush

Wash underwear at least on a 65 degree wash. The hotter the better.

I suffered from recurrent thrush for years, I was put on long term Flucanazole, taking it once a week but even they stopped working. I had previously tried cutting out sugar,no baths, only washing in emollient. These things helped mildly but after being so fed up with it, and as a last resort I had my mirena coil removed, not had a single bout since. The research suggests there’s not any link but when I spoke to the family planning nurse, she said she’d known quite a few women who’d had a similar problem as the threads irritated and caused repeated thrush. Shame as I loved the mirena, but now looking into alternatives and thrush free!

I’ve had thrush almost continuously for over two years. I’ve been to the GP numerous times and they don’t know what to do. I was given cream for lichen schlerosis even though I had thrush! Referred to sexual health clinic. They prescribed fluconazole for six months. It worked for a bit and now doesn’t work at all.
I had not made the link with toilet roll even though I’m allergic to quite a lot of things and all shower gel . My skin becomes very itchy and dry with most soap and shower gel really irritates my skin.
This thread is very informative. I will switch toilet roll and think about washing underwear in soap flakes. What a nuisance.
I’m thinking of using an emollient cream to wash with. Any recommendations?

Talk to your GP- I had this a few years ago. There are other treatments that your Gp can recommend and prescribe. If you are breastfeeding, even more reason to talk to the GP rather than trying OTC solutions. They may well ask you for a swab too to confirm it is thrush.

Also as someone has said- really really important to get your partner treated too. Men can have thrush and be completely asymptomatic. He can easily be repeatedly reinfecting you.

Other treatments? My GP hasn’t come up with any ideas at all bar the obvious, which don’t work.

I have been taking medication now for almost a year and it still returns.

One of my swabs picked up strep B which I took penicillin for but as soon as the treatment ended, the thrush returned.

My last treatment plan was a 6 months anti fungal treatment but I was still getting thrush after 1 month so I have stopped until I go for my gynae app next month as I don't think the doctors actually know what's causing it.

Today I have had a blood test for HIV as I'm out-ruling everything.

I have never suffered with thrush before but as I'm of peri-menopausal age I'm hoping it's an imbalance that's causing it.

I have been on HRT for a a few months so fingers crossed that will help.

I also have the mirena coil and I'm thinking of having it removed in a hope of it stopping the thrush.

I've had the coil for a few years with no side effects but since starting with thrush no medication is clearing it.

Wr can get repeated bouts of thrush due to the changing PH levels in the vagina. This can happen during pregnancy, breastfeeding, periods and (peri) menopause so should hopefully cover the majority of those who’ve posted in here.

Thrush should always be diagnosed via a swab taken in GP surgery or GUM clinic rather than guessing or particularly via OTC tests in peri as hormones can fluctuate so much and the result might not be correct.

This is a factsheet explaining it for those in peri and vagina estrogen can help restore the vaginal flora (can also Eve experienced and used by anyone who is BF) d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/463/Vaginal%20Dryness%20v21-02.pdf

This is a useful video on the vaginal micro biome with some good tips on things that can help

Cheeky Panda loo roll is good - no bleach, perfumes or other irritants used. Also washable reusable cotton/bamboo pads for wiping or as liners

@BreakingtheIce try Epaderm or Hydromol ointment to wash with and E45 to moisturise itchy skin on the body afterwards. YES products (VM and or OB) on the vulva/in the vagina.

Nrft
I have a mirena iud. It was not due to be changed until later this year. I got it changed early because I noticed other changes but at the same time I was having recurring thrush. As soon as it was changed it stopped.
I do not know the connection but it is woth mentioning.
Hope you feel better soon.

@over50andfab

Wr can get repeated bouts of thrush due to the changing PH levels in the vagina. This can happen during pregnancy, breastfeeding, periods and (peri) menopause so should hopefully cover the majority of those who’ve posted in here.

Thrush should always be diagnosed via a swab taken in GP surgery or GUM clinic rather than guessing or particularly via OTC tests in peri as hormones can fluctuate so much and the result might not be correct.

This is a factsheet explaining it for those in peri and vagina estrogen can help restore the vaginal flora (can also Eve experienced and used by anyone who is BF) d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/463/Vaginal%20Dryness%20v21-02.pdf

This is a useful video on the vaginal micro biome with some good tips on things that can help

Cheeky Panda loo roll is good - no bleach, perfumes or other irritants used. Also washable reusable cotton/bamboo pads for wiping or as liners

@BreakingtheIce try Epaderm or Hydromol ointment to wash with and E45 to moisturise itchy skin on the body afterwards. YES products (VM and or OB) on the vulva/in the vagina.

Looking at the reviews, the Cheeky Panda toilet paper blocks the toilet and causes problems with the sewers. Thanks for the recommendations for creams @over50.

Cheeky Panda is made from bamboo and is thicker than standard loo roll. I think some people (including other family members) have been using the same number of squares and this might be causing the blockages in rare cases. I find that no more than 2 squares is needed after a wee, been using it with no issue for over a year - might be more expensive initially but lasts longer.

@Freebleweeble

I notice I this thread the repeated advice is to cut sugar, not to reduce it. Cutting sugar entirely is not a small undertaking and hugely risky when it comes to putting the body into disordered eating patterns. Our bodies need sugars

This is complete and utterly not true.

Removing them has huge knock on effects Yes, and these are pretty positive - e.g. weight loss, better health, remission from diabetes, better oral health etc.

I'd be very interested to see some actual research to substantiate your claims!

[quote BIWI]@Freebleweeble

I notice I this thread the repeated advice is to cut sugar, not to reduce it. Cutting sugar entirely is not a small undertaking and hugely risky when it comes to putting the body into disordered eating patterns. Our bodies need sugars

This is complete and utterly not true.

Removing them has huge knock on effects Yes, and these are pretty positive - e.g. weight loss, better health, remission from diabetes, better oral health etc.

I'd be very interested to see some actual research to substantiate your claims![/quote]
Yes exactly. Sugar is not needed by the body at all. Natural sugars are one thing. Refined sugars quite another. No one ‘needs’ white sugar. It’s poison.