Thrush every single month

[kittykat818]

Hi all, I have been suffering really badly from thrush for years (since I lost my virginity to my current boyfriend). I have tried coming off the pill, not using any scented products, cotton knickers, tried using condoms and not using them, I have been tested for diabetes and thyroid issues and have tried cleaning with warm water after sex but the only thing that keeps it away is if I consistently use fluconazole - I really don't want to have to take fluconazole for the rest of my life as there are so many stories of people becoming resistant or it leading to liver problems etc. I want to know if there is root cause and how I can fix it rather than being reliant on medication which is just acting as a plaster over the issue. This issue is seriously impacting my mental health and wellbeing - it all started when I was 19 and I am 24 now and I am just so exhausted of having to constantly worry about thrush.

I should add that my boyfriend has also treated himself so we know we are not passing it back and fourth!

Has your boyfriend had treatment? He most probably has it and is reinfecting you.
Have you cut out sugar and alcohol in all forms? It thrives on yeast and sugar, so anything containing either will feed it.

@Lemonandgingercake Hi, yes he has been treated a number of times with the tablet and cream. When I take fluconzole for weekly for 6 months the thrush stays away for a year (the 6 months I take it and then the next 6 months after that) however it is as if it repopulates and after a year I get it again and then continue to get it every month. I have tried cutting out sugar etc for a 2-3 weeks at a time but I find it SO hard and depressing. The diet stops you socialising and I ended up loosing so much weight - I think if I knew it would definitely cure me and it was temporary it would be easier to stick to but so many women also say it didn't work for them or when it did they have had to be careful with what they eat for the rest of their lives - that sounds horrible!

Please if anyone has any help they could offer!

probiotics with rhamanous in them helped me . I got them in h and nbarrett www.optibacprobiotics.com/uk/professionals/latest-research/female-health/which-are-best-probiotics-for-thrush

Try eating live natural yoghurt daily. I used to get thrush regularly but since doing this I haven't had it at all. Keep your good bacteria population up!

It’s horrible, you have my sympathy. 😔

Have you had your vitamin d levels checked? I knew I’d had low vitamin d in the past and in desperation was reading all sorts of articles and medical info. I read a few things that linked having low levels of vitamin d to recurrent thrush, so I started taking a high dose supplement (4000iu daily which is the highest recommended dose). After a couple of months, I just didn’t get thrush anymore. I had also started using bamboo toilet roll made by Cheeky Panda around the same time. I’m presuming it was one of those things that made the difference after trying so many other things.

Things is tried before on doctors recommendation were diet changes, washing powders (I still use Surcare), probiotics,
soaps, no soap, different sanitary products, fluconazole, itraconazole for 6 months...the list was endless.

I really hope you find something that works. It’s miserable.

You poor thing. That sounds absolutely miserable.

Do you take a probiotic? And how do you think your gut health is? If you don’t already, try adding prebiotic food like yoghurt and fermented stuff (kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, etc).

I had this many years ago, every bloody month I would get thrush. I was determined to sort it out and started a course of accupuncture. It worked really effectively and it completely stopped that cycle of continuously getting thrush. I appreciate its not an inexpensive option.

Do you use tampons. They always used to give me thrush, even organic ones. I had to switch to cup or pads.

I would try a different tablet next time you treat yourself... I ordered fluconozole and I'm sure I read you can only take it something like once/twice every couple of months.

What about caneston? For underwear I but the lace kind from Boux avenue it's the best thing ever.

Have you tried washing below with an emollient cream from your GP? Instead of things like fem fresh?

When I was pregnant and suffering badly the midwife suggested ironing the gusset of my knickers. I think if you just was them at 40 degrees it doesn't get rid of it. The heat of the iron did though, it really got rid of it for me.

The other thing that can present the same is vaginitis ?

Have a bath with a couple of cap fulls of white vinegar in. It will take it away

Have you had swabs taken? Like you I was treated for recurrent thrush in my early 20s but it turns out I have a condition called lichen sclerosus and now that I’m treating that properly (steroid creams) things are much better.

I had the same until I had a course of itraconazole. That cleared it up and I've been fine for years now. Ask your GP if that is an option. I think I had to take it for a week or so. Good luck. Recurrent thrush is miserable ☹️

Switching to period pants finally stopped my thrush. Tampons were the worst offenders but even pads set it off.

My sympathies, it's awful! Are you using the canesten cream? I found I had an allergy to it (and fabric conditioner and various other things) but I'd be slapping the cooling cream on to ease the agony of the thrush that appeared in week 3 of every month I was on microgynon (a full effing year of being gaslit by the university gp who said the two weren't related) and it just got worse and worse. Like you, I was on long courses of fluconazole. It only really shifted when I quit the pill and did the candida diet for 12 weeks. Not sure what worked, but I was prepared to try just about anything at that point. Black magic, howling at the moon, you name it, I'd given it a go.

More recent bouts of thrush have been made MASSIVELY worse by the lovely cooling sneaky bastard cream. Try an emollient instead, it might help!

@Knockmealdowns @catsnore @Flockameanie Hi all, thanks for the suggestions - I have tried taking probiotics and eating yogurt everyday but swabs from my doctor actually showed that I had too much good bacteria present and this was leading my vagina becoming too acidic and causing cell damage which could be leading to thrush. He has advised me to stop all probiotics which seems unnatural as I have read so much good stuff about them!

@InTheZone Hi - I have had most of my vitamin levels checked but my GP said they don't actually offer a vitamin D test so I began taking vitamin D everyday just in case my levels were low. It doesn't seem to have helped but maybe I need to take more... I have also already changed to a natural bamboo toilet paper but again no change! Do you still take the high levels of vit D and were you getting thrush every month as well?

@Jedstre Interesting - I have read others say acupuncture has helped them too. I have sent some emails to some local practices to see if they think they would be able to help me. Did you find your thrush was related to your period cycle and how long did you suffer for before find acupuncture?

@CaptainBeakyandhisband Hi yes lots and lots and lots of swabs which always show thrush and always goes away with fluconazole so I am sure it is that - I am just not sure why it keeps returning!

@ohCARP Interesting - I have had itraconazole before but only up to three tablets worth. Was your thrush going away for short periods with the flucoznole. My thrush has been tested and shows to be sensitive to fluconazole and it does go away fully with treatment but always just returns :(

@chiffchaffchiff I have switched to organic pads and no longer use tampons but my thrush usually actually goes away during my period and the weeks following it is the week before my period that I always get thrush so I am not sure if it is related to my period products!

I feel for you. I had this exact problem for about a year I had thrush that I just couldn’t shift. I’m not sure what worked in the end- I came off the pill and it took a long time to get out of my system. I also dieted and lost a couple of stone so I think it must have been something to do with what I was eating l.

I would definitely retry probiotics. And some decent quality vitamins. It sounds awful- I hope it gets better.