How is Candida treated?

[anonxc]

Hi everyone, I have had swelling, burning and itching for the past month. Docs took a swab two weeks ago which has came back as a heavy growth of Candida, they recommended an otc pessary for treatment and to contact them if it does not go. I have now contacted them as it has not gone and it's horrific, they have said a health care assistant will call me on Thursday to discuss my symptoms further.
From what I've read Candida is not treated with pessaries but diet etc and I'm also scared about invasive Candida from doing my google research... I'm also very very bloated now along with my vaginal symptoms.

So I've got back to my doctor who has said they want to put me on a course of medication to treat the Candida as it's not going - they said I need a blood test first as it can affect liver, is this correct?

• furthermore the earliest blood test they have isn't until next week so another week of suffering and to just use 'sudocream' for the soreness and an anti histamine to help the itching :(

Is it terbinafine or something?
My dh takes it for fungal toenails and needs to have blood tests in case it affects his liver

I'm not sure of the name they didn't say but they said it can really damage the liver but it's the best medication to treat Candida especially if it's being 'stubborn' so they said I need to have a blood test before hand - from my own research I haven't seen anyone say this so bit confused if it's different meds or different approach they are taking to get rid of it

Do you have a coil in by any chance? I had thrush monthly on the copper coil and have had nothing since I got it removed!

I don't, I'm not on birth control - this all started in January when I had sex with a latex condom - I can be sensitive to them but it's all I had and wanted to be safe, I usually get burning for a few days but that time I swelled up a few days later and since then I've had cottage discharge on and off swelling and redness and then tested positive for Candida overgrowth on docs swab - no sti either been fully checked

Yes this is true. Candida is treated by anti-fungals as Candida is technically a yeast. Taking a longer course of any anti-fungal (more than one canestan thrush tablet worth), can damage your liver do they have to check liver function before they can prescribe it. This is perfectly usual.

You can buy more OTC thrush pessaries in the meantime as they are simply medicated cream in hard form that are formulated for the area unlike sudocrem. I’d pop one in at bedtime every day while waiting the week.

You haven’t answered about your partner(s), it is essential he/they get treated as well with at least getting an OTC thrush pill and taking it. Men usually have NO symptoms when they have Candida and so he could be reinfecting you everytime you have sex.

You also need to wash all sex toys thoroughly with a vinegar solution and again after each use.

I was seeing someone but they cheated on me, I don't have contact with that person anymore

Sorry to hear you were cheated on. 💔

That's ok! That's why I initially was worried this was all an sti as that's the last person I was with but all come clear, it does scare me and make me wonder why it's not going as I've never experienced anything like this before, I have the watery/thick discharge aswell that just won't go along with it it's so odd! Why does this happen?

Can I also ask if thrush can spread? Because I'm noticing (sorry tmi) but my back area is a bit itchy and I have a rash in my inner thigh that looks like heat rash - worried it's spreading now

If you have litchen sclerosis you need to be using your steroid cream daily until this flare up passes as it could the the LS causing you discomfort as much as thrush. Other than that, try the oral treatment if the pessary hasn't worked.

After exhausting the fluconazole pessaries and so on, and the I had a course of itraconzole followed by some heavy duty creams and they finally cleared up the lingering ski irritation. Lotriderm and trimovate which are antifungal antibiotic (?) and steroid I varying combinations.

Stop eating bread and marmite

Sorry posted to soon-
I stopped eating bread but no idea if that was necessary.

The itraconzole you take then stop then take again.

Try a vagisil for the soreness in the meantime or the lanacane anti itch cream.

I've started using it again today as I'm so so sore but I was told not to by the doctor, they said steroid could make the symptoms worse rather than better, I am also full of discharge it's honestly awful. I can't even wear underwear the soreness is so so bad

Sounds shit op. Lots of good advice above just thought I'd second the actigel recommendation the flora plus is the one you want specifically for thrush but the multi use tube is really good for helping keep any itches from turning into full blown thrush. Good luck.

Thank you, I will try it. just gives me so much anxiety waiting until next week for treatment as I worry it's just getting worse, dr google is the worst

Hi OP - I’m in exactly the same boat at the minute, what did you do to clear it up? Feeling really hopeless, my swabs have come back with “heavy growth” too and it’s stressing me out.