Recurring thrush- why?

[rhubarbcrumble489]

I am in my mid 30s and had never had thrush in my life until a year ago when I was on holiday.
I put it down to the wet swimwear and took the over the counter treatment with no issue.

This summer again while on holiday I got another bout of thrush and treated when I got home. I have now had thrush every month since June.
My GP tested my sugar levels as she queried if this could be linked to type 2 diabetes but my sugars were normal.

I don't get classic thrush symptoms- no thick discharge. Just itching down below and the first time I had it very sore and red.

I have only had thrush confirmed once with a swab. The other time I was given a swab I had already taken the treatment a few days before so it came back clear but I think the treatment had already worked.

My doctor wants to put me on a longer preventative course of Fluconazole but said it can affect liver function? I've had a liver function test to check it's normal and to get a baseline.

I started taking probiotics especially for women around a month ago to see if this could help but I seem to have thrush again.

Any tips? Why do I keep getting it? It's getting me down?

I thought it was linked to my cycle as it seems to occur every month but I don't get an actual period as i have an IUD.

I had this in my 30's too, turned out as I had heavy periods it was caused by anaemia. I was prescribed iron tablets and that solved the problem for me

Hormones….fluctuations in estrogen….need a good probiotic .

are you sure the thrush is actually resolving?

I was prescribed flucanazole once, which treats the usual Candida albicans, ibut when tested, my strain was Candida parapasollis, and I needed itraconazole to clear it

I used to have recurring thrush for a long long time and long term fluconazole once a week kept it away. However it completely cleared up several weeks after having my mirena iud removed and was absolutely linked to that.

Ive had this too. Never had it before. And no discharge
so took me ages to figure out what it was. Just sore and horrific itching. Took the tablets and used the pessary. Went away!
Then I swear it keeps trying to come back. I use a bit of the cream if it’s itching which seems to keep it at bay. It’s so weird.
Nothing for decades then feels like it keeps coming back.

I got that in my 30s, constantly recurring, numerous visits to doc for fluconazole, doc had no idea why…and one night it was like a bolt of lightning struck me…I went off and looked in the leaflet for my contraceptive ring and lo and behold it was listed as a rare/uncommon side effect. Sent DH for the snip: no more ring, no more thrush. Medical mystery solved by me, not the GP (same GP dispensing the contraceptives).

In your shoes, I would be taking a look at side effects (uncommon or not) of IUDs. Good luck!

I had this in my 40s. It was so itchy that I made holes in my trousers..I tried to do an elimination diet and it stopped when I stopped eating shredded wheat but it could have been just a coincidence.

I suffered for years. Things that helped: don’t ever use normal soap ‘down there’. Use vagisil ph intimate wash. Avoid tights - get a suspenders belt and wear stockings. No hot baths. Showers only. Cotton knickers or at least with a cotton gusset. I don’t think being on the pill helped.

I’m in my 40s and I keep having thrush issues within a month of having copper coil in and since then I had another thrush problem last week.

I’ve had this for years and turns out it genital herpes not a thrush. After i take medicine i never have it anymore. Its worth to check might be ita not thrush after all

I've heard this from a few people

If you can, go to a GUM clinic.
I had this in my 30s and it was eventually diagnosed as psoriasis. Cleared up with treatment and no recurrence for years. I went back when I got lesions, had various referrals and was diagnosed with lichen planus.
Just because the swab shows thrush doesn't mean you can't have something else as well, particularly as you don't have other thrush symptoms such as discharge.

@cherrytree12345 this is the thing I don't get a period due to my IUD. Every occasionally I get a slight bleed but not heavy

@Kitkat1523 I've started taking a probiotic to see if that helps

@Happy4free I wonder if it could be linked.

My iud is a low hormone one - Jaydess and it's due to be replaced next year.

@fashionqueen0123 it's bizarre. I just want to get to the bottom of why it keeps coming back.

@Peachy2005 the more I think about it the more I think it's linked to this or something hormonal!

That’s interesting! Definitely
worth the OP looking into.

I’ve had the same but Im on the mini pill… maybe I need to check the packet! I don’t want to come off it though as I don’t have periods on it.

Have you tried a tampon soaked in cold, live yogurt?

Yes, it is nit that rare a side-effect.

I had this in my early 30s. It kept coming back all the damn time. Turns out my delightful exH was cheating. Got rid of him and got rid of my problems.
It's truly awful when it's a recurrent issue OP. It's very uncomfortable and I hope you get to the bottom of why it keeps happening.

I would really read up on the link with iud's and this issue, mine was at the end of its life I think around the 5 year mark. I had suffered for years and had been on fluconazole weekly for a LONG time.
Looking back I also had the thrush issue with oral contraception yasmin - not any of the others. GP's said it was nothing to do with my contraception - but for me it was. It's not that uncommon either. Honestly if only I had known years ago that those drugs and the iud didn't suit me.
I tried natural yogurt on a tampon and probiotic pessarys - didn't do anything. And the diet elimination is Sooooo restricted it won't help if it's not your sugar intake that's the problem.
I hope you get some resolve soon I really know how awful it is!!

I had this… turns out somewhere along the line I’ve picked up an allergy to bleach used in some kinds of toilet roll! I think what had happened was that the irritation had sometimes progressed/caused thrush but sometimes not but I thought I had recurring thrush all the time. But I definitely did have thrush once or twice because those times I got the classic discharge etc. DH accidentally bought cheap toilet roll once and immediately my “thrush” went away 😂 I have to be careful which brands I buy nowadays.

I had recurrent thrush years ago caused by the Pill (Microgynon).

It can be hormonal and can occur with peri menopause I believe

I had this and managed to get rid of it with weekly fluconazole for four weeks plus a dose for my partner, plus hot washing all my underpants and then ironing the gussets which I believe was a tip I read on here. I bought the fluconazole on Amazon or eBay after getting frustrated with the GP and sexual health clinic (I got swabbed to check it wasn’t something else) but I believe what I did was a recommended course of action.

I was stressed at the time - it was the run up to my wedding and the marriage didn’t last which I think I had some sort of inkling of whilst still having to do all the planning for the party. So if there are other major sources of stress in your life I would take that into consideration.