Perimenopause thrush nightmare can someone reassure me it will get better! I’m desperate

[Lifeisarollercoster78]

I’ll give some background I’m 48 now been on HRT since I was 42 I had the coil and patch then in August last year I had my coil changed and end of October had pelvic pain I was getting watery discharge and what looked like slightly yellow discharge on my pad anyway after a long time of trying to get sorted in November I was told I had a yeast infection. I had a lot of bloating and discomfort was told to take over the counter thrush treatment but the pessary and pill didn’t touch it. I also had an internal scan to check the position that caused sloughing of the skin inside. Fast forward to January after trying longer courses of treatment no luck at shifting it so I had the coil removed and moved to utrogestan daily and have been going well on that on the last strip of month three. I’m now under a women’s health doctor at the gps. We did two weeks of vaginal pessaries and have now moved on to once a week pessaries and twice a week Vagifem because not being able to clear thrush can be a sign of vaginal dryness. I’m not using pads I never use soap down there I’m not eating bread cutdown on sugar (I eat healthy anyway). So I’m on week two of the one pessary and two Vagifem but I feel the thrush when I’m doing the vaginal estrogen. I just want some reassurance really I feel like it’s never ending. I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow and am going to ask if she can swab again but check what strain the yeast is. I can’t have fluconazole as it makes me nauseous and feel ill on it.

can someone reassure me this will get sorted I try to be positive about it but after 5 months I find it hard.

I had constant thrush for years after pregnancy. Was on endless rounds of Canesten pessaries and the oral pill, which I ended up developing an allergy to. Nightmare. Canesten (or whatever the active ingredient) is just flat out doesn’t work for my thrush, ever. What did finally clear it for good was boric acid (this can be found in Boots Thrush & BV pessaries).

The bouts got further and further apart – drastically so, and you sometimes have to do a double treatment, which it says on the box. But I’ve been free of it now for years.

Yes, I’d imagine you will have to aggressively treat the vaginal dryness too.

Hi @Lifeisarollercoster78 . That sounds hard going. I would insist on testing as you say. You need to know it is yeast and what species as some such as C glabrata can be harder to treat.

If you don't get anywhere with NHS testing a company called Digital Microbiology are very good. Expensive but may be worth it.

My experience was that I had a condition called Aerobic Vaginitis that the NHS doesn't recognise. Not saying you have this however but one to bear in mind.

Good luck xxxx

@Didimum @Spudulike3
thanks for the response ladies. I do think my Doctor will eventually get me sorted and maybe it will just take time for things to balance down there. At times I’ve felt like I’ll be like this forever. Perimenopause has been a difficult ride and then this started. Thank goodness I have a lot of support around me but I do wish it was easier!

I've had brutal thrush for many years. Including on my breasts while breast feeding.

What has finally stopped it for me is using absolutely NOTHING but water from my belly button down. My private gynae told me he didn't care what it was made of, no soap or emollient or anything but water should go near my vulva.

I also have over the years taken a flucanazole daily for several weeks.

In the moment, the only thing that really does if is three flucanazoles and three vaginal pessaries on consecutive days.

I buy the chalk ones, not the gel as that irritates me more.

Oh and eventually the gynae said thr thrush was gone and it was severe vaginal atrophy and started me on estriol cream daily and in large amounts. Did the job.

@Moveyourbleedingarse
that gives me hope that I will get sorted. This is just annoying because I have never used anything other than water down there I’ve always know it’s self cleaning. I think I probably had some vaginal atrophy and the coil and that cause this stubborn problem. I just never knew peri could cause so many issues. I thought the anxiety I had in early peri was the worst of it but this is really hard at the moment.

@Lifeisarollercoster78 i really sympathise. We are the same age so I know exactly where you are at 😬

Can you try flucanazole with food? I always take on an empty stomach to give it the best chance but I appreciate it's horrible if it makes you feel sick.

@Moveyourbleedingarse

I would be willing to do the day 1 3 and 7 again and just know I’ll be poorly for a week if I knew it would shift it. I feel like I’ll have it forever. The doctor has repeatedly told me it will get sorted but I feel a bit stuck at the moment. So much for what I thought menopause was a few hot flushes and it finishes it’s a whole other beast!!

I take it consecutive days for as long as it takes. Did the GP suggest those days?

You can buy three packs for £10 on amazon. I self prescribe though it's been so many years I don't even tell GP.

@Moveyourbleedingarse
yer gp told me to do that apparently using day 1 3 and 7 then once a week for 6 months should break the cycle. I wonder if I need to up the estrogen and still do some thrush treatment till I break the cycle?? It’s a bloody guessing game. So what do you do just keep taking it till it feels better?? Who knew your vag could be so difficult to just be normal!

@Lifeisarollercoster78

I did the every week for 6 months thing when DC were little. Worked for a couple of years. Now they are 16&18 I've had many recurrences since!!

Yes. I know for me it works best when I obliterate it. In the autumn I had oral thrush, the mouth wash stuff was horrendous, so I self prescribed 7 days of flucanazole and it did the job!

But it doesn't make me ill, although probably not great for the gut biome 😬