Yeast Infections

E

elsie3

Cathlete
Anyone struggle with yeast infections? What do you do?

Don't read further if you don't want TMI;).
I've been treated twice. I think I always have one "lurking" and if I stray from my usual clean-eating obsession, I get nailed. The first time I was diagnosed, it was a surprise--I guess I've come to "live" with my particular symptoms. My doctor does a routine check as part of the physical, and the nurse called later to say I had one and that the doctor had prescribed an oral anti-fungal. The nice thing was that I dropped 5 pounds without changing anything else. But it doesn't seem to last. The next time my symptoms got bad, I recognized them and went into the doctor. This time he prescribed a double-dose and again I dropped 5 pounds and felt better. But I don't think it completely knocks it out, because if I have any sugar or refined foods, I have symptoms. Unusually, it's not discharge or itching, but rather kind of a pin-prick sort of pain--hard to describe. I've always wondered if the yeast problem makes me more resistant to weight loss.

I know the standard things such as getting probiotics, changing out of workout clothes after exercise, and avoiding foods that feed yeast. Any other advice?

Thanks muchly,
 
I am extremely sensitive to anti-biotics. They will almost always cause me to get one. Plus, like you, it seemed like it would keep coming back if I had one and just took the oral pills unless I took them for an entire month. Finally, my OB\GYN prescribed me a cream that I had to do for three days and I haven't had any problems for well over a year now. You might want to ask for that.

By the way, some people can get them from the soap they use. You might want to try changing up your bath soap. If you continue to get them often, you might want to think about having your sugar levels checked. Untreated diabetes can cause a lot of yeast infections. It's actually one of the warning signs that many women miss.
 
TRSTACIE said:
I am extremely sensitive to anti-biotics. They will almost always cause me to get one. Plus, like you, it seemed like it would keep coming back if I had one and just took the oral pills unless I took them for an entire month. Finally, my OB\GYN prescribed me a cream that I had to do for three days and I haven't had any problems for well over a year now. You might want to ask for that.

By the way, some people can get them from the soap they use. You might want to try changing up your bath soap. If you continue to get them often, you might want to think about having your sugar levels checked. Untreated diabetes can cause a lot of yeast infections. It's actually one of the warning signs that many women miss.
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Thanks for your reply. I have a doctor's appointment Monday, and you've given me much to ask about. I try to avoid antibiotics if at all possible. I never thought about soap. Thanks again for your help.
 
Hi Elsie

Yes -sugar is the biggest culprit. Other than fruit the other big trouble maker was corn. I no longer eat it any form, including popcorn. I've been yeast free for almost a decade now.

HTH
 
My Aunty had success using gymnema sylvestre (Nature's way is cheap.) Just take the pill with any meal having starch or sugars, it binds with the sugars and you don't absorb it.
 
Also, if you have sex more frequently than you normally would, that can also lead to yeast infections. I also have a friend at work that has candida (yeast) throughout her whole body, so she pretty much has to take a pill everyday.
 
I struggled for years with chronic yeast and bladder infections. I finally did 15 Diflucan in a row, and that got a handle on it. It was desperate time! I stay away from sugar, corn, caffeine and processed carbs. I also take probiotics everyday. Also, and I swear this made all difference, I started shaving my nether region bare every.single.day. I haven't had either infection since I started doing that! I think it eliminated a source of bacteria and yeast growth even though I shower everyday and keep very clean. I hope you figure it out! It's miserable for sure!
 
nkhansen1 said:
I struggled for years with chronic yeast and bladder infections. I finally did 15 Diflucan in a row, and that got a handle on it. It was desperate time! I stay away from sugar, corn, caffeine and processed carbs. I also take probiotics everyday. Also, and I swear this made all difference, I started shaving my nether region bare every.single.day. I haven't had either infection since I started doing that! I think it eliminated a source of bacteria and yeast growth even though I shower everyday and keep very clean. I hope you figure it out! It's miserable for sure!
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Natalie, what diflucan did you take? Where did you purchase it?
 
elsie3 said:
Natalie, what diflucan did you take? Where did you purchase it?
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Diflucan is a prescription antifungal so it will have to come from your doctor. It is a miracle drug. My yeast troubles started when my water broke at 16 weeks during my pregnancy with my son. I wasn't contracting, so to give my amniotic sac the chance to heal and to prevent infection, I was put on 24/7 IV antibiotics for an entire week. While it saved my pregnancy, it destroyed my flora. For years I battled yeast in my breasts and milk ducts, vagina and even my rectum. I wanted to just die sometimes. I had done Diflucan before, but only two at a time which is the normal script. As a last ditch effort, my dr had me take one every other day for a month, and that finally knocked it out. I had flares until I carefully started watching my diet and keeping that area really clean and dry. I know some people hate taking pills, and I am one of them, but Diflucan is worth it!
 
Elsie,
When you say it's like a pin prick feeling, I think I know what you mean. My infections never exhibited itching or discharge either, just an intense prickling and burning sensation.
 
nkhansen1 said:
Diflucan is a prescription antifungal so it will have to come from your doctor. It is a miracle drug. My yeast troubles started when my water broke at 16 weeks during my pregnancy with my son. I wasn't contracting, so to give my amniotic sac the chance to heal and to prevent infection, I was put on 24/7 IV antibiotics for an entire week. While it saved my pregnancy, it destroyed my flora. For years I battled yeast in my breasts and milk ducts, vagina and even my rectum. I wanted to just die sometimes. I had done Diflucan before, but only two at a time which is the normal script. As a last ditch effort, my dr had me take one every other day for a month, and that finally knocked it out. I had flares until I carefully started watching my diet and keeping that area really clean and dry. I know some people hate taking pills, and I am one of them, but Diflucan is worth it!
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Thanks, Natalie. I can't remember exactly what prescription I was given before, but I don't think it was Diflucan. I'll ask my Doctor about it on Monday. I was given two pills the first time, and then 4 pills the second time. Hopefully we can get it knocked out this time around. Thanks again!
 
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nkhansen1 said:
Elsie,
When you say it's like a pin prick feeling, I think I know what you mean. My infections never exhibited itching or discharge either, just an intense prickling and burning sensation.
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Exactly! Thanks again for your input. You've really been through an ordeal. I appreciate your sharing your hard-won expertise with me.
 
The generic name is flucanozole, I think. I really hope you get some answers. It is a miserable way to live! And you do kind of start just living with it because it's so hard to treat. I would get a really good probiotic (the kind that has to be refrigerated) and press your dr hard for a larger dose of the Diflucan.

The probiotic I use is specifically to maintain vaginal flora. I can't remember the name because my kids make me take to label off the bottle so they don't have to see the words "for vaginal health" every time they open the fridge! Lol! It comes is a very distinct purple bottle with yellow labeling, and it has a sun on the front. I get it in the fridge section at my health food store.
 
Also consider the following.....

Elsie, I also struggled with long-term and ongoing "discomfort" that didn't really have other symptoms - no particular discharge, etc.

All I knew about was yeast....and so that's what I thought it was and treated myself that way...with every remedy you can think of and stil....no relief.

Finally I took my troubles to my gyn and he examined me and told me that what I actually had was an overgrowth of lactobacillus. It's naturally occurring in our bodies but mine was out of balance.

With yeast you end up with an environment that isn't acidic enough (which is why lots of sex can lead to yeast infections - semen is alkaline)...with lactobacillus your environment is TOO acidic and it can compromise the mucus membrane and make it very thin...just like you'd expect if you had acid on you. Ouch!

He initially treated me with an antibiotic and had me douche with a baking soda solution every so often. It worked! I was SO grateful.

I also feel my balance shifting if I have too much sugar. It's odd but that area is the best barometer of my diet. If I begin to feel unbalanced I cut back on sugar and can head off a real problem.

I just add this to make sure your gyn checks for this as well - he or she can look at a sample under a microscope-...particularly if you don't have the classic yeast infection symptoms. The treatment is essentially opposite. There's no reason to suffer.

Good luck!
 
story1267 said:
Elsie, I also struggled with long-term and ongoing "discomfort" that didn't really have other symptoms - no particular discharge, etc.

All I knew about was yeast....and so that's what I thought it was and treated myself that way...with every remedy you can think of and stil....no relief.

Finally I took my troubles to my gyn and he examined me and told me that what I actually had was an overgrowth of lactobacillus. It's naturally occurring in our bodies but mine was out of balance.

With yeast you end up with an environment that isn't acidic enough (which is why lots of sex can lead to yeast infections - semen is alkaline)...with lactobacillus your environment is TOO acidic and it can compromise the mucus membrane and make it very thin...just like you'd expect if you had acid on you. Ouch!

He initially treated me with an antibiotic and had me douche with a baking soda solution every so often. It worked! I was SO grateful.

I also feel my balance shifting if I have too much sugar. It's odd but that area is the best barometer of my diet. If I begin to feel unbalanced I cut back on sugar and can head off a real problem.

I just add this to make sure your gyn checks for this as well - he or she can look at a sample under a microscope-...particularly if you don't have the classic yeast infection symptoms. The treatment is essentially opposite. There's no reason to suffer.

Good luck!
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Very good point that it might not be yeast. My dr did test for yeast, and I also had internal plaques that were yeast overgrowth. Definitely make sure that your dr takes the time to test that it actually is yeast!
 
It's amazing to know that so many of us struggle with similar problems. I had been misdiagnosed for a long time and the doctor wasn't able to help. :( but one thing was key that many people already mentioned was Diet! So much of what we eat directly affect us and our symptoms indicating that our bodies are out of balance. I found the pH Miracle diet to help tremendously with this imbalance and pain. Literally bleeding sores. Ouch!! The more I follow an alkaline diet (no sugars especially) and tons of green leafy veggies, alkaline water, the better. This also helped with other problems I was having as well (Lyme), hot flashes, and cortisol imbalance to name a few. Thanks for your honesty in sharing this.

Sincerely,

Julia
 
nkhansen1 said:
Very good point that it might not be yeast. My dr did test for yeast, and I also had internal plaques that were yeast overgrowth. Definitely make sure that your dr takes the time to test that it actually is yeast!
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Natalie, you hear all.the.time about yeast but so little about any other thing that could be symptomatic...particularly if it's outside the realm of STDs.

My heart goes out to you about what you went through - that's why I posted because it really is SUCH misery to live with these troubles. Leave no stone un-turned, etc.

Also, I LOVE your story about your kids making you take the label off your probiotics. I have a house full of teenagers and I can just picture it now....
 
nkhansen1 said:
I can't remember the name because my kids make me take to label off the bottle so they don't have to see the words "for vaginal health" every time they open the fridge! Lol!
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Okay, I just cracked up! Very funny. My kids would do the same thing.
I just looked up my prescription history and it was FLUCONAZOLE. I had been taking Nature's Way Primadopholis until I ran out, but I'll see if my health-food store has what you described.

I was tested for yeast, which is why I was treated before. If I test positive for yeast again, I'll try to insist on a long enough treatment to get rid of this. But thank you, Suzanne, for bringing other possibilities to my attention.
 
Yeast infections for me have been awful itching mostly accompanied by some burning...but mostly just crazy itching, like it is going to drive me nuts....can you say, "GIVE ME A BOTTLEBRUSH"? I know this sounds weird...but I have gotten so desperate for relief that once I inserted an ice cube just to freeze things up, hoping to make it stop...now that is desperation....not to mention TMI!

My mom used to get them so bad...she would go to the doctor and he would give her instant relief by painting the inside of her vagina purple with gentian violet and it would soothe her immediately and she was eternally grateful. I have looked for gentian violet, but have not been able to find it. When my 23 and 21 year olds were infants, they got yeast infection diaper rashes and the doctor would have me treat it with gentian violet. Everything was purple, but it worked and got rid of it!

I have had to take successive fluconazole treatments and then also, at the same time use monistat vaginally. I just looked in my medicine cabinet in my bathroom, and right now I have 3 backup prescriptions of fluconazole.
 
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