June's Blog Topic

[Paul_Howard]

Our Topic of the Month for June is coping with Oral Thrush. Oral Thrush is a type of yeast infection in the mouth which has a higher prevalence in people with a suppressed immune system. Since lupus patients tend to take immunosuppressants they are more prone to develop it. We want your tips on how you cope with Oral Thrush. Do you have a great way of preventing it? Do you know a good way to make it clear up quicker once you have it? Perhaps you’ve tried a product or a home remedy that you’d like to share? Please share your tips in the comment section below, or email [e-mail] Thank you.

[Ani-]

Clinical practice has taught me that probiotics can be helpful for oral thrush. I've had a search of the medical literature to see if I could find the studies to back this up. So far I have found this one based in elderly patients:

J Dent Res. 2007 Feb;86(2):125-30.

Probiotics reduce the prevalence of oral candida in the elderly--a randomized controlled trial.

Hatakka K, Ahola AJ, Yli-Knuuttila H, Richardson M, Poussa T, Meurman JH, Korpela R.

Abstract

Overgrowth of oral yeast is a common problem among the elderly. Probiotic bacteria are known to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microbes. We tested the hypothesis that cheese containing probiotic bacteria can reduce the prevalence of oral Candida. During this 16-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 276 elderly people consumed daily 50 g of either probiotic (n = 136) or control cheese (n = 140). The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of a high salivary yeast count (>or= 10(4) cfu/mL) analyzed by the Dentocult method. The prevalence decreased in the probiotic group from 30% to 21% (32% reduction), and increased in the control group from 28% to 34%. Probiotic intervention reduced the risk of high yeast counts by 75% (OR = 0.25, 95%CI 0.10-0.65, p = 0.004), and the risk of hyposalivation by 56% (OR = 0.44, 95%CI 0.19-1.01, p = 0.05). Thus, probiotic bacteria can be effective in controlling oral Candida and hyposalivation in the elderly.

Hope this is helpful

Ani x

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK in reply to Ani-]

Thank you for sharing that. It is very interesting.

[Looby]

I realise that Thrush is a fungus, rather than an infection - however, I regularly have sore throat and "dry mouth" syndrome. When this happens, I spray the throat with Ultra Chloraseptic (Benzocaine : active ingredient) and this helps.

I wonder if natural yoghurt would be a good idea too(?) It is known to help with other kinds of thrush. I'm lactose intolerant, so not able to consume yoghurt.

[chrisj]

I use a steroid inhaler every day, twice each day. When I started with it, I got thrush at the back of my throat and tongue, not painful but very uncomfortable. My gp prescribed suspension drops...I cant remember what they were called but they were very good and shifted it quickly.

Eventually on a visit to surgery, a locum gave me a volumatic. You attach the spray to that and the air goes sttraight into your lungs, bypassing mouth and throat, been using it for 2 years...had no thrush since.