thrush

[Neska]

Hi.does anyone know any good home remedies for thrush?at least once a week i have to use pessary for thrush but it doesnt help.probably because i dont put it deep in my cervix.i use cotton pants,use feminine soap with ph 5.5,wipe front to back.what else can i do?any advice please?thank u x

[Skyblueboston]

Hiya, I'm on antibiotics so suffering the same, but this time around I have managed it better,

Taking Yakult daily good bacteria

Eating one pro biotic yoghurt per day

Only using canestan cream, not sure if you are supposed to use pessaries!

I would stop using feminine soap or wipes, these are still not good for you, plain water!

Don't use any bubble bath

Air yourself as much as possible, so don't wear underwear at night!

Look at your diet and see if when u eat a particular food the thrush is worse, if so cut that food out and see if there is an improvement.

I would also contact your gp or midwife, if after doing these things the thrush does not get better after a week or two, also double check if I should use pessaries.

Take care xx

[DrFluffy]

You shouldn't use pessaries for thrush if pregnant! I'm assuming you are pregnant as this is a pregnancy forum!

If this is a random question and you are not pregnant, nor trying to conceive, try a single dose tablet of Fluconazole or Itraconazole - you can buy these over the counter. If that fails, see your GP - persistent infections could be a sign if many things, including diabetes, could be an untreated STI or other things and should be investigated further.

[minime61]

There are lots of reasons for the symptoms that we assume is always thrush. Have you had a swab taken by the nurse/doctor to definitely diagnose thrush?

You may have something else. Good luck

[Blue321]

As above, also drink loads of water (2ltrs per day), change your washing powder for pants to a natural and non-biological one from the health-food store. Don't wear tight fitting clothes down there (easier in summer, I know). Eat foods that encourage healthy flora, ie loads of fruit and veggies. Put something cold down there for relief, like a cold flannel.

[Neska]

Hi all.thank you for all your replies.i'm 16weeks pregnant and i see consultant every few weeks as i had some complications since beginning.i've had swabs taken almost every week and it just showed thrush.gp and consultant said its safe to use pessaries but without applicator.i was bleeding on 3occasions weeks ago but thank God it stopped.i even had a smear test done but it cameback normal.i dont feel itchy its just inside when i wipe.i eat loads of fruit and veg,dont wear tight clothes,bought loads of cotton pants.i'll try with probiotic yoghurts as i've been eating just normal ones.hopefully that will help.thank you again for all your answers xx

[DrFluffy]

The problem with pessaries isn't the introducer (although that's the reason midwives will cite!), it's the drug uptake. This is a two fold problem:

1) The skin of your vaginal vault (the inside bit before your cervix), or mucosa, is more delicate than the skin on outside (it's more like the skin inside your mouth). It doesn't contain a substance called keritin, which your skin does and makes your skin 'water tight'. This vaginal vault mucosa is MUCH more sensitive to drugs, which are taken up much more readily into the circulation (compared to using say Canesten cream on the external vagina). Therefore for the same concentration of drug applied, more ends up in your body

2) When you apply creams to the skin or swallow tablets they undergo something called 'first pass metabolism' in that they pass through your liver circulation, or 'hepatic circulation' before hitting your main circulation, altering them and reducing their concentration in your blood in a predictable and calculated way. Drugs including vaginal and rectal suppositories (as well as sublingual - or under the tongue- medications) avoid this first pass metabolism, meaning they enter straight in to your systemic circulation in a totally uncontrolled manner

Together these factors equate to unpredictable blood drug concentrations, and no way of knowing how much drug is reaching your baby in utero (same for breast feeding).

However, if started by your obstetrican it should have been done in a controlled manner, based on a risk benefit analysis. That said, my own obstetrician (plus thoses I have worked for) have always said this route of drug administration should be avoided and oral antifungals are probably safer in a one off dose. I'm assumming your consultant has proven it is definitely candida (thrush) with swabs? If not I would ask to be swabbed for your own piece of mind. The microbiology lab that analyses the swab will also look at anti-fungal sensitivity. If you are using the same medication you can end up selecting out the yeasts with resistence to the drug you are taking (survival of the fittest - the yeast sensitive to say cotrimazole will die leaving those not affected by it), and giving you an infection that no longer responds and keeps coming back. Swabbing will also make sure it's not something called Bacterial Vaginosis, which can be mistaken for thrush. BV is not fungal, so will not get better with antifungal medications and requires a course of antibiotics to treat.

Hope you get things sorted out and feel more confortable soon!

xxx

[DrFluffy]

Sorry - I missed the swab bit (difficult to keep track on an iPhone!) - make sure your swabs have been sent for sensitivities...

[Neska]

Hi DrFluffy.they said its candida but you are right.i've had pessaries 6 or 7 times now and maybe they just wont respond any more.when i had thrush before i was pregnant pessaries never worked for me just one dose of antibiotics.when i mentioned that to

my dr he said i cant have nothing else than canesten pessaries.i'll try go dr again in few days but i just feel sick when i have to book an appointment cos the receptionist asked me last time whats this time?anyway thank you for quick reply xx

[Hidden]

Try the internal cream,i never get on with pessaries they don't dissolve properly but the internal cream comes in a long tube applicator,u could just slightly insert it and push the cream in and see if that works, sound like its ur hormones or maybe to much sugar or yeast, could try cutting down if so or if its ur hormones ur just have to keep treating urself, Hope it clears.x

[Hidden]

Oh and stop using soap, ask ur Dr for some aqueous cream or u can buy over the counter, to wash with x

[Hidden]

Hey Neska, so sorry you're suffering like this! I relate. During my first pregnancy I was driven bonkers with thrush but was told I couldn't take anything. Most probiotics etc were a no-go as I'm lactose intolerant. Things got worse after my daughter was born because the thrush ended up in her mouth and my nipples. If I weren't so insanely stubborn I would have ended up giving up with breast feeding. In the end, after 8 weeks (!!!) of trying everything suggest by doctors, forums etc, I cut refined sugar and yeast from my diet (ie candida food!) and took high quality, high strength probiotic capsules from the health food store. It totally knocked it on the head (in conjunction with all the other advice suggested above). I continued on that diet for a good few years into my daughters life, then slowly started eating sugar again...... and the recurring thrush is back with a vengeance. We're trying for our second, but had to put it on hold while I was prescribed to take flucanozole once every three days for 3 months!! I'm determined not to go through thrush hell again and am back on no refined sugar (or overly ripe fruit) and no yeast. It seemed impossible at first, but it was totally worth it to be able to breast feed my first and not suffer all the time. I found my energy levels increased and my overall wellbeing too once I'd knocked it on the head. Its like a bacterial war in your intestines and every bit of sugar and yeast is feeding the opposing forces!

There are loads of great recipes for amazing, delicious treats that don't have refined sugar - I looked into raw food for these (see rawtarian.com for example) and things like nakd and trek bars are always in my shopping basket.

Good luck!

xxx

[Comet1]

Someone else I think has already responded with this, but seriously, stop the feminie wash and don't have any oils or bubbles if you take baths. I've been quite sensitive to thrush off and on over the years and have found that one of my main triggers is soaps. They aren't good for you, and frankly, aren't necessary for down there! Hope you feel better soon!

[Megzey]

OMG Neska I feel your pain. At the end of my pregnancy with my 2nd I had thrush constantly, I never found anything else worked apart from the Pessary and cream. I was buying it but found out the midwife can pescribe it which made it alittle less annoying with the cost.