Help 18 months of thrush / Vulvodynia. Will try a healer?

cuddlebutt

Hi there
I'm 31. Since my daughter was 6 weeks old I've had symptoms of thrush every month. Before during period or half way through my cycle. Sometimes its thrush with severe symptoms sometimes I don't think it is and swabs have come back negative leading me to think Vulvodynia. I had a traumatic 1st birth with my son 4 years ago. Forceps, episiotomy..
Before my daughter and after my son I'd get the odd bout of thrush so I'm thinking it all stems back to the 1st birth. I'm quite damaged still down there.
So its adding insult to injury. Very stressful. You can imagine.
I'm pretty much in the docs every month. The fluconazale prescribed 150mg single dose doesn't work sometimes and it seems whatever it is runs its course for two to three weeks. Then I'm fine for 2 weeks then back to pain and itchiness and red vulval skin. It's particularly more symptomatic on my left labia near the entrance in a particular fold of skin. I'm thinking nerve pain a differnt type of candida?
I've done alot of research but don't know mybnext step to getting better.
This is ruining my life.
I'm looking for women who have been here and tried an alternative treatment, but not a money racket either.
Thanks for anyone who's read.

Abba987

cuddlebutt wrote: »

Hi there
I'm 31. Since my daughter was 6 weeks old I've had symptoms of thrush every month. Before during period or half way through my cycle. Sometimes its thrush with severe symptoms sometimes I don't think it is and swabs have come back negative leading me to think Vulvodynia. I had a traumatic 1st birth with my son 4 years ago. Forceps, episiotomy..
Before my daughter and after my son I'd get the odd bout of thrush so I'm thinking it all stems back to the 1st birth. I'm quite damaged still down there.
So its adding insult to injury. Very stressful. You can imagine.
I'm pretty much in the docs every month. The fluconazale prescribed 150mg single dose doesn't work sometimes and it seems whatever it is runs its course for two to three weeks. Then I'm fine for 2 weeks then back to pain and itchiness and red vulval skin. It's particularly more symptomatic on my left labia near the entrance in a particular fold of skin. I'm thinking nerve pain a differnt type of candida?
I've done alot of research but don't know mybnext step to getting better.
This is ruining my life.
I'm looking for women who have been here and tried an alternative treatment, but not a money racket either.
Thanks for anyone who's read.

First off have you been to a gynaecologist or a gp? A good gynae is what you need. Privately if possible
I have been through this and it was so depressing i thought it would never on. I was put on a recurrent course of fluconazole. I cant remember the exact doses but i took it for weeks and weeks. It never came back. The leaflet actually recommends a recurrent course for persistent thrush but i still couldnt convince male gp
I feel your pain

Have u done the obvious ? Partner treated too so youre not getting it back off him? Avoid tight tight trousers. Reduce sugar - didnt help me.

If that doesnt clear it up then you need more extensive investigations from a gynaecologist. I would get a referral in and get on the waiting list as they can be long

Loveinapril

You should definitely ask your GP for a referral to a gynae. I had thrush for pretty much the whole of both my pregnancies and it was a NIGHTMARE. Reducing sugar did help me somewhat but the itch was chronic. And making my husband use the cream even though he had no symptoms was important too. I cannot imagine what you are going through. Don't bother with any sort of faith/ reiki/angel/ whatever healers, go to an actual medical professional until it is sorted.

tamara25

It sounds horrendous that you have these symptoms so long.. I would be prone to thrush myself. Tips, some mentioned already, minimise sugar as it 100% feeds fungal infections. Have you been on a lot of antibiotics? Sometimes there necessary but they kill off all your friendly bacteria in your gut. Bio kult or udos probiotics are too good brands to look into. I have used both herbal medicine & homeopathy to treat thrush & both were very successful. I hope things improve for you.

pwurple

+1 get referred to a gynae, especially as you mention other damage. You need to ask the GP to do this, rather than getting treated short term for immediate symptoms.


Alternative treatments work in cases where the condition eventually clears itself up. It's a distraction/placebo so you wait it out.

Just one other thing.. Vulvodynia is fairly meaningless as well, it just means unexplained pain in that area. If you've been given that as a diagnoses by anyone, do not accept it.

Faith

I have had chronic recurrent thrush for a number of years now. Standard medical practice is a 150mg dose of fluconazole (diflucan). If it comes back, then it’s 3 doses in one week, and if it comes back again, then it’s 150mg weekly for 6 months. If your GP doesn’t know this or hasn’t prescribed it, then they’re a pretty rubbish GP. (This is not medical advice, btw, this is knowledge gained by lived experience over years)

I’ve never found a particular cause for mine. I tried changing contraception, cutting out sugar, buying all new underwear, I never go near my vulva with anything other than water but no luck. I’ve been on 2 x 6 month courses of fluconazole and it just kept coming back.

However, I haven’t had it since the end of October now, and this is the longest I’ve gone for years without it, without weekly treatment. What changed for me was getting my IUD removed and starting to use condoms. My husband rarely had symptoms of thrush from catching it from me, but funnily enough, he had a flare up around Christmas and I didn’t. I think we must have been passing it back and forth without knowing it, particularly as men don’t usually have symptoms.

Trust me, I understand your pain and frustration better than most, but what I think you need is a new GP or gynaecologist, not alternative treatments. They’ll waste your money and leave you no better off. Go to a new GP or ask for a referral to a gynaecologist and get proper, sustained treatment. It sounds like the infection never went away in the first place, so just keeps recurring.

One other thing I found through research is that there’s a strong relationship between allergies such as hay fever, and thrush. I suffer badly from allergies anyway, so now I also try to take antihistamines on a more regular basis than I used to. However, don’t do anything like that without consulting with a medical professional first.

I’ve been to see GPS, gynaecologists, all sorts of specialists and they’ve swabbed me multiple times. It’s just normal candida in my case, no weird or wonderful variant, and I’ve been told that some women, like us, are just unlucky.

skallywag

Faith wrote: »

My husband rarely had symptoms of thrush from catching it from me, but funnily enough, he had a flare up around Christmas and I didn’t. I think we must have been passing it back and forth without knowing it, particularly as men don’t usually have symptoms.

I certainly get symptoms, I recall once running around an airport looking for a cream before I headed off on a long haul flight for a week, the insane itch started on the way to the airport!

Funnily enough the young girl behind the counter kept telling me what 'she' should do, etc., it never occurred to her that it was for me, and that I was heading asap to the nearest toilet :pac:

goldlocks10

Simple things to do.
White underwear during the day
No underwear at night
Good hygiene wipe front to back
Natural yogurt
Reduce sugar
Treat partner so both of ye on treatment together same time.

Hope that helps

pwurple

goldlocks10 wrote: »

White underwear during the day

what does the colour of your undies do? Thrush can see, Or you can see something on the fabric? This is intriguing.

goldlocks10 wrote: »

Natural yogurt

To eat or to schmear?

Faith

pwurple wrote: »

what does the colour of your undies do? Thrush can see, Or you can see something on the fabric? This is intriguing.

There’s a hypothesis that the dyes used in colouring underwear could cause thrush.

To eat or to schmear?

Both! Natural yoghurt contains acidophilus which is thought to help regulate yeast to some degree. Eaten, the idea is that it'll regulate from within, like taking a supplement. Then some suggest it can be used externally, like you would with canesten cream. It may not have any curative properties, but could be soothing. Not sure if it’s got any scientific support to it, but it’s commonly mentioned in relation to thrush.

pwurple

Faith wrote: »

Both! Natural yoghurt contains acidophilus which is thought to help regulate yeast to some degree. Eaten, the idea is that it'll regulate from within, like taking a supplement. Then some suggest it can be used externally, like you would with canesten cream. It may not have any curative properties, but could be soothing. Not sure if it’s got any scientific support to it, but it’s commonly mentioned in relation to thrush.

Hmm. Yoghurt, natural or otherwise, contains sugars, like lactose. I know from bread-making, that giving any yeast some sugar will feed it and let it grow. I would be very wary of that. It's cold alright, as it's from your fridge.. but it could plausibly make a yeast infection worse rather than better.

http://theconversation.com/mondays-medical-myth-yoghurt-cures-thrush-12500

snoopy29

Firstly stop taking the thrush treatments. I have vulvodynia for about 6 years now and have been seeing a specialist in Belfast. I've had two vulval biopsies which were extremely painful but needed in order to rule out something called lichen sclerosis. basically I've been discharged from the clinic just a few months ago as they cant help me any more but the things that I've changed and make life a bit more bearable include:

cotton bigger size knickers
no very tight jeans
absolutely no tights
bend over the bath when washing my hair so shampoo doesnt go on the skin
blowdry my bits rather than using a towel
buy "Cottons" sanitary wear rather than the perfumed Always
Sleep naked regularly
use lots and lots of lube for sex

All of these have been recommended by my consultant. It is a truly horrible condition ad it has affected every aspect of my life from sex with my husband to giving up exercise classes and jogging as sweating makes it worse. The consultant did say that all of her patients have back/nerve damage caused by back damage and all have been prescribed multiple and long doses of diflucan and both of these things make the vulvodynia worse.

PM if you want to ask any further questions.

cuddlebutt

snoopy29 wrote: »

Firstly stop taking the thrush treatments. I have vulvodynia for about 6 years now and have been seeing a specialist in Belfast. I've had two vulval biopsies which were extremely painful but needed in order to rule out something called lichen sclerosis. basically I've been discharged from the clinic just a few months ago as they cant help me any more but the things that I've changed and make life a bit more bearable include:

cotton bigger size knickers
no very tight jeans
absolutely no tights
bend over the bath when washing my hair so shampoo doesnt go on the skin
blowdry my bits rather than using a towel
buy "Cottons" sanitary wear rather than the perfumed Always
Sleep naked regularly
use lots and lots of lube for sex

All of these have been recommended by my consultant. It is a truly horrible condition ad it has affected every aspect of my life from sex with my husband to giving up exercise classes and jogging as sweating makes it worse. The consultant did say that all of her patients have back/nerve damage caused by back damage and all have been prescribed multiple and long doses of diflucan and both of these things make the vulvodynia worse.

PM if you want to ask any further questions.

Hi thanks for reply.
Id be interested to know do you have the pain and irritation all the time?
That sounds dreadful how are you managing?
Or is it monthly like myself.
Thanks so much for all the info. I had googled lichen sclerosis but don't know if thats what I have, it took you 6 years to get that diagnosis?
Last month both my husband snd myself were treated. 150mg of fluconazale each. This month like clockwork a couple of days before period starts my vagina is dry sore itchy. Mild symptoms this month. It does all go away after my period after either flucozale or a pessary sometimes both if it's a bad case.
I've been looking into cyclic vaginitis. Ive had bloods done to see if its hormone related. Waiting on results.
This month I made it very clear that I want value for money I've spent over €800 on GP visits gping in with the same problem over and over again.
I was clear for 3 cycles last aug sep and october then sysmptoms every month since. I was clear I think because both myself and husband were treated by 150mg which is interesting.
Then I wore spanx all day in October and got it. Then antibiotics in november and got quite a bad infection which didn't clear with flucozale alone i had to get a pessary 7 days after 150mg flucozale. In total it took 18 days to clear. Before during and after my mentrual cycle. Then got it for a week over the christmas period for 11days.
I moved to another practice end of last summer (when i was in the clear) i was putting that practice behind me because I wasn't being taken seriously and thats if I could get an appointment which wasn't a week away.
So this GP has prescribed 7 days of flucozale of 50mg for me and for my husband.
He's male. The new practice only has one female GP.

snoopy29

perhaps its different to me but yes I do have the pain and irritation all the time. I definitely dont have thrush though. Lichen sclerosis is basically where the skin attacks itself and causes scar tissue damage and at its worst can cause the vulval area to close over so im very thankful I dont have that. I guess you just learn to live with it really but yeah it is very upsetting. And no it didnt take 6 yrs to get the diagnosis, Ive just been attending the clinic for 6 yrs and Ive tried medication to help ease the nerve pain but I was off my face on the lowest dose and needed to go up much higher for any chance of the tablets working but I couldnt even drive on the lowest dose, I was so drugged up. At the moment im on a waiting list for some vulval and pelvic physiotherapy.

cuddlebutt

Hi ladies
I'm writing back here to anyone who may come across this post.
I have been clear of thrush for the last few months and it's great. All that has changed was my prescription all these different doctors at my GPs were not treating me correctly. What has worked so far fingers crossed is a 150mg of flucozale every 3 days for a 3 week and a maintenance dose once a week for 6 months. So far so good. I do not wear thongs, do not wash with perfumed soaps, change sanitary pads regulary. Sleep commando, also my partner is treated with one dose of 150mg if In treated. After alot of go visits and alot of money I'm thrush free the longest ive been in two years.
Hope if someone is struggling they can read this
Thanks to all for replies.

Redderthanever

https://www.multi-gyn.com/our-products/multi-gyn-floraplus/
Would really recommend this whole range. Natural and can use frequently with no side effects

JP Liz V1

Redderthanever wrote: »

https://www.multi-gyn.com/our-products/multi-gyn-floraplus/
Would really recommend this whole range. Natural and can use frequently with no side effects

Is it better than Canestan?