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Reoccuring Yeast infection
I have had a reoccuring yeast infection but then I changed my pill and they stopped. But Now I had one again but I think it is almost gone but I got burned rather badly on my arm...could that have been the cause? And when do I know if its okay to have sex again without the pain? And finally...does anybody know any tricks to keeping yeast infections away that dont involve yogurt?
I can't take these infections anymore. I just searched and found this site. I immediately tried the vinegar bath and have just come back to my laptop. Feeling refreshed. Please God let this work. I so thank you all for all your posts. I didn't read all of them - couldn't get to the bath to try the vinegar soak fast enough - but thanks anyway. Can't wait to post another comment saying how wonderfully this worked - fingers (not legs, ha ha) crossed!
Wow this is really sad that soooo many of us are suffering and not in silence.
I have had Bacterial Vaginosis and yeast infection problems for the past 6 years and this forum is helpful.
I have tried the pro-biotics and they kind of helped but the problem with those is the way they are transported because they only work if they are kept in a fridge. If it isn't in a fridge than all those wonderful pro-biotics die. My Dr. has said and many pharmicists agree that it isn't the best method. I have tried pretty much everything but I haven't been tested for Diabetes so maybe I will try that. I will also be trying the vinegar bath, as much as that will stink. I have also been told to do a vinegar douche and just so you know I wouldn't do one unless a Doctor says so because they can also screw up your PH balance.
For everyone that is suffering I cannot stress enough that you should always go to a doctor first before anything else as it could be something completely different. Also get referred to a Gynecologist that is their specialization and they should help.
I think if this doesn't stop soon I may have to go to med school and try and figure out wtf is going on with all of us lovely ladies.
Good luck to you all and I wish you the best health.
I have had Bacterial Vaginosis and yeast infection problems for the past 6 years and this forum is helpful.
I have tried the pro-biotics and they kind of helped but the problem with those is the way they are transported because they only work if they are kept in a fridge. If it isn't in a fridge than all those wonderful pro-biotics die. My Dr. has said and many pharmicists agree that it isn't the best method. I have tried pretty much everything but I haven't been tested for Diabetes so maybe I will try that. I will also be trying the vinegar bath, as much as that will stink. I have also been told to do a vinegar douche and just so you know I wouldn't do one unless a Doctor says so because they can also screw up your PH balance.
For everyone that is suffering I cannot stress enough that you should always go to a doctor first before anything else as it could be something completely different. Also get referred to a Gynecologist that is their specialization and they should help.
I think if this doesn't stop soon I may have to go to med school and try and figure out wtf is going on with all of us lovely ladies.
Good luck to you all and I wish you the best health.
*The part about not seeing it on here before was specifically about the probiotic/prebiotic info--I was actually going to post only on that, with one little note about the man, and then I got totally carried away. Sorry, sorry. lol, laughing at myself.
PART 2 And yes, the usual: keep dry, keep clean: wear cotton undergarments (or you could, you know, air out a bit) and non-restricting clothes (rip off those hose as soon as you don't need them on any more, or switch to the sexier thigh-high). Change out your femme products often enough. Don't sit around in moisture--change out of sweaty undergarments and wet swimsuits asap; a nice, warm bath may be contributing to your problem. Go take care of business as soon an you can when you feel the urge to pee, and always wipe front-to-back. Again, go teetee before and after sex. (Urine, unless you have a UTI, is sterile in the body and has some mild enzymic powers that discourage microbes. It will flush out your urinary tract and kind of rinse the exterior of your other parts, which you then wipe off; plus it gives your body a chance to purge out of the vagina some of what has accumulated there. Don't let urine sit around, though. Sure it cleans you out a bit, but once out of the body, the sterility is not maintained as it becomes a breeding ground for other things over time. Women who have little leaks--you know when you sneezed you felt something else happen--or have to hold it too long, thus making them more likely to leak a little, need to change out the affected liner, panty, whatever.)
About the yogurt and garlic applied in non-food ways, um. I don't know about that... The yogurt of choice may not even have any live, active cultures (and those are best for your guts, anyway), but I bet it has sugar. Do you think it is sound to feed a yeast sugar? Or even a bacterium for that matter (sugars in the milk((lactose))/yogurt helps feed the bacteria there, thus making the yogurt, as I understand it). And garlic inserted in the vagina? Garlic is great food-wise, having lots of virtues in a raw, crushed state, but garlic is also irritating to flesh. Adding an irritant there opens you up to stuff, you know? Hmm. Doesn't sound good, but that is just an opinion. I haven't ever heard of it before, so I have no data, empirical or experential... All I can add is that there would never be any garlic applied inside My vaginal orifice. Good grief.
Monostat. I don't recommend because of those I heard have used it, they seem to have the same problem again. Perhaps it cannot fix the underlying issue. I would go w/ rx-strength meds instead of this over-the-counter quick-fix. Or perhaps in combo with a perscription of recommended. Doesn't seem to do the trick by itself, but maybe that is becuase so many who use it are self-diagnosing and mistake their issue for what it treats, so it cannot even help their real problem and so of course it seems ineffective. See your medical professional first to make sure you know what you are up against specifically.
Vinegar is a skin-irritant undiluted. If you want to try it, make sure you dilute it enough not to hurt yourself. Do not douche. Vinegar does have some repsectable anti-yuck properties, so I highly recommend it in cleaning surfaces, washing machines, etc. And it seems that many people find relief with sinus issues, runny noses with a dilution of it, but it is not likely to be an adequate treatment for a yeast infection. Perhaps as an addendum. Grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil also have antimicrobial properties. I know tea tree oil is highly recommended for other fungal-based afflictions, like dandruff, and can be used to treat mildew on non-people surfaces, like a wall. Be careful, though, about using stuff like this inside such a sensitive part of your body; particularly one that isn't flushed through regularly by food and drink. Just because something can work for the digestive tract, doesn't make it a good idea for the vaginal canal.
Well, now this is a book I've written--wow. And I was just going to share the probiotic info I have. Well, if you've made it this far in reading, I really hope you found it helpful. And you are well on your way to finding solutions that will work for you, because you obviously have diligence and will pursue the matter.
PS: stress definitely contributes! Anything that knocks your system out of homestasis will potentially contribute to a health issue such as this kind of infection, including diet and stress. Good luck finding a way to cure that one...
About the yogurt and garlic applied in non-food ways, um. I don't know about that... The yogurt of choice may not even have any live, active cultures (and those are best for your guts, anyway), but I bet it has sugar. Do you think it is sound to feed a yeast sugar? Or even a bacterium for that matter (sugars in the milk((lactose))/yogurt helps feed the bacteria there, thus making the yogurt, as I understand it). And garlic inserted in the vagina? Garlic is great food-wise, having lots of virtues in a raw, crushed state, but garlic is also irritating to flesh. Adding an irritant there opens you up to stuff, you know? Hmm. Doesn't sound good, but that is just an opinion. I haven't ever heard of it before, so I have no data, empirical or experential... All I can add is that there would never be any garlic applied inside My vaginal orifice. Good grief.
Monostat. I don't recommend because of those I heard have used it, they seem to have the same problem again. Perhaps it cannot fix the underlying issue. I would go w/ rx-strength meds instead of this over-the-counter quick-fix. Or perhaps in combo with a perscription of recommended. Doesn't seem to do the trick by itself, but maybe that is becuase so many who use it are self-diagnosing and mistake their issue for what it treats, so it cannot even help their real problem and so of course it seems ineffective. See your medical professional first to make sure you know what you are up against specifically.
Vinegar is a skin-irritant undiluted. If you want to try it, make sure you dilute it enough not to hurt yourself. Do not douche. Vinegar does have some repsectable anti-yuck properties, so I highly recommend it in cleaning surfaces, washing machines, etc. And it seems that many people find relief with sinus issues, runny noses with a dilution of it, but it is not likely to be an adequate treatment for a yeast infection. Perhaps as an addendum. Grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil also have antimicrobial properties. I know tea tree oil is highly recommended for other fungal-based afflictions, like dandruff, and can be used to treat mildew on non-people surfaces, like a wall. Be careful, though, about using stuff like this inside such a sensitive part of your body; particularly one that isn't flushed through regularly by food and drink. Just because something can work for the digestive tract, doesn't make it a good idea for the vaginal canal.
Well, now this is a book I've written--wow. And I was just going to share the probiotic info I have. Well, if you've made it this far in reading, I really hope you found it helpful. And you are well on your way to finding solutions that will work for you, because you obviously have diligence and will pursue the matter.
PS: stress definitely contributes! Anything that knocks your system out of homestasis will potentially contribute to a health issue such as this kind of infection, including diet and stress. Good luck finding a way to cure that one...
PART 1 Since I don't see that anyone else has mentioned it on here, I will.
If you are sexually active with recurring infection, check your man. He can also get infections. If he has burning @ urination, itching, etc, he needs to see a medical professional. If you have it, then he may as well, and you don't want to keep passing it back and forth.
Next, be clean with sex. Your doctor/nurse/community health clinic has probably already advised you: ladies, go pee before and AFTER sex, being careful to always wipe from front to back (you want to drag anything from your bottom away from your body, not toward your precious parts). Make sure your (gentle)man understands how important it is to keep himself clean for you, too. You know, if he wants sex, he can respect his girl and learn to wash up first. If he is uncircumsized (and he should keep it clean regardless), he needs to know how to properly clean himself under that skinfold.
Some persons who do not already practice these habits may have to make an adjustment, I know, but do your best! :) (Note that this does not preclude spontaneous love-making, but a little planning can help... If you know that you're going to be spending one-on-one time together, be prepared...)
If you read the advisories on the treatment products you may/may not use, you will probably see that it tells you to wait until cleared up to resume sexual intercourse. It may be a bummer, but then so is burning during the act and non-stop itching.
Also, the point of acidophilus pills and yogurt are to try to return your intestinal flora to its natural state: blooming with *healthy* microbe life that helps process the foods you eat, resist infections, and create wonderful nutrients like vitamin B. Our bodies naturally do this, or did--but our modern diet has gotten so far from what it should be. We are unbalanced by the overdose of overly-processed foods, excess salts, sugars and carbohydrates that are not so complex as they should be; the end result that our wonderful flora can't thrive, and so weird stuff happens--imbalances--such as predisposition toward yeast infections. But the problem with trying to fix it by popping a pill (whose quality may be questionable, but, hey if it seems to be working for you, go for it!) and downing yogurt comes that it's often too little. That yogurt you are eating may not even contain live, active cultures that will survive to add anything helpful to your gut, and may in fact have high sugar content. That pill may not, either, for that matter. So what can you do?
1. Make sure you are consuming yogurt that has live, active cultures. If it does, it will probably advertise it. How good is the pill? See if you can find actualy research on it, and not just by the company who stands to make $$$ on it.
2. Eat more of other kinds of probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods. Nobody seems to have mentioned on here that produce also has awesome probiotic qualities that nourish your enteric flora. But it does. A salad can go a long way toward the restoration of intestinal balance. (Just wash it first, of course, because the E. coli you may ingest otherwise isn't going to do a thing to help you ;) THAT's not the kind of flora you want, lol)
Next, all those comments about not using soap there and leaving off anything that's not attached--they are so right! You can mess with your body's pH and natural flora with the soaps and lotions and perfumy things if you want, but you really don't want all the irritants in those products anywhere near your delicate regions. The chemicals in the product irritate your delicate skin, compromising your natural barrier, and opening you up to possible infection; then some microbe comes along, maybe even your normally nice ones that live with you, and go nuts (those opportunistic buggers!)... Next thing you know, you've got a problem.
If you think you've got an issue, you definitely want a medical professional to do a culture & sensitivity, microscopic eval, whatever, to ascertain just what is afflicting you. If you think it is just mild irritation, you can make changes, such as to a detergent w/ fewer, gentler chemicals to launder your panties; laying off the products applied to that region; switching out your pads more regularly, etc.
So if you've got discharge, that's nice, me too. If you itch, and maybe if you burn, you've got an issue. Typically if there is a strongly unpleasant odor, you have a bacterial infection; just lots of itch and copious discharge, probably a yeast. If you lack other symptoms than burning at intercourse, you may not have an infection at all. Could be as simple as your body needs to adapt to a new partners size, or maybe he is accidentally irritating your urinary meatus when attempting to come in (have him aim down a bit more). But whatever the case, I recommend avoiding self diagnosis. Let someone who spends days and days of their lives checking out this sort of stuff evaluate your issue.
If your doctor determines you have a bacterial or yeast infection, please complete the course of any antibiotic or antifungal you begin taking--DO NOT STOP TAKING THE MEDICATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOSE! Follow through with it to avoid more serious issues. (It goes like this: when you begin taking the drug, at first it's only affecting the weak germs as the drug builds up in your bloodstream to an effective level, then by the end of the treatment it's knocking out the stronger bugs. If you stop before it is finished, you've successfully wiped out all the weak ones and left the strong, more resistant ones to multiply. Don't do it! While it may seem like there are loads of anti-baddie agents out there to choose from, there's really not. And if you've just created a resistant army of nasties inside yourself... Anyway, just don't. Unless it would be worse for you to continue the drug, ie you're allergic, finish the course you begin. Okay, I'm getting down off of the soapbox now. Pardon me. Didn't mean to preach so much, lol)
If you are sexually active with recurring infection, check your man. He can also get infections. If he has burning @ urination, itching, etc, he needs to see a medical professional. If you have it, then he may as well, and you don't want to keep passing it back and forth.
Next, be clean with sex. Your doctor/nurse/community health clinic has probably already advised you: ladies, go pee before and AFTER sex, being careful to always wipe from front to back (you want to drag anything from your bottom away from your body, not toward your precious parts). Make sure your (gentle)man understands how important it is to keep himself clean for you, too. You know, if he wants sex, he can respect his girl and learn to wash up first. If he is uncircumsized (and he should keep it clean regardless), he needs to know how to properly clean himself under that skinfold.
Some persons who do not already practice these habits may have to make an adjustment, I know, but do your best! :) (Note that this does not preclude spontaneous love-making, but a little planning can help... If you know that you're going to be spending one-on-one time together, be prepared...)
If you read the advisories on the treatment products you may/may not use, you will probably see that it tells you to wait until cleared up to resume sexual intercourse. It may be a bummer, but then so is burning during the act and non-stop itching.
Also, the point of acidophilus pills and yogurt are to try to return your intestinal flora to its natural state: blooming with *healthy* microbe life that helps process the foods you eat, resist infections, and create wonderful nutrients like vitamin B. Our bodies naturally do this, or did--but our modern diet has gotten so far from what it should be. We are unbalanced by the overdose of overly-processed foods, excess salts, sugars and carbohydrates that are not so complex as they should be; the end result that our wonderful flora can't thrive, and so weird stuff happens--imbalances--such as predisposition toward yeast infections. But the problem with trying to fix it by popping a pill (whose quality may be questionable, but, hey if it seems to be working for you, go for it!) and downing yogurt comes that it's often too little. That yogurt you are eating may not even contain live, active cultures that will survive to add anything helpful to your gut, and may in fact have high sugar content. That pill may not, either, for that matter. So what can you do?
1. Make sure you are consuming yogurt that has live, active cultures. If it does, it will probably advertise it. How good is the pill? See if you can find actualy research on it, and not just by the company who stands to make $$$ on it.
2. Eat more of other kinds of probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods. Nobody seems to have mentioned on here that produce also has awesome probiotic qualities that nourish your enteric flora. But it does. A salad can go a long way toward the restoration of intestinal balance. (Just wash it first, of course, because the E. coli you may ingest otherwise isn't going to do a thing to help you ;) THAT's not the kind of flora you want, lol)
Next, all those comments about not using soap there and leaving off anything that's not attached--they are so right! You can mess with your body's pH and natural flora with the soaps and lotions and perfumy things if you want, but you really don't want all the irritants in those products anywhere near your delicate regions. The chemicals in the product irritate your delicate skin, compromising your natural barrier, and opening you up to possible infection; then some microbe comes along, maybe even your normally nice ones that live with you, and go nuts (those opportunistic buggers!)... Next thing you know, you've got a problem.
If you think you've got an issue, you definitely want a medical professional to do a culture & sensitivity, microscopic eval, whatever, to ascertain just what is afflicting you. If you think it is just mild irritation, you can make changes, such as to a detergent w/ fewer, gentler chemicals to launder your panties; laying off the products applied to that region; switching out your pads more regularly, etc.
So if you've got discharge, that's nice, me too. If you itch, and maybe if you burn, you've got an issue. Typically if there is a strongly unpleasant odor, you have a bacterial infection; just lots of itch and copious discharge, probably a yeast. If you lack other symptoms than burning at intercourse, you may not have an infection at all. Could be as simple as your body needs to adapt to a new partners size, or maybe he is accidentally irritating your urinary meatus when attempting to come in (have him aim down a bit more). But whatever the case, I recommend avoiding self diagnosis. Let someone who spends days and days of their lives checking out this sort of stuff evaluate your issue.
If your doctor determines you have a bacterial or yeast infection, please complete the course of any antibiotic or antifungal you begin taking--DO NOT STOP TAKING THE MEDICATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOSE! Follow through with it to avoid more serious issues. (It goes like this: when you begin taking the drug, at first it's only affecting the weak germs as the drug builds up in your bloodstream to an effective level, then by the end of the treatment it's knocking out the stronger bugs. If you stop before it is finished, you've successfully wiped out all the weak ones and left the strong, more resistant ones to multiply. Don't do it! While it may seem like there are loads of anti-baddie agents out there to choose from, there's really not. And if you've just created a resistant army of nasties inside yourself... Anyway, just don't. Unless it would be worse for you to continue the drug, ie you're allergic, finish the course you begin. Okay, I'm getting down off of the soapbox now. Pardon me. Didn't mean to preach so much, lol)
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