Thrush....?

Question

I keep getting thrush, wot is the best way to treat it? I've tried some cream from the chemist but it just comes back! Whats best, the tablet and cream combo or pessaries? Its driving me mad and hindering my sex life, would a trip to the dr be worthwhile?? Or any other suggestions? Many thanx!

Answer 1

Best get a GP check up including a high vaginal swab, this will help exclude anything else.
If it is thrush combi treatment may help, but your partner would need treatment as well, in case he is giving it back to you. Sometimes it may be recurrent and needs repeated treatments.

You could also try natural LIVE yogurt. At period times buy a tub of live yogurt and put it in the fridge. Make sure everyone knows its yours!

Twice a day dip a fresh tampon into it and then insert it as usual. Repeat during every period. This reintroduces lactobaccilli from the yogurt into the vagina, where they act to protect it from other infections including thrush.

Answer 2

I suffered from recurrent thrush for four years. I treated it with the Canestan oral capsule most of the time and sometimes with pessaries or the internal cream but rarely saw the doctor (too embarrassing). Nine months ago I started getting ongoing pain in the vulva even after I treated myself for thrush and started a long process of going to different doctors to find out why. After 5 doctors I have now been diagnosed with vulvodynia (chronic vulval pain). Although there is no established reason, it is something that is known to happen in women who get thrush over and over again.

I urge you to go to the doctor to get tested when you have thrush, and follow up your results each time, making sure you see the doctor again every time it happens. That way you can avoid this happening to you.

Thrush might seem like a minor (though painful!) inconvenience but it's nothing in comparison to being in pain every day. I have a treatment plan and I hope to one day be pain free but I wish I had known even back in the first year it was happening to me so I could have avoided this.

Good luck and please email me if you want to talk more about chronic thrush infections. There is dietary advice that you might find helpful (anti-candida diet).

Edit: I just wanted to add in the general accepted measures you should follow to prevent thrush:

* Eat live yoghurt and take acidophilus supplements
* Eat a diet low in sugar
* Do not douche
* Wear loose cotton underpants and clothes that aren’t too tight.
* Only wear tights with a cotton crotch (I cut the crotch out altogether so there's less pressure on that area)
* Do not leave tampons in place too long, do not use scented sanitary products.
* Wipe from front to back after going to the toilet (I know, obvious)
* Avoid antibiotics if possible
* Avoid using perfumed soaps, bubble baths or vaginal deodorants. Use natural chemical free, ph-neutral soap in the vulval area or wash there with water only.
* If all else fails, stop using hormonal contraception ie the pill. It was the last thing I did and the only thing that finally prevented the thrush from coming back every month.

Answer 3

I have a magic solution.
Go to Holland and Barratt and buy Acidophillus tablets. Make sure you keep them in the fridge or the bacteria in them will die. Take two capsules every day ( or instead, the chewable berry ones which are lovely too) and you will never get thrush again. You can also drink Actimel and you will have the same effect.
I suffered for years and tried rubbing yogurt on, I tried all those crap creams and expensive pills but it just kept coming back.
I haven't had thrush for years and I never thought I would be able to say that!!

Answer 4

You can use stuff like greek yoghurt to take the itch away, however there is nothing that will work like the over the counter stuff, you should go to the chemist and ask for "canesten duo".. it is pretty pricey, but it's really worth while

it's an oral capsule that you will take that will work from the inside out, and a cream that will work from the outside in (if that makes sense lol) the thrush is gone in no time at all

i also recommend to wash with warm (soap free) water before every application of the cream and change your underwear each time too...

also, when your suffering from thrush, if you can, try not to wear underwear to bed at night.. there is less chance of you sweating and the infection getting worse...

the GP would also (in my experience) prescribe you "canesten" so a trip to your dr would be entirely up to you... the meds would be cheaper on prescription but you'd probably have to do a test first to make sure that it is thrush your suffering from...

my advice is.. if you know you deffinatly have thrush... go straight to your chemist..

the capsule is "fluconazole"... i know you can buy these seperate in the chemist for about £5 ...it is exactly the same as the "canesten" capsule it's just cheaper (as your not paying for the name basically!)... it may be cheaper to buy the "flucanzole" capsule and "canesten cream" seperate.. will save you a couple of pounds... or even better if you already have cream in the house..

in my personal experience the cream and tablet combo is the way to go... it's always worked great for me :)

best of luck

j x

Answer 5

I totally agree with Keighty it could be a vicious cycle between you and your partner. If you had while having uprotected intercourse you are just passing it back and forth to each other. If you have been on antibiotics that could be the cause, if you are using condoms sometimes an alergic reaction to the latex may be causing, I have that problem. You should get on some medication prescribed by your doctor not over the counter because it could be Gardenella (I hope I spelled that correctly). I had that once which is a severe yeast infection. Your doctor will tell you to avoid douching, anything other then cotton undergarments. As well as watching your diet, eat yougart and if you could sleep without undergarments to let the area breath. Also, when washing, be sure to use water and water only. You can use a vineagar solution but not inserted in the vagina. Good luck and totally know how uncomfortable you are feeling. Yes, to truly answer you question, this does warrent a visit to the doctor as well as your partner. He will need to go on medication as well.

Answer 6

Eat LIVE yoghhurt and strange as it may sound - spread some down there as well - consider also - have you taken antibiotics recently as these can sometimes cause persistent thrush problem.

Answer 7

you can usually buy the oral tablets that get rif of it from all of your body, they seem to work for me. Also don't eat too much sweet stuff as since i've cut that out i seem to be a lot better, also wear cotton knickers and try to limit wearing tight clothing. Also ask your partner to treat it with canesten cream, that will help. x

just read the others live yoghurt will work on a tampon but if you keep getting it the oral tablet is the best thing to use.

Answer 8

i find that sitting in a bath with a few drop of tea tree oil and then using the thrush cream works. i toatlly agree that you and your partner could do with seeing your gp to check you are both clear rather than passing it between yourselves..

Answer 9

Maybe you keep getting it from your partner? It would be best to go see the doctor or talk to a pharmacist and him get treated at the same time. You can get a pill for blokes as well. You'll probably find it'll stop reappearing if you do that.

Answer 10

I'm not sure where you're talking about. I had a few patients that had thrush in their mouth. The doctor gave them a liquid medication to swish and spit once or twice a day. The patients never complained about it. Maybe you should see a doctor to get relief.