# Thrush - WARNING: TMI!



## bigpurpleduck (Jan 23, 2011)

Another thread which perhaps the men may not want to read!

After Gail's thread on thrush, a horrible bout of the bloomin' thing started. I just want to rant & plead for some more suggestions!

I've taken the Canesten oral capsule *and* used the internal cream. I've been going to the loo frequently, rinsing with cold water & using the external cream. Nothing but cotton pants & baggy jeans when out. When at home I've been wearing dresses/skirts & no knickers. Drinking lots of water & eating probiotic natural yoghurt. And my BG has been brilliant all weekend - yesterday was between 4 & 6 all day, today so far the high has been 8.0. I'm not eating any white foods - only wholemeal bread, salad & fruit. No sugary foods.

At this point I would do *anything* to be rid of it. The itch is driving me up the wall. Feels as though it's on fire. I want to hack it off.

Any more suggestions & sympathy would be much appreciated. Feeling thoroughly sorry for myself!


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## Flutterby (Jan 23, 2011)

Well I can give sympathy, that's horrid for you.  Hate thrush.  You seem to be doing the right things and I can't think of anything else right now.  Hope someone else has some ideas which will help you.xx


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## shiv (Jan 23, 2011)

I used to get it a lot, and now Canestan doesn't work for me. When I get it I have to go and get prescribed a tablet called fluconazole and that does the job after a couple of days. Go to the dr ASAP and see if they can prescribe it (or an alternative!)

Thrush is horrible  I really feel for you! Lots of sympathy coming your way! xx


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## alisonz (Jan 23, 2011)

Touching wood I haven't had the T word in years, I do have lots of sympathy for you though xxx


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## Estellaa (Jan 23, 2011)

urgh i use to have it alot, tried all the treatments and they just didn't work but i've only just sorta realised i don't have it anymore ahah.
i kinda got use to it after a while and focused on keeping my levels normal for a week or so.


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## shiv (Jan 23, 2011)

Also meant to say - thrush can be passed onto your partner - he needs to be treated as well, else you'll get rid of it and just catch it off him again!


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## lanzlady (Jan 23, 2011)

*yoghurt*



bigpurpleduck said:


> Another thread which perhaps the men may not want to read!
> 
> After Gail's thread on thrush, a horrible bout of the bloomin' thing started. I just want to rant & plead for some more suggestions!
> 
> ...



Hya,
I have never had T but my daughter did when pregnant she was told not to eat the natural yoghurt but put it all over the bit which is on fire if you know what I mean this did help her a lot very cooling 

Lanzlady


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## rachelha (Jan 23, 2011)

Have you tried dunking a tampon in natural yoghurt and using that?


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## Pigeon (Jan 23, 2011)

I'd say go to the GP and get tested to make sure it is thrush and not something else like exzecma. Also when I had it for ages once they prescribed me a pessary to use every day for a fortnight, seemed to do the trick better than the one-off treatments.

You could also try washing with acqueous cream instead of soap - it's quite soothing on the itching. Hope you get some relief soon!


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## Sheilagh1958 (Jan 23, 2011)

Hi Emma 

I feel you pain. Thrush is awful I was prescribed fluconazole when I had which seemed to the trick. I think you can now buy it from a pharmacy direct.

Hope you get it sorted soon.


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## PhoebeC (Jan 23, 2011)

I got it loads in the first two years, and though out my pregancy, might have it again now, but cant tell with the healing and little pains going on there anywat.

A nice warm (not hot) bath with a few drops of lavender, its sometimes not reconmeneded for diabetics ( no idea why) but i have never found it an issue and id rather not have the thrush myself.

Dont use any soap of shower gels in that area just water.

Yogurt helps and big cotton knickers when you have to wear them. 
Hope it stops.

xxx


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## sianee (Jan 23, 2011)

aqueous cream is a good thing to use to wash with, you can use it as a moisturizer or as a soap in the bath or shower. worked wonders for me. if it doesnt clear up in a week or so go to your local gum clinic, i find them so much more helpful that my doctor or nurse x


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## chezpez (Jan 25, 2011)

I'm suffering with thrush at the moment had in on and off for about a year, but the last six weeks its permantely there taken the oral tablets every week.. hoping it will give me relief from it! ... my levels are good too and my nurse doesnt think its that!?
Anyway being looking at my diet and i used to eat Benecol yogarts everyday yrs ago and didnt get Thrush only once or twice a year, so going back on them.
Also i've been putting Canderel on my porridge so i was wondering if this is contributing as i never used it before when i only got thrush occasionally..
Lets hope these changes help??


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## Liz! (Jan 25, 2011)

i also became desperate. Once you've had it often, it can flourish throughout the body. you need to take BIG action. You need to get it out of your bowel too, and just probiotic yogurt is not enough. I got lactobacillus sporogenes bacteria from a health food shop and took it every day with meals to help clear it from my bowel, take their advice as to what else to try. Make sure it's the sporogenes as it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge, and you can take it with you when out.

You can get 6 week courses of canestan from the Dr - but then all your natural defences are gone, so the bacteria becomes even more important. 

I use a tea-tree oil suppository (availabe from Mistry's on the internet). Thrush cannot exist in Tea-trea oil and nowadays even if I get a hint (and I have long periods free) I use one and it's gone.

Wash down with water after every wee so any sugar in your urine is not there to feed it.

If I remember nything else I'll re-post. Hope it goes soon! Don't forget you can get a tube of canestan cream from the chemist (1% or 2%) and use that as a barrier even if it is not going. If you can stand it tea trea cream but it can be irritating.


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## chezpez (Jan 25, 2011)

Liz! said:


> i also became desperate. Once you've had it often, it can flourish throughout the body. you need to take BIG action. You need to get it out of your bowel too, and just probiotic yogurt is not enough. I got lactobacillus sporogenes bacteria from a health food shop and took it every day with meals to help clear it from my bowel, take their advice as to what else to try. Make sure it's the sporogenes as it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge, and you can take it with you when out.
> 
> You can get 6 week courses of canestan from the Dr - but then all your natural defences are gone, so the bacteria becomes even more important.
> 
> ...



Thanks so much i'm gonna buy some today, my doc seemed to be clueless about it, just gave me the tablets and said its one of those things coz of diabetes!! sort of left it up to me when to take them! .. gonna ask at health food shop - thanks again


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## AlisonM (Jan 25, 2011)

I've been getting this horrid thing frequently this last year or so, every time my numbers climb since diagnosis. I use live yoghurt and it really helps. Keeping the area as cool as possible is important so try to avoid hot baths/showers for a while as that will make the itching worse. Loose clothes in natural fibres, and can you get away without tights for a few days? If you have loose trousers you can wear, try leaving off the knickers as well (oo-err missus).


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## LauraH (Jan 25, 2011)

bigpurpleduck said:


> Another thread which perhaps the men may not want to read!
> 
> After Gail's thread on thrush, a horrible bout of the bloomin' thing started. I just want to rant & plead for some more suggestions!
> 
> ...



Hiya, I so feel for you, I know how infuriating it can be, and I know exactly what you mean when you say it's on fire, it gives you no peace!!

I have been in same situation as you since I was diagnosed T1 in 2008, and would end up crying in frustration & pain and of course it was almost impossible to explain to my OH (who was feeling very sorry for himself because every time he made any romantic advances was being physically assaulted by me  )  I always felt like going back to the GP was making a nuisance of myself, but I was so miserable I just had to!

The doctor listened to me and realised that standard thrush treatments weren't working, canesten, fluconazole etc etc and neither was yoghurt or cotton baggy clothes or boiling underwear etc.  So about a month ago she decided to treat me for a different condition that has exactly the symptoms of thrush but a different cause (can't remember details sorry).  However it worked!  And I've never been SO relieved.  She gave me an internal cream called Gyno-Daktarin.  It has not been a miracle cure unfortunately, but a huge improvement none the less.

Your GP can definately help with this, you just may have to be persistent.  And it always helps to have a female GP, because if she's had thrush the sympathy is there instantly 

I really really hope you find something that works, don't put up with it, it's so not worth it x


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## Liz! (Jan 25, 2011)

Maybe that's why tea-tree works as it kills ALL viruses, bacteria AND fungus?

Do you get the same stuff again if it comes back?

Edited to say, just looked it up and it contains miconazole, Canestan has clotrimazole... so sounds as if it works in a similar way, but this one also helps with any bacterial infection as well.


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## bigpurpleduck (Jan 25, 2011)

Many thanks to everyone for the suggestions & sympathy. My OH is great, but can't empathise on this one as much as you ladies!

On Saturday I took a Canesten oral pill, and used the internal cream. Sunday the symptoms peaked & I spent most of the day with a skirt on, no knickers & my knees up to my ears! Yesterday was slightly better but I think being at work & sitting on a computer chair all day made it worse. Took another oral pill at lunchtime. Today it's loads better, so I'm hoping I've zapped it with the second pill.



Liz! said:


> I got lactobacillus sporogenes bacteria from a health food shop and took it every day with meals to help clear it from my bowel, take their advice as to what else to try. Make sure it's the sporogenes as it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge, and you can take it with you when out.



This is interesting! I'll pop to my health food shop at the weekend & ask them about things I can take to prevent it returning. Past experience tells me that when I've had it once, I'm very likely to get it again in the next couple of months.


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## AlisonM (Jan 25, 2011)

Liz! said:


> Maybe that's why tea-tree works as it kills ALL viruses, bacteria AND fungus?
> 
> Do you get the same stuff again if it comes back?
> 
> Edited to say, just looked it up and it contains miconazole, Canestan has clotrimazole... so sounds as if it works in a similar way, but this one also helps with any bacterial infection as well.



I used to use tea tree oil in the bath when I still had the eczema. I still use a handwash that has tea tree and lavender in it.


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## Ellie Jones (Jan 25, 2011)

At one stage it used to be the bain of my life...

2 things would set it off, either a bout of high sugar levels or antibiotics!

But one thing that is often forgotten, if you've got a partner they need to be treated at the same time even if they don't show any symptoms, they can still carry it!

Also I now always ask for canastan if I'm have to take anitbiotics for anything, if doc won't prescribe it I will buy some as I know once the antibiotics kick in so will the thrush if I don't start treating it..


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