Yeastie Beastie suppository questions and more

[abalone99.livejournal.com]

Please excuse the rambling, incoherent post, VP-ers, I'm not used to yeast infections and this one's turning bad and I can actually feel it affecting my mental state. Ugh.

How long approximately do the 1-day vaginal suppositories take to dissolve approximately? I've been battling a nasty yeast infection which is very rare for me but I tried one dose of a 2% antifungal OTC cream solution last week after probiotic pills and lots of yogurt eating did nothing like it normally does when I feel one may be coming. I wish I could tell you how much I *$*@)(!*# hate sleeping in underwear, wearing pads/pantyliners, and feeling that crap drip out of me all night and the next day. So after that didn't work (tried it Thursday and it felt like it was getting better but yesterday it definitely came back) I decided that if I was going to have to have some nastiness up my vagooj that I'd take the super-megadose in hopes of killing it dead and I'm hoping the suppository is less messy. Just wondering how messy it gets though and when you start to notice it drip out of you? One hour? Two hours? 6 hours? 12 hours? I typically take the cream right before bed and notice that it drips a little out in the morning with my first urination but gets really bad mid-morning and early afternoon at work. I'm assuming the suppository basically turns to a cream at some point and becomes just as messy, there's just less? Desperately hoping that it'll be marginally more comfortable than the other kind and hoping it will obliterate the damn infection especially since I shelled out quite a bit for the one-dose version. Any anecdotes for what to expect with this version though? It's my first time and I'd love to know what I'm in for and figure out when to put it in so as to minimize gooshy vag falls (like Niagra Falls but creamier...) times at work tomorrow.


I originally tried 1/3 of a 3 day dose (the 2% cream I mentioned before) because a co-worker told me several years ago when I had a rare yeast infection that turned into HELL and she said rather than spend lots of money on a 1 day version, get a 3 or 7 day version since these are the same amount of medicine just more of them, so you're paying less for more. Well, I must've really been going bonkers on that last one because I definitely noticed today that while 3 and 7 day regimens seem to have the same amount of active ingrediants it is NOT the same as the one-day. Also wondering if anyone knows the big difference between the Miconazole and the other medications on the market? I went with the Miconzale one at 1200mg, but am curious if there's any data on increased efficacy of the other version (sorry, can't remember the name) or just a premium on a patented name? it was a good $5 more than the version I got.

I would definitely be tempted to try the garlic trick but I work at a job where I'm up close with a lot of clients in sales and I don't think I could be smelling of garlic if it's very intense. How long do you typically find you have to leave the garlic inside? And how bad is the smell? Typically when I have a really heavily garlic lunch or dinner I notice my breath definitely smells and sometimes my body too for at least a few hours. How severe is the smell for you? Breath would probably be ok and covered up relatively well with gum/mints, but don't think I could be reeking all over of garlic for a day or more. Which is too bad, because I adore garlic and personally wouldn't mind smelling of it for eternity.

Ok. I think that's all my questions. Seriously hoping to be done with this fast. Ugh.

Comments

[abalone99.livejournal.com]

So you could only smell it in your vulvar region? Or all over? For whatever reason I have the idea that it basically reeks out of every pore your skin contains. I have this horrible vision of leaning across the counter to explain something to a client and wavy Looney-Tunes-esque cartoon lines of garlic smell wafting from my arms. I could handle it being contained to my vulvar region and only mildly present in certain situations.

[nightmer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, generally garlic is left in overnight. The interesting thing about the garlic is that you can taste it when using it internally, so it may be hard for you to judge how much other people can smell it. My boyfriend only noticed the odor when his nose was near my crotch and not before, so I doubt other people were picking up on it.

Miconazole is the main YI drug marketed in US, though I believe there are a few others. Monistat is brand-name miconazole, and it's definitely sold for more money, so maybe that was what you saw? The various store brands and Monistat are usually identical in formulation so I doubt it's worth the extra money.

If the suppositories and creams are really bothering you, you could try asking a doctor for a Diflucan pill prescription.

[abalone99.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no I always look at the active ingrediants and this other version was something completely different. I tried finding it on the Monistat website (there wasn't a generic version at the store) but couldn't find the active ingredient.

I'm reluctant to go to the doctor and spend another $35 for a co-pay plus the cost of the prescription and my lost time at work (not salaried) when OTC offers some options for under $20 total, but I didn't know there was a pill option and I'll definitely keep that in mind in the future should my insurance change, I have a job where leaving for 4 hours won't be financially detrimental, and if my copays/prescription coverage go down. Ohhhh, yay, America. This totally makes more sense than universal healthcare, right??! Excuse my embittered ranting, I'm in a foul mood with my infection and the abdominal cramps. :( How long does the Difflucan normally take to work and how much does it normally cost? Is there a generic of it?

I just spent $45 in addition to the yeastie meds for a 3-month supply of birth control - dang, my vagina is a big spender tonight!

[nightmer.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I think all the ones I've seen are related to miconazole (any of the ones here look familiar? http://www.drugs.com/enc/vaginal-yeast-infection.html) so I just assumed they were similar. If you figure out what it was I hope you post it! I can't take any of the -azole drugs thanks to allergies. I've never taken Diflucan (which I'm fairly certain is also generic) so I don't know the cost but for some people it works better than Monistat.

Oh, I feel you on the cost of health care (argh!), I probably spent hundreds on YIs in the last year. If you're looking for more things to try the best cure for me has also been the cheapest - vinegar douches. Unfortunately everyone seems to have something different that works best for their particular body.

[patchworkorange]

I can attest to the "something completely different" comment by OP. Monistat does me well, but once in a fit of yeastie desperation, I bought Walgreen's store brand and OMG I could have died.

I looked at the ingredients between the two and while I can't remember what it was exactly, it was not miconazole. I think it started with a T. All I know is, my body definitely did NOT do well with whatever formulation that was.

[sweetchild92.livejournal.com]

cut the garlic in half, then wrap it in gauze. This cured a YI overnight for me. However...the past week I've had a pretty resistant infection. Used garlic for like 5(!) nights, probiotics, AND gentian violet twice, and I still have itchiness, so I'm going to my student health center tomorrow. *sigh* Not even sure it's yeast anymore :/

lol sorry for the rant...but leaving the garlic in (in my experience, it can burn a little but not too bad) for 12 hours should do the trick. I only could smell it if I had my legs pulled up while sitting in class. Kind cool but that's just me :p

[lunabelle.livejournal.com]

I find if the garlic is cut at all it will burn. I use a whole clove with no burning and recommend using floss or string tied around it for easy removal. I have an embarrassing story of the missing clove...so I'll be sure to tie something on to it next time;)

I have found the garlic works for a really bad YI if I use a clove for 3 nights. I am like you and have odors come through my pores. Garlic,onion, curry you name it - if I've eaten it you can smell it from me. BUT I have not noticed it when I'm inserting garlic for a YI. That being said, I don't work in a position like yours and may not have noticed it to the degree you might.

[eta-carinae-311.livejournal.com]

If you're unsure about garlic... have you considered boric acid suppositories? no smell, and they work like a snap! at least they have for me :)

[timesofsplendor.livejournal.com]

In my experience, I couldn't smell the clove of garlic at all and neither could my partner (it was a fun secret). I could taste it a tiny bit but nothing I felt I needed a mint for. I only needed one for one night, but I did use it as soon as I noticed the first signs of a YI.