Three month yeast infection.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I posted awhile back about having a yeast infection. I took the flagyl treatment, I did apple vinegar douche, I inserted acidophilus, monistat, I ate yogurt... then I got my period. I know your period can get rid of it. I thought it was gone, because my itchiness was gone. I know that white discharge is normal if it isn't accompanied by an itch. Well, I used my cup and noticed a thick white discharge in my cup, and thought perhaps it was BV. I started noticing that it would itch once in awhile, but not too badly. It smelled at first, but now it doesn't.

Well, when I had sex with my partner yesterday, I noticed a white discharge on his penis, and there were white spots on the sheets. I thought it was BV, still.

Well, I took the pH test from vagisil and it indicated that I have a yeast infection still. This is three months, and it wont go away, and it was laying low for the past two months. I'm at the end of my rope with this.

I just bought garlic and inserted a clove with two slices in it, and did another vinegar and water douche. Tomorrow I'm going to insert a tampon with undiluted tea tree oil. Actually, I don't have any tampons on hand because I use a cup, but could I use a cotton ball with similar results? I have 3% hydrogen peroxide and I know some women swear by it.

What should I do?

Comments

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

Boric acid is the gold standard for YI treatment, IMO.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I haven't been able to find that stuff at Walmart, Hariss Teeter.... where else should I look?

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

You can order it on amazon. I've seen it at my local rite aid.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Man I was just at rite aid too..

[darlahood.livejournal.com]

Try an independent pharmacy. Old timey mom n pop type place. You can order it online too.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I'm going to try Rite Aid... if its there, how do I use it?

[darlahood.livejournal.com]

You have to buy some empty gel capsules (like the kind of pill you'd take an herbal supplement in) 100-200 size and fill them with the boric acid. Insert one every night for a week.

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

you can also mix it with a little water, and then use a big needle-less syringe to douche with it. (Just make sure the syringe doesn't create a seal with your vag...you want the water that flows in to EASILY be able to flow back out again so nothing gets forced through your cervix.) That's what I have always done, only because it was easier to get a syringe from the pharmacy (I told them it was for a craft project. :p ) than it was to get the capsules.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

How much boric acid should I use? I have douching materials, but couldn't find the capsules.

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I have a good answer to that. I use a HEAPING tablespoon in about 60 ml of water. But I just totally made that up, so there may be an amount that is better. I figured it can't matter much, since you'd put it in there straight in a capsule.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

I found this post (http://vaginapagina.livejournal.com/8166938.html) from the Vulvapedia page on yeast infections (http://wiki.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Yeast_Infection#OK.2C_I.E2.80.99ve_got_a_yeast_infection._How_do_I_treat_it.3F). Does it help?

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

It does, thanks!

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

Yup. I had a YI for MOOONTHS and it was horrible. I used BA douches for 2 weeks, then every other day for a week or two more. It worked. (I am so not a doctor, and don't necessarily endorse or not endorse this length of treatment. I just made it up and it worked for me.)

[darlahood.livejournal.com]

Please leave your vagina alone! Garlic plus douche plus undisputed tea tree sounds like a really bad idea!

Have you tried boric acid? It WORKS. And keep up with the probiotics. 10-20 billion cultures, taken orally.

Also, has your partner been treated? You could be passing it back and forth. (Some people say that's not possible, but in my experience, guys can carry candida and give it to you.)

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I haven't been able to find boric acid ANYWHERE. Also, I got the yeast infection from my NuvaRing, and I hadn't seen my partner in three months when I got it. We just saw each other again yesterday.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

You might be able to ask your pharmacist to order some. The one near my house doesn't usually have it in stock, but will order it pretty quickly.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I found the boric acid at Rite Aid.. I douched with it this morning, put some in last night and have garlic in right now to ride around until tonight. I'm going to continue this for a week.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Garlic plus acv douche for a few days makes my vagina happy and fixes my yeast infections. But the tea tree oil, even diluted, tends to have a scorched earth effect and cause more problems than it solves. Now I stick with a few drops of tea tree in lots of coconut oil for external treatment, not internal.

And yes yes yes yes yes to the probiotics! Lots of water, too, and stay away from booze and other yeast-encouraging foods.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Would you believe that acidophilus constipates me?

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Also, since I had sex with my partner on Sunday, I'm concerned about him. He might not get it because I'm told men with healthy immune systems are less likely to get it and he's healthy as an ox, but I know that they can carry it even if they don't have symptoms. The embarrassed part of me wants to ignore it unless something happens(I get it again after its gone at which point I can safely assume he's carrying it now), or nothing happens. The first option sucks because I'll have had it that long only to get rid of it and get it back again. The second option sucks because wow, how embarrassing to tell him that. Also, he doesn't have health insurance, so how could he be treated if he doesn't have outward symptoms, just to be on the safe side?

As a footnote, I've known this guy for several years and only in the past nine months have we engaged in a sexual relationship, so it isn't really a "this guy is new and omg gross" it's really just more "this is embarrassing" and I'm of the camp that I keep my female issues to myself regardless of the relationship of the guy I'm with. (I'm sure he wouldn't freak out or anything, I'd just rather keep it to myself..)

[teacupcake89.livejournal.com]

When I've had a yeast infection I just bought or told my boyfriend to buy some Canesten otc cream to put on himself for a week, The first time he felt slightly itchy and had a tiny bit of dry skin, the other time no symptoms but I wanted to make sure! (and he didn't want to give it to me or get it again!) In the UK at least you can buy the external cream from any chemists/supermarket so you don't need a prescription.

If he does have it and you get it again from him after treating yourself you'll be back in square one and have to treat him anyway!! If he doesn't have it, the cream won't do any harm! I would put your discomfort and health (and his) above any initial embarrassment, but I can understand why you might feel embarrassed. Remember it's really common!! :)

Coconut oil is a antifungal and was very soothing when I used it alongside other treatments! :)

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Do you know if Diflucan works for men? He doesn't have insurance and I know sometimes men can carry it and not show symptoms, so I wondered if I could give him my Diflucan pill while I use boric acid to be on the safe side.

[teacupcake89.livejournal.com]

If it's for treating yeast infections with then yes it'll be fine! My GP told me to get the pill and cream combi for my boyfriend which worked fine (it was more expensive to buy them separately here in the UK!) :)

Remember that many men (my boyfriend recently included...) don't have any symptoms. Not only for your own and his health and peace of mind I'd be thinking what if he sleeps with someone else and gives it to her unknown?? Equally how would you feel if he had a yeast infection, thought you might have it but didn't tell/treat you? :)

I also think it's the kind of thing that people just have to learn to deal with when in a relationship/sleeping together. there are more embarrassing things to have to talk about imo :)

[helpme11111.livejournal.com]

I've battled with the "should I tell him/should I not tell him to treat" Such a tough question! I think you have to go with how much you're going to worry about getting it again. If you have been battling this a long time and just want to be free of it, it's probably worth buying the monistat cream and just asking him to put a little on his junk. You can tell him you had an itchy problem and the doc gave it to you and told you to put a little on him.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Thats true.. just to be on the safe side.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I was given flagyl and its definitely a yeast infection.. I guess she gave me the wrong stuff.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I douched with it this morning, put some in over night with garlic, and put garlic in this morning when I was done... if by the end of the week it isn't gone, I'll call and ask for diflucan specifically, though I'll be kind of irate because I've spent a bit of money on EVERYTHING ELSE hoping it would work. I think it might be working to some degree, though, because the fluid that is coming out is clear, and not milky like it has been, even if I can still find a few little white fluffies up there still. I keep telling myself its only been a night. I'll report back in a week..

[elialshadowpine.livejournal.com]

Diflucan is the treatment for yeast infections; flagyl is for BV. I've had both. :)

[buttcrackderby.livejournal.com]

I agree with this comment; my body doesn't respond to most OTC stuff, but every time I've taken diflucan or flagyl for BY it's cleared right up! If you aren't able to see a doctor, I also agree with the boric acid comments, it's helped me to help stave off BV related discharge until I could get to a doctor. I live in Japan so boric acid is sold in a powder and you have to tell the counter you're using it for pink eye, heh. I mix it with warm water and then douche with it now about once every two months just as maintenance

I really like diflucan though since you just take one pill in most cases and then BAM in a few days the YI clears up. :D

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I can see a doctor, its just that they prescribe flagyl for me.

[buttcrackderby.livejournal.com]

Why would a doctor prescribe an antibiotic for a fungal infection? I recommend seeing a different doctor, or just specifically asking for diflucan, or just ask them why they would prescribe you.... an antibiotic for a YI?

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

I dont really know. I'm kind of pissed about it now that I know that flagyl is for BV.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

This scares me though because I've literally tried everything and spent a bit of money on it thinking that the doctor's stuff wont work. I've never had a yeast infection this bad, ever. The only other one I had, monistat cleared RIGHT up. By the end of the week if it isnt gone thanks to the boric acid and garlic routine, I'll call and ask for diflucan instead of flagyl.

[the-physicist.livejournal.com]

diflucan stuff works wonders for me. nothing else does, although i've not tried this boric acid thing. the diflucan stuff costs ~$20 though where i live unless i get it prescribed, which i can never be bothered to do. hope you can solve it with the boric acid, as it sounds cheaper.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

You can get it unprescribed? Where at? Walmart?

[the-physicist.livejournal.com]

i don't know what it's like in the US. i think the rules vary from country to country, but i was always under the impression that the US was more relaxed than many countries as to what can be bought over the counter. maybe someone American can help out here and might know details?

[helpme11111.livejournal.com]

You can't get diflucan over the counter, unfortunately :(. I've found it very easy to get one prescribed by calling my doc, and it's 15 dollars with the few different types of insurance I've had.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Do you know if Diflucan works for men? He doesn't have insurance and I know sometimes men can carry it and not show symptoms, so I wondered if I could give him my Diflucan pill while I use boric acid to be on the safe side.

[draba.livejournal.com]

Yes, Diflucan should work if he is carrying yeast. It is also used for treating systemic candida, which all people can get. It's a nasty drug, though, and can make people feel crappy. Could he rinse his parts with boric acid solution twice a day for a week or something? Or boric acid solution mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil? Or apply diluted cider vinegar with tea tree or lavender essential oil for a couple weeks? (the last one was very effective for me on a skin yeast infection I had, and I think YIs on male parts are usually sort of surficial, so that would probably work. . . but the treatment does take a few weeks to be completely effective.)

But if he's had the yeast infection for a long time (which is likely since you have had it for 3 months), maybe taking the Diflucan AND doing the topical stuff would be a good idea.

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Well, I've only slept with him once since I knew I had it. Long story short, I had the NuvaRing which is what gave me this yeast infection. At this time, my partner was moving so we did not see each other for a solid three months. During this time, I was struggling with the infection and thought it was gone with the period. Sunday was the first time we'd seen each other since his moving fiasco happened. It was then that I realized that I still had the infection - the discharge was apparent then, and I began to itch a little bit. So technically, he's only been exposed once.

I have the Diflucan now... I'm kind of leery of throwing random remedies at him when I feel bad enough that this has happened, when I could just give him this pill as a preventative with my apologies. I've known him for years and within the past nine months we've initiated a sexual relationship, so I just feel kind of bad about the whole thing.

My friend told me that systemic male yeast infections are really rare though and though men can carry it, its less common than if they get it, it beyond obvious on their parts, so unless he exhibits symptoms, not to really say anything about it, since its not very likely that he has anything if it doesnt appear on his parts. But I'd hate to think of him itching and waking up with it on him one day and going WTF.

[helpme11111.livejournal.com]

I agree with your friend. I think you're okay to not tell him. I totally understand the desire to throw the pill at him, too, but I think that's a worse option than spreading some cream on him.

[helpme11111.livejournal.com]

I don't know, I've gotten all sorts of conflicting info on that. But the cream is over the counter, and YOU should take the diflucan.


I also think you are fine to not treat him. I ha a YI and was really worried about the same thing, and I actually told him I wanted to treat him and then realized I was acting on my own sense of paranoia and never did. If he had it, his skin would likely be red and peeling.

[lurkch.livejournal.com]

Please be really careful with tea tree oil. It's very powerful. I've used it to treat skin infections but it can also burn the skin through prolonged contact. I'd be wary about using it undiluted on such sensitive skin.

[draba.livejournal.com]

Do try the boric acid capsule thing. I think that is much more effective than the douching, because the boric acid is more concentrated. One 00-size capsule filled with boric acid powder twice a day, or two at once, before bed. I have always used that method, and find that it usually works for me after 3 days, but with such a persistent infection, you will probably need to do it for a week (which is the period of time it's usually recommended for). Here is a link to a tutorial of how to make them, and further info: http://vaginapagina.livejournal.com/4554521.html

I find that tea tree oil works, but more slowly than boric acid. It is also fantastic for the itching and pain! I usually use a few drops of it straight on my lady parts and don't get any irritation.

Oh-- BTW, I've always loved your avatar picture-- what a beautiful dress that is!

[astroboletos.livejournal.com]

Thanks!