Mystery Yeast?

Hi

I would highly recommend taking some probiotics daily to prevent any yeast problems rather than take medications. I started to eat plain yogurt everyday and never had anymore problems. Since I can't eat dairy right now with my daughter's allergy, I take a probiotic capsule everyday. I learned this after taking a medication prescribed once and it made my problems worse. That was more than 10 years ago and by replenishing the gut with good bacteria everyday I haven't had any problems.

I love grapefruit seed extract for yeast. GSE it is a nutrabiotic and it works great. I put 15 drops in 4 ounces of orange juice 3 times a day and in 3 days it is gone. ( no experiance with vaginal yeast infection- but it is very effective for systemic yeast)
also you could paint yourself with giantian violet
eat lots of probiotics-
eat lots of garlic-
no sugar
tonz of water- this is what has worked for me and good luck - yeast sucks.

Hi AnnW

I had a similar experience about 12 months ago. Ultimately, after all the same sort of treatments you have had I just went with the probiotic (the type that has to be refrigerated). A one month course seems to do the trick. It did take a while to resolve, but it went and did not return. At the time I had the added complication of chronic coughing caused by asthma which I have now got rid of. So at the time I was also taking inhaled steroids which seemed to thin the skin all over me (no more steroids = healthier skin and mucous membranes). The coughing was aggravating the prolapse, and constant minor urine leakage kept my knickers damp and the whole area quite 'humid'. So I stopped all cortisone drugs (SEE FOOTNOTE) and creams, including the anti-fungals, which can also irritate according to my pharmacist. The other things healing things I did pertained to hygiene.
Keep pubic hair a bit long so it forms a barrier between vulva and knickers, so no bowel microflora are reinfecting from knickers (cotton only).
Change knickers a couple of times a day so the area is as clean and dry (urine-free) as possible. Dried urine can be very concentrated and irritating.
Go without knickers if possible for as long as possible.
Dry knickers in the sun after laundering to destroy any organisms left on them after washing.
Ensure plenty of foreplay for proper lubrication with sex, and to ensure that you have an enjoyable experience as well ;-).
Use an oil-based lubricant *if* not using condoms, as oils seem to retain their lubricating properties for longer than water-based lubes, and you don't get so soggy. Any good food grade oil is fine if you don't feel like purchasing special lubricant.
Use an oil-based vitamin E cream as a barrier to further irritation (eg a baby nappy-rash cream) after sex and showering, so the area is protected and lubricated during the day as well. This is important if prolapses are causing friction in the vulval area with everyday activity. With proper posture, food and clothes, this will probably become a non-issue for you most of the time.

Gradually it all got better for me doing all these things, like over several weeks of being kind to my sex bits.

You do not mention whether or not the doctor did any swabs to identify the organism in question. I don't understand why they put us through all the guesswork and make us buy and use all these drugs that simply unbalance the system even more. It is all very unscientific if you ask me. It can take weeks, and they still do not know what bugs are there. Meanwhile we have to put up with the pain and discomfort that we asked them to fix weeks previously. You might have to ask the doctor specifically to do a swab and get it tested. (Sorry about that little vent!)

Microflora balance seems to be so complex. Killing off one lot of bugs simply gives another the advantage; it doesn't restore any balance. On the other hand there may be no harmful organisms that they can find. There are inflammatory conditions that do not have bugs associated with them. That's why I think the multi-pronged approach works best. It is really just about allowing the area to recover its own healthy state after some sort of upset (maybe the weights?). Just the thought of pumping iron upsets me!!

FOOTNOTE: Be aware that you take your life into your own hands when you stop asthma medication without your doctor's advice. I had a feeling that the medication was part of the problem, so I weaned off it over a period of a few weeks and learned Buteyko breathing which sent the asthma packing for good. (Google "buteyko asthma" if this is relevant to you). I figured I could go back on it at any time I felt a need to, in the same way that I can always go and have repair surgery if I feel that I need to. At this stage both look about as unlikely as the pig that just flew past my window.

Hope this info is some help to you, and that your body can heal itself with just a little cooperation from you.

Cheers

Louise

ps Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

when I was nursing my 2nd baby he developed thrush. This made my nipples pretty itchy- we tried to get rid of it for 3 months- he spent alot of time purple- anyway I started to get these deep shooting pains in my mammary glands that I felt under my armpits and deep into my chest. I was tired all the time. Once we finally got rid of the yeast infection I felt so much better - so I guess I just decided it was systemic. I never had a culture or anything- although the pediatrician did diagnose the thrush. My sister had some trouble with yeast ( showed up in her hair ) and GSE worked great and now she just puts a couple of drops in her shampoo bottle.
There was some suggestion to dry unders in the sun-
I rinsed everything I wore in vinager. Okay good luck-

my dd seems prone to yeast, she's been taking probiotics and a homeopathic remedy that I found in walmart (azo yeast) and has been yeast free for a year, except for when she went a week without her probiotics it came back but we were able to get rid of it after a couple of days of careful eating (no sugar, no bread, no cheese, lots of fiber and water and of course the probiotics).

I'm going to file the gse in juice tip incase it comes back. I learn so much here, thanks!

Grapefruit seed extract-

I'm reading all the comments about the possibility that you may have had an antibiotic resistant yeast, and I agree with all the comments about using pro-biotics. They do help.

However, if the problem continues after pro-biotic use (adding good bacteria to combat yeast bacteria)you may wish to consider something else. I have an allergy to parabens and glycols. K-Y Jelly, vaginal yeast creams (all of them), ALL vaginal estrogen creams, ALL vaginal lubricants, ALL vaginal moisturizers, ALL pessary jellies, ALL prescription anti-fungals, contain parabens and glycols. My allergy presents itself when I use these products vaginally. I get itchy in the vaginal area (vulvar-vestilar, perineal area...area between vagina and rectum). I want to scratch all the time and I feel raw as you described. I get little vaginal cysts..little bumps that are hard..like a clogged facial pore or sore facial pimple. The itching and bumps reaction occurs within a few hours of me using any of the products you described. I also get a urethritis from parabens and glycols. My urethra (tube that empties bladder) gets irritated, feels raw, and I want to pee all the time. I also cannot use any soaps in vaginal area as they too contain substances my vulvar-vestibular area cannot cope with. My skin in the vulvar-vestibular region is very senstive. Stay away from soaps in this area...just use water and rinse. Do not use re-cycled toilet paper as it has chemicals in it which may irritate you. If you are really bad wipe with a damp face cloth as damp wiping is less irritating. Stay away from baby wipes as they have chemicals in them, namely parabens and glycols and scents that irritate skin. Do not douch..never should. Do not use any kind of fragrance or soaps in this sensitive are. Don't even let hair shampoo in shower get down there. Soaking in 100% colloidal oatmeal (Aveeno...make sure it is the 100% colloidal oatmeal as there are 2 types of Aveeno soaks, one of which has chemicals, the other doesn't). I get a little tub, put warm water in it, not hot, 1/4 package of Aveeno, and soak when I'm really irritated. You can even use real oatmeal if you wish, haven't tried but may be less irritating if you're really, really, sensitive. Make sure bucket you soak in is really clean. You don't want to get bladder infections.

I spoke with an M.D. allergist, one in England and one in Canada, trying to discern what exactly was happening. The British M.D. told me about the problems that Europe is having with parabens and glycol allergies. I was tested for a variety of allergies and tested positive for propylene glycol, and the seven other types of glycols on the market. I also tested positive for parabens. The allergist (a real M.D...not a quack) told me that PARABEN AND GLYCOL ALLERGIES ARE AN EMERGING HEALTH CRISIS IN EUROPE. SOME NORTH AMERICAN DIABETICS CAN NO LONGER USE THEIR NORTH AMERICAN INSULIN DUE TO PARABENS IN THEM. THESE ALLERGIC DIABETICS MUST NOW IMPORT PARABEN FREE INSULIN FROM EUROPE AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. (remember that propylene glycol is only one of the glycols...there are other glycols in products but propylene glycol is the most common).

Allergies are usually caused by over-exposure to a substance. I feel that in my 20's I used vaginal yeast creams a great deal as I always had yeast infections. I feel over-use of vaginal yeast creams created my allergy to glycols and parabens (which are both preservatives). Now, I cannot use facial skin creams, deodorants, hemorhhoid creams, skin moisturizers, or shampoos with these ingredients.

Like you, this paraben and glycol allergy also gives me vaginal cysts, that look like tiny infected little bumps that are hard, and sore, when one presses them. My family doctor says that these are almost like blocked pores one gets on one's face. It is particularly the vaginal lubricants, Premarin vaginal estrogen cream, that give me these cysts and the REPLENS vaginal moisturizers. You may also be interested in knowing that parabens and glycols are in nasal sprays, nasal steroids, contact lens solutions etc. So, read what you buy.

If your yeast/thrush-like symptoms continue, I would bet 10-1 that you have a glycol and/or parben allergy developed from over-use of yeast creams. You need to inform your doctors about this as they too need to become aware of this emerging health crisis.

If you need more, email back and ask about title of Vulvadynia book. You likely should read this one if you have continuing problems.

Katharine

thanks for all that information Katharine

I would love the title of the vulvadynia book

hi

i'm fighting a yeast infection today. I had chronic infection's year's ago (and was put on repeat prescript. pessaries and diflucand which ironically an acupuncturist has associated with causing my 'cele by weakening all the tissue of that area)

anyway i found out at the time i was allergic to the pill and that's why nothing worked.

Now i can get rid of regular issue candida in a few day's - i douce with herbs and take grapefruit seed plus golderseal - a really astringent herb plus two drop's of oregano oil in juice

I added a new addition today a friend told me about - a garlic clove where the sun don't shine - just take the papery top off and change 'em every three hours.

some pple say scrape the surface - other say that is irritatin, so i've gone no scraping.

good luck

xx
Anne-Helen (somehow ann kane /!)

the pill = birth control pills?

I thought, with the estrogen/progesterone pills, you didn't ovulate?

but anyway, the pill does mess with your hormones, and pg women are more suceptible to yeast infections so maybe it is related.

don't know anything about allergies though

3 yeast infections in 3 months would frustrate me too. I hope you get rid of it soon - for good!

it sounds really awful, Ann.
I think if I were desperate enough, I'd try a month or two without the pill and see what happens. But I also know I was *very reluctant to go off the pill, even though I was getting migraines. took a breast lump to convince me and guess what...no more migraines. so you never know.

Hi

I'm the pill-repeat infection person. I was told by a herbalist at the time that it's more commmon than people think.

Plus a pill i had tried a year prior to that one, made me feel a little nut's, extremely stressed, upset, sorta permanent pmt. I only stayed on it a few months and luckily my b.f figured out that connection. Disappeared when i changed to a low does pill. Which then brought on the infections for all those years!

This reaction again is something i've subsequently heard a lot since.

By the way i was so reluctant to give up the pill, in a "screw you" infection's - you won't mess iwth my sex life.. But you know there's other birth control than chemical nuke-ing of our body and for a longperiod three was something adolesantly hot about fooling around (safely) with no contraceptive! (hope that's not too much information)

Plus natually having no repeat infection in like, three years was a boost to any sex life.

Someone asked about the wash i too. I found these great mix of herbs in quebec called "vaginitis" but i've run out and the company no longer makes it.

a very kind lady on from the company said she would send me the recipy for the herbs and i can buy them looose and make 'em up myself (from any good herbalist).

SO just a mater of mixing x amount of say lavender leaves. Not at all complilcated, then you just put in boiling water, let it stew for a while, strain and wash with it when it's not too hot.

My system is not to douche, those bags etc.. are too comlicated for me. I fill a large cup or bowl, make a cup shape below my vagina with my hand pour some in and do that suck up motion with you're stomach that causes a quick vaginal suction.It suckes the fluid up and it comes back down again.

I can do this then in the shower. Hope i've explained it correctly.

But when i get the recipy i'll pass it on. P'au darco is also meant to be *the herb for vaginal candida but i've heard in hight doses it's not good.

Things are very puffed up for me down there. To the extent that my bladder feels as if it's significanlty more fallen...When usually it just feels like my urethra, I'm hoping it's just the end of this infection and my up-coming period....
Sorta pissed off and worried. Just wanted to vent. I'm usually the first to say "it will pass" =)

xx

happy xmas Christine and all there!

Hi, I wanted to pass on information that some of you may be able to use. When you have a yeast infection, be it intestinal or vaginal, it is usually systemic, meaning it is throughout the body, including the alimentary canal - from the mouth to the anus. A furry tongue is usually the first signal you will actually see that tells you the flora in your intestinal tract is not right. You already know that yeast feeds on sugar. The chemicals in our food changes the flora in our gut as much as antibiotics do. Hence, the need to change the diet totally. If a person has had chemo, they are hit with a massive dose of chemicals that immediately destroys the peristalic action of the intestines causing "bowel paralysis" and they either have diarrhea or constipation. If they have constipation, the feces stays in the intestines, is reabsorbed into the body and sent back through the bloodstream, liver, kidneys and back to the intestines to be eliminated which won't happen because of the paralysis. Food that is treated, processed, flavored or manufactured in any form with chemicals is not good for the body. There is a bioaccumulation of chemicals stored in the body which cause disease or dis-ease; example - no digestive enzymes. Chemicals destroy the digestive enzymes and all the good bacteria in the gut. Basically, you might say we've all had a dose of chemo given to us in increments over the years until the body screams enough! Then we eat yogurt, take acidophilus, antibiotics and antifungals which really only add to the problem. Most probiotics and antifulgals are fast tracked from fecal matter so it is important to use certified organic probiotics.

If you are eating bread, wheat in any form, yeast products, dairy products, vinegar, mushrooms, anything with yeast extracts in them, you are feeding your yeast! Mushrooms, yeast in breads and the mold growing in your yard are all of the same fungus family. And if the food is processed with chemicals, you are getting a double whammy.

All of us have committed to taking care of our prolapses ourselves and have taken the first step in that commitment by being here on this site, and following the guidelines Christine has set. The commitment to food is the next step. We have living bodies that need living food and the change to better habits is really not that hard. Many growers are using human feces as fertilizer and claim it is safe if composted correctly. Well, no thanks, I prefer organically grown food.

I encourage each of you to commit yourself to setting aside at least two weeks (preferably longer) to feeding your body organically grown fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains and taking a certified organic probiotic. It will take longer to turn the body around, after all, it has taken years for the imbalance to show up. There is no quick fix, just a determination and commitment to be healither. (Ok, it's christmas and we are all going to eat stuff we shouldn't, so commit to doing it after christmas.)

A note on parabens: Parabens have been found in breast cancer tissue. Glycol is antifreeze. Many forms of parabens and glycol are in food and skin care products and are comedogenic not to mention carcinogenic. Some parabens on labels are listed as "organic". That's true - it is organic matter - crude oil! It is being "green washed" to make people think it is safe. Read labels.

60% of the food in the grocery store has been genetically modified (the jury is still out on what that will do to our bodies) and is full of chemicals. Read labels. If the ingredients list of a product has the words enriched, hydrogenated this or that, monosodium glutamate or any other word you can't pronounce, don't eat it.

Sorry this is so long, but I believe we all must educate ourselves and continue to take more responsibility for our health and the health of our children. I have been blessed by the posts so many of you have written and wish all of you a healthier, happier new year.

To your health,
Grandma Joy

I was extremely reluctant to go off the pill, it was so easy and worked so well for us and I liked the predictability.

once I did go off the hormones though, I realized how much better I felt all around, and that I could learn to predict my cycles and ovulation based on signs my body was giving me (no such signs for me on the pill). I really do feel alot more like 'me' without artificial hormones coursing through my blood.

Hi,
I just finished reading a short blurb in the December 26th issue of Womans' World and there is a section about yeast infections. It says that a person can transmit the yeast to their husband during love making-without realizing it-and he harbors it without symptoms and then gives it right back to you. It says if you are getting one yeast infection after another, ask your husband to get checked out for yeast.
The article is on page 16.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Flora

for the run down on the intricacies of diet, chemicals, and yeast

wasn't me : )

And good for you, Ann, taking the first steps towards gluten and sugar free food. It will take time to clear up our bodies, and to make food changes, but if we remain steadfast with determination and continue to go forward, we can't help but get better. I had forgotten about husbands and wives passing the yeast infection back and forth, but it's true.

We have always assumed anything on the grocery store shelf had to be ok, else the government wouldn't allow it to be there. Alas, 'tis not true, but we can make decisions and changes one step at a time or one product at a time to make a difference. Back in the '50's, I remember Daddy fussing about notices in the newspaper about a cereal company taking a poll on adding a "filler" to the ingredient list, stating that the risk was only one in a million or one in 500,000 of a rat getting pancreatic cancer or liver cancer. They got enough letters, that they didn't do it then. Now, they don't ask. We have so many fillers in food that is either a chemical or genetically modified organism, that there truly is no nutritional value in the food.

Since you asked a question about soy possibly being part of your problem, I would recommend you do some research on the soy you consume. The consensus is about 50-50 for and against. I'm in the 50% against simply because breast cancer patients who have a hormone related cancer are told not to consume soy again as it elevates estrogen levels and my Natureopath advised against it. Each person must make their own decision on that score.

I look forward to hearing how you are doing.

Grandma Joy

Hi Ann

My repeat constant infection's about a decade ago were on and off for two year's and it became monthly infections. There were often diagnosed as thrush candida yet the only thing that relieved the burning at the time was bicarbonate of soda (the antithises of vinager) and this pointed to in not being candida apparantly.

Anyway. In the past 10 year's i've had vaginal infeciton's about four times - and allway's after doing something stupid like using a shop bought lubricant.

Usually three day's grapefruit seed/ my herbal wash and i'm back to normal.

Anyhoo. Yesterday i recieved the herbal recipy and went to the herb shop in toronto to stock up. After i paid i told the shop lady, a herbalist, what it was for.

She said she had stumbled across the cure for vaginal infeciton's that works instantly. She said she was at home and had nothing in the house except for St. John's worth oil (NB. she stressed this - it is the bringht red stuff/ organic / and macerated in olive oil). She mentioned that she knew it had x ingrediant which is bacterialicde fungicide etc etc. and thought why not.

Within moment's the burning went and a day later infection gone.

I went home and had a bag of my herbs and that oil in my cupboard so in the name of science i checked out the oil.

Ten minutes later burning gone. FUnny feeling for two hours, woke up this morning. Gone.

Sort of shocked. I googled it and it's not noted for this vaginal use, thought is seen as an ok lubricant..

anyway feel free to try this or the herb's (the recipe for them is below,)

VAGINITIS RECIPE

Chamomile - flower 250g
Chickweed - leaf 225g
Black walnut - leaf 125g
Burdock root 125g
Calendula - flower 125g
Marshmallow root 125g
Red Raspberry - leaf 125g
Uva-ursi - leaf 75g
Lavander - flower 25g
Yellowdock root 25g

Gives 1.225 kg

You may divide or multiply the recipe...

=
I bought half the amount's listed there and it came to about 45 canadian dollars.

Best Wishes

Anne

Sorry forgot to add *how to make up the herbs and *what to do with the oil. Sorry

Herb's - to prepare an infusion pour a litre of boiling water over a handfull of herbs, infuse for 20mins and then strain.

Can then be used in a sitzbath, douche or my suck-it-up-princess =) method

The oil - i just put about a teaspoon into my palm swished my big finder around in it and put it up where the sun don't shine. Highly technical that explanation ha ha

Gotta go pack for my holiday's

Best wishes everyone

Anne-helen

I've been getting that for weeks!! I don't have the greatest sense of smell either. I have no idea what's causing it, though I figure that I'm either not getting enough or too much of a certain vitamin. If you figure out what causes that please email me at [email protected]. I can't find a reason for it anywhere.

Thanks for all that useful info Ann. I will save it somewhere else for reference. I have had persistent vaginitis and yeast elsewhere in my body and have been successful in getting rid of it. Periodically it has resurfaced but I now know what to do.

I thing most of us go through times when we are under a lot of stress for one reason or another, and pay less attention to diet etc. It is just part of the ups and downs of life.

I am pretty sure that you will not have to keep up this very complicated regime for ever. Have faith that your body will eventually reestablish its own balance again.

Cheers

Louise

hi

just wondering how you're getting on with that infection? hoping you've had some relief.

Oh and *that smell is expalinable from a chinese medicine smell as being under the catagory of sweet which is a smell associated with "dampness" in the body, often caused by the digestive system not functioning at 100%. Typically 'cos of eating the wrong foods that produce damp.

From a tcm dietary perspective these are not just sweet's, it also includes - raw cold foods/salads, nut's(very oily),fried food inc. veg. stir fry as well as just simply sweet's (too much sweet fruit too as this is cold and hard for the winter body to break down.

Anyway that's the Tcm perspective on sweet smell's emanating from the body so far as i know.

xx
Anne-helen

Hi-- I've been battling systemic yeast for over a year now and one thing that has helped tremendously is a product called Candex-- it has enzymes which dissolve the yeast at its roots. There is no die-off reaction; I couldn't function using herbs b/c of the fatigue and flu-feeling and candida manages to become resistent to most things anyway. I would get it at Vitamin Shoppe, it's much cheaper there.

I have come a loooong way since I started treating it from the standpoint of strengthening the immune system-- look for glyconutrients. These are essential for a properly functioning immune system and the modern diet yields only one or two. I also take the superfood Limu www.juicedup.originallimu.com which has glyconutrients and the most powerful immune-stimulant nutrient fucoidan (670+ studies on NIH's website pubmed.gov. Also beta glucans really strengthen the immune system. I can now eat fruit and other things that I couldn't before. I think the immune system is overlooked when treating any imbalance, if you give it the right raw materials it is truly a miracle what it can do. I really hope this information helps,

Christi