Relief from Yeast Infection

Can't offer much on short-term relief, but if it doesn't clear up after this treatment, go back to the doctor. I had ongoing yeast infection-like symptoms on and off for many years, and it wasn't until I made some dietary changes to deal with a separate pelvic pain issue that they cleared up. Good luck!

Even once your infection is cleared up you can continue carrying too much candida in you that it will flare up easily or give you rashes. Go to the health food store and see what they have to treat the cause other than the symptoms (which is what OTC and Doctors do). You need to look at both. I'd google natural therapies for candida.
Also, Diet is big. LOts of water. Cut back totally on processed sugar and decrease even natural sugars like honey and fruit. At least until you are over the worse. Also try to switch to yeast free breads. Also take acidophilus. The probiotics in yogurt, unless it's homemade, don't have alot of it. Also garlic oil pills and oil of oregano are great.
Good luck. It's a terrible feeling. Look into it more if you want to prevent it from happening again.

Hi T.,

I would recommend taking Primadophilus Bifidus which is an over the counter supplement (the brand I have is Nature's Way). It is usually found in the cold section of vitamin stores and some grocery stores (I get mine at Nob Hill in Mountain View). It contains Lactobacilli which is what is found in yogurt - although this has more of it (you'd have to eat a lot of yogurt to get the same dosage). Here is an excerpt about Lactobacilli: Lactobacillus is a 'friendly' bacteria and necessary for a properly functioning body. Lactobacillus aids the body in metabolizing foods, absorbing nutrients, and preventing the colonization of pathogenic bacteria. The bacteria also help provide the body with growth factors.

Hope this helps and good luck!
A.

Hi T.
apart from cleaning up your diet and removing, sugars, white flour, fermented foods , for QUICK relief, I use Capryl, they are tablets and can be found in the health food store, I take one and drink LOTS of water. The capryl kills off the yeast and you will find relief within a day, however, DO drink lots of water because while the carpyl is killing off the yeast , it needs to make its way out of your system, so help it do so with tons of water. I have used capryl for a long time and it works every time. Additionally, not sure where you live, but the SAGE on Valencia Street in S. F. carries natural suppositories called "yeast relief" it's main ingredient is boric acid, these too wk, I have used them at night with a panty liner... but try the Capryl first.
good luck

if you dont have heart problems or problems with water retention, dill pickle juice or dill pickles are a good cure. the vinegar in them kills off the yeast. i had a friend who couldnt get rid of a yeast infection, no meds helped, but she started drinking pickle juice and eating pickles several times a day and it went away. she now eats or drinks pickles once a day and has never had a problem with yeast again. i think she may have also douched with a light vinegar/water solution to ease the itching at the beginning of starting her pickle regiment. good luck. i also agree with the person who said your husband and you may be passing it back and forth. if he's willing, have him eat pickles too!!

Yeast Loves sugar. Refined flour is a simple carbohydrate, and simple carbohydrates digest quickly turning into sugar- so guess what you just ate? Yup- more fuel for your infection. The remedy: Cut all refined flour and sugar from your diet. Check your yogurt- does it have ANY sugar at all? Starch? It needs to be ZERO. It should have ACTIVE cultures. Alcohol is a no-no, it's made from sugar. Cows milk is a no-no, it's got Lactose in it- more sugar. Most soy milk and almond milk has added rice syrup (refined down to the sugar).

Then the question becomes- what to eat? Brown Rice, quinoa, barley all of these will cook up just fine in a rice cooker, or you can find great recipes online. Sweet potatoes are awesome- they also regulate blood sugar. Quinoa is high in protien so both brown rice and quinoa make a great breakfast. Miso soup has pro-biotic properties like yogurt, and these will get your "good" bacteria blooming.

Watch out for products that are "whole grain", and "whole wheat"- often there's something "whole" in there somewhere, but only after you take out all the regular flour, high fructose corn syrup, and all the "oses" (if the chemical name ends in "ose" it's a sugar).

After you have been symptom free for two weeks you can start adding refined carbs back in SLOWLY, save wheat for last- there may be a food allergy going on.

Sadly, this takes some time- about 28 days to work. For a while, I had yeast infections so bad I couldn't even eat a raisin! If I slip up and start drinking soda, have too much halloween candy, a little stress, and wham- right back again.

Here's an article that is helpful (cut & paste into your browser): http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/284071/why_highs...

Try using live culture yogurt directly on the area. The cultures eat the yeast. It sounds weird but it works great! You can even freeze the yogurt in the fingers of a glove and then use it internally.

Hello T.,
I know it sounds weird but use yogurt as a cream. A little girl I use to watch had yeast infections all the time. Someone told me to give her yogurt. When eating it didn't work fast enough, I applied it directly to the rash. I was AMAZED how fast it worked. I guess that's one of those "home remedies" Good luck. A. Z.

My friend actually applies the yogurt on the affected area. Just don't put it up inside. She swears by it. She also take garlic pills and says it help also. But call your doctor and see if they can prescribe a topical medicine. Wouldn't hurt to ask, right?

Remember, warm baths, NO soap, no panties as much as possible especially at night!!

Good Luck

someone i know took huge amounts of vitamin c-i think 5000mg,this cleared up her infection and colds-however large doses are not good for your kidneys-it's a lot to process.you could try it as a temporary measure,but do a little research,and it's always better if you can get the vitamins from natural sources-like paprika or an onion or something.for itching i use vodka-which no one will recommend,and hurts like hell,but it's always helped me.it messes up you skin ph.try another doctor and herbal remedies.good luck,a

You might want to take a look at your laundry detergant. It could be causing the yeast infection to be prolonged (along with the itching). I also found that I had to eliminate wheat and yeast products from my diet to get rid of the infections. I also agree about the cotton panties. You have to wear cotton or else it tends to both prolong the infections and often causes them.

Maybe it is a bacerial infection. I was once treating what my dr. origionally thought was a yeast infection and symptoms would not go away. It turned out to be a bacterial infection that got out of control due to the over the counter stuff I was using. Did your gyno test for bacteria/yeast in her office? Or is she going on the symptoms that you are describing? If it is a bacterial infection you will need antiboitics.
Good luck!
B.

As other women have suggested. . . slather the entire area up with yogurt and let it sit for awhile. It really works and is one of the oldest natural cures. Just make sure you get the plain yogurt and not strawberry or another sweetened variety. :)

Hi T.
Sorry to hear of your discomfort
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T.,

Does your "super sporty" husband have any signs of yeast infection or otherwise? Maybe you two are giving back and forth? He should be checked out right away.

Blessings......

Hi, You have received a lot of info.. but here is my thoughts... I work with this alot!

Yeast infections.. candida .. is a living organism and lives in the digestive and genital area.. usually when the pH of the body is out of balance. When the body becomes too acidic.. pH lowers and is breeding ground... Candida is a sugar feeder and all processed foods/ white flour/ sugar, preservatives feed. Candida can emit over 85 toxins into the body. It is very important to address it at the foundation level of the body, not just the symptoms which come and go. Candida can cause a lot of challenges long term. Many people with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, memory challenges, weight issues, chronic pain/ joint pain, hormonal imbalance have yeast/ candida. I would recommend the following:

1. get off all white four/sugar products.. eat whole natural foods that are healthy. Stay away from prepared foods/ preservatiaves.

2.PB8 -- which are a probiotic are very important as it re establishes balance in the intestinal tract.

3.Organic Keifer Yogurt is an awsome choice for probiotics.. both during and preventative. If any time, antibiotics are given, it should always be accompanied with probiotic intake and they should not be taken at same time.
Antibiotics taken 2 hours apart from probiotics.

4.Many people eat "yogurt" , but much of the yogurt is "junk" because it is sugar laden. It is important to eat organic yogurt with all the cultures.

5. Balancing the pH of the body is important.. you can get pH strips from the drug / natural food store. PH should be taken first thing in the morning before anything else.

6. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day and add lemon to the water.. helps balance pH.

7. Yeast/candida are caused by imbalance and imbalance is caused by toxic body burden overload.

I would encourage you to watch: www.sharethecause.com/live.

If I can be of any more help.. feel free to contact me.

L. Medina
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A remedy for the itching, it to run around when possible (at home) without any underwear on. Try sleeping at night with out any undies on and see if over time that will make you more comfortable.

Remember that yeast is a fungus and thrives on heat and moisture. Airing out your genitals is a healthy thing to do, when you are suffering from yeast infection.

I have had these infections in the past. Also, strongly recommend that you wear only cotton underwear, that allows the genitals to breathe.

When you bathe, don't use real hot water as that will aggravate the itching and discomfort.

Also, have your husband checked, because the yeast infection can be passed back and forth, between you and your spouse.

Two other items that will make a yeast infection worse, are prescription medicines and birth control pills. Both are known to cause yeast infections.

Did you notice that monistat makes birth control pills and yeast infection medicine? Must be nice for them, to have a build-in customer base and returning customers.

I finally was taken off of birth control pills, because as long as I kept taking those, I never would get rid of the yeast infection. It was just a vicious cycle of pop a birth control pill daily, and weekly I've been buying yeast infection cream.

Wishing you much relief from this common female problem.

Hi T.,

I am a wellness consultant and understand what you are going through.

I recommend you get your good bacteria balanced with acidolphilus or lactoferrin. I work with the largest wellness company and found their lactoferrin to be the best.
There are lots of supplements out there but the requirements for these supplements are they have to have 17% of what is on the label. That is how they keep the cost down.

If you are interested in more information email me and I can share with you.

Have a great week end.

N. Marie

Two doses of diflucan for yeast might not be enought...Here's a better protocol: http://www.kellymom.com/newman/20fluconazole.html.

Also, garlic suppositories work great. take a garlic clove, make a cut on it with a knife, tie a piece of the floss around the clove through the cut. Insert like you would a tampon before bed. By morning you should feel better. It's uncomfy at first, and the ordor of garlic is overpowering but it really works. Topical application of Virgin Coconut Oil helps too, but you have to be consistent with it. And of course diet is very, very important..nothing with yeast and no sugars.

G'luck,
-J.

Hi, I had a real bad one for a long time and thought it was something else given the fact that my doctor prescribed something for it and I assumed that had cured it, well to make a story short, for many months I had to bear with the itching. One day I decided to buy the Ovule yeast treatment from Monistat and the AZO yeast pills and ta-da! it was gone! I also saw they have some douches which help with that too. I hope that helps. One more thing, don't let your husband touch you in that area with dirty hands.

RepHresh Vaginal Gel (available at Rite-Aid) helps.
S.

Hi T.,

I too had a yeast infection for over 6 months. Nothing seemed to help. Finally the doctor did a culture and found yes it was a yeast infection, she prescribed the rx version of monistat for 14 days, finally FINALLY it went away. Go to your doctor and ask for the rx yeast cream and see if that helps. Also, this may sound weird, but every day when you get out of the shower, put your hairdryer as warm as you can tolerate and dry your area - completely, this also seems to help. Good Luck! I feel your pain.

Hello T.,
I went to Wal-Mart for over the counter prescription.
I never trusted anything but Gynoletrimin which is good. I bought a generic brand from the store, it itches at first, in less than a week my infection went away. Its very messy, but the infection is gone. I think some materials we wear can cause it, for me it was polyester. We need to let our parts breathe sometimes. Good luck with that.

Hi T.,

I have had yeast problems for a LONG time. I now use Culturelle as well. I take two every morning and more with meals if I eat extra sugars or starches. I really have to watch my diet. I would definitely up your Culturelle intake and cut out all sugars and "white" foods (anything made with white flour or rice) until you clear up. My six-year-old daughter was prescribed one Culturelle every morning when she was on antibiotics, so you can definitely take more. You have to balance out your system, so you need enough to counter the yeast infection you now have.

I know it is hard but getting as much air to the area as possible helps. Also, you may need a prescription cream (such as Terazol) if the Monistat does not work. Cortisone medications can help with the itching (Lotrisone has both Lotrimin, an antifungal, and a cortisone cream--your doctor can prescribe it). I've gone through this before and it is horrible.
L., an internist.

Hi T.,

Were you diagnosed by your dr. with a culture? It sounds like it may be something other than Candida. You might want to see your Gyno (in fact I would strongly recommend it). If it is indeed yeast I would suggest some dietary modifications as well as whatever you're taking. Candida loves a sugary, starchy diet. If you cut out all sweets and white flour completely it should help immensely. Good luck.

I would take a stronger probiotic, something from the refrigerator at a health food store with lots of turnover, like Whole Foods. Ask someone in the department for the best one. It will cost a bit more, but is sure to actually have "live" probiotics in it.
Also, Bio-K is a high acidophilus yogurt available at health food stores and it works really well.
Cut out refined sugar, refined flour (breads/pastas/white rice) and even fruit until it has passed. Watch the sugar in yogurt!
Step up the garlic in your diet too.

Hi T.,

I know that you have received a lot of responses and a lot of wonderful advice, but I wanted to share with you too. I've found that whenever I'm stressed I seem to get a yeast infection. Combine stress with the holidays and all of the sweets that we eat around this time and I usually end up with a yeast infection. I can't remember the last Thanksgiving when I didn't have one. I try to watch what I eat and try not to over do it on the sweets. I found that whenever I have soda a yeast infection is soon to follow, so I cut out soda. I try to drink plenty of fluids. I also drink Keifer shakes. You can buy this in either the health food area of Raleys or in the yougurt section at Safeway. I love this stuff and I believe that it really works. It helps to regulate the digestive system and is full of probiotics. Diflucan never worked for me, but I'm glad that things are improving. Best of luck and I hope that you feel completely better soon.

Hi T.,
I had similar symptoms after the birth of my second daughter. Along with cutting out products with sugar (Activia has a ton of sugar- plain yogurt only), try douching with one to two drops of Tea Tree oil mixed with warm water several times a day or during your shower. My practitioner suggested this and it works wonders. Did the doctor actually do a culture?

I am surprised that no one mentioned white cotton underwear. Never snug. No jeans, no tight clothes at all in that area. Watch your diet. I can not eat mushrooms, too much candy/sugar, and many other things once I have an infection. Look up candida and see other foods you may need to avoid. Too long of a bath even with no soap can prolong it. Sitting in a chair too long can also prevent it from going away. Bike seat, sweating in that area and wearing the sweaty underware too long. If you have scratched to where your skin is broken, try a sits bath with baking soda. If the pickle juice works...please let me know. That one was new to me. Oh and I have heard of women using the Monistat applicator to insert yogurt up their vagina. I have not tried that one. One other thing...there are other reasons you can itch down there. You might want to be checked to make sure it is yeast you are experiencing. Could be bacterial infection or something else.
:-)W.

I only had success with the 7day Monistat in the past. Most definitely wear loose cotton underwear and very loose pants or skirts. You don't want to wear any pjs to bed that can create a really warm environment, just the cotton underwear. Don't have sex for at least a couple of days after treatment has finished. As recommended by others, change your diet to reduce sweets and eat yogurt.

Hi T.,
Yeast infections are a MISERY.
You've had a lot of advice but I'm going to recommend a specific acidophilus supplement that is really working for me. I had a lot of yeast infections in the transition from nursing and taking the mini-pill to taking no hormones and no nursing. I now take 2 of these a day before I go to bed and I have no yeast, no colds, and I'm never constipated.
Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus EPS. It comes in a yellow-orange box and while it doesn't need refrigeration, they sell it in the fridge at Whole Foods. Not too pricey, but not cheap.
Good luck and I hope this preoccupation for you ends very soon!

Hi T.

My Mom had the same problem when she was ill. I had mentioned it to the nurse from Hospice when she came to see my Mom. The first thing she asked me was if I had any yogurt in the refrigerator. Fortunately I did and the nurse rubbed a small amount directly into my mom's vaginal area. It worked immediately. I know this sounds very strange but it did help.

Good luck.

S.