YEAST INFECTIONS !!! (HELP)

ok here is my problem, I THINK i have a yeast infection I am itching to death. do the over the counter products work? I have no health insurance right now so don't wanna have to go to DR. Another thing what if I don't treat a yeast infection, will it just GO away on its own? Just curious I read to eat yogurt to treat it so thats what I am doing. And another thing the reason I am sure it is a yeast infection is because I have been taking antibiotics for over a week now . Please Give me some advice THanks

Mon. Apr 16, 8:50am

All of the over-the-counter products say if you've never had a yeast infection before you should see your doctor for a diagnosis. So if this is the first time you've had a yeast infection, you should go to see your doctor (or at least call and talk to them). However, if you've had a yeast infection before and know that you have one again, yes the over-the-counter products do work. You should get some immediate relief, and the itching should be totally gone within a couple days. I tried the one-dose product and I had to use it twice as the yeast infection came back, so I'd recommend trying the 3- or 7- dose options.

And in my experience yes, yeast infections can go away on their own. When I was pregnant I would get yeast infections but I didn't want to use the medications. I'd be miserable for a several days to a week, and I'd eat lots of yogurt, and eventually they would go away.

Make sure your yogurt says l.acidophilus and live cultures - that's what you need to re-colonize the healthy bacteria that keeps the growth of the yeast in check.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 9:18 AM

When I was on BC I used to get them all the time - ugh. Consider going to a clinic - there are lots of over-the-counter remedies, but nothing beats that prescription pill that gets rid of it in 2-3 days (even if they claim to). The wipes do help in the meantime. Planned Parenthood may be a good place to go and they are usually pretty understanding about tight finances.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 9:55 AM

You may have a different strain than the one over the counter medication you use works on- meaning, you may have to use another a week or so later- a different brand.
Also try AZO for yeast- and or Yeast Defense. They are pills you can take regularily.
Easier said than done, don't scratch the itchies. Hopefully you have a hand held shower head, turn it on as hot as you can stand it and rinse yourself off for as long as you feel like-adjusting the pressure to suit- where it comes beating out, not like rain.... That has helped with relief with me tremendously. I would find that the cream to apply with the over the counter medications just irritated me more.
keep us posted.

Oh- wash your undies in hot with vinegar and bleach. Try and spend some time undieless in a skirt- and try and use regular cotton underwear... go bottomless to bed to let yourself get some "air."

Monday, April 16, 2007, 9:59 AM

Definitely go to a low-cost clinic like Planned Parenthood or Minute Clinic or something like that. It could be something else like an STD or another type of bacterial infection.
I thought I had reoccuring yeast infections and they kept prescribing medication. Turns out I have a condition called lichen sclerosus which is a thinning of the skin in that area which causes tears and itching. Now my digestive system is out of whack because of the medication I was taking for yeast infections I didn't really have!!!!
So go to a low cost clinic to make sure it really is a yeast infection.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 10:42 AM

The hot shower idea, while it may make it feel better, actually isn't the best idea. Yeast grows in warm, moist places. I tried a vinegar douche one time and ended up worse than ever. (That's a suggestion from lots of natural remedy places.)

Of course, it's your decision on the doctor. From my experience, I find that the creams help relieve the itching almost instantly, but, just using them topically won't cure the infection. The 1 dose applications do work, but, they still take 7-10 days to kill the yeast, so, definitely use a cream to help relieve the symptoms.

A tip from my OB-GYN's office --- That area is easily irritated. They told me to use Crisco or a similar vegetable shortening topically. They said that it was very gentle, and would coat the area so that bacteria couldn't get on to the skin to grow as easily. Next time you take antibiotics, you might want to try that, along with eating yogurt daily, to keep you from getting an infection.

Good Luck. Yeast infections are totally miserable!

Monday, April 16, 2007, 12:12 PM

link to informative website about vaginal issues, including yeast infections. a trip to your local clinic / planned parenthood is advised.

Link

Monday, April 16, 2007, 12:24 PM

The one-dose treatments have always worked for me. However, be careful to read the warnings carefully if you decide to go with the over-the-counter ones; one time, I thought I had a yeast infection (I did), but I also had some of the symptoms that were listed in "do not use this product if you have any of the following symptoms." Namely, a kind of irritating cramp in my side (felt like a runners cramp, but lower). Later that night, I started running a fever, and I ended up at the hospital; turns out I actually had a pretty severe kidney infection! The yeast infection was kind of a side symptom of the kidney infection.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 1:18 PM

so you used the product and went against the advice on the warning label?

Monday, April 16, 2007, 1:28 PM

Here are some home remedy ideas- they all sound common sense.

Plain yogurt
The good bacteria in plain yogurt helps fight yeast and yogurt can be used both internally and externally. BUT, be sure you buy plain, unsweetened yogurt. Since sugar feeds yeast, this is a crucial point. You can also make your own, using a yogurt starter. I have done this myself and it is simple and the results are quite good. The advantage is that you can use other types of milk, such as soy or almond. While I made mine directly on the stovetop, you can also purchase a yogurt maker, if you want to take the thinking out of the process. Whether purchased or homemade, yogurt is a great thing to eat before meals because it provides "good bacteria" for your stomach to aid in digestion.

For a topical treatment, you can also dip a tampon in plain yogurt and insert it into your vagina or simply rub some on the outside. I have found, however, that leaving it on for a prolonged period tends to have the opposite effect. It seems that once it has done its job, it is best to wipe it off or you will feel itchier due to the moisture.

Garlic
Garlic is a big enemy of yeast! This is one of the most effective home remedies I have found for instant relief. Inserting one garlic tab (such as Shaklee's Garlic Tabs) or a garlic clove into the vagina every few hours or as needed provides soothing relief. If you use garlic tabs, be sure the ingredients are natural and pure. I highly recommend the Shaklee garlic tabs. They are what I have always used with great results.

Of course, garlic can be taken internally, as well. Again, the Shaklee garlic tabs work great. I have also used Kyolic garlic tabs and liquid in the past with good results. Or, if you don't mind the smell, you can press a whole garlic clove and drink it down quickly with water. I have found this to be very effective. Do it as often as necessary. Garlic is one of nature's amazing "drugs" that has a number of other health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and reducing bad cholesterol. It is a natural antibiotic. In fact, my Greek father-in-law eats raw garlic everyday and, in his mid-sixties, is very rarely sick.

Apple-cider vinegar (with the mother)
Apple-cider vinegar has many health benefits (including aiding in weight loss) and can be used both internally and externally, as well. However, it is very strong, so it is not recommended that you apply it directly on the skin. It will kill the yeast, but it will burn like nothing you've ever felt! The best external application is to add about a cup of it into your bathwater and take a nice hot bath. This will feel very relaxing and soothing and will help temporarily. I don't find it as effective long-term, however, as the garlic suppositories. They provide full-day relief.

The type of vinegar I recommend is Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, with the Mother. It is important that it have the mother, as this is more natural and less processed. Never use plain, white vinegar! This actually feeds the yeast instead of killing it.

Water
In my opinion, this is one of the world's most powerful, secret remedies for any illness! I strongly believe that if we all drank the amount of water our bodies need, we would see a great reduction in all types of sicknesses.

Most doctors say that we should drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water daily, but many people need even more than that. I have found that simply drinking enough water greatly reduces my likelihood for getting a yeast infection. Because I am drinking more water, and subsequently urinating more frequently, my body is able to flush out the sugars that feed the yeast.

Be sure to drink water that is pure and free from toxins. It is best to purchase some type of water filtration system, such as one made by Shaklee. Other brands that are good are the Brita and PUR brands. Be sure that regardless of what system you purchase, you do your research first to be sure that it will be effective in its performance.

If you do only one thing, drink more water. It's easy, accessable, natural, and has no side effects!

Oil of Oregano
This is an amazing herb! It is very potent against yeast. Take it internally daily, according to directions. Be sure, also, that the type of oil you choose has a high carvacrol content, as this is the active ingredient. I recommend Oreganol Super Strength P73.

Beneficial bacteria supplement
A healthy body contains trillions of microoragnisms, most of which reside in the colon. Their main function is to provide balance for less-desirable organisms (such as yeast). I use Shaklee Optiflora to help maintain these probiotics and prebiotics in my intestines. I have used other products in the past, but have not found that their level of quality matched this product's. Other products can only gaurantee a certain amount of organisms at manufacture. However, Shaklee gaurantees that the bacteria will be alive when you ingest it and be delivered to the intestines. So, at this point, I can only suggest their product.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 3:45 PM

1:18pm poster here

No I didn't go against the warning labels. I used them as a way to identify my symptoms as something more than a yeast infection.

At the hospital, the doctors determined that I had a yeast infection, in addition to a kidney infection (apparently yeast infections often accompany kidney infections), and in addition to treating the kidney infection with medicine, they gave me the pill that one of the above posters mentioned, to treat the yeast infection. But I've used the one-use OTC medicines other times.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 4:35 PM

Diflucan. Best prescription pill out there as far as I'm concerned. Take one pill symptoms gone next day, no new yeast infections for a long time.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 6:56 PM

Unfortunately I found out the hard way I am allergic to Diflucan. My OB-GYN prescribed it for a yeast infection and instead of just itching in one place, I ended up with itchy hives all over my body!

Non-sweetened yogurt and aloe vera juice, consumed as well as applied externally has helped me over the years. Good luck.

Monday, April 16, 2007, 10:00 PM

Diflucan is a wonderful drug, but my experience was not that the symptoms were gone next day. It was, however, much more pleasant to take a pill than to use a suppository (for 1 to possibly 14 days!) and deal with the drainage issue.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007, 1:42 AM

lichen sclerosis and yeast infections

what are my natural and nutritional options here?

Monday, September 10, 2007, 2:45 PM

natural options

First and foremost, cut your sugar and processed grain intake. sugar and simple carbs feed yeast.

Add yogurt with natural cultures, or take acidopholus or probiotics to help return your natural balance. Be sure you are wearing cotton-crotch panties and no pantyhose. Don't douche, either.

Other than that, there really isn't much to be done. some people suggest apple cider vinegar for external itching, but i would be very careful with that.

N

Thursday, March 06, 2008, 5:01 PM

hey! i have a yeast infection..and i have read the part about eating yogurt...so i tried it. but, also it helps to rub a little over the vaginal area..and the parts that are itching. make sure it is non sugar..no fat..basically PLAIN yogurt!!

Friday, March 21, 2008, 7:37 PM

plain yogurt externally works wonders for me, i have tried over the counter products, and none of them give me relief like plain yogurt. you can freeze it too if you do not use it all and then the next time ( i wouldnt use it after a yr) just take it out and thaw. i usually get 2 a yr, so i like to have some in the freezer so im prepared

Saturday, March 22, 2008, 3:10 PM

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