Remedies for Yeast infections?

[yeswe'rebothD]

Hey all, I hope someone can help me with yeast infections. I get them constantly, and while I realize good sugar control is the #1 preventative, it's not within my power to do that right now (I have no insurance and limited budget to buy test strips out of pocket, and YES I've researched all sorts of methods of getting samples, run out of ways to do it...).

I'm soooooooooooo sick of these, and so is my dh!:p To compound the issue, while it seems I sometimes suffer from them right before my period starts, my cycles have started getting 'off' over the last 18 months. I'll have a 45-day cycle, and then a 60-day cycle, so I end up with some very prolonged infections sometimes.

I've been inhaling yogurt (at least it feels like it with the quanities I've been consuming), tried some acidophilus (sp?) caplets, and a caplet from AZO (that seemed to help a bit). Any other tips or something else someone has used that is a good (though temporary) fix? I have been on diflucan as well, but I just wonder about the good of taking meds or applying the creams (which I'm currently using) so frequently. Besides the cost...

TIA!
~Iana

[Jen Jen]

I've found drinking the little Danactive Immunities help, also, just plain cranberry pills. If it's really bad, I'll do a round of olive leaf for seven to ten days, three times aday like an antibiotic, and double up on the the Danactives and cranberry during and after. If it starts to go up into my urinary track, I find a good mega dosing of b12 helps loads, too, and continue that on well after the symptoms subside.

[yeswe'rebothD]

Thank you, I guess I've never looked much into alternative remedies. Thanks for the suggestions, I may try them next time around... all done, it seems, for this month.

[yeswe'rebothD]

JenJen-- you also mentioned in your PM to me, powdering between cycles.... however, I wonder about doing this as I seem to be a "dry lady" if you catch my drift, about 99% of the time. Would this only cause more irritation in that sense?

Must be my oonie (haha from Golden Girls) is ultra-sensitive...

~Iana

[Jen Jen]

Being dry tends to run with the D beast... Using the powder doesn't seem to irritate it further at all in my experience, which I was rather surprised at first. If anything, it's actually given more relief in that department(long time ago discovered I couldn't use products geared to help that). If anything, it's worth a shot(yeah, bad, I know). Certain things won't work for everyone, but I hope it does offer some relief for you if you do try it.

[cydnimom]

If you are looking for a natural way to get rid of yeast you need to look at your diet truly - if you are getting constant yeast infections then you actually aren't getting rid of it in the first place, just temporarily treating the symptoms.

Here is what the Naturopath doctor my dh saw suggested he do to his diet - for 4 weeks:

- eat only fresh fruit and vegetables, no bananas, lots of leafy vegetables
- no yeast products (leavened bread, etc) only flat breads
- no fermented products (vinegar, wine, beer, soya sauce)
- no cheese
- no mushrooms
- increase protein intake (eggs, uncured meats, fish, lentils, etc.)
- lower refined carb intake (no sugar, no white flour, no potatoes, no white rice) (this also includes sauces like ketchup, bbq)
- low amounts of fat and only extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil, sometimes canola oil
- and no caffeine (pop, coffee, tea)
- drink lots of water
- he is also taking garlic pills, EPA/DHA pills, and acidophilus pills


It is boring, but if you can stick to it, it can be successful. Your body kind of goes through a shock for the first week as it gets rid of the toxins in your body and you have to make sure you go to the bathroom lots to get rid of the toxins. It took 2 weeks for the yeast symptoms to go away and then the additional couple of weeks to make sure its cleared out. I think it also changes you eating habits to a point so you don't go back to where you were.

Just my thoughts on the matter and you may want to seek the advice of a naturopathic doctor. I don't know if their fees are any cheaper, but I find that they look at you as a whole not just the symptoms and then prescribe pills. I like to use both naturopathic doctors along with medical doctors.

Hope you get rid of it - thats just a nasty feeling...

[yeswe'rebothD]

Cindy-- thanks for the info. I believe that right now the biggest contributor to them is my sugar levels though, and since I can't afford extra test strips, I'm limited to treating... I will keep this in mind for future reference.

[gsmom]

Back before I became a mom I had problems with these disgusting things too! I feel for you! Some suggestions I was told...

Use a "free" detergent & no fabric softner on undergarments.

Use a perfume & dye free soap for washing (like Ivory).

Don't take a prolonged bath - preferably shower only, if possible. Make sure you are completely dry afterwards. If you do take a bath, use shampoo LAST and get out of the tub as soon as your done rinsing your hair.

Hope you find some relief!!!

[Caynuns mom]

I know that women have a built in cure its called "that time of the month" but I'm not diabetic so it may be different for someone that is. I put 2 tablespoons of distilled vinigar in my bath water for "tubbies" because if I dont I will get one in an instant! and the powder thing NO WAY instant one for me there too! For me NO powders, gels, creams, scented /fragranted anything, etc. If I do get them I eat alot of plain yogurt one of my gynos told me this years ago and it seems to work.

[Fam7]

I also used to get yeast infections after I would go swimming (no matter how fast I chaged out of my wet clothes). I found something called AZO Yeast, a homeopathic medicine, that when taken before I go swimming prevents me from getting a yeast infection. You can probably find it in local healht stores or online. I can't remember whereI got mine. Anyway, it's worked every time. And just recently, I forgot to take one of the pills before I went swimming...and BAM...Yeast infection! Give it a try!

[yeswe'rebothD]

Fam7-- thanks, I actually have used that as well. Thankfully, over the past couple of months I've been given some test strips and voila! No yeast infections since. I am so thankful to those who donated the strips to me, it's obvious my #1 aggressor is the high blood sugar!