yeast infection?

Dear doctor,

I have experienced redness and burning around my anus for over two months.  It is the entire area going out around 3 inches and up towards my scrotum  On 6/26 my PCP looked at it, didn't really know what it was, and prescribed clotrimazole bethameth cream. On 7/2, I happen to have an appointment with my dermatologist on another matter, and I asked her to look at it.  She said what my PCP prescribed was too strong and she prescribed econozole, desonide, zinc ox.  She thought it was contact dermatitis.  No improvement at all, and two weeks ago she precribed cloderm.

I had a follow up yesterday, and no relief.  She took a culture, and it came back as a yeast infection, and now she prescribed Oxistat 1% lotion.  What a ride.

So here are my questions:

1.For a yeast infection, would you prescribe oxistat?  If not, what?

2.If oxistat is the right medicine, when can i expect relief?  This has been going on too long!

3.  How did I  get a yeast infection?

4.  About 1 week ago I started to notice sone red bumps, like pimples between my upper thighs and scrotum.  Is this related?

Your help would be appreciated

Thank you

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

1.For a yeast infection, would you prescribe oxistat?  If not, what?

Yes, Oxistat is a good yeast cream.  But then so are clotrimazole and econazole.

2.If oxistat is the right medicine, when can i expect relief?  This has been going on too long!

Please see below.

3.  How did I  get a yeast infection?

Yeasts live in the GI tract.  You don't have to catch them from someone.

4.  About 1 week ago I started to notice sone red bumps, like pimples between my upper thighs and scrotum.  Is this related?

Not sure.  Probably not. Ask your dermatologist.

If the Oxistat doesn't work in 2 weeks, ask your dermatologist about a single-dose, oral anti-yeast medicine.  If that doesn't work, your dermatologist may have to consider whether the yeast was actually the cause or whether you might have dermatitis or irritation that was aggravated by yeast.  That's what the dermatologist clearly had in mind when he prescribed desonide and Cloderm, two weak cortisone products.

I appreciate your frustration, but there is and will be an end to this.  You will, however, need to work with your doctor in person.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[brxpete]

follow up question to "Yeast infection"

Doctor:

The blend of econozole, desonide,  zinc ox severly irretated my scrotum, which is why I stopped using it.  

One more question:  is this yeast infection contagoius?