Vaginal Burning

[ChrisX5]

Hi All,

I saw my doctor/RN last week for a yeast infection.  She determined it wasn't BV.  I got tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea just in case as well (haven't gotten my results yet).  I was prescribed diflucan (one pill) which i took.  I don't have itching anymore but now i have a burning sensation in my vagina. I did have sexual foreplay yesterday and it irritated me so i didn't want to have sex.  Any suggestions of how i can alleviate the burning feeling? Thank you!!

[Sullyfish]

It's not a silly question =) I'm so glad you are interested in natural remedies for yeast infections, because although sometimes it is okay to use antifungal medications, it's preferable to avoid them for a multitude of reasons.

Basically, you have a garlic clove, you peel the crusty skin off of it, cut off the dry parts and insert. It doesn't have anywhere to go, and if you bear down like you are having a bowel movement or urinating it is likely to come out (though, you might have to reach up and grab it... not a big deal if you've used tampons or menstrual cups). If you are worried about where it might end up, I've wrapped it in gauze/cheese cloth in the past and left a bit out of my vagina to pull it out later. It's generally best to do this at night, but I've also worn it during the day with no one knowing. I haven't had any issues with it, no weird garlic smell coming out of my mouth or anything, and generally after doing this for a night (or a few days during times when I had REALLY bad yeast infections) my symptoms cleared up.

It's best to use a fresh clove every time you remove the old one. I've had success every time with this method. Once your symptoms clear, you should maybe wear it for a few more hours *just in case*. Afterward, don't douche or anything, and your vagina should naturally clean itself out and any garlic scent will be gone in a day or so. I feel I should add a disclaimer that if you do use gauze, there might be some risk of toxic shock syndrome, just because of the nature of gauze... but I have never had any issues.

If you want to get extra fancy, you can score the garlic clove and put a drop of tea tree oil on it (This releases more of the garlic juice and helps the oil infuse the garlic). This can burn a little, but tea tree oil is one of the strongest antifungals out there and I find the burning quickly subsides and it burns much less in comparison to the burning itch of yeast infections. Hope these garlic tricks work out for you!

[ChrisX5]

I do try to stick to "natural" remedies rather than sick relief from medication. Sorry if it's a silly question, but how do you use the clove of garlic? do you insert it?

[ChrisX5]

Thanks for replying.  I got my std results for c and g and they were negative. i tried putting some ice cubes wrapped in a paper towel in a plastic bag on my vagina (with underwear on) and it relieved some burning feel last night.  i've been trying to eat plain yogurt the last couple of days and stayed away from especially refined sugars for about a week. Like i said, i'm not experiencing any itching anymore so i think my yeast infection cleared up.

I will keep monitoring it in the meantime.

Thanks again!

[Sullyfish]

Diflucan should have cleared up your yeast infection... So assuming it's not that and not BV, it's probably just a fluctuation in your vaginal pH.

I suggest drinking lots of water. Also, take a look at any lubricant you might be using, and if you have unprotected sex sometimes semen can mess with the pH... Try eating yogurt (with bacterial cultures) and maybe some grapefruit (no sugar) for a few days to see if that'll get you back on track. I guess if it persists, you can go back to the doctor, and they can determine if you require another dose of antifungal meds or if it's something else.

--if you are interested in natural antifungals, a clove of garlic works great (sounds awkward, but it really works) and tea tree oil baths. Hope you can find relief soon!