horrible yeast infection

[need to get this out of my head]

I have had about 4 yeast infections in the past year and a half. This one seems the most brutal. My entire vagina is swollen and red. It itches and burns to the  point that i cant sleep. I just took diflucan two days ago so im waiting for some relief. I  use the topical but it doesnt seem to do anyhting, maybe just irritate me more. Can anyone suggest anything else.
also bare with me because i have posted about this before but i am always freaked out about herpes. My doctor has reassured me a million times i dont have it...and has taken a culture of a cut i got during one of my previous yeast infections, which came back negative. I just always freak out any time anything weird happens down there. i have no cuts or blisters or sores just an extremely red and swollen labia. Does this sound pretty normal for a yeast infection. and what can i do to help it. Thanks ladies!!

[AMA17]

Hey -- It sounds like you definitely DONT have herpes - so don't freak yourself out.

I know it totally sucks when everything isn't perfect down there - and of course you can think of nothing else... BUT, you should be fine in a few days! The diflucan should start to work today or tomorrow.

In the meantime, try to keep the area as dry as possible... if you work, when you get home wear extremely loose cotton pants and no underwear.. Also, take 2 acidophilous pills a day - and you may want to continue with these to help prevent additional infections...

Try to stay outta there too - no creams of anything, let the diflucan work. You may need to take a second one to make sure it's totally gone...

Good luck, it will hopefully we better by tomorrow!

[free spirit]

If you have had more than 3 or 4 yeast infections within the span of a year, that is now considered a chronic yeast infection. It used to be referred to as a recurring yeast infection, but they are changing there thinking.  It may turn out that you may need to go on long term (6mo) suppressive therapy to knock it out.

Has a culture been taken to positively id the yeast strain? If things keep coming back, you may a a resistant strain. It's becoming a more frequent problem an identification is key.

I have found that a frozen bottle of water held in place for a while helps to relieve the pain and itch.

[dandeelyon]

Have you been checked for diabetes?  One of the symptoms of diabetes is reocurring yeast infections.  I do feel for you.  I get about one a year and that's enough to put me over the edge.  I hope you are able to get it taken care of.

[need to get this out of my head]

thank you all so much. And about keeping it dry i want to but i have my period. is it ok to use a tampon? ive been so swollen i didnt know if that would make it worse...so ive been using a pad but it makes it even itchier. suggestions ladies? thanks again!

[oceans3]

you may have the YI because your period was coming. it happens a lot!! (before or right after period).
anyway, i do think its okay to use a tampon. i had a YI (a BAD one)like yours and had my period. only i was using the 7 day cream. the dr. said i could use a tampon but things could get messy! honestly, i tried the tampon and it hurt too much to insert it since it was swollen. give it a try and see.

[shygirl1981]

I heard that your period is supposed to clear up a yeast infection, is this true??
also, does anyone know if penicillin causes yeast infections?? I thought I read that it did, because it is a yeast itself and disrupts the balance. I'm just finishing up a week's worth of penicillin and have noticed an extreme dryness.

[free spirit]

Don't use a hairdryer!  It will dry out and inflame the tissues even more.  emsuc,  you sound like I did for the past 2 years.    After fighting a resistant strain for that length of time, my symptoms turned out to be vulvodynia.  It can mimic a yeast infection and a whole lot of other problems.
Negative for all sorts of things, but pain, inflammation and some itching 24/7 for me.  

I would look into it.  There are treatments that help.

[emsuc]

yes they say that penicillin can cause a yeast infection and many doctors will prescribe diflucan along with it to prevent one...however, I have taken penicillin in the past and it did not give me a yeast infection, so like everything else it will depend on your body.

need to get this out of my head- it sounds like you have more of an infection than herpes...i too am having trouble getting rid of a yeast infection.  the diflucan did not work for me, neither did monistat.  i have found some relief using terazol cream which is supposed to treat more than one strain of yeast, however mine is not totally gone so i completely know how you feel!  i've found that doing everything possible to keep that area dry is helping ease symptoms.  no thongs, cotton underwear, if you wear pantyliners from all the fun discharge make sure you change them as often as possible, and even sleeping without underwear on.  also when you get out of the shower using a hairdryer to dry the area provides a little relief.  let us know how you end up and what works for you!

[emsuc]

how did your doctor diagnose you with vulvodynia?  are there tests for it?

[kenziesmom]

If you are having reocurring YI you may want to take sugar out of your diet for awhile.  Yeast thrive with sugar.  It's hard to do, since most things have sugar.  You may have systematic yeast.  There are supplements at the health food store you can buy to combat yeast.

[kenziesmom]

I am seeing a specialist who feels I may have vulvar vestibulitis after doing a swab test.  Did you have that done?  I have intense itching right AFTER my period, as well as bloating and discharge.  The symptoms come and go the rest of the month until my period starts again.  Do these symptoms sound like yours?  What do you do for yours?

[free spirit]

kenziesmom,

Check out the yahoo groups for vulvodynia support, and vulvar disorders. They sometimes have a lot of helpful info. Also Dr. Glazers website,   http://www.vulvodynia.com/

Read is FAQ section.  Dr. Elizabeth Stewart also has a great book that's easy to read and understand called 'The V book. I highly recommend it.

I did have the swab test done, many times. One gyn kept telling my I had vestibulitis. I kept arguing with him. I truly felt at the time, that my pain was yeast related, in a way it was. I jsut didn't respond to the qtip and he didn't understand the concept of 'constant burning pain'.  I could touch myself and the pain would not increase, either with his  qtip.  Though, it is a reliable indicator of vestibulitis.

Also,  I went on seasonal as birth control when I was being treated with boric acid every day for what seemed like forever. I became real 'beotchy' dealing with pain,  period and suppositories.  I did not have symptoms that occured with my period, but others do.  Check out those websites, there is alot of information there.

[kenziesmom]

Thanks for the information.  I will take a look.

[mystica]

I am going through a horrible yeast infection now. I wanted to post this, even if this gives relief to at least one other person out there, I thought it was worth it.  First I got in a hot (as hot as I could tolerate) mixed with about 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of vinegar. I soaked for about 10 minutes, then dried very well.. it was still very itchy. While I was in the bath, I soaked a tampon in plain yogurt, and when I was through drying myself off, I inserted the tampon, then slathered the yogurt all over the vagina, anywhere it itches. Yogurt has bacteria that is helpful for your body and kills the yeast.  Although, I'm not sure it is a 'cure', I'm still in the process of experimenting. I did buy over the counter yeast infection treatment as well.  I'll tell you though, the yogurt was INSTANT relief of the itching and pain for me.  Just try it and you'll see it helps, at least until the medication does its job. Also, I am using aerius, an allergy reliever to help stop the itch as well.  :)

[mikesbaby]

I got my very first yeast infection two days ago and I started using the Kroger brand of Miconazole 3. Its a 3 day treatment...but I havent been able to do nething but itch and hurt...I found this web site thru a google search for relief of itching and pain...I read your intries and I tried the yogurt thing. Thank you very much for posting that up it helped out a lot I spread some one a panny liner and its is working wornderfully...I might get some sleep tonight thanks to all of your help...

[ladyluvslife]

I have had yeast infections all my life. Now that i'm in my thirties I get them more frequently. I've been experiencing them right before and after my period. Before my period the inside (vagina itches) and after my period my anus and vagina itch. I don't have sex becasue I have been feeling bad and I don't want anything down their because I don't know what's causing the yeast infections. Please help!

[Samantha9]

I have a horrible yeast infection right now, caused from antibiotics, and I am in pain. I used Monistat 3 day over the counter and it did help a lot. Then I did something rather foolish by buying and using a one day Monistat treatment immediately after the 3 day treatment to make sure the yeast infection was totally gone. As a result, the itiching and pain became worse then ever, so I called my doctor and he prescribed a fluconazole tablet. I want to mention that I am now using Vitamin A & D ointment on my vagina and it is working to take the pain away. I wanted to pass on the info about the Vitamin A & D ointment for pain and healing.

[scoobydoo22]

Hey ladies,
I recommend this website:
It has lots of helpful information regarding yeast infections. For me personally, I find that applying plain yogurt right up there and all over the area is a life saver.
Hope that helps :).

[nikkyleena]

I have recently had the same problem and my doctor said they may have been aggravated by the spermicide in condoms.  Maybe that's the case for you too?  

[lovehimlots6]

I have been reading all your post because I have been so upset and miserable over my yeast infection. I have gotten yeast infections a lot. The yeast infection I have right now is one of the worst infections I have ever had. It hurts so bad and I am so swollen on the right side. It is hard to sleep at night or let alone walk around. I got a 3 day treatment to treat it myself considering I have had them a lot before. The treatment didnt seem to work so I called my Dr and she prescribed FLUCONAZOLE, the one pill helped me but didnt get rid of the yeast infection completely. I finally went to the Dr today and she gave me two more of the same pills to take but expressed that she thought it could have been herpes. I was terrified and so upset. She sent me home and told me not to worry about it (Yea right). I have been upset and crying all day thinking I could have herpes but after reading everything and seeing different pictures it is nothing like what I have. I dont have any of the sores. I just am swollen and red on the right side. So in high hopes I will finish my two FLUCONAZOLE pills and hopefully it will clear up. This is the worst pain I have ever been in and i Know how you all feel. I take the acidophilous pills and that seem to help (the raspberry chewables are pretty good) Good luck and stay strong ladies!

[Cinnamatrix]

had this SAME problem. I had a yeast infection every month after my period and sometimes before that would last a week or two. I could NOT figure out the problem. I tried different tampons, pads, yogurt, garlic cloves, EVERYTHING. I read everything I could up on it. Finally, after nothing worked, I went to my doctor and he gave me a simple solution that I thought would be impossible to work. ****** 2 days before your period and 2 days after your period with water and vinegar (4 of these can be bought at any store for under 2 dollars if you get the store brand). The first month I couldn't really tell a huge difference but the symptoms did subside. The second month I had a few itches here and there but nothing at all like before, and the third month I had NO symptoms. It's been about 2 months now and I only ****** once after my period and I haven't gotten any yeast infections since!!!!

I hope this works for you; I know how uncomfortable and inconvenient it is to walk around with a yeast infection all the time; hoping that next month it will go away but it doesn't.

Again, I hope this helps!!!

P.S.
My doctor said that Diflucan wouldn't work because you'd just need to take it again EVERY month. Makes sense.

[Cinnamatrix]

D*o*u*c*h* with water and vinegar

[editorl]

I'm experiencing my first yeast infection right now. I've never felt such discomfort from itching and soreness. After using the one-day Monistat treatment just 4 hours ago, I literally woke up due to the itching. I'm currently trying the yogurt method mentioned in the few previous posts. It seems to be subsiding a little bit but—I just want to go to sleep!!!

[Cinnamatrix]

i really suggest you try douching with water and vinegar, it works a lot better than yogurt (which i tried for a week and didn't work for me).

[SunnyBelle]

i have the same problems. each month after my period i seem to get a yeast infection.

how much water and vinegar do u have to mix? is it half - half?

[angel1988]

Hey everyone..

Ive been getting a yeast infection now after each period for about 6 months now .. i use the 7 day treatment store bought.. it seems to work but it keeps coming back..i've never douched.. could that be the problem??Im also on birth control.. and does that factor into my situation?? i usually can tell when im getting one via the itching and discomfort..to me this is getting very very annoying..Im going to try to exclude the sugar from my diet.but please some one help me with this...

thanx for the tips..
angel

[crimsontoll]

Well i also have been getting what i think are yeast infections (itching, soarness and some small cuts) after my period each month.  I tried the garlic and eating yogart... didn't do much for me.  I talked to my sister who also had the problem and she said her naturpath suggested bio-K half a bottle a day for 12 days should end the chronic YI's and yeast-away will help until then.  So that's what i'm trying, she said it worked for her.