LADIES! yeast infections !!!
#328910 - 04/26/08 11:28 AM
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JJIbeach
Reged: 04/09/07
Posts: 24
Loc: Wakefield, RI
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Hey ladies-
Just wondering if any others out there suffering with recurring yeast infections... or if anybody knows what to do about it! I probably get one every month, without clue as to why. I have tried all that corporate bullshit (over-the-counter and prescription drugs that only mask the symptoms temporarily). I have tried natural cures (yogurt, garlic, apple cider vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, teatree oil, etc. etc.) that work to get rid of the infection ephemerally but it usually returns. I am careful about soaps, detergents, toilet paper dyes, iron underwear after thorough washing... I have read that diet is one possible cause, but with mixed reviews. I have heard white breads and yeasty foods are a cause, high sugar, high fat, low lactose,... IBS naturally complicates matters because the only types of breads/pastas I can eat are the white ones! I don't consider my diet particularly high in fat or sugar... but it definitely low in lactose... I have no idea what the hell to do anymore. Any advice??? Thank you!!!
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21, female, Long Island, NY
school in Kingston, RI
IBS-C, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, cramping; acid reflux; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic headaches
"Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"Suffering arises ... whenever we resist the flow of life and try to cling to fixed forms..., whether they are things, events, people, or ideas."
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Are you sure you are having yeast infections?
Sounds like it could be something else. Over use of antibiotics will cause yeast infections. Other than yogurt, I'm not sure about the effects of diet.
Question: Did you write that you iron your underwear? Maybe I misunderstod. Just curious how that would help.
Poor thing, I hope you can find some answers soon.
Feel better....
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IBS-C with bloating and cramps
occasional type A
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CarolynC-
Hi, thanks for responding. Yes, I am sure it is yeast; it has shown up in regular PAPs again and again... I haven't been on antibiotics much at all, but I have been taking an oral contraceptive for about 5 years. I have heard this may have an effect also because of the changing hormones, but if I get off these, I will more than likely go back to having heavy and painful periods, amongst other problems...
Ha ha. Yes, I did say I iron my underwear. Sorry - yeast bacteria can live on surfaces even after washing. The heat kills it though. So I'd run the risk of getting re-infected if I didn't... I know, I know, these are some pretty involved and peculiar precautions. A lot like having IBS.
I am beginning to think that yeast may be the cause for my fatigue and constant body pain... I have read that candida (yeast bacteria) can overpopulate in the intestinal tract and other body tissues as well... !?
Thank you and best!
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21, female, Long Island, NY
school in Kingston, RI
IBS-C, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, cramping; acid reflux; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic headaches
"Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"Suffering arises ... whenever we resist the flow of life and try to cling to fixed forms..., whether they are things, events, people, or ideas."
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Yup, yeast is systemic...it can become a host anywhere in your body, all except teeth, I think I heard.  I'm thinking your b.control pills may be contributing to your yeast infections. And you are right, yeast can cause more symptoms than just your typical "yeast infection". Fungus can burrow through your intestinal wall, cause inflammation in your joints, fatigue, brain fogginess, high cholesterol, diabetes, sinus infections, has been implicated in cancer, change DNA structure in your cells, and the list goes on. You may wish to experiment with an anti-fungal diet. Chances are, you'll begin to feel much better. And, it only takes one dose of antibiotics for yeast overgrowth to occur, even if it was way back when you were a kid. Antibiotics are fungal poisons. They kill everything, good and bad.
Are you taking any probiotics at the moment? They may be a starting point for you, to put the good bacteria back into your gut, and squeeze out the yeast. There are natural antifungals as well, if your doctor won't prescribe nystatin or diflucan, prescription antifungals.
For me, following an antifungal diet helped me get rid of my IBS symptoms. I avoid yeast when I can, and moderate my intake of processed sugar and grains. Yeast/fungus loves sugar/grains.
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Those of you who are prone to yeast, what do you eat? Reading Heather's info, we have to put those grains and yeast-loving foods as the basis of every meal. I had not had yeast infection symptoms in probably 5 years even when I took antibiotics and I am in the worst one of my life after trying to follow the diet for three weeks. Diflucan pill is not even working. But, I don't get how to follow this diet and stay yeast-free...?
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Laura D in FL
Interstitial Cystitis diagnosed 1995 and IBS diagnosed 2008
www.art4ic.com
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I eat lots of meat/fish/poultry, fresh cooked veggies, homemade soups/stews, some raw veggies, yogurt, limited grains/cereals, including flax/millet yeast-free bread. Since I started limiting yeast and processed sugar, I have never had a hint of a yeast problem.I used to get them all the time. Maybe for a few days, stop eating completely any processed sugar, grains, yeast and see if you start feeling better... in other words, anything that comes in a can/box/bag. You need to starve the yeast.
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I am sorry to be lame as I am new to all this. How do you do that and still put a soluble fiber as the basis of every meal? The only thing I can think of that fits soluble fiber but doesn't come in a box, bag, or can is sweet potato... But that would be a carb. I ended up with this whole IBS diagnosis because I cut out processed foods and ate fresh fruit, cooked and raw veggies, lean proteins, no-sugar granola, and nuts. I am quite worried that if I cut out the carby foods that Heather says to make the basis of every meal that my IBS-C and IBS-D will come back with a vengeance. Of course, I am not at all happy to have this yeast bomb but don't want the other either.
Is there any happy medium for us?? Thanks!
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Laura D in FL
Interstitial Cystitis diagnosed 1995 and IBS diagnosed 2008
www.art4ic.com
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Can you eat brown rice, oatmeal, peas, beans, berries? Sweet potatoes are OK. I also take psyllium husk caps daily. They have really helped me. You don't have to stay off the yeast/processed sugar/starchy foods forever, but you may wish to limit your intake of them until you get a handle on your yeast problem. Are you still taking Diflucan? If you don't like prescription antifungals, there are natural antifungals that work well. Everyone is different, and you have to do what works best for you.
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Hi Jaylyn and other women in this thread,
I am going to list two home remedies given by my nurse practitioner.
This first one works for Yeast or for Bacterial Vaginosis, which can have similar symptoms. It is great if standard medicines have deliterious effects (For instance, the Flagyl they gave me for the BV gave me a horrendous yeast infection, and didn't cure the BV!).
The recipe is this: Step 1: Take a clove of garlic, peel it very carefully so that you don't nick the clove. Insert in the vagina. Remove after 12 hours and replace with a new one; repeat for three days. Step 2: The garlic should be followed by some plain yogurt inserted in the vagina (however you can manage this!) at bedtime for three consecutive nights. The point is that the garlic is a potent but gentle antibiotic/antifungal, but once you have killed the hostile flora, you want to replace them with the proper flora, which the yogurt will accomplish. That is why they should be done in succession, and it is important to stick with this remedy for the entire six days. It might take two tries.
I am going to mention another remedy, because, Jaylyn, it sounds like this might not be yeast. (If you are SURE it is yeast, go ahead and try the last one.) However, if it feels much like yeast, but without the curdled discharge, and if the symptoms improve when your period arrives, it could be an overgrowth of the "proper" vaginal flora. I forgot the name for this. Menstuation improves it because the overgrowth is very acidic (which is why it burns), and menstural blood is very alkaline. Anyhow, the irritation feels similar to a yeast infection. The way to treat this is to douche with a pint of water with 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda dissolved in it. This last thing happens, ironically, often to women who shower too much or are too stringent about cleaning.
Of course this doesn't take the place of a proper diagnosis. But if you KNOW what the problem is, one of these remedies might come in handy.
I hope some of this helps and you feel better soon!
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Very interesting. I guess it doesn't hurt to try it. At least it will keep the vampires away If the yeast/fungus is a systemic problem, however, it may only serve as a temporary fix. If yeast/fungus thrives on sugar and grains, and you keep eating them, I can't see how you'll get the results you want.
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