Another Private Parts Question

May 15, 2008 12:16 PM

I'm not talking about bread... yeast question inside.

I have a mild yeast infection that's been getting continually worse for a couple of days now. I keep going back and forth on how to treat it - mainly because the last time I used an OTC remedy I ended up with a bacterial infection that was WAY worse than the yeasty. (I seem to be pretty susceptible to BV, I very very rarely get yeast infections.) I've been eating plain yogurt and taking acidophilus capsules. I just bought some Yeast-Gard suppositories. Am I going down the wrong road here? I want relief STAT! What should I do?

posted by jrichards to health (22 comments total)

Fluconazole.
posted by pieoverdone at 12:22 PM on May 15

Clarify - Fluconazole if it is yeast. Metronidazole if it's BV. Stop screwing around with otc stuff and have one of these called into the pharmacy for you.
posted by pieoverdone at 12:24 PM on May 15

Yogurt and acidophilius capsules do nothing for a yeast infection. You need an anti-fungal like fluconazole. Please contact your health care provider.
posted by tristeza at 12:24 PM on May 15

Definitely talk to a health care provider. I haven't had a lot of success with any of the OTC stuff, and it's a PITA anyway, and takes way too long. Yougurt and acidophilus might help prevent future yeast infections, but it's certainly not going to clear up one you already have.
posted by cgg at 12:34 PM on May 15

It's commonly reported that plain yogurt applied topically can soothe the mad itch. YMMV.
posted by desuetude at 12:37 PM on May 15

Do you have a doctor? Last time I had a yeast infection, I was able to get the perscription over the phone -- one pill, and it's gone. (You may actually have to see the doctor if you haven't been diagnosed with one before).
posted by lemonade at 12:38 PM on May 15

You may want to stay away from the OTCs like the plague, but for what it's worth:

I've only ended up with BV after using Monistat ovules. Was fine with the Canesten tablet. Maybe I got very lucky, but it may be worth a try if like me, you were using those yucky little ovules.
posted by sunshinesky at 12:40 PM on May 15

Eating yogurt to treat your yeast infection does absolutely nothing. It's like treating diabetes by listening to a lot of Mozart.

You should probably see a doctor and get a prescription if the OTC stuff doesn't work for you.

Also, most women who think they have a yeast infection actually have bacterial vaginosis, which is more common. Are you sure you have a yeast infection and not a bacterial infection? If you don't know the difference, you should see a doctor. Needless to say that yogurt is as effective against a bacterial infection as it is against a yeast infection; that is to say, completely ineffective.
posted by Justinian at 1:00 PM on May 15

...you're not supposed to eat the yogurt.

If you're not sure what to take you need to see a doctor/nurse/pharmacist. Its probably something that most pharmacists could help you out with but you might prefer the privacy of a doctor or nurses appointment (unless your pharmacist has private rooms)
posted by missmagenta at 1:09 PM on May 15

Seconding plain yogurt applied to the problem area -- do it overnight if you have to be out of the house during the day (lay down a towel if you're worried about your sheets). Yogurt when applied topically does help a yeast infection because it adds the beneficial bacteria that keeps the yeast in check. Plus it feels nice.

You can also insert an entire clove of garlic (nick it up a bit to release the oils), but that's going to burn and not give instant relief. I prefer pain to itching, personally, so this is usually what I end up doing for a yeast infection. Is garlic one of the active ingredients in the suppositories?

If you're not getting relief in a couple of days, give your a doctor a call. I've never needed to go this route. If you're going to try Monistat, at least go with the 3-day version (7-day is preferable). It's less irritating (well, physically), to say the least. Some women are legitimately allergic/extremely sensitive to Monistat, so that could be your case.
posted by giraffe at 1:10 PM on May 15

I've done okay with a garlic clove which has just been peeled, not nicked.
posted by brujita at 1:49 PM on May 15

I very much prefer getting an Rx for diflucan (the pill) but when I go OTC, it has to be gyne-lotrimin as I'm one of those women who is allergic/sensitive to Monistat. The first time I used it, the reaction was truly horrible (and I get monster yeasties, so for something to be worse than that is a wonder). I've done yogurt/garlic/cider vinegar, the works, but only the cream or the pill has ever cleared mine up; obviously, if you go that route, I strongly suggest you avoid Monistat (or the generic thereof) in case that was part of what caused your problem last time.
posted by mostlymartha at 1:56 PM on May 15

I am seconding giraffe with the yoghurt applied externally and garlic applied internally. They do work if applied correctly. I do not score the garlic when I shove it up my hoohoo; if the infection is advanced, I use boric acid capsules, which do not hurt at all and can be made up by my local pharmacy, or presumably by me if I had a scale.

If none of that works, then sure, Fluconazole.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:57 PM on May 15

I second the boric acid capsules. After a bad, long bout of recurring yeast infections, my doctor suggested the boric acid capsules to follow fluconazole treatment. It cleared up the yeast infections completely and for years!
posted by francesca too at 2:39 PM on May 15

If it is in fact a mild infection, gently wiping with a cotton ball soaked in vinegar (rice, apple cider, etc) will help get your pH to a point where your body can fight it off. Stop taking baths, swimming, etc because that also upsets your pH and makes you more prone to infections of all types.
Note I said "wipe" not "insert". Like after going to the bathroom.
posted by fiercekitten at 2:42 PM on May 15 [1 favorite]

Go to a clinic and get you some Diflucan. Even if you don't have health insurance. It works. It is relief. It is worth the money. Sometimes OTC can make things worse. A friend of mine swore by those Monistat ovules and they made me absolutely miserable, and didn't actually treat the problem. No bueno.

Also, nthing the plain yogurt, applied to your lady area, and drink lots of water, get lots of sleep, and let your bits breathe in the night while you rest. Stress isn't good for you or your nethers.
posted by pazazygeek at 3:08 PM on May 15

Just tossing this out, but reoccurring yeast infections is how I found out I was diabetic. If you have no other symptoms or risk factors than disregard.
posted by Kioki-Silver at 7:37 PM on May 15

Also, most women who think they have a yeast infection actually have bacterial vaginosis, which is more common.

Most? Uh, maybe some? They're quite different.
posted by desuetude at 9:14 PM on May 15

Thanks, everyone. I called my doctor who called in a prescription for Diflucan. I didn't even have to beg. I would love to go the homeopathic route, but I'm too impatient and worried about making things worse.

(Question about the garlic - you just stick it up there? No problems getting it back out?)
posted by jrichards at 6:47 AM on May 16

Use it like a tampon--your cervix won't let it go anywhere it shouldn't.
posted by brujita at 7:06 AM on May 16

you just stick it up there? No problems getting it back out?

Yeah, just shove it up there. I have always been able to hook it out with a finger or give it a little push and grab it, no problem.

Obviously, this doesn't work for women who are uncomfortable putting their own fingers into their own vaginas, but for anyone else, I think it's cool to be able to fix something mildly wrong in my body with something from my own kitchen, right now. Nifty.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:40 AM on May 16

Please stop the "applying yogurt to the vagina" myth for yeast infections! The lactobacilli in yogurt are NOT HUMAN lacto, and:

Commercially Available Lactobacillus Products

Generally include dairy products (yogurt, acidophilus milk), powders, tablets

Often contaminated w/ Enterococcus

Few may actually contain L. acidophilus (not the key LB anyway); common spp were delbrueckii (yogurt), casei

Few (~10%) contain H2O2 producing LB

Yogurt strains did not adhere well to human epithelial cells

Hughes and Hillier, 1990

I can provide lists and lists of studies on vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infections) and have sat thru a bazillion lectures on vaginitis by the most preeminent researchers in the world, and they all say the same thing: stop spreading this hazardous myth.
posted by tristeza at 12:14 PM on May 16 [1 favorite]