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Thrush
in General chat
Can anyone recommend anything that helps with thrush.. I have been to the docs numerous times and used the cream and pessery and nothing seems to be working.. I am very uncomfortable
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Replies
Hi J123... recurrent thrush sucks doesn't it!! So uncomfortable!
when you have been to the doctor I'm assuming they have done swabs to be sure it is thrush rather than something else (like BV for example... which requires different treatment).
Made your symptoms easing off after using a pessary and then just coming back quickly or is the pessary not helping at all? I would say go back to the doctor as it could be a number of things: 1) you might just need a longer course of pressaries 2) you might have a different type of infection.
If you are having sex without using a condom it could be that your partner has thrush too & is just re-infecting you over & over. With guys it's harder to spot the symptoms until it gets really bad but he could def still have it if you have been having sex shortly before / while / shortly after your thrush symptoms started. I would say pop to the chemist and get a canestan oral tablet for your OH.. the instructions say that it is suitable to treat thrush in men & it won't do him any harm if he doesn't have it... it would rule it out. i would say get yourself treated again (i always found pressures worked better than oral for me) & at the exact same time get your OH to take a canestan oral tablet then use condoms for a week to be absolutely sure the thrush would be gone from both of you.
Other things you you can do to try and prevent a re-occurrence: 1) wear loose fitting & / or cotton underwear. 2) take showers rather than baths & don't use any scented soaps (I find Dove sensitive is the best) 3) wash your underwear in non-bio washing powder / liquid & do not use fabric softener. 4) if you find that you become irritated at certain times of the month (ie after your period then you can get some ph balancing gels (like balance activ or rephresh) & just use one pre-emptively to maintain a healthy ph balance if you notice a pattern of when you feel irritated. 5) make sure after sex that you go and have a quick wash as semen can irritate some women & affect the ph balance. One doctor i saw even recommended dabbing the lady bits with a solution of dilute white vinegar and water after sex (you could keep a squeezie bottle made up ready in the bathroom) as semen is more alkali than our lady bits natural environment so the acid in the vinegar helps to counteract that. Just be careful to only dab that on the outside though not go up inside & have it quite weak.
hope you start to feel better soon!