My lady gets harsh, itchy yeast infections constantly. Obviously, this is a major irritation for both of us.
Every time she goes in to get treated, I tell her, grab that gynochologist (sp?) by the arm and say, “Look, I don’t want to get this agai!!! What can I do to insure that???” However, you know how Taiwanese are about hem-hawing. Plus, she has a lousy memory and seems to forget how horrible each previous instance was and acts like it’s a total surprise when it occurs again.
So far the only thing she’s gotten out of them is don’t “ou ye” (stay up too late) and eat more yoghurt.
Come on, there’s gotta be more we can do than that? We’re night owls, and that aint gonna change. As for the yoghurt, she eats plenty, but how much yoghurt can one eat in a day?
Next time tell her gynaecologist to prescribe a medicine for you as well. It’s an infection and if it keeps coming back, it might be that you keep infecting her (no, it doesn’t have to be itchy or red, men are just less sensitive to that). Sometimes it helps. If the gynaecologist gives her a blank stare, just go to the nearest drug store and buy it yourself.
Yoghurt is a good advice. You can also buy that bacteria thing (not sure what it’s called in English) from the drug stores, so that she wouldn’t have to eat a litre of yoghurt every day.
No synthetic underwear, better yet - no underwear at all (whenever possible). If she uses those panty liners because of the flow, just tell her to stop using them and change her underwear 5 times a day if necessary. It’s good to use mild washing powder for underwear and iron it to kill the last bit of fungus that survives washing.
As little sugary stuff as possible. Fungus loves sugar.
Positive attitude, healthy lifestyle and all that crap.
She might also want to check her teeth and toncils and other sources of hidden inflammations. If the immune system goes down, the infection comes back.
What Notsu said was pretty good advice. But there are other things she should consider if she has reoccuring yeast infections.
1)Are you using condoms? If so, she could be alleregic to the latex.
Is she on any type of medication, especially birth control? Medications can alter the ph system in women creating this reoccurance.
3)Are you having sex when she has these infections? If so, you could be reinfecting her.
4)Is it actually a yeast infection? There are other vagnial infections that can mimic yeast infections such as Bacterial Vaginosis. Have her get a second opinion and tested for stds. Dr. Jean Chang at Zhong shang hosiptal on renai and dunhua road is a great ob-gyn. The number there is 02-2708-1166.
Edit–5)Have her stop washing with anything that has perfume in it. Have her switch to using the femine wash that’s sold at Watson’s…
Best of luck with everything
Better yet, get some tea tree oil and have a sitz bath a couple of times a day. Other herbal treatments include taking a dose of olive leaf extract or grapefruit/citrus seed extract every day - not sure where you’d get that here. I bought it in Australia but maybe you can get it online. And yes, as Namahottie says, get a second opinion. My experience is that prescribed meds do tend to fix the symptoms but not the underlying cause = herbal/natural treatments are much better at this.
Do you mean probiotic powder? You can also buy it at the supermarket, usually in a tin, near the other tinned (baby) powder. Try to get one that doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it (it’s supposed to be a yummy drink).
Do you mean probiotic powder? You can also buy it at the supermarket, usually in a tin, near the other tinned (baby) powder. Try to get one that doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it (it’s supposed to be a yummy drink).[/quote]
And another thing I remembered:
Special intimate washing gels - the more expensive the better (do they have Dercome Femme in Taiwan?). Soaps and shower gels are not good. Perfumed bath salts and that sort of stuff should be avoided as well. Natural bath salt without colour and perfume is ok though (or just swimming in salty water).
Not a good idea for sensitive girls. The skin down there can be a bit sensitve and tea tree oil can be a bit harsh.[/quote]
if you dilute it well enough, it should be ok, though tea tree can have a drying effect admittedly. Actually not so sure about feminine hygiene products helping - they can sometimes contribute to the imbalance of bacteria causing the problem in the first place - but if others have tried them and they have worked…
I used the tea tree oil/salt baths after I had my baby and found it to be excellent for healing.
I can’t believe (a) a guy started a thread on yeast infections, (b) I am about to give my advice on the subject, and (c) no one has mentioned cranberry juice yet, but my girlfriends have always sworn by it (and gotten pissed off when I drank “their” juice).
[quote]Although many people have heard that cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections, there is disagreement among researchers. A study in the June 30, 2001 edition of the British Medical Journal addressed this by providing 150 Finnish women who had already had a urinary tract infection with 50 ml (2 ounces) of cranberry-lingonberry juice concentrate, 100 ml of a drink containing Lactobacillus GG, a bacterial strain that is thought to promote a variety of healthful effects, or no treatment. About a third of women who have had a urinary tract infection will experience another within one year.
The study was designed to last one year, but the drinks were no longer made after 6 months. Nevertheless, only one in four women drinking the cranberry juice had recurrent infections, while almost half the controls did. The Lactobacillus group had a small, but not statistically significant, reduction in infection rate.[/quote]
Regarding cranberry juice, it is only good when taken as pure cranberry juice. It’s often difficult to locate and can be expensive. 99% of the cranberry juices on grocery store shelves are cocktails and mixes with lots of added sugars. However, taking cranberry pills or caplets is always an option. Not sure about their availability in Taiwan, but they can be ordered online and tend to be pretty cheap.
Cranberry juice is only good for urinary infections. Yeast infections have NOTHING to do with urinary infections. Yeast infections involve the vagina and uterus (sp) whereas urninary infections involve the bladder. If a woman has a yeast infection she should refrain from using ANY sort of perfumed products. But in this case this girl has reoccurring infections, this should be looked upon as suspect and she should get a second opinion. She is exposing herself to something that is creatig these infections, or she has a more serious underlying problem that is not be detected.
Thank you for all the advice. However this particular piece could use a little elaboration. Are you saying I might have a fungul infection on the skin of my unit, my semen is infecting her or what?
Sorry if that’s a stupid question, but, but I’m clueless when it comes to health issues. I need to know clearly what you’re talking about, so I can minimize the indignity when I go to explain to the pharmacist what my particular need is.
You could be a carrier of the yeast infection she has. It’s common. Yes, she could also be sensitive to your semen as some women do have reactions to semen. In order to really knnow, I would suggest you go to the Hospital I recommended before. The doctor there is fluent in English as she studied in the state. Your concerns and questions vay should really be directed toward someone who is well versed in this.
I have to agree 100% with Namahottie. She has given EXCELLENT advice, it is accurate. Your girl should be seen by a health care provider if the infections keep recurring in order to rule out any malignant causes. Preferrably by one who can communicate with her in her language (I’m guessing that’s English).
Yeast infections occur because of an imbalance in the environment (pH) of the vagina. Some of the things that alter the environment are: douching, perfumed soaps or personal products, semen, tight fitting underwear that doesn’t breathe, the pill. Other possibilities are pregnancy, diabetes, hypothyroidism, immunosuppressed status (HIV or steroid medication) all of these can cause repeated yeast overgrowth. Symptoms/signs are cheesy white discharge, sweet smell - of course an awful itch.
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), another vaginal infection mentioned, is caused by bacteria and treated with antibiotics. As above, something has occurred to alter the normal environment. The lactobacilli bacteria (good guys) have been replaced by anaerobic bacteria (bad guys). Lactobacilli produce hydrogen peroxide as a byproduct of their metabolism - this protects the vagina from other microbes. Symptoms/signs are unpleasant fishy or musty odor especially after sex, thin gray-white discharge, and itchiness.
Could be Trichomoniasis (Trich) which is an STD - a protozoan parasite found in the men and women at genitourinary sites. 10-25% vaginal infections in U.S. caused by this little bugger. Symptoms/signs are vaginal discharge that is usually copious, watery and frothy, itchiness, odor. Men usually have NO SYMPTOMS. So, if a person has this both sex partners need to be treated.
The above 3 possibilities are the most common causes of itchy hoochie. The way many OB/GYN’s diagnose these is by taking a specimen of the vaginal discharge and rubbing it on a few microscope slides, and then applying various chemicals and fixers and looking at it all under the microscope. It’s fast and easy to do in the office if the office is adequately equipped. All 3 are easy to treat.
Shucks Bodo You rocked also. Good catch on the Tric part, hadn’t even thought about that!!! Over great post… Vay just get to a second opinion,go to the woman I suggested cause she really does take her time and is well informative.
