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[Ayesha]

On that logic, you may find that a bath with bicarbonate (baking soda) added will give you some immediate relief.

By making the tissues drier and less hospitable will also make the yeast leave of its own accord!

Unfortunately if you suffer with atrophy anything that makes the tissues dryer will make the condition much worse.
Best to not put so much into the mix and follow your medics advice, your issues are very complex and they are trying to find a solution for you. Its all trial and error for you but you will get there in the end.

Just also to say that when I was younger yoghurt didn't help me at all with thrush symptoms, it stung like hell. 

[Snowcat]

Thank you Ayesha - you always make a lot of sense!  And thank you for helping me remain positive.  I am getting better - it’s just this setback with the thrush … and the fact that it’s taken months for the doctors to request a culture & sensitivity- they just kept saying the fluconazole would work eventually! when there was actually no chance of that.  Even now they insist I carry on taken that as well ‘just in case’ so I’m doing that even though I can’t really see why.  As you say, a lot of patience is involved with all these feminine issues!

[dangermouse]

The dilemma is that yeast love moist plumped up tissue to set up home, plus the food from the exogenous oestrogen, so you have to almost choose which is the most debilitating issue at the moment and treat that.

If atrophy is, then continue with the cream, if thrush is, then you may need to temporarily reduce the cream. It doesn’t mean you can’t return to it but you may need to do it once the thrush is under control and then having vaginal probiotics and/or natural antifungals, like caprylic acid, to accompany the cream. You could also try both at the same time but it may mean a fight that the Candida will take time to overpower.

[Snowcat]

I did wonder if it was something to do with the estrogen but then again I would imagine that all the thin, sore and damaged skin would be more vulnerable to thrush anyway - I’ve read that both low and high estrogen can be a factor so it’s a balance thing - the atrophy is definitely the most troublesome thing for me but I have reduced the amount of cream I use at night and reduced the vagifem to every other day.  I’m also taking optibac for women and Yakult.  i have to wait until November for next gynae appt.  It wouldn’t be so much of a problem if I had the normal C albicans - trust me! Thank you for your help. 

[Garnet161]

I've been there!  I had persistent thrush for months and was finally told I had the Glabrata strain.  I used Nystatin cream internally for 14 days and then boric acid pessaries for 3 days and I've been fine since.  I am in Australia and Nystatin is readily available here.  I got the boric acid pessaries from the iHerb website.
I'm not sure if Australian pharmacies ship Nystatin?  I have horrible atrophy too and had to alternate my Vagifem with Nystatin but they weren't contraindicated, and it worked really well.
I believe the boric acid was the tipping point at the end.  Now if I have the slightest tingle, I pop a pessary in and feel much better the next day.
Oh, I should mention that I had to go off Ovestin cream as it exacerbated the symptoms.  Vagifem has been much, much better.

[CLKD]

  for that update.

[Snowcat]

I've been there!  I had persistent thrush for months and was finally told I had the Glabrata strain.  I used Nystatin cream internally for 14 days and then boric acid pessaries for 3 days and I've been fine since.  I am in Australia and Nystatin is readily available here.  I got the boric acid pessaries from the iHerb website.


Thank you so much much for that - that’s very helpful - and I’ll keep the boric acid pessaries in mind - do they irritate at all? I’m not good with most things in that area.  I agree that it was when I was told to use Ovestin cream internally as well as externally that things got worse so I’ve gone back to the vagifem internally, and a smear of the ovestin cream outside!

I'm not sure if Australian pharmacies ship Nystatin?  I have horrible atrophy too and had to alternate my Vagifem with Nystatin but they weren't contraindicated, and it worked really well.
I believe the boric acid was the tipping point at the end.  Now if I have the slightest tingle, I pop a pessary in and feel much better the next day.
Oh, I should mention that I had to go off Ovestin cream as it exacerbated the symptoms.  Vagifem has been much, much better.

[Snowcat]

Sorry my reply got caught up in the middle of yours!

[Garnet161]

I didn't have any irritation from the boric acid pessaries.  I bought a good brand with excellent reviews. I actually used an Ovestin applicator to get the boric acid capsule into place - which worked well.  Because I use Vagifem at night, I put the boric acid in mid afternoon.  No issues there and I must admit, things were much better afterwards.

[Snowcat]

Thank you Garnet that’s good to know - I’ll try the boric acid capsules if nothing else is suggested. Thanks for the tip about when and how to apply them - that would have been my next question!

[SierraOK11]

Never posted on here before, but I feel very strongly about this subject and wanted to share my experience.

I always get thrush after taking antibiotics, usually the canesten pessaries/fluconazole tablets work.
This time however after several attempts with pessaries/tablets and 3 trips to the gp and gum clinic it still hadn't cleared. By that point I had suffered for almost 4 months and felt pretty miserable.
Also tried candida diet/probiotics but nothing seemed to work.
My GP suggested possible resistance to the azole group and that it could be a different strain. The gum clinic said they would do a culture test but never got back to me.
I learned about nystatin on this forum, where a few people mentioned it is still available in europe but has been discontinued in the uk for commercial reasons.
I started researching on a german pharmacy website (I speak german) and saw nystatin for vaginal thrush is easily available over there, without prescription.
The brand name is called Biofanal-'bei Scheidenpilz' (means 'for vaginal thrush') and is sold as over-the-counter medicine in german pharmacies.

It cleared my thrush immediately! (1x vaginal tablet for 6 nights)
I think it is absolutely outrageous that this easy and cheap treatment option has been discontinued in the uk which means some women who have an azole resistant strain are suffering unnecessarily :-(

[Snowcat]

I totally agree with you Sierra! Fortunately I now have a supply of nystatin pessaries - Southampton Hospital had a very limited supply left (probably at the back of a cupboard in the sluice room somewhere!) that they sent to me and I started them last night - but today I need to get an applicator as I had trouble with insertion due to a slight bladder prolapse 🤦🏽‍♀️ I spoke to my local hospital pharmacist when I collected this supply and he told me that although it’s no longer manufactured here, they do have the ability, in special cases, to order some from Germany if needed, and that I wasn’t to worry as I wouldn’t be left without treatment if I need more nystatin at any time.  Somewhat reassuring I suppose, but I got the impression that it wasn’t economically viable to make it here as it’s rarely needed - not very helpful when you’re the one who needs it! Having said that, I’ve just read that it’s only 44% effective against Candida krusei … I can see myself ending up back at the doctor’s in a couple of weeks time! Also it said the duration should be no less than 14 days of pessaries - they’ve given me 12 days worth.

If the nystatin doesn’t work I’m going to mention boric acid pessaries.  They seem to be effective against most Candida strains but no-one’s mentioned them to me yet… I wonder why if they’re a better bet! This has been going on for months now and, as you say, it makes you feel pretty miserable!