Yeast Infection

[littlemissp]

I know you guys are not doctors and I'm sorry for the graphic description but I have a question. I've been diagnosed last sunday with a yeast infection and I'm currently taking some medicine for it: vaginal ovules, vaginal cream and fluconazole. I've been applying each egg every night and the same happens with the cream and I've taken my last dose of Fluconazole today, as indicated (4th day of treatment). My question is: am I supposed to still have that white discharge? Cause I still have it, despite not feeling that itchy and burning sensation I had. It's just day 4 so I prefer waiting until the end of the treatment before running to the doctor. I asked one of my friends and she said the treatment is sort of "cleaning" the bad stuff, so it has to come out but I guess I just wanted to know your opinion on this. I'm not expecting a medical answer or anything, but maybe you've been through something like this or have some experience with this... anyway, thank you in advance! I hope you can help me

[Heather]

Just like with antibiotics prescribed when we have strep throat, it's sometimes going to take the whole treatment before our symptoms of the illness being treated go buh-bye. And with the vaginal environment, resolving itself back to normal can sometimes even take a little longer than that.

So, I'd say that if, when it's been a couple days after you have completed the whole treatment, you still have the not-at-all-fun cheese curd business that you are from the yeast infection, then you'll want to call your healthcare provider to let them know, so they can take it from there. And if you want to call them earlier, including now, you certainly can. Calling a provider's office to ask them any questions you have about an illness they're treating, anytime, is not inappropriate.

[littlemissp]

Ah ok, you're right! It'll take a bit of time. I think I'm a bit scared with this because I've had an yeast infection last month and, according to my new doctor, the former one didn't give me a complete treatment so I wasn't fully treated and I'm scared that'll happen again. I mean, I know it's an yeast infection and it's not the end of the world but it's not a really pleasant thing to have.
Yeah I could do that but I didn't exactly go to a doctor's appointment, I went to the hospital and was admitted as "urgent care" so I don't know who the doctor was. I think I'm going to wait until sunday at least...ugh stupid yeast infection. This is a nightmare!
Thank you Heather!

[Heather]

I'm sorry, yeast infections really suck.

What you can do to find out who gave you care is call the urgent care you were admitted to and ask them to look up who your doctor was. You might also find that information on your prescription for your treatments, or your discharge paperwork from the urgent care.

I'd just suggest you perhaps make sure, the next time you talk to your doctor, that they have looked into all of the possible causes of yours, since this keeps happening. Treating infections with medication is appropriate, but that also isn't prevention help, which is also something you need. So, ideally, a doctor is also going to try and figure out why you keep getting them -- yeast infections mostly start in the digestive system, so, for example, a healthcare provider is ideally looking at your diet for things like food allergies or eating more simple carbohydrates or sugars than is working for you -- so that they can be prevented from the front, rather than only treated once they occur.

[littlemissp]

Now that you told me that, I think I know why I had it. I have irritable bowel syndrome and it got a bit worse now. I've been studying since January for my university exams so my diet hasn't been really good and I've been feeling quite nervous, which tends to influence my condition. Since this happened twice in a row - in January and now - I'm thinking maybe it's time to go back to my gastroenterologist and ask him if there's something we can do to control both IBS and yeast infection cause they seem to be related.

But I found the name of the doctor on the prescription! Thank you so much! I'm going to wait until tomorrow since I've taken my last dose of Fluconazole today and then if nothing's happen I'll call them!

[Heather]

Yep: and IBS can ALSO be associated with candida albicans, the internal yeast overgrowth that's what yeast infections are. The good news is that the dietary changes often suggested for people with IBS, that often help with it, will tend to also often help with preventing yeast infections.

Here's some outside information on that, if you want to do a little research for yourself:
• http://www.nationalcandidacenter.com/Le ... s/1823.htm
• http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/faqsibs/a/ibsfaq.htm

So, yep, I'd go back to that provider and make sure you tell them about the yeast infections!

[littlemissp]

Those articles helped me a lot! I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow to see if we can do something about this. Heather, I can't thank you enough for this! You helped me so much! Thank you thank you thank you!!

[Heather]

Sure thing! Here's hoping that it might manage to get you some relief and improvement with BOTH these conditions! Neither are easy to live with and both can really put a damper on a person's quality of life.