Re: Carla's story.....YEAST

[Guest guest]

> Hi girls,

>

> Here is my story.....along with things that I felt helped me and

things that

> didn't. I hope that it can be of help to some of you. I have noticed

quite

> a few new members and hope this information is of help to you

newbies...I'm

> sorry to the " OLDIES " on the list that have heard my story again and

> again.....NOW IS THE TIME TO HIT THE DELETE KEY IF YOU WISH! LOL!

You are

> forewarned.

>

>I lost the WHOLE top layer of skin in the outer vaginal area, just inside the

entrance. I was so raw, that I was actually bleeding. My entire vulva

>looked like raw meat. To make matters worse, my Dr. RX'd me Bactroban

>ointment. Which I know, further exacerbated my condition. I was SO

>desperate to get better, that I did whatever the Dr. told me to do. Not

>knowing, that I was actually making my problem much worse.

Bactroban is supposed to be used for small wound infections, not large

ones. Your doctor made a big mistake prescribing it. Just goes to show

that doctors do not read the package insert when they prescribe meds.

I had a chemical burn on my arm and the doctor put on bactroban and gave me

a prescription for more. It made the wound worse. To make matters worse

she put a lot (a glob about the size of a brazil nut kernel) on my arm and

put a sealed bandage on it. I continued to do as she did.

The directions say to use a small amount and use a light bandage to give it

plenty of air. But I didn't have the directions.

So whenever you get a prescription that you have not used before, be sure

to read the package insert for the proper instructions.

Ora

[Guest guest]

Has anyone has problems on HRT?

>

>

> Cipro was also the beginning of my nightmare almost four years ago.

> I had yeast problems forever it seemed. Longterm antifungals ex. diflucan

> and going off my birth control pills plus the low sugar/carb. diet helped

> me a lot.

>

> > Hi girls,

> >

> > Here is my story.....along with things that I felt helped me and things

> that

> > didn't. I hope that it can be of help to some of you. I have noticed

> quite

> > a few new members and hope this information is of help to you

> newbies...I'm

> > sorry to the " OLDIES " on the list that have heard my story again and

> > again.....NOW IS THE TIME TO HIT THE DELETE KEY IF YOU WISH! LOL! You

> are

> > forewarned.

> >

> > MY ONSET

> >

> > My onset I believe was caused STRICTLY by a weakened immune system,

yeast

> and

> > antibiotics. A little background of my medical history is that I am on

a

>

> > beta blocker (Toprol XL 100 once daily) for hypertension and arrythymia,

> have

> > MVP, (mitral valve prolapse) and am taking Synthroid, .150 due to an

> > autoimmune process of hyperthyroidism, after the birth of my third

child.

> It

> > was diagnosed as " undiagnosed " Graves Disease. I had all of the

> " tell-tale "

> > symptoms of Graves, but my Dr. thought it was PPD and anxiety,

> (post-partum

> > depression) I ended-up on the beta-blocker after one month's time, as

> my

> > blood pressure was averaging 180/110. About three months after that, I

> was

> > diagnosed as hypothyroid. My thyroid had been running at such an

> advanced

> > level for so long, that it finally burnt itself out.

> >

> > In Feb. of 1998, I developed a UTI and was prescribed Bactrim. For the

> > first-time ever in my life of taking antibiotics, I developed a severe

> case

> > of THRUSH, (oral Candida). I wa given Diflucan for the Thrush, (2 doses

> of

> > 150 mg.) and it seemed to handle it. It was about 2 weeks later that at

> age

> > 36, I developed my FIRST ever, vaginal yeast infection.

> >

> >

> > It " seemed " to have cleared-up but This started my " adventure " into

O-T-C

>

> > yeast treatments at the drugstore. In one month's time, I had tried

> every

> > brand and every variety, to no avail. Then, my

> Endocrinologist/Gynecologist

> > Dr. did a vaginal culture to check for a bacterial infection. He

claimed

>

> > that I had e-coli 3+, (which I have since learned it not an exorbitantly

> high

> > amount to be found in the vagina, as the vagina's close proximity to the

> > rectum makes it very likely to be found there). He Rx'd me

> Cipro....which I

> > claim, was the WORST antagonistic pathogen my vulva would face yet!

> >

> > I lost the WHOLE top layer of skin in the outer vaginal area, just

inside

> the

> > entrance. I was so raw, that I was actually bleeding. My entire vulva

> > looked like raw meat. To make matters worse, my Dr. RX'd me Bactroban

> > ointment. Which I know, further exacerbated my condition. I was SO

> > desperate to get better, that I did whatever the Dr. told me to do. Not

> > knowing, that I was actually making my problem much worse.

> >

> > I ended-up in the course of trying to find my " cure " seeing 9 Dr's

total,

>

> > (even going to NYC to see one). I saw my primary GYN (who has been my

> GYN

> > for over 10 years at the time and REALLY disappointed me with his

> attitude,

> > which I discuss further down the road) my Endocrinologist, my GP, 2

> > Naturopathic's, a Dermatologist, an Allergist and my Cardiologist, (the

> > Allergist suggested that the Beta-blockers can suppress the immune

> system,

> > which I have yet to hear from another Dr. to date, thus causing my

> > yeast...this was the ALLEGIST'S theory) I tried everything from

Nystatin

>

> > pills, 500,000 unit 4x a day, Nystatin with Triaminocolone cream,

> Temovate,

> > Premarin cream, Vit. E oil, Bactroban ointment, Lotrisone cream, Elavil,

> > Doxepin, Echinacea, (which I believed was another key component) vitamin

> C,

> > etc. etc. etc. as well as changing my diet...and letting nothing

> irritating

> > in my vulvar area. No soaps, dryer sheets...only unscented and dye free

> > detergents for my clothing. My list of protocol follows " my story " . I

> had 2

> > vulvar biopsies, (showed " chronic inflammation " and 5 yeast swabs, 3 of

> which

> > over a course of time, showed yeast). I had an HIV test, as chronic

> yeast is

> > a sign of the immune system's ability to keep Candida in check. I had

> been

> > exclusively with my husband at the time for more than 14 years, BUT, had

> been

> > going to have electrolysis done for over two years..and started to

think,

>

> > " what if one time the Hypotrichologist forgot to change the needle " .

> This is

> > how obsessive I became. I was an emotional basket case....I am a Mom

to

>

> > three young children who needed me...a had a husband depending on

me...to

>

> > care for them and the household. When I look back, I don't know how I

> > functioned at the capacity I did and how I did not have a nervous

> breakdown.

> > I was a mess. Every straw that came my way, I DESPERATELY grasped at

it.

> >

> > After spending about 15 months with a raw vulva, I finally stumbled upon

> the

> > mail merges for VV and found the to be a great source of information and

> > support. It was here that I heard about Robin Simmon's story with yeast

> > related VV, (she had it for 6 years and is now more than over 1 year VV

> free,

> > also yeast related/antibiotic related caused). I learned also, that

> there

> > are MANY different strains of yeasts, some of which are Diflucan

> resistant.

> > MANY and MOST Dr's unless they are trained specialists, do not know how

> to

> > look for these rare strains under a microscope. It takes a trained-eye

> to

> > spot them. I also found Dr. Marjorie Crandall's website, (a yeast

> > specialist) a font of information. It was there I learned that there

are

>

> > types of yeast that can burrow into the tissues, thus are undetected via

> the

> > traditional yeast " swab " test. I got all the information I could gather

> > together on yeast related VV and brought it to my GYN. Of course, he

had

>

> > told me about one month before, that he had done all he could do for me

> and I

> > was going to have to " learn to live with it " . I bet his answer would

> have

> > been quite different if he was unable to have sex with his wife for over

> a

> > year...or, if his penis was raw and bleeding. At one point, he was SO

> > disgusted with me for seeing other Dr's, (this was after nine month's of

> > exclusively seeing him without ANY relief) that I damaged his

> ego...boo-hoo.

> > I made it clear that I wanted to try the antifungal path, since I

> believed my

> > Thrush related Candida had traveled through my system. He scoffed at my

> > request, but to get me out of his hair, I believe, he finally gave-in.

I

>

> > would go for blood profile testing every 2-3 weeks to check my liver

> > functions, as long-term antifungals can cause hepatic reaction in the

> liver,

> > (which is irreversible as soon as the drug is stopped). I agreed to

> > this...and I would have NEVER gone on long-term antifungals without this

> > monitoring.

> >

> > I started with an initial dose of 150 mgs. and then 100 mgs daily for

> four

> > months. I saw results after about 10 days but then, after two and a

half

> to

> > three weeks....I began what I consider the " die-off " stage. I had

> rawness

> > once again, itching, burning, etc. I knew it was unlikely that it could

> not

> > be yeast, so I stuck it out for a few days. Things began to get

> dramatically

> > better. After 7 weeks into the regime, I was finally able to have

> pain-free

> > sex with my husband for the first time in almost 18 months. After four

> > months, I continued the Diflucan, but dropped the dosage to 50 mgs. a

> day.

> > I was on antifungals for a total of 6 months. Along the way, many

things

>

> > helped me to heal the area...which I am posting below.

> >

> > I do have occasional yeast infection from time to time, but only in

> relation

> > to antibiotics. I had MAJOR knee surgery on 8/30/00 and was infused with

> > Keflex, (I had MVP so it was a prophylactic precaution to prevent

> heart-valve

> > infection) and developed yeast and a BV. In 1999, I had a total of 2

> yeast

> > infections and 1 B/V infection. My GYN LISTENS to me now and knows when

> I

> > have a yeast infection to automatically RX me 3 Diflucan, 150 mgs. to be

> > taken every other day for one week. I just have a high susceptability

to

>

> > Candida, which he now agrees and this is what works FOR ME PERSONALLY.

I

>

> > believe my immune system is compromised, due to the fact that I had

> Graves

> > and am now hypothyroid, thus making me more susceptible to yeast

> overgrowths.

> >

> > I am including things that helped me....things that didn't. Maybe

> something

> > here is of help to you. I found for ME PERSONALLY, the best thing was

> beside

> > the antifungal therapy, the sea salt sitz baths. I took them 2-3 times

a

>

> > day, 15 minutes at a time and also occasionally, added 1/4 packet of

> Aveeno,

> > for dry-irritated skin. I would pat dry after the sitz and mix a thin

> layer,

> > 3 parts Vaseline, 1 part Temovate and apply this to the outer layer of

> skin.

> > I believed this really helped to calm the inflammation down and helped

> the

> > area to regenerate/heal after having SO much trauma for so long.

> >

> > Here are the things that helped me......Some of this is repetative and

> I'm

> > SORRY! I took this from another post to a gal a while ago, so I didn't

> have

> > to retype all of this information. Being a busy Mom of three, my time

at

> the

> > CPU is limited at times...

> >

>

****************************************************************************

> **

> > *******************

> > Here is part of what worked for me or helped me through flares and also

> > helped me to FINALLY rid myself of the " VV BEAST " , which in my case I

> feel,

> > was chronic yeast-related.

> >

> > 1) Aveeno sitz baths. I got a sitz bath from my local drugstore, (CVS

> > Pharmacy) and they ordered it for me. It was $10. I used Aveeno in the

> > packets for Dry/Irritated Skin. Only about 1/4 cup of the packet in

luke

>

> > warm water. I also added 1/4 cup sea salt that I got at my local

> > Naturopathic store. I sat in the sitz for 15 minutes at a time, 3 times

> a

> > day. Some gals have trouble tolerating the Aveeno, (I never personally

> did)

> > so you may just want to start with sea salt. Be sure to gently rinse

the

>

> > area afterwards and use a blow dryer on low to dry the area. I also

just

>

> > GENTLY patted the area dry if I didn't have time for the blow dryer

> thing.

> > 2) Warm water (6 parts) to one part Hydrogen peroxide. I used this to

> > rinse-off with after urination several times a day.

> > 3) I applied, (and still do) a thin layer of Vaseline to the outer

> vaginal

> > area three times a day. This helps to protect the skin from outer

> > irritations/friction as well as from urine irritation. I know some gals

> > claim it clogs the mucous membranes, but, I personally have NEVER had

ANY

>

> > problems with it. I feel it has been a tremendous help for me

> personally.

> > 4) I wash ALL my undergarments/towels in Arm & Hammer perfume/dye free

> > detergent and in HOT water. Occasionally, I will run them through a

> double

> > rinse. I NEVER USE DRYER SHEETS, FABRIC SOFTENER on these items.

> > 5) The only soap I use for my body is DOVE, for sensitive skin. I have

> also

> > used the Dove scent-free without any problems. DO NOT use the deordant

> type

> > soaps! Anything with a strong scent can not possibly help our problem

> > " down below " .

> > 6) If you are able to have intercourse, (now, I know you won't think

> that

> > this is VERY romantic...but, it helped me immensely through some pretty

> rough

> > times!) rinse the area thorougly immediately afterwards..and sit in the

> sitz.

> > Also, be sure to put that thin layer of Vaseline on afterwards also.

> This

> > helps to calm down the inflammation. SLEEP WITHOUT PANTIES! Let the

> area

> > get air!

> > 7) When you can...GO WITHOUT PANTIES! LOL! In the Summertime, I spent

> much

> > of the time wearing sundresses around the house without panties! But,

of

>

> > course I put them on when I left the house! It helps to keep the

area

> dry

> > and discourages yeast proliferation!

> > 8) Supplements...Medications. I take the following

supplements...don't

>

> > know for sure if they all help, but at this point I'm doing SO well, I'm

> > afraid to stop any of them! They work for ME.

> >

> > a) vitamin C, (I know some gals say this makes their burning a LOT

> worse,

> > but it never bothered me, especially if you also have I/C) 250 mgs.

twice

> a

> > day.

> > Calcium Citrate, 2x a day

> > c) Acidophilus, twice a day

> > d) Glucosamine/Controidtin, (sp?) three times a day, (for a severe knee

> > injury that I have)

> > e) Elavil, (Amitryptilene) 20 mgs. and Doxepin, 30 mgs., (both are

> > tricyclics) a day. Don't know if this ever helped my VV, but it helped

> with

> > the depression that the VV can cause!

> >

> > These are medically necessary for ME:

> > f) Synthroid, .150 once a day, (I suffer from hypothyroidism)

> > g) Toprol, XL 100, beta blocker, once a day for hypertension. I have

> high

> > blood pressure.

> >

> > 9) This is a common sense one, do NOT sit around in damp clothing.

> Yeast

> > thrives in warm/dark areas!

> > 10) I use only KOTEX pads when I have my P. Do not use ANY scented

> > pads/spray downs there. I never have tried ANY douches, but I know some

> gals

> > who feel they suffer from cyclic-candida, use Betadine douches with

> success.

> > 11) Wear knee highs when possible instead of panty hose. NO

> LYCRA/Spandex

> > leggings. You want fabric that can breathe....No tight jeans or

> restrictive

> > clothing.

> > 12) I did the low yeast diet. I could NEVER go totally carb-free. I'm

> a

> > carbo-holic. I don't know whether or not for sure if it helped or not.

> I

> > did avoid alcohol, (no wine/beer) as they are loaded with YEAST. Almost

> > EVERYTHING contains yeast/sugar, whether they are natural sugars or not,

> (ie,

> > fruit, grains convert to sugar) so it is almost impossible to go totally

> > yeast/sugar/carb free.

> > 13) Get plenty of rest. I am CONVINCED that stress does a LOT to our

> > body/mind/immune systems. Try to get enough sleep. If you are having

> > emotional problems of any sort, (anxiety/depression) with things in your

> life

> > other than VV, or from the VV, it is VERY important to have a good

> support

> > system. If you are not comfortable talking with family/friends about

the

> VV,

> > come here to the boards. We ALL understand what this can do to your

> life!

> > 14) Drink lots of water! It helps to hydrate the body. It may or may

> not

> > help VV, but it's healthy for you! Take care of what you put into your

> body!

> > It can only help your health!

> > 15) Get some form of regular exercise. Exercise can even be you took

> some

> > extra trips up and down the stairs, parked your car further away from

the

>

> > store, etc. Anything over and above what you normally do.

> > 16) Have outside interests/hobbies. We all know how alone/desperate we

> can

> > feel at times from this debilatating condition. Take time to read,

> relax, do

> > crafts, take a walk, whatever interests you. VV has a way of

> ruling/ruining

> > your life. Don't let it. The first thing when I was VERY badly flared

> that

> > I would do every am is " look below " . I would do this 3-4 times a day.

> It

> > can RULE your life! Try to distract yourself at times...I know how hard

> this

> > is when you are in excruciating pain. Try and take time out FOR

> YOU...even

> > if it's only a half-hour a day. Take a ride in the car...get outside!

> > 17) Try not to overindulge in artificial stimulants, (ie, coffee, diet

> > Cokes) Caffeine can only heighten your anxiety.

> > 18) I also used Temovate-E steroid cream. Now I know some gals are

> going to

> > YELL about this....but, this is how it helped ME personally...and how I

> used

> > it! Remember, we are ALL different. I used a very small amount at a

> time

> > upon each application. When I was a raw/bleeding mess, this greatly

> helped

> > my healing...remember though, everybody is different! It may not work

> for

> > you the way it worked for me!!! I used one part Temovate to two parts

> > Vaseline. I put a light coat in the outer vaginal area three times a

day

> for

> > 10 weeks. I went to the Dermatologist every two-three weeks to check

and

>

> > make sure that the skin wasn't thinning...and then gradually decreased

> it's

> > usage to avoid the " rebound " affect.

> > 19) Now for the YEAST SUFFERERS, I feel this was one of the MOST

> IMPORTANT

> > things that helped ME get over chronic yeast. Chronic yeast can be

> caused by

> > simply an imbalance in your immune system. We always have yeast in the

> > vaginal/bowel areas, but when our immune system is functioning properly,

> it

> > is able to keep it in check. If you have chronic yeast, you may want to

> try

> > ECHINACEA! I took it twice a day for several weeks...and then

> discontinued

> > it. Now I have been off of it for eight months....and have been

> COMPLETELY

> > yeast-free! If you are on antibiotics and then develop yeast, you may

> want

> > to look into this. I got my Echinacea at my local drugstore, not one

of

>

> > those fancy nutrition centers. You DO NOT want to take it for more than

> a

> > few weeks at a time, as it can OVER STIMULATE your immune system. I

have

>

> > heard that if you suffer from ANY autoimmune disorders, you should NEVER

> take

> > Echinacea. You should ask your Dr. about this. The Standardized type

> > Echinacea I have been told, is the best formulation on the market. I

> really

> > and honestly think this was the final link in MY personal " puzzle " that

> > worked for me. I was SO sick with EVERYTHING for two years while I

> battled

> > VV that I even went for an AIDS test. I have been with Hubby for 16

> years,

> > BUT, had been having electrolysis for three years...started to wonder

> about

> > the possibility of transmission since NOTHING was getting rid of my

> yeast!

> > Happy to say...the tests were negative. I was also tested for MANY

> systemic

> > diseases, (i.e. Lupus), diabetes, Lyme disease, etc. etc. I DO HAVE LOW

> > THYROID and am on Synthroid .150 once a day. The Hypothyroidism was

> brought

> > on from an undiagnosed bout of Graves Disease. I got Dr. Crandall's

> > information from her website, (best $20 I spent on this problem!) click

> here <

> > A HREF= " http://home1.gte.net/ycs/ " >Yeast Consulting Services</A> and

> brought

> > this information to my GYN. (I saw 9 Dr's total, 3 GYN's, 2

> Naturopathics, 1

> > Endocrinologist, 1 Dermatologist, my GP, 1 Allergist, 1 Cardiologist,

(to

> see

> > if my BP med's were related somehow). The thing that was also KEY,

> besides

> > Echinacea I believe, was long-term Diflucan, which Dr. Crandall talks

> about

> > in her information packet. MOST DR'S have not heard of such a thing. I

> did

> > use it for six months, an initial dose of 150 mgs., followed by 100 mgs.

> a

> > day for four months, then 50 mgs. a day for two months. I had LIVER

> PROFILE

> > FUNCTION TESTS, (bloodtests) every two weeks. This is IMPERATIVE if you

> go

> > on this regime of therapy. Diflucan CAN in rare cases, cause liver

> damage so

> > you must be monitored. I know MANY gals who have gone on long-term

> Diflucan,

> > (or Nizoral, Sporanox, which also can elavate Liver enzymes, causing

> hepatic

> > reactions) but, NONE ever had any adverse reactions other than some

> > gastrointestinal upsets, (I myself had two bad bouts of diarhhea the 6

> months

> > I was on Diflucan). I had in the past tried three single-doses of

> Diflucan

> > and one three day round of it..but, NOTHING got rid of the yeast for

> good.

> > This and ECHINACEA, I can not impress upon these

> > enough...WERE KEY IN MY OWN PERSONAL RECOVERY. I am NOT a DR. or Health

> > Professional. I am just a women like yourself, who had a debilating

> problem.

> > YOU SHOULD ALWAYS FIRST RUN THINGS BY YOUR DR. BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY

> > TREATMENT PROGRAM. YOU SHOULD NEVER DO ANY SELF-PRESCRIBING, AS IT CAN

> LEAD

> > TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIDE

> > EFFECTS!

> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

> > THESE THINGS LISTED BELOW, DID NOT WORK FOR ME!!! This does NOT mean

> that

> > they won't personally work for you, as we are all DIFFERENT!

> >

> > 1) Nystatin pills, 500, 000 units 4 times a day. I took this for 6

> weeks.

> > It made NO difference either way in my condition. It is my

understanding

>

> > that Nystatin works on bowel yeast, but not vaginal yeast. This

> possibly

> > could be why. Two good books on this are the Yeast Connection and the

> Woman,

> > by Dr. Crook and the Yeast Syndrome, by Trowbridge. Don't go

TOO

>

> > crazy over all the information in these books. Some of it is

> overkill...use

> > what you think best applies to you!

> > 2) Nystatin with Triaminocolone cream, (sp?) Did nothing to help me.

> > Burned a little upon application. Made me a little more red.

> > 3) Premarin vaginal cream...also did nothing to help.

> > 4) Bactroban ointment!~~ MADE ME A HORRIBLE MESS!

> > 5) Lotrisone cream...Helped somewhat.

> > 6) CIPRO....THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE! My

> > Endocrinologist did not know what else to do about this VV problem..so

he

>

> > thought " maybe " it was a bacterial infection. He put me on Cipro twice

a

> day

> > for 7 days, (as well as my Husband). After day two...I was a

> RAW/BLEEDING

> > mess! I lost the whole top layer of skin in the entire vaginal/vulvar

> area.

> > I was SO determined to finish out the course of this med..just in case

> the

> > Dr. was

> > right...that I did horrible harm to my body! He also had my husband

take

> the

> > course of therapy too, in case he was passing it back and forth to each

> > other. My GYN had him also took Diflucan too. It took me three month's

> to

> > heal. BEWARE OF ANY ANTIBIOTICS! I should have stopped this medication

> > after the second day, but did what the Dr said. I can't even begin to

> > explain how bad I was. I couldn't even sleep, that's how bad the pain

> was!

> > I had tremendous throbbing. This was the height of my VV

> problems...looking

> > back on the whole picture.

> > 7) Oil from Vitamin E gel-caps, burned me something horrible!

> > 8) I also had two biopsies, both of which showed " chronic

inflammation " ,

> a

> > tell-tale sign of VV. I have decided the terms Vulvodynia/Vestibulitis

> are

> > just " markers " that Dr's have given to vaginal problems that they can

not

>

> > solve. The fact that they use these interchangeably, pretty much shows

> their

> > ignorance. I had five vaginal cultures in all, three showing positive

> for

> > yeast, two were negative.

> >

>

****************************************************************************

> **

> > *******************

> > My advice to you is to find a DR. that you feel confident and

comfortable

>

> > with. One that truly has the time it takes to rid you of VV. One that

> TRULY

> > cares. If you have to go to 100 Dr's to find one like this.....IT'S

WELL

>

> > WORTH IT. Believe me...I had my share of Dr's with " attitudes " along

the

>

> > path to health.

> >

> > Also, NEVER GIVE-UP. If I had, I am CONVINCED I'd still be that same

> > raw-rotten mess I was for a LONG time. I'm sure too, I would have had a

> > breakdown in the process and who knows where my marriage would be

> at......

> >

> > I hope this information is helpful to some of you.....and if you would

> like

> > me to answer any questions, post it to the list....or directly to me.

It

> may

> > take me a couple of days to get back to you, as I am not always able to

> > answer my mail the day I receive it. But, take heart, I will get back

to

> you.

> >

> > Healing thoughts and hugs to all!!!!!

> > Carla ))