There is a wide range of prescription medications and creams in use today for treating vaginal candida yeast infections that you can get from your doctor. The most popular is Diflucan, or the generic version called Fluconazole, and is usually given in doses that last from 3 to 7 days but 2 weeks of therapy has a higher success rate. Fluconazole is the drug of choice for candida albicans, candida parapsilosis, and candida tropicalis.
15 to 20% of the cases treated with the azole drugs and creams are not resolved and the candida vaginitis becomes chronic. It has also been suggested and proven that candida vaginits hides deep within the layers of the epithial cells of the vagina, only to return in a few months after antifungal therapy. Testing has proven this with cultures taken from the vagina indicating the same candida biotype has re-infected the vagina as before the treatment.
Although most vaginal yeast infections are caused by candida albicans, candida glabrata is responisible for around 25 to 30% of these infections. The Enchinocandins are the drug of choice when it comes to candida glabrata because of its ability to build a Fluconazole resistant biofilm. It is also recommended that you use one of the Enchinocandins when the infection is caused by candida krusei.
As I talked about on the womens' page, sexual re-infection has been linked in many cases. However, the evidence is still not rock solid and conclusive but it is something to look into if you suffer from chronic candida vaginitis.
Women that suffer from chronic vaginal candida infections have been found to also have intestinal candida and many times they are simply re-infecting themselves month after month. In these cases, it is much easier to treat the intestine while treating the vaginal thrush at the same time and I do recommend it in every case. Especially if you suffer from gas, bloating, constipation, or other digestive problems. Anal itching has also been found to be a symptom of intestinal yeast but it can also be parasites.
Treating Vaginal Candida Yeast Naturally
Gentian Violet was once the natural treatment of choice for treating vaginal candida yeast but this undoubtedly effective antiseptic has now fallen into dissuse for vaginal yeast infections. I suspect there is not much profit in this natural product because it is so cheap and you cannot patent it, so they simply don't use this anymore. However, some doctors claim that yeast has become resisitant to gentian violet. It is all natural and can be used as a douche to get rid of the infection. It can also be used as an oral thrush rinse with very good results. It will turn your clothes and skin purple but wears off of the skin in about 3 days. Zout spray applied before you wash your clothes will remove it from clothing.
Coconut oil has been found to explode the nucleus of the candida cell in medical testing. It can be taken by mouth and melted in warm water and added to a douche for some relief. It can also be used as a personal lubricant during sex to prevent infections if you believe your partner is infected. If you have proven that he is infected he can apply this every day to his penis to get rid of this skin yeast.
Many women will melt the oil and make ice cubes out of it and use these cubes as suppositories. You will need to wear a pad because as it melts it will leak out.
Coconut oil capsules can be used as a suppository at bedtime. The capsule melts releasing the oil and it kills the yeast all night long. It is suggested that you wear underwear with a pad to bed because you will get some leakage.
Sf722's main ingredient is undecylenic acid which is a medically proven yeast killer. It has been used for candida infections for over 50 years with good results and has been found to be helpful in balancing vaginal bacterial levels.
Kolorex® Intimate Care Cream is made from an ancient plant native to New Zealand. There are numerous studies that prove this herb works for controling candida yeast no matter where it is found.
Potassium sorbate is an extract from the European Rowan fruit that used as a preservative in foods and to stop yeast from growing during some alcohol manufacturing processes. It can stop the growth of candida yeast instantly. Because of this you can take a 1/4 tsp and dissolve it in water and use it as a douche for instant relief. It can also be used by mouth as well if dissolved in water, 1/4 tsp is an effective dose. It will not kill the yeast but it stops its growth so you can kill it with the other things I have listed.
Boric acid is the drug of choice for treating vaginal candida glabrata infections and also works well for hypheal producing yeasts. It is suggested that you insert this into gel caps and use as a suppository at bedtime.
A high dose probiotic is suggested for treating vaginal candida yeast to correct bacterial imbalances. By high dose I mean 300 billion bacteria a day or more. You should use this whether you use the prescription drugs or natural remedies to correct the cause of the infection and prevent a relapse.
Balance Your Hormones
Once candida yeast colonizes the vagina it becomes dependent on excess estrogen. This was discovered in 1999 by Paul L. Fidel Jr., Jessica Cutright, and Chad Steele at Louisiana State University. They found that progesterone had no effect on vaginal candida yeast but estrogen promoted its growth.
One of the symptoms of to much estrogen is severe pms although if you are taking birth control pills they will mask this imballance. However, birth control pills are a risk factor for vaginal yeast infections as well. I've had quite few women tell me they had to get off the pill to get this under control.
In any event, it is best to get any excess estrogen under control by taking DIM and I3C Indole-3-Carbinol. DIM has been found to boost levels of good estrogens while reducing bad estrogens that have been linked to breast cancer. I3C activates genes that metabolize excess estrogen, which reduces estrogen levels. Although DIM raises good estrogen while reducing the bad estrogen, many women have told me it has still worked very well for them. You can take both at the same time if you choose to.
Helpful Immune System Boosters
Lactoferrin is a protein extracted from the colostrum of mothers milk and has a huge stimulatory effect upon the immune sytem as well as killing candida. So much so, that pregnant women should not take this product because the increased immune function could cause their immune system to attack the fetus. Doses for adults should be 250 to 500 mgs a day.
Thymic Protein A has been proven to help the thymic gland to release mature t-lymphocytes into the body. The thymic glands function does decline with age and Thymic Protein A can reverse and restore thymic function. It works so well the inventor Dr. Beardsley was granted a patent on the molecule and its methods of production.
You should also treat the possible intestinal candida with the
Ultimate Cleanse for 1 to 2 months at the same time. It is much easier to cover all your bases at once rather than risk re-infection from the possible intestinal source of candida vaginitis later. Besides, if you have never done this type of cleanse, your going to be very pleased by the way it makes you feel.
If you have any questions about treating vaginal candida, you can contact me from the contact page of this website.