I've been on Doxycycline for about 3 months but I'm taking 75 billion cfu's of probiotics (the RAW brand). I know the probiotics are supposed to help prevent yeast infections, but I think I have one.
The problem is, I've only had one yeast infection in my whole life, when I was pregnant about 10 years ago. I don't really remember what it was like. I thought you're supposed to have some kind of yucky discharge but I don't have that. I'm just really itchy.
And btw, there's zero chance it's an STD, I'm not currently sexually active and was tested for everything after my last boyfriend.
I really don't want to waste the time and the money going to the doctor when I can just treat it at home if that's what it is. Should I just buy a kit? It won't do any harm if that's not what it is, will it?
Also, should I increase my intake of probiotics? What I have says that you can take up to 3 servings of the 85 billion a day.
But I was also wondering if the RAW brand is even what I should be taking. It has like 100 different strands of bacteria, as opposed to the ones that just have a few, like lactobacillus or bifidobacterium. Maybe what I'm taking now doesn't have enough of the ones I really need?
Opinions please?
Posted by searching4truth (Member # 28481) on :
It sounds like you have one to me. I just got over one myself. My doctor gave me boric acid suppositories, but you can use the stuff from the store. The thing is, is you have yeast there, it is probably systemic. My doctor put me on nystatin. It is a powder, and I take it 2 x a day. It made me really sick when I started, and everytime I go up in dose. I increase very few days and wont be full strength for another week or two. I feel very hungover, and I heard somewhere that when the yeast dies it gives off alcohol, so if its true, would explain the hangover. Can you ask your doctor? I think it is a good idea to take something to kill yeast whenever you are on antibiotics. I don't know much about probiotics, but I take S. Boulardii and Theralac.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I don't know anything about RAW either, but remember that probiotics provide GOOD BACTERIA for the gut. They DO NOT KILL YEAST.
So .. you may need to call your doctor. The boric acid supps are supposed to be good. I've never tried them. Most of my yeast problems are in my gut.
DIET, DIET, DIET is the key. Then, be sure to follow the 5 step plan outlined below. It was developed by my naturopath. It works.
"Successful control and elminiation of a Candida Albicans overgrowth requires a multifaceted program as described below. Failure to follow ALL the steps simultaneously will result in slow progress and will lengthen healing time significantly. The program should be tailored to the individual and must balance the need to eliminate the Candida and deprive it of its food source while insuring proper nutrition for the individual."
Five Steps to Candida Elimination:
1. You must starve it into submission by eliminating its food source.
2. You must kill it with anti-fungal herbs and supplements. [e.g....garlic, onion, caprylic acid, Pau D'Arco capsules or tea, clove, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, tea tree oil, Echinacea, Goldenseal, black walnut, MSM, barberry root, uva ursi, neem leaf, biotin]
3. You must reestablish the proper balance and quantity of probiotic bacteria in the digestive tract. [...multi-strain lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus capsules with FOS should be taken between meals to maximize repopulation of the digestive tract by beneficial bacteria.]
4. You must reestablish proper levels of all B vitamins (yeast free) and utilize other immune enhancing supplements to boost immune system function. [e.g ... B complex vitamins (yeast free), biotin, beta 1-3 glucan, colostrum, maitake mushroom, vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium]
5. You must cleanse and heal the digestive tract to promote proper elimination of toxins and Candida and assimilation of nutrients. [e.g...chlorophyll, MSM, omega 3 fatty acids found in flax seed and salmon oils, GLA found in borage, evening primrose and black currant oils. Pantothenic acid, digestive enzymes between meals]
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Nystatin is a good preventative, but if you have a bad case of yeast, you will need Diflucan. I don't know if you have a bad case or not.. let your doctor decide! Posted by Beth22 (Member # 30232) on :
To my knowledge, there is nothing you can do to prevent vaginal yeast when on antibiotics long term. Your gut yeast is preventable. Mine didn't start til 2 months in. I used Monistat but it came back, so my llmd prescribed diflucan once a week but my insurance wouldn't allow it. They allowed one every 2 wks. Why?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Not much you can do to totally prevent gut yeast either. The longer you are on abx, the more likely it will happen.
Posted by sbh93 (Member # 30429) on :
I second asking your doc aboout nystatin. I have been on it almost as long as abx. When I got really sick a few weeks ago (thought it was strep, was actually a myco flare that I still have) I didn't take any meds for a couple days. I tell you what, as a result, I found out very quickly exactly how important that nystatin is!
Soon after restarting it, that part of my body settled right back down. Posted by momofnine (Member # 31637) on :
my doc told me to drink 1/2 cup buttermilk daily. He says it is much better than probiotics.
Ihave a son who had bad candida and I got a supplement called *yeast defense* at the health food store and it took care of it when oral meds did not.
you cannot take the good bacteria at the same time as the antibiotics... make sure there are hours between or the antibiotics will kill the good too.
Posted by Lauralyme (Member # 15021) on :
Boric acid suppositories work great and super cheap too. Put it in at bedtime. It can be used for a few nights in a row. Works better than any monistat product and ten times cheaper.
Diet plays a huge role
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Buttermilk?? I would never be able to get away with that.
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