I have been suffering from horrible cracks (anal, vaginal - that whole area) for months now and with the start of antibiotics for Lyme treatment it got out of control. My Lyme Dr told me to take Diflucan 2x/day for 3 days but it didn't really help. So he suggested I go to my gyn to get it cultured. She said I had an excoriated yeast infection and that the culture came back showing it is candida glabrata, and I was told it is resistant to nystatin, Diflucan and all regularly prescribed yeast meds. So she told me to do probiotic douches every night for a week and then to insert a boric acid suppository every night for 2 weeks. I have done this and my vaginal (and anal) cracks and yeast seems to have cleared up for the most part but I still have white where my urethra is which I assume is still yeast? I have been rotating taking the VSL 3 and theralac probiotics (2 pills 2-3 times a day) and take sacchoromyces boulardii 2 capsules 2-3 times per day. I have been eating NO sugars, no fruits and very minimal carbs (from rice and oat bran and only 60-100 grams of carbs total a day). No mushrooms, no vinegar, well washed veggies, no preservatives, no citric acid, etc, etc. I've also been Drinking Paul D'Arco tea, cat's claw, caprylic acid and olive leaf extract. I've been following all of this for 2-3 weeks now and still have the white near my urethra. I'm worried that it's gotten into my bladder? What more can I do? I have taken off two weeks from my antibiotics to try to get the yeast under control. Does anyone have experience with candida glabrata? Can you give me any helpful tips? What am I missing? Any help would be SO appreciated!!!
Posted by beths (Member # 18864) on :
There is a herb-berberine found in chinese medicine which works against it. I use Phellostatin, or Candida Forte, which has coptis, which contains berberine. Google them on the web.
RESULTS:
Berberine inhibited the growth of various Candida species in the following order of susceptibility: C. krusei > C. kefyr > C. glabrata > C. tropicalis > C. parapsilosis and C. albicans.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Hi Olive, when your doctor ran the cultures I wonder if she also received a sensitivity report.
C. Glabrata may be resistant to Diflucan and itraconazole but it should still respond to the more powerful newer meds Voriconazole (Vfend) or Posaconazole (Noxafil).
She may not have originally considered those meds because they are very expensive. Your insurance is not going to want to pay and she will probably have to fight for you to get it authorized. But you need a treatment that is going to work.
If those meds don't work there are other newer classes of antifungals like the echinocandins that may help. You may end up needing to see an infectious disease doctor for assistance. Hopefully you won't have to go there, just saying you have options, OK...
Also, you may want to follow up with the doctor so that they can see how you are healing/not healing properly. Ask for further treatment in person.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Also reduce starchy carbs even further. Maybe 30 grams??
Are you SURE you weren't responding AT ALL to the Diflucan? It can take weeks or months to kill it out.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Wow do I feel for you. This kind of sounds familiar. I have been fighting yeast for a year now (ever since I went on abx). I always wondered if I had a resistant form of candida. My llmd had me on nystatin and diflucan (had nystatin one day and diflucan the next), but the yeast beast wanted to live.
My daughter had a resistant form of yeast too (a few years ago) and she did the boric acid suppositories, which helped. She finally figured out that she kept giving herself yeast (sodas).
I had white around my labia, as well as cracks on labia and it felt like the inside opening of vagina, but my NP said she didn't see anything inside (yeast or cracks). So, I was given a nystatin/sterioid cream topically and some terconzole cream (vaginal) just in case.
The nystatin steriod cream helped for a few weeks (got rid of the itch, and cracks, but can't remember if it got rid of the white stuff--it's been about 8 mos--memory). It helped with the cracks but the itching and mild white came back around 3 or 4 weeks later.
So when I saw my ob next time, she said that my labia looked a lighter almost cream white color, and thinner or more transparent looking, that it was not normal and looked like inner labia shrunk. She thought I had lichens sclerosis. I asked her if the nystatin steriod cream could have caused it and she said, no (I think she was wrong about the cream).
Yet, I searched lymenet and found a few other posts where people said steroid cream definitely thinned their skin, and suggested not using it. So I stopped (ob not happy). I also saw a post where someone said it could have been linked to low B-12. My gut said yeast, but my B-12 could have been higher than it was.
At that time I started noticing that I still had starch to eliminate (kept a journal). I ate like you do, however, I still had a few berries each week (after a meal), and some kombucha, and an occasional piece of low sugar, high cocoa content dark chocolate 1 or 2 gms of sugar.
So I upped my B-12, but then I discovered that my vitamin supplements had rice flour, starch, sorbitol, etc. I couldn't take the s. boullardi either (made me itch).
My toothpaste had zyletol, and my shampoo had fruit in it. I figured out that I was obviously still giving myself yeast (along with the kombucha and chocolate).
The white stuff and so called lichens got better once I discovered all the tiny little things I was ingesting or topically applying that gave me yeast, and eliminated them.
I can't take any form of sugar, whatsoever. I eliminated these things one by one (kept a journal) to determine what was going on.
Your rice and oat bran may still be giving you yeast. Also, maybe the s. boullardi. I can only eat quinoa for a starch. I also cannot have any carrots (sugar) or peas, or any other starchy veggie. I eat beans in moderation.
I also urinate like crazy at night (wondering if you've had this too). I had to go off abx (it's been about a month now) due to insomnia, frequent nightly urination (not getting enough sleep) and of course, yeast.
I only recently started upping my probiotic dose (helps). I take 230+billion ius a day.
My doc just put me on a new herb, cryptoleptis. I think it's giving me yeast now. This yeast stuff sucks.
If you haven't tried it yet, perhaps a journal may help you to determine what's giving you yeast (helped me)?
Posted by Olive09 (Member # 37278) on :
Thanks for your replies! This Lyme thing is tough but it's nice having this forum to ask questions, eyc. Makes me feel not so alone in this. Thanks for having my back You had some good suggestions. I should def keep a journal - that would probably help quite a bit. The little bit of rice and oat bran I occasionally eat surely doesn't help, huh? It's just so hard to be so regimented! I'll have to be sure to look at my shampoos and lotions, toothpaste, etc. I felt like I was starting to get better and then I came down with the stomach bug this weekend (horrible!) and ate what I had to to get better and it set me back a bit. I just had rice cakes but more than I would typically eat. I'll also try the berberine herb on top of my probiotics, etc. I am due to go back to my gyn on Wednesday to talk about all of this and my Lyme dr just ordered a urinalysis with culture to check out my urinary health since much of my problem seems to be on my urethra. I should have the results of that by Wednesday or Thursday. Interesting that you mention lichens sclerosis - my Lyme dr seemed to think that's what it might be so prescribed a steroid cream. I used it once and almost went through the roof when it touched my cracks so stopped using it. It was after that that I went and had it cultured at the gyn. She didn't mention lichens sclerosis, just yeast and said not to use the cream b/c it would irritate the cracks. But my Lyme dr still isn't convinced it's not lichens sclerosis and said maybe it's both things irritating one another. Whatever it is, it's horrible and I want to get rid of it. And I hate being on such a regimented diet - its terrible! But you gotta do what you gotta do! I'm supposed to go back on my antibiotics next week but I don't know - I would really like to get this all under control a bit more before going back on abx. What happens when I get it under control (hopefully I can - I'm worried about that!). At what point can I add things back into my diet - like rice? Or quinoa? I guess it's all trial and error. I guess that's why I should start journaling! I'll have to ask about a sensitivity report when I talk to the gyn on Wednesday. I'm not familiar with that. And I'll have to ask about other meds. Thanks so much for your input!!!!
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
You are so welcome Olive, and you definitely are not alone. No, I would ditch the rice and oat bran if I were you.
Maybe you won't be as sensitive as I am with the topical stuff. The only way you're going to know is to journal it, and check how you feel after you use something. Sometimes I don't see what I'm allergic to until I go over my notes (lyme brain).
You can start eating quinoa anytime. Quinoa has a natural pesticide in it (saponin) which is why I think yeast hates it, so at least we can eat that. The breakfast flakes are boring (kinda like cream of wheat). But there is a quinoa porridge recipe from the body ecology diet that I eat twice a day with nuts (decent). The regular quinoa grains are similar to a cross between rice and couscous. Boring too, but you can flavor it up.
I haven't been able to add anything back into my diet (I'm better but not cured), but I've only been in treatment for a year, and am still fighting lots of co infections. I guess it depends how much damage we do to our insides with abx. Everyone's different.
Some people on lymenet who were cured or got better still have to eat a yeast free diet. Others, even ones who were on abx for years, don't (the lucky ones). There is one person I know of who can eat whatever she wants now (TF). I think she said she was on abx for 3 years. She followed a strict anti yeast diet. If you see anything of her's posted, click on the email/face option on the post and it will pull up her history. I suggest reading all of it. She has great advice.
Not everyone can do abx though. Others here have gotten well doing different treatment protocols (not abx), which is fantastic. These people are pioneers for us and we are so lucky to have them too. Thank goodness for lymenet!
Hang in there!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Olive... Please break up your posts into smaller segments so everyone here is able to read what you have written. I'm sure you want all the feedback you can get!
I think Cryptolepsis has some effect against candida
Posted by Olive09 (Member # 37278) on :
Thanks for all of the tips. I'm new to Lymenet and trying to figure out how to post, reply, etc. thanks!
Posted by Olive09 (Member # 37278) on :
Thanks catgirl. I will ditch the rice and oat bran and try the quinoa instead. Hopefully that will work for me. I've only been in treatment since January (almost 4 months now) so it's all fairly new to me. I have had 'autoimmune' problems for years - they think I've had Lyme since I was a kid. I guess I have a long road ahead of me. Explains all of my yeast problems over the years - I knew it would get worse before better but this is worse than I thought One foot in front of the other and keep on keeping on. Thanks for all of your advice! I will have to look over some of the histories here for guidance. Thanks!
Posted by Olive09 (Member # 37278) on :
Lots of good herbs too! I'll have to look into them! Thanks!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Olive,
I've been wanting to offer some suggestions but can't read your posts.
How to post short paragraphs of just 2-3 lines each?
* White space for the eyes to "breathe"
Spacing. As you compose, that will probably be about 4-5 lines in the rough draft but post to about 2-3 lines, finished text.
Once it is posted, you can then look over it and change the spacing if needed by clicking onto the "edit" icon, a tiny paper and pencil, just above the post.
To create a space break, just put the cursor where you want the break and hit the RETURN bar TWICE to give you one clear line.
* White space for the brain to catch up
If each new thought, topic, question or concern gets its own paragraph - or line - it's easier for us to keep track of the matters you ask about.
I will go ahead and post some links about Olive Leaf Extract. Others have given you some good tips.
Hope you feel better. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- You might want to copy and paste this to your desk top reference file. -------------------------------------------------
OLE (Olive Leaf Extract) ---------------------------------------
PROBIOTICS still required. Time away from both Rx and supplements.
EASY GOES IT. Start with just one (as this can produce a herx).
SYNERGY. A combined formula - or some other antimicrobial is good with it (as always) to help avoid resistance.
ROTATION is also good.
For herbs complementary to OLE, and those good for rotation, this thread has articles & books by many holistic LL doctors of varies degrees:
OLIVE LEAF TINCTURE - whole leaf, in organic alcohol.
Certified Organically Grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. -
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yes, olive.. just need some "space" . . if you're on an iPhone, I guess it's harder. I dunno.
If you're on a computer, hit "enter" twice after every two sentences or so.
Posted by elainer97 (Member # 33917) on :
Olive, I was reading just today about coconut oil and candida - it kills candida.
Not sure how to post a link but google Health Impact News Daily -April 23rd (today) article is about this.
Garlic can be helpful too.
Posted by Olive09 (Member # 37278) on :
Thanks for all the info Keebler! I did just start taking Olive Leaf Extract.
I will read your links for sure! I need to look into what to do together, what to rotate, etc.
I do also eat coconut oil b/c I heard the same thing. Hopefully that will help as well.
I have been doing diet and probiotics for a few weeks now and I need to start adding in herbal antifungal supplements now.
I'm curious about this lichens sclerosis now too. I'll see what my gyn has to say on Wed. I do definitely have yeast but I wonder if maybe I have both?
Posted by gatorade girl (Member # 24896) on :
I think the seagate olive leaf product works good for me. Gatoregirl had to ditch the Gatorade a while ago .
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
A secondary problem of Parasites/worms can often be a much overlooked co-infection of Lyme and often overlooked even by LLMDs.
I got rid of a very bad yeast infection when I treated for parasites. Chronic candida is on the symptom list for parasites. You might want to try an antiparasitic herb such as Parastroy and see how you do.
I also alternated between Kefir and coconut oil and put the coconut oil directly on the vaginal/uretha area and took it internally.
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One foot in front of the other and keep on keeping on. Thanks for all of your advice! I will have to look over some of the histories here for guidance. Thanks!