Sorry for the TMI but Yeast Infection--first in 20 years!!!

TXBrenda · Post by **TXBrenda** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:40 pm

I use a nasal rinse with warm salt water. It is so dry here in the Texas Panhandle, unless it is rainy or foggy, I use it daily after I shower. Times like these, I use it twice a day.

brookevale · Post by **brookevale** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:42 am

tex wrote:Hi Brooke,

UTIs are not exactly a common problem with MC, but the disease does seem to slightly increase the odds of developing one. Have you ever heard of D-mannose? You might find some benefits in the thread at the following link, and the website at the next link:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10609

http://www.healingtherapies.info/Urinar ... Health.htm

Tex

Hi Tex,

I saw some of your past posts about bladder pain/irritation and that we don't have interstitial cystitis, rather inflammation from the MC. I went to my doctor this morning and I don't have a bladder infection. He is prescribing a cream for the suspected yeast infection but isn't sure why I have such bladder pain. It is getting worse. You mentioned you had bladder pain during inflammation but it got better. Can you point me to the best posts or info about this phenomena? People who have recovered and how long it took? I am so uncomfortable.

Thanks!

Post by **tex** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:08 am

Hi Brooke,

These are uncharted waters of course, with no medical research to back them up, but here are a couple of threads which discuss this sort of thing. In the first one, note especially Rich's (hoosier1) posts.

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12234

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15898

And note Gloria's post on the second page of the second thread. I can't speak for anyone else, but when I finally got my diet right, and my MC symptoms resolved, all my other issues faded away also, including arthritis-like joint pains, muscle aches, headaches, migraines, bladder problems, etc.

Tex

brookevale · Post by **brookevale** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:10 am

tex wrote:Hi Brooke,

These are uncharted waters of course, with no medical research to back them up, but here are a couple of threads which discuss this sort of thing. In the first one, note especially Rich's (hoosier1) posts.

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12234

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15898

And note Gloria's post on the second page of the second thread. I can't speak for anyone else, but when I finally got my diet right, and my MC symptoms resolved, all my other issues faded away also, including arthritis-like joint pains, muscle aches, headaches, migraines, bladder problems, etc.

Tex

Thanks, Tex! How long did it take for you to get better? Is your full story somewhere on this forum. I read your book but would love to read about what exactly helped you and how long it took. You are the best! ~Brooke

Post by **tex** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:18 pm

Brooke,

There's a brief outline of my recovery program in post number 8 in the thread at the following link. Please be aware that back when I finally figured out that diet was the source of my digestive problems, I had already been sick for several years, my doctors were absolutely no help at all (they continued to insist that diet had nothing to do with my digestive issues

), and I wasn't aware of any internet discussion boards on the subject, so I was strictly on my own, and flying blind. I started keeping a food/reaction diary a couple of months before I decided to cut out gluten, and once I cut it out, I never intentionally ingested it again. I continued to keep the diary (on a computer spread sheet) for roughly 3 years, which covered my "testing" phase, and my "recovery" phase. A few months after I was able to achieve remission (IOW, a few months after I began a very restrictive diet), I stumbled across the old discussion board that preceded this one, and then everything began to make sense.

My recovery diet basically consisted of pork, eggs (after I verified by EnteroLab testing that they were OK), potatoes, rice, occasional fish, occasional small servings of squash, broccoli, green beans, spinach, water, unsweetened tea, and Virgil's Root Beer. I avoided all gluten, dairy, corn, artificial sweeteners, and fruits, and I minimized sugar. I avoided soy and yeast (even though an EnteroLab test showed them to be safe), but because of the EnteroLab result, I didn't have to worry about trace amounts of soy. Back then there was no EnteroLab test for the "11 other antigenic foods". Beef, for example, didn't cause D, but I generally avoided it because it caused me to have other symptoms, such as minor bloating, backache, headache, and a stiff, sore neck (flu-like symptoms, without the D or nausea).

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19265

I hope this is helpful.

Tex

brookevale · Post by **brookevale** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:40 am

Well, it took a week but the culture is in and I definitely have a yeast infection. Problem is that NOTHING is helping. I tried Monistat 3 on my own, then my gynecologist prescribed Terazol cream. Still no difference--horrible internal itching. I am getting no sleep. I see a new practice tomorrow as the doctor I saw treated me as though it's my fault the creams didn't work. He also said he never heard of internal itching with yeast infections. WHAT??? Unbelievable. Now I wonder if this yeast thing is a systemic or GI issue as well. Seems no doctor wants to look into that. I am also waiting on my colonoscopy report from last week to see if I even have MC. I saw a bunch of posts of women having success with Diflucan. I am worried about the side effects.

Post by **tex** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:24 am

Brooke wrote:I see a new practice tomorrow as the doctor I saw treated me as though it's my fault the creams didn't work.

You made a wise decision to move on to another doctor, because whenever a doctor begins to blame a patient for the failure of a treatment, it's a clear sign that the doctor is frustrated by his or her inability to resolve the problem. It's a subconscious transfer of blame to the patient, in order for the doctor to appease his or her super-ego, and it's a strictly unprofessional response.

Good luck, and I hope that your new doctor does much better. IMO, doctors don't know anywhere near enough about yeast in general, so all that they typically can offer is a band-aid approach to treatment.

Unfortunately, doctors are taught to treat virtually any disease as if it were a separate, discrete event, totally independent of any other diseases. The reason for this is that the problem becomes too complex for them to comprehend, if they consider interactions and co-dependencies. Engineers are trained the same way, but the problem is that this approach works well for engineering, but it doesn't work all that well for medicine. It might work for the doctors, and for patients who have minor (or single) problems, but it doesn't work worth a hoot for most patients who have autoimmune issues.

Tex

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:09 pm

Brooke,

I did not have luck with prescription drug or over the counter drugs when I had the reoccurring yeast infections. I only found long term relief with garlic....honestly!

http://www.findhomeremedy.com/natural-c ... infection/

Fern · Post by **Fern** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:02 am

Hi, Brooke! I definitely also have the bladder pain/irritation. Sometimes it is just an urgency and incontinence thing and sometimes pain and bloating.

I have wondered if it is a histamine/mast cell thing, because I have noticed in the past that sometimes at formal dinners, I would be fine at the beginning of the evening, but become bloated and begin bladder pain by the main course or dessert. Is it the wine? Something in the salad dressing? Once when visiting friends in Asheville, I was served coffee that had been refrigerated (either cold brew or …?) by the end of breakfast I was in terrible pain. I spent the day gingerly walking through the gardens at Biltmore Estate. Every step caused pain. I may or may not have ducked behind a few bushes that day. Have you tried an antihistamine? It would be interesting to see if it would relieve the pain. I have no idea which kind would be best. Maybe Tex could weigh in on the idea.

Post by **tex** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:51 am

Mast cells play a key role in many inflammatory reactions, and inappropriate mast cell degranulation seems to be a common problem with MC. IMO, mast cell activation disorder is almost surely a cause of bladder issues associated with MC.

Fern wrote:Is it the wine?

Another possibility is suggested by your mention of wine. Sulfites are known to cause bladder problems. They are known to be notorious for provoking pain associated with interstitial cystitis (IC), and the symptoms of IC are mighty similar to the symptoms that we're discussing here, in association with MC. FDA labeling laws only require that sulfites must be noted on a label when the food contains more than 10 parts per million (ppm), but many patients who have IC point out that smaller amounts can provoke an IC reaction for them.

Sulfite sensitivity is a problem for only a small percentage of the general population, but as is the case for many sensitivities, those of us who have MC (or other autoimmune-type issues) tend to have a much higher risk of having such sensitivities.

Tex

JenniferS · Post by **JenniferS** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:05 am

Brenda, that sounds like what they said to me. :) Do you also have dry mouth and eyes? I've found I do best if I'm very, very consistent with premarin cream, and I've found replenish can really help. Oh, the joys of mc. lol

brookevale · Post by **brookevale** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:11 pm

I was finally given Diflucan to take every three days then one weekly for three weeks. I've taken 4 and am only slightly better. I am still suffering terribly with internal itching, burning, inflammation. I thought the Diflucan initially helped the D but it came back so maybe was just a coincidence. I am so run down from this. It's awful. I am hoping to get in with the doctor tomorrow to insist on more testing and if she doesn't have anymore answers I want to be referred to infectious disease. This is going on a month!

brookevale · Post by **brookevale** » Fri May 16, 2014 11:23 am

I am STILL dealing with severe yeast infection-like symptoms for two and a half months now. The internal itching and pain is intolerable. I test negative for every culture--yeast, bacteria, and STDs. The only thing I test positive for is copious amounts of white blood cells in culture--a sign of inflammation or infection. I am going to see a specialist in Boston on June 19 about it as none of these doctors here can figure it out! I do have something called pelvic congestion syndrome, and am having a procedure next week. But, both the doctor and I both believe my insane itching isn't related to that. I'm on antihistamines and nothing helps it. I pray this gets resolved but am leaning to inflammation.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Fri May 16, 2014 2:20 pm

I'm so sorry you are suffering like this! Have you tried any probiotic suppositories or douching with yogurt (well, maybe not good if you are dairy intolerant?). I worked for an old-school OB/GYN and he often found women with low levels of lactobacilli on slides he took from discharge (when there was not an overt yeast or bacterial infection). He told them to douche with high-quality yogurt and it seemed to help.

Interstitial cystitis is considered autoimmune (my best friend has it along with Crohn's and Lupus), and can cause all kindsa of bladder pain and urgency without a UTI.

Alternative medicine docs would guess that you have systemic Candida/yeast overgrowth, and the vaginal infection is just one indication. I've been told I have overgrowth even though I haven't had a yeast infection since my teens! I tried Nystatin pills, which only kill the yeast in your gut (not vaginal), but it caused major D, so your Diflucan is probably worsening your D too. Wish I knew why. Logic tells me by killing off the yeast, bacteria have more room to multiply? Although yeast-die off releases all kinds of toxins too, so maybe you just grin and bear it through the initial die-off period? Maybe you'll come out much better after it's all over??

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Fri May 16, 2014 6:36 pm

Brooke,
Hang in there. I was talking to my urogynie (a very important combo) at my 3 monthly appointment last week, about how close all the different aspects of female plumbing are, and how they interact. She is working with a female GI to set up a clinic for women.
This is SO needed all over the country.

I know how you feel. I have recurrent UTIs, yeast infections, vaginitis and all the rest of it. Hence the 3 monthly visits to the urogynie. It's nasty and miserable.
I hope you feel much better soon!