Via funkybrownchick @ Flickr.
If you happen to be male, you may want to skip this post. Especially if you are one of my male relatives or friends who has griped about being squicked out by previous vagina-related posts. Guess what, fellas? You need to grow the fuck up. This is a women’s website and we are committed to talking openly about women’s health issues, because they are important and–in my opinion–the more we talk about them in a healthy, open way, the better. If talking about vaginas grosses you out, that’s your problem, not ours. So if you continue reading after the jump, I don’t want to hear any whining after the fact. You’ve been warned!
I got my first yeast infection when I was 19, not surprisingly, right after I had intercourse for the first time. Having consulted my copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves –this was before college students had easy access to the interwebz–I was fairly sure that my symptoms were a yeast infection. I presented myself to a doctor at the student health center of my small Southern university and told them I thought I had a yeast infection and probably had one a month ago too. A quick look and the doctor agreed. Then, without further ado, she explained that recurrent yeast infections can be symptomatic of immunodeficiency, including HIV infection, and I should have an HIV test immediately. No questions about my sex life, my diet, whether I was taking any prescription drugs or anything else that might have explained why I was prone to yeast infections. And forget about the one-minute conversation that would have revealed that I had slept with only one person in my entire life, that we had used condoms, and so I was about as low-risk for HIV as you can possibly get.
The whole thing was a giant women’s health FAIL. The student health center at my alma mater was notoriously alarmist when it came to sexual health. Any opportunity for a “teachable moment” about safe sex and they pounced, even when there was no actual cause for alarm. Hence, I was being told that a very common vaginal infection, treatable with over the counter meds, was possibly caused by a deadly STI. It was like saying “You have a cold but you could be coughing because you also have lung cancer too.” I freaked out and phoned my mom, who called bullshit immediately and volunteered to pay for a trip to a private gynecologist. That doctor cheerfully diagnosed the infection, handed me a sample pack of Monistat, told me to buy more at the drugstore if I needed it and to keep using rubbers. Sanity prevailed.
Still, in my twenties, I kept having problems with yeast. The infections would come and go, often in the first week after my period and generally any time my ladyparts were seeing a lot of action. It got so I would have one pretty much every other month. Reader, it sucked.
Desperate to escape the itching and burning, I tried every remedy I could get my hands on. I ate a sugar- and yeast-free diet. I used prescription-strength anti-yeast creams, one of which napalmed my vagina so badly I wound up sobbing in my bathtub in the middle of the night, flooding my crotch with cold water. I took acidophilus pills. I ate gallons of yogurt. I applied yogurt to the affected region (plain yogurt can be helpful if you can’t get hold of Monistat). On vacation in Barcelona, I was forced to march into a pharmacy and announce in my best Spanish, “I have an infection of the yeast in my vagina,” using the word for baker’s yeast, which was the only one I knew. The pharmacist–a woman, fortunately–just giggled and handed me a pack of Monistat 3.
The good news is that the infections subsided as I got older. I don’t know if my hormones changed, or my body adjusted better to sex, or what. But for the infrequent flare-ups, I also found a pretty good silver bullet: boric acid capsules.
Boric acid was prescribed for me by a gynecologist who was one of New York’s leading experts in vaginal flora and fauna. It’s a poisonous powder that when used vaginally, acidifies the vagina and helps cut down on unfriendly yeast and bacteria (it’s also good for controlling bacterial vaginosis). Also, you can scatter boric acid along your baseboards and under your sink to keep out ants and roaches–its most common use.
I first got the capsules from Bigelow’s Pharmacy in Greenwich Village–you need a genuine compounding pharmacy to make up the capsules. Or you can make the capsules yourself, using plain empty gelatin capsules from a health food store and pharmaceutical grade boric acid, which you can buy at Walgreens or Drugstore.com. You put the capsules in at the first sign of the dreaded itchy burn, and then keep using them for about a week or so. For me, it almost always did the trick, and it’s much gentler than Monistat.
One important caveat: do not ever let your partner go down on you while you’re using boric acid. It’s poison, after all. Thou shalt wait at least 24 hours before letting anyone yodel in your valley. (I often thought that boric acid poisoning by cunnilingus would make an awesome plot twist on a Law & Order episode).
Some of my girlfriends and I refer to ourselves as the “Sisterhood of the Fiery Vulva,” or SFV for short. We have all been martyrs to the yeast at one time or another, often for years. Many of them have taken my doctor’s advice and now make the boric acid capsules for themselves. One friend has a husband who jokingly refers to them as “depth charges.” Unfortunately, yeast infections are one of those indignities that nearly all of us live with: one of the harpies just told me she’d had a bad yeast experience recently, although another–the lucky bitch–said that she’d never had a single one.
Yeast infections, like HPV, are such a common experience, but women often actively avoid discussing them. After all, it’s icky–all that itching and burning and discharge! And as I discovered at the student health center, even a yeast infection–which is often not caused by anything sexual–can lead to slut-shaming. Talking openly about this stuff is the only way to normalize and de-stigmatize it. So if you’re a Sister of the FV, feel free to chime in in the comments…
I recently had my first yeast infection–I’m 30. I am also still carrying my v-card. Turns out sitting in the steam room at the gym, and then staying in that clothing while cleaning the kitchen at home later can cause some problems.
So slut-shaming women over yeast infections, is, indeed, ridiculous. It’s not just sex that causes them!
Boric acid is the best. I had a yeast infection for the better part of 2 years, and boric acid is the only thing that worked for it. Complicating the issue, the extended amount of time that I spent itchy and uncomfortable caused my pelvic muscles to tense up leading to mild vaginimus. I went to so many doctors who didn’t know what to do about it. Some actually told me that I would just have to live with the infection and pain. This is why it’s so important to talk about what’s going on with your health with other women. It’s easy to feel like a freak with a broken vagina when even your doctors have no idea what to do. These are actually fairly common and treatable problems. I eventually found a wonderful doctor who assured me she saw women like me at least once a month. She prescribed boric acid and physical therapy, and now I’m nearly pain free. I keep some boric acid in the fridge for whenever I get an occasional infection.
For those in the Boston are, J.E. Pierce Apothecary in Brookline will compound boric acid capsules for you.
I too, used to be a sufferer of the repeat yeast infection. I got lucky and narrowed the culprits down to 3 things (unfortunately it took YEARS to make the 2nd and 3rd connections. And when I did make the connections the doctors were all, “Oh, well it super rare for THAT to cause it.” And I was all, “Yeah, well, I’m special that way – couldn’t somebody have talked about this side effect years ago?!?!?”) #1) Non-cotton underwear. My vagina likes to breathe. #2) Hormonal birth control. Yep, the birth control pills I was on for years contributed to the horror. #3) Latex condoms. I have no explanation for this one really, except to say that, possibly, it wasn’t yeast all the time, but maybe an allergic reaction.
I also got the HIV talk. Keeping in mind that they jumped to HIV and not, “Oh…BC pills can do that…”
wow, I can’t believe that school doctor, and I’m glad you went elsewhere. I think I would’ve cried.
I read somewhere (I think Jezebel?) that bubble baths can make you more prone to yeast infections. just sayin’
@TVille: You know, the start of my yeast infections also co-incided with when I started taking BCP. I went on a low-dose for awhile but it made me spot like crazy, so I gave it up and went back to Ortho-Novum. Hormonal birth control can definitely contribute to the problem, and condoms do too. But what can ya do? I can’t live without my BCP and Durex.
What’s ridiculous about the HIV talk is that standard yeast infections are NOTHING like a yeast infection in an HIV patient. A dear friend of mine who lived with HIV at one point got a case of thrush that was absolutely hideous. After seeing that with my own eyes I was even more angry at the doctors for telling me that my little old yeast problem could be HIV-related. It was like the difference between a common cold and end-stage TB.
@Audrey: Thanks for that info on getting the capsules in Brookline! A lot of pharmacists will look at you blankly if you ask for boric acid because most pharmacies just dispense medication, they don’t compound it on-site. I started making my own because it’s WAY cheaper–costs about $8 for a 4 oz container of boric acid and about $5 for 100 empty capsules. At the pharmacy, I paid something like a 75 cents a pill and my insurance didn’t cover it b/c it’s not technically a drug. Making them is easy, you just have to be sure to wash your hands very thoroughly after touching the powder.
I get yeast infections when I use condoms. I don’t know why — I just did. Since I’m all partnered up and using BCP these days, I haven’t had one in, oh, a few years now, but for me? Condoms = yeast infection. Like you, Ms. Sharper, I got my first infection when I was a newly sexually active teenager. And my (very Catholic) mother and I had to have a deeply awkward conversation in the middle of Eckerd Drug about how monistat can weaken condoms.
I often thought that boric acid poisoning by cunnilingus would make an awesome plot twist on a Law & Order episode
That sentence right there encapsulates why I love you, Ms. Sharper. I’ve never had a yeast infection, and to be honest my mother never educated me about what they were, how to deal with them, etc. Thankfully my doctor has brought me up to speed in case one ever develops.
However, I cannot get a yeast infection during Passover. That just wouldn’t be kosher.
I got my first yeast infection at age eleven. I sat in a wet bathing suit too long or something…I don’t know. I just remember explaining the condition to my mom, she took a look and took me to the pharmacy and helped me use the Monistat before I went to bed that night. Using a plunger full of cream was not an easy thing to do. It wasn’t comfortable either.
After that, when I started menstruating, I could guarantee that I would have a yeast infection about a week before my period. Every six to eight weeks (I was young and irregular on my cycles). That was a whole lot of joy. My mom just started buying me Monistat and keeping it in the bathroom, when she saw it was gone, she’d buy another for next time. I suppose to spare me the shame of telling her time I was itchy and had a foul smelling discharge flowing from me. That’s one more reason why I love my mother.
By the time I hit seventeen and became sexually active, I stopped having yeast infections so much. I still get them every now and then, but I think it’s been two years since my last one.
UTIs and bladder infections though…I get those ALL THE TIME. Honestly? I’d rather have a yeast infection than a UTI.
[i]However, I cannot get a yeast infection during Passover. That just wouldn’t be kosher.[/i]
I asked my rabbi once if it was ok for a Jewish woman to have a yeast infection during Passover. I think I shocked him because he gave me the oddest look I’ve ever seen and walked away with face in palm.
I got my first one when I was pregnant with my second child. The pregnancy was SO different from the first that I just chalked up the discharge to one of those weird pregnancy things. There wasn’t much burning or itching, so I never thought it could be a yeast infection. It was an embarassingly long time after my son’s birth that I finally realized what was going on, and picked up some Monistat. It worked almost immediately to clear up my trouble. I can’t help but feel resentful about the whole situation. No one had ever taught me anything about a yeast infection other than what I heard on commercials, and those commercials focused on the itching that I didn’t have. We need more discourse on these subjects!
I have never had yeast infection… so, I have nothing interesting to say.
My friends and I used to joke that you could go to our university health clinic with a runny nose and they’d give you an STD test. Oh, and a test for mono.
But thank you so much for the info regarding boric acid. I am going to check out that Brookline place asap.
I discovered that, for me, any lube with glycerin in it is my one way ticket to yeast infection hell. So now if I’m going to use a water-based lube I make sure it’s glycerin free.
I’m prone to sore throats. In an attempt to console me, one doctor told me that I should be glad that I didn’t have an oral yeast infection. Apparently, contracting a yeast infection in your throat is possible, and even common among long-term hospital patients.
Added that to my list of reasons to avoid hospitals.
Thanks for the tip about Boric Acid! I’d never heard that. Does it come out cheaper than the exorbitantly priced ‘official’ cures?
I got my first yeast infection at 22 after washing my undies by hand in tap water in China! I guess they tell you to boil it for a reason…
When I had my Paraguard put in back in January, I had a TERRIBLE one right off the bat. From there it never completely cleared up, until I had my IUD taken out a few months later. I’m bummed that my IUD didn’t work for me, but going back on BCP’s was worth it, not to have a 24/7 yeast infection.
I’ve had two yeast infections in my life, both related to pregnancy. I was never taught anything about yeast infections, so like Amanda, the first time it happened, I just thought it was a pregnancy related thing and I let it go on too long (even though in my case there was really bad itching). The second time, I recognized it for what it was and gotten it taken care of right away.
Really wish these topics were something openly talked about in our society. It would have saved me (and I’m sure a lot of women like me) a lot of discomfort and embarassment. I mean for christ sake… if men can talk about fromunda cheese, we should be able to talk about yeast.
My college’s health center is notoriously bad, too. The joke is that if you’re not pregnant, you have to wait a week to see a doctor (nevermind that there’s a Planned Parenthood less than 10 minutes away…).
My friend once had severe stomach pains due to undiagnosed ovarian cysts, and the nurse poked her HARD in the stomach to test for a gallbladder infection. When the friend screamed because it hurt, the nurse said, “oh, you have a gallbladder disease. You should probably go to the hospital.”
Needless to say, I don’t go there a lot.
As far as I know, I’ve never had a yeast infection (thank god). But have heard horror stories, and actually met a dude who contracted one in his throat (yes, it’s possible!)
But the boric acid, that’s interesting, because in a lot of ways basic chemistry and homeopathy interests me greatly. But um…it’s poisonous, so you don’t ingest it?
Right?
The leap from simple yeast infection to “Oh, you might have HIV” is obviously extreme…but I gotta say, I have no problems with school clinics (or any others) pressing people to get tested for HIV! In fact, I’m glad to hear that this happened at a small Southern university. More HIV testing is absolutely a good thing. But yeah, Becks, the clinic doctor should have been more skilled at encouraging you to get tested.
Thankfully, I’ve never had one. However, I did get a pregnancy test at student health for having IBS. I’ve had IBS for years, too….
@Kirvin: I’m all for HIV testing, but it’s ridiculous to say to a 19 year old who’s had one sexual partner, used condoms and has no history of IV drug abuse that she needs an HIV test. The doctor didn’t bother to ask me any questions about my medical or sexual history–she just decided to frighten me over a very routine health complaint. That’s scaremongering and slut-shaming, and if doctors do that regularly, especially with college students, they’re going to drive students AWAY from seeking treatment or testing for anything.
@Magnetic Crow: Yes, boric acid is WAY cheaper than OTC remedies for yeast. A course of Monistat 3 is about $15 if you buy the name brand. The drugstore generic (which is perfectly good, and usually exactly the same thing as Monistat) is about $10. But those are only one-time.
A year’s supply of boric acid costs about $8 for 4 oz, which is a LOT (you could make over 100 pills with that). The plain capsules (you want the 600 mg ones) cost about $6 per 100. You can get them both at Drugstore.com.
Chiming in on the boric acid. It worked for me when Monistat and Gyne-Lotrimin did not, plus its super-cheap and way less messy. I stopped getting recurring yeast infections when I stopped using tampons, which ultimately reduced my need for boric acid from “every goddamned month” to “very occasionally.”
I hear you’re not supposed to use boric acid while pregnant, which makes sense but is a bummer since pregnancy and yeast infections go hand in hand.
One women’s health pet peeve to add (though not nearly as bad as saying you might have HIV when you present with yeast–yikes!): When I had recurring yeast infections, none of the practitioners I saw ever mentioned that they can be sexually transmitted between women. That would have been good to know.
Also, repeated yeast infections are sometimes a sign of high blood sugar, so if you’re having several in a row you may want to have your blood sugar and A1C levels checked.
I saw a comic at an open mic night (the only funny one there) who said that he caught “Candida” in his throat. I think I was the only one who knew what that was as I was giggling throughout his set.
But he went to the pharmacy:
“I need something to treat Candida”
“well, here you go, now do you know if your wife prefers 1 or 3 day tablets”
“no, it’s for me”
“you have Candida”
“yes it’s right here…let me show you”
*cue Pharmacist-shaped dust cloud and the sound of feet running away FAST*
He then went on to describe how Monistat is infinitely more palatable than Canesten.
I LOL’d.
My friend also has a yeast infection all over his body in little patches. He gave his girlfriend an infection in her vagina through some heavy frottage. It takes all kinds.
@RocktheDebit: True, and diabetics tend to have problems with recurring yeast infections. At one point I had a resting blood sugar test to see if high blood sugar might be the cause of my yeast problem.
Oh, and a brief public service announcement: if you are having unprotected sex with a dude and you keep getting recurring yeast infections, you should have him rub some Monistat into his penis at the same time you treat yourself. Men can have a whole lotta yeast on their dicks–esp. uncircumsized men–without knowing it, and it gets spread around your vadge during sex.
Fortunately, my college boyfriend was a good sport about his occasional Monistat rubdowns.
When I was young (middle school, maybe?) I had constant yeast infections, and no idea what they were. It was terrible, I was itchy all. the. time. For years. I knew that my sister had them too, but somehow my mom never caught on. It was miserable – it took my first visit to my Ob/Gyn for someone to say “Oh, you have a yeast infection. Let’s fix that for you!”
Also, I found that the fluconazole (oral) tablets work like a charm, but you have a get a prescription for it. From what I remember, if you have insurance, the copay is about the same as Monistat, and it’s faster and waaaay less messy.
I find that OTC yeast infection treatments never work. I can go through 5 boxes of Monistat and all it does is cool my crotch down for a bit. I am fanatical about rinsing off after work outs, cotton underwear, peeing after sex, eating yogurt (I learned to like it because of all my yeast infections), avoiding excess sugar, NEVER using douches, bubble baths and other weirdo products on my cooch. I used to get so many yeast infections and they were not just itchy but downright painful, often from intense periods of sexual activity and especially after my birth control estrogen was increased to take care of spotting. I learned something– spotting is way better than constant yeast infections. I got an IUD and I hoarde the prescription anti-fungal oral meds they dole out. I will remember about the boric acid. I already have some under my sink for roaches!
Another problem I have is that I’m also prone to UTIs and if I get to the point where I need to take antibiotics for one, I tell the doctor to go ahead and write me a prescription for anti-fungals because the antibiotics kill the beasties keeping the yeasties in check. Consequently, my daily mega doses of cranberry extract are in effect also a yeast infection avoidance measure.
Oh, gah, I am SO glad I don’t get a yeast infection from condoms! I get them pretty rarely, actually (usually only in the wake of antibiotics) for which I am grateful.
The first time I got one, I didn’t have any itching or noticeable discharge, but I had incredible pain during sex with a well-endowed male partner. I guess the yeast had irritated the skin and membranes down there to the point where being touched or stretched was excrutiating. I had no idea what was going on, and I have to say, the painful-to-the-point-of-crying sex was truly awful. Took me months of this before I went to a doctor, who diagnosed yeast. Wish I’d known that itchiness and copious discharge aren’t the only symptoms to watch for!
In other words: Yes, we need to talk about this more. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily dinner-table conversation, obviously, but if I had been able to talk to my girlfriends about the pain and inflammation, I might have avoided months of pain.
The only yeast infection I ever had came when I had to take MAJOR antibiotics for an ear infection that was so bad it perforated my eardrum. Talk about adding insult to injury – I was jacked up on painkillers, antibiotics, and then Monistat. Ugh.
But, apparently, it’s super-common for women to get yeast infections when on strong antibiotics, since the antibiotics often kill off some of the vagina’s regulating bacteria.
That is an awful women’s health fail. Jeezuz. I was seriously miffed when I was finally told at the age of about 25 that many women (including me) can avoid yeast infections altogether by having a moderate amount of yogurt in their diet. Why wasn’t I told this the first time I ever had a yeast infection? And why aren’t most women told that the pill often blocks absorption of vitamin B12 so you might want to take a supplement while on it to avoid other health problems? Shouldn’t we be given this kind of very basic info when we get presciptions for these things?
And I’m fascinated with the whole boric acid thing, as I love shortcuts that bypass big pharma, but I must admit the whole idea of putting anything with the word “acid” in the title into my shame cave is a bit scary. Maybe we could rename it with a flowery, girl-powery kind of name like they would come up with if the patent for it was owned by a pharmaceutical company. And it could have a cute little bird or bunny or something next to the name.
I finally got the courage to post a comment here and it’s to talk about yeast.
I recently went to the doctor because I thought I had a yeast infection (after realising that no, it was probably not the body butter my friend gave me for Christmas that was making me itch). My regular doctor was out of town, but the nice replacement doctor listened to me babble, smiled and said: ‘Would you rather I have a look or just give you your perscription, because it’s pretty obvious what you have.’ He then reassured me that it happened to a lot of people and it’s not anything weird.
I’m curious about the boric acid, though. Do you just stick the capsule up there and wait for it to dissolve?
I got one from using a contraceptive sponge (first and last time I did that). They’re awful. I can’t imagine dealing with it on a regular basis!
Thanks for addressing this. And not to get too crotchety, but I really wish it wasn’t necessary to put that disclaimer for the men thing at the top of your entry.
Can you tell I am ready to turn homicidal if I hear another “what about the menz?”
A quick PSA for new boric acid converts: make sure sure sure you keep it away from children and pets. I know BeckySharper noted it’s poisonous, I just wanted to reiterate. It is actually deadly for pets and small kids if they ingest it, and pretty bad for regular adults as well. For vadge use only!
Inny, yes. Just like the suppositories you get with Monistat. You just stick it up there and let it dissolve.
Oh wow, do I have a lot to say on this!
I had a yeast infection for 10 months (that ended about a year ago) and it was either recurring or not, but because the schmoogie and I are monogamous and not using condoms, HE got all yeastified. (Actually, we don’t know who gave it to whom because after a year and 7 different doctors, we came to the conclusion that he’s been full of yeast for years.)
Anyway, my gyn (well, she was when I had health insurance) told me about the boric acid, and my MD/ND told me that putting a probiotic capsule in my vagina will promote growth of the good bacteria. He says you can kill the bad microbes, but something else is gonna grow in its place, so it should be something beneficial to the vagina flora. (I also did an endemic yeast detox and my vagina and otherwise yeast infections have been far more rare since.)
Oh yeah, and non-latex condoms. Oh yeah again, food+vagina=yeast infection, so make sure your partner brushes hir teeth and gets that mouth clean before going down on you (also do the same for your female parter or uncircumsized male partner). And glycerin is sugar. If it has glycerin in it it’s not lube.
@Shannon: DO NOT use the boric acid you buy at the hardware store for anti-yeast purposes. You need the pharmaceutical grade stuff. The roach powder you get at the hardware store often has other bad stuff added to it.
@Inny: the gelatin cap dissolves from the moisture of your vagina and the boric acid powder kind of works its way down and out. It might make your vagina feel wetter, and you might get a little white powdery stuff coming out, but it’s much less messy than Monistat. It’s best to put the capsule in at night–the active ingredients stay in there for longer if you’re not walking around.
@JetGirl: I figured I’d give the dudes a trigger warning but shame them at the same time! Because, really, it’s just ridiculous that this kind of conversation grosses them out.
Heh, Rachel, I eat a lot of yogurt primarly because I want to ward of the yeast! I got yeast infections a lot in college (before I started having sex, though), but they are far less frequent these days. BUT, as BeckySharper mentioned, I did get one right before I went to the Dominican. Yessssss. Luckily, though, it was very mild and didn’t bother me at all once I got there.
I hear you! And I applaud the shaming! And I also loooove Sisterhood of the Fiery Vulva. Great band name.
@BeckySharper: Very good to know! Mine just says “boric acid” under the contents list but I will stay away from it nonetheless.
And I second the condoms = yeast infection others are mentioning. In my case, it’s because I’m allergic to latex and irritation gets the ball rolling. On that note, non-latex condoms are a bitch to find.
I had my first yeast infection when I was four, and I’ve been getting them fairly regularly ever since. Mine are generally mild enough that when I ignore them, they go away. I have found that tea tree oil relieves the itching and supposedly helps them heal, which is a nice twofer. I’ll have to try the boric acid next time.
Here’s yet another PSA that is very incredibly super important if you suspect your lady bits are more sensitive than most. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES base your otc purchase on the idea that, “Well, this is a raging infection of the yeasties which clearly means I should get the hardcore stuff that works in just one application for twice the cost.”
If you do that, you’re bound to find yourself in fetal position trying to force out every last remnant of that poison you can while crying into the phone to your doctor begging to know if you just inadvertantly killed your vadge.
Seriously — they don’t put a warning on the label (though they should) but lots of women have a delicate system and if your PH balance is knocked out of whack that intensely, it’s more than uncomfortable and there is no way to stop the pain but to ride it out for a few hours. No one told me this and I really wish they had…
@Jenn: OMG, that is SO true. Like I said in the post, that happened to me with a prescription anti-yeast cream. And Monistat’s 1 day cream will do it too. You know that horrible photo from the Vietnam War of the little girl running down the street after being napalmed? That’s how I felt. And the stuff is oil-based, so even if you try to get water up in your vagina to wash it out, it clings to your vaginal walls and totally scorches them. I was weeping in the stirrups the next day while the doctor reassured me that I didn’t have third degree burns in my vagina.
OMG Kari! That explains a lot! I rarely experience itching or discharge when I have a yeast infection – my ob/gyn said not to worry about them if they didn’t bother me – but I have had times when sex was suddenly and inexplicably painful for no apparent reason.
Dots connected!
I got my first yeast infection back in March, just before I went on my trip to New York with my friends. It was HORRIBLE. I honestly have no idea how I went a week without any relief.
I’ve noticed that I get yeast infections when I’m taking antibiotics or I use Dove soap. So I had to switch to Neutrogena soap and take some Diflucan when I’m popping the Amoxicillin. There could be other causes, but who knows.
The one thing that has really prevented them was eating yogurt. Specifically Dannon Activia. It really works.
Gawd damn! I love that the internet often makes me feel so much less freakish. @BeckyS, have.at.it, Rachel S, Shannon – I’ve never heard anyone tell me that, “Yah, latex condoms = yeast.” The doctors that I have seen over the years have all sort of scratched their heads and said, “Um…I don’t think that’s it…” So I’ve always sort of though I was nutso for making the connection. I’ve used non-latex condoms for the past 7 years and have been great!
And the raging fire pain from the OTC creams? Oh holy hell. I can remember sitting in the shower with a bag of frozen pees clamped between my legs in college convinced I was going to die. Again, only to be told by student health that, “You *might* be sensitive to it, but most women really aren’t.” Oh, because using the word fire to describe pain probably doesn’t indicate any sort of sensitivity. Because, ya know, most women don’t react like this.
I feel so vindicated!
I am so glad you posted this BeckySharper. I have long had troubles with frequent yeast infections and UTIs. I’ve been tested for every STI under the sun, and since the doctors never found a reason for the frequency, I always assumed that there was something they missed. I don’t have insurance, so I often visit the local Planned Parenthoods for assistance, as well as the facilities offered by the college I attend. At the college, I often found the nurses to be testy, and sometimes down right rude. Even at the Planned Parenthood, it seems the doctors don’t really care to try to help to find a solution, but just want to get me out the door.
Although I would never wish either infection on anyone, I’m definitely glad to hear that other women have the same trouble that I do, and don’t have HIV! I definitely plan on using the boric acid that you recommended. Thanks!