And putting up with Yeast Infections! :( You know you have a yeast infection when you and hubby are about to get busy and it hurts....like the dickens. So today I discovered that I do indeed have a yeast infection and feel like crap. I did some searching and I found this:

Candida albicans is yeast (or fungus) that normally inhabits our digestive system. In healthy people, candida does little harm because it's kept in check by beneficial microorganisms, or probiotics. These "good" bacteria, however, can be easily destroyed by antibiotics, prescription medications, birth control pills, poor diet and daily stress, allowing Candida yeast to grow out of control and produce infections. Thought to affect more than 40 million Americans, Candida can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as vaginitis, weight retention, bowel disorders, ear and sinus irritation, intense itching, canker sores and ringworm.

Yeast-connected health problems occur in people of all ages and both sexes. However, women are more apt to be affected. Yeasts are especially apt to play a role in causing your health problems if you:

1. Feel bad "all over," yet the cause can't be identified and treatment of many kinds hasn't helped.

2. Have taken prolonged courses of broad-spectrum antibiotic drugs, including the tetracyclines (Sumycin®, Panmycin®, Vibramycin®, Minocin®, etc.), ampicillin, amoxicillin, the cephalosporins (Keflex®, Ceclor®, etc.), and sulfonamide drugs, including Septra® and Bactrim®.

3. Have consumed diets containing a lot of yeast and sugar.

4. Crave sweets, breads or alcoholic beverages.

5. Notice that sweets make your symptoms worse or give you a "pick-up," followed by a "let-down."

6. Have symptoms of hypoglycemia.

7. Have taken birth control pills, prednisone, Decadron® or other corticosteroid drugs.

8. Have had multiple pregnancies.

9. Have been troubled by recurrent problems related to your reproductive organs, including abdominal pain, vaginal in­fection or discomfort, premenstrual tension, menstrual ir­regularities, prostatitis or impotence.

10. Are bothered by persistent or recurrent symptoms involving your digestive and nervous systems.

11. Have been bothered by persistent or recurrent athlete's foot, fungous infection of the nails or "jock itch."

12. Feel bad on damp days or in moldy places.

13. Are made ill when exposed to perfumes, tobacco smoke and other chemicals.1

Taken from this site: http://www.coconutdiet.com/candida.htm

I'm guilty of #3 & 4. I wondered why I'd been craving sweets lately. It just fed the yeast!

So today I'm guzzling the water like crazy, sent hubby out to get me a couple coconuts so I can graze on that and yogurt and another tube of Canesten. I used my other one up last night. :sad:

I found yet another site for home remedies for yeast infections: http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/home-remedy/...-infection.html

Been doing the teatree oil thing. That burns!

I've found that a good way for me to avoide getting them is to take Acidophilus pills daily. Yes, you can get the same from eating yogurt but I don't particularly like yogurt and it's so much easier to take a pill each day.

When I'm taking them regularly I don't get one. But if I forget to take them for a few weeks, I'm bound to end up with one.

I've gotten them since I was 16 and usually get them about twice a year so I completely understand how terrible they are :boo:

Hope you feel better soon!

Hope you're feeling better Lena.

I only get them when I take antibiotics. But I find that if I eat yogurt when I'm taking the antibiotics, I won't get an infection.

I agree with Red though, accidophilus really does the trick. It's also very helpful when you get diarhea. Clears it right up.

Yes, moms...:D

I do have acidophilus in the refrigerator...Yeah, bash me now! I should go and down one. :bash: My mom keeps reminding me, too. Mothers! :rollseyes:

Right now, I'm just tired. Hubby keeps saying, "Why are you so tired?" I'm like, well, my body is fighting an infection right now. It takes energy to fight the bad guys!

Wow, I wonder if that explains why the longer I was on birth control the more painful sex would be. Once I went off birth control within a week or two it stopped being painful so I'm pretty sure the pill had something to do with it.

Never had one....DON'T want one...hope you feel better soon, Lena!!

Seriously? Never? You are Lucky in that ! Go you!

Sarah, I tried Nuva Ring for one month a while back. The entire time i had it in it felt like yeast infection ALL the time--pain and itching. A day after I took it out the discomfort went away. Put the new ring in and in a few hours the symptoms returned. Took that out real quick! I do think that Birth Control apparently can affect women in that way..

Whoa! What's wrong with ya, woman? I thought it was a part of womanhood to deal with yeast infections? I first got one when I had my first baby. When I went in for my 6th week check-up, doc said I had a severe infection. Yeah, major hormonal imbalance does it, too.

I'm a bit better. Haven't had much rest, just keeping myself super busy trying not to think about it. Hubby bought the 3 day Canesten cream. Been munching on coconut...YUM. Oh and I took that pill! :tease:

mmmmmmm....coconut! Sometimes I'll buy one at the store & have hubby fix it...do you bake yours in the oven? That's how we fix ours...

Yeah, to crack it open! Baked it at 450 for 15 minutes, then took a hammer to it. Actually this one was fairly cracked already, so it didn't take much to open it up. Right now, I've got the bits and pieces in the fridge. It really helps ease the "sweet tooth syndrome". And apparently they aide in melting fat! And good for the thyroid. Many good uses for coconut!

oohhhh....I didn't know coconut helps in burning fat...maybe I'll buy one at the store next time I go....

The reason it keeps coming back to haunt us is that is a fungus that usually never goes away but just lies dormant in our bodies when it is not active.

However good news!! When I had it as a teenager my doctor told me that the creams etc don't kill but it just lays dormant and said the only thing that actually kills the fungus is a product called Betadine Surgical Scrub. I don't know if you have it over there, we have a heap of Betadine products over here but it is important that it is the Surgical Scrub. At the time (a long, long time ago :haha: )
hospitals were using to scrub before operations etc. (I believe they still do) Anyway the doc told me if I wanted to kill the fungus to stop it from keep on coming back I should get buy some and use it as a wash in the affected area every day. It is a liquid, the colour of iodine. She also said to keep using it for at least 2 years as a wash in that area. I had to order it especially fron the chemist (I think you call it a drug store) and the bottle lasted me for well over 2 years. I kept it in my shower and if I ever felt the slightest itch I would wash with it again. In the end I think I threw it out unfinished.
It worked I have never had any of those awful infections since (we call it thrush over here, same thing).

I have put others onto it over the years and they have been happy with it. It was well worth it. My mum used it under her breasts as she had trouble there and it solved her problem too. If any of my daughters get this it will be the first thing I go out and get for them.


Hope