How to cure thrush(/ 3 Day Thrush Cure)?

[onlyAngil]

I believe my daughter has thrush as she has large milky white patches in her cheeks that stay when touched or wiped. While it her nursing is seemingly unaffected I would rather be proactive about this then wait and see it things get worse. My nipples have been getting red though this will fade between feedings. I have no burnings or shooting pains, except when she unlatches though I believe this is due to her "dragging" her teeth. She had been actively biting me (with her all 4 teeth) right before her 5th broke the gum line. I am planing on taking her to the Dr. but I like to walk in with a bit of an understanding of what I am getting myself into so I can have some standing ground on making a choice when presented with the options.

I always look for more natural (and if possible vegan/ curelty free) choices first, as this is my lifestyle. There for Nystatin is low on my list. It also low for other reason as well. From what I read, and please feel free correct me, it only works like 50% of the time and can cause permeate liver damage in young children. I am also on the fence about Genitian Violet. I have read things a bit all over the place about it, it is natural, it is un-natural, 100% safe, could cause cancer.... Anyone care to help me out here? I would love to know other ideas as what might work!

Also I stumbled across getridofthrush.com where a "3 Day Thrush Cure" e-book is offered for sell. Does anyone know about this or used it? or know if it is 100% fake?

[SeekingSerenity]

Don't know anything about a 3-day cure... but I have also heard that Nystatin does not work very well (that's the one thing I haven't tried, for that reason). And FWIW, gentian violet damaged my nipples, causing cracks, bleeding and infections that eventually lead to my being completely unable to use my left breast. Don't get me wrong, the GV kicked the thrush out, but it also caused the worst pain in my life - worse than the actual yeast.

I'd suggest looking into kefir, as that truly helped me for a bit, but it's not vegan. (I have heard of something called water kefir, but I am not going to pretend to know what it is. )

Rather than relate the whole agonizing, ongoing, endless story of my thrush battle, which started when my son was 4 weeks old and still periodically flares up (he's 14 months now), including a brief, emotionally-agonizing period wherein he was wet-nursed by my then-friend followed by having to supplement with bottles just a couple of weeks later (I don't recommend allowing a friend to wet-nurse), followed by losing the milk in the left side because of the damaged nipple... I will just tell you what I do now.

I do swab the inside of Lil'Man's mouth with GV if I see a thrush spot. Just once. Just him. NOT me. And directly AFTER he nurses so much of it is absorbed by the time he nurses again. Usually that clears him right up. (Use only the 1% solution. I've never heard about a cancer link, but that stuff is so vile it wouldn't surprise me.)

For me, I break open a capsule of grapefruit seed extract, mix it thoroughly with about 2 ounces of water, then pour that over the nipple right after I nurse. Let it dry and rinse it off before nursing again. Then repeat right after nursing. If it hurts, I also may lather the nipple with cold, plain yogurt. (It feels better and it's beneficial as well.) Because of the h*ll I have gone through with this yeast, I hit it hard at the first sign of burning (which always seems to happen right before he cuts a tooth). It usually hits me before I see any spots in his mouth. But doing this, it actually helps, and I have tried EVERY.THING in the book. I've even spread Vusion anti-fungal cream (an Rx for athlete's foot) on my nipples - it doesn't wipe off very well, so I don't recommend that either - as well as sunbathed topless on someone else's porch because sunlight is supposed to kill the yeast. This method with the GSE and yogurt as well as one single GV swab to the baby has been the most effective thing I've used. Luckily, we only have to deal with it about every 6 weeks or so now, and it's not very intense. Like I said, it's when he's teething. Maybe there's a connection.

There's another thread on here somewhere about dealing with thrush, it's pages and pages long, so you can get a lot of different ideas about what to try. For me and Lil'Man, the expensive probiotics didn't even do a d#mn thing.

I do suggest that whatever you try, you start NOW. The sooner the better. This stuff gets it's hooks into you and it's desperately hard to get rid of sometimes.

[AutumnMama]

Never heard of that e-book,, but I will second (third?) that you should get it taken care of ASAP!
The longer you wait the worse it gets.
With both of my younger DS's we had to resort to Diflucan for both of us.
I had tried every home remedy I could find with them, but it just didn't kick it. Hope yours is easier to get rid of!

[sahmmie]

Is Nystatin the same as Diflucan? My daugther took Diflucan at 4 months for thrush and it worked like magic. I know you're worried about drugs and possible liver damage, but ongoing thrush can be a nightmare (as you can see from reading some of these posts). I think the risk of liver damage from a three day course of Diflucan is probably very minute in a healthy newborn.

[B'sMrs]

Nystatin was worthless when my daughter had thrush. Her pediatrician made me give her that junk for three weeks before prescribing the Diflucan.

I tried grape fruit seed extract which helped a little but I think my babe had such a strong case it couldnt kick it out of her system. (She had it in her mouth and diaper area)

The Diflucan worked like a charm. the doctor said she didnt want to start off with the Diflucan because it can have some bad side effects like vomiting, diarrhea and rash and some insurances wont cover the prescription. My daughter got the vomiting but it was really mild. And if you get a script for the generic and go to someplace like target where they have a discount on generics it wont cost too much. We only paid $17 for the generic when our insurance wouldnt cover it.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

[Heba]

I see that miconazole has not been mentioned - and it seems that in the US at least, it is generally not prescribed in favour of nystatin. I'm kind of curious about this, as in the UK it is held to be a preferable treatment (cream for the nipple, gel for the baby's mouth) - more effective more quickly than nystatin. Anyway, it is not a natural remedy but I just wanted to mention it as it is another option. (For more information, see http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org....t_Feb_2009.pdf)

[bundy]

:)

So, I tried it and things are looking much better. So far it is more effective than the 6 weeks of diflucan, gentian violet, Nystatin and GSE. It has been more than 3 days and it isn't gone entirely, but I am optimistic!

[momoftworedheads]

Here is what worked for us, I used GSE (15 drops) mixed with water and swabbed it onto my son's patches after every feed. I also swabbed it onto my nipples after all of his feeds. For his rash in the diaper area, the only things that worked were Apple cider vinegar and water washes at each diaper change and antifungal cream mixed with Burt's bees diaper ointment. I used 1% clotrimazole cream and added it to the diaper cream.

I also washed my cloth diapers with GSE and used vinegar soaks for all of them. It took 2 weeks to completely get rid of it and we are still doing the GSE swabs for another week and the diaper cream as needed.

Take care,

[OTMomma]

Originally Posted by momoftworedheads

Here is what worked for us, I used GSE (15 drops) mixed with water and swabbed it onto my son's patches after every feed. I also swabbed it onto my nipples after all of his feeds. For his rash in the diaper area, the only things that worked were Apple cider vinegar and water washes at each diaper change and antifungal cream mixed with Burt's bees diaper ointment. I used 1% clotrimazole cream and added it to the diaper cream.

I also washed my cloth diapers with GSE and used vinegar soaks for all of them. It took 2 weeks to completely get rid of it and we are still doing the GSE swabs for another week and the diaper cream as needed.

Is GSE Grapeseed extract? Do you get that at GNC or Whole foods or what?
Thanks!

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by marge234

Is this one of those deals where people are paid to get on MDC and talk up products?

MDC absolutely does NOT do that. Closed until I can clean this up. Please feel free to start another spam-free thread, and I'm sorry.

[annettemarie]

OK, that was easier than I thought it would be. Again, I apologize.

[SeekingSerenity]

Originally Posted by OTMomma

Is GSE Grapeseed extract? Do you get that at GNC or Whole foods or what?
Thanks!

GSE - Grapefruit Seed Extract. It's pretty much available anywhere... I've even seen it at Walmart.

[onlyAngil]

My DD is doing better, the patches just left about a half day after I wrote this... we are having some change in our diet so I think it may have been that. I wanted to make it clear I am not here "talking up" anything, rather I am just trying to find out about something I found on "thee 'googles'" (lol) Sorrie it took me rather long to get back, with two "spirited" kids of such young ages, currently 3 and 1.5, I have my hands rather full. Thank you everyone of all the information here, but understand when I state... I hope I never need it!

~~~

Originally Posted by bundy

So, I tried it and things are looking much better. So far it is more effective than the 6 weeks of diflucan, gentian violet, Nystatin and GSE. It has been more than 3 days and it isn't gone entirely, but I am optimistic!

You say "it" what do you mean ("I tried 'it'")?

[SeekingSerenity]

Originally Posted by onlyAngil

You say "it" what do you mean ("I tried 'it'")?

I think she means the 3-day thrush-cure thing. The majority of info about that got removed from the thread because it was spam. Glad to hear your DD is feeling better! We've been several months without a flare-up here... I'd say we're thrush-free, but last time I said that I got a flare-up about two days later. So maybe we're just in long-term remission...

[bundy]

I did mean the 3 day thrush cure

I actually sent a note to MDC worried that the post was spam. I am still sort of convinced it is. In desperation I bought the e book and wrote a scathing letter to the author for preying on nursing moms in desperation and pain.
When she responded like a true human being, I decided to try some of what she was saying. I did not buy the probiotics she was reccommending, but I did break mine open and smear them on my nipples to get a relief that diflucan, gv and nystatin could not give me.
The jury is still out for me on the veracity of the poster, but try putting probiotics directly onto nipple yeast. Make sure not to use chlorinated water though.
Also, smear some probiotics around in LO's mouth.

[annettemarie]

All spam has been removed. If you have further questions or concerns, please PM a moderator rather than discussing it on the thread. Thanks!

[bettyblood8610]

Originally Posted by onlyAngil 

I believe my daughter has thrush as she has large milky white patches in her cheeks that stay when touched or wiped. While it her nursing is seemingly unaffected I would rather be proactive about this then wait and see it things get worse. My nipples have been getting red though this will fade between feedings. I have no burnings or shooting pains, except when she unlatches though I believe this is due to her "dragging" her teeth. She had been actively biting me (with her all 4 teeth) right before her 5th broke the gum line. I am planing on taking her to the Dr. but I like to walk in with a bit of an understanding of what I am getting myself into so I can have some standing ground on making a choice when presented with the options.

I always look for more natural (and if possible vegan/ curelty free) choices first, as this is my lifestyle. There for Nystatin is low on my list. It also low for other reason as well. From what I read, and please feel free correct me, it only works like 50% of the time and can cause permeate liver damage in young children. I am also on the fence about Genitian Violet. I have read things a bit all over the place about it, it is natural, it is un-natural, 100% safe, could cause cancer.... Anyone care to help me out here? I would love to know other ideas as what might work!

Also I stumbled across getridofthrush.com where a "3 Day Thrush Cure" e-book is offered for sell. Does anyone know about this or used it? or know if it is 100% fake?

natural cure for infant oral thrush:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon bakingpowder
1 tablespoon distilled water to make into paste
apply with cottonswab on white patches after eating

[AlDente]

Diflucan for both of us and Colloidal Silver on my nipples in between feedings worked for us.  When I feel it starting to come back, I do the colloidal silver and it clears right up. 

To put the Colloidal silver on nipples, get regular band-aid brand bandaids (I tried another brand first and it didn't work because the silver didn't soak into the pad) and fold back the adhesive so none of will stick to your breast.  Then soak the pad of the bandaid with the silver, put one on each nipple and leave them there until the next feeding.  It feels so good when the thrush is bad....nice and cool.