Neverending Nipple Yeast - Page 3

[jacksmama]

Lexymama & loraxc: I posted previously in this thread. My ds and I have also had Thrush, now going on SIX months. It eases up and comes back. I've considered weaning because I feel like my ds is suffering! He's only 9 months old and he's had thrush for most of his life. I have not tried the Candex. That sounds like it could be promising. We've done or are still doing all the same treatments you all have: diflucan, topicals, nystatin, anti yeast diet, washing in vinegar, boiling toys, etc.

I have two questions: At my bf'ing support group someone suggested that it was really my ds who had the thrush and he keeps re-infecting me. I'm not sure about this because he's been treated all along with me. What I wondering, is when you do the candex do you use it on your baby as well? If not how do you treat him? I would think my ds and I need to be treated concurrently.

My second question is the diet and the washing. I follow the diet but not so faithfully. Also, I change towels, but sometimes I just can't stand to do another load of laundry and I blow it off and use the same towel, etc. Has anyone found that not really following through causes another outbreak or do I REALLY need to be super strict on this?

[Lexymama]

My yeast is back full force with the cracked, bleeding painful nipples. I went off the diet for a few days. I stopped using anything topical on them. Probably the reason it is back so horribly. DEPRESSING! I will begin everything again and see if I can get rid of it. I refuse to go back on Diflucan because I was beginning to get ill with it.

Jacksmama ~ my advice is do EVERYTHING and don't stop. Treat your baby too. Grapefruit seed extract can be used in baby's mouth too.

[loraxc]

Lexymama, I am so sorry! I guess I'd better keep up with my topical stuff. Today I'm worse again anyway. : It just is so cyclical. I don't want to take the Diflucan again either--the vasospasm is much better since I've been off it.

Jacksmama, yikes, six months. You're scaring me! Why is this stuff so hard to get rid of? It seems like persistent yeast is a newly emerging problem--my LC has never dealt with a case as bad as mine before and my midwives seem to think it is really bizarre, but here you all are, too.

Like you, I am finding it hard to keep up with the laundry and the diet. I screwed up and ate a hoagie roll tonight when we had guests--I wasn't thinking. It's all such a lot of extra work and trouble.

As to Candex, I don't know if you can give it to the baby. I didn't. Everyone keeps telling me my baby must have thrush too, but she has *never* had any patches in her mouth and only occasionally gets a a few spots of diaper rash that go away with ointment. We did give her the Nystatin, but that's all.

It's such a bummer that I really don't even know what it is like to nurse without pain. First couple of weeks, I had the typical cracked and bleeding nipples...that resolved, but then I got mastitis...then the thrush. Sigh.

[whitecrew4]

My Dr mentioned that she's culturing more cases of yeast and finding staph and strep along with the yeast.
So what may seem like a super resistant strain of yeast may be something else as well.
Never hurts to check things out.
Nancy

[schatz]

One year ago today I had a plugged duct, majorly cracked nipple, mastitis and a wicked case of yeast on my breast - ack! It was horrendous. I read the posts here but can't recall if you've tried gentian violet. That's what worked for me. Put some on your nipple and your babe gets it too. I also did GSE, probiotics, anti candida diet, newman's all purpose ointment, pau d'arco, goldenseal - probably other things but it's a blur now. I battled the yeast from the end of April until August when I found out that I had actually kicked the yeast but had in turn acquired nipple eczema. My nipples actually felt better after I stopped all of my anti yeast treatments and used an ointment twice per day prescribed by the derm.

Just wanted to share my situation and suggest the gentian violet if you haven't tried it.

[Lexymama]

Has anyone tried ThreeLac? It sounds good, but wanted to hear from someone who actually used it before I waste more money on yeast treatment.

[AppleOrangePear]

HI all I think IM in the same boat as all of you.DS is 6 months: : Since I was pregnant I began having white scaly patches on my legs ( resembled ring worm kinda) I figured it must be yeast as all growing up when id lay out in the sun you could see alll the white spots.. well currently and since hes been born my nipples are bright pink(however not sore) and i have lil dry patches on legs and stomach. This sounds really nutty but I have 3 dogs and think they alll ahve a yeast problem also ( yeast ear infections licking etc) UGH im beginiing to think our whole family is an OUTBREAK! Ive been ignoring my spots and nipples hwover im making an apt with dr. Im now noticing simlar lil dry patches on DS .... Im neurotic as it is but I think in the back of my head that Some Drs are trying to link some autism cases to overgrowth of yeast..AHHHHH so i really want to get a hold of this. SO does anyone else have patches on there skin or white spots? Ill also let you know what my DR says when I get in for an apt can a regular MD do a skin scrape?

[VeganSculptor]

My son and I have been suffering from thrush for a few months now. We've tried Gentian Violet(took it away for a few days), vinegar, washing everything in hot water, sugar/yeast elimination, Goldenseal & Echinacea, Capryllic acid, Nystatin, Lotrimon cream, raw garlic, acidopholis, boiling. The list goes on!

Our thrush isn't that bad. My doctor didn't even think it was thrush until she did a culture and it just came back positive. I knew it! My nipples are red, sore and I have sharp shooting pains in my breasts when letdown occurs. My son has white patches in his mouth that come and go. It seems to have gotten better now that the weather is warm, but it is still there.

My doctor suggested taking Diflucan for 1-2 days and supplimenting with formula, or pumping beforehand and supplimenting with that. I am definitely not open to formula and I can't even imagine my son taking a bottle for 2 days. He nurses for comfort and to go to sleep, I just won't break his heart by not allowing him to.

My question is this, those of you who have been on Diflucan for weeks, did you nurse while on it? My doctor says this is absolutely not recommended. She said it's dangerous. I don't know what to think. I don't wholely trust the medical community, but I have to go to this doctor because it's what my insurance will pay for. I am desperate to get rid of this yeast problem for good. I just ordered the Candex and hopeflully that will help. I am also going to get some GSE because we haven't tried that yet. Does it come in a powder? How am I supposed to use it?

I'm so glad I found this board and this post! It's good to know I'm not alone in this. The doctor treated me like I didn't know what I was talking about and like we didn't have thrush, and she seems less educated about all of it than I am. It's frusterating!

[VeganSculptor]

I also wanted to add that we have been seeing out chiropractor also and she said to just keep taking acidopholis, but it hasn't taken the thrush away. I feel lost and like nobody has a solution that works!

[Lexymama]

It sounds like your doc is misinformed. Diflucan is even approved for infant use now. Read this article by Jack Newman regarding Diflucan. http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/20.html I took it for six weeks and noticed no side effects in my daughter and she nursed the entire time. Taking it for 2 days will most likely not help. It takes quite a while to get rid of the yeast. GSE comes in a little bottle and you mix it with water and then use a q-tip to put it on your nipples and in the babies mouth.

[KarmaChameleon]

Vegan Sculptor...your thrush sounds a lot like mine...not super painful but definitely super persistent.

I had my MD say NO to Diflucan, but I had a Lac.Consultant say it was okay,. So I went to a homeopath and he said NO NO NO. I had already done two week-long rounds of Diflucan by this time, so I decided a third would be torture. It seemed to agitate baby';s tummy too.

I am SO glad to see you are going to try Candex. Do this before you even consider taking Diflucan.

Once you start the Candex, be faithful to all your washing routines and supplements...moreso than ever before. If you are going to beat this thrush, it is going to be everything all at once. You have to starve it right out of your system. DOn't forget to do the candida diet for two full weeks while the Candex works its semi-magic.

I am rooting for you!!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

[VeganSculptor]

That link didn't work

I TOLD my doctor that I had even read that they give it to infants now and she looked at me like I was CRAZY! She said that anyone can say something on the internet, but it doesn't mean it's true! : I just don't get it. How can she be so misinformed? Do you have anymore websites that say it is okay? Thanks

[KarmaChameleon]

Oh, Lexymama and I posted at the same time. I agree with her that if you take only a couple days of Diflucan, you might as well not take any at all. That is not nearly enough to kill breast yeast.

[Lexymama]

I edited that link. Try it again. Did it work?

[VeganSculptor]

Thank you Amanda, I am weary of taking Diflucan. I think I will just wait and get the Camdex and try to get back into taking all the suppliments. It is so hard to go without sugar because I know my body is dependant on it, but I am going to do this once and for all! I went off sugar for awhile, but it didn't seem to make a difference. I think I am going to also juice and sprout a lot and try to eat mostly raw for awhile.

[VeganSculptor]

The link worked this time, thanks! It is the same information I had read some time ago. I wonder if I showed this website to my doctor if she'd think I was nuts? I don't know if it is worth the effort. I would like to educate her though even if I don't end up doing a round of Diflucan.

[schatz]

Originally posted by VeganSculptor
My doctor suggested taking Diflucan for 1-2 days and supplimenting with formula, or pumping beforehand and supplimenting with that. I am definitely not open to formula and I can't even imagine my son taking a bottle for 2 days. He nurses for comfort and to go to sleep, I just won't break his heart by not allowing him to.

If you give your son bottles and/or use a pump, you will have to boil all of the parts that come in contact with the milk after each use. It is royal pain!!! There is no need for you to give your son a bottle now if it is not part of your lives already. I had to boil bottles and pump parts for weeks and weeks while I beat the yeast because I worked outside the home. Your doc doesn't know what she's talking about. Also, 1 or 2 days won't have an effect.

Are you giving your son the acidophilous too? He should be getting it to balance out his system. Break open a capsule, wet your finger, dip it in the powder and let your son suck it off.

BTW, Jack Newman is one of the most educated people when it comes to bf (IMO) and he's a doc. It's not as if you're reading some random website.

Good luck and just wanted to add my $.02 about the bottles/pump.

[KarmaChameleon]

Vegan...I KNOW how hard it is to go off sugar. And it's not just sugar, either. You need to cease all foods that encourage the yeast and give it a nice place to multiply, including cheese, mushrooms, some nuts, all sugar, most fruits, etc. You have to even drink distilled water if you want to go hardcore (which I totally advocate b/c that is the best way to beat the yeast).

The hardest part about giving up sugar is that the yeast is making you crave it b/c it wants to survive. So it sends a message to your brain/stomach for you to consume more sugar so it can thrive. Total mindf*** if you ask me.

I battled thrush physically, but I also felt my sanity slipping and depression was impending. I beat it just before i got to teh end of my rope.

I sympathize.

[Lexymama]

I have mixed feelings regarding the Diflucan. Before I took it I was having excruciating pain. Now I have cracked and bleeding nipples again, but it is nothing like the pain I had before the Diflucan. I wish it had completely cured me of it, but I guess I'm glad I took it so that I am not in the pain I was before (which I compared to labor pain!!!)

[Lexymama]

VeganSculptor, you could buy Jack Newman's book and then bring it to your doc. Maybe she would be more influenced by a book, than a webpage.