3+ months of thrush... getting desperate for a fix

[kalin verona]

my baby developed thrush 7 days after home birth, she is now 15 weeks old and we are still battling thrush.

no antibiodics during pregnancy or delivery. ped gave 80 nystatin doses followed by 60 more doses (and ped gave me a script for topical nystatin to put on my nipples) but no resolve .. better after, but not gone.. still visible thrush in baby mouth and feeling "gritty" while breastfeeding. 

after we did all the nystatin with no resolve, per recommendations from lactation consultant we tried gentian violet. it cleared it up for about a week... then it was back again. 

ped said i should f/u with my OB, see if they want to treat me for thrush. i went to the OB, they examined my breasts and said there is nothing to treat b/c they feel i don't have it despite my infected baby with visible thrush (took her to that exam with me as proof). OB said f/u with the ped!! (AHHHH!!)

i was able to get ahold of some diflucan. i've taken 2-3 doses here and there. it clears it up for baby (exclusively breastfed) for a week or so, but then it's back again. my OB doesn't think I have it, so he won't give me a script for the diflucan. all the ped wants to do is give me more nystatin.

i've eliminated refined sugar from my diet.  i take probiotics every day (4-6 capsules a day)..  right now we are "spot treating" with gentian violet 2x/daily for 3wks now, just to keep it at bay, but it won't go away. 

I'm really at my wits END here... someone.. anyone.. help????!!!!!

[Carma]

That's ridiculous! You have to treat both of you. I went to my PCP for a Diflucan prescription when we had thrush. My baby got prescription from Ped. Maybe you can more easily convince a family doctor, and maybe just tell the PCP that the Ped told that you also need to be treated (that's what I did)?

My PCP also wanted to look, but there is not much to see, just a little pink. He was mostly concerned about Diflucan ending up in my milk. But I said that the baby also has a Diflucan prescription, that's when he went ahead to help me.

And for us Diflucan helped to finally get rid of the yeast. We had tried all sorts of things, the creams (clotramicole for me) and nyastan liquid for baby, GSE, vinegar rinses, walking topless, probiotics rubbing in his mouth and on my nipple, probiotic pills, yoghurt on my nipples etc. etc.

Carma

Edited by Carma - 12/13/10 at 10:43am

[kalin verona]

Carma, do you recall the dosage given to you and your baby of the diflucan?

[Lisoula]

Have you checked Hale's Medication & Mothers Milk?  For ductal thrush, he says a loading dose of diflucan 200-400mg once then 100-200mg per day x 2 to 3 weeks.  For your baby, 6mg/kg x 1 dose then 3mg/kg/day.  It seems like a lot to many docs, but if you would show them the research and the text, they usually will prescribe it.  Good luck, mama!

[PatioGardener]

If you want to try something else before reaching for the big guns (diflucan), take a look at Newman's candida protocol.  Gentian violet x 1 week worked for us, and I know several moms who swear by grapefruit seed extract.  Also remember to wash bras, breastpads, soothers etc in vinegar to break the cycle

http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12:candida-protocol&catid=5:information&Itemid=17

Good luck! 

[Carma]

Originally Posted by kalin verona 

Carma, do you recall the dosage given to you and your baby of the diflucan?

No I don't, I will try to find it. But at least the mama-dose in Lisa's post looks familiar. The first dose is higher and then you continue with lower doses after that. It is a high dose compared to what you get for vaginal yeast infection (that's I think just one dose?). Fortunately we both didn't have any side effects.

I also recommend a low-sugar diet in combination with the treatment.

Carma

[AfricanQueen99]

My son and I had thrush something fierce and the nystatin/diflucan wouldn't even touch it.  I read that GSE would work wonders and went out to buy some.  For some reason, I completely misread the directions and, instead of using it topically, ended up doing a shot of GSE/distilled water every hour.  It was a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE taste, but it worked like a charm.  Of course, when I realized it was supposed to be applied to my nipples I felt like a fool, but drinking it totally cleared out my body.

Anyway, this is the treatment that I "followed":

http://drjaygordon.com/breastfeeding/thrush.html

[Zangua]

I cleared up thrush between me and babe by rubbing an anti-fungal cream on my nipples immediately after I would nurse. I would then rinse my nipples a few hours later before feeding again. I treated baby with gentian violet. This seemed to clear it up for both her and I so that we didn't pass it back and forth.

[cyclamen]

Sounds weird but tanning (uv rays) and kefir helped us.  Probiotics did not help us, but humans have beneficial yeasts as well as bacteria, and I think all the nystatic and diflucan killed ours off, so the kefir replenished it.  Yeast is on everything, so if your balance is off, you'll keep getting an overgrowth.  But it does not sound like your drs have done everything they could to help you.

[kalin verona]

Weve been thrush free for almost a week now and I want to share what we've done in hopes it will help someone reading this in the future.

My midwife recommended a dietary overhaul, and it worked. I've been eating No SUGAR.. Only the following things: oatmeal, milk, veggies, legumes, cottage cheese, some fruit and lots of kefir. My midwife also recommended foods like fermented picked
s and kraut, but I just can't stomach that (ick!) so I've been doing more plain kefir instead.

I hope we beat it.. If not I found a different OB who will help if needed!

[Lisoula]

So glad you're doing better!

[mzminty]

Did you also use meds or Nystatin?

[twinfever]

My twins gave me thrush because I took antibiotics from Mastitis and they acquired it :/

I took 2 doses of Diflucan... dermatologist prescribed it.  Didn't work.  OB gave me another 2 doses.  Then I talked to a lactation consultant and she said thrush on the nipple does not go away w/ just 2 doses.  You need to take the diflucan for AT LEAST 2-3 weeks.  Sometimes, it can take MONTHS of treatment for thrush to completely go away.  She said it's the worst thing ever, but no one has ever died from it lol.  Anyways, I had to keep taking it for another 3 weeks everyday before it cleared up.  I also was given nipple ointment from the pharm.  That did wonders!  I still use the ointment from time to time and it helps with the soreness.  Seriously, talk to your doc or lactation nurse... 2 doses of diflucan will not clear up thrush!!!  

You can find more on breastfeeding here which interesting.  Every little bit helps!

http://meetthetwins.blogspot.com/2011/01/breastfeeding-this-too-shall-pass.html

Good luck.