Toddler thrush (cross posted in breastfeeding challenges)

[yentroc]

My 16 month old and I have been struggling with thrush.  Never had it before being a toddler.  We've had it off/on for a month.  Started Nystatin (oral for him, topical for me) right away.  Mine went away (or seemed to, my nipples stopped hurting), his mouth cleared just a bit but came back as soon as he caught a cold.  We saw our ND a week and half ago and she recommended stopping Nystatin and starting Gentian Violet.  I swabbed his mouth and my nipples for two days and it was GONE.  I'm sure I should have done it consistantly for 3 days like recommended, when I saw a white patch in his mouth a few days later, I swabbed him again.  It seemed like it was totally gone for a week or so and then two days ago, he woke from his nap and his tongue and lips were white again.  :(  That same day my left nipple got tender and now is on FIRE and swollen.  

I'm soooo discouraged.  The other things we've been doing:  boiling his pacifiers every day (I'm sure the paci's don't help at ALL, but he loves them for sleeping), washing bras in hot water with tea tree oil, I'm taking garlic and GSE and cut out all sugars, with the exception of fruit.  I slacked on the washing bras for a few days, could that have caused the relapse?

My ds and I are NOT ready to wean but I'm seriously considering it.    Between my kindergartener who is always sick and getting us sick and the thrush, something's gotta give.

I started swabbing my nipple in diluted GSE after feedings and applying GSE and probiotics in coconut oil in between feedings.  

Any suggestions?  

[Shanny2032]

I've been there and we're still nursing at 29 months.  We had it on and off from about 10-17 months (something like that, hard to remember exactly but it was a LONG time).

I know the GV is a mess and such a pain but keep at it and add probiotics for both of you to what you are already doing.

We couldnt do the GSE b/c of a grapefruit allergy and we never did the sugar suppression either and managed to get through it mostly with the probiotics and GV.

[Tattooed Hand]

Everything I've read says that you should use the Gentian Violet for a minimum of 4 days, even if the symptoms seems to go away after a couple of days. I know it's messy, but maybe you could lay a towel down on your bed, apply it to your boob and let your DS nurse to sleep. This way it's absorbed and maybe a little faded by the time he wakes up and you can wash yourselves off so he doesn't get it everywhere. I actually applied it for 6 days for good measure and it definitely killed all the thrush we had. I also took GSE orally and washed everything in vinegar. My chiro always swears that if you give a kid soda water it can take care of the oral side of things.

I'm sorry it's plaguing you. I wonder if you were to give the GV another go and keep doing it for 4-6 nights?