I need some big time help getting rid of thrush!

[breanna31]

I am hoping someone here has a miracle solution for me.  I have been dealing with thrush for the last month and a half and I am seriously ready to rip my hair out.  Here is my situation.  My son is 15 months and still nursing a ton.  I am 16 weeks pregnant and came down with thrush for the first time ever at the very begining of my pregnancy (end of September).  I had it and so did my son, we were both treated and we both cleared up in a couple weeks.

Towards the end of November I noticed my nipples were super tender again and also bright red and blistery looking.  I had all the same symptoms as the first time so started treating myself with the topical nystatin we got from our ped the last time.  Nothing was getting better so I talked to my doctor who called in one diflucan for me.  so far my treatments have been diflucan, gentian violet, nystatin, lotrimin, washing my clothes in apple cider vinigar, not wearing the same bra/shirt, acidophilas twice a day.  Nothing is helping.  The right side seems to be doing ok but my left side is so sore and out of control.  My son has been checked and he is clear.  Is it possible we are passing it back and forth even though he is not showing signs?  I am seriously ready to lose my mind and feeling so hopeless.  It hurts so bad and I feel like it will never go away.  Does anyone know anything else I can do?  Thanks so much for listening!

[Adaline'sMama]

I was going to suggest ACV, but I see youve already done it. Ive use a garlic puree/live yogurt in my vagina for yeast infections before and it worked, so maybe? I know it sucks, Im sorry you are going through it.

[Midwesterner04]

So sorry you are dealing with this! Thrush is no fun!

Have you tried Grapefruit Seed Extract/Citricidal at all, and do you know how hot your washing machine is getting? Does your son also take a probiotic?

When my toddler and I dealt with thrush about a year ago, I started with Jay Gordon's protocol here: http://drjaygordon.com/breastfeeding/thrush.html.

What ultimately worked for us was swabbing my nipples and her diaper area (she had a mild rash) with a GSE solution (10-15 drops per ounce of distilled water) at every diaper change and after each nursing session.  I also periodically swabbed my nipples with diluted white vinegar, which I let dry and then rinsed off. I followed Dr. Sears's recommendation to frequently wash hands in the hottest water tolerable (http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/childhood-illnesses/thrush), and because I cannot adjust the temperature of my washing machine's warm/hot cycle, I dumped stock pots of boiling water into each load. IIRC, yeast is weakened at 122 degrees. To be extra safe I added Tea Tree Oil to the wash cycle and a cup or so of vinegar to each rinse. Used cups, plates, etc went straight into the dishwasher.

We have coconut allergies, but I know a number of IBCLCs who swear by raw coconut oil applied with a q-tip to treat both oral thrush and mama yeast.  Tea Tree Oil can also be added to mama's application.

If the thrush is persistent and going back and forth it might help to try some systemic measures, like reducing sugary foods like fruits and dairy products and adding probiotics and digestive enzymes. I took acidophilus and bifidobacteria in the morning and Culturelle at night. With each meal, I took Enzymedica's Digest Gold on the advice of some posters here.

I hope you'll find your solution soon! Hang in there!

[breanna31]

I haven't tried the GSE.  I am willing to try anything so I guess that is next on my list.  This might sound stupid but did you need to wash your nipples before nursing her when you were using the GSE.  My son isn't taking a probiotic, I don't know why I didn't think of that.  We were at the ped again today and I had him checked again for any signs of thrush in his mouth.  Nothing.  His doctor was surprised we have been dealing with it for so long but really couldn't offer me any other solutions.  I will get some GSE and some tea tree oil and hope it helps.  Right now I am back to gentian violet on my left breast and only nursing him on the right side except once a day.  I am hoping if I give the left side a break for a few days maybe that will help. 

How long did it take you to finally get rid of it?  Thanks for all the great info.  It gives me some hope that maybe something will work!

[HappyHappyMommy]

breanna31, I'm sorry you're going through this. I battled thrush for 2/3rds of the 30 months that I breastfed and white vinegar was the key. The yeast was living on my bras, cloth pads, etc. (even after washing). Once I washed all of those in hot water and vinegar (while also on a course of Diflucan), it was the end of the yeast infection. Feel free to PM if you have questions or just want support.

[emilysuek]

I had thrush issues with all three of my children, and finally found something that worked with my third.  The pain is unbelievable and the frustration is enough to make you grab a bottle and be done (ask me how I know). I called my local LLC and she confirmed that it was thrush and gave me a plan of attack.  

1) I called my midwives (CNM's, working the well woman section of our tiny hospital), they called in a special compound that had to be mixed at a local pharmacy.  It's got Mypirocin, Nystatin, and Betamethasone Val. 0.1% in it.  Apparently it's a mixture from the 50's that has fallen to the wayside, even though it works like a miracle.  

2) I called my baby's doc and got him a prescription for liquid nystatin, because when he nursed, we were essentially passing the thrush back and forth. I didn't see anything in his mouth, but you have to treat both of you or you will be fighting a losing battle.

3) I got myself a prescription for Diflucan, because thrush is a glorified yeast infection and I wanted to cover all my bases.  I could have gone with a seven day cream treatment, or any of a hundred home remedies, but what with the bleeding nipples and hungry baby, I just wanted to be done.

4) I bought disposable nursing pads. That way I could use the cream on my nipples and not worry about getting it on my bra, and I could wash all the thrush out of my bras without worrying about contaminating them again.

So, that was my experience.  I tried a lot of things with my other two children, but this protocol was the one that permanently worked, and it still took time.  I had to use the compound on my nipples faithfully for about 6 weeks after everytime I nursed or I would start to feel the pain again.  And my little guy had to have two 10 day rounds of nystatin suspension. I hope that helps.  

Don't get discouraged, and don't feel guilty if you need a break from the pain.  Nursing with painful, bleeding nipples is a horrible feeling.  A bottle while your body heals a little, well, your baby will be glad you are holding him with a smile instead of fighting back tears (again, ask me how I know) : -) bless you.

Edited by emilysuek - 1/10/12 at 5:24am

[emilysuek]

I had thrush issues with all three of my children, and finally found something that worked with my third.  The pain is unbelievable and the frustration is enough to make you grab a bottle and be done (ask me how I know). I called my local LLC and she confirmed that it was thrush and gave me a plan of attack.  

1) I called my midwives (CNM's, working the well woman section of our tiny hospital), they called in a special compound that had to be mixed at a local pharmacy.  It's got Mypirocin, Nystatin, and Betamethasone Val. 0.1% in it.  Apparently it's a mixture from the 50's that has fallen to the wayside, even though it works like a miracle.  

2) I called my baby's doc and got him a prescription for liquid nystatin, because when he nursed, we were essentially passing the thrush back and forth.

3) I got myself a prescription for Diflucan, because thrush is a glorified yeast infection and I wanted to cover all my bases.  I could have gone with a seven day cream treatment, or any of a hundred home remedies, but what with the bleeding nipples and hungry baby, I just wanted to be done.

4) I bought disposable nursing pads. That way I could use the cream on my nipples and not worry about getting it on my bra, and I could wash all the thrush out of my bras without worrying about contaminating them again.

So, that was my experience.  I tried a lot of things with my other two children, but this protocol was the one that permanently worked, and it still took time.  I had to use the compound on my nipples faithfully for about 6 weeks after everytime I nursed or I would start to feel the pain again.  And my little guy had to have two 10 day rounds of nystatin suspension. I hope that helps.  

Don't get discouraged, and don't feel guilty if you need a break from the pain.  Nursing with painful, bleeding nipples never made anybody a hero.  A bottle while your body heals a little, well, your baby will be glad you are holding him with a smile instead of fighting back tears (again, ask me how I know) : -) bless you.

[NightSkies]

Oh my, I'm in the same situation! Yeast that just won't go away! I think I may have gotten it back in September, diagnosed in November (by then it had turned into mastis too). Baby cleared up in no time, and shows no signs of it returning. I have been through 2 regines of 2 weeks of Dyfulcan with Nystatin cream, and that clears up the symptoms, but once I let up on the cream, it comes a roar'n back! Maybe I just need my doctor to give me a renewable perscription of nystatin. (She seems to think the minimal treatment will work, and then just ups the treatment a fraction when it doesn't work. Not happy with that- I need the nuclear bomb treatment!)

I have torn some hair out, and at this point I am very nearly weaned :(. I can notice the differences in DS with the formula especially at night, and would love to get him back on breast milk. (trouble getting to go back to sleep, fussier when asleep, and generally more fat rolls/gaining weight) I'm giving it one last go, searching for a new OB, to see if we can find something that will work.

[HappyHappyMommy]

Hi All,

I couple of things I learned that were very helpful:

--You want to be pain and symptom free for a week on the drug before you can stop. And I strongly recommend washing with vinegar again after you're pain and symptom free.

--The yeast can develop resistance to diflucan. Ketoconazole (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000780/) is sometimes prescribed when diflucan isn't working.

Sending healthy and yeast/thrush-free thoughts to all!