Is this yeast in my 3 year old?

[PAflower]

I had a friend post this for me in the Health and Healing section b/c my computer was down but now it's working. Someone suggested I post it here so here it is again!
my 3 yo. has been complaining of pain when he finishes peeing.

I asked a dr. friend of ours and he thought is sounded like yeast, said it was common in uncircumcised boys. He recommended retracting it and putting a yeast med. or something for athletes foot. He has admitted in the past he's not that familiar with intact boys though. I've seen my son retract his penis a lot lately so I know it's possible. I asked him to show it to me (retracted) to see if there was a cut or somethign (and there isn't any that I could see).

Just curious before I go try anything if anyone has any experience with this type of problem? TIA

Thank you! I feel so bad for him. I think he is starting to hold it when it hurts (at the end of the peeing).

[QueenOfThePride]

It could be yeast. Tell him to not retract without washing his hands first. Teach him retract, rinse, replace in the bath. Use an over the counter yeast cream, and supplement his diet with acidophilus (yogurt cultures) you can buy it in capsules at health food stores.

[busymomof5]

It could be a lot of things...I would go in to your primary care provide and be clear about the fact that retraction is not an option. If it were my son, I would want to make sure it wasn't a UTI (we've been through once before and didn't think he had one...when the urine culture came back positive, I was really surpised..and the antibiotics did the trick..he was feeling better within 8 hours). It's really not wise for anyone to try and diagnose your son's problem over the internet...if any of us were wrong we'd feel awful...make an appt. with your doc...

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

it could b yeast or it is possible it is uti i think i would take him to the dr especially if he is holding his pee due to it hurting. I would tell the dr. right off that your son is not to b retracted by him. He can pee in a cup at that age if you can talk him into it. I wouldnt let them do a cath just yet tho, I mean if my dd at that age can give a urine sample without a cath then your son can to just have to wipe his little willy off with the wipe they give u.

I remember when I had uti it would only hurt at the end of the pee so I prolly wouldnt wait on taking him can get much worse fast.

[paminmi]

If your son is retracting a lot, could it just be irritated from all the activity?

My kids never had candida overgrowth but a few kids I had in my daycare did with antiobiotic use. The boys I saw usually had it in the anal area and the girls in the vulva/labial or anal areas. It would also have very sharply marginated borders like you drew a line and filled it in with bright red.

I would think if it was yeast you would be more likely to see increased redness or rawness. You may also see whitish exudate on the skin or in folds, I remember this well. If you have had vaginal yeast infections or external yeast you will know what I am talking about.

FYI, I have chronic candida overgrowth in my body (lots of antibiotics in my past) and use a supplement called "Culturelle" This is 30 billion live cells of Lactobacillus per capsule. You can open it and mix it in juice or sprinkle on foods like yogurt or applesauce to make it easier to give to children. This was recommended to me by my naturopathic physician. I have only been taking it a couple weeks and I have already seen a difference.

It wouldn't hurt to contact your physician for an eval. They can do a little swab and look for yeast cells under the scope.

Good luck!

[Frankly Speaking]

I'm posting an update to this thread with permission of PAFlower.

She contacted me privately asking for advice on what to do and I responded privately as I was catching considerable grief for giving medical advice at the time. I suspect that it was conspicious to many here that I had not posted publicly.

I advised PAFlower last Tuesday to take her son to the doctor's office. She made an appointment and had him in on Wednesday. I suggested that she ask the doctor for a diagnosis and if it was suspected to be a foreskin infection, that a swabbing for a culture be done and if it was suspected to be a UTI, to get a urinalysis done. She did exactly that and that was what was done. This is a textbook example how diagnosis should be done.

On Friday, the results of the culture came back positive and PAFlower got a prescription for Bactrim. In another 10 days, she will take her son back for a follow-up analysis to confirm the infection is banished.

The doctor recommended a VCUG and gave her a link supporting it. However, in that doctor's office, there is a considerably differing opinion of whether the VCUG is appropriate and PAFlower has decided to decline it after her own research. However, she is considering an ultrasound test which I don't have quibbles about since it is not painful or invasive.

So, as a result of my "Bad medical advice" a boy has been properly diagnosed and is apparently well on the way to recovery with little fanfare and with a mother who sees that she can get both comfort and good information from a site like this. It's just too bad that there aren't dozens more sites like this on the internet giving "bad medical advice."



Frank

[paminmi]

Great advice Frank!

Hope little "flower" is feeling better

[PAflower]

Here I am in person.
My son is doing much better. We went on Antibiotics just as Frank said and I'm glad. I'm still debating the other stuff b/c I can tell he is already feeling better and this is his first UTI.
I want to thank Frank on this public forum. I think he has done lots of research and I was glad to get his advice. This was my first problem with my son and I needed someone to direct me to articles to read. Frank helped me.
It is my responsibility to decide and no one on this board should just listen to someone else (including a Dr).
I am glad for Frank and all his work here.