Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jackie on August 26, 2011 at 12:20am

Hi Amanda,
I had the same issue several years ago and was told the same thing. I was told I was getting the yeast infections (and bladder infections) because diabetics were more susceptible to them. Every month, like clockwork, I had them. My doc (this was an ob/gyn that came highly recommended from my endo) suggested that I try taking an over the counter med at the end of each period ( this was when they hit me.) It seemed to work but not all the time. The interesting thing was that I suspected they had something to do with the birth control pills I was taking. My doc swore up and down that there was no correlation. When I stopped taking the birth control pills, the yeast infections stopped. I had had a similar reaction years previous to that when I had a string of bladder infections. When I stopped that birth control pill, the bladder infections stopped. I still see the same doc and he still swears that there is no connection. But results don't lie. If there are other meds that you take, they may be making you susceptible to the yeast infections. Some diet changes may help-cranberry juice and such. But if the yeast infections are flaring up when you never had a problem before, then I suspect that it is not the diabetes that is the true culprit.

Hope this helps!

Good Luck!

Permalink Reply by latvianchick on August 26, 2011 at 1:24am

I am fortunate enough to have gone through an early menopause, but have diabetes instead. I find that if my sugars are high, or I am on antibiotics, then I usally get an infection. If I am on antibiotics then I will ask for a prescription of a thrush preparation - a pessary or cream.

Another way to keep things at bay is to use one of the intimate washes in delicate areas.. Soap tends to make things worse there.

Other than that, perhaps you will need to add a thrush preparation to your monthly repeats. Sorry I cannot help any further. Unfortunately it is hormonal.

Permalink Reply by Katie on August 26, 2011 at 4:46am

I also get chronic yeast infections, it is extremely frustrating. Two things have helped me with it. Firstly for convenience, my endo prescribed me a pill (like flucanzole or diflucan) with 10 refills so I don't have to go to the doc each time it happens. Secondly, I started taking a probiotic each day which reduces the frequency and severity of the infections. Make sure you get one that needs to be refrigerated and has around 50 billion bacteria strains. The non-refridgerated ones from drug stores weren't strong enough for me. Good luck!!

Permalink Reply by Lisa L. on August 26, 2011 at 6:33am

Same here, nearly every month. I definitely see a correlation if my blood glucose levels are high or if I've been eating a lot of refined wheat/sugary foods, too. I can get fluconazole over the counter in Argentina and I buy 4-6 at a time to keep on hand if I need them. I also use an external cream which has seemed to help if I catch it early enough. Good luck. Sorry there are no easy solutions!

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on August 26, 2011 at 8:22am

I was getting them monthly for a year or more back in 2007ish, regardless of my BG control. My gyno decided to put me on regular diflucan dosages - weekly, then every other week, then monthly, till I eventually didn't need to take it anymore. Now I get yeast infections maybe once a year. I recommend at least asking about that course of action.

Permalink Reply by Katie on August 27, 2011 at 10:21am

I'm currently having the same problem and am seeing my MD (again) on Thursday to discuss. It's helpful reading others' replies. She said some just tend to have a higher level of "normal" yeast in us and it tends to flare/multiply easier with diabetes. She said the next step will be a regular dose of Diflucan like MelissaBL mentioned....has anyone had side effects from this? I've roughly spent $200 in treatments (OTC and copays for Diflucan) over the past 2 years, and am SO ready to get this problem resolved!!! The tough part, I'm on an IUD and don't have a menstrual cycle to know the timing of the infections.

Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on August 27, 2011 at 4:30pm

The only side effect I've heard about with continued use of Diflucan is developing a resistance to it. But since every time I had an infection, I had to have prescription cream plus two doses of Diflucan already, I felt it was a risk worth taking.

Permalink Reply by renka on September 18, 2011 at 10:22pm

I CAN DEFINALTEY HELP YOU WITH THIS! i was having chronic yeast infections and i went to a doc who FINALLY had a good answer. what she told me was that i no longer had ANY good bacteria in my vagina to get back in balance and i had to replace it. that is different than curing a yeast infection.

WHAT TO DO IS THIS.... go to a vitamin store and get ACIDOPHOLUS CAPSULES. dont get it if its not in the refridgerator. dont just get the ones at cvs or walgreens. they must be refrigerated. this means they are live. you actually insert them into your vagina. three a day for the first week. two a day for the second week. one a day for the third week.


i know this is so inconvenienct but if they are chronic and they dont go away its worth it to be "out of commission" for a while!

if you cant do it that much, try a smaller variation.

i swear this works!

it will restore your vaginas proper ph balance and let your body balanance.

good luck.

Permalink Reply by naz on November 23, 2011 at 10:15pm

try stick to water in d if u=morning to flush your worries away and if u are limited to what u eat go back to basics litke lettuce and almonds

Permalink Reply by Belle Étoilee on January 26, 2012 at 11:20pm

I hope that your problem is better now, but in case you or someone else needs it, here's my thoughts!

I've had a lot of problems with yeast infections, which started after I got antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. My mother and sister have problems as well, but my diabetes definitely makes things worse. At the moment it's been a while since I really had a full blown infection. What worked for me was cutting out processed sugars and eating nothing but yoghurt and rice for a few days, that seemed to shock the yeast out of my body for a while. As long as I make sure my diabetes behaves, and I'm careful with processed sugars I'm okay now.

Permalink Reply by earthling on February 5, 2012 at 10:22am

Hi Amanda. Is that a basset hound in your photo? I have 2! Fred and Turtle. That's Turtle as a puppy in my picture.

About your yeast situation - A few decades ago I had 4 courses of antibiotics back to back (aggressive kidney infection) which pretty much screwed up my gut and vaginal flora for the duration. For a long time I tried one thing after another (dietary restrictions and supplements) that promised to restore my microbial balance, but to no avail. To my horror I developed an allergy to the yeast killing vaginal creams and the medications started making me feel sick all over.

My current coping system isn't perfect but I figured I'd post it for the utterly desperate! I add about 11-13 drops of grapefruit extract (GSE) to each of 2 micro-brew beers (could be juice or water or whatever - just tastes good to me in beer:) - that I drink every evening.
This serves the dual purpose of killing any residual yeast in the beer as well as keeping yeast at bay in my body. Then I take acidophilus on a regular basis when I eat carbs. I never get yeast infections now, unless I quit the GSE. Not sure taking it constantly is good for me though. It's a fungicide, maybe kills good flora too.

Also, if you are a bread baker, don't get your hands into the dough or in touch with the yeast. I use a bread machine and bleach the spoon I measure yeast with. I worked in a lab long ago, A fellow tech was having problems with yeast wrecking her tissue culture flasks - Turned out she baked bread on weekends and even several days later the yeast was still present on her hands, enough to infect her cultures! I figured from this experience that even the simple act of bathing can introduce yeast where we don't want it.

-Linda

Permalink Reply by Emmy on February 12, 2012 at 2:57pm

Try Olive Leaf Extract. It can help slow down the growth of yeast and bacteria as well. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Many women have higher blood sugar just before their period, so yeast that's already in the body will tend to flare up.

There are active acidophilus type capsules that you can buy at your local health food store which will help. Look for the ones to use internally, as a suppository, they'll be in the fridge. Look for "Probiotic vaginal supposities". There are a couple of different brands available.