[swt simplicity]

DR Crandall is great but she has an EXTREME approach of treating this with topical steroids, topical antifungal, and oral antifungal for at least 1 month if not many months
so were taking a little lighter side of this. although diflucan daily isnt what i wanted to do.... but it seems needed =(

Yikes
Dr. Crandall's approach sounds really intense. I'd like to know what is her plan if the yeast becomes resistant to the medications over a period of time.

[melis19750]

RED YEAST
simply means - yeast inside your skin aka: intracellular yeast. it can be any strain. If you happen to have irritation or itching or burning, etc; one or more of the following vaginally- but all cultures are negative
many times my doc said its yeast in the skin.

NO MORE suppositories for me

here is what my doctor actually has me doing
diflucan 200mg a day for 3-6 weeks
i need something systemic to get to this

also- he is MAD that my GYN put me on topical steroids when i already prob had that non albican yeast

any topcial steroid applied where yeast may be will only make it grow.

so topically he wants me to do extra virgin unrefined coconut oil on my skin- which feels great by the way- MUCH better than any topical steroid ive used including those dang hydrocortisone ovules.

also i dont have any irregular discharge- cultures again for bacteria/yeast are negative so he said not to use those nystatin tablets vaginally

simply try diflucan first- after all dr. stewart in her book also recommended to do diflucan daily for a while if you cant resolve your issue.

so im confident this will work. although this means i permanently will have to stay on this candida diet for a LONG TIME

and tomorrow im seeing my allergist and getting the skin testing done (intradermal)

as for the vaginal yeast infection- i dont have it internally- it is most likely in the skin if indeed this is what it is.

to be sure, you would need a Biopsy or skin scrapping, but i opted out. Im already irritated there
i want to leave well enough alone and try and get this sucker systemically
my vaginal pH is all back to normal
my vaginal secretions all look normal
no more color on the discharge.

no odor
simply most likely yeast in the skin (aka; red yeast)

DR Crandall is great but she has an EXTREME approach of treating this with topical steroids, topical antifungal, and oral antifungal for at least 1 month if not many months


so were taking a little lighter side of this. although diflucan daily isnt what i wanted to do.... but it seems needed =(

Having another round of suppositories doesn't sound fun. Hopefully it doesn't affect your pH negatively, or cause this ping pong of bacteria and yeast overgrowth.

I've gotten tested for food sensitivities and everything came back negative too. My general practitioner even told me that the allergy tests aren't the most reliable or accurate. She said the best way to pinpoint food sensitivities or allergies is to pay attention to your body and it's reaction to what ever your exposed to. After I found that out, I was a little irritated. I haven't actually gone to an allergist yet. Maybe they have better tests available.

What kind of allergy testing did you get done? Was it a blood test, or something else? I only got the blood test done and I heard that method is probably the least reliable

By "red yeast", do you mean something from the rhodotorula species? And you think this yeast is inside the skin where exactly, the perineum, near the vulva, or somewhere else?

[swt simplicity]

oh yeah btw the only other thing i can think of is possibly intracellular yeast (red yeast/ aka inside the skin and cant be detected) if thats the case i unfortunantly will have to go on long term diflucan or other anti fungal like sporonax. I did do a phone consultation with marjorie crandall (mentioned in the v book) shes a microbiologist with pHd in Candida/fungal infections

she believes i have red yeast
and need diflucan either 100mg or 200mg daily for at least a month and nystatin insert inside the vagina
not too thrilled how i feel about that. but i do want to get better

so im talking to my MD and my GYN about this
and seeing an allergist to test me for candida and yeast allergies
if positive will get injections for that
so far every damn culture is negative
but im sure it would be
my vaginal discharge is in fact normal looking/ smelling

im just irritated
more so after the cortisone
=(

Having another round of suppositories doesn't sound fun. Hopefully it doesn't affect your pH negatively, or cause this ping pong of bacteria and yeast overgrowth.

I've gotten tested for food sensitivities and everything came back negative too. My general practitioner even told me that the allergy tests aren't the most reliable or accurate. She said the best way to pinpoint food sensitivities or allergies is to pay attention to your body and it's reaction to what ever your exposed to. After I found that out, I was a little irritated. I haven't actually gone to an allergist yet. Maybe they have better tests available.

What kind of allergy testing did you get done? Was it a blood test, or something else? I only got the blood test done and I heard that method is probably the least reliable

By "red yeast", do you mean something from the rhodotorula species? And you think this yeast is inside the skin where exactly, the perineum, near the vulva, or somewhere else?

[melis19750]

oh yeah btw the only other thing i can think of is possibly intracellular yeast (red yeast/ aka inside the skin and cant be detected) if thats the case i unfortunantly will have to go on long term diflucan or other anti fungal like sporonax. I did do a phone consultation with marjorie crandall (mentioned in the v book) shes a microbiologist with pHd in Candida/fungal infections

she believes i have red yeast
and need diflucan either 100mg or 200mg daily for at least a month and nystatin insert inside the vagina
not too thrilled how i feel about that. but i do want to get better

so im talking to my MD and my GYN about this
and seeing an allergist to test me for candida and yeast allergies
if positive will get injections for that


so far every damn culture is negative
but im sure it would be
my vaginal discharge is in fact normal looking/ smelling

im just irritated
more so after the cortisone
=(

Hi there
yeah I know the myth has been debunked... however Marjorie Crandall (whom Dr Stewart cited in her book about a few things such as yeast allergies) states that lactobacillus overgrowth is real. The only real treatment for that she said is to do sitz baths with baking soda... (im not doing that though because i dont know if this is my cause)

I def think the boric acid caused major inflammation- some finally gone with me- some still here. But Im trying to let things resolve naturally without using anymore steroids. I do use my desonide 0.05% ointment once a week in one area that seems to flair.

But I dont want to thin my skin... or cause something else that cortisones are known to do- ie: fungal infections, bacterial infections of skin...
yeah i really dont know whats going on with me. Every culture is completely negative with "normal growth of vaginal flora"....

but I do see my vulvar specialist -Dr. Willems in CA soon- May 15th...

he wants me using estrogen cream to thicken up my skin near the entrance of the vagina... but you know I tried it twice and it causes an allergic reaction- must be something in the base of the cream im allergic too

all i know is ive never been sensitive or had allergies before and now i do- frustrating
I do wish I had money to come and see Dr Stewart. But unfortunately I dont. Although southern CA supposed to have a lot of good doctors.. i just seem to get the same answer from everyone-
its just inflammation
but its been quite depressing dealing with this

so Im trying alternative treatments
acupuncture- DR MCCOMBs plan (being its gentle- non toxic) for 16 weeks- im on week 4 now

as far as exercise.... DR MCCOMBS states that exercise is great but not for releasing toxins.... because your using MUSCLE while exercising

you need to be relaxed and release toxins naturally. I know waisting water not a great thing... but I end up doing stuff with the water like watering my plants, cleaning the bathroom... etc;
so at least i feel im making use of it

OH when i used fem d- i just took it out of the capsule and put it in with my finger
it would desolve easily.

i dont really like those gelatin capsules, they left me all sticky

i only stuck with those while on the boric acid treatment... which hopefully i never have to do again
cuz it literally made things worse

I wasnt as irritated with the yeast as I was with the inflammation caused by the BA
but thankfully its finally starting to subside
I only pray things get way better before i see dr willems

[melis19750]

Hi there
yeah I know the myth has been debunked... however Marjorie Crandall (whom Dr Stewart cited in her book about a few things such as yeast allergies) states that lactobacillus overgrowth is real. The only real treatment for that she said is to do sitz baths with baking soda... (im not doing that though because i dont know if this is my cause)

I def think the boric acid caused major inflammation- some finally gone with me- some still here. But Im trying to let things resolve naturally without using anymore steroids. I do use my desonide 0.05% ointment once a week in one area that seems to flair.

But I dont want to thin my skin... or cause something else that cortisones are known to do- ie: fungal infections, bacterial infections of skin...


yeah i really dont know whats going on with me. Every culture is completely negative with "normal growth of vaginal flora"....

but I do see my vulvar specialist -Dr. Willems in CA soon- May 15th...

he wants me using estrogen cream to thicken up my skin near the entrance of the vagina... but you know I tried it twice and it causes an allergic reaction- must be something in the base of the cream im allergic too

all i know is ive never been sensitive or had allergies before and now i do- frustrating
I do wish I had money to come and see Dr Stewart. But unfortunately I dont. Although southern CA supposed to have a lot of good doctors.. i just seem to get the same answer from everyone-
its just inflammation
but its been quite depressing dealing with this

so Im trying alternative treatments
acupuncture- DR MCCOMBs plan (being its gentle- non toxic) for 16 weeks- im on week 4 now

as far as exercise.... DR MCCOMBS states that exercise is great but not for releasing toxins.... because your using MUSCLE while exercising

you need to be relaxed and release toxins naturally. I know waisting water not a great thing... but I end up doing stuff with the water like watering my plants, cleaning the bathroom... etc;
so at least i feel im making use of it

OH when i used fem d- i just took it out of the capsule and put it in with my finger
it would desolve easily.

i dont really like those gelatin capsules, they left me all sticky

i only stuck with those while on the boric acid treatment... which hopefully i never have to do again
cuz it literally made things worse

I wasnt as irritated with the yeast as I was with the inflammation caused by the BA
but thankfully its finally starting to subside
I only pray things get way better before i see dr willems

You should opt for a good cardiovascular exercise if you want to effectively work up a sweat. On top of that, you would be saving money by not using so much hot water. It's more environmentally and economically friendly

I can understand why you would think your experiencing an overgrowth of good bacteria, but it has to be something else that is causing your symptoms. Apparently it's not possible for the good bacteria to overgrow since they would "keep each other in check". The CV theory has been debunked, so it's not even a real issue. With that said, I guess you have to keep your options open as to what is the real problem. Most women that are experiencing CV-like symptoms usually have a form of non-specific vaginitis, basically a vaginitis that isn't caused by an infection, but the symptoms are basically the same, i.e. inflammation, discharge, burning, itching etc. The symptoms are usually brought on by sensitivities. For example, I was on boric acid for a long time, and I experienced inflammation as a result of it, which came as a form of non-specific vaginitis. There was no infection, since the boric acid clearly killed it (along with everything else).

Did you insert the Fem-Dophilus in a gelatin capsule? I think you told me about this before at some point.

[swt simplicity]

as far as sweating. I just turn my bathroom into a sauna for about 20 min. put my shower on hot, and sit with my clothes on - on the toilet or bathroom floor and do my nails...
or facial
I dont know much about sweating, but its part of the plan...so i figure i need to do it the 6 times a week required or DR MCCOMBS states the program wont work as well.

But I wonder if i really have a yeast issue

I know you say Cytolytic vaginosis(CV) does not exist as in the V Book also states
but Im definitly wondering if this is possibly my cause of vaginitis as i have the symptoms off and on, and the only thing on my cultures is growth of NORMAL BACTERIA.

Im pretty sure if I had yeast- it would have grown at some point
Ive literally had one culture a week in the last 2 months
all negative for yeast

even a new special DNA culture for yeast with yeast sensitivity from a completely different lab just to be sure

but i decided to let my doctor do one last round of cultures this thursday
and if its all negative again
im def wondering about the over growth of normal bacteria.

especially since I have in the past used femdophilus vaginally. I have since stopped doing that to see if anything helps.

You should opt for a good cardiovascular exercise if you want to effectively work up a sweat. On top of that, you would be saving money by not using so much hot water. It's more environmentally and economically friendly

I can understand why you would think your experiencing an overgrowth of good bacteria, but it has to be something else that is causing your symptoms. Apparently it's not possible for the good bacteria to overgrow since they would "keep each other in check". The CV theory has been debunked, so it's not even a real issue. With that said, I guess you have to keep your options open as to what is the real problem. Most women that are experiencing CV-like symptoms usually have a form of non-specific vaginitis, basically a vaginitis that isn't caused by an infection, but the symptoms are basically the same, i.e. inflammation, discharge, burning, itching etc. The symptoms are usually brought on by sensitivities. For example, I was on boric acid for a long time, and I experienced inflammation as a result of it, which came as a form of non-specific vaginitis. There was no infection, since the boric acid clearly killed it (along with everything else).

Did you insert the Fem-Dophilus in a gelatin capsule? I think you told me about this before at some point.

[melis19750]

Hi sweet

so some news- yes im still doing the yeast free diet. I actually have too..
I had allergy testing done for foods/ herbs..and turns out im allergic to brewers yeast/baking yeast

wow!!! as well as tuna and cinnamon (which i love =(....)

however I am following the mccombs plan
but doing very little fruit. Im mainly eating a few berries -raspberries, black berries, strawberries. A few red grapes, a few apple slices... but only granny smith variety.

and Im allowed brown rice- HOT brown rice cereal (YUM), and brown rice cakes.
I have now lost 18 pounds on just this diet alone- so physically i look better. I did need to lose some weight.

Vaginally- I had a bad setback easter Sunday- BUT i think I may now know part of the problem.... I may have HSV-
because i developed a burning, tingling, stabbing sensation- needed ice packs
and i had a lot of excessive normal looking discharge

and later on a small bump formed. I did see my GYN on THURSDAY (this week) and she said she sees the bump but too late to culture for herpes as you have to test for it within 48 hours of an active outbreak.
but im taking valtrex- seems to be helping


although, who knows whats going on down there- she also re cultured me for everything- YEAST, BV, bacterial, etc
and BTW everytime I have tested for HSV it comes back negative...

But Im hoping eventually things get back to normal. I did have to put some of the cortisone ointment on last night on one area of my perineum as it got a little inflamed. I hope after im done with the mccombs plan my body just starts going back to normal.

as far as sweating. I just turn my bathroom into a sauna for about 20 min. put my shower on hot, and sit with my clothes on - on the toilet or bathroom floor and do my nails...
or facial
I dont know much about sweating, but its part of the plan...so i figure i need to do it the 6 times a week required or DR MCCOMBS states the program wont work as well.

But I wonder if i really have a yeast issue

I know you say Cytolytic vaginosis(CV) does not exist as in the V Book also states
but Im definitly wondering if this is possibly my cause of vaginitis as i have the symptoms off and on, and the only thing on my cultures is growth of NORMAL BACTERIA.

Im pretty sure if I had yeast- it would have grown at some point
Ive literally had one culture a week in the last 2 months
all negative for yeast

even a new special DNA culture for yeast with yeast sensitivity from a completely different lab just to be sure

but i decided to let my doctor do one last round of cultures this thursday
and if its all negative again
im def wondering about the over growth of normal bacteria.

especially since I have in the past used femdophilus vaginally. I have since stopped doing that to see if anything helps.

but we will see


ill keep you posted

Since your familiar with the Jeff McCombs diet, how does sweating help detoxify? I've heard a lot of information on how sweating helps the body release toxins, but I haven't actually looked into it, aside from the fact that the liver and kidneys are organs in the body that filter out toxins in the body (among other things). I do know that sweating does help secrete apocrine (a substance that contributes to body odor). Aprocrine builds up in the aprocrine glands and sweating releases that substance. Other than that, sweating is a liquid similar to urea. I've read various articles that state sweating releases trace amounts of toxins, but it's not going to aid in this massive detoxification, and the focus should be on the kidneys and liver etc.

Aside from your irritation, it sounds like your on the right track to recovery. And the part about the discharge that your experiencing, your right, it could be from the supplement that your taking. Some vitamins do affect the secretory system, thus affecting the vaginal discharge; Dr. Stewart mentions this in a part of her book. I think it's near towards the end of the chapter on Vaginal Odors.

I was under the assumption that you were still on the "Yeast-Free Diet". Did you take a break from it somewhere in between?

[swt simplicity]

So far I seem to be doing quite well on his plan and I LOVE the diet.
Ive lost about 15 pounds so far... =)
the diet allowes for brown rice and some fruit- mainly berries and pears when you first start... eventually allowing other foods at week 9 and than more later on. It is a 16 week plan. But overall im feeling healthier.
It does involve sweating for part of the detox.

Ill let you all know how that goes.

=)
Melissa

Since your familiar with the Jeff McCombs diet, how does sweating help detoxify? I've heard a lot of information on how sweating helps the body release toxins, but I haven't actually looked into it, aside from the fact that the liver and kidneys are organs in the body that filter out toxins in the body (among other things). I do know that sweating does help secrete apocrine (a substance that contributes to body odor). Aprocrine builds up in the aprocrine glands and sweating releases that substance. Other than that, sweating is a liquid similar to urea. I've read various articles that state sweating releases trace amounts of toxins, but it's not going to aid in this massive detoxification, and the focus should be on the kidneys and liver etc.

Aside from your irritation, it sounds like your on the right track to recovery. And the part about the discharge that your experiencing, your right, it could be from the supplement that your taking. Some vitamins do affect the secretory system, thus affecting the vaginal discharge; Dr. Stewart mentions this in a part of her book. I think it's near towards the end of the chapter on Vaginal Odors.

I was under the assumption that you were still on the "Yeast-Free Diet". Did you take a break from it somewhere in between?

[melis19750]

so just an update...

so I did keep my appointment with the RN/ Nurse pract at my GYn's office being my GYN was unavail this week. Anyhow so she did an examination on me, swabbed me, looked under the scope, as well as sent off for yet another culture - exactly 2 weeks after my last culture.

anyhow she saw NOTHING unusual under the microscope. Everything looks normal.... all my lactobacilli are back - yay

however- her opinion
she stated that i had a severe allergic reaction to the boric acid. And while she said the treatment obviously worked for the non albican yeast.... it was pretty intense on my skin.

She said she has seen this before where after boric acid usage the skin can strongly react.

however- its finally healing. THANK GOD... and what worked the fastest honestly was leaving it alone...
and using some alcohol free witch hazel on a cotton pad once a day just to sooth the area. as well as taking quercetin 500 MG ( a natural anti histamine that also has some anti fungal and anti viral properties)

however, i do still have more discharge than im used to- its clear and stringy (looks normal) but dries yellow/ pasty- Im assuming from my B vitamin complex supplement.

sometimes I have itching- but my RN/ Nurse practitioner stated that most likely its due to the skin healing- when skin heals it can cause itching.

I also decided to do the candida diet as well as the MCCOMBS candida plan. I STOPPED SYNTOL- as after reading a lot of literature- it states that the bacillis subtilis in it has been shown to cause dermatitis as well as act as an anti-biotic and even though it can work on candida- it can also cause candida overgrowth.

Jeff Mccombs has been treating patients for candida for many years, and its a mild detox program that instead of focusing on KILLING candida- the plan focuses on BALANCING our digestive tract and reverting the fungal form of yeast back to its normal yeast state in the body.

So far I seem to be doing quite well on his plan and I LOVE the diet.
Ive lost about 15 pounds so far... =)
the diet allowes for brown rice and some fruit- mainly berries and pears when you first start... eventually allowing other foods at week 9 and than more later on. It is a 16 week plan. But overall im feeling healthier.
It does involve sweating for part of the detox.

Ill let you all know how that goes.

=)
Melissa

[melis19750]

hey Gigle and Sweet
so Tues had my derm appointment- confirmed its dermatitis.... she told me just simple common sense things to do
1) Use a natural Diaper Cream in my anal area- which is irritated...got one by Little Twig, so far so good- soothing

*Tried Calendula Oil for a while... and while it helps with inflammation, it also caused some skin irritation after a while in me due to sensitivity

2) take only 1 shower a day (hard for me, because I like to do 2)
so- than she said- if you need an am and pm shower- simply rinse the vagina and anal area with water- dont use any soap or cleanser until your skin heals, than use unscented sensitive skin DOVE

3) Keep taking Fem Dophilus

and basically treat my skin as if I was a "baby"

now- second opinion with new GYN- he was super nice, he only looked at my area- inside vagina- no cultures or looking under the microscope because I just had cultures repeated from other GYN on Friday April 8th- and everything again was negative. He told me pretty much the exact same thing as the dermatologist
that this may take a month or so longer for this to go away

but to STOP using the cortisone and hydrocortisone ovules because A) can lead to bacterial/fungal infections
can cause thinning of the skin, and C) can cause more dermatitis. Instead, simply try and let everything resolve on its own.

OH yeah, Im getting a red-light laser therapy on my skin down there once a week- which will help skin cells turn over faster and provider faster healing time supposedly.
Its a new laser from Sweden

skin is def feeling better- but my vestibule on the left side still hurts-

so im just gonna be patient. Although my nurse practitioner at my former (female) GYN wants me to come in and get recultured one last time to be sure... so im considering that. Im just kind of tired of being cultured every 3 weeks.... but i suppose one last time wont hurt. its most likely gonna grow NOTHING and be normal again.

Im pretty sure this is just a derm issue from all the boric acid usage - some of us are just a little more sensitive than others.

Gigle Im glad your feeling better. any luck with the GBS?
There is a midwife/ RN online who does treatments with garlic cloves in the vagina to get rid of GBS
but- I did that for my yeast infection back in September- and ended up getting BV from it probably imbalancing my flora.

Honestly the ONLY thing that helped my GBS over growth was ampicillin and fem-dophilus.

i do remember it taking about 2-3 months after the ampicillin of using Fem_d to feel better

I used the fem d this way
vaginally- every 2 days (about 2-3 times a week only- just at bed time) I opened up the capsule and stuck it in 1/2 of a gelatin capsule...

and taking it orally 2 times a day (once in AM and once in PM)

you all are awesome. thanks for the support. Hopefully soon ill be back to the old me

=)

[Gigle]

gawsh you guys im having such a hard time with this skin issue now.

Its not itchy
but patches of rough skin (feels like eczema but not itchy)

now im almost kicking myself wishing i didnt do the boric acid

but i knew something had to be done for the non albican yeast

my 2 weeks with this mild steroid ointment is up as of tonight and im not feeling much better

I do have the hydrocortisone ovules for vaginal use.... I did try one and it did help with the inflammation after it leaked out
but im kinda scared to use it as i dont want it to cause an imbalance in my vaginal pH
but for some odd reason one side of my vulva was irritated (on the entrance near the vestibule) last night and couldnt sleep so i popped one in..... ahhh relief

i do see a dermatologist who has an interest in vulvar skin... on TUES
so i hope i get good news

i just wish i had someone to talk to about this over the phone
its so unfair to have to deal with this
i just want my happy normal vagina and skin around the area back
maybe im being too impatient as its only been 2 weeks of treatment
but it has been about 1 month now since i used the boric acid... i thought by now i would surely be back to normal

=(
sorry dont mean to be a Debby downer
i just wanna feel normal again

Melis,

I'm sorry to hear you are going through that, but it's good that you're feeling a bit better.

I know how desperate you feel, and alone; i've been there... What Swt said it quite right "one day at a time" Hopefully you'll find one day that you feel much better. My issue with the skin was so bad too, I battled almost three months with that. My skin now is completely heal, i think, but it came oversensitived. I hope when time goes by, that oversensitivity goes away and everything comes back to normal.

I'm located in Singapore at the moment. In my opinion, GYN here are awful. It seems like this speciality is not very important here, and I'm having a hard time trying to find a good doctor if I ever find one good here

I wish you luck with that, I hope the new doctor have helped you. Keep us updated

[zuriechick]

I'm very infrequently on this forum but have some issues with BV every now and again. It often depends on whether or not I'm smoking.

That being said, I recently started having issues again and having recently moved to Switzerland, I decided to try some homeopathic remedies. Switzerland has a lot more going on with homeopathic cures and I've been kinda amazed with my allergy remedy.

Anyway, long story short. Calendula oil. Pure, high quality. Dip a Q-tip in the oil and then dip it into yourself. Repeat. Helps with vulva skin and everything else. Yeast, BV, acne, acne scars, dry skin, wounds, insect bites. No side effects, no funky oder of any kind, and zero irritation...unless you're allergic to calendula. Obviously.

[melis19750]

I think I am doing better today. It doesnt feel quite as irritated as it has. I am using a cortisone ointment. It does state one of the side effects is dermatitis... so possibly the cortisone is helping yet causing irritation at the same time? I don't know.

I do know the redness has subsided a lot since using it... and there were areas before that were worse, so those improved. I guess I just need to try and be patient.

I am also interviewing a new GYN- just to see if I like her better.
as well as seeing a dermatologist. I figured one more opinion couldnt hurt.

its possible im just very sensitive and this will just take some time. After all its only been 2 weeks of treatment for this.

wish me luck

thanks sweet for always being here for us. your awesome

I'm sorry to hear your still experiencing some discomfort. Applying a cream/ointment would always help we with any dermatitis near the vulva, which is why I'm wondering why the ointment hasn't helped you. I would literally apply it for a few days and the eczema would have already subsided. You can call your gynecologist and ask if the ovules could have any affect on your vaginal pH. Although I'm not a medical professional (yet), I can assume a suppository would have a mild affect on the vaginal pH depending on it's composition (whether it's acidic, base, etc), but it shouldn't have a tremendous effect, unless it's supposed to alter your vaginal pH (like RepHresh Vaginal Gel or something like that).

I think your feeling as if your vaginal troubles will never end. I used to feel like that. But you should really just take things one day at a time and be thankful that your making progress My issues used to be so bad, any amount of relief would immediately boost my confidence and happiness. I took it as a learning experience which really helped, and that outlook ultimately lead to my recovery.

[swt simplicity]

gawsh you guys im having such a hard time with this skin issue now.

Its not itchy
but patches of rough skin (feels like eczema but not itchy)

now im almost kicking myself wishing i didnt do the boric acid

but i knew something had to be done for the non albican yeast

my 2 weeks with this mild steroid ointment is up as of tonight and im not feeling much better

I do have the hydrocortisone ovules for vaginal use.... I did try one and it did help with the inflammation after it leaked out
but im kinda scared to use it as i dont want it to cause an imbalance in my vaginal pH
but for some odd reason one side of my vulva was irritated (on the entrance near the vestibule) last night and couldnt sleep so i popped one in..... ahhh relief

i do see a dermatologist who has an interest in vulvar skin... on TUES
so i hope i get good news

i just wish i had someone to talk to about this over the phone
its so unfair to have to deal with this
i just want my happy normal vagina and skin around the area back
maybe im being too impatient as its only been 2 weeks of treatment
but it has been about 1 month now since i used the boric acid... i thought by now i would surely be back to normal

=(
sorry dont mean to be a Debby downer
i just wanna feel normal again

I'm sorry to hear your still experiencing some discomfort. Applying a cream/ointment would always help we with any dermatitis near the vulva, which is why I'm wondering why the ointment hasn't helped you. I would literally apply it for a few days and the eczema would have already subsided. You can call your gynecologist and ask if the ovules could have any affect on your vaginal pH. Although I'm not a medical professional (yet), I can assume a suppository would have a mild affect on the vaginal pH depending on it's composition (whether it's acidic, base, etc), but it shouldn't have a tremendous effect, unless it's supposed to alter your vaginal pH (like RepHresh Vaginal Gel or something like that).

I think your feeling as if your vaginal troubles will never end. I used to feel like that. But you should really just take things one day at a time and be thankful that your making progress My issues used to be so bad, any amount of relief would immediately boost my confidence and happiness. I took it as a learning experience which really helped, and that outlook ultimately lead to my recovery.

[melis19750]

gawsh you guys im having such a hard time with this skin issue now.

Its not itchy
but patches of rough skin (feels like eczema but not itchy)

now im almost kicking myself wishing i didnt do the boric acid

but i knew something had to be done for the non albican yeast

my 2 weeks with this mild steroid ointment is up as of tonight and im not feeling much better

I do have the hydrocortisone ovules for vaginal use.... I did try one and it did help with the inflammation after it leaked out
but im kinda scared to use it as i dont want it to cause an imbalance in my vaginal pH
but for some odd reason one side of my vulva was irritated (on the entrance near the vestibule) last night and couldnt sleep so i popped one in..... ahhh relief

i do see a dermatologist who has an interest in vulvar skin... on TUES
so i hope i get good news

i just wish i had someone to talk to about this over the phone
its so unfair to have to deal with this
i just want my happy normal vagina and skin around the area back
maybe im being too impatient as its only been 2 weeks of treatment
but it has been about 1 month now since i used the boric acid... i thought by now i would surely be back to normal

=(
sorry dont mean to be a Debby downer
i just wanna feel normal again

[melis19750]

I looked up pro-uro
and your right its the EXACT same as fem-d
but you know
why don't you try amazon.com or www.vitaminshoppe.com
you can definitely buy fem-dophilus and save a lot of money

where are you located???

Melis,

Pro-Uro's the same probiotic as fem d but it's manufactured by a company called Chr Hansen. According to the Dr who recommended me it, Chr Hansen has better quality control than other Reuteri-Rhamnosus producers. I'm not sure about this, however that's the only brand I can find here for this probiotic. It's very hard for me get it since just few doctors distribute it, so I always have to beg this doctor for sell it me....Also, the probiotic's super expensive here-it's 65$ for 28 pills-... he insists that I dont need to continue the treatment with pro uro, he's a bit of stubborn about this, I just think it doesnt harm since it's a natural product.

About Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal, I prefer to stick to fem-d since it's the only one, so far, that seems clinically proof. I wish we have more options for clinically proof probiotic, I cant believe there are so many advances in the medical field, however for vaginal problems we have few good options for treatments.....

It's good to hear you're doing well with cortisone. I'm sure you'll be fine after you finish the treatment. Mind you that vulval skin takes more time to heal than other parts of the body. I think after a month you'll start to feel much better. I'm not an specialist at all but i think so from what I've read and from my own experience.

[Gigle]

Melis,

Pro-Uro's the same probiotic as fem d but it's manufactured by a company called Chr Hansen. According to the Dr who recommended me it, Chr Hansen has better quality control than other Reuteri-Rhamnosus producers. I'm not sure about this, however that's the only brand I can find here for this probiotic. It's very hard for me get it since just few doctors distribute it, so I always have to beg this doctor for sell it me....Also, the probiotic's super expensive here-it's 65$ for 28 pills-... he insists that I dont need to continue the treatment with pro uro, he's a bit of stubborn about this, I just think it doesnt harm since it's a natural product.

About Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal, I prefer to stick to fem-d since it's the only one, so far, that seems clinically proof. I wish we have more options for clinically proof probiotic, I cant believe there are so many advances in the medical field, however for vaginal problems we have few good options for treatments.....

It's good to hear you're doing well with cortisone. I'm sure you'll be fine after you finish the treatment. Mind you that vulval skin takes more time to heal than other parts of the body. I think after a month you'll start to feel much better. I'm not an specialist at all but i think so from what I've read and from my own experience.

Hi Gigle
never heard of pro uro
are you sure its the same as fem d?

does it only have two strains??? Lacto bacillis Reuteri and Rhamnosus?

also- just heads up- sweet Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal support seems great- the old formula (recently changed) had FOS in it... they are now finding that FOS is a sugar that feeds yeast/ bacteria. So renew life has now taken the FOS out of their product and on the new formula the front label states "allergy free" and the back will have "FOS....****" which means it no longer has FOS in it.

so for those of you looking for a good pro-biotic. Make sure it does not have FOS in it.

=)
melissa
Update- so I think the coristine (desonide 0.05% ointment) is helping, although I am now on day 11- still not as good as Id like to be, but never the less better. Im only supposed to use it for 14 days. I hope I have more improvement.

[melis19750]

Hi Gigle
never heard of pro uro
are you sure its the same as fem d?

does it only have two strains??? Lacto bacillis Reuteri and Rhamnosus?

also- just heads up- sweet Renew Life Ultimate Flora Vaginal support seems great- the old formula (recently changed) had FOS in it... they are now finding that FOS is a sugar that feeds yeast/ bacteria. So renew life has now taken the FOS out of their product and on the new formula the front label states "allergy free" and the back will have "FOS....****" which means it no longer has FOS in it.

so for those of you looking for a good pro-biotic. Make sure it does not have FOS in it.

=)
melissa


Update- so I think the coristine (desonide 0.05% ointment) is helping, although I am now on day 11- still not as good as Id like to be, but never the less better. Im only supposed to use it for 14 days. I hope I have more improvement.

Thanks for the replies Melis- It's good to have a support with all this, even when it's just online but it's a such a big help...

Do you have the V book from Dr Stewart? she explained everything there about the use of cortisone and about skin problems, it's really good. She recommend there that you should soak in the tub for some minutes before applying cortisone in order your skin reacts better to the medication.

About my dermatitis, it was all over the vulval area, the vestibule got swollen. I think because of this, that area became hypersensitive, I still have a little pain there...

I'm already taking fem-d, here it's sold under the name "pro-uro". I'm taking 2 pills daily and i'm not sure whether is coincidence or not but, when I started to take just one all this imbalance came back again...It's really hard to find those probiotics here and they are super expensive! I've been using for 2 months 1/2, I hope it works for me, have somebody else had success using them??

Sometimes it's better off not to read too much information on the internet. I started to search about strep b I got really stressed with all I read. Anyway, I hope I can get rid of that as you did Melis!

Just let us know how you're doing with cortisone, give it a chance! You will see more improvement after you finish the treatment.

[melis19750]

sweet
seriously thanks so much for the reply! I greatly appreciate it. Im now on day 9 of cortisone, while the area is better- its not yet back to normal.... im praying this cortisone helps

its odd- because it doesnt look irritated, but it totally feels it.... almost like sandpaper wiping on some parts of my perineum -weird
but im hanging in there
=)

[swt simplicity]

SWEET-
so i wanted to ask, after you were done with your boric acid- you stated you had inflammation
where exactly was your inflammation and how long did you use hydrocortisone?

did you develope dermatitis after the boric acid at all? or was your inflammation internally?

My inflammation was on the inside, the actual vagina, and I was on the hydrocortisone suppositories for a while, until the inflammation subsided. I don't have an exact time frame though. If I can remember correctly, I was inserting them every other night. The nurse I talked to even said I can insert them while I'm menstruating since my flow is really light.

I do remember experiencing vulvular irritation from doing the boric acid over a long period of time. My labia were irritated, and so was my perineum. It wasn't just irritation, but actual eczema, which went away after I used a cortisone cream and stopped the boric acid.

So, my inflammation was both on the inside and the outside, whether it was inflammation, irritation, or actual eczema.