GIRLS ONLY PLEASE.. How do we cure this..

[me&thegals]

Insert the yogurt, and eat yogurt, also drink cranberry juice, and avoid all the things that cause yeast to go over active.--sugars etc

What other foods should she avoid..

Every one in the house is drinking alot of cranberry juice. So that is a good thing..

Cranberry juice is for a URINARY tract infection, not yeast. In fact, all the sugar will probably make the yeast infection a lot worse.

I use the yogurt internally and internally I eat yogurt and then also soak a small tampon in a bowl of plain yogurt, then insert. The cool yogurt is soothing and after a few nighttime insertions, they go away.

Staying off sugar as much as possible seems to be very helpful!

 

[freemotion]

The cranberry juice that helps with a UTI is the unsweetened 100% juice kind, not the cocktail type that has more sugar than coke, believe it or not. For a mild infection, you can sometimes knock it out with 1/4 cup juice in lots of water, you can sweeten it with stevia extract, and drink twice a day.

I've knocked out more severe UTI's with a quart a day of the juice and about 6 quarts of water. Nasty, but so much better than antibiotics, which usher in a yeast infection. Probiotics also help with UTI's.

For yeast infections, you can also douche with a diluted solution of yogurt. It must be plain yogurt with live cultures. The Greek yogurt is good, as it has no additives like pectin.

Milk will only be useful if it is raw, with all it's antibacterial properties intact.

All high glycemic index foods and drinks should be strictly avoided.....no juices of any kind, even veggie juices. No grains or rice. Nothing that is quickly converted to sugar in your body. No veggies that are seeds as well.....corn or peas. No potatoes.

Then after a few days, add some whole grains (100% whole grains....don't be fooled by labels! And not breads, unless you can find one with no sweetener in it. They do exist, but very hard to find) if you must, but avoid them if you can. You will get all the carbs you need from fruit and veggies, eat LOTS of veggies like carrots, brocolli, squash, green leafies, green beans, all the salad veggies, etc. Go for two pounds of veggies a day if possible.

Live, fermented foods would be great. Not killed by canning or heating, don't cook that homemade sauerkraut this week!

If you can do this for a week, you might also lose about 10 lbs, if you keep your LGI veggie consumption VERY high.

Same diet for three issues.....yeast, UTI, and weight!

 

[Wifezilla]

Just remember that wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, etc... all convert to sugar rapidly in the blood stream. She needs to cut back on carbohydrates in general because it is all really just sugar.

 

[Wifezilla]

You beat me to the post...LOLOL

 

[freemotion]

I was wondering where you were!!!

 

[Mackay]

Vaginal Yeast Infections
https://www.msu.edu/~eisthen/yeast/yourself.html

do-it-yourself treatments

if you are reasonably aware of your body and can catch yeast infections early enough, you almost never need to rely on "medical" treatments.
when i'm getting a yeast infection, i always start by treating it myself with one or more of the remedies listed below. there lots of reasons for this: i like to have control over my own body and not have to rely on the medical establishment except when really necessary; doing it myself is generally easier and cheaper than using medical treatments; and home remedies tend to be milder, cleaner, better-smelling, and have fewer side effects than drugs do. in addition, some of these treatments rely on substances that you can grow yourself, so you have can minimal participation in our increasingly corporate culture. still, if your infection seems resistant or you can't get these to work soon enough to make you happy, you may want to escalate to the more powerful fungicides available over the counter in most pharmacies.
the remedies listed below are in no particular order, except that the more common ones are towards the top of the list. these treatments should clear up most candida infections; do feel free to combine 2 or 3 of them if you think you need it.


yogurt is the #1 choice of do-it-yourselfers everywhere, and is so common that even some professional medical types recommend it. yogurt contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, a bacterium that also happens to be found in healthy vaginas. acidophilus kills yeast by producing hydrogen peroxide. most wimmin using yogurt to treat a yeast infection simply apply it directly to the vulva and gently inject some into the vagina by any means necessary. but how to get in there? here's a method suggested by one reader: put the yogurt in plastic tampon applicators and freeze them, and then you've got little yogurt-sicles to use next time you get a yeast infection. she says "It is really cold, of course, inserting the tampon, but i find it actually soothing compared to the fires of a damn yeast infection." i love it! another reader who has access to disposable gloves says she fills the fingers with yogurt and freezes them to make her yogurt -sicles. (given that freeze-dried acidophilus tablets are available in health food stores, i'm guessing acidophilus can survive being made into a popsicle.) other people use syringes (with no needle!) to squirt it up there. however you do it, be sure to use plain, unflavored yogurt with no added sugar, and be double sure that it contains live acidophilus cultures (available in natural foods stores and many supermarkets). apply once or twice a day until at least a day after your symptoms clear up. another possibility is to insert acidophilus pills from your local supermarket or health food store (look in the refrigerated section); check and make sure the capsule is made of something soft enough to melt inside you.
 also, it appears that you may be able to get some of the same effects by eating a lot of yogurt, the idea being that some of the acidophilus will make it through your digestive system and then crawl from your anus over to where you want them, i.e., in your vagina. seems to me like a hell of journey; i say if you want 'em in your crotch, just put 'em there. but some people do use this method to try ward off yeast infections, and report good success. also, if you are the parent of a young child with a yeast infection and don't want to try suppositories or strong drugs, this may be your best option.
 unfortunately, the production of dairy products is a definite downer from the cow's point of view, given today's factory farming methods. if you are a vegan, you may want to think about getting some of the same benefits by using acidophilus pills from a natural foods store. you can easily open up the capsules and powder your vulva with the contents, or you can mix with water and then squirt it inside or dip a tampon in it and use it that way. i bet this delivers far more acidophili than you would get from applying yogurt. i don't know if this is really such a great solution, though: i don't know where this acidophilus comes from (how vegan is it?), and the capsules used by most companies contain gelatin, which is an animal product.

garlic contains natural antifungal substances that kill off yeast. it's my favorite home remedy for yeast infections; i always try it first, and it usually does the trick. to try it, find yourself a fresh clove of garlic and carefully peel all the papery skin off it. next, make a little tampony thing by wrapping it in gauze or cheesecloth, tying the ends with unwaxed dental floss, and leaving a bit of string dangling so you'll be able to pull it out afterward. now, believe it or not, insert it into your vagina. don't worry about losing it up there, because of course it can't get through your cervix. leave it in for several hours at a time, like overnight, and be sure to remove it in the morning. for early or mild infections, nighttime treatments may be enough; try several nights in a row, until one day after the symptoms disappear. if your infection is more severe, put a fresh clove in every morning and every night. (i find the dry gauze painful to insert, and unnecessary. most of my friends and i have found that an unwrapped clove shoved up there will eventually work its way out, and even if it doesn't just fall out it can usually be expelled by bearing down and squeezing like you are trying to take a dump. but don't try this unless you are willing to face the possibility of asking a friend or doctor to retrieve it later!) most sources say to be careful not to nick the clove as you are peeling it, maybe because the juice stings some people, but i don't know anyone who has had a problem with that. if this makes you nervous, you could also try the garlic capsules that are sold as a dietary supplement in many health food stores, but be sure to get the kind with a soft coating that will dissolve inside you. either way, it's fun to try: it makes your crotch taste divine, and you can walk around all day smirking to yourself, thinking how shocked people would be if they knew why it is that you reek of garlic. the downsides are that it's a fairly moderate treatment and won't work by itself for some really stubborn infections, and that a few people are allergic to garlic and can't go shoving it in their orifices without getting really sick.

teatree oil is available in the US at many natural foods stores. a terrifically helpful woman wrote to tell me that in italy, teatree oil is widely used for yeast infections. she said that her pharmacist told her to coat the top half of a non-applicator type tampon with a lubricant (such as K.Y. jelly or even olive oil), then apply a few drops of pure tea tree oil and insert. the lubricant keeps the teatree oil from absorbing into the tampon. she also said that she finds that the teatree oil can sting if it comes in contact with the vulva, so she uses an applicator tampon, by just lifting off the top part of the applicator to expose the tampon, applying the K.Y. jelly and tea tree oil, and putting the tampon back into the applicator. what a great idea!

boric acid is a great remedy for a cockroach-ridden apartment, and it turns out to kill yeasty pests, too. amazing. the idea is load up some size 00 capsules from a pharmacy or natural foods store with boric acid to use as suppositories*; the heat and moisture in your vagina will melt the capsules and release the boric acid. insert 2 capsules filled with boric acid, about 600 mg total, into your vagina every night for a week. (to be extra sure, continue this treatment twice a week for the next 3 weeks.) this is a pretty strong treatment, and is capable of effectively treating even severe or persistent yeast infections. some wimmin find that the boric acid causes some superficial burning and discomfort for the first few days, and may cause large amounts of vaginal discharge. discontinue use if the burning is severe. (*note to readers in the UK: by "suppository" i mean "pessary"; don't put this in your arse!)


potassium sorbate is a potent fungicide that is widely used in preserving foods, and is often used in brewing beer to stop the growth of the yeast at the correct time. potassium sorbate is therefore available at places that sell home-brewing supplies, and at some natural foods stores. to use it, make a 3% solution by adding 8 gm (about 1 tablespoon) potassium sorbate to a cup of water. the idea is to dip a cotton tampon in the solution, insert it at bedtime, remove it in the morning, and continue this treatment for a few days until the symptoms are gone. for the life of me, i can't figure out how you'd get a soaking-wet, expanded tampon into a vagina, so i've never tried it. maybe if you used a tampon in one of those horrible plastic applicators you could manage it. another idea, suggested to me by a doctor friend, is to insert a dry tampon and then squirt a bunch of the solution up afterward, so the tampon will absorb the fluid and hold it in place. sounds like it should work...

gentian violet is a traditional remedy for yeast and other infections that pre-dates most modern antifungals and antibiotics. it used to be carried in pharmacies; some still have it, usually in the same section as iodine, and some friendly pharmacists will order it for you if you ask. the idea is to swab it all over the vulva and up into the vagina once or twice a day for a few days. wear black clothes or use thick pads, because the stuff is brilliant purple and stains everything it touches. i should warn you though that some wimmin are allergic to it, and i received this email from a very distressed woman: "It was recommended to me, and my experience was frightening. A friend ... advised me to dip a tampon into the solution and insert. The next day I was in so much pain, my mom had to drive me to the doctor, who painfully investigated the area, and after inspecting a swollen, itchy, PURPLE twat, told me I had a reaction. She gave me some medication ... I hope you can pass the word of caution on to other women!" also, i heard from a reader in the UK that the stuff is a suspected carcinogen and is now unavailable in some EU countries. you might want to think twice about using it, but it's your call.
Ways to Use Gentian Violent for Yeast Infection Relief:
One way is to "paint" the vagina, cervix (you'll need a speculum) and vulva (outside area including the labia or "lips" of vagina) with gentian violet. It stains, so you'll want to wear a pad. This usually works after one treatment.

Another way to get the gentian violet (GV) into your vagina and onto the cervix is to use a GV-soaked tampon, and then to "paint" the more easily reachable areas with cotton balls. Because gentian violet will stain anything it comes in contact with (hands, skin, clothing, tile, pets, small children) you may wish to wear gloves while working with it.
Supplies needed for the tampon method:
gentian violet (either 1% or 2% solution is fine)
small dish or jar lid
tampon
cotton balls
gloves

Step 1: Unwrap the tampon, but do not remove it from the applicator (if there is one).
Step 2: Put about two tablespoons of gentian violet into the dish.
Step 3: Put the tampon (applicator and all, if there is one) into the dish and let it sit for a little while, until it has absorbed all the gentian violet it can.
Step 4: Insert, and leave for two to six hours.
Step 5: Dip a cotton ball in the remaining gentian violet and apply it to the vulva.
Step 6: Voila! All done. Repeat if needed, though most users report success with one treatment. As mentioned above, you may wish to wear a pad to avoid staining your underwear.

For VPers' experiences using gentian violet to treat yeast infections, you may want to check out this VP on LJ post (NSFW).

Where Can I Find Gentian Violet? Gentian violet may or may not be available at your local pharmacy/drugstore. The best way to find out is to give them a call. If they don't have any in stock, they may be able to order some for you. You can also try ordering it online yourself. Walgreens sells it online, and it's also available through Amazon. You can also try ordering from Humco (click on the "Secure Order" link and then scroll down through the alphabetical listings until you come to "G" for gentian violet), the supplier of the gentian violet sold on Amazon--their website isn't fancy, but they do carry both 1% and 2% solutions, both of which are suitable to use for YI treatment.



cranberries are often used in treating urinary tract infections, which apparently works because the berries contain substances that inhibit bacteria from clinging to the walls of your urinary tract. cranberries also lower the pH of your urine, which may be useful in helping combat yeast infections, since the acidic urine passes over some of your infected parts on its way out. as such, it's a pretty mild remedy, which is great if you think you may be coming down with a yeast infection; for more serious infections, it can be used in combination with other remedies. because i can't handle the extreme sourness of the unsweetened juice, i often take small handfuls of cranberry pills (available in natural foods stores) during the entire course of a yeast infection as a supplement to other home remedies.

douches
although douching is generally a bad idea when you are healthy, there are many effective home remedies for yeast infections that involve douching. be careful when douching to keep the bag below your pelvis and to exert only slight pressure, as really strong pressure might drive the solution up through the cervix into the uterus. also, be careful when inserting and removing the nozzle, as damage to the vaginal walls can lead to more serious yeast or bacterial infections.

hydrogen peroxide is produced naturally by bacteria in your vagina, and kills yeast. if the bacteria aren't doing enough by themselves, try mixing 1 teaspoon of ordinary 3% hydrogen peroxide from your market or pharmacy with 1 cup of water. use as a douche once a day until the day after your symptoms disappear.

teatree oil is an effective anti-yeast treatment and can be used straight (see above), but needs to be highly diluted to use as a douche. make a stock solution by combining 1 teaspoon tea tree oil with 1 teaspoon isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, which should turn milky white. store in a dropper bottle. make a douche by adding 10 drops of the stock solution to a pint of water, and use once a day for a week.


herbal douche: this one's a little complicated, but apparently worth the trouble. combine equal parts of sage, raspberry or comfrey leaf, and mullein (optional), with 1/4 part goldenseal. then make a tea using 4 tablespoons of the herb mixture and a quart of boiling water. steep for 15-20 minutes, remove the herbs, and let cool to at least body temperature. then add 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, and if you want to really go all-out, add 1 tablespoon acidophilus powder or 1/4 cup yogurt. for milder infections, douche every other day until a day after symptoms disappear; for more severe infections, use daily.

acidic douches restore the natural pH of the vagina, which is relatively inhospitable to yeast. try making a solution with 2 tablespoons of white or cidar vinegar, or the juice of half a lemon, or 1 teaspoon vitamin C, per quart of water. use every day to treat mild infections, or in combination with other treatments for more severe infections.

 

[big brown horse]

Wow! Thanks for all of that information!! We should pass this on to all of our sisters and bffs.

"yogurt-iscles" Now that is a fabulous idea!! (The title is funny though.) I wondered how the tampon didn't get all "fluffed" up when it was soaked in the yogurt.

 

[me&thegals]

Vaginal Yeast Infections
put the yogurt in plastic tampon applicators and freeze them, and then you've got little yogurt-sicles to use next time you get a yeast infection.

You have got to be kidding!!!! It makes me want to cross my legs really tightly!

I wondered how the tampon didn't get all "fluffed" up when it was soaked in the yogurt.

It DOES get all fluffed up--one reason I put in a mini pad when using this, as the yogurt liquid tends to drain out a bit.

 

[Mackay]

Oh, by the way, I didn't write all that stuff. Just pulled it out of a file.

 

[Aidenbaby]

I wish I could offer more advice than what has been posted. Everytime I get one, it's too late to really do anything other than soothe the itching. I have a high pain tolerance and don't usually get itching until the infection is on its way out.