Yeast causing flare up?

[crysann]

Has anyone related a yeast infection to a flare up? I have a slight one for the past few days, and and my IC has been worse than ever. Maybe just a coincidence!

[ICNDonna]

It's not unusual to flare from yeast infections. How are you treating the yeast?

Donna

[crysann]

I am just using he over the counter Vagisil cream. It seems to do the trick until I get rid of the yeast naturally. Most of the time I use Gynozol cream. It is a perscription medication. This YI is not bad enough for that medicine. If I see a corrilation between the two, I will use it next time.

[Katrina]

MOst over the counter creams are not tollerated well by ICers and I think a lot of us flare from yeast infections....OUCH! If I were you I would be careful about over the counter yeast creams...and use other things usch as AZO yeast, Probotics, or a prescription...please keep in touch on how you are doing. I hope you feel better soon.

[sami4]

One of the worst IC flares I ever had turned out to be a bad yeast infection. Once on Diflucan the whole symptoms returned to normal like a miracle. I had to pee so bad I had to leave the examining room twice and thought for sure I had a bad UT infection. The Urine culture was negative except for trace blood (usual for me), I had a vulva so red it looked like I had lipstick on it.
They did a culture for Mycoplasm, Ureoplasm also which they are finding out has exactly the same symptoms as IC and has to be treated with certain antibiotics as all of them dont kill it. Thank God mine was negative.
I think yeast gets into the bladder during a bad infection. It gets into your mouth, vagina, intestines and who knows what else so it is just logical it gets into the bladder as well.
It took 4 Diflucans to fix it and then I had to go on Estrace vaginal cream 2 mg for two months to restore all the damage.
Sammie

[ICPrincess]

I have noticed that nearly all of my really severe flares are triggered by either a bacterial or yeast infection of the Vagina. Once I get those cleared up, the flare is almost always gone. Fluconazole is awesome for yeast. Now I do a preventative thing that has helped keep my flares down. I take an applicatorful of Metrogel (Vaginal Flagyl and so much more tolerable then the oral kind) a day or two after my period. Wait a day or two then take an applicatorful of Monistat. This has helped keep the yeast and bacteria from turning into anything big each month after my period. I still always flare the day before my period but then I soothe it with Pyridium for that day (and the Calcium Citrate helps alot too).

I truly believe that some women who have these monster flares that won't go away for weeks and weeks at a time are not food induced. I think bacteria or yeast is in the vaginal area and they cannot get any peace until that is abated. I can't cound the times I have had something like this vaginally that I felt in my bladder. My doctor keeps me refilled with Metrogel (which does not bother my bladder when I take it...the gel does not burn like Monistat can). I also keep Monistat on hand but grin and bear it once a month to stop yeast from getting in. I am big on preventative. I am a firm believer that any amount of bacteria in the vagina is not IC friendly and is at the forefront of the problem. Hormonal changes can bring on bacteria even if you are the cleanest person in the world.

[sami4]

Me too Princess. I think every time I had what I thought was a UT and vulvodynia it turned out to be yeast, gardinella or no vaginal estrogen. I think as the yeast goes untreated it goes into the bladder and urethra and causes a whole bunch of problems. I also took a blood allergy test and found out I was allergic to yeast and molds.
I also found out that vaginal yeast can be a number of varieties and Monillia is only one of them. When they re occur a culture should be done but most Gynos dont do that.
I too take Diflucan at the first sign of red vulva and burning. It has been working so far. Yeast can get embedded in tissue and be very stubborn.
I am also using a new product called THREELAC from Japan which does not dissolve in the stomach but in the intestines. It is supposed to be the most potent probiotic ever as most of them dissolve in the stomach and never get into the system.
Sammie

[curlycue]

OH my I never thought Yeast can get in some ones mouth? YUK that really grosses me out. I too have had my share of several Yeast Infections and it happens everytime I have sex wich is not offten enough mabey 3 to 4 times a month its they are awful I was thinking that mabey I can use the diflucan as a preventitive Medication does any one have any ideas? I would love to hear from you ladies.

[Katrina]

Oral thrushes are quite common actually.
Diflucan has been used as a preventative treatment. It usually isn't a doctors favorite option though because it can cause liver dammage if used for a long time.

I would try other things first such as AZO yeast and probotics like acidophilus since they are much safer to take long term.
You may want to have your husband checked to make sure he isn't passing the yeast infection to you since that can happen without him having any symptoms.

I still have a Diflucan prescription but only use it when I have symptoms these days because my doctor feels it was the cause of some of my changes in blood work.

[ICPrincess]

The other thing that is tricky is telling whether or not is is Bacterial Vaginosis or yeast. They can mimic one another. I seem to get more pain from the becterial infection then I do yeast. Bacterial makes the vagina burn like it's on fire. You feel this rawness, soreness and burning. I used Monistat thinking it would help one time and it didn't. I then realized that every month after I get my period, I would begin to get a damn bacterial infection. Even though I am clean, change my pads often (cannot use tampons) and still....I would get them. They can make you flare terribly. Yeast too. I started experimenting and noticed that my long term flares would almost always clear up once I used either Metrogel and Monistat (Or Fluconazole). I have since learned to nip it in the bud by doing the preventative and I am flaring ALOT less!

I have such a gut feeling....very strong gut feeling that IC began because of bacteria that either went untreated too long, or was not erradicated by the medicine. I think this bacteria literally attacked the bladder wall burrowing itself deep into the bladder itself which is why it does not show up as an infection. It isn't really. It was at one time but now it mutated and did it's damage to the delicate walls of the bladder leaving it vulnerable to even more attacks so that any bacteria whatsoever is EXTREMELY painful to it. I seem to do fine...even eat the foods I like (with the Calcium Citrate) if I keep all the bacteria at bay vaginally. I honestly think that most (not all) flares are from new bacteria in the uro/vaginal area which is like pouring salt on an open wound. Many times we think its a bladder infection but its yeast or vaginal bacteria. Any amount can make you double over. I always feel so soothed by the Metrogel or the Fluconazole. I remember a woman out here (maybe she will see this) who said she doesn't understand this but that her IC gets so much better if she remembers to use Cleocin cream vaginally (Alternative to Metrogel). She said her doctor didn't understand that but I do. It's exactly what I am experiencing. I think a great many of us are barking up the wrong tree for relief. We are taking all these pain meds for pain but the infection may be in our vagina's and growing which is why the flare will not go away. Food for thought.

[curlycue]

WOW Princess the doctor that I went to back in 1997 he is located in Tijana Mexico said the same thing that he thought IC was a Bacterial Infection that was never treated correctly and then with in time is screws with you bladder. He put me on 100mg of bactrim and something else I cant remember, but I took it for around 6-7 months and it helped me for 5 years I did not get a flare or anything I was great.

How do I find out if it is a bacterial infection?

I am going to take the AZO stuff Kat thanks

What kind of preventitive meds are you on now if you dont mind me asking

Where can I get Metrogel

Thanks

[ICPrincess]

Hey Curly

In most cases, the infection is gone, but the imprint it leaves behind is what we call IC (at least that's what I suspect pretty strongly). It attacks the bladder and leaves it vulnerable and scarred. It becomes so sensitive that any bacteria at all makes it go into high gear. I was flaring terribly this past year and then I began to make the connection. I finally started to keep Metrogel on hand as well as Monistat and my doctor ordered me Fluconazole to have on hand as well in my arsenal. Metrogel is the vaginal version of "Flagyl" which is given for bacterial vaginosis. I could not tolerate oral Flagly. Made me sick everytime. I also thought, why take the oral version systemically when the bacteria is in my vagina. Metrogel is prescribed by Gynecologists. It is so much gentler on your system and does not really irritate the bladder (didn't me). You usually take it for 5 to 7 days for a full blown bacterial infection (I take one applicatior full a month is all and that has kept the bacteria at bay....women often get this around their periods amd may not even realize until it gets really bad).

There is a school of thought that the bacteria is not truly dead just un-culterable (Not sure that is a word but thought I'd go for it..lol) and so they believe you need to be on antibiotics for months ( I am not so sure how I feel about that theory but I do think you can control the damage already done by making sure you are bacteria free whether that be vaginally or urologically...they go hand in hand). I am just so sick of doctors shaking thier heads and saying I dunno....I think the answer is right in front of them and I truly think this may be it. If you think about it (and I have had twenty years of this disease and alot of time to think about it), it makes sense. It may not be the way that everyone got thier IC, but I would lay odds it's how the majority did. A bad bacterial infection that was never treated properly could attack the tissue and later leave scars and pain behind. In any event, I think women that are having horrible flares should skip the urologist who will only smile weakly and nod a lot and go to the Gynecologist and have their vaginal area swabbed to see if any yeast or bacteria is present. I would bet there is.

[curlycue]

Thanks Princess I am going to bring this up to my Uro but they dont usually like to be told what our findings are, pretty sad. I might bring it up to my moms Gyno she is Tijuana Mexico and is really understanding and usually if I come in with some compond info wich I think this is she listens to me and gives me what I want.

[Katrina]

I agree...dammage from infections is very definatly one aspect of IC. Unfortunatly I have been on antibiotics for years...didn't cure me but it did help at first.
Thanks Princess for the detailed info you shared. I don't really want to get into the problems yeast causes me.

When I first diagnosed I would still get actual UTI's frequenty....after each one I would be worse off than before. I asked the doctors at ICA about this and they agreed that bacterial infections can do some dammage to the bladder that even after the infection is gone your bladder may not be "all better" so to speak. That was about 5 years ago.

[ICPrincess]

I agree. I tend to believe that taking antibiotics for months on end can do more damage then good. I also believe that it may halp some in some cases but that for the majority, the infection is now gone. It's what that infection leaves behind that is so painful for us to deal with. The scarring, ulcers and pain. The sad truth is that many doctors are not even interested in what causes IC. They just seem to not care all that much. It's a strange little disease to them that they would like to sweep under the carpet if they could. Doctors almost always resent being told something they never thought about or didn't know because they hand out ego's when they hand out medical licenses. The truth is that we have to learn for ourselves most of the time. Earler this year, I did a full course of Monistat, Metrogel and then finally took a Fluconazole tablet. After that month passed of doing a one two three punch like this, I felt better then I have ever felt....literally. I didn't want to pussyfoot around. I figured let's not take chances and go for all three one time and it worked. I knocked out whatever bacteria was hanging around and I felt so much better. There is no doubt that it has helped me tremendously. It's odd how the gynecologists seem to understand the seriousness of bacteria more then the urologists do. They seem to be more aware of just how much damage it can cause beyond the infection stage.