Oral thrush

[DeusXM]

Yes, that's it, have a good laugh.

At the moment I think I've got a case of oral thrush, which isn't hugely surprising since I seem to recurrently get fungal infections and the last week or so has seen me have some real problems keeping my BG under control.

Anyway, I've been to the doctor and been prescribed some Daktarin oral gel, and I'm just wondering if any of you guys have some tips on dealing with this problem. At the moment I'm applying the gel to the translucent patches I have on the inside of my cheeks, but the gel is pretty tasty and whenever I put it in, my mouth starts to water quite a bit so I'm having real trouble not swallowing. I'm not having to take massive swallows when I do this but I'm just worried to what extent I'm compromising the effectiveness of the gel.

Something else I've done is start drinking a pre- and pro-biotic yoghurt in the morning too since I've been informed that lactobacillus can help check fungal growth - is this right or am I wasting my money.

Thirdly, if anyone else has been on this sort of gel before...something I've noticed since I started using it is that it's made my tongue go whiter. Maybe it's just I'm now paying slightly more attention to my mouth but I'm convinced that since I started attacking the fungus, it's made it flare up on my tongue. I'm now putting gel on my tongue too but I'm also having the same tasty swallow problem - is a flare-up on the tongue reasonably normal once treatment's began?

Fourthly...the patches I have on my cheek do sorta scrape off - am I helping or hindering if I scrape off the 'excess' and then apply the gel?

Fifthly....ooo, now this one's embarrassing. If you're a child, please scroll down to the next paragraph. Now, obviously I'm aware that thrush, as well as being an oral problem, can also be a vaginal problem. If I am giving oral sex to a woman, what are the risks of me passing on thrush to her?


Ok, you can look back now. Finally....how long does it usually take to shift this sort of thing once you've started treatment?

[belyro]

Fifthly....ooo, now this one's embarrassing. If you're a child, please scroll down to the next paragraph. Now, obviously I'm aware that thrush, as well as being an oral problem, can also be a vaginal problem. If I am giving oral sex to a woman, what are the risks of me passing on thrush to her?



I think....THINK....that you can give her a yeast infection. But if someone out there can correct me, please be my guest.

Personally, if my hubby had thrush, I'd want to put a "hold" on that activity. But that's just cautious me speaking.

[rzrbks]

Certain medications can cause Thrush to appear and/or reappear.

You might want to check the source.

[Funnygrl]

Do you use any inhalers?

[grace girl]

Fungal problems can be passed back and forth...you're right on that one. Also, the yogurt will help, just make sure you're getting yogurt that has the active cultures in it. It usually says if it does on the label. I don't know about the UK, but over here they actually sell psuedo yogurt with no active cultures.
Now this is probably old school, but when my kids were little and got thrush I was told to either wipe out the mouth gently with a warm cloth, or rinse with water after they ate or drank anything that had sugar. Today I would translate that into anything with carbs. The fungus feeds on sweet stuff.

[LI_Beach_Girl]

Sorry to hear you are having this problem Deus. I've had very good luck with acidophius tablets. I think they worked much better than yogurt.

[MyrandaDawn]

My youngest would get oral thrush alot until we figured out the problem. Every time he took antibiotics for something, it would develop. He's allergic to alot of medications, and I don't like stuffing him full of drugs anyway. So, instead, the doctor had him take garlic capsules and rinse with saltwater.

[lilituc]

Yogurt is definitely good. Sometimes I buy the Trader Joe's type acidophilus tablets (because they're active) and let them dissolve in my mouth.

The only thing that's really worked well consistently for me is this "Elixir" that they usually give to children. Many pharmacies have formulations of it, but they're all called different things - the doctor should know. Sometimes it's "miracle mouthwash." It has dexamethasone; diphenhydramine; nystatin; tetracycline. I've had that and I've had the "adult" treatment which is this absolutely horrible-tasting antifungal tablet that you put in your mouth, but you can't swallow any of it or you get terrible diarrhea. Trust me, you want the children's treatment! (But don't swallow that, either). Finally, sometimes they prescribe diflucan and it works, but for me it's an ongoing problem (because of my medication) so I prefer having the mouthwash. It's up to you, I guess.

[Stuboy]

Yes, that's it, have a good laugh.
Fifthly....ooo, now this one's embarrassing. If you're a child, please scroll down to the next paragraph. Now, obviously I'm aware that thrush, as well as being an oral problem, can also be a vaginal problem. If I am giving oral sex to a woman, what are the risks of me passing on thrush to her?


Laura says 99%... (not from previous experience, but apparently her sister gets it all the time (caused by stress))

[lilituc]

Fifthly....ooo, now this one's embarrassing. If you're a child, please scroll down to the next paragraph. Now, obviously I'm aware that thrush, as well as being an oral problem, can also be a vaginal problem. If I am giving oral sex to a woman, what are the risks of me passing on thrush to her?

Sorry, I missed this the first time. Yes, thrush or yeast is transmittable. It can also be passed from women to men (!) although in men the symptoms can be misleading since they are a little different in a, em, drier environment.

[archimeech]

Deus,
I've actually got a horribly scortching case of Oral Thrush, myself. In addition to this, I also have strept throat. So I'm on Zythromicin and they put me on 3 times the dose of diflucan that they give to women for a vaginal yeast infection. My mouth is sore and my tongue has been completely covered with the White Carpet of Doom. I was taking the mouth wash (Duke's Miracle Mouthwash) about a month ago for something else and I think it's what wound up giving me the imbalance.

Go with the pro-biotic or just eat a lot of active culture yogurt, and also use plenty of mouthwash or saltwater rinse and clean your mouth as often as possible.

[SueM]

Deus,
If what you are taking doesn't work go back to your GP and ask for some nystan mouth wash a friend of mine had a dreadful case of oral thrush after he was given loads of IV antibiotics when he had pneumonia, the nystan cleared it up very quickly.
Also try using a salt mouth wash. Gentin violet works wonders too but slight problem you turn violet where the stuff touches :)
Avoid all yeast products and sugary food as yeast will feed on them.
Lastly but not least tell your blood sugars to behave :)

[Cyborg]

I've had problems with thrush and yeast infections in the past when my bg was out of control...

[Keezheekoni]

I help women in La Leche League all the time, who have problems with oral thrush in their babies, as well as on the mom's nipples. We tell them to use gentian violet all the time. It usually takes three days to clear up with that. Since, I'm assuming, that you're not breastfed anymore, your mom won't need to put the stuff on herself. :rofl:

Yes you can pass it on to a woman during certain activities... and remember as I said above, you can pass it on to her nipples as well. So, be careful with that. :)

[mg_2204]

ooo, now this one's embarrassing. If you're a child, please scroll down to the next paragraph. Now, obviously I'm aware that thrush, as well as being an oral problem, can also be a vaginal problem.

Know that you can give it... and you can catch it too. Work both ways!

I know there is a tablet women can take for thrush. Highly efficient! Takes a day and you're thrush free. Would that work for your problem too? You might want to ask your pharmacist.

[lilituc]

I know there is a tablet women can take for thrush. Highly efficient! Takes a day and you're thrush free.

That's probably diflucan (fluconazole).

[JasonJayhawk]

I didn't read everyone else's responses (things have been crazy around here) -- but wanted to respond to Deus.

For everyone who's interested, you know you have thrush when you can scrape goo off of your tongue, and then place it in a glass of water. If it's stringy, it's thrush. I thought I had it years ago when I was first in the hospital complaining of thirst -- but it just turned out to be a really dry tongue.

You might see about nystatin. I am not familiar with Daktarin, but then again, I'm not a doctor or pharmacist, and my attempts at playing one on TV failed in gradeschoo. :-) Nystatin is available in a pill form and may help. I think it's interesting that they're trying patches on the inside of your cheeks...never heard of that treatment, but maybe it costs less (or more??) than nystatin, which has been around for a long, long time!

Just remember, Deus... fungie are more fun. :trytofly: :dontknow:

The yogurt trick you're referring to works for women, or for digestive issues. The idea is to take up the "parking spaces" of the "bad" fungi and replace them those parking spots with friendly bacteria. I think you're not going to help things with doing that in your mouth. You might have better luck kissing a dog to get some other bacteria in your oral cavity.

Most adults have a slightly white tongue in the back -- at least, that's what my dentist says. Be sure to brush your tongue. It's likely that your taste bud cells have become a overactive and that's the white that you see. Brushing your tongue nightly will reduce this over a couple months; do not brush hard, just light brushing will do the trick.

If you are unable to scrape the white stuff from your tongue with a popcicle stick and then swish the stick in water to get a kind of weird "lightning" appearance of the cells in the water, it is not thrush. (Of course, that's a non-lab way of looking at it).

The gel is meant to attack the fungi and allow them to scurry to new camps, so I imagine that scraping it will only spread them around more.

:listen: For oral sex (I think you mean when you dial one of those 1-900 numbers to talk dirty, right?), YES!, it can be passed on, and you can also get re-infected it this way. Make sure your partner...errr...phone has been checked and treated, or the cycle will continue every time you talk dirty. :birthday:

I'm not sure how long it would take for treatment to work.

I can tell you that nystatin works by causing the cell membranes of the fungi to become weak, essentially causing them to fall apart (actually, they lose their potassium and/or sodium ions, causing them to eventually break open). I'm not sure if nystatin is available in a mouthwash form (guess you could Google it), but I know an oral version would probably fix you right up.

Dangit, I'm curious about what drug you have, but patches sound a little uncomfy.

[notme]

Deus.....nobody is laughing buddy. I have never had thrush, but I have had the (woman) version. It is painful and annoying and hard to treat.

Ok...better than yogurt.... Go to your pharmacist, without a prescription and ask them for BD Lactinex. Lactinex is a Lactobacillus tablet that is 100x's stronger than yogurt and you do not need a Rx for it. It is refridgerated so you must ask the pharmacist for it. I get it at Longs Pharmacy.

I think the idea of Nyastatin is a good one. If you don't get rid of this infection quickly, call the doctor and get something stronger. This has to be so uncomfortable for you.

I hate diabetes sometimes.

[DeusXM]

Dangit, I'm curious about what drug you have, but patches sound a little uncomfy.

Nah, I meant I have white patches on the inside of my cheeks as symptoms - I'm using this gel to treat - Daktarin Oral Gel Information and Sales (http://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/medicines/medicines/d/daktarin/daktarin_oral_gel.htm)

[mg_2204]

That's probably diflucan (fluconazole).

YES! That's it!! Thank you. Why bother with creams and other stuff when you can take a very fast effective and convenient treatment. I wish I knew about Duflucan earlier!

[Sapphire]

Yep probiotic is good, cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, Kim Chi and saurkraut and also eat 2-3 tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil. The coconut oil kills candida.