A question for women...

[BLM]

Ok so this is getting frustrating to me and I need to know if everyone goes thru this or just me. Im ending a flare, or maybe done. I go see GI on Weds, hes supposed to lower dosage. However, since I started getting sick back in Janurary I have constantly had womenly problems, yeast infection, strep UTI, bacteria infection, yeast infection and now another bacteria infection.....WTH??? For months Ive been treating these vaginal issues, and they keep happening....I cant keep paying these copays to go in and hear I have another vaginal infection. Is this common with this disease?? I have had vaginal problems my whole life, but I just cant seem to get thru these ones....I get rid of one and then I have another one.....so FRUSTRATING!!!!

 

[Keona]

Hi bev,

I get oral thrush/esophageal thrush a lot but nowhere else. I think it has a lot to do with Crohn's.

 

[Entchen]

Hi Bev: Sometimes these problems can be Crohn's-related (afraid I'm falling asleep and don't have the energy to find a study for you, sorry!). I've been having UTI issues lately but not to the extent that you're experiencing. You poor thing!

 

[ChefShazzy]

Oh, Bev, it sounds like you're having a miserable time! All my life, I've never had problems with UTI's or any other womanly problems... Not even after being diagnosed and all these steroids and whatnots. I'm not sure why you are having such a rough go of it; I can't say for sure if it's all Crohn's related or just random crappy luck. But I do hope your doc can help you figure this out, and that you feel better really soon...

 

[DustyKat]

Hi Bev,

A lot of women, not just those with Crohn's, experience thrush infections following a course of antibiotics. Unfortunately it becomes a vicious cycle of bacterial infection - antibiotics - thrush infection and so on. I'm so sorry you are going through all this. To top it all off I expect the treatment to bring your flare under control has compromised your immune system, hence the repeated bacterial infections. I have never experienced this myself but some of my friends seem to be plagued by vaginal thrush and they say that yoghurt works well, with a regime something like this:

Insert a tablespoon of natural acidophilus yoghurt into the vagina at night, during times of infection.

Maybe of some help????

I hope you get some relief soon.

Take care,
Dusty

 

[Guest]

i was going to say the same as DustyKat, that these recurrent problems might just be an indication of your immune system being out of sync..

maybe you could visit a good health shop and see if there are any natural supplements which help you to fight off things like this?

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I used to get UTIs constantly, like 6 - 8 per year. And then when I'd take the antibiotics to clear up the UTI, I'd get a yeast infection (for some reason, the broad spectrum antibiotics tend to increase yeast production, or so I was told by a nurse once). So I definitely understand, and like DustyKat said, it can become a cycle of infection after infection. I started taking cranberry supplements twice a day as I heard that cranberry is good for preventing UTIs, and it definitely works for me. I think I have averaged about one UTI every couple of years since taking the cranberry. The supplements are easy to find, too - I buy mine at Target.

Another thing I discovered was that after I had had a few UTIs and knew the symptoms, my doctor allowed me to just call the office, answer a questionnaire (they ask things like if I have a backache or kidney pain or blood in my pee - to ascertain how bad the infection is) and if my answers were acceptable and the infection doesn't sound too bad to them, they just write me a prescription for the antibiotics without needing to see me in the office or make me pee in a cup. So that saves me a lot on copays. I hope that helps, feel better soon!

 

[DustyKat]

Good point Cat. For those that have a tendency to have recurrent UTI's, cranberry supplements can be very effective in reducing their frequency. Also at the first sign of one coming on - frequency, burning, flank pain - perhaps start taking some Ural. If you are unfamiliar with it, it is an OTC medication that you mix with water

Take care,
Dusty

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I haven't heard of Ural. I always take something called Azo when I feel a UTI coming on - it's an iodine-based pill that alleviates the symptoms (doesn't seem to stop the actual infection, though).

 

[DustyKat]

Hi Cat,

Have posted the link below for the image. You may recognise something similar marketed where you are. This basically alleviates symptoms for most people too. With some people though, if commenced when symptoms are very early it does seem to prevent the infection from taking hold. I guess in these cases the infection may only be mild in the first place.

http://www.okmart.com.au/ural-sachets-cranberry-4g-28-pack.html

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Nope, that still doesn't look familiar to me. I'll look around at the pharmacy next time I'm there and see if they carry anything similar. Thanks for the link!

 

[Mayflower537]

Thanks for the link, DustyKat, I'm going to tell my mom about these. She always has UTIs and other such problems. Her sisters are the same way. It seems to run in their family for whatever reason.

 

[Rebecca85]

I would also say, as soon as you feel the symptoms of a uti starting, down a few glasses of water (or acidic fruit juice like cranberry, citrus). If you get it early enough it can flush the bladder out and stop a uti developing. I have managed to prevent a couple of utis this way.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I would also say, as soon as you feel the symptoms of a uti starting, down a few glasses of water (or acidic fruit juice like cranberry, citrus). If you get it early enough it can flush the bladder out and stop a uti developing. I have managed to prevent a couple of utis this way.

Make sure it's sugar-free 100% juice, though. I tried that once and didn't pay attention to the ingredients on the cranberry juice label. I was frustrated and wondering why I was getting worse instead of better, then I saw that I was drinking mostly high fructose corn syrup and only something like 5% actual juice. My doctor said that sugar will just make a UTI worse.

 

[merrywidow]

if you use a tampon then dip the tampon into natural yoghurt and insert. leave it it there for 20mins or so. this will get rid of thrush.
ditto what has been said about cranberry juice

 

[Silvermoon]

All very good suggestions, everything the "nurse" in me would suggest! lol!

You may also want to try an acidophillus supplement, but I would get one from a health food store if possible, rather then just at the local pharmacy... 25 to 50 million bacteria if possible. Remember to keep the capsules refrigerated once you open them.

Yup, try to avoid as much sugar as possible...sugar enhances yeast growth (that's why you need sugar to make bread light and fluffy...lol).

However, with the constantness of such issues... I think of my own self, as I have similar issues... all over my pubic area, not just in the vagina, and (SOON, hopefully) I am seeing a surgeon who wants to do some further investigating to see if these are fistulas (he is actually going to probe some of the sores and see where they go). With that...he suspects that some of my "woman" issues (ie yeast/bladder infections) may be from fistulas to the bladder/uterus. Might be worth asking someone if they would care to check this out. I remember the last time I had issues with fistulas to the bladder, a urologist actually took a camera into my bladder to see if he could see anything....sure enough...that's how the fistulas were diagnosed.

I hope SOMETHING helps you.....

 

[BLM]

Hey everyone, Thanks a bunch. I am on one more round of antibiotics, and some vaginal gel for 10 days. If it doesnt work, they will take out my IUD, and see if thats the culprit...and if that doesnt work then I will undergo some further testing....YAY!! Thanks for all your input, you guys rock~

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Good luck Bev, let us know how it goes!