i swear that im never going to be able to get rid of thrush, we have had it since alexa was around 2-3 weeks old...well she is now 8 and a half weeks old and we STILL have it. i went to the dr for it, and i have been using the nystatin and they gave me diflucan, and alexa is also on nystatin. but its getting really frustrating, because it isnt going away. should i go back to the dr? i dont know what to do
i had thrush for six weeks when i was nursing my twins. i used the nystatin with absolutely no luck. what did clear it up was gentian violet. you can get it at yer local pharmacy (you don't need a prescription) and it's really cheap. it dyes everything purple, so it's best to use at night and if youve got old sheets or something to sleep on to minimize the mess. you just paint it on yer nipples and inside yer babe's mouth and it usually works pretty fast.
other options are lotrimin (the cream you use for athlete's foot) on yer nips. you HAVE to wash it off before you nurse, and yer babe should be using another treatment for the thrush, or you could be passing it back and forth.
also, diflucan is good, but you need to take it for 3 weeks to clear up thrush. depending on yer insurance, it can be tricky to get, because it is very expensive.
be sure that you are sterilizing EVERYTHING that comes in contact with yer nipples and yer babe's mouth. yer bras, sheets, shirts, etc. need to be washed and dried on HOT. vinegar is a good option for washing yer clothes, too. if yer babe uses a pacifier, bottles or chew toys, you need to boils them to kill the yeast. and as time consuming as it is, it should be done EVERY DAY until the thrush is cleared up.
good luck, mama. thrush sucks. i had a really awful case when i was pumping for the babies... my nipples were cracked and bleeding and would slough off skin like there was no tomorrow. i would bleed into the milk as i pumped, my nipples looked like they were rotting off. it was horrible. take care of yerself and let us know how the treatments are working for you.
Here are a few links that may help:
http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/thrush.html
http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_asklc_ans14.html
Hope these links help, and I hope it gets better!
Do you have any animals? A dog or a cat? You can also take a vineger bath and use grapefruit seed extract. You can dilute it and drink it. I'll ask my friend how many drops if you want to try it. Also- are you cloth diapering? You can add grapfruit seed extract to the rinse water if you are to kill the yeast.
PM if you have any questions....
Good luck!!!!
i have 3 cats, and im using disposable diapers, im washing ALL my clothes and Alexa's clothes in HOT and im washing my sheets in hot.
I tried nystatin for me and y son, the dr didn't want to give infant diflucan (sp?0 b/c it's hard on thier kidneys or liver i forgot. I sterilized everything washed our clothing in hot water... we both got rid of it like 2-3 times but because I didn't continue treatment after i thought it was gone. Honestly I gave up it lasted like 2-3 months. I said screw it since my dr said babies ussually grow out of it. and since Jacob or I weren't bothered by it I stopped using everything. My son is now 6 1/2 months and no longer has thrush THANK GOD. But I will tell you gentia violet is the best. Just be careful because it's suppossed to already have water just read the la leche league links. It had helped me get rid of the thrush those 2-3 times but like I said once I saw it was gone I stopped treatment which was a no no. Also you shoudn't use GV for more then a week, and only a tiny drop. Anyway good luck.. But I figure if it isn't hurting your breasts or babies throat u can leave it alone... i don't think there are any harmful affects of it aside from sore throat. But i'm a stop rambeling now good luck.
Cats and dogs can carry it by licking things that go in the baby's mouth and such. Can you keep them in one part of the house and not let them near your baby or you until this is cleared up? They lick something and then you're started all over again with thrush. I don't know if you can treat them or not. A little grapefruit seed extract in their water? From what I understand they don't show symptoms, they only carry it.
Also- you have to wash your sheets EVERY DAY and anything else that touches your breasts or her mouth. I'm sure you knew that but I was posting so other mamas with thrush would know :)