Mixing it up a little from my Wayback Wednesday series today…
It was four whole years ago that I wrote this tongue-in-cheek post about diabetes and yeast infections. The guys aren’t brewing at our place so much anymore, but I’m finding that ladies with diabetes are still struggling for answers. Why don’t doctors proactively tell us this stuff?!
Pitching Yeast
My husband and a few buddies brew beer in our backyard as a hobby. Sometimes they ask us ladies to “pitch the yeast” (toss a vial-full of that rich-smelling substance into the tub), and we giggle hysterically. These girlfriends know all too well the constant Fracas with the Itch, and they aren’t even diabetic!
So you PWD ladies out there will sympathize when I say: it’s worse than the @#$% diabetes! I learned early on that yeast infections are a classic sign of the onset of diabetes. Right. Would’a been nice if my OB/GYN had mentioned the diabetes connection before I landed in the hospital. Anyway, what I didn’t get at the time was that it’s also a classic long-term symptom of being a woman with diabetes. As if carb-counting, shots, hypos and the rest of it weren’t enough, we get a healthy dose of maddening itch-meister yeast, which thrives in our elevated-sugar environments.
Why, oh why, can’t I ever shake it for more than a week or so max? Why, oh why, haven’t the Gynos and the Endos gotten together yet to come up with some viable treatment for chronic Candidiasis? Over-the-counter creams are essentially useless, and Diflucan apparently damages your liver over time. (I haven’t had the test yet, but just keep thinking: hold on, Liver dear!)
What CAN we do? Eat yogurt, try chewable Acidophilus tablets, and/or ask our docs for prescription Terazol cream — all of which help offset the discomfort, but sure don’t stop those “active cultures.” Any of you wise women out there have any particular advice? Wives tales and homeopathic alternatives welcome.
Nice Article…
Eat jogurt every day, plain, full-fat jogurt, at least a cup.
Wear underwear that is thin and wicks away moisture–and not too tight, preferably a thin nylon or super-thin cotton.
Do not wear super-tight jeans or pants.
Stay away from panty-hose.
You can treat an attack with water mixed with plain jogurt, and a turkey baster (use your fantasy), two or three times a day for two days. It goes away, like magic.
Sleep naked–or wear a night shirt or gown.
Follow these simple steps and you can get rid of those attacks for months and years! I swear–I am living proof
One other trick I like is drinking a glass of lemon water every day, it helps clean the system out. One teaspoon in a glass of water is enough if you dont really like lemon. Just try it, I also heard it will help you put your body back into the alkaline levels we should be in after we eat stuff that makes our insides acidic causing many other health issues.
I agree that a good and simple antidote is to NEVER wear nylon panties. I buy only cotton ones. Make sure if you sweat “down there,” that you change those panties quicky!
I’ve found that Cranberry Concentrate tablets help. I’m a fan of Schiff because they make actual Geltabs. http://tinyurl.com/yhdvcy5 But any brand of Cranberry tabs work as long as they are super high in mgs. Cranberry is primarily known to help with urinary tract infections, but I find that the tabs help prevent infections in general, including the dreaded YI’s.
I also agree with the eating lots of yogurt, wearing cotton undies, and the lemon with water cleansing method- which I think helps flush out your body in general.
One of my best friends SWEARS that the yogurt A’La turkey baster method works. She’s not a fan of antibiotics (almost to the point where she’d rather stay sick instead taking them) and has had positive results with it.
GOOD LUCK
we use strictly glucose tabs because they are consistent. I totally agree with the others who said the same thing
I agree with this. The yeast is grown so that it is able to build up its nutrient reserves so that it’s ready for the reproduction needed for a 5 gallon batch.
Garlic garlic garlic…. eat it, buy pills, put it in if you have a yeast infection… and go on the yeast free diet for a few months… keep doing it!!
I suffered with thrush for more than 10 years, from 15 to 25 years old. But for me i now know how to avoid it. I visited a kinesiologist when i had been trying to get pregnant for 4 years with no joy. She told me to avoid bread (especially white), sugars, even fruit around the time of an outbreak, yeast products. Drink plenty of water and take acidophillus and garlic capsules. Eat lots of natural yoghurt and space the yoghurt out during the day. Like a spoonfull every hour. Use it like paracetamol if you had a headache. It was the candida in my body that was stopping me becoming pregnant and eventually causing me to miscarry as there was so much candida in my body!! But the good news is that it only took 3 weeks before i was pregnant. I stuck to this and i NEVER eat white break only wholemeal. I always have acidophillus in the fridge and eat lots of garlic. Oliver is now 7 years old and ive never had another thrush outbreak since!!!!
Ruth
fungus under toenail…
Only wanted to say your article is impressive. The lucidity in your post is quite striking and I can take for granted you’re and expert on this subject….