Chronic Yeast Infections

Dealing with chronic yeast infections is a way of life for some women.

You treat the yeast infection, it goes away - you rejoice, but cautiously - you've been down this road before - and then a month or two later, it's back - just like the lead character from a horror movie!

Current research shows one reason why this can happen.

Is that antibiotic causing your chronic yeast infections

All women have a few Candida albicans yeast around the vulvovaginal area and in their gut. Normally, a healthy population of mostly Lactobacillus keep these yeast cells under control. But when you take antibiotics, then the good Lactobacilli bacteria are reduced in number and this can let the yeast grow prolifically.

It is worth noting that most women who are treated with antibiotics DO NOT develop yeast infection, and in fact, one study failed to show any evidence that the two things are related at all. Most studies, however, do show a yeast infection-antibiotic connection - usually in between 28% to 33% of women.²

So - some women, who are untroubled by a small colony of yeast already living in the vulvovaginal area will, after antibiotic treatment, go on to develop yeast infection.

Experts believe that most of us have an "intestinal reservoir" of candida organisms (yeast) in our gut. Some studies have found that the candida in the gastrointestinal tract was identical to the yeast found in the vaginal area leading to the idea that after the apparent eradication of vaginal yeast, women get reinfected from this gut reservoir.²

What is of concern is the fact that the fear of chronic yeast infections means that some women will not take antibiotics.¹

Steps to help prevent antibiotic caused chronic yeast infection

Eat "live" yogurt every day. Find one you enjoy and have several servings a day making sure you space it several hours apart from taking the antibiotics.

Take one of the supplements that contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 which are two probiotics especially good for helping a woman's urogential area repopulate itself with good bacteria.

Research in 2006 indicates that the dose required to achieve a good result is more than 6 billion. So it isn't any good to try to save money by taking 1 capsule that contains 5 billion. Take 2 capsules daily for a month. That will get you through the danger time and then slowly ease back.

Simply taking any probiotic supplement will not work. A 2004 trial showed that neither Femilac or Lactobac was able to prevent post-antibiotic vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infection).⁴

Fem Dophilus is my favorite. In this 2003 study 37% of women with bacterial vaginosis microflora showed a normal Lactobacilli colonized vaginal microflora after treatment with with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. There was also a "significant" reduction in yeast after 28 days of treatment.³

You can buy Fem Dophilus online.

This regime will help many woman with chronic yeast infection.

REFERENCES

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