TMI - but really need help/advice

M

MilkMonster

Registered User
This is a very difficult post for me to write...

Ok so here goes...I have been *suffering* now for 7mths postpartum...vaginal infection after vaginal infection. I clear one, I get another - i have basically had every single possible bacterial infection possible down there and have been on antibiotics for 7mths now. no symptoms since i go for a vaginal swab every 3 weeks. My gyno has told me this is 'normal' for some women to experience post birth since estrogen levels fluctuate and cause the lining of the vaginal wall to become thin and susceptible to infection she has not offered any other options or solutions besides keeping me on antibiotics. I know it is possible to try and regulate my hormones by taking estrogen but i also have endometriosis and this kind of therapy would make my cysts grow - something i would like to avoid.

I am a clean person and have only had 1 sexual partner in my lifetime (met hubby when I was 16 and we have been together for 14yrs). I don't really understand why this is happening to me...it didn't happen with my first baby...

Has anyone gone through something similar? Should I just wait it out and keep taking the antibiotics? Can anyone suggest anything that would help me build up my immune system? Or does anyone know what else i can do???

Besides the birth and survival of my premature son who almost died, this has been THE WORST year for me ever. I hate submitting the health insurance claims that have VAGINAL INFECTION written on the receipt every month and now on this forum with all the moms in HK knowing about my...this is really an all time low for me.

Thanks everyone
 
sounds awful MM.....sorry i have no advice on this one .....but i pray for yr good health....must have been really hard and u must have been pretty frustrated to actually write about this on a forum/....but don;t worry we all are here to help each other.....the only thing i can suggest is pls. do visit another doctor and get his/her recommendation....it always helps to get a second opinion.....recently when my baby had loose motions my GP told me all was well and just bear it out but my pedia detected ear infection and immediately put him on anti-biotics!!! DOCTORS ...GOD SAVE US FROM THEM!
 
Hi,

Maybe you can try some alternative medicine. Probiotics may help. If you use antibiotics too often, the bacteria may become resistant to the drugs.
Also, try changing your diet. I know certain foods can cause more bacterial growth. Just google online for more info.

Good luck.
 
I second val23's suggestion on probiotics. Weird as this may sound, but taking Yakult works (at least for me, it did). I also had it after my first pregnancy, but it stopped very soon after I took Yakult, after having read somewhere that lactobacillus (which Yakult has) helps. I didn't take any medication. Worth a try, maybe? Hope you'll get over it soon.
 
Just a question... I guess you had sexual relations with your husband since 7 months... maybe it could be a good idea to check that your husband has nothing, as maybe he got it from you first, and then does not stop transmitting it to you everytime. Often men have no symptoms but can carry a germ that develops only in women (not suggesting anything about your husband, only a transmission between you 2).
Also, you could meet a Homeopath, they have some really good doctors at IMI in Central, they might be not able to replace the antibiotics to kill some infection, but for sure to prevent another one.
Could be good idea also to meet a TCM doctor.

Just giving some new ideas... hope you'll find the one to get rid of this problem !
 
so sorry you're going through this and don't feel bad talking about it ;)

You said you've been taking antibiotics for 7 months but I was surprised to see the info below.

"Long term consumption of antibiotics can kill the good bacteria that is needed for your body and hence this can cause the yeast to grow".

http://ezinearticles.com/?Remedy-For-Frequent-Yeast-Infections&id=1744928

I agree with Val23 & Buckeroo suggestions. Have you try eating yogurt?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Natural-C...--12-Hour-Cure-For-Yeast-Infection&id=1751024

HTH
 
Mushi - glad to hear your pead was able to catch the ear infection! In the end dr. are just people and sometimes can miss things if they are too busy - which i find is the case here too often in Hk.

Thanks very much for all the input and kind words everyone. I will definitely look into IMI for a more natural approach (has anyone had any success seeing a chinese doctor or acupuncturist?) as I've been reading up online and have found too that antibiotics are not useful for chronic infections. More than likely i will need to make some adjustments in my lifestyle and diet and see how it goes from there. I did have a 3 week stretch infection free, it was while i was doing yoga 3 times a week at night but since I've been working out the sleep issues with my baby and hubby has been traveling, i haven't been to yoga in over a month...wondering if this had anything to do with my relapse....

Frenchy haha we have only had sex twice since in the last 7mths - husband is on a round of antibiotics too just in case it was passed to him. My gyno did not think he needed to be tested but prescribed the antibiotics just in case.

Out of all things, i have thankfully not had a yeast infection, I am only suffering from on-going bacterial infections. I need to find a way to repopulate my V with good bacteria to get to a healthy balance again so the bad bacteria isn't always able to take over... I do eat yoghurt about 3 times a week, i guess i should be eating more often. Is Yakult that little drink in a translucent bottle with red writing?

I will also give probiotics a try. can you buy this over the counter somewhere or do i need to see a homeopath/naturopath for this? (which i do intend to make an appointment with but won't be able to until after the holidays.)

(sigh) i didn't realize having kids would take such a toll on my body...it's really been a struggle and humbling experience. I really hope to be healthy again soon. Thank you again everyone I really appreciate you all.
 
Yakult is basically a yogurt drink. You can get it from any supermarket or Mannings. Yes, it is in a little translucent bottle with red writing. :)
 
You can find probiotics at IMI too.

I have to say I'm surprised your doctor gave antibiotics to your husband without testing him !! Antibiotics should not be given without any good reason...

Take care :)
 
Probiotics

Just to let you know - if you buy probiotics (which probably is a great idea after all those antibiotics), make sure they are a reputable brand from a reputable store and kept in a fridge. If they have been allowed to get too warm, the bacteria dies and you have an expensive tablet of dead useless bacteria.

Best of luck. I hope you get better very soon.
 
Probiotics really could help - Udo's Choice from ThreeSixty is a very reputable brand. It is in the refrigerated section of the Wellness Centre.
 
Thanks so much! I will definitely make sure I buy the probiotics that are refrigerated.

Frenchy, now that you say that, I completely agree with you!! I actually think it's really irresponsible to prescribe medication without testing to make sure the person needs it...
 
Yakult is full of sugar. By all means, eat yoghurt! But buy a yoghurt with added acidoph. strain that doesn;t have added sugar.

You may also consider using the yogurt as a paste inside the vagina - commonly used as a natural remedy for treating thrush - it can calm the walls of the vagina.

It is also important that you rest. Bacterial infection after infection probably indicates that your imuune system is compromised - and certainly, 7 months of antibiotics seems very strange!

Wear cotton underwear only, and try not to use harsh soaps when you wash.

I hope it clears up for you soon.
 
Hi,

The new kind of probiotics do not need refrigeration. We are taking Garden of Life brand from the US which is probably one of the best. It's freeze dried. But yes, make sure it did not go through heat.

I never really thought about yogurt but yes it does indeed contain some probiotics. I have those freeze dried too. Yougurmet brand which is I think from Canada. Got it from Amazon. I make my own yogurt once in a while just because I know it is healthy and sugar free and contains live cultures for my family. I've read somewhere in the internet that yogurt which has long expiration date are not really ideal.

Chinese doctor: I go to one named Dr. Lee in North Pt. He is really good except that the lines are super long. No appointments even for long term clients. PM me if you need his contact info.

Good Luck.
 
MilkMonster,

I am sorry I don't have any advice, but I want to leave you a few words to let you know that people here are so kind to help and there is always a listening ear for you. Don't give up, things will be alright and work itself out. Take care.
 
Thank you so much for taking the time to write me everyone!! I just finished my most recent round of antibiotics and have been on probiotics for the past week. I am going to give it another week before I make an appt to see my gyno to check if the bacteria is still there. Hopefully not but if it is, then I will make an appt with either a naturopath or chinese dr. haven't decided which one...

Just wondering, I have heard that it's good to put Yogurt up there...haven't tried that yet but has anyone put probiotics up there and had good results?

Thanks again!
 
MM- sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time :(. Could it be that you are just so run down that your body can't catch up? From post - you've had 2 children within 16 months. That must be a massive strain on your body. I read somewhere that your body takes 2 years after pregnancy to replenish itself with lost nutrients, etc. You've done it twice in less time than that !

Plus you mention that your children aren't sleeping and your husband is away.

To me it sounds like you have to be super kind to yourself - daytime naps (if possible), early nights, lots of healthy fresh food, gentle exercise when you can, some time to yourself. Do you have any hobbies? Do you have a helper or family who can give you a couple of hours break a day?

Best of luck, I hope it gets better for you soon.
 
Thanks Jane01, I am definitely run down...i know i should be taking better care of myself. hubby and i have decided to raise the boys without a helper and he travels every 3 weeks for a week at a time. it's rough. wow! 2yrs??!! haha i didn't know that! with my first baby i suffered from postpartum hemorrhaging and was admitted back to the hospital the day my baby came home. he was premature at 33 weeks. this time around it's infections and my 2nd son born at 30 weeks spent 50 days in the hospital. emotionally i am quite tired and i think this is affecting my health. this having kids thing has been really really hard!!! who knew??? lol i laugh but i just wish things would get a little better...soon...
My 7mth old JUST started sleeping through the night (hurray!!) so I will resume yoga in january - hopefully that helps!!

Thank you so much for taking time to write, all you mommies have been very helpful and kind.
 
Buckeroo said:
Yakult is basically a yogurt drink. You can get it from any supermarket or Mannings. Yes, it is in a little translucent bottle with red writing. :)
Click to expand...

One thing that I'm a bit confused about with yakult--the number one ingredient is sugar which is a huge no-no if you're trying to get rid of a yeast infection as yeast thrives on sugar. I'm thinking there may be better yogurt options than yakult out there--I was just looking at it the other day. Probably just plain yogurt that has no flavorings or sugar in it. ???
 
Wow MM - you certainly have your work cut out for you with two babies and a husband who travels often. My heart goes out to you.

I have a similar issue to you in that everytime I get run down I get a throat infection. I will get one pretty much every 3 weeks if I don't look after myself. I know that a throat infection is different to a vaginal infection but
both are something that we are prone to and that manifests itself when our bodies can't cope anymore.

My suggestions are as follows:

- see a naturopath or specialist to talk about diet. It may be that starting a yeast free diet works wonders for your symptoms. Personally, I cut my diary intake by about 80% which worked wonders for my recurrent throat infections.

- if you can afford it hire a helper to come in a couple of afternoons a week. Use this time to catch up on sleep. Do not feel guilty about this - your children can cope for a couple of hours without you.

- have a set period of time every week that is just for you to do something you enjoy. I know this is tough with young children but I think it is important for our mental and physical health for us to have a couple of hours a week just to do what we want. Ditto the comment above about not feeling guilty.

- I totally agree with the yoguhrt suggestions. Dip a tampon in the yoghurt and insert (I can't believe that I am writing this on a public forum!).

Best of luck.
 
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