Hi Rooted:

Acidophillus is usually very good, and you need more than you can get in yogurt. I've tried a capsule supplement before (need to keep refrigerated) that has zillions of cultures.

Also helps to go on a low-acid diet. Avoid high acid foods (and it's surprising how many there are). A good resource is

Surprisingly, grapefruit lowers your blood acidity very well--better than any other citrus.

I also use magnetic and far-infrared energy (special mattress pad) which lowers the acid level in your body at night as you detoxify. High acid can kill off beneficial bacteria and causes a whole host of other problems (also a cancer-loving environment). Test your water to make sure it's not too acid.

Haven't had a yeast infection in years, but used to get them a LOT when I first got married, and intermittently until I learned to control my diet and environment, and stay away from antibiotics unless I'm practically dying!

Hope that helps.

Thanks!

Alkaloid foods are great. Thanks for the reminder. I do believe that diet is the key to managing yeast infections. Was the magnetic mattress expensive?

It's not cheap, but the benefits far outweigh the costs, are long term and cumulative...not just acid lowering.

You can find out more about them at the Nikken site under "environment."

Feel free to email me with specific questions.

I too suffer from yeast infections. I am 29 and have had a constant yeast infection since 21 yrs old except when I have my period . It's so humiliating and disgusting. I am currently under a gyno's care but still have this yeast infection. Can anyone give me any insight?

Hi Shannon. I can totally relate. My partner never wants to go down on me and my vagina is always red and irritated. It IS humiliating and in the summer with the warm weather it gets worse.

My understanding of yeast is that it's an overgrowth of a naturally occuring intestinal flora. Perhaps you can request a bacterial smear to identify the TYPE of flora...and then go from there? I'm thinking of doing this myself. But I've experienced slowdown and almost elimination just by cutting out sugars from my diet which the bacteria called candida albicans normally feeds one. I just like sugar too much! Or you can try to BALANCE the bacteria with an acidophlius or other healthy intestinal bacteria supplement. Does that make sense?

Also, have you been tested for chlamydia? Vaginal infections are a sign of this STD.

I have been tested for all std's, even though I am not sexually active. The only thing I keep coming up positive for is yeast. It is extremely frustrating! I was taking acidophillus..then I stopped taking them. I did cut down on my sugar intake...then I gave up and stopped. I personally think that I probably have candida in my bloodstream by now. I have had this problem way too long. I guess I am gonna have to try again to cut back on sweets and take my acidophillus

Unfortunately (or unfortunately) dietary changes are essential in the treatment of yeast infection. This is more like a lifestyle issue, I think.

Also, start thinking about your immune system. Yeast is a opportunistic little health questions and if your immunity is low, you're more likely to develop more yeast. And, experiment with some remedies. Here are some I just came across that I'm going to look into:

Boric Acid vaginal suppositories
Garlic vaginal suppositories
Garlic supplements (oral)
Warm bath with tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Douce flush with Goldenseal or Oregon Grape Root tea infusion
Pau D'arco supplements (oral)
Potassium Sorbate paste applied locally (used to stop growth of yeast in beer)
Slippery Elm paste to treat vulvular itching


I'm also going to look into a product called Vitaclenz which helps kill off candida and unwanted parasites...but it looks expensive.

Thank You for all that helpful information rooted
I am defintely going to look into that. I do already have garlic and Pau d' arco (brazilian supplement). I took those 2 together for about 2 months and I did not see a difference. It actually hurt my stomach. I am amazed to see how many other ladies are living with ongoing yeast infections. You would think that a gynecologist that goes through years of schooling, would know the exact answer to this yeast problem. Let me ask you a question, can you give me a list of safe foods to eat that would not feed yeast?

If you don't mind me asking Rooted, do you currently have a yeast infection that you cant get rid of (like me)? Or do you just have re-occuring ones that go away and come back..so on and so forth? I'm 29 and I have had this since 21 yrs old. Mine has never gone away except when I have my menstrual for 7 days. I was actually told by my last gyno that I was lying and that it was not possible to have a constant yeast infection for such a long time. Well guess what....shes not my gyno anymore. I did see that someone posted something about organic coconut oil, but I have not tried that. So far I have tried high doses of diflucan (oral), gynazole 1 (insert), boric acid (insert), nystatin tablets (insert), and all the creams that are available over the counter. And its still here

I have a current YI, Shanna. I'm actually learning as we talk. I read that only 5-10% of women experience the chronic yeast infections. Doctors don't REALLY know how to treat it. Antibiotics DO NOT WORK for me, so I'm looking into these alternatives.

In fact, I just got back from the gyno with my Pap results. I'm not sure if they're connected, but I have the beginning signs of HPV vaginally and mild dysplasia. As I'm reading, it's also related to immunity. OK, so now I need to kick my espresso habit. But I love my macchiatos!

Well rooted, I'm a little confused by something you said. You stated that antibiotics don't work for you. You do know that antibiotics are actually the CAUSE of yeast infections. I was told that antibiotics cannot be used to treat yeast. The meds that treat yeast are called anti-fungals. The reason I have this yeast infection is because of taking an antibiotic a long time ago.

Anti-yeast meds :

fluconazole Diflucan
itraconazole Sporanox
ketoconazole Nizoral

Fluconazole is the first-choice oral antifungal medication for vaginal yeast infection; itraconazole is also commonly used.

Ketoconazole was the first medication that was effective in eliminating acute vaginal yeast infections, but it is not widely used now because it may damage the liver.

How It Works
These antifungal medications kill yeast organisms

I am gonna have a hard time with a special anti-yeast diet. I love coffee with french vanilla coffee mate in it! And I'm not gonna be able to indulge in that anymore!

I need my coffee so that I can do a good job at work!

hi there the cause of your problems is in the GI tract what you are seeing is the outward manifestation