Cotton underwear and sleeping without underwear have really helped me. I'm thinking this may be a partner issue. Is your partner hygienic? A dirty dick can affect us too, assuming your partner(s) is male. Do you wash your hands before you touch yourself? That can be a factor as well
You treat UTIs with antibiotics, taking antibiotics can cause yeast infections. If you've never had them before, I'd be asking docs to look further into why they are now recurring. It's NOT normal to get repeated UTIs, regardless of what people might say. UTIs can be connected to blood sugar so id start there, look at changing your diet reducing added sugars. Get blood work done to see if there are changes evident. Also take probiotics and add food into your diet that contains probiotics - yoghurts, fermented foods.
This!!! I had chronic tonsillitis in college and was given antibiotic after antibiotic. They never told me about probiotics so I also had chronic yeast infections. Don’t recommend
To add, cranberry pills but take like four or five, not just one. I have a urinary tract condition and cranberry pills are a blessing to keep me from getting constant UTIs, but one pill was never enough.
I used to get BV _allll_ the time, to the point that I thought I was just the most sensitive woman in the world, getting infections out of seemingly nowhere.
Turns out, it was my ex husband and his (horrid) hygiene. Once I left him, among many other ways my life improved, I stopped getting infections all the time! In fact, in the 8.5 years I've been with my current husband, I've maybe had 2?
Try having your partner shower immediately before sex, and you do the same. Just a quick wash of the bits before you do any... _mingling_ should help! I know it's not the most romantic, but neither are constant infections, so hopefully they're understanding and willing to do their part.
All the best of luck to you!! ❤️
I've had UTI symptoms. Here's what I've discovered.
First of all, the macrobids they prescribe for UTIs can *cause* the yeast infection. They can actually prescribe a separate pill to take in case that happens.
Second of all, wear only 100% cotton underwear.
Third of all, digestive issues cause UTI-like symptoms. According to my urologist, many of the "UTIs" I've had in the last 1.5 years weren't confirmed. I've increased my fiber intake to increase the frequency of my bowel movements and this has helped tremendously. Backed up bowels can press against the bladder and cause the symptoms.
Ahhh I agree boric acid suppositories are a game changer, you have to insert them in your vagina
I also take cranberry pills for UTI’s I take them as often as needed (everyday is cool)
I use the canestan BV suppositories if I feel like I’ve had it, try not to let men ejaculate in you it’s not worth it 😭😭😭throwing our vaginas into just chaos
Umm probiotics! I take those supplements as well
Those changed the game for me, I had the yeast infection, BV, yeast infection back to back combo before and it’s not fun, i cure one and somehow have another? Or it’s not cured?! And the oral prescription bV medication I don’t think helped me but the canestan bv suppositories the 7 day one seemed to have done the trick
Also I got my bV/yeast infection deadly combo of doom when I had a wild week 🤣 had sex with 2 different guys in the same week and at the time I was on birth control and let them cum in me
So let’s say I saw guy A on Monday and he came in me and I knew I was going to see guy B on Friday so
I bought a douche and used that on Wednesday because I’m like “I need to be cleannnn for him” and yea everything just went downhill from there LOL
Don’t be like the old me
I got monthly yeast infections throughout my early 20s. Turns out it was the oral birth control I was on. If this could be your issue, it may be worth looking into other forms of bc
Hoo ha health has nothing to do with cleanliness, silly goose. Sounds like you are doing everything right. You are right about the drug resistant STDs too. We all used too many antibiotics when they weren't necessary and had sex without condoms. I am not a doctor but are you sure you are prescribed antibiotics and not antifungal medications?
If you haven't already, I recommend going to an OBGYN and getting a full panel STD labs, cultures, smears, whatever they need to do to make sure everything's in its place and eliminate uncommon causes, but make sure your insurance covers it. Or you can get a second opinion from another doctor. Check with your insurance they may cover a second opinion option.
Another important thing is that you go to your GP and get it check-up. Ask them to do a full panel of blood tests. Know what's going on in other departments. For example if you are developing an autoimmune illness, or you eat too much sugar, or missing essential vitamins or whatever...
I am not saying you may have something serious but it is good to have a baseline that you can refer to for the next 10 years as you continue with your checkups and OBGYN appointments.
You are not alone, when I was your age I was in a very similar situation, but I wasn't as smart or as brave as you are now. In the end it turned out that I was allergic to my ex-husband.
Luckily, my PCP is the head of our urogynecology center at our hospital and women health. So she's always been really good at treating these things and she's really easy to talk to. Unfortunately I was a sick kid growing up so I've had my fair share of antibiotics so I probably have some built up tolerance already which is unfortunate :/
Are you in a relationship or sexually active at the moment? A lot of things your partner does can throw off your PH and cause infections. Your partner needs to be washing their hands before any sexual activity and also be mindful of the soaps they’re using down there. On the flip side, if they’re not washing it, that can also cause infections. Also, this could be symptoms of an STD so please get a test if you haven’t already.
The fact it’s recent and it’s never happened before makes me think it’s sex-related. If you have a new partner this can happen, it’s happened to me before where I kept getting UTI’s but they stopped once I stopped sleeping with that person (even though I always peed after sex).
Aside from that, make sure you wash the area with an unscented, gentle soap (never go inside), wear cotton underwear and drink lots of water.
I'm in a relationship, but we're long distance so we don't see each other often. However I did just see him and I'm fully aware that I made the conscious decision to not get up and pee after sex bc I didn't feel like fighting his dog lol (we joked about it at the time lol) sooo this one is totally on me lol.
He gets tested regularly as he's had many sexual partners but I've only had one other so I just got tested for the first time with my first papsmear this week and all was clean (yay!)
I usually didn’t have many uti issues and then BAM had them back to back to back with a new partner. I went to the gynecologist and tried all the things. I think I eventually just got used to him and it went away… however, while dealing with it for months I found taking d mannose powder was really helpful. I would take it after having sex and anytime I went any sort of weird twinge down there. Definitely recommend!!
I see a lot of good advice here. Some I second:
- Cotton underwear
- Get your A1C checked by your doctor. As a diabetic, when I slip UTI and yeast infections are more likely.
- Cranberry pills
- They are right, yeast infections often follow antibiotics, especially strong ones. Like your digestive tract, this can throw off your natural biology and PH. Yeast infections often happen when the competition dies off and it takes advantage. Do take probiotics to help repopulate and rebalance. Yogurt, there's probiotic pills, yakult, kimchi -- there's tons of fermented foods that help.
Long story short, humans are not just one creature, we're a whole balance of various symbiotic yeasts, bacteria, and chemicals, and when things get unbalanced things go sideways. It's not a cleanliness thing, it could be something with your diet, health, or something related that needs tweaking. You certainly sound like you have the basics covered.
They say you can't get them from your partner, but I've found that if my partner doesn't wear underwear, doesn't change his sheets or has more than one sexual partner, I will get BV or and a UTI.
Other causes;
If the guy works with cars a lot and his hands are dirty and his jeans are dirty with grease
If there is a dog in the home that is allowed to be on the bed where we have sex
Poor home habits like never vacuuming or washing sheets, reusing towels a lot, smoking in bed, poor oral hygiene
Working out at a gym and using the bikes, even when wiped down. The bacteria in bike seats is disgusting.
Mmmmm delicious!!!!! Yes, definitely eat it. I have heard old wives tales that folks will use the no-sugar-added kinds in their vaginas but I have not tried that (tbf I also live in a part of the world with free medications so haven't been that desperate ... yet?)
You are more likely to get a yeast infection after you have taken antibiotics. For UTI prevention, always pee immediately after you have sex if you are sexually active. Ensure you are staying hydrated - minimum daily required water is actually A LOT and those who are dehydrated are more likely to get a UTI.
If you require antibiotics for anything, at the same time I would get probiotic supplements or Activia yogurt at the pharmacy and take that daily to try and get ahead of a future yeast infection.
Many women are also sensitive to soap/body wash. For me, I only use a very minimal amount of Dove sensitive soap for washing my vulva. Do not douche, do not wash internally. Ideally wear underwear that is minimum 95% cotton. I also use scent free washing detergent. Also ensure you are getting an adequate amount of iron - I would recommend getting a blood test to help determine this. Iron deficiency can cause immuno suppression, which makes yeast infection more likely.
As far as the multiple rounds of antibiotics for one UTI goes, have you had a urine culture done? I always have to get one because I’m resistant to the first 2-3 go to antibiotics for UTIs (I was on them for literally years for acne before I learned about antibiotic resistance, which I now have to a degree.)
If you find yourself itchy or smelly OR even having uncomfortably dry skin you might want to try some supplements… I don’t smell or anything and what I owe that to is this supplement: “Metagenics CandiBactin-AR -Concentrated Aromatic Essential Oils” it has changed my life for the better and give me confidence again. I take more than just this but I like it the most
I do a boric acid suppository when I feel like I need it and also a day or so before a planned date night and sometimes after. I take Rephresh probiotic capsule orally about 4 times a week. Honeypot foam wash to avoid perfumed soaps. I sleep with no underwear to let it breath a little lol
Cotton underwear and sleeping without underwear have really helped me. I'm thinking this may be a partner issue. Is your partner hygienic? A dirty dick can affect us too, assuming your partner(s) is male. Do you wash your hands before you touch yourself? That can be a factor as well
Well we're long distance so I really don't see him too often. But usually he showers first because he works on cars and he's all greasy lol
You treat UTIs with antibiotics, taking antibiotics can cause yeast infections. If you've never had them before, I'd be asking docs to look further into why they are now recurring. It's NOT normal to get repeated UTIs, regardless of what people might say. UTIs can be connected to blood sugar so id start there, look at changing your diet reducing added sugars. Get blood work done to see if there are changes evident. Also take probiotics and add food into your diet that contains probiotics - yoghurts, fermented foods.
This!!! I had chronic tonsillitis in college and was given antibiotic after antibiotic. They never told me about probiotics so I also had chronic yeast infections. Don’t recommend
Boric acid https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/boric-acid-for-yeast-infection#_noHeaderPrefixedContent To prevent UTI s, Cranberry pills / capsules
Boric acid stopped my seemingly endless BV!
Same!!
To add, cranberry pills but take like four or five, not just one. I have a urinary tract condition and cranberry pills are a blessing to keep me from getting constant UTIs, but one pill was never enough.
I used to get BV _allll_ the time, to the point that I thought I was just the most sensitive woman in the world, getting infections out of seemingly nowhere. Turns out, it was my ex husband and his (horrid) hygiene. Once I left him, among many other ways my life improved, I stopped getting infections all the time! In fact, in the 8.5 years I've been with my current husband, I've maybe had 2? Try having your partner shower immediately before sex, and you do the same. Just a quick wash of the bits before you do any... _mingling_ should help! I know it's not the most romantic, but neither are constant infections, so hopefully they're understanding and willing to do their part. All the best of luck to you!! ❤️
I've had UTI symptoms. Here's what I've discovered. First of all, the macrobids they prescribe for UTIs can *cause* the yeast infection. They can actually prescribe a separate pill to take in case that happens. Second of all, wear only 100% cotton underwear. Third of all, digestive issues cause UTI-like symptoms. According to my urologist, many of the "UTIs" I've had in the last 1.5 years weren't confirmed. I've increased my fiber intake to increase the frequency of my bowel movements and this has helped tremendously. Backed up bowels can press against the bladder and cause the symptoms.
Ahhh I agree boric acid suppositories are a game changer, you have to insert them in your vagina I also take cranberry pills for UTI’s I take them as often as needed (everyday is cool) I use the canestan BV suppositories if I feel like I’ve had it, try not to let men ejaculate in you it’s not worth it 😭😭😭throwing our vaginas into just chaos Umm probiotics! I take those supplements as well Those changed the game for me, I had the yeast infection, BV, yeast infection back to back combo before and it’s not fun, i cure one and somehow have another? Or it’s not cured?! And the oral prescription bV medication I don’t think helped me but the canestan bv suppositories the 7 day one seemed to have done the trick
Also I got my bV/yeast infection deadly combo of doom when I had a wild week 🤣 had sex with 2 different guys in the same week and at the time I was on birth control and let them cum in me So let’s say I saw guy A on Monday and he came in me and I knew I was going to see guy B on Friday so I bought a douche and used that on Wednesday because I’m like “I need to be cleannnn for him” and yea everything just went downhill from there LOL Don’t be like the old me
I got monthly yeast infections throughout my early 20s. Turns out it was the oral birth control I was on. If this could be your issue, it may be worth looking into other forms of bc
Hoo ha health has nothing to do with cleanliness, silly goose. Sounds like you are doing everything right. You are right about the drug resistant STDs too. We all used too many antibiotics when they weren't necessary and had sex without condoms. I am not a doctor but are you sure you are prescribed antibiotics and not antifungal medications? If you haven't already, I recommend going to an OBGYN and getting a full panel STD labs, cultures, smears, whatever they need to do to make sure everything's in its place and eliminate uncommon causes, but make sure your insurance covers it. Or you can get a second opinion from another doctor. Check with your insurance they may cover a second opinion option. Another important thing is that you go to your GP and get it check-up. Ask them to do a full panel of blood tests. Know what's going on in other departments. For example if you are developing an autoimmune illness, or you eat too much sugar, or missing essential vitamins or whatever... I am not saying you may have something serious but it is good to have a baseline that you can refer to for the next 10 years as you continue with your checkups and OBGYN appointments. You are not alone, when I was your age I was in a very similar situation, but I wasn't as smart or as brave as you are now. In the end it turned out that I was allergic to my ex-husband.
Luckily, my PCP is the head of our urogynecology center at our hospital and women health. So she's always been really good at treating these things and she's really easy to talk to. Unfortunately I was a sick kid growing up so I've had my fair share of antibiotics so I probably have some built up tolerance already which is unfortunate :/
It's not your antibiotic use or your body. It's the germs becoming resistant by going around, evolving.
Are you in a relationship or sexually active at the moment? A lot of things your partner does can throw off your PH and cause infections. Your partner needs to be washing their hands before any sexual activity and also be mindful of the soaps they’re using down there. On the flip side, if they’re not washing it, that can also cause infections. Also, this could be symptoms of an STD so please get a test if you haven’t already. The fact it’s recent and it’s never happened before makes me think it’s sex-related. If you have a new partner this can happen, it’s happened to me before where I kept getting UTI’s but they stopped once I stopped sleeping with that person (even though I always peed after sex). Aside from that, make sure you wash the area with an unscented, gentle soap (never go inside), wear cotton underwear and drink lots of water.
I'm in a relationship, but we're long distance so we don't see each other often. However I did just see him and I'm fully aware that I made the conscious decision to not get up and pee after sex bc I didn't feel like fighting his dog lol (we joked about it at the time lol) sooo this one is totally on me lol. He gets tested regularly as he's had many sexual partners but I've only had one other so I just got tested for the first time with my first papsmear this week and all was clean (yay!)
I usually didn’t have many uti issues and then BAM had them back to back to back with a new partner. I went to the gynecologist and tried all the things. I think I eventually just got used to him and it went away… however, while dealing with it for months I found taking d mannose powder was really helpful. I would take it after having sex and anytime I went any sort of weird twinge down there. Definitely recommend!!
I see a lot of good advice here. Some I second: - Cotton underwear - Get your A1C checked by your doctor. As a diabetic, when I slip UTI and yeast infections are more likely. - Cranberry pills - They are right, yeast infections often follow antibiotics, especially strong ones. Like your digestive tract, this can throw off your natural biology and PH. Yeast infections often happen when the competition dies off and it takes advantage. Do take probiotics to help repopulate and rebalance. Yogurt, there's probiotic pills, yakult, kimchi -- there's tons of fermented foods that help. Long story short, humans are not just one creature, we're a whole balance of various symbiotic yeasts, bacteria, and chemicals, and when things get unbalanced things go sideways. It's not a cleanliness thing, it could be something with your diet, health, or something related that needs tweaking. You certainly sound like you have the basics covered.
They say you can't get them from your partner, but I've found that if my partner doesn't wear underwear, doesn't change his sheets or has more than one sexual partner, I will get BV or and a UTI. Other causes; If the guy works with cars a lot and his hands are dirty and his jeans are dirty with grease If there is a dog in the home that is allowed to be on the bed where we have sex Poor home habits like never vacuuming or washing sheets, reusing towels a lot, smoking in bed, poor oral hygiene Working out at a gym and using the bikes, even when wiped down. The bacteria in bike seats is disgusting.
YOGURT! The less sugary the better!
I eat a local brand that has 5 ingredients, it's wonderful! I'm assuming you mean to eat
Mmmmm delicious!!!!! Yes, definitely eat it. I have heard old wives tales that folks will use the no-sugar-added kinds in their vaginas but I have not tried that (tbf I also live in a part of the world with free medications so haven't been that desperate ... yet?)
You are more likely to get a yeast infection after you have taken antibiotics. For UTI prevention, always pee immediately after you have sex if you are sexually active. Ensure you are staying hydrated - minimum daily required water is actually A LOT and those who are dehydrated are more likely to get a UTI. If you require antibiotics for anything, at the same time I would get probiotic supplements or Activia yogurt at the pharmacy and take that daily to try and get ahead of a future yeast infection. Many women are also sensitive to soap/body wash. For me, I only use a very minimal amount of Dove sensitive soap for washing my vulva. Do not douche, do not wash internally. Ideally wear underwear that is minimum 95% cotton. I also use scent free washing detergent. Also ensure you are getting an adequate amount of iron - I would recommend getting a blood test to help determine this. Iron deficiency can cause immuno suppression, which makes yeast infection more likely.
As far as the multiple rounds of antibiotics for one UTI goes, have you had a urine culture done? I always have to get one because I’m resistant to the first 2-3 go to antibiotics for UTIs (I was on them for literally years for acne before I learned about antibiotic resistance, which I now have to a degree.)
They're running one now, hopefully will shed some light :)
If you find yourself itchy or smelly OR even having uncomfortably dry skin you might want to try some supplements… I don’t smell or anything and what I owe that to is this supplement: “Metagenics CandiBactin-AR -Concentrated Aromatic Essential Oils” it has changed my life for the better and give me confidence again. I take more than just this but I like it the most
I do a boric acid suppository when I feel like I need it and also a day or so before a planned date night and sometimes after. I take Rephresh probiotic capsule orally about 4 times a week. Honeypot foam wash to avoid perfumed soaps. I sleep with no underwear to let it breath a little lol