Thrush

I've been having a problem with thrush/yeast infection on and off lately. The Canesten I've been using doesn't seem to be as strong/effective as Monistat was in the US.

If I go to the doctor, what will he likely prescribe? Is it the same active ingredient as in Canesten (clotrimazole), just stronger?

They might give you some stronger pills to take. You can buy an oral tablet treatment over the counter, but it's generally just one pill. The doctor can give you something a bit stronger that is a few more doses. At least, that's what I got when I went and complained of the problem. Others might have received something different.

Are you just using an external cream or a pessary at the moment?

Thank you for the info, Elle.

I am using a combination - pessary, internal and external cream.  I have not tried the oral pill yet.  Maybe I will try all forms for a couple days and see if that gets rid of it once and for all.

I think I really need the multiple doses, not just the one that comes with the kit. In the states, I used to get the 7-day treatment and after the 4th day, it was gone (but I still finished the course of treatment.)  I wish I could get that here. It may or may not have been as strong, but the length of treatment was a better option for me.

I guess I need to head to the doc's.

Thanks again.

I've been having a problem with thrush/yeast infection on and off lately. The Canesten I've been using doesn't seem to be as strong/effective as Monistat was in the US.

If I go to the doctor, what will he likely prescribe? Is it the same active ingredient as in Canesten (clotrimazole), just stronger?

Clotrimazole or metranidazole are the main anti-bacterial agents that also treat fungal infections.

You could try this recipe, which I invented for myself: 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil to one small pot of E45 cream or you could just buy ready-made tea tree ointment (Nelson's or Boots) from a pharmacy. Use both inside and out.

I would suggest that if this is a recurrent problem you look at the causes. Fungal infections usually flare up because of stress, a poor diet (resulting in lack of lactic acid on the skin) or wearing the wrong clothes, especially in the sort of warm wet weather we get so often in the UK (the West is wetter than the East). The same thing applies to your feet when you wear hosiery and closed-in shoes in warm weather then get athlete's foot.