Archive for January, 2009
Diflucan Review
Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Yeast Infections | No Comments
Diflucan, also known as Fluconazole, is typically prescribed to treat infections caused by candida. This includes yeast infections, urinary tract infections, throat infections, and pneumonia. It is usually in pill for and prescribed as a one time dose and sometimes in multiple doses. The medicine should be taken with a full glass of water. Some of the side effects may include: nausea, headache, dizziness, unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth, indigestion, or itching of the skin.
My gynecologist prescribed Diflucan on two different occasions. The first time, was to treat a full blown yeast infection that seemed to be reoccurring every month. She prescribed two doses. If I wasn’t feeling better with-in 3 days after the first dose, I was to take the second dose. I ended up taking both doses because I was not better after 3 days. The infection seemed to clear up after the second dose but was back again with-in a week. The second time my gyno gave me Diflucan, it was after my yeast infection had finally cleared up. Typically I would get them the week after my period, so I was instructed to take one Diflucan towards the end of my period to prevent one from occurring. This seemed to work. I did this for about 4 months. Once my 4 months was up, I felt one coming on the following month towards the end of my period and that’s when I made the changes to my diet. Doctors say often times Diflucan medicine is not strong enough to work for everyone. Obviously it didn’t work for me when I had a full blown yeast infection, but it did help prevent them when I felt one coming on. It didn’t prevent them permanently–only for the time I was taking the medication. Some of the side effects I experienced were itching of the skin, dizziness, and unusual taste in my mouth. I didn’t really feel like eating much with the strange taste in my mouth.
There are a number of sites online claiming you can buy Diflucan without a prescription. Personally, I would not trust any of these sites and would only take Diflucan if I had a prescription from my doctor. Continued use of yeast infection medicines can cause your body to become immune to them. Sometimes women think they have a yeast infection, when they really have a bacterial infection. It is always best to consult with your doctor first before using any type of prescription strength medicine, especially if it is a reoccurring problem. For my Diflucan prescription, I think I paid a couple of dollars for one pill and that was with insurance covering 70%, so it is fairly inexpensive.
(Rated 2/5 Stars)
Nature Made Vitamin C 1000mg Review
Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Urinary Tract Infections, Yeast Infections | No Comments
Vitamin C has many great benefits. It’s primary role is to build collagen, which is the main protein matter of the human body that holds tissues together in skin, bone and teeth. Vitamin C is also an important part of the immune system. It can help your body fight illness and can sometimes even help prevent you from getting sick. I started taking vitamin C to strengthen my immune system. Since a stronger immune system can help fight infection, I figured it would help in preventing urinary tract infections and yeast infections. Usually I get sick several times during the year. For the past year, I have only been sick with a cold once. The one time I was sick, I recovered very quickly and my cold symptoms were not as severe as they have been in the past, prior to taking vitamin C supplements. I also didn’t have any UTI or yeast infections.
I chose Nature Made vitamin C because they were the only 1,000 milligram Vitamin C pills I found in the drugstore. I wanted to take a high dose of vitamin C without having to swallow two pills. I take it as directed, once a day with a meal. They are rather large pills and you must swallow them right away or you get a gross taste in your mouth. It beats having to add an extra pill to my routine. It is recommended that you take the pills with food. It helps with your body’s absorbtion of vitamin c. Natures Made Vitamin C 1000mg can be found in most drugstores as well as places like Target. It can also be found online as well. Typically it costs about $8, but sometimes you can find it cheaper.
(Rated 4/5 Reviews)
TheraCran Review
Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Urinary Tract Infections | 2 Comments
TheraCran is a cranberry supplement made by Theralogix. Cranberries help prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder, which can prevent a Urinary Tract Infection from occurring. TheraCran is the strongest cranberry supplement on the market. My urologist recommended it to help keep the UTIs at bay, once I finally went off the antibiotics. I think the pill is much better than drinking cranberry juice. I never had much success drinking cranberry juice to prevent UTIs. I think that is probably because of the high sugar content of cranberry juice. It’s also much easier to take to 2 pills a day than to drink two glasses of cranberry juice every day. Plus, if you travel from time to time, it’s easier to pack a couple of pills as apposed to searching for the right kind of cranberry juice every where you go. The pills save you money as well.
I take one TheraCran pill twice a day as directed. I have been taking TheraCran for over year and have been UTI free during that period of time. From time to time, I miss a pill or two. If I do this, and have not been super strict with my low sugar diet, my bladder starts to feel irritated. I drink lots of water and resume my normal pill schedule, and the feeling goes away. These pills do not treat a Urinary Tract Infection, only antibiotics can do that if you have a full blown UTI. They are a great prevention tool and have worked well for me. The pills are in capsule form and are pretty easy to swallow. They also don’t have to be taken with food because they don’t cause any stomach upset. I usually take mine with a glass of water. I’ve tried many different brands of cranberry pills and TheraCran is by far the best. The pills cost about $35 for a 60 day supply. Well worth the cost and again, cheaper than buying all that juice. You can buy them online directly from the TheraCran site or from the Theralogix site.
(Rated 5/5 Stars)
Candistroy Review
Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Yeast Infections | No Comments
Candistroy is a two part system to help eliminate yeast overgrowth. It consists of anti-bacterial and anti-fungal herbs in addition to a probiotic. One bottle of the two part system is labeled “Candistroyer”. Candistroyer contains a natural substance called Tannates. It is supposed to bind to bad fungus in your body and make them ineffective. The second part of the system is called the “Probiotic Rebuilder”. It contains lactobacillus acidophilus BT1386 and Bifido bacteriaI, which help create a healthy balance of bacteria. A healthy balance of bacteria is an important part of having a healthy yeast free vagina. The two products also say they are both shelf stable, which means you are getting a potent product. Often times products, especially ones containing lactobacullus acidophilus, are not very potent by the time they make it into your grocery bag. Candistroy ensures potent products.
I decided to try Candistroy in the place of AZO yeast. The product suggests you start slowly and work your way up to more pills, otherwise, you may experience severe die off symptoms. Die off symptoms may include flu like symptoms, as well as an increase in itching down there. Recommended dose is as follows: week 1: take 1 tablet of each product with breakfast and dinner. Week 2: increase to 2 tablets of each product with breakfast and dinner. Week 3 up to 6 months: increase to 3 tablets of each with breakfast and dinner.
There are a couple of problems I had with Candistroy. For one, I experienced very severe die off symptoms. I took as directed and even stayed on the week 1 dose for two weeks because the die off was so bad. I literally felt like I had the flu. I felt hot, nauseous, stuffed up, and had a bad sore throat. I also had white looking stuff in my stools, which I assumed was all the yeast being flushed out. I lost a lot of weight while on these pills, and I felt horrible. I also felt a lot of itching down there. I stuck it out though, thinking it would get better. Eventually the die off symptoms subsided. The second problem I had was that once you get to the maximum recommended dose, you are taking 12 pills a day. These aren’t small pills either. I only stayed on Candistroy until I finished the two bottles because I just couldn’t deal with taking that many pills. Plus it didn’t seem to work as well as AZO Yeast.
Many people say they felt much more energetic and completely yeast free after finishing the two bottles, but it didn’t do that for me. It didn’t seem to fight off the itchiness towards the end of my period very quickly (the time I’m most prone to yeast infections). I most certainly didn’t feel very energized. It’s also expensive, $24 for the two part system and it won’t last a full month taking the maximum dose. I guess the only good thing about this system is that you go on for 6 months and then you get to go a couple of months without taking anything. Many people gave this product great reviews and that is why I tried it. It just didn’t work as well for me, and I absolutely cannot deal with taking 12 large pills a day.
(Rated 2/5 Stars)
AZO Standard Review
Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Urinary Tract Infections | No Comments
AZO Standard helps with the pain, urgency and frequency of urination associated with a urinary tract infection (UTI). It works much better than the normal over the counter pain relievers (Advil, Tylenol, etc.) because it contains Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride, which is an ingredient commonly found in prescription urinary tract pain relievers. AZO Standard helps out a great deal if you’re waiting to see the doctor about your UTI or when you’re waiting for the antibiotics to kick in. It does not treat or cure a UTI. If you have a UTI, you most certainly should see your doctor because a UTI can spread to your kidneys if left untreated and can even caused death in some cases. Recommended dose is 2 tablets 3 times daily with or after meals as needed. You should not use this product for more than 2 days unless directed by a doctor to do so.
My urologist recommended AZO Standard to me once when I had a really bad infection. One of the side effects is that it usually turns your pee an orangish color, so don’t be alarmed. You might want to take extra precaution and wear a pantyliner to prevent staining in case some pee happens to dribble onto your underwear. AZO Standard really does wonders for the pain. I felt absolutely no pain when I peed and the urgency to pee was gone as well. The tablets are very small and easy to swallow. The only bad thing I found with this medicine is that it made me extremely nauseous. Stomach upset is one of the side effects. That’s why it recommends you take it with or just after a meal. I followed the instructions and took mine with food, but it still made me feel sick. One time it made me so nauseous, I threw up, but I have a sensitive stomach. It beats having the pain of a UTI. Unlike AZO Yeast, this product should not be taken on a regular basis as it does not help prevent UTIs. AZO Standard is inexpensive. It costs about $6 to $8 dollars, depending on whether you get the maximum strength or regular strength. For the maximum strength you get 12 tablets for $6, and for the regular strength you get 30 tablets for $8.
(Rated 4/5 Stars)
AZO Yeast Review
Monday, January 5th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Yeast Infections | 1 Comment
AZO Yeast helps prevent yeast infections and also helps relieve the symptoms of an existing yest infection. It will not cure an existing yeast infection but can be used along with antifungal vaginal creams, ointments, or suppositories to relieve symptoms such as itching, burning and swelling. One of the main ingredients in AZO Yeast is lactobacillus, which is also found in yogurt, but the pill form is much more potent. Lactobacillus is a friendly bacteria that helps prevent the overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria and candida yeast. One pill of AZO Yeast should be taken daily to prevent future occurrences of yeast infections. During an infection you can up the dosage to three AZO Yeast pills a day. The pills should be stored at room temperature and either come in a bottle or in a box with a few sheets of pills encased in plastic and foil backing.
I’ve been taking AZO yeast for about a year and it is another one of my life savers, especially just after my period. I take one a day on a regular basis and then the week after my period I take 3 a day because that’s when I’m most prone to infections. I haven’t had a full blown yeast infection since I’ve been taking it. I have tried other probiotic pills with lactobacillus, but none of them gave me as good of results as AZO Yeast. The pills are fairly small and easy to swallow. They also don’t cause stomach upset, so you don’t have to take them with food. AZO Yeast is inexpensive. It costs about $8 or $9 for 60 tablets. Sometimes you can find it cheaper online. I’ve had especially good luck finding it on Amazon for a decent price. Most drugstores sell AZO Yeast as well.
(Rated 5/5 Stars)
Rephresh Review
Sunday, January 4th, 2009 | Product Reviews, Urinary Tract Infections, Yeast Infections | 42 Comments
Rephresh Gel does several things. It gives you lubrication during sex, restores the vagina’s natural moisture and helps balance the PH in the vagina. An unbalanced PH can cause vaginal odor, and make you more prone to vaginal infections (yeast, bacterial, etc.) Rephresh comes in a pre-filled applicator in gel form, so you don’t have to deal with the mess of a cream. The applicator is simple to use. With clean hands, unwrap the package and shake the applicator a few times to help get the Rephresh heading towards the end of the tube. Shake it like you would a thermometer. Next, you twist the little cap off at the thin end of the applicator. You may be able to see tiny bit of Rephresh seeping out the end. Then you grasp the applicator by the thick end and either lie on your back with your legs up or stand and slightly squat. Insert the applicator into the vagina as far as it is comfortable and squeeze the thick end of the applicator to release the Rephresh in to the vagina. Then you thrown the applicator away and go about your business, whether it be sleeping or starting your day.
I swear by this product. I stopped using Replens because I found Rephresh. I use Rephresh Gel every three days as directed. I prefer to use mine at bed time, just because I feel it’s more effective that way. Although I think that is just a habit from all the yeast medicines I’ve been on because they always say use them at night. Others prefer to use it when they wake up, or just before a shower, so it’s really just personal preference. I wouldn’t recommend doing your application of Rephresh right before your getting ready to have sex. I’ve found it to be a little too gooey when done right before you have sex. Right after sex is OK, but I prefer to wait a few hours after sex if my husband has ejaculated inside of me. It works great with other lubricants as well, if you need additional lubrication during sex. For the first month or so, you may experience some residue from the Rephresh in your underwear and during sex. I did. It looks like white clumps and is usually only noticeable on the day after my application. Once I got on a regular schedule of using it every three days for about a month, I didn’t have the residue anymore. They say it is dead skin sells from your vagina. Rephresh recommends that if it still continues after a month or so, then maybe try going longer between each application.
I would not recommend using Rephresh Gel during your period. It will just cause the blood to come out in clumps and make a big mess. I usually use Rephresh a few days before the start of my period and a day or two after my period has completely stopped. The main selling point for me with Rephresh is the fact that if I feel slightly itchy down there like there may possibly be a yeast infection coming on, Rephresh seems to take care of it. This is especially helpful for me right after my period when I am most prone to yeast infections. It also seems to help when my bladder feels irritated like I might be getting a urinary tract infection. Rephresh has done wonders for me. I really feel like it helps keep the vaginal infections at bay.
It’s also safe to use during oral sex. It doesn’t contain spermicides, so it shouldn’t be used as a method of birth control. Also, it should not be used to treat an existing vaginal infection. It’s more of a preventative measure. It can be purchased at most drugstores as well as places like Wal-Mart and Target and is usually in the section with pads, tampons, yeast creams, pregnancy tests, etc. Rephresh costs around $18.99 for a box, which comes with 4 pre-filled applicators. A little pricey, but well worth it. I prefer to buy mine online. It seems to be cheaper online and some places also offer free shipping. Plus, I prefer the privacy of having it shipped.
(Rated 5/5 Stars)
Replens Review
Friday, January 2nd, 2009 | Product Reviews, Urinary Tract Infections, Yeast Infections | 6 Comments
Many things can cause vaginal dryness, such as: certain medications, menopause, stress, menstruation, childbirth, breastfeeding, use of tampons, and intercourse. Replens is designed to help restore the vagina’s natural moisture. It comes in a pre-filled applicator and lasts up to three days. It’s different from personal lubricants because it doesn’t have to be applied right before sex. Many women prefer to use Replens moisturizer at night before bed. The applicator is to be thrown away after you use it. The applicator should be opened with clean hands. Once the applicator is out of the package, give it a few firm shakes, holding it by the thicker end, to loosen up the gel inside the applicator. Then remove the cap on the thin end and insert the applicator into the vagina either lying with your legs up, or squatting while standing up. Only insert as far as it is comfortable. Next you give the thick end of the applicator a good squeeze to release the gel into the vagina. That’s it. Some gel may still remain in the applicator. It’s normal. Just throw the applicator away and go to sleep. The instructions say you may experience dead skin cell discharge in the days following the application. It looks kind of like cottage cheese. This is supposed to go away with continued use.
Replens can be used every 2 to 3 days but shouldn’t be used during your period because it will cause the blood to clump together and just create a mess. It is best to resume using Replens a few days after your period has completely stopped. Replens does not contain any spermicides, therefore it isn’t a form of birth control. It is safe during oral sex. It can be purchased at most drugstores and also at Walmart and Target. Replens if fairly inexpensive. You get 8 applicators for about $17. You can also order it online from most drugstores and you can buy it directly from the Replens site as well.
Replens was recommended to me by my gyno. Having enough lubrication during sex can help prevent yeast infections as well as other types of vaginal infections, so I decided to give it a try. The lubrication was a little thick and not quite as slippery as I would have liked. It did not feel very natural to me. I used it every three days as directed. For the first few weeks I had the dead skin cell discharge. It’s thick and white and quite a nuisance. It came out in large amounts on my underwear as well as during sex. My husband and I had to go rinse off several times during sex because the white clumps were all over the place. I always had to wear a pantyliner during the day and change it several times to keep my underwear from getting messed up. After a few weeks the discharge was less, but still not completely gone. I also sometimes experienced an itching sensation right after insertion. I stopped using it because I found a product I liked better.
(Rated 3/5 Stars)
The Wonders of a Bidet
Thursday, January 1st, 2009 | Urinary Tract Infections, Yeast Infections | No Comments
Until this week, I had never used a bidet. I wasn’t even really quite sure exactly what one was or how to use it prior to this week. All I knew is they some how sprayed your genitals off, and French people used them in the place of toilet paper. This week, I took an overnight trip and found out before I left that the place where I was staying had a bidet. I decided to do a little research to make sure I didn’t make a fool out of myself or cause injury when I tried to use it. I was kind of excited because I’m always looking for better, more efficient ways of cleaning down there. Through research I discovered not everyone uses them in the place of toilet paper. Many people use them in addition to toilet paper. Some people use the bathroom, use the bidet, then use toilet paper and also use it for daily cleaning of the genitals. Some people use the bathroom, use toilet paper, and then use the bidet, and also use it for daily cleaning, and others just use it for daily cleaning of the genitals and use toilet paper regularly. It sounds confusing, but once you’ve used one, you’ll understand.
There are several different styles/types of bidets. Some bidets are free standing. To someone who isn’t familiar with a bidet, they may mistaken it for a toilet or urinal (I most certainly did when I first saw a picture). Most people straddle the free standing bidet facing the water controls. Usually there is a hot and cold water control and also a knob/control that adjusts the pressure of the water spout. Depending on the bidet, there may be a spout that shoots water up or there may be a spout like a there is on a sink.
The bidet I used was free standing with a spout that shoots the water up. I straddled the bidet, making sure my genital area was on top of the spout, so I wouldn’t get shot in the face with water. Then I turned on the water and adjusted the water to a comfortable temperature. Once I was satisfied with the temperature, I very slowly turned the knob to adjusts the pressure of the water spout until I felt the water spraying me down there. Once I felt like my vagina was clean, I slid up slightly to clean my rear. It was great! Much easier than trying to clean in the shower. Even with my detachable shower head, I usually still have to prop my leg up on something, which can be tricky to do. Once I was done, I blow dried her off (as I usually do after rinsing down there). I felt so clean. I read about some bidets that actually have a blow drying mechanism build into them! That would be great to have one of those.
Bidets can help prevent Urinary Tract Infections and Yeast Infections by more effectively cleaning the genital area. (Many sites discussing bidets, list this as one of the benefits of a bidet.) Being clean down there, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, can help keep bacteria away from the vagina. With the bidet, it’s so much easier to clean up before and after sex, and it’s also great if you don’t shower every single day. I know that sounds dirty, but lets face it, there are some days when we’re sick or just lazy and don’t feel like taking a shower. I always rinse off down there after sex, but I rarely do it before. I think if I had a bidet in my own home I would do it before as well, and my husband would probably use it too. Rinsing off before helps get rid of bacteria the penis may push into the vagina. Right now, it’s just too much work to get in the shower before sex, take the shower head down, squat/prop leg up, and then get out and dry half your body off because your legs and feet are wet too. A bidet would make things simpler, and I would use less water!
Unfortunately, there is absolutely no room in my bathroom for a free standing bidet. There are however some that can be attached to the toilet seat. I’m planning on doing a little more research and may possibly get one of those. I’ll let you know how that turns out, if I decide to get one.
