I got thrush last week, soon after having my tonsils removed and a wisdom tooth pulled, within two days of each other. Thrush was a nightmare, worse than the tonsils or the wisdom tooth. The docs say it is early for thrush, which makes them certain that I will have it during radiation, which starts next week. I have asked both docs and nurses about prevention, but they say there is nothing to do to prevent thrush. But isn't there a connection between thrush and sugar? Would being careful of refined sugars help reduce getting thrush? Rinsing with salt and warm water? Eating yogurt? Anyone have experience with this? Desperate for something I can do to keep from getting this again. -Michelle

Michelle,

Thrush is really awful, isn't it? I had a couple of stubborn bouts of it last summer, almost 2 years after completing treatment! The 'cure' for thrush is pretty simple, lozenges or a mouth rinse. Did the docs give you either as a prophylactic measure??

- Margaret

Sugar does indeed exacerbate it but the real culprit is the pH in your mouth which can be altered by drymouth, antibiotics, etc. When the pH changes, it allows bacteria already present (yeast AKA Candidiasis) to bloom. Some folks have tried yogurt - it has to be the type with acidophylus in it.

Personally I took maintenance doses of Diflucan for several months. Nystatin will also work but it tastes terrible and isn't as effective as Diflucan. I am not aware of any rinses being efficacious.

Do you swallow Nystatin, Gary? I thought it was a rinse only but its been years since I used it. It was given routinely when I went through lymphoma treatment but I got to the point where just the smell of the stuff made me vomit. I still have trouble with artificial cherry flavor 20 years later from that stuff!

I much prefer the Clotrimazole lozenges.

Oh my can I tell you about thrush...Ron has it and bad, still, he was in so much pain last night he was yelling at me, I was this close to just taking him to emergency and this was 10pm last night, PLUS I have it also! I contracted it from him, I've been on Nystatin since 1/19 and it's still there, the burn is the worse. Ron has asked me to call his doc today, because his system is so compromised AND he don't take care of himself like I tell him to, he has taken Nystatin AND the diflucan and it is still bad. I wish they could put him in the hospital so he can't smoke or drink his damn beer WHICH I have told him keeps the thrush from healing but he keeps arguing with me it don't. I am going to call ENT and see what they say to do, I'd rather he go see him but he don't want to drive 45 mins to see him, he wants to go 10 mins down the road to see the Internal Meds doc but I am calling ENT first. He also didn't get the Magic Mouthwash cuz it cost to much. Would this help the thrush? If so he better cough up the money to get it. I can't take this with him anymore and believe me I know this shit is bad and does make you angry cuz of the pain and infection going thru your body you just do not feel good at all! I am finally feeling better with not being drained and tired like I was before I couldn't stay up past 730PM and slept and didn't want to wake up either for work after sleeping all those hours. Now I don't feel tired when its time for bed and I force myself to sleep. From one extreme to the other. And I read NOT to eat yogurt somewhere well it says eating unsweetened yougurt. Says stay away from Beer, Wine, Breads, smoking. And also if you have dentures, which I do and in my 30 yrs of having them NEVER EVER had thrush...but thank God I read about thrush on the internet and it said to take out dentures every night and soak them in cleaning solution which I never have taken out my dentures at night(now I feel like my grandma! lol)and it's been helping. So compromised system from cancer is another factor. Good Luck, with this I can say I know how you feel and what you are going thru and it is NOT fun at all!

Thanks for your response. I guess I am in good company. I hope things get better for your husband and you. Luckily, my first bout lasted less than a week, with the worse pain for only about three days. But man, I will do anything NOT to get thrush again. -Michelle

he's getting his "magic mouthwash" today, coughing up that 90+ bux but he needs it per his ENT. Also ENT I think made him an apt on Monday 11am next week that was not an originally scheduled apt. Good he needs to get that stuff cleared up and make sure all is well with that flap! Men...why wait till maybe it's something worse?

Magic mouthwash directions say to rinse and spit out.

Michele, sorry to hear you have thrush. Hope you get better quickly. Dont be in a rush to stop the thrush meds. Make sure you take them as long as your doc says to be sure the thrush is completely gone.

I was told by a dentist to not eat anything white. It's a yeast infection and feeds on sugars and carbs turn into sugar. I had it for about 9 months and had a terrible time gettting rid of it.

Take care,
Eileen

No, the docs and nurses said you can't prevent thrush. I don't believe them though. My hygienist talked about a salt, water, and baking soda rinse. Do you know about this? What are the amounts? Also, can I use any lozengers? Or are there special kind for dry mouth? I am understanding that dry mouth is a factor, right, lack of saliva to keep the flora in check? -Michelle

Michelle

When I get thrush, I use Mycelex lozenges (generic name is Clotrimazole 10 mg troches) which dissolve on your tongue and are really effective. Unlike Diflucan which courses through your whole body and can do a number on your kidney and liver, this just hits topically on the thrush on your tongue. You might want to ask your doctor next time to prescribe some for you.
good luck - I hate it when the thrush comes back but I found the lozenges helpful
Charm

To rinse with the salt water and baking soda concoction...
Use 16 oz (a pint) of warm water, 2 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp salt. Or decrease cut it in half for a smaller amount. Rinse several times per day.

Another thing to think about, sanitizing glasses, utensils or anything you put into your mouth. Anything including your toothbrush needs to be sanitized and kept away from other household members things. Its necessary to prevent it from spreading to others. In fact the nurse told me to throw out my toothbrush and get a new one. I was so paranoid about it coming back that I would wash my sheets and blankets in hot water and added bleach to make sure I killed all the germs.

Hope you are doing ok besides the thrush.

Thanks for the tip on the lozenges. I will ask my doctor about them. -Michelle

Thanks for the info on the rinse. Today I start my radiation. Tomorrow I have my first chemo. It feels like everything that happened prior to today was dress rehearsal and now the performance begins. My feeding tube is causing me a little pain, but the kind of pain the doctor said I would get the first few days. The worse thing of all is feeling so debilitated. I have always done so much and felt so robust. Now I feel like my life is shrinking. I know it's temporary, but I still feel feeble and weak and small. My partner and kids are great and we have so many friends and family who have helped us so much already, and I am grateful, but man nothing is worse than feeling so limited in what I can do. But there is a time for everything, right? Ecclisiastes says so; this must be my time to be sick. -Michelle

Michelle, Just wanted to wish you "good luck" as you start your treatments today. Keep a calendar on the fridge that you can cross off each day, it helps to track the days. John kept a notebook and wrote down the date at the top of each page. He would write down EVERYTHING he consumed that day and what time - food, liquids, meds etc. He had really bad nausea and was on both Zofran and Compazine through treatments. Don't let this get on top of you. Continue to post all your questions, comments and concerns. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! My mother's favorite saying was "This too shall pass". Good luck.

God Bless Michelle, hope all goes well.

Wendy

believe ME this thrush IS contagious! I got it from Ron...and after my first course of Nystatin ended last week...it's still not cleared up,it's just about there...but not and now after reading about what Diflucan does to your kidneys and liver and today Ron tells me when he was on it his feet swelled up...kinda worried him a bit seeing when he had his Non Hodgkins Lymphoma that his feet swelled up...but he said when he was done they went down to normal, ya he didn't say one word to me either til today when I am at work...men! So I wouldn't want that stuff I may end up calling the doc again and getting more Nystatin I guess. Unless you all really think just by using the salt water and soda can clear up this little bit. And also Ron bought plastic utensils he uses them now instead of my silver ware. I got to get my darn dishwasher fixed...keep forgetting. But he did get that Magic Mouthwash, his has 4 things in in I thought there were only 3.