I would like to share information on a little known, rare infection that all too often is overlooked or misdiagnosed, by the medical profession. It is an infection that shows no mercy to its victims and is deadly in 67 to 90% of the cases, depending upon the severity of the infection. It is called Candida Glabrata (C.Glabrata), and I, like thousands of other victims, have had to learn the harsh realities of what this infection is capable of. I have also learned that it is an infection that our medical profession knows little about and our scientific community knows even less about how to beat it. In 2007, it was listed as the fourth leading cause of bloodstream infection in United States hospitals. The fact that the medical professionals know so little about how one contracts C. Glabrata, who gets it and when to look for it, persuaded me to speak out about this, so others do not suffer as I am.
What is C. Glabrata?
First C. Glabrata is a fungus from the Candidias family, which is the same family of candidias albican (the yeast infection that most people are familiar with), however, there are several other forms in the Candidias family. These other forms are actually known as non-albicans and they are much more serious types of fungi. There are approximately five different species in this category with Glabrata being the most serious form.
What makes Glabrata so serious is the fact that it is only one of a few fungi that do not have hyphae, which are like the tenticles. Without hyphae, it is very difficult to culture, biopsy or see under a microscope. Due to the fact that it cannot be easily diagnosed, it is usually is not discovered in a person until they are very sick and by then it is a race against time to save the individual. The other problem with fungi without hyphae is that they are able to morph and adapt for survival. This means they have the ability to live in both alkaline and acidic environments. This is the part that makes them so deadly, because we only know how to kill fungus by changing the PH balance of the environment to basically make the living conditions unconducive to their life cycle. So, when you have a fungus like C. Glabrata that cannot be easily detected, diagnosed and then treated, you have what is known by the CDC as a deadly fungal infection.
The History of Glabrata
The fortunate thing about Glabrata is that it is a very rare form of fungus that is almost never seen in the general population. It was discovered during the 80’s when the AIDs population came to awareness. Prior to that, it had never been found in humans. Once the HIV population became infected, the fungi were impregnated in hospitals all over the country. Through the 90’s, the only people identified with this infection were the critically ill and immune compromised population, end stage HIV or end stage cancer patients in ICU units. With compromised immune systems these patients had no resistance to the fungus, and unfortunately, the mortality rate was 100%.
By the early 2000’s a new population of people were beginning to show up with C. Glabrata, only now it had moved beyond the immune comprised HIV and end-stage cancer patients. A study in 2010, found that 73% of C. Glabrata cases occurred in patients previously given fluoroquinolones. This new, previously healthy group of people falling ill to Glabrata had all been treated with a broad spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic often in conjunction with a steroid. Steroid treatment alone is a risk factor for the C. Glabrata infection. According to my current physicians, when fluoroquinolones are combined with steroids, the risk for contracting C. Glabrata increases significantly.
Research shows that the fluoroquinolones wipe out all gut flora (good and bad). When combined with immunosuppressive steroids, the patient’s ability to fight bad bacteria and fungus is compromised. When all the gut flora are killed, the first flora to grow back are those that are the strongest and most resilient. Much like weeds in your garden, fungus and bad bacteria grow at a faster rate and are stronger mutants than the good bacteria. If the patient was also prescribed steroids, their own immune system can no longer come in to fight off the bad gut flora. This leaves the gut vulnerable to serious infections especially fungal ones like Glabrata. Fluoroquinolones are one of the most potent gut flora destroyers on the market. There is no other class of antibiotics that so totally annihilate gut flora to the level that the fluoroquinolones do. Combining fluoroquinolones with steroids is a recipe for disaster.
In sum, there are only four ways to develop a C. Glabrata infection, end stage HIV, end stage cancer, patients with neutropenia – a genetic or chemo-induced condition that limits white blood cells needed to protect the body from fungal invasion – or by using a broad spectrum antibiotic, like the fluoroquinolones combined with a steroid.
Diagnosing Glabrata – Why So Many Victims of Glabrata Die
Glabrata is very difficult to diagnose, leaving the infection to take hold before it is recognized. The Glabrata fungus does not have hyphae and does not present like all other forms of candidias. This fungus does not produce a white cheesy like curd discharge from the gut / stool, vagina or penis. Instead, it produces a milky white to grayish thin discharge, often seen with bacterial infections. It also produces minor to severe swelling of the tissues and erythema (redness). The infection causes horrific burning (often described as grinding glass into the tissues and then pouring acid on them) with very little itching.
In the early stages, before a doctor thinks to look for C. Glabrata, the infection is frequently misdiagnosed as a bacterial infection. The patient is put on antibiotics; often the same antibiotics that created the susceptibility to the infection to begin with. When these fail again and again, the doctors are often at a loss as to what is going on, especially if the person was a young, healthy individual prior to being given antibiotics with steroids. Since most physicians have been trained to only look for Glabrata with HIV or seriously ill cancer patients, they never think to look for it. It usually takes until the person becomes critically ill with the infection before they realize that it is a fungal infection, at which point the doctor will order specific tests looking for a non albican fungus. In more than half of all cases of Glabrata it is not realized until autopsy. These are not like other fungal tests because they have to be grown in special agar (petry dishes) and then stained with special stains and then looked at under high powered microscopes. The final drawback is that this fungus needs 6 to 8 weeks to grow out, which costs precious time that most patients do not have.
Treating Glabrata
Once Glabrata is diagnosed the next hurdle is how to treat. Currently, there are only a few drugs that have any potential to kill it: Diflucan (fluconazole), Caspofungen and Amphotericin B. Each is problematic. Diflucan has to be used at ten times the normal level for months on end, to kill C. Glabrata. Most people are unable to tolerate this course of treatment and in 99% of cases it fails and in many cases, the fluconazole induces resistance to it and other azole fungicides. Caspofungen or microfungen, are additional options. They can cause serious liver and kidney problems, leading to failure of one or both organs. These drugs work in about 70% of all cases, but again must be used for months on end and many patients are unable to tolerate the treatment.
The last drug known to kill C. Glabrata is Amphotericin B. This drug is only used when the person is on their death bed because it is so toxic that it causes acidosis within minutes of being administered. Over 90% of patients go into multi-organ failure and die within three hours of infusion (discussions with my doctors). This drug too must be used for months on end to kill it. Amphotericin B has a 90% success rate if the patient can survive the drug itself.
In very serious and resistant cases, Flucytosine is combined with the Amphotericin B. Flucytosine is thought to open the cell walls and lets the Amphotericin B in to kill. Flucytosine is an old chemo drug that is quite potent drug. When combined Amphotericin B, the results can be deadly. These are the only drugs known to treat this fungus.
Glabrata Becomes Resistant
As if Glabrata isn’t difficult enough to diagnose and treat, the fungus is very adaptive. If the patient survives the drugs, the fungus can, and often does, become resistant to the drug that it is being treated with, leaving the person with no options to kill it. This means that you get ONE shot with a medicine because it will become resistant the second time around. Glabrata has to be killed totally. If not and it returns, there is no treatment.
But as a fungus, Glabrata does not die on contact with the medicine. Let me explain this in an easier way. Look at it like this a bacteria is like a spider or bug, when you spray it with Raid it stops dead in its tracks and dies right there where you sprayed it. With fungus it is like a weed in your yard, when you spray it with weed killer the first day it begins to droop the next day it turns brown and by the third day it falls to the ground. If you then then pull the weed up and if you did not get the roots too within a week you will have a new weed back again. Fungi work in the same way, which is why it must be treated for months on end. Fungal infections are notoriously hard to treat and some of the most deadly infections to have. This is why Glabrata is fatal in 90% of all cases.
I Have a Glabrata Infection
I have a Glabrata infection and am fighting for my life. How did I contract this deadly fungal infection? I was prescribed Cipro plus a steroid for a misdiagnosed and assumed GI infection. I had a stomach bug, likely the flu, but since I have a diagnosis of IBS and the doctor was unable to see me for four days, she suspected I had a small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). I was prescribed an antibiotic, Cipro, plus steroids. That is, I was prescribed these meds on the assumption that I had a bacterial infection. I did not.
Three days after starting Cipro, I fell ill to Cipro toxicity. My gut flora were wiped out, I just didn’t know it yet and neither did my doctors. A week later, I found out that I never had an infection and didn’t need Cipro to begin with, but it was already too late for me. In the coming months, the GI bleeds began and other GI issues that would be misdiagnosed as Crohn’s Disease and bacterial infections ensued. It was not until last month that my doctors determined that all my problems were due to a deep seeded or disseminated infection with Glabrata.
We tried the Diflucan, which failed miserably. My WBC count and neutraphil count rose and I was now in serious trouble. We put a central line in and started the microfungen. After the first seven days, my counts dropped drastically, but by day nine, I began to step backwards. The fungus was morphing to survive and was becoming resistant to the drug. We are now looking at Amphotericin B. We will give it two more weeks and then make that call but it is not looking good right now. My symptoms have begun to ramp up again. I know the odds are against me with less than a 10% cure rate, I am fighting an uphill battle but I need to win this one for my life!
Why I Am Telling My Story
Patients must understand the dangers of this class of drugs especially when combined with steroids, because many doctors do not! Fluoroquinolones are the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the US and combining them with steroids seems to happen frequently.
Also know that 78% of the time Glabrata starts in the gut. Other times it starts in PIC and central lines. In either case, one initiated, it infiltrates the prostrate for men and the vagina for women. It has been known to seed itself any organ throughout the body. If you are suffering with an infection in any of these areas that does not respond to antibiotics and you are also suffering with GI issues, you need to ask your doctor about checking you for a fungal infection, especially if you have used a fluoroquinolone antibiotic with a steroid prior to the onset.
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Featured image: GMS stained skin punch biopsy demonstrating fungal spores of C. glabrata, eScholarship, University of California.
This story was published originally in December 2013.
Hi Debra,
I’m writing to you from Australia on behalf of my wife, Brooke, who has been struggling quite severely with a vaginal glabrata infection for the past two years.
Brooke has tried multiple interventions, including following strict diet changes and using standard last line of defence available in Australia, boric acid. The severity of the burning fluctuates in intensity and seems to respond to interventions initially but reverts back to severe levels of pain. She remains on a strict diet.
The other issue we likely have is that I myself may also have the glabrata infection but experience incredibly mild symptoms. I had a urine test with the doctor and it came back negative for glabrata but I understand this is not the correct method for testing. We are concerned that I may reinfect her if Brooke can ever find a solution to cure her infection. Do you know the correct testing method for males?
I have read some articles, including within this thread, on the effectiveness of amphotericin B/ Flucytosine gel, but I don’t think we can get this compounded in Australia. I will print off the three journal articles you have attached previously and present them to Brooke’s doctor.
We are desperate as Brooke’s condition has baffled her doctors, leaving us with few options. Brooke has always struggled with health problems generally, initially with her heart (two cardiac arrests when she was younger) and has had issues with thrush and UTIs where we feel she was overprescribed with antibiotics.
I’m not sure if you know anyone who could help in Australia. We would definitely consider making a trip to the USA if we felt something could help the situation.
We would both be incredibly grateful for any advice or contact details you may be able to provide in Australia or the USA.
Kindest regards,
Thomas and Brooke Cooper.
Has anyone been able to get the amphotericin B/Flycytosine gel capsules compounded in Australia?
Failing that, has anyone got a doctors contact in LA that could help? We would be willing to make a trip, especially if needed. LA is cheaper and more accessable. Failing that we would travel anywhere, that would help as we are desperate. I would be grateful to receive an email (thomasgcooper@hotmail.com) with any information.
I am so sorry you guys are going through this. I have only been struggling with this for three months but it’s been terrible. I did the amphotericen b and flucytosine gel here in the U.S. and it unfortunately did not work for me. It helped with the pain but it came right back. I made an appointment with an infectious disease Dr. Jack Sobel that Debra recommends in the comments. My appointment is in a month. I hope he can help. I can keep you guys posted on what he recommends and see if it helps for me. What is your email?
Hi Emily,
Thanks for your reply! our email is thomasgcooper@hotmail or brooke.cooper@live.com.au. We were able to get amphotericin B/Flycytosine. It seemed to work but Brooke is no burning again. She has a general doctors appointment tomorrow to hopefully find out what the cause of the burning is. We used a latex free condom since treatment that seemed to cause burning after.
Hello. I am wondering if you can share how you made an appointment with that doctor? If you can email me more info pcalderonv15@gmail.com
I have been fighting C. glabrata for a year and I would just like to know if there is anyone who got an amphotericin B / flucytosine gel prescription in Europe. Here, the treatment is even less known than in the US because I don’t think we can actually even get those in a gel form. Ampho B and flucytosine are available on in an IV form at hospitals for very immuno-compromised patients. What might be my hope to treat this infection in Slovakia, Austria, or the Czech republic? Would any OBGYN or doctor even be willing to discuss these options with me here?
I would be very grateful if anyone with any experience of glabrata treatment in Europe got in touch with me. Thank you 🙁
Hi, I’m currently dealing with this infection and I’m really scared. Could you please email me on farah_09602@hotmail.com
Or if anyone can provide me with Debra’s contact details please contact me.
Did you get Debra’s info?
hi, my wife is currently dealing with this infection as well can anyone give me Debra’s info please ,thank you
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information with people battling Glabrata; this provides us hope and encouragement/support during this struggling time so we appreciate you!
They are writing the compound for me finally (so grateful) just want to make sure I have everything correct : Amphotericin 100g + flucytosine 1g in Aquagel, take 8 grams nightly for 14 days, dispense 112 grams. This is my first attempt to rid the glabrata the right way. Do I use the flucytosine the first time around or only add into compound if I have a strain resistant to the Amphotericin?
A couple questions…here is mentioned Aquagel but I was reading some of your replies and saw “surgilube”….are either options fine in the gel? Didn’t know if one is better than the other.
I’ve been researching this a bit and saw that in recent years, they have started using an ingredient known as Caspofungin instead/in place of Amphotericin B, Studies showing that it is just as effective but is a safer alternative? I just wanted to check with you to see if you have read any of those studies and if you think that I should definitely ask for the Amphotericin B in the compound or if Caspofungin is what I should use in place of?
Also, you have mentioned to several people in previous comments that you could email them the studies to take to doctors and also a few known doctors in the US that support /study /know glabrata. as I’m starting this journey I’m Learning that a lot of doctors in my area (Asheville, NC) are not educated with glabrata. Can you please send me info on these doctors so if I need to reach out to them, I can? thata the overwhelming part to…I have these questions /concerns that I try to discuss with them and they just don’t know much about it at all to help. Trying to find a doctor that does is extremely overwhelming.
Thank you so much for guiding us. And your time. -Courtney
Hello Courtney
What did you decide to use? I would love more information on the caspofungin topical if you have it and how your physician wrote the compound script and what pharmacy you had it filled.
Thank you
Hello, I am a cancer patient, who has undergone 21 courses of chemo with a whole host of the usual complications. Candida albicans came and went (IV fluconazole), but at some point I got Candida glabrata and IV fluconazole proved ineffective. My docs tried itraconazole, which didn’t do the job either, and the doctors just threw up their hands. I did some research on my own and tried a very simple treatment – wild oregano oil capsules taken orally. The label on the bottle said to take one capsule a day, so I thought “what the hell, I might as well take four” (this dosage might be a bit harsh on the stomach, but that’s how much I took). Guess what. My glabrata infection was gone within 4 days. My mouth and throat healed and looked normal again. Also, I was not even aware that glabrata had infected my sinuses. How did I realize that? On the third day of treatment I took a deep breath and it felt like a tornado hit the inside of my head. It felt like previously I had been breathing through a straw. Now the blockage in my sinuses was gone. Wild oregano oil contains thymol and carvacrol – that’s what did the job. I would recommend wild oregano oil to anyone struggling with a glabrata infection.
Hi, can you please share the brand of the capsules you used. Congratulations on beating this infection. Wishing you a happy and healthy life.
Hi, I’m on year 5 of a Glabrata infection. Mine is in my esophagus and mouth. I have tried fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole with no luck. I go next week to get a PICC line and will be starting Micafungin IV for 9 weeks. I see an infectious disease specialist for my glabrata infection. I feel like I’m running out of options. Anyone with similar experience?
A company from Germany has natural treatment for a disbalanced mycoµbiome Sanum -kehlbeck.com
They have also a formula in the case of aspergillus Niger (under suspicion to affect Thiamin-metabolism negative)
For the Diagnosis, capillary blood is investigated under darkfield-microscope (blood clotting can also be seen)
Thanks for sharing your story! I think other broad spectrum antibiotics can do this too (as is my case).
Can I ask what you know/think about a 2-week IV course of micafungin for vaginal (and possible intestinal) candida glabrata?
Also, are you aware of the best way to clear the organism from clothing to avoid reinfection? From partners?
Are you familiar with the new one-day course drug called Brexafemme (ibrexafungerp)? It’s the first antifungal released in 20 years, I believe – FDA approved and released June 2021.
Thank you so much!
Karen, has anyone replied to you regarding this? Did this treatment work for you?
Hi Naomi, I just saw your response. No, sadly. No one responded to me.
I decided against the IV for now, but I did try the Brexafemme. It unfortunately didn’t work. I just tried nystatin, which also didn’t work. My next step is the flucytosine/amphotericin combination. Hope it works!
Is there any information on just getting the flucytosine cream compounded and it working? I read an article about women using 5g cream of flucytosine intravaginally for 14 days with a 90% success rate. Wondering if I should get my OBGYN to prescribe this instead of the amphorectin B/ flucytosine mixture
I recently had a stool test done through my homeopath and it came back with C. Glabrata. I have been taking Oregano and Saccharomyces Boulardii for years, but apparently it’s not working. My diet is also pretty clean, I stopped eating gluten + dairy 4 years ago, never drink alcohol. I’m terrified and don’t know what to do. My doctor can’t/won’t help. Should I go on Nystatin and/or probiotics?
I have suffered from this for two years. Azoles do not work, as I have been on all of them, including the last eat Brexafeme. Only thing that has helped me is probiotics. Jarrow vaginal and fem-dolpholis , Renewlife women’s care vaginal and Gardenlife Raw probiotics colon care. I would take all twice a day.
But that costs 200.00 a month. And I have seen numerous doctors, none of them know anything about this disease.
Just last week I saw a disease specialist who seems to k ow all about this type of infection. He has placed me on Micafungin via IV. I am praying this works. Doctor tells me they have had good results with it so we shall see.
Hello. I really need help. I have a vaginal infection- Candida Glabrata. Treatment does not help me. I have been sick for 2 years. I don’t have children.(( I’m from Russia. I really need flucytosine vaginal cream, because I want to be healthy and mother in future. What should I do to buy it from USA?
Regards, Tatiana.
my mailing address: tanya582@mail.ru
Hello Debra, I was diagnosed with C. Glabrata 16 days ago following a hysterectomy 6 weeks before that. I e always had yeast infections but never with this strain. I just finished boric acid 2 weeks ago and now I’m having horrible burning around my vagina, cramps (even though I have no uterus), sharp pelvic pain on the right side that shoots down into my thighs, and I feel like I have a bad bladder infection even though my doctor said I didn’t have one 2 weeks ago. I took cipro with steroids in February of 2019 that an urgent care doctor prescribed me for a sinus infection. On top of all this I am also having muscle, joint, and tendon pain much like I did after I took cipro. I’m not sure if all these symptoms are the Glabrata or maybe I also have the mycoplasma infection on top of it. My gyno doesn’t believe all these symptoms could be because of the Glabrata or mycoplasma which she said she would test me for at my next appointment in two weeks to test for Glabrata again. Any ideas what may be going on with me or any advice on what to say to her at my next appointment? I’m so glad I found this website and was able to get the prescription for the suppositories I’m hoping my doctor will prescribe and I can find a compound pharmacy that will make it. You are amazing for helping so many people. I hope to hear back from you soon.
Hi Jennifer, I did email you a response, so you may want to check your email and spam folder. I hope this helps you.
I’m don’t see one from you and even checked my spam folder. Can you please resend it? I’m so sorry if I missed it.
I did resend you the letter, I hope you get it this time. Please let me know if you have gotten it. Thanks
hey Debra how do I get in contact threw mail with you I have just found out I have this infection n I’m real lost in would I need to do>
Hello Debra,
Can you please me to Jazminerbd1@gmail.com
I have some questions about the compound medication
Thank you
Can you please contact me because I’m also terrified.
I’m scared too
Hi, I am preparing to go on the gel, and wondering if you could tell me if this is the correct formula—this is what my doctor sent to the compounding pharmacy:
Amphotericin 100 mg + flucytosine 1 g in Aquagel, take 8 grams nightly x 14 nights, dispense 112 grams
The other option she gave me was Voriconazole — is one better than the other?
Also, is it okay to be on the gel treatment while menstruating? If I start next week there may be a day or two of overlap towards the end of treatment.
Hi Danielle, the Amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel formula listed is correct. As far as the difference between Voriconazole and The gel is that Voriconazole is an oral pill that is from the “Azole” family, which is the family as Teraconazole, Fluconazole (Diflucan), and Clortrimazole, with Voriconazole being the stronger of the ones I have listed, which also makes it much more toxic to the liver and The central nervous system. She to this most doctors don’t like to prescribe and those that do usually will not prescribe it at the correct dose of for the length of time it would need to try and work against Glabrata. ( You would need to take 500 mg. A day for no less than six weeks) this level and duration of this drug is quite intolerant for most people. This is because at this dose and duration the “normal” side effects of Voriconazole would be extreme and have known to cause permanent injury to the CNS system and liver. So, some of the common symptoms of this drug are severe headaches, blurred vision, balance and gait problems, cognitive deficits, memory issues and peripheral neuropathy through limbs. If any of these symptoms start you would need to be taken of the drug immediately. now even stopping the drug does not mean that symptoms will subside, because they can also become permanent injuries. For this reason, most doctors refrain from prescribing this drug unless it’s a last alternative. They also will not prescribe it at a high enough dose of for the duration needed to kill Glabrata,. It is also important to know that if you take this drug you will need a blood test to check your liver functions before starting ( it is used a baseline) and then you would need liver labs done every 10 days while on it and again ten days after stopping it. This is so your doctor to see if your liver is handling it.
Now on top of the toxic risks associated with Voriconazole and doctors not feeling comfortable to prescribe as necessary to treat Glabrata, it also fails quite often, especially if you have used any of the other “Azole” drugs. This is because Glabrata adapts its DNA against meds that are used to treat it, so if you have used an “Azole” already then your strain has more then likely adapted to azoles making any of them useless. If you have not used any azoles with this infection then Voriconazole has a 75% cute rate, however it still can fail 25% of the time if you picked up a strain that has already adapted to azoles ( even if you yourself have not used them in trying to treat this infection) and they can fail if your doctor does not prescribe the correct dose for the proper duration. It will also fail if you yourself are unable to tolerate the drug at that dose and for no less than 6 weeks.
So, the difference with the gel is that the gel has a 95% cute rate when made correctly and used correctly. The gel has been proven in studies to be safer then any azole drug prescription or over the counter. The reason for this is because the ingredients used to make it have too large of molecules to be absorbed through the mucosal tissues, meaning that this drug does not get absorbed systemically, so it cannot cause systemic ( body wide) side effects. The only known side effects of the gel are vaginal burning and or irritation and most women will not even experience this unless their vaginal tissues are broke down or severely inflamed from the Glabrata infection.
So, I can’t tell you which you should attempt, because that’s your decision. All I can do is give you all the information to help you discuss which is the best option for you with your doctor.
As far as using the gel when your on your period of just after ending it, it should NOT be started until you are at least five days past your last day, including any spotting. If you do not wait, your period will coat the vaginal walls preventing the gel from hitting all areas and it will be diluted down and washed out before it is able to do its job. You don’t want to take any chances in this drug not reaching and working at 100% because you could end up giving this beast the opportunity to adapt to the gel, leaving you with no options left. So, please make sure to wait that five days before starting.
Well I hope this answers your questions and I wish you the best at beating this nightmare.
Hi i have c glabrata it burns really bad it has put a hold my life my whole body burns as well in my country we dont have nystatin perries could you please help me
Hello,
I have some questions. Could you please email me at vhamilton1129@gmail.com ? Thank you.
Hey Danielle, who is the doctor that you are working with & in what state are they in? Also, good luck with your treatment !
Hey Danielle- Who was your doctor and what state are they in? My email address is abartle1@outlook.com I am looking for a doctor that has already prescribed the gel- Hope the treatment is going well
Hi Allison – I am in New York. My doctor had never prescribed this before, I asked for it after reading about it here, gave her the formula, and she prescribed it. My advice would be to ask your doctor if they are comfortable prescribing it, if they are (I believe most are), then make sure they have the correct formula. You may even want to talk to the compounding pharmacy before they make it to make sure they have the correct formula. Good luck!
Did this work for you? Is it gone?
Hi Debra,
I have had a C Glabrata vaginal infection for 8 months now, after being in the ICU from complications after a surgery. I also was prescribed Cipro and took that for two weeks, before being diagnosed with C Glabrata.
I am now having symptoms of it spreading to the throat/esophagus; difficulty swallowing, burning in throat and chest, which is similar to the vaginal burning. I am having an EGD done this week to try and confirm this. I know this is very difficult to diagnose, as it took my OB four months to diagnose. I am still testing positive for the vaginal C Glabrata.
Is there a specific culture or biopsy the GI doc can do during the EGD to accurately confirm or diagnosis if the C Glabrata is in the throat or esophagus? I am also having chills and a low grade temperature.
Thank you so much for your help and insight!! Are you able to email me?
Hi Carissa, I’m sorry you have been going through so much. Unfortunately my computer went down so I can’t sit here and type out a full response to all your questions, but I will email you with my phone number and then we can speak by phone. So, please check for my email. Thanks
Hi Debra,
I have had a C Glabrata vaginal infection for 8 months now after being in the ICU from complications after a surgery. I also was prescribed Cipro and on that for two weeks before being diagnosed with the C Glabrata.
I am having symptoms of it spreading to the throat/esophagus-hard to swallow, burning in throat and chest, very similar to the vaginal burning. I am having an EGD done this week to confirm this. I know this is very hard to diagnosis, as it took my OB four months to diagnosis. I am still testing positive for the vaginal C Glabrata.
Is there a specific culture or biopsy the GI doc can do during the EGD to accurately confirm if the C Glabrata is in the throat or esophagus? I am also having chills and a low grade temperature.
I know I am defiantly immunocompromised and am very worried about it continuing to spread. My WBC is also elevated.
Thank you for all of your insight and help!!
Hi Debra,
I have been suffering from a C Glabrata vaginal infection for 8 months now after having complications from a surgery. I have it vaginally and now I feel as if it has spread to my esophagus and throat. I have burning there and in my chest. I am having an EGD done this week to see if they can confirm this. What type of culture should I ask for? I know this type doesn’t grow hyphae so it is difficult to culture. Can they do a more specific biopsy to see if it spread to my esophagus?
Did you have an EGD done when yours spread? I also was put on Cipro for something unrelated after I was diagnosed with the C Glabrata. I also have had chills and a low grade temperature for 8 months now. Can you please email me? I want to know what I need to request when I go for my appointment for the EGD. My appetite is completely gone and it hurts to swallow.
Thank you for your insightful post and your help!! If you’re able to email me I can post my email address. Thanks again!!
Please contact me. I need some more information. I am terrified.
Could you contact me? =(
Please contact me.
I am terrified.
Hi Debra, I currently have vaginal glabrata. I had gotten a UTI at the end of June and was treated with Nitrofurantoin Mono. A week after treatment ended I still felt “something,” and went back to the doctor but the UTI test was negative. (Note: I am 41, and this is my first yeast infection, so had not even considered it could be that, and my symptoms felt like UTI symptoms still.)
A week later (July 9) I decided to go to the OB/GYN since I was still feeling something. She did a UTI test (negative) and a swab (I tested positive for Gardnerella Vaginalis and Glabrata).
She treated me with Fluconazole on July 15 (1 pill, 150 MG). I was feeling a little better but still wasn’t feeling 100% right, and went back to see her on July 24. She did another swab, and while the Gardnerella Vaginalis was gone, the Glabrata was still positive. She started me on boric acid suppositories (600 mg, 14 days) on July 30 and I’m halfway through that treatment now.
FWIW, I never had discharge or itching, just the burning sensation and sometimes a feeling that I needed to urinate more often (though sometimes nothing would come out); the latter has gotten a bit better. I did have an awful fishy smell for a long time even before the UTI and that has now gone away. I am otherwise healthy with no other medical conditions, and the aforementioned test results all noted that I had normal microflora.
For a month I have also been taking probiotics daily, and have been on the Anti-Candida Diet. (I regret not starting probiotics when I was on the UTI antibiotic, I usually do when I take antibiotics but it’s been so long that I’ve had to take any that I forgot to.) I still feel better than I did in June/early July, and I’ve even had stretches of a few days where I feel normal, but I do still have a very mild burning sensation, which is my only symptom as of now (I am really hoping the glabrata doesn’t spread and cause more issues).
I have been reading through the comments here this week and have become very scared that this will become worse and that I’ll never be able to get rid of it and/or it will get worse. I already feel like I have lost some quality of life — with the mild burning sensation, I’m constantly worried about this infection to the point where it’s affecting my daily life, I’m unable to have sex (question: is kissing ok?), and since I’m following the anti-candida diet I’m unable to drink alcohol (question: would 1 drink a month be ok?), and unable to eat most foods (I’m a pescetarian so my options are very limited). All that’s left is me in a room worrying constantly about this, with no distractions.
I also have an appt with a urologist next week for an ultrasound, but I’m not sure that will help with this. I have also asked my OB/GYN if she would consider prescribing an amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel, and I’m waiting to hear back — my question is, if she is able to do this, should I start that right away, or stop the boric acid, wait 2 weeks to get tested for glabrata again, and then start it?
If she won’t prescribe it, do you think I’ll be able to find another doctor who will… can a GP prescribe it, or another type of doctor? Is it readily available through prescriptions or difficult to get?
Thank you,
– D
Hi Debra
I have been recently diagnosed with Candida glabarata after taking 3 rounds of antibiotics I didn’t need. In 2016 I had 2 hemroidetomies and the last one left me with an anal fissure. I had terrible swelling, itching and burning in my anus with some mucus discharge and the burning and itching extentended into my vaginal area. My colorectal surgeon thought I had an anal abscess with a possible fistula. But the pelvic MRI came back negative. And while we were waiting for the approval for the MRI I was put in antibiotics for 10 days and it looked like it cleared things up in my anal and vaginal area, but after 4 days all my symptoms came back and I was put in antibiotics again and given a single dose of fluconazole because when I peed my vaginal area was burning. Then I got an external abscess in my anus and my surgeon was able to get a culture. While we were waiting for the results I was put back on antibiotics again. The culture came back negative. But I’m sure she didn’t test for a fungal infection so that why it was negative. I had this test done before I was diagnosed with Candida glabarata. I have not had the fissure repaired yet and the surgeon wants to try Botox injections. But it sounds like this shouldn’t be tried because of this candida glabarata diagnosis. My anus swells up horribly and my gynocolgiest has perscirbed nysatin cream to use on my vulva and anus. Could you please send me the prescription for the compounded gel that cures Candida glabarata? Also does this prescription have any side effects and where can I find a list of them? Also can I use this gel in my anus if I have a fissure? Would this be toxic or dangerous for me to use because the fissure is like an open wound? Or should I just skip the Botox injections altogether and have surgery to fix the fissure before trying to cure my infection? Or would surgery spread the infection and make things worse? My gynocolgiest took 3 skin biopsies 2 in the vulva area and 1 in the anal area. That’s how I got the positive test for candida glabarata. I’m using the nysatin cream on the outside vulva area and the outside of the anal area right now. And after the biopsies are healed she wants me to use the boric acid in my vagina for 14 days. Should I have her do the mic test first and then use the prescription for the gel or just get the gel compounded and use it? I am at a loss at what to do, I think I might have it in other areas of my body, my eyes are burning and my eyelids swell up. In February of this year I had what my doctor said was a sinus infection, after 2 rounds of antibiotics I got some what better but then started getting dizzness, terrible shooting pains in my head, terrible earaches, burning ears & scalp and now burning eyes and eye pain and unexplained small red legions on different parts of my body, face and scalp. About 2 moths ago I had terrible acid reflux and was was treated for 3 weeks with Prilosec
but I kept telling my doctor that it wasn’t working I couldn’t even eat the pain was so bad, I have lost a significant amount of weight I went from108pounds in May of this year down to 92 pounds as of today. I am able to eat now but must force myself to do so and I get full very quickly so my meals are very small. After I eat I now get nauseated. I think I might have this infection in my throat and esophagus too
I have some white patches in my mouth which every doctor that looks in my mouth says it’s normal. I have white and yellowish patches in the back of my throat also but again I’m always told it looks fine and normal. But I have this kinda yellow coating all over the roof of my mouth that I never had before too, It’s always been pink. After a dozen or so trips to the Emergency room for this and now countless doctors appointments, which I have yet to see an EAR, NOSE, & THROAT doctor (September 4th is my appointment), My doctor has requested for an appointment with a gastroenterologist and a dermatologist, so I waiting for those appointments to be scheduled. Can you get this infection in your sinuses & ears? I saw an infectious disease doctor and she had me do hibiclens for my red esions on my body, which broke out my skin on my legs and buttocks terribly almost blister like, so painful. I now have leg pain that make it feel like my leg is getting the blood supply cut off and it tingles clear down to my toes. And my 2 big toes are kinda yellowish and have deep ridges vertically going across them. And my fingers nails have horizontal lines. Both of my hands are red, and the skin is scaly, itchy and some times burns and I break out with little bumps on my wrists. My hands tingle sometimes up my arm and into my fingers and it’s sometimes hard to make a fist. Can the infection spread all over my body like that? I don’t want to be treated the wrong way and make things worse. Do I need to be treated differently for each body part? And I know this is a lot but can you advise what would be the proper treatment for each if these areas? Thank you
I have been sick with symptoms of this horrible infection for over a year now. My doctors are stumped. I was stumped. It took a year for me to come across a list of symptoms for whatever this was… And the symptoms were dead on. Worst part is, my 6 and 8 yo’s now have the same symptoms as me. We all have skin problems, joint problems, eye problems, mouth problems, and vulvar problems. And same mo with me… a long course of antibiotics I didn’t need followed by steroid injections. It all started with me, and now my babies are sick because Glabrata is contagious. Can you believe that crap? Go to a GYN to get tested on November 4. How much you wanna bet it’s Glabrata? I just hope he finds it….
Hi Nikki, I am so sorry that you are going through so much and that your kids are sick as well. However, I need to explain to you that Glabrata is not contagious like you think it is. First a Glabrata infection of the vaginal area will NEVER infect any other area of your body except the surrounding skin around the vagina and that is only if the vaginal discharge is left to sit on that skin. The only other way it would spread into other internal organs would be if you had some kind of opening between the vagina and rectum, which is known as a fistula and is usually only associated with inflammatory bowel diseases like crohns. Other than that Glabrata cannot spread to any other areas of your body. It will also NEVER spread to your children unless you gave birth to a child while in the midst of an active infection and they picked it up from the vaginal tract while passing through, however they would be become life threatening ill within days if this had happened. Other than that you CANNOT spread this infection even if you do not wash your hands after wiping yourself to your kids. Now you can spread it to a spouse through unprotected sex if you are dealing with an active infection, but even that is rare and that is because the male body is designed differently than a women’s so it is constantly washing the urethra of the penis out with acidic urine which usually if not always prevents the infection from setting up a home there. Glabrata is really no different than any other vaginal infection that you would get, just like BV or even a normal candidiasis albican infection. As you know you would not spread either of those infections to your kids even if you did not wash your hands after going to the bathroom, nor would you spread it to your husband even if you had unprotected sex. The only difference between Glabrata and the other infections is that is extremely hard to treat with very little drugs available to treat it. It is NOT deadly if it is in the vagina, nor are you contagious to anyone, however, it will cause significant pain, with burning, itching, redness, soreness, discharge, and skin ulcerations if it is not dealt with as quickly as possible.
Let me also say that Glabrata does NOT cause joint pain, eye problems, mouth problems or even skin problems, unless you have a spot on your skin that got infected with it, but if that were the case you would know right away because the skin would ulcerate and break down pretty quickly in the same fashion that a child gets a diaper rash, Glabrata of the skin looks just like a diaper rash with bloody ulcerations. Glabrata is a very dangerous fungi infection if it were to get into the any internal organs like the kidneys, colon, lungs, brain, ect.. The symptoms would be devastating and send you to an ER for dire help within less than ten days of contracting it and I can tell you that NO healthy individual will contract this infection in any internal organ within there body,(other than a vaginal infection) even after taking broad spectrum antibiotics like fluoroquinolones combined with steroids. The only people who would contract a life threatening infection after taking antibiotics and steroids would be people who are very ill to begin with, people who have HIV, are on chemo for end stage cancer or diabetics who’s sugars are off the chart and they are very ill. These are the only ones who get life threatening infections, everyone just gets a vaginal infection which is NOT life threatening and cannot spread and is actually considered a topical infection. Some will get a skin rash like a diaper rash from it, but this is very rare and some will get a mouth infection with it, but again these are people who are usually very ill to begin with.
Now once Glabrata is in an internal organ it can very quickly take over the organ and destroy it within about 10 to 30 days and it can spread from there to the blood which it is then known as a septic infection and if that were to happen you would fall extremely life threatening ill within hours and you would ultimately die within about 36 hours of it entering the blood stream even with meds being given to you. Once again a blood stream infection would be the rarest of the rare, even HIV people on their death bed have less than a 1% chance of developing a blood stream infection with this fungi, so this is not something that you would get and live through.
So, with a vaginal Glabrata infection the only symptoms you will have are going to be burning first and foremost and the burning will be extreme!!!! Then there will be some mild itching and discharge that smells like dying flesh. Your vaginal area will be red, inflamed and slightly swollen and if you have had the infection for a few weeks your vaginal tissues may also begin to ulcerate and bleed. Other than this you will have no other body wide symptoms.
So, here is my thought to you, first I guarantee your children do not have Glabrata and that should be a huge relief for you because it can kill children in less than the 30 days it takes to kill an adult. It is also good because you do not want your children to have a vaginal infection with this fungi because the drugs to treat it are toxic and acoustic and your children would be in horrific pain between the infection itself and again with the treatment and that is providing you could find someone to treat them with these drugs. So, this is a really good thing! My second thought is on you and I do not believe that this is your problem either, you are talking about symptoms that do not go along with a Glabrata infection and Glabrata does not live in the gut like candidiasis albicans does, so it will not cause you body wide symptoms like candidiasis does, instead Glabrata in the gut will destroy your gut and kill within 30 to 45 days, it is not something that you can live very long with. So, I seriously do not believe that you are dealing with Glabrata, unless it is a just a vaginal infection and again that is not an internal infection, so it is not deadly, it is not contagious and it is very painful, which I am not hearing you really talk about here. So, this is a good thing too, because Glabrata is a very difficult and sometimes a drug resistant infection to treat and many women are having to learn to live with a life long very painful infection because their infection with drug resistant, which happens to often.
So, here is my final thought for you, I have been dealing with women from all over the world and educating professionals including compounding pharmacists and on how to recognize, test and treat a Glabrata infection. However, on top of this I have also had to deal with a couple of other infections that I have had to learn all about and educate doctors on, so that they could learn how to help me. The other two infections that I would suggest you look into because you very much sound like you and your family may be dealing with is Lyme disease and any number of its co-infections and mold toxicity syndrome. Now, by just the symptoms you are describing here that you and both your kids are dealing with really sends up the alarm bells for mold toxicity more so than Lyme disease. Mold toxicity is a silent but destructive disease that most people will slowly fall ill too as well as their family members and it can take months to even years before they figure out what is making them so sick. You can become very ill from mold toxicity by even the slightest amount of mildew or mold in your home, whether from a leaky faucet, prior flood, leaking roof or poor a poorly ventilated home where the home stays to damp. Mold toxicity will cause the aching joints, fatigue, headaches, mouth sores, sore throats, sinus pressure and or pain, hair falling out or thinning, pressure behind the eyes, red blood shot eyes, shortness of breath, dry cough, skin rashes of all kinds that can come and go without any treatment, itching skin patches anywhere on the body, vaginal discharge, vaginal itching, weight gain or loss, nausea, constipation or diarrhea that comes and goes along with stomach pain for no reason, you can have poor sleep, fatigue, memory issues, emotional out bursts, and the list goes on and on. Now you don’t have to have all of these, but as time goes on if you do not get treatment and fix the mold issue you can go on to develop more and more of these symptoms until they become disabling even for children. Let me also say children can develop learning disabilities as well as asthma as time goes on too. Every persons symptoms can vary from day to day and from week to week. So, I would please encourage you to look up mold toxicity and learn about this one because I really believe this is what is going on with you and your family. I would also say that this is very treatable but you have to know you have it and unfortunately there are no tests any doctor is going to give you to diagnosis this condition. it is a disease that is diagnosed by ruling out every other possibility and then finding a doctor that is educated in recognizing and treating mold toxicity. Your family is being exposed to something which is why you are feeling ill, and trust me when I say Glabrata cannot do this, is not contagious like you think and would kill both you and your kids if it were anything more than a vaginal infection in you, which again you could not spread to your kids. So. you need focus on an exposure that your whole family is being subjected to, which brings you to your home, either chemical or mold or it would be from each of you being bitten by ticks at some point and contracting Lyme disease, which also happens to families too.
So, by all means get your test down with your gyne for Glabrata but please know this is not what your kids have and it is also not what is causing all of your body wide symptoms. So, make sure to start looking at other possibilities like mold toxicity and Lyme disease. I hope this helps you going forward, good luck to you and your family!
Hello, I was considering seeing Jack Sobel if my current treatment (flucytosine/amp B) fails, but just a news article that he will be leaving the university he practices at. Will he still be able to see me/patients for this infection? Can you please provide any other names of doctors who can treat this, in case he departs from practicing medicine?
Debra can you please delete my last name or entire comment?
Hello. I have been having symptoms sine June 2018. I was also prescribed antibiotics for larengystis, then steroids and then more antibiotics for a uti. I have been given multiple treatments of Diflucan and symptoms only getting worse. I just finished a 10 day dose of 500,000 unit Nystatin oral tabs. I felt great gor the first 6 days but then the burning started to return. I feel worse then I did when I started. Primary care doc tested me for the strain and was positive Glabrata. She didn’t tell me I had this strain. I found out on my own while reviewing my medical bills. I saw an expensive test was done and checked for the results myself online. Primary care told me she didn’t know how to treat it and told me to go see my OBGYN. OBGYN’ s in house lab test shows negative for yeast but she is running a PCR test to determine the strain. She said I will probably have to go to a infectious disease doc. I’m pretty scared that I will have to try to live with this burning the rest of my life. Will I ever have sex again? I don’t think I could deal with that. Any advice or words of encouragement would be appreciated. Thanks for sharing your story.
Hi Marie, I am so sorry you are going through all this. So, a few things I want to mention here. First oral nystatin will NOT work for a vaginal infection nor will it work for any type of yeast infection that is outside of the gut. This is because oral nystatin does NOT get absorbed outside of the intestinal or colon walls, it also does not reach the esophagus or mouth. You see it is a pill that you swallow and it must be broke down in order for it to work, so because it is a pill in whole form, it by passes the mouth and throat. Once it is broke down it remains in the gut only, it has no ability to be absorbed through the GI walls to get into the blood stream where it would need to go to be dispersed to other places within the body. This why a doctor will treat you with different forms of nystatin, depending on the place the yeast infection is in your body. So, for example if it is in your mouth or throat the doctor will prescribe nystatin mouth rinse that you gargle with and swallow. If it is in your gut, they will prescribe the oral pills and if it is in your vagina they will prescribe nystatin gel or suppositories. So, by you taking the oral pills, it was of no use to you in the vagina.
Secondly, the Diflucan has no efficacy in treating non-candidias strains of fungi like Glabrata, so this was not going to help you either and in most cases it can actually make things worse. This is because the “azole” drugs like Diflucan kill off candidias strains like Albicans, but leave behind the stronger non-candidias strains like Glabrata. The problem with this is that candidias albicans is actually stronger then Glabrata, so it keeps the Glabrata under control within the vagina, however, when you wipe out the candidias albicans you then open the door for the stronger strains like Glabrata to then take over because they have no preditor to keep them under control, so this can make your infection worse.
Thirdly, going to an infectious disease doctor with a vaginal infection with Glabrata will get you know where. This is because ID doctors are NOT trained in treating vaginal infections PERIOD! So, they have no clue on how to treat this infection except to offer you more Diflucan. Unfortunately, women with non-candidias strains of fungi like Glabrata fall threw the cracks when trying to find a doctor who knows how to treat these infections. This is because Gyne’s are not taught about the rare strains of fungi at all and this is because prior to a decade ago these types of infections were never seen in healthy women. They were only seen in very ill people who basically were on their death beds, so for the most part they were already under ID care and were about to die, so it was not something that doctors really worried about treating and Gyne’s never needed to learn about them. As for ID docs they were never trained on how t treat vaginal infections in women because that was always a Gyne’s job and those that did show up positive with one of these strains already had very severe health problems and were gong to die shortly so, it was not something that was first on the list to worry about treating in these people. So, ID docs never learned about it.
Here we are now with healthy women showing up with these infections on a daily a basis and both doctors have no clue what they are doing, which is now leaving women with infections that neither doctor knows how to treat and in many cases are only making the infection worse with their failed attempts to treat it. That in turns leave a lot of women in complete agony and out there wandering around trying to find a doctor of any kind to treat them.
So, what you need to do is talk to your doctor about treating you with amphotericin B/ Flucytosine gel. This is gel is one of the only drugs known to really be effective at killing the infection, however, I will tell you as this strain of Glabrata gets stronger and infects more women it is quickly learning to adapt to even this gel, which is now starting to be seen quite regularly. So, I can no longer say that this is going to be your answer, but it is your best hope to start with. I have links on here that will take you to the medical studies that show this and give you the formula for making the gel. I would click on the links and download the studies and take them to your doctor to discuss this treatment. If all else fails including the gel then you would need to see Dr. Jack Sobel at Wayne State University in MI. He is the only known doctor who knows how to treat these types of infections.
I don’t want you to worry that you will never get rid of this infection or that the burning will never go away or that you will never have sex again, because women are finding ways to combat this infection, even ones who have failed the ampho B gel. For many it is taking a combination of boric acid / nystatin gel / and ampho B gel along with specialized diets and certain herbs and supplements to beat it. So, women are beating it but I won’t lie here it is going to be a journey and you may need to see several kinds of doctors before you finally kill it, but hang in there because it will happen.
I wish you the best of luck with this!
Debra,
I had a severe adult “diaper” rash in the late summer of 2018 which seemed to spread to my vaginal area, and I finally realized it was only getting better once I started putting anti-fungal cream on the skin. The diaper rash-only cream was not helping. Then I took Diflucan which further healed my symptoms. The rash was so bad that the entire layer of skin around the inner buttocks peeled off – I attribute it to a very hot office setting which aggravated my sensitive skin and trapped the sweat. I now use diaper rash cream, a thin layer, daily to prevent that from happening again.
Then, all seemed well, until I had my period later that month and used tampons. I used tampons instead of pads due to the pads increasing the risk of diaper rash. Upon removing the last tampon of my cycle, I noticed mild pain at first but then the pain faded and only a “sensation” remained in my pelvic area. I usually had not used tampons much in the past. Some of them came out rather dry and it was a bit painful. I thought it might just be a small tissue tear from the dry tampons.
My primary doctor did a culture which tested positive for yeast so she gave me a 2nd round of Diflucan. The “sensation” remained. I then went to an obgyn who tested for glabrata and it came back positive; she tested for everything else including mycobacteria which was negative. I completed a course of boric acid suppositories for 2 weeks (600 mg) and it helped to a degree but not completely. I completed a second round and there is still some “sensation”, like the nerve endings are “pulsing” almost. But I never had discharge or odor the whole time. I had a pelvic ultrasound also to rule out anything else that might be causing the odd sensations. The bladder also appeared normal and the urine sample was normal.
I am now going to a new obgyn this coming week due to continued uncomfortable “sensations” in the vaginal/pelvic area, and my current obgyn said to start yet a 3rd round of boric acid but I don’t know that it’s the most effective treatment and I’m wondering if she doesn’t know what else to do. But I figure if 2 rounds of boric acid did not cure it, a 3rd might not either. Does this sound like glabrata? Could the glabrata growth from the culture be positive without it being an overgrowth/infection? Or no?
Thank you so much for your thoughts.
I am so sorry Julie, I missed this post, I do not know if you are still dealing with this problem or not, but if you are I have a few suggestions. First, yes this does still sound like it could be Glabrata and more rounds of boric acid are not going to help. Unfortunately, most Gyne’s have no idea on how to treat non-candidias fungi strains like Glabrata, so they all go to using Diflucan at first and then boric acid, after that they are at a loss. This unfortunately, leaves many women walking around with painful infections that they have no idea on how to treat.
So, first I would say that you need to stop anymore boric acid treatments because this will get you know where, except to further irritate the area and boric acid is toxic to the whole body and should not be used more than twice. Secondly, I would tell you that you need to go back and get another culture done to know for sure if you still really have Glabrata. I say this because there have been some women who have gotten very lucky and have been able to conquer this infection with a round of boric acid and you may be one of them, since you are not having discharge. Now, let me also say that there are also women who suffer with atrophic vaginitis ( vagina that is very dry) and if you have this for some reason then you may not have enough discharge to actually see it in your underwear or feel it. So, for this reason you really need to have another culture again. Just make sure that the culture is done ten days after you have stopped using any kind of vaginal treatment, otherwise the test has a high failure rate in picking up the yeast.
Now should the culture come back positive then you would need to be treated with amphotericin B/ Flucytosine gel, which you can download the links on here and print out the studies as well as the formula to make it and bring that into your doctor, so that you can teach them how to treat this infection. Now I will tell you that you still may fail the gel, because I am seeing this happen quite a lot lately, but if that happens then you will need to see Dr. Jack Sobel out of Wayne State University in MI. He is the only doctor within the country who has any knowledge on how to treat this infection, especially when it fails the gel.
If however, the culture comes back negative and you have tested negative for all other types of infections then you are probably dealing with one of two things or even both. First you may have been left with Vulvodynia, which is not an infection, but instead an illnesses that effects the nerves in the pelvic region. This type of an injury can often happen after some kind of trauma to the lower back or vaginal area or after a serious or long standing infection like Glabrata or even some other kind of organism. Again most Gyne’s are not trained in how to diagnosis or treat this type of a problem, so they will often miss the diagnosis, leaving women to think they have some kind of infection that is just drug resistant or not showing up on tests. So, this once again is something you will need to talk to your Gyne about should all of your cultures and testing come back negative. Your Gyne should then refer you out to a pelvic pain clinic or to a specialist who has been trained in how to treat this kind of condition. There are all kinds of ways of treating it and no one way works for all women, so it is journey to find the right combination of modalities to treat your pain and turn off those nerves.
The second thing is to find out if you have atrophic vaginitis, which is also not an infection. This is usually seen in women who are post menopausal or menopausal, but women of any age can develop this. Now sometimes it happens from the use of birth control or from just a hormonal imbalance in your body and vagina. However it can also be caused by other meds you may be taking for other conditions or for some women there seems to be no reason behind it. The good news is that in most cases it can be easily treated with some form of hormone balancing or possibly changing a med that you may be taking for another reason. Some of the more typical meds that can cause this condition are the SSRI’s, Tricyclic drugs or other psych meds as well as blood pressure meds, so you if you are on any of these you may have to talk to your doctors about either changing the med or finding a way to combat what it is doing in the vagina. This problem can also occur if you suffer from certain chronic illnesses too like, thyroid problems, eczema, chrons disease, RA and others. Again you may have to talk to your doctors about finding ways to treat the vagina while dealing with these conditions. Let me also say that if you have atrophic vaginitis, this can lead to infections like Glabrata as well as other types of organisms and it can lead to conditions like Vulvodynia and painful sex. So, this is why I say if your cultures and tests are negative for infections then you may need to be worked up for both vulvodynia and atrophic vaginitis.
Well, I hope that things are better for you and you don’t even need this information, but if not then I hope that some of what I said here helps you going forward with finding out what is wrong and gives you some other things to check into. I wish you the best
Update – I went to infection disease and they did a culture but NOTHING grew. They said no infection was present. Then my obgyn did her test again which is the NuSwab test which DID show glabrata. So I am lost as to which test is correct and why the second one came back positive when the culture did not. Can I please have your email?
Hi Julie, it is not uncommon to see one test come back positive and another one come back negative. here is the reason why, you see the culture MUST be done right or it will give a false negative. So, to do it right, first your doctor MUST request the lab to run a “rare fungal culture” or specifically a “Glabrata” culture. This is very important because if they do not specify this then the lab just runs a “regular” fungal culture which absolutely will NOT pick up an non- candidiasis species like Glabrata. You see, when they are looking for a rare yeast or more specifically Glabrata the lab will first tell your doctor to use a specific swab that is pretreated with a special chemical (most labs require the red capped swab, but your doctor can call their lab specifically and ask them to make sure which one they are using), then when the lab gets that swab they rub the swab on medium in a petri dish that is very specific, it is not one used for any other yeasts. It contains special glucose molecules and other chemicals that allow the rare strains to actually feed on and grow. Then to make sure they grow, the petri dish must be placed in an incubator for at least five days and up to 14 days total. It gets heated to the temp of your internal body temp for that period of time. During that period the yeast will then very slowly grow out within the culture. Once it has grown out the lab MUST then add a very specific dye to the culture and then place it under a UV lighted microscope, it is ONLY then that they can see the Glabrata, which will be highlighted purple to pink in color. All of these steps MUST be taken in order to even detect Glabrata and that is because it is structurally different than all other candidiasis strains and that is because it has no hyphae, which literally makes it completely invisible to the eye even under a microscope, it is also what makes it grow very slowly (why it takes so long to get a culture result back) and this reason is also why it is elusive to doctors, lab people. Having no hyphae is also the reason why it is so difficult to treat and able to adapt to all PH environments as well as drugs. So, this is more than likely why the culture was negative, somehow all these steps were not followed, even if one of them was missing then it would not grow out.
One other reason a culture can come back negative is if you used any kind of treatment at all in the vagina within two to three weeks of the swab for the test. You see, when a doctor swabs you they are literally grabbing a miniscule amount of cells, that then have to be grown out in a petri dish, but if you have used any kind of treatment, even one that has failed, you more then likely will still have some of that med in your vagina. So, when your doctor does the swab should she catch even a miniscule amount of left over med along with the few Glabrata cells, that med will keep the very few cells she did get from growing out in a petri dish, therefore giving you a false negative. So, you MUST makes sure that you are clean from using anything in the vagina at least two weeks prior to the culture being taken. Most studies suggest three weeks but you can often catch an accurate culture if it has been at least two weeks.
Now the NuSwab test is different because it is it is looking for pieces of DNA left behind from the Glabrata cell. Now as nice and quick as this test is, it too can often miss the Glabrata and that is because your doctor may not have swabbed an area that contains Glabrata DNA, otherwise known as Glabrata cells, which happens quite often. This then gives you a false negative too. You see this test does not grow out any of the cells she swabbed out of you, so if the lab tech does not catch that “one” cell on the swab or your doctor has missed an area where it was living within your vagina then it has no chance of being caught with this test. However, if this test comes back positive then it is POSITIVE! that means they did catch Glabrata cell DNA within their test, it was not missed by your doctor swabbing or the lab running the test. So, if your test was positive then you have Glabrata and need to be treated for it.
Well, I hope this helps you to understand why this can happen and why it happens so often. I will send you my email as well, so look for it too.
Sincerely,
Debra-Jolie
Hello,
Yesterday I just found out I have the Glabrata fungus and the Mayo is testing different meds to see what will kill it. My mouth is killing me. It has sores like no other and burns. My doctor did a scope last week and a good amount of fungus was seen.
Any thoughts on food to eat or the process of all this? I dont want to die.
Hey Debra,
Can I please have your email?
My husband had left total hip surgery Sept, 2015 and soon after was diagnosed with an infection. After being treated initially for a bacterial infection with no improvement, he was referred to an ortho specialist. Fungal cultures were done and he was diagnosed with candida glabrata infection. Since then he has had a total of 8 hip surgeries to clear up the infection and will be having his 9th 2/8 because the infection has returned. He has been put on Eraxis after each surgery, but it keeps returning. The longest he went without surgery is a year. His infectious disease doctor and surgeon tell us now that he may never get rid of it and that when it returns that he will have to have surgery to clean the hip out and/or another total hip with no promise it won’t return. Just wondering if anyone else has had something similar or know of any specialists that are doing research on this disesase.
Hi Debra,
Thanks for sharing all this! I feel I have hope now after months’ struggling with glabrata!
I am still confused about the Ampho B / Flucytosine formula. I want to present it to my dr and make sure we have the right doze.
You mentioned in one of your replies that “It is 100mgs. of Amphotericin B powder added to 1 gram of Flucytosine (which equals 1000 mgs of Flucytosine) and then that is added to 112 grams of a water base gel. This then gets mixed very well and placed into 4 gram tubes (which is the largest tube they can use) and they should fill and give you a total of 28 tubes.” From this, it sounds like it is 100mg of Ampho B and 1g (1000mg) of Flucytosine for the whole 14 days of doze.
However, in the article you linked in https://sti.bmj.com/content/77/3/212.full, it mentioned “Flucytosine (1 g) and amphotericin B (100 mg) formulated in lubricating jelly base in a total 8 g delivered dose, was used per vagina once daily for 14 days”. From this, it sounds like it is 100mg of Ampho B and 1g of Flucytosine EACH day.
Would you clarify which one it should be? 100mg Ampho B and 1g of Flucytosine per day or per 14 days?
Thanks so much again and if you could either reply here or email me that would be great!!
Thanks,
Lesley
Debra, I am so thankful that you wrote this article!! No one knows anything about Glabrata..not my family practice doctor or my midwife!! I was diagnosed with glabrata November 1st..first line treatment was boric acid. Which hasn’t worked. Culture isn’t in yet, but I’m positive I still have it, because I still have symptoms. I have done a lot of research so far and I would like to try this combination that you suggest. I have seen reference to the Amphotericin B being used alone either as a gel or cream for suppositories. Would that be something worth trying before the combo that you suggest? Could you please send me your pharmacy information? What is the efficacy rate for the combined product? Thank you for your time..
Sincerely,
Jessica
Hi Debra,
Thank god I come across your article. I have been diagonosed with vaginal Glabrata infection and I want to try the ampho B / Flucytosine cream. I just have some questions for you to make sure that I did it right. Would you mind emailing me please?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Lesley, I sent you an email so that you can reach me.
Debra,
I believe I just sent my comment to the wrong person. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with Galbrata on November 1st of this year. Spent the prior two months treating what I thought was a normal yeast infection with Diflucan and Terazol 3. Trying to get this treated correctly by a doctor is a joke!! They don’t know anything about it. May I email you to discuss?? I am at my wits end, I’m scared. What do you do when the doctors you turn to when sick have no idea how to treat you have?? Thank you for your help!!
Jessica
Hi Jessica, I am sending you an email so you can reach me.
HEY JESSICA I HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD I HAVE THIS INFECT THERE N IF ANYWAY WAY U CAN HELP ME ON ON HOW UR TREAMNET WENT AN IF U GOT HEAL FROM THIS INFECTION AN IF U HAVE DEBRA EMAIL TO HELP ME GET IN CONTACT WITH HER I NEED HELP
Hello, please email me as I have Glabrata and many questions.
Hi Kristen I am sending you an email so you can contact me.
Thank you. Please email me as I have glabrata and many questions
Thank you for this indepth information. Sadly, I have glabrata. May I please email you to discuss?
Debra Anderson. I have so many questions. Please email me.
Hi Kate, I have sent you an email so you can reach out to me.
Hi Debra!
Can you please please tell me which test to ask my Doctor for? Is it a stool test? I was already diagnosed with Candida 4 months ago……(not vaginal ) via a True Health Diagnostic Lad Test and my Functional Med Doc started me on Fluconozole and then Nystatin, which I promptly stopped. It made me feel horrible. My naturopath Chiropractor tested me yesterday via Nutritional Response Testing and I reacted NOT to the albicans vial but to the Glabrata vial!!!
I immediately sent an email to my Func Med Doc requesting a NON ALBICANS YEAST TEST and they are telling me that there is a “‘stool’ test (~$200-300 depending on insurance) which can help look at digestive function as well as culture/sensitivity. “.
I do not think this is the test that I am seeking! I literally can feel the candida in my chest when they flare up….this has been ongoing for 2 years. I thought I had a heart condition before all of this and spent $$$ having an Echo and Nuclear Stress Test, all fine! Yet I was having 700 extra palpitations per day. Long story.
Can you please share the specific test? THANK YOU!. Lisa
Hi Lisa I sent you an email so you can reach me.
Oh, and something I need to add.
I’ve been diagnosed before with Candida and was given Fluconazol to treat it. Yet, my symptoms have increased because I have the feeling that it dried out my vagina even more. After the second test there was no Candida found. They also test me for chlamydia and other STD‘s since I have severe burning while peeing. Even those came back negative. Since being diagnosed with EBV 9 months ago I constantly had an UTI. But after taking Cipro for my this whole different feeling and burning was there.
Hey it’s Mary again. I am not quite sure if my last post has shown here on the website but I’m having some problems getting properly tested. Could you email me? Thank you so much ?
Hey Debra, thank you so much for your detailed and quick reply! I was at my Gyn today and she told me that they couldn’t find any Candida. I specifically asked for an Glabrata but she refused to do one because there is “no sign of a fungi, whatsoever.”
I don’t know if I should be relived or not. Is it possible to see Glabrata when you do a “normal” fungi test? She told me that she thinks that there is an bacterial infection, because it doesn’t look like a yeast infection. There is no itching and no white discharge. I don’t know what to do. Should I go to the hospital and request another Glabrata Test on my own? I don’t want this burning any longer. I have it since 3 months now after I had an UTI. I got Cipro and I still have the feeling that my symptoms have not decreased after taking the antibiotics. Yet, they couldn’t find any bacteria left in my bladder. Moreover, I still suffer from Cipro toxity and I cannot think straight. I am really scared that my symptoms will get worse since she told me now to use lactic acid bacteria treatment for my vagina.
Do you have any idea or suggestions what to do next, since my Gyn is not really working with me here?
Thank you so much in advance! ?
Hello! I have been fighting Glabrata for over a year. My Infectious Disease doc has sent in this prescription to pharmacist. I am set to start in a few days. Would love to know if you agree before starting as speaking with the pharmacist was confusing and this is what he said. AmphB 2.1 grams-varies lot to lot, can be a little less. Said 3% but closer to 2.0. Flucytosine 17% or 11.9 grams total. Glycerine at 8ml for wetting agent. emollient cream( I asked for a gel base instead after reading your info) he said can put in versabase gel? Do you think that is necessary or can I stick with cream like doctor prescribed? 14 day supply 70 grams worth of doses. Comes in 2 containers that I put into 14 applicators. Thank you so much for your time and knowledge as I am very scared to not do this right the first time!
Hi Melissa, I am not sure where your doctor got the formula for making the gel, but if he wrote it this way and sent it to the pharmacist then he does not have the correct formula. However, the pharmacist could have read the correct formula wrong and in turn would have made it incorrectly and this would not be the first time I have come across this. Although I will say that it still baffles me that a pharmacist would make a gel like this, knowing the compounds he is using and the serious risk of tissue damage and not go back and question the doctor on the formula before making it incorrectly and risking injuring the patient. I am not sure how much you paid for this gel but the way he has it written would cost in the thousands because of the amount of Flucytosine he is using. The formula you are describing above if you are describing it right will not only NOT work but it has the potential to burn and ulcerate your vaginal tissues.
So, can I ask you, did you bring in the study that I list on here that has the formula on it and if so, is this what your doctor used to write the script? Because if he is just writing the script without the formula then you may need to bring in the correct formula, so that he gets it right. With that being said I would definitely NOT use this gel, the Flucytosine amount in it is 10 times to high and will peel off the inside of your vaginal tissues! On top of this there should NEVER be Glycerin in the formula. Glycerin will cause the gel to adhere to the vaginal walls, which you NEVER do because this is just a wash not a compound that you want to stick to the walls. This is because the drugs used in this are some of the most acidic drugs ever used in the human body (which is why they work so well against strains like this). So, you need to have the gel in a water base, this way when it warms to the body temp, it begins to run out of you. If it were to attach to the walls the acidic meds would burn right through your tissues, seriously it could burn actual holes right through the walls and the burn would be so extreme, you would need emergency services. This gel MUST be made correctly for it to work correctly and so that it will not injure you in the process. If made right it has no side effects, but it MUST be made right! On this same note let me also say that it is NOT to be put in a cream base like you said your doctor wanted it prescribed, again this would do the same tissue damages because creams are designed to cling to the walls and do NOT wash out. Creams also alter the acid content of the compounds changing the way they work and making them less effective in killing the infection. It MUST be put in a water base gel!!!! He is also putting the drugs which are way to high into the wrong base which would stick to your walls and burn the crap out of them and then on top of all this, he is making the mix wayyyyy to concentrated, which would make it even more acidic, which again would burn so bad that I could not even imagine the pain and damages that would follow the first treatment! If your pharmacist needs to talk to a pharmacist that knows how to make the gel, please let me know and I can give him the name and number of the pharmacist that I work with here that knows how to make it. I have worked with my pharmacist and he has agreed to work with any compound pharmacist who is trying to make this gel, so that they make it right and he has worked with several now over the past few years.
So, let me explain the formula to you so that you know how it should be made as well. It is 100mgs. of Amphotericin B powder added to 1 gram of Flucytosine (which equals 1000 mgs of Flycytosine) and then that is added to 112 grams of a water base gel. This then gets mixed very well and placed into 4 gram tubes (which is the largest tube they can use) and they should fill and give you a total of 28 tubes. You will then use 2 tubes a night which will equal 8 grams total of the gel a night for 14 nights. NOTHING ESE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THIS FORMULA!!!! when you get the formula it must be kept cold in the fridge until you are ready to use it, and then you just take 2 tubes out a night and insert them, leaving the rest in the fridge until you are ready to use them. When they come out of the fridge they will be in a gel like state, but once put into the vagina your body heat will warm it up and turn it into a water (hence the water base gel). It will then begin to run out of you, which it is suppose to do, because it is only made to be a wash and NOT to stick to the walls, because this is an acid which would burn the walls otherwise. So, after you insert it, you MUST stay laying prone for at least six to eight hours, so that you can keep as much of it in there as possible. so, that means no getting up and turning off lights, going to the bathroom, getting a drink or turning off the tv. This also means no sitting up to read or take a drink. So, make sure you are ready to lay flat for 6 to 8 hours once you insert it,. You will also want to put an old towel under you so that when it runs out the towel soaks up as much of it as possible. This gel is a deep yellow color due to the ampho B powder and it stains anything it touches, so use an old towel, old sheets and underwear, while in treatment. In the morning get up and take a shower and wash the area with Dove Hypoallergenic soap and dry the area thoroughly. Then get dressed and use a panty liner in your underwear. Now when you feel the panty liner become wet, go and change it as soon as possible because this discharge will not only carry the meds which are acidic but also the Glabrata and some cells that may still be alive. So, if you leave the wet panty liner against your skin it can cause irritation, sores and even spread the Glabrata to areas outside of the vagina. Now you will know if the gel is made right too, by looking at it, it should be a deep bright yellow color and you should NOT see white specs within it. It should just look like a deep yellow smooth gel in the tubes and you should be given a total of 28 tubes for 14 nights worth of use. Now one last thing, as I said NOTHING ELSE goes into this formula, so that means there is NO stabilizer used in the formula, and that is because it would alter the drugs and injure your tissues. So, because there is no stabilizers in it, it has a very short shelf life. This means that it must be kept cold during shipping or bringing it home and while at home it must be stored in the fridge until used. It also means that it is only good for approx. 14 to 18 days once it is made, so that means that you need to start the gel the night you get it, so that it is effective for the 14 nights that you have to use it. If it is being shipped to you, it MUST be shipped over night because it needs to be used as soon as possible because of its short shelf life. Also it needs to be placed in individual tubes not a large tube that you fill each applicators with each night. There are many reasons for this, first, you should never be using the same tube twice, because you risk re-infection and allowing the Glabrata to adapt to the drug. Secondly, you cannot fill an individual tube twice and then get back up to put the large tube back into the fridge without loosing too much of what you inserted. Thirdly, the large tube should not be left out or warmed at all while you are trying to fill an individual tube twice at night. Fourthly, this is a water based gel which is not easy to put into a large dispensing tube especially when there is no Glycerin, cream or stabilizer. Finally, the compound itself will not hold its equal consistency in a large tube that is being squeezed out each night. So, this gel MUST be given to you in 28 individual nightly tubes.
Well I truly hope you get this message before using the gel you have described above, and hopefully before you even pick it up because the gel you described above would cost far more then the correct formula. If you need your pharmacist to talk to another pharmacist on how to make this gel please let me know and I will give you the name and phone number of a compound pharmacist here who will work with him on how to make this gel. My compound pharmacist that I work with here is actually the president of the compound pharmacists association, so chances are your compound pharmacist may even know him. I will also send you an email so that you can reach me personally, so that you can ask any other questions on the gel or the making of it or to get the info for your pharmacist or even your doctor.
Well I wish you the best, and once you get the correct treatment I am sure you will conquer this infection and be on your way.
Please email. litafcan@gmail.com
Hey Debra-Jolie, Will you please email me? I’m getting discouraged. I’ve been on nystatin oral & suppositories for the past 6 months- but I’ve been dealing with glabrata for over a year. I gave it to my lover, who doesn’t understand any of this. Having sex with him even with a condom has caused it to come back. I hate that all this has happened and I just want this nightmare to be over. I’m going to talk to my ID doctor about prescribing the gel, but I’m worried it will be made wrong. I’d like to already find a doctor who has prescribed it with success or get the info to your compound pharmacy so they can talk to mine (Everwell in Pensacola). Then I dont know what to do with my lover. The doctor said nystatin cream 2x a day for 14 days should work. But after reading everything on here, I’m not sure if I believe that. Guess I’ll just never have sex with him again. I’m so desperate I’m willing to do anything.
Hi,
First of all, I am so happy that I found this website!
I have a few questions about this condition.
Im so afraid to be diagnosed with Glabrata. I have all the symptoms described here on the website.
My symptoms:
Burning while peeing
Severe burning in vaginal area
No discharge ( sometimes yellow and creamy)
contractions in vaginal area
Could this be Glabrata? I think I have to get tested the next days… those symptoms started after taking Cipro and other antibiotics.
So, I am 19 years old and I’m so afraid of my life being completely changed after being diagnosed.
Am I able to have a healthy sex life ever again?
Do I have to change my lifestyle permatly?
Can I still geht pregnant and habe children?
Of course all those questions refer to my life after being successfully treated.
Next thing: I live in Germany and I am afraid that I won’t get all the important ingredients for the treatment. Would you recommend traveling to the U.S if it’s possible in oder to treat the condition?
I am deeply frightened that I won’t get rid of this severe burning!! And that I have to live the rest of my life with that condition. Overall it is sooo expensive to treat Glabrata. I really want to be able to continue life as it was. I was happy, outgoing and I loved dating. I am so afraid that I won’t be able to find a partner later in life if I can’t have any sexual intercourse, or only with severe pain. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to have children. I am just devastated.
Can explain the diet plan again? How long do you have to follow it? Will I never be able to wear Perfume again?
How are my chances that I could get rid of it forever and continue to live a normal life?
I feel like my life has just started but it’s been already destroyed…
Maybe you can give me some hope!
You’re awesome Debra! Your work and ambition to help others! I really admire that!
I would love you to send me an email ?
Thanks a lot
Hi Mary, I know you sound really scared right now, but let me first assure you that whatever is going on can be figured out and dealt with, so you will get better and you will have a normal life that includes sexual intimacy, so please know this.
Now, the symptoms that you are describing can be due to many different infections and or conditions. So, if you have not already started talking with your gynecologist and being tested for all types of infections, then that this is what you need to do first. Now when you see your Gyne, you will want them to test you for all types of bacterial and fungal infections as well as any STD’s. Now when they test for fungal ones, you need to ask them to specifically test for Glabrata and any other types of rare fungal infections. You want them to identify the species of fungi, if there is one. This is really important because it requires a few extra steps by the lab people and the lab will not do it unless it is specified by your Gyne.
Now once you get the results back, that should tell you what is going on. It is going to rule In or out any STD’s which can cause these symptoms you are complaining about and it will rule in or out any bacterial infections that could be causing these symptoms. It will also rule in or out any type of fungal infection that could be causing these symptoms as well. Now Glabrata as well as some of the other types of non-candidiasis fungi can live alongside bacterial infections, STD’s and even candidiasis itself. So, that is why you need to be tested for everything. Now if the test results show that you have a bacterial infection or an STD as well as a fungal infection, you will need to first start treatment by treating the bacterial infection or STD, before starting a fungal infection treatment. You do it this way because the drugs used to treat either an STD or a bacterial infection can cause a fungal infection all by themselves, so you want to treat them first, then you go back and treat the fungal infection. Now if you show up with more than one strain of fungi, like candidiasis and Glabrata do not worry because the treatment for Glabrata will also kill any other strains of fungi, but again this is the last step in treatment if there is bacteria or STD’s found also.
Now, should all of your tests come back negative including the ones for Glabrata or any other types of rare fungi then it is important to ask your doctor once again, did she or he order a fungal test for rare forms of fungi and a species identity? If they say yes then you can do two things. First, you can ask that they re-run the fungal test once more to make sure again. However, I would suspect that if they ordered the test correctly that it is probably correct, but it is always worth re-running it a second time. Secondly, you will want to ask your doctor what she or he is seeing when they look inside in the vagina, this is really important, because what they are seeing or not seeing can lead to a diagnosis of any number of other conditions that can effect the vagina. For instance, if they are seeing white plaques that are not fungi infection you could be suffering with a disease known as Lichen Planus, or if they are seeing red patches with peeling it could indicate vaginal psoriasis or even vaginal eczema. If you have GI issues it could be the early stages of vaginal crohns or UC which can effect this area in women with these types of illnesses and can in rare cases start in the vaginal area of women. Now if your doctor says they just see some minor redness and or some minor swelling with some non-specific discharge, or maybe they say they cannot see any kind of changes in the vagina, and all your STD testing is normal and all other infectious testing is normal then you could be suffering with a condition known as Vulvodynia. Now Vulvodynia is NOT an STD or an infection and we do not always know why it happens, but it is a condition that causes the nerves of the vagina and surrounding areas to become irritated, which then makes the nerves send messages to the brain that there is an infection of some sort (even though there isn’t one) and it can cause the body to then send out inflammatory cells to the area to try and fight off what it thinks is an infection. If this is the case, then you will need to see a specialist who deals with vulvar or vaginal pelvic pain. This is because this condition requires specific treatments and there are many – many different treatments that can be tried and often you will need to be tried on several different ones in order to calm those nerves and or reset them, so they stop telling your brain that there is pain there when there isn’t really a problem. Most Gyne’s are not trained in this condition and often do not think about it when women show up with symptoms like yours and have all normal testing for infections and other conditions. They also have not been trained in all the different forms of treatments that can be used to try and treat it. There are several different types of treatments because there is NOT a “one pill or treatment” that works on everyone who has this condition, so that is why it is really important to be treated by someone who specializes in treating this condition.
So, with all that being said let me try to answer some of your questions. So, “yes” if you do have Glabrata and it is successfully treated you can go on to have a healthy sex life and have healthy babies and even a normal pregnancy. Once the infection is treated successfully, it will not effect or cause any other problems or complications with sex, your health or any pregnancies and the health of any babies you may have.
If you do have Glabrata, you will need to alter your diet while in treatment and you will have to keep a healthy diet after that. Now you will be able to eat whatever you want after you have successfully treated Glabrata, but because we know once you get it you are at a high risk of getting it back again and again, which means you will need to remain eating healthy for the rest of your life. This not only will be good for your body and longevity of life but it also helps your immune system to stay strong so it can fight off other infections as well as Glabrata, so this is why you have to eat healthy. Now healthy just means eating a clean diet, one that is full of veggies, meat and fruits. You should eat foods that are low in sugars and stay away from processed foods and fast foods, except on special occasions once in a great while. So, it is really not a hard diet and really I wouldn’t call it a diet as much as I would just call it a healthy way to eat.
Now while in treatment, which is 14 days, you will need to eat NO sugar of any kind, not even natural ones like honey or Stevia. You also need to substitute pastas and white potatoes with cauliflower mashed up as potatoes and veggies like spaghetti squash or zucchini for noodles. You want to limit your intake of breads as well during this time and NO pop or fruit juices as well as fancy coffee drinks that are high in sugars. Drink water for the 14 days or plain tea and make sure to drink plenty of water, which will help to wash the area out as you pee. You can also even begin drinking more water now, which will also help to dilute your urine now so it does not burn as bad when you pee, if you are drinking things with caffeine in them now, you should stop, this too will help to lesson some of your burning even now. While in treatment you can have fruit but it has to be limited and it must be a low sugared one, like berries of any kind or green apples. So, for 14 days you will live on as much meat and veggies as you would like, with some fruits and plenty of water. NO processed foods, meaning nothing that comes out of a box or bag, make everything from scratch. Once treatment is over you can slowly add in some sugared foods, breads or pastas, but do it sparingly and try not to go back to eating a lot of it over time. Also while in treatment and for the rest of your life you will want to take a probiotic and you can even start this now. It will help with keeping your flora balanced, while in treatment you can also add in Keifer which is a probiotic drink that contains more probiotics in 4ozs then any pill you could ever swallow and all you need is 4ozs a day, so you can drink 2ozs, in the morning and another 2ozs at night. This is pretty much the diet during treatment and things you should do and continue afterwards.
As for your changing your lifestyle with and after Glabrata, it just means that you should make sure that you eat right like I said above, and you have good hygiene practices. Making sure you only wash the area with soap and water and use a soap like dove hypoallergenic, which will not change your vaginal PH, which could then lead to another infection with Glabrata or even something else. Also NEVER douche, this is not needed because our vaginal flora washes out bad bacteria on its own, that is how we were designed. When you douche you wipe out all of your good bacteria and set yourself up for all kinds of vaginal infections, if you have a bad smell or a bad discharge then you need to talk to your Gyne and look at your diet because chances are it something that can be easily fixed where as douching will not fix this long term. You should also be using lubricant that does NOT contain chemicals or sugars in it. So, you just want something like KY original gel or even aqua gel, this will not change your vaginal PH and cause another infection. You should also not be using oils, bath salts or body sprays in this area, because they all contain chemicals that will change the PH. However, you can wear perfume on your clothes or body in any other place, just not in the vaginal area or on your underwear. You should also not be putting anything in your bath water such as bubble bath, oils or salts. These things definitely change the PH and can quite often even irritate this area, so only bathe in water. Make sure to always keep the area dry after washing and wear underwear and pants that are not to tight. The area needs to breathe so you do not create an environment that allows for fungi to grow. All of this is important for good vaginal health and very important once you have had a Glabrata infection.
You talked about it being expensive and you are right, unfortunately, the Flucytosine is what costs so much, and I am not sure what you would have to pay in Germany for this gel but here in the US, it runs approximately $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 US dollars. So, it can be expensive. Now I do not know if you can access all the ingredients in Germany needed to make it that is something you will have to find out. You can start with calling any compound pharmacy in your country and asking them if they have access to amphotericin B and Flucytosine, if so then you will be fine. Now in some countries I have heard that they can only access one or the other in their countries. If this is the case in Germany, you still can attempt to use a gel made with just one or the other, (using just amphotericin B or just Flucytosine). Now using just one of these compounds by itself still has efficacy, meaning it still may work to cure it, they just do not have as high of a success rate as when they are combined. So, you may need to purchase and use the gel a few times in order to attack it. You do run a risk of making the strain resistant to it, but if you follow the diet and hygiene recommendations along with it, you do lower that risk. Also know if you are only able to access one of the compounds for the gel it will lesson the cost of the drug too. If you cannot obtain any of the ingredients you can also ask to be tried on Voriconazole which also has some efficacy in treating Glabrata, it has a 75% success rate, so it would be worth trying. They should NOT start with using Diflucan because it has a very poor success rate and can make the infection resistant to other “azole” drugs like voriconazole, leaving you with no drugs left to treat it. Also many Gyne’s make the mistake of prescribing Diflucan in too low of a dose and for not long enough to actually treat it too. So, ask for Voriconazole instead of Diflucan.
Now you asked about coming here to the US for treatment, and I would tell you to first try working with your doctors there, they should be able to treat you successfully. However, if they cannot access the compounds in the gel and you have tried treatment with Voriconazole and if you are still culturing positive for Glabrata then “yes” I would definitely suggest you making the journey here to the US and if it should come to that then please let me know and I will get you set up with a doctor here who can treat you. However, I hope it does not come to that and you will be successfully treated there. Let me also just say this too, many women who contract a Glabrata infection go on to also develop Vulvodynia after the infection is successfully treated. This unfortunately, happens because Glabrata is a wicked infection that can cause nerve damage in the tissues and sometimes unfortunately, that nerve damage does not heal after the infection is gone. This is why it is important to get retested for Glabrata if your symptoms do not seem to get better or go away fully after you have treated it with any of the drugs I listed above. Unfortunately, the symptoms of Glabrata and vulvodynia can be exactly the same and you cannot tell them apart without another Glabrata test being done. Now should you need to be retested, you MUST wait at least two to three weeks after you have stopped using any treatments, or you risk getting false negative. So, make sure you wait that long as painful as it will be. Please also know that vulvodynia causes redness, swelling of the tissues, discharge, some itching and intense burning. It can also cause the tissues to look completely normal but you can suffer with severe burning and or itching, so this is also why I cannot tell you right now whether you have Glabrata or vulvodynia or even something else, only testing can tell us that. If you want to learn more about vulvodynia, you an look for the article called “The silent pain syndrome” on Hormones Matters site. I wrote that one too and explains everything you need to know about vulvodynia and how to talk to your doctor about it
As far as being cured of Glabrata for life, I wish I could tell you that once you successfully treat it that it will never come back again, but unfortunately, that is not usually the case. Just like women who get candidiasis infections again and again, so too do the women who get glabrata. However, with that being said you can help to lesson your chances of it coming back again by following a healthy diet, taking probiotics every day, using good hygiene techniques, and exercising regularly because exercise kicks our immune systems in to help fight off all kinds of infections within our bodies including Glabrata. I would also tell you that if you ever need to take another antibiotic again, first make sure you absolutely need one, make sure they have a confirmed culture that says you need an antibiotic. Secondly, should you need one always ask if they can treat you with an antibiotic that is not a broad spectrum one, because those ones like Cipro wipe out all your good flora as well as the bad leaving you open to infections like Glabrata afterwards. I would also tell you to try treating with natural remedies first, which may mean you finding a naturopath doctor or an intergrative doctor who will usually try treating with natural remedies first before ever resorting to a pharmaceutical antibiotic. Finally, if you do have to take an antibiotic broad spectrum or not, you need to be pre-treated with either Diflucan or vaginal Nystatin for at least four days prior to starting the antibiotic, however if you cannot wait to start the antibiotic then by all means start it, but also start the Diflucan or Nystatin right along with the antibiotic. You will then need to use the Diflucan or Nystatin the entire time you are on the antibiotic and for at least ten days after finishing the antibiotic. This is because the antibiotic lasts in your system for at least ten days after stopping it. Now Diflucan and Nystatin do NOT kill or treat Glabrata but they have shown in studies to prevent it when taking it with an antibiotic. So, make sure you use this should ever need to take an antibiotic.
Well, I hope all this answers your questions and gives a place to start figuring all this out. It is also important to know that no matter if you have Glabrata or even Vulvodynia, you will get better and you will be able to resume dating and even a sexual life again. It just takes time and making a few lifestyle changes as well as having the information to sit and talk with your doctor about all the possibilities of what is causing this and the many treatments available in treating whatever it is. I hope this gives you some of that and helps you to work with your doctor going forward. There is definitely hope, so please do not be afraid of this effecting the rest of your life, because it won’t no matter what it is. This is just a bump on the road in your journey of life, I promise you that.
If you need anything else please don’t hesitate to ask. I wish you the best
I have had Glabrata for several years. I have just been to a specialist and would like your opinion on my situation. Could you please contact me at pfmiller1@aol.com Thank you so much for sharing your story.
HI, I did send you an email so that you can reach me. Thanks
Hi Debra,
Your knowledge is amazing! I live in Illinois and am going through 14 days of anz B gel. Would you be able to provide me with the name of your doctor in Illinois? Thank you so much!
Hi,
First of all, I am so happy that I found this website!
I have a few questions about this condition.
Im so afraid to be diagnosed with Glabrata. I have all the symptoms described here on the website.
My symptoms:
Burning while peeing
Severe burning in vaginal area
No discharge ( sometimes yellow and creamy)
contractions in vaginal area
Could this be Glabrata? I think I have to get tested the next days… those symptoms started after taking Cipro and other antibiotics.
So, I am 19 years old and I’m so afraid of my life being completely changed after being diagnosed.
Am I able to have a healthy sex life ever again?
Do I have to change my lifestyle permatly?
Can I still geht pregnant and habe children?
Of course all those questions refer to my life after being successfully treated.
Next thing: I live in Germany and I am afraid that I won’t get all the important ingredients for the treatment. Would you recommend traveling to the U.S if it’s possible in oder to treat the condition?
I am deeply frightened that I won’t get rid of this severe burning!! And that I have to live the rest of my life with that condition. Overall it is sooo expensive to treat Glabrata. I really want to be able to continue life as it was. I was happy, outgoing and I loved dating. I am so afraid that I won’t be able to find a partner later in life if I can’t have any sexual intercourse, or only with severe pain. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to have children. I am just devastated.
Can explain the diet plan again? How long do you have to follow it? Will I never be able to wear Perfume again?
How are my chances that I could get rid of it forever and continue to live a normal life?
I feel like my life has just started but it’s been already destroyed…
Maybe you can give me some hope!
You’re awesome Debra! Your work and ambition to help others! I really admire that!
I would love you to send me an email 🙂
Thanks a lot
Hi H Miller I just got this message, so I am very sorry, I am going to email you right now. I don’t know if you still want or need to talk to me, but if so please feel free to email me back. Thanks
Hi I am 21 and been battling a candida glabrata vaginal infection for over a year. I have tried several antifungals, both cream and oral, along with boric acid, gentian violet, and tea tree oil suppositories. These treatments were administered by three gynecologists. All who have given up on treating me. I am currently trying to get my primary to refer me to an infectious disease doctor. My last swab, one month ago came back positive only for glabrata. I have very little discharge but intense burning. I am 21, diabetic with an a1c of 6.9. my blood sugars are always below 200. This is coming from an a1c of 11.3 and sugars usually being in 300-400 while I was first diagnosed with this infection. I have cut all white breads (any bread actually) from my diet, along with candies, potato chips, and pastas. A low carb diet basically. I don’t use regular sugars, only stevia in the raw and almond milks in my coffee and tea. I also use plain Greek yogurt. I want to know if this vaginal infection can, or will, kill me and also what treatments I can use moving forward. If I may be emailed I would appreciate it as well.
Hi scarletz, I did send you an email and answered your questions as well as sent you the studies needed to take to your doctors with the formula for the amphotericin B / flucytsoine gel. I hope this all works for you. Please let me know if you need anything else, you an also email me directly now that you have my email. good luck to you
Hi I have just been diagnosed with vaginal galbrata and have a few questions could you please email me at jennaboo1@live.com
Thank you so much
Hi Jenna, I sent you an email so that you can contact me at your convenience.
Hi. Can u please send me ur email. I have few questions regarding Candida Glabrata!
Hi Alexa, I did send you an email so that you can reach me with any questions you have.. Thanks
Hi
I was wondering if you can help me as well. Did you try the gel that was recommended? I’m suffering so bad with a C. Glabrata yeast infection. The Burning is so painful.
My doctors has me on diflucan regimen which I do not know that its working . I’m also on Antibotics (Bactrim) for a uti
Hello! I have been diagnosed with it in my mouth by my dentist, after developing severe periodontitis in several top teeth (retainer ones).
I removed the retainer and started this candida diet: http://www.sterlingfamilypractice.com/assets/candida-control_diet_comprehensive_companion_guide2.pdf
Already feeling much better. I took cipro for a bad uti almost 3 years ago and had all the vaginal symptoms (burning, itching etc). Went to 4 ob gyns who were unable to detect a problem. Not prescribed anything. After 5 months of hell, a 90 billion probiotic finally relieved 80% of the vaginal issues. The itchy comes back 3 or 4 times a month but it’s very manageable.
I’m mostly concerned with my teeth! Do you have any suggestions I can bring to my functional medicine doctor? She is very willing to learn. She plans to order me some tests next week.
Hi Sad Fishy, so sorry to hear what you are going through. For the Glabrata in your mouth you can ask your doctor to prescribe you Nystatin mouth rinse, it may work, but do know that there are a lot of strains of Glabrata that do not respond to Nystatin, but it is worth a try and can be bought at any pharmacy with a prescription from your doctor. Now if this does not work or if you want to go right to this and skip the Nystatin you can ask for amphotericin B mouth wash. This is really the only way to treat Glabrata in the mouth. Most regular pharmacies have no problem making this mouth wash because it gets used a lot for cancer patients who get chronic yeast infections within the mouth. If you decide to use your retainer again then you will also need to soak it in the amphotericin B mouth wash once a day for three days prior to putting it back in your mouth. Also I would not attempt to treat the mouth yeast until you are done with all dental and hygienist work, because many of the chemicals and drugs used to work on your mouth can set off another yeast infection in the mouth and Glabrata in the mouth is not any different than getting it anywhere else in the body, which means it will adapt to the meds quite quickly, so you want to wait until you are done with everything before starting the mouth wash. You will need to rinse several times a day for no less than ten days and do not drink or eat within a half hour of using the mouth wash. You can also swallow the mouth wash too which will not hurt you but will treat the throat too.
For your vaginal area, you are more than likely still dealing with a case of Glabrata, especially if you are now dealing with it in your mouth. This means that your body is having an issue with keeping it under control when you get exposed to it. Your body right now, may be helping to keep it in check, but when your body gets compromised with your period, sex, tight clothing, cleaning products, ect.. the Glabrata grabs hold again and begins to create the itching you are experiencing. This can be a long term problem for you and at some point, more than likely the next time you have to take any antibiotics its going to get out of control and beyond what your body can control. At that point you will face a full blown infection with this beast, much like what you are dealing with in your mouth now. So, here are a few things you can do to kill this beast before it becomes a huge life altering issue for you and so that you do not spread it to your partner. You will need to also get a script for the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel to use vaginally for 14 nights, This has to be compounded, but it is the only known cure for Glabrata in the vaginal area. You should again not use this either until you are done with any medical or dental visits and any and all drugs. You can use both at the same time too.
Next, stop doing the yeast diet, this is not going to help you! Many of these diets restrict vital nutrients and minerals as well as vitamins and this alone can hamper your immune system. This is not to mention that most of these diets do not work and are too restrictive to remain on for any length of time. Instead you should be eating clean a diet, meaning NO processed foods, NO dairy other than Keifer, no sugar while in treatment and then low sugar amounts for the rest of your life. You can eat as much meat, veggies and low sugared fruits as you would like. You can drink coffee or tea but with no sugar or creams. Drink plenty of water daily and only eat sugary foods, breads and pastas as a treat and none while doing treatment. You can find other ways to substitute noodles, potatoes, breads, ect…Continue taking high doses of probiotics along with Keifer, but do know they do not cure Glabrata, but will help fight it back and help the amphotericin B meds to work better.
Finally, since you have sound like you have it in the vaginal area as well as the mouth, I would really encourage you to have some testing done, because most healthy people do not get these kinds of infections especially with Glabrata. So, you may want to ask about getting tested for any and ALL vaginal infections, diseases and STD’s. You also need to be checked for diabetes, which you may not have any symptoms of but you could be pre-diabetic, which can lead this to this too. If you have any other symptoms throughout your body you may need to have your inflammatory markers checked to make sure you are dealing with an underlying autoimmune disease or an immune system that is not up to par. Now these are all suggestions, and you may not have any of this, you may just have gotten really unlucky with the cipro, but it is worth checking out. If you continue to get Glabrata back after these treatments or it shows up somewhere else in your body then you will need to have your partner checked for Glabrata, because men can carry it and pass it but not even know they have it like a women would. Depending on if you have oral intimacy as well as vaginal intimacy may be why you have it in both places too, but again, I would encourage you to talk to your doctor about testing you for the things I have listed here.
One last thing, if you are going to need antibiotics in the future for any reason, it will be important to always pre-treat yourself before starting them. If it is not possible to wait to start the antibiotics to pre-treat then by all means start the antibiotics but also start on pre-treatment at the same time. This would mean using Nystatin mouth rinse, now it has a low efficacy in treating and killing Glabrata in the mouth but it has a great efficacy in preventing it from coming back while on antibiotics. If you also have it in your vaginal area, then you would also need to be pre-treated with Diflucan or Nystatin gel too, so that the Glabrata does not return from antibiotic use. Unfortunately, once you get Glabrata you are always at risk of getting it back again and again, but a good diet, regular exercise (which ramps up the immune system), good sexual and hygiene habits along with pre-treating before antibiotics, you can ward this infection from coming back most of the time. Which is really important because Glabrata adapts really quickly to any and all meds used to treat it, and there are very few now a days to treat it, so you really don’t want it to come back in the future.
Well I hope this all helps you, if you need any help with amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel or mouthwash please let me know. I wish you the best.
I don’t know how to get in touch with u Mrs Anderson so I can learn more about C. g
glabrada which in fact I was diagnosed a month ago. Can u please email me @ claudiamangel82@gmail.com I will totally appreciate it. I’m so scared with this and I k ow from reading your comments you know so much please email me. Thank u
Hi Claudia, I did email you, so please check for it. Thanks
Hello, I too have a candida glabrata vaginal infection that has returned for the second time. I was given diflucan (2 pills) and of course it feels like it suppressed it but after my cycle, has returned. You seem so very knowledgeable on the subject. Is there any information you could send to me?
Hi Meg, I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with this infection, unfortunately, you have yet to really be treated for it, so I am not surprised that you are still dealing with it. First, Diflucan is useless against non-candidias species like Glabrata. Unfortunately, the majority of doctors do not understand this specific fungi and do not understand that it has been inherently resistant to “azoles” (more specifically Diflucan) since the mid nineties. To make matters worse there are doctors not only prescribing Diflucan to try and treat Glabrata but they are prescribing it at a dosage that would be used to treat a normal candidias albican infection, which is one to two doses of Diflucan. Unfortunately, this dosage barely effects candidias Albican’s anymore and will have absolutely NO effect on a non-candidias strain like Glabrata. However, what it will do to this monster of a species is give it just enough of the med to be able to adapt to not only the Diflucan but to all the Azole drugs within that family.
You see, if the doctors had read any studies on the treatment of Glabrata or at the very least consulted with an Infectious Disease doctor they would have learned that if they were going to try and attempt Diflucan, then they would need to prescribe between 250mgs twice a day or 500mgs a day of Diflucan everyday for no less than six weeks. They would have also learned that even at either of those dosages and duration, the failure rate with Diflucan was going to be in the 90% range. Meaning it would not be the choice of drug to use to treat this specific infection. Their best bet according to all studies would have been to start with Voriconazole (which also is in the azole family), because it is structured differently and has been used a lot less, so many strains of Glabrata have not yet adapted to it. However, the dosage for this azole is also extreme, which can lead to liver toxicity and nervous system problems. The dosage for Voriconazole is 400mgs. every twelve hours for the first day and then to be followed by 200mgs. a day for the next 14 days. With this level and duration you would need to be watched closely, meaning you would need a liver function test done prior to starting it and then one done every ten days up until you have been off of the drug for ten days. You would also have to report any nervous system problems to your doctor immediately while using it. As bad as this drug is, if you were able to finish the course it does have a success rate in the 70% range. So, with all this being said, I think you can see that you have not yet come close to even being treated for this infection and unfortunately, you have been treated with just enough Diflucan that your strain, if not already resistant to drugs within the azole family, may now have been given the ability to adapt to them.
Now, this does not mean that you are out of options, you still can try the Voriconazole, but I would not recommend it and that is because it is very toxic and there is another safer option to try. You need to talk to your doctor about prescribing amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel. This gel is VERY safe and in studies done on it, it ahs shown to be safer than all other anti-fungal treatments, such as any of the azole’s, boric acid, gentian violet, and even any of the over the counter creams like monistat. The reason for this is because its molecular make up is to large to be absorbed through the mucosal walls of the vagina. This means that it literally cannot be absorbed and cause any body wide systemic side effects like the rest of the treatments I mentioned here. So, the gel gets put in and it literally “washes” out the vagina and runs back out. Now many doctors have been taught that amphotericin B or even Flucytosine are very dangerous drugs to the human body and they are if they are taken internally, but you are using it topically in the vagina (because it cannot be absorbed) which changes its toxicity level to nothing, making it safer than any other treatment choice out there. The only known side effect in several studies is that it may cause some mild burning, but even that is rare and usually only seen in women who have ulcerations to the walls from a long standing infection with Glabrata. So, I am explaining this to you because you may have to educate your doctor about its safety profile (which I will give you a study that shows this to give to your doctor too) just in case your doctor is one who does not understand this fact about these two drugs used in the gel. So, please do not let your doctor tell you any differently! As for the gel its success rate runs near 99% in curing this infection. So, this option is not only the safest but it also has the best success rate in curing this specific infection.
So, if you can get your doctor to prescribe this gel, you will need to have it compounded by a compound pharmacist, so make sure that you call a few compound pharmacies to find out which ones are able to access both drugs and are willing to make it. I say this because not all compound pharmacies are able to access both ingredients to make it. You want to have the pharmacy information with you when you talk to your doctor about prescribing it, so they will have no issue with trying to find one for you. If you have any problems finding one, them please let me know and I will help you find one. Then once you get the script, you will need to make sure that it is made right and then you will need to make sure that you use it correctly for the full fourteen nights it is prescribed for. You cannot miss any doses or you will open a window for the Glabrata to adapt to it. You must also begin to use the night you pick it up because it has a short shelf life and must be used within 16 days of being made. It also MUST be made in a water soluble base like original KY gel, aqua lube, or surgi lube, or it will not work correctly and it can burn the vaginal walls badly. This is because all other base do NOT wash out of the vagina with your body heat, which in turn leaves the meds clinging to the vaginal walls where it can burn them. Now because it will be in a water soluble base it MUST be kept cold until you are ready to insert it each night, so make sure it is cold packed if it is shipped to you or bring a cold pack with you when picking it up at the pharmacy. Also make sure it is deep yellow color in the tubes, this will also tell you if it is made right.
So, I am giving you the web address for the studies that you can bring to your doctor, one of the studies has the formula for making the gel, so that your doctor will know how to write the script. I will also give you the study for using voriconazole in case you want to choose that method too and it will allow your doctor to know the prescribing does for this drug as well. This way you will not be given to little of a dose that will be ineffective. You will have to copy and paste the web address into your browser to open the studies and then download them to print out. They are-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294902/
https://sti.bmj.com/content/77/3/212.full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22885618
So, these are the studies and I hope this helps you get the treatment you need to beat this infection. If you have any other questions or need help finding a compound pharmacy please let me know. I wish you the best!
How do they properly test for candida glabrata? I was diagnosed with candida albicans on the tonuge – after over a month of flucanoze and nystatin the yeast was still there. However, when tested again it came back negative, but the test was for non-albicans candida. when tested for vaginal yeast i came back postive for candida glabrata and it was described as “short and neon green” under a microscope. When the physician last looked at my tongue and tested for candida albicans she said it couldn’t be candida because it was “short and neon green”. Obviously she doesn’t understand the difference between strains. I clearly have yeast on my tongue as I continue to scrape it off every single morning. However, the western medical community gave me a clean bill of health and basically told me to stop bothering them. All of my symptoms are worsening and I don’t know what to do anymore.
Hi Sarah, it sounds like you are having some difficulties getting tested and possibly treated, but from what you posted here there seems to be some confusion from either what your doctors are telling you or from how you are interpreting what they are saying. So, let me try to straighten out some information for you, so that you are clear on testing and what is being seen.
So, first to test for Glabrata in any area of the body, the doctor MUST specifically request for a “non-albican” yeast test to be done or they MUST specifically request for a “Glabrata” test to be done. This is because the “non-albican” fungi require a special type of agar which is the jelly base used in the petri dish to help foster and grow out those kinds of yeasts. They also must use special stains on them prior to putting them under the microscope, other wise they will not be able to be seen and identified. Cultures are done by swabbing the area thought to be infected or they can take a small biopsy of the tissues.
Ok, so you said you were diagnosed with candidia albicans on the tongue and you were treated for over a month with Nystatin and Fluconazole. Now I do not know from what you stated here if you used the Nystatin mouth rinse or if you were given oral Nystatin to take. I also do not know if you were given Fluconazole pills or if you were given Fluconazole Trouches, which is like a chalky lozenge that you would have had to have sucked on. The types of Nystatin and fluconazole you would have used would have made a difference in the treatment outcome for candidias albican. You see both Nystatin orally and fluconazole pills taken orally have little efficacy when treating a mouth or throat infection and that is because you are swallowing them and then the drug would need to be metabolized and then sent out through your blood to reach the infections. However, when it comes to what is known as “superficial” or “topical” infections (which would be areas like the mouth, tongue, throat, skin, eyes, vaginal area) the amount of the drugs after metabolization is to low to actually effect the infection. So, in “superficial” or “topical” cases the only way to effectively treat and deliver the maximum amount of the drug would be to apply the drug right to the infection. So, in the case of your mouth or tongue you would need the Nystatin rinse or the Fluconazole trouche in order to kill the infection. Now if you used these forms of those drugs then they should have effectively killed candidias albican. This is usually not a hard one to kill with either of those drugs, especially if you used both, unless you had an underlying medical condition such as uncontrolled diabetes or were using immune suppressing drugs or had another reason for being immune compromised. Of course your diet would also have contributed to the drugs not working as well too, had you been drinking sugary drinks or sucking on hard candies or chewing gum, because you would have been over riding the drugs and feeding the fungi. One last reason the drugs may not have worked would have been too, if you had eaten or drank anything within a half hour of using the mouth rinse or trouche, because it would have wiped the medicine off of the area before it got a chance to do its job. So, this would be the reasons for drug failures with candidias Albicans, but if you were actually dealing with candidias Glabrata then both of these drugs never would have treated it anyway.
So, after you did this month of treatment and you felt no better, your doctors then tested you for “non-candidias” albicans, which was spot on and the next step in trying to treat you. However, I am thinking from what you have written here that you may be somewhat confused about the categories of fungi species, so let me explain it to you. So, you have candidias albicans, this species of fungi is the one that most people are familiar with. It is the number one cause of vaginal, skin and mouth infections and it is the number one fungal invader in the human body. It is also the one that most doctors are familiar with because it is usually the only species that infects healthy everyday people and is quite often diagnosed. This species is the one that causes the “cottage cheese” like discharge in the vaginal area as well as in stools and it creates a white “cottage cheese” like coating on the tongue and throat. For the most part like I said above it is easy to treat with drugs like Nystatin and Fluconazole as long as they are using
the right method of the drug to treat the specific area infected and as long as the person does not have underlying medical conditions. It is also the first species that a doctor will try to treat ( many times without even a culture) when you come in with a fungal infection. If the treatment fails then the next step is for the doctor to request a specific fungal test for what is known as a “NON-ALBICAN” species, which is apparently what your doctors did.
Now, non-albican species are anything other than “ALBICANS”, which would be species like Glabrata and Kruesi as well as many other species that fall into this category. Again this is a different type of culture as I explained above and has to be done differently than a “normal” fungal culture and again that is because you cannot see these specific species under the scope unless these steps are taken, nor will they grow out and colonize in a “normal” fungi culture. So, your doctors did try to see if you were infected with Glabrata or any of the other non-albican species, but apparently it came back negative. Now I will give you some other things to talk to your doctors about in a minute but first let me address the rest of your post.
So, you also wrote that your vaginal culture came back positive for Glabrata and it was described as being “short and neon green” under the microscope. However, I do not know who is giving you this information because it is completely inaccurate. I can tell you that I have actually seen Glabrata under the scope and I can tell you from reading literally hundreds of studies on it and its morphology that Glabrata NEVER looks green under the microscope. You see, like I have said Glabrata MUST be cultured on specific agar and it must be stained to even be seen under the microscope and between the agar and the stain Glabrata ALWAYS shows up pink to purple under the microscope.
So, if the lab used Sabourauds Dextrose agar, the colonies of Glabrata would show up as “small” (meaning short) glossy, convex and smooth and the coloring will be a WHITE TO CREAM color (NEVER GREEN!). However, most labs do not use this agar but instead use Hardy’s chromogenic agar, which will cause the colonies to grow in the color of pink to a mauve or purplish color with deeper colored inner circles around the nucleus. Now when they use Hardy’s agar it will grow any species of NON-ALBICAN out so they then have to add what is known as Trehalose, now if it is Glabrata the colonies will rapidly ferment the trehalose making it unique only to Glabrata. That is how they are able to specify which non-albican you have. Microscopically the cells of glabrata will appear as small sized yeast cells (2 to 3 microns in diameter) less than half the size of a red blood cell. They are often seen with single budding, and do not form hyphae or pseudohyphae. The cells are often more spherical rather than elongated as with some other Candida species. glabrata will not produce germ tubes, as seen with albicans. So, when you say they described it as “short neon green” under the scope it makes no sense. The “short” or “small” would fall in line with Glabrata but NOT the color of ” neon green” or any type of green, which means you would NOT be positive for Glabrata.
Now with that being said, candidias ALBICAN colonies under the scope ALWAYS have a green to blue coloring under the scope, due to its agar and stain. However, it is NEVER described as “short” or “small” under the scope because it produces hyphae or pseudohyphae along with germ tubes which makes this species large under the scope, this is also what creates the large white cottage cheese discharge or patches you get in and on the body. So, if they actually described it as being “neon green” under the scope then that would be definitely positive for candidias ALBICANS, because only that species creates that color, however it they also described it as “short” or “small” then that would NOT be positive for candidias ALBICANS, but instead Glabrata, but it could not be Glabrata if it was truly that color. So, in truth here I am not sure what they found because what you are describing is a piece from each of them and yet not accurate for either of them. So, I would suggest that you go back to your doctor and discuss the actual findings because something is terribly wrong and it may be that you just heard it wrong or it got misinterpreted wrong, but if the lab ACTUALLY wrote that description then you need to have another test run and by a different lab because someone then does not know what they are doing or seeing under the scope!
Also if the test was accurate (but you just confused the lab description) and you do really have Glabrata in the vaginal area, how are they treating it and what are your symptoms? This will tell me more to like if you really have Glabrata.
So, now that I have given you the correct info on the different strains as well as how to test correctly for them, let me get back to your mouth situation. So, first Glabrata does NOT cause a white “cheesy” like coating on the tongue or throat that you could scrape off each morning, only candidias albican (or other mouth diseases) does this. When you get Glabrata of the tongue (which I have had numerous times) it causes the top of the tongue to develop a greyish to white thick flat coating that is literally hooked to the tongue and not bumpy or cheesy it is almost a smooth glossy layer on top of the tongue and it cannot be scraped off. This is because Glabrata unlike albican does not live on the surface of the mucosal layer but instead roots itself into the deeper layers of the tissues and you do not have the cheesy patches to scrape off because of the fact that Glabrata does not produce hyphae or psuedohyphae which is like I said before what creates the cheesy white curds that you get with albicans and can be easily scraped off of the area it is infecting. Glabrata also will cause the tongue to begin to have ulcers that can open up and get bloody, much like a herpes sore. It will spread to the cheeks and throat very quickly if not diagnosed and successfully treated right away. Now because it grows down into the deeper layers of the tissues it causes the tongue or any tissues it is invading to become inflamed, so you will notice that your tongue is slightly thickened and it will become painful. In time the pain will be so bad that you will not be able to eat, chew or swallow and this will happen within a few weeks of not receiving a correct diagnosis or correct treatment.
So, with that being said, if your symptoms are not what I described above then chances are this is NOT Glabrata (which is a non-candidias) species in your mouth, which would also be why your culture for a non-candidias species came back negative. So, now you are probably wondering why you are still dealing with this white coating on your tongue and why you feel so crummy. So, I can give you a few suggestions to talk to your doctor about. First you probably need to go back and get another culture of your tongue done again. This time make sure they are testing for the “normal” yeast (which will be candidias albican but then also have them run another non-candidias test. If the non-candidias test comes back negative again (which I am supposing it will) then you will know for sure that you do not have Glabrata. If the “normal” fungi test comes back positive for albicans (which you may still have and would have been missed if they just did a non-candidias test) then you will need to be treated again with either Nystatin rinse or Fluconazole Trouches. If this fails again then you may be dealing with a drug resistant strain of candidias albicans which there are strains out there and they are becoming more and more common. If this is the case then your doctor will have to rule out any other underlying health conditions that would cause you to have repeated candidias albicans and then your doctors are going to have to send you to an Infectious disease doctor who can use much stronger drugs to try and treat it.
Now if both tests come back negative but you are still dealing with these symptoms then there are few things that you can do. First you can look at your diet, some people who have symptoms like yours develop that coating due to a high sugared diet or from sucking on hard candies or chronically chewing gum (even the sugar free brands) also if you are repeatedly sipping on sugared drinks all day long too. Now, this coating may actually not be any type of fungi infection it could just be an irritated coating from the build up of all the bacteria and fungi you are taking in during the day that is not getting washed off the tongue by your saliva. So, I would start with eliminating as much sugared foods as possible from your diet and that includes the “fancy” coffees and any types of sodas. You should also eliminate any dairy right now other than plain Keifer because those are also high in sugars and can leaving coatings or cause coatings on the tongue. On top of this I would suggest if you are not already on a probiotic to start one as well a using plain keifer up to 4ozs. a day. When using the keifer make sure to hold it in your mouth and swish it around for a minute or so then swallow it and do NOT drink anything for up to a half hour after you have done this. You can do this several times a day. This you can start now and it would help even if you are still dealing with a fungal infection.
The second thing to do is to make sure that you are drinking enough water because a dry mouth will also lead to a white scrapable coating over the tongue. If your mouth is dry you can check into buying the products that they sell over the counter that help your mouth make more moisture, but do not buy the lozenges or gums, buy only the sprays or rinses. Also if you smoke you will want to quit too because that dries your mouth out and if the cigarette company has changed any of the chemicals in the brand you use you could be having a reaction to it as you draw smoke into your mouth.
Now if none of this works then you want your doctor to check you for diabetes which again can cause a dry mouth, or candidias albican infections or just a white scrapable coating over the tongue.
Finally, if you have done all that and all your tests come back normal then the next step would be for you to see a dentist, oral hygienist or an oral health doctor. You can start with the dentist, who will check your mouth and gums for infections because some infections of the mouth may not cause you pain right away but they can spread to the soft tissues of the mouth causing you many of the symptoms you are complaining about. An oral hygienist will also look over your mouth including your soft tissues and note any problems and clean what they can and if they find anything suspicious they will send you off to an oral surgeon or an oral health specialist. The oral surgeon and or oral health specialist will be able to look at your mouth and run further testing that your normal doctors cannot. They can also take biopsies to check for other mouth conditions and diseases that could be causing your symptoms, things like lichen planus, glossitis, chronic halitosis, oral eczema, oral psoriasis, cancer and even other types of infections and diseases.
So, know that you are not at the end of the road yet as to finding out what is going on in your mouth, there are a lot of things that can cause the symptoms you are having and many will not be diagnosable by your family doctor, most will require the help of an oral health specialist, so don’t give up hope yet there is an answer out there.
I hope all this information helps you to understand about the different species of fungi and how to test for them as well as what they would look like under the scope. Once again, there is something wrong with the description you posted here and it would not be accurate for Glabrata or Albicans, so please go back and talk with your doctor about the lab results to make sure that you understood it right or that your lab has not only performed the test right but read it accurately. Then you can go from there as to whether you need to have the tests repeated or need to do the oral rinses or trouches for albicans or whether you need to be seen by an oral health specialist. Well, let me know what happens or if there is anything else I can help you with, I wish you the best.
Hi Debra, Thank you, this article is enlightening. Hoping you could please email me the gel (Flucytosine/amphoterican B) components. I have been battling glabrata for over 3 months now. My most recent treatment is amphoterican b alone (previously azoles before confirming glabrata and then boric acid)…I’ve taken 12 of 14 days of amph b and don’t believe it’s working. Heading back to the dr this Friday to discuss and be retested…but maybe a retest is too soon as you’ve stated above. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi Lindsey, I am so sorry you are going through this. The amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel has the highest success rate against this specific fungi, however, studies have shown that when amphotericin B is used alone the success rate drops dramatically. Now that does not mean that it still does not have a chance to be successful in many cases, but there is a higher amount who still fail with this treatment. In fact the most recent studies state that doctors who choose to use the gel should NOT be using it without the Flucytosine added to it. The reason for this is because like all the other forms of Glabrata treatment, are getting used at such high rates that Glabrata, the monster it is – is quickly adapting its DNA so that it can even survive this last ditch treatment. So, what they found was that by adding the flucytosine to the mix, Glabrata was unable to adapt as quickly to the gel, giving the person a few rounds of treatment before it became resistant to it. They also found that by adding the Flucytosine it enhanced the amphotericin B’s ability to kill it more effectively.
You see, Flucytosine is a very – very old drug that was used to treat cancer. It worked by going in and breaking open the nucleus wall that surrounds the DNA of the cell, therefore exposing the “brain” of the cell and its ability to replicate, however it was very toxic and did not always work to kill most types of cancer. We have since come up with a multitude of newer more effective and less toxic cancer treatments, leaving this one behind. But science wasn’t finished with this drug just yet, they knew how it worked and its abilities and found that it could be used to enhance other drugs abilities to go in and kill other organisms. Again it’s still a very toxic drug when used internally, but when used in topical applications (which include vaginal gels) it was found to cause little to no toxicity. This is because of its molecular structure which is too large to be absorbed through the mucosal walls, making it the perfect drug to enhance the amphotericin B.
So, the two drugs work synergistically, first the Flucytosine gets in there and breaks open the nucleus wall surrounding the DNA of the Glabrata cell, leaving the “brain” and replicating center exposed. Then the amphotericin B comes in and it does it job of unraveling the DNA and RNA, which in turn kills the cell and prevents it from not only replicating but also surviving, hence the infection is destroyed. This is what gives the gel the high success rate and buys us more time before Glabrata has the ability to adapt to this “last resort” form of treatment.
Now I will tell you that it is very important that the gel is made correctly and used correctly, if these two things are not done it opens a window of opportunity for Glabrata to adapt to the ampho B and the ampho b / flucytosine gel. So, when you go back to see your doctors, should your next culture be positive, please let them know that the next round of this gel MUST be made with flucytosine and it MUST be made correctly. I will give you the web address for the studies showing this which also contains the correct formula for making the gel. Then it is up to YOU, to make sure that the pharmacy compounding the gel has made it right (they have made mistakes with other women) and it is up to YOU to make sure that it is used correctly. This will give you the best chance of conquering this beast.
So, before I give you that information let me quickly address one more part of your post. You are CORRECT, that you should NOT be re-cultured for Glabrata until you have been off of the gel ( or any treatment) for at least two full weeks if not three! Even if you are having symptoms right away, it does not matter, you still cannot be re-cultured until you have been off of all treatments for at least two weeks. This is because the culture will not be reliable and has a very high false negative rate! This is because when they do the swab, they are only pulling out a small amount of the cells to put into the petri dish, but if you have been using any kind of treatment they will also be pulling out some of that medicine which is left inside clinging to the walls. So, when that also gets put into the petri dish the few cells they got will be be unable to colonize in the dish and will end up dying during the culturing process, which then leaves youw with a false negative. When that happens it leaves both you and your doctor wondering why you are still having symptoms. Unfortunately, doctors should know this but many and I mean many do not! This is why you MUST become your own advocate when working with doctors. As hard as it is to wait (and God knows I have been there!) you MUST wait that two weeks, even with the pain and symptoms that you may still be experiencing. This is the only way you can be certain that the culture is correct. One last thing here to mention, some women do develop Vulvodynia from this infection, which can lead to symptoms that act just like Glabrata. Unfortunately you cannot tell the two apart and vulvodynia does not have a test to confirm it. It is diagnosed by ruling out Glabrata and all other vaginal conditions and infections. Now vulvodynia is NOT an infection it is damaged nerves and so it will be treated in a whole different way by specialists. This is why it is very important to wait that two weeks before being re-cultured, so that you can receive the correct treatment going forward.
Ok so here is the web address for the study that also gives you the formula. You will have to copy and paste it into your browser to open it and download it, to bring into your doctors. http://sti.bmj.com/content/77/3/212.full
Now you will know if it has been made right by a few things-
1. it should be a bright yellow color
2. You should be required to keep it in the fridge
3. you should be using 8grams of it a night, which means you will use TWO full applicators a night at bedtime. The applicators should be the size of the one you would get with Monistat cream
4. it should be gel like when you take it out of the fridge and place it into the vagina, but then within ten minutes of insertion, it should become “water” like from the heat of your body, at that point you should start to feel it wanting to run out of you, like water!
5. Make sure when bringing the script into the pharmacy that you request that ONLY Original KY jelly or Aqua gel or Surgi Lube is used as the base for the gel. DO NOT let them talk you into using any other form of base gel, these are the ones that work with the meds without interrupting the meds and they are the ones that will “wash” out of you daily, so that the drugs do not adhere to the walls and burn you.
Now if all this is right, then it was made right, but now you must use it right, so here is how you use it correctly-
1. Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to insert it
2. make sure that you are ready to go to bed for the night (no getting back up for water, the bathroom, or even to turn off the tv.) no excuses you have to remain laying down for at least 6 hours, but preferred for up to 8 hours. This is because like I said it turns to water once your body heats it up, so it will run out of you quickly and you do NOT want that to happen. Now do not worry if you feel it running out of you while your laying flat because that is expected with it and it is only a small amount. However if you get up even to sit, large amounts will come out and you will lose the effectiveness of it, there by giving it a chance to adapt to the gel. SO STAY PRONE IN BED ONCE YOU HAVE INSERTED IT!
3. Make sure to place a towel under you to catch the run off and use old sheets as well as old underwear because what does come running out will stain anything bright yellow as it comes in contact with it.
5. Make sure you DO NOT miss a day of using it, because if you do it opens the window for Glabrata to adapt to it. So, make sure you use it each night for 14 nights!
6. Make sure to adjust your diet while in treatment, so no sugars (not even honey or stevia) no carbs or dairy either, other wise you just feed it!
7. no wearing tight clothing (even underwear) that is not breathable. Use cotton and loose fitting pants while in treatment, the area must get air and breathe
8. Make sure to thoroughly dry the area after bathing, you can pat it dry if it is too painful to wipe and you can use the blow dryer on the cool setting to further dry the area or if it is too painful to even pat dry. NO swimming suits that are wet should be worn during treatment, not even for a half hour
9.Only wash with Dove Hypoallergenic soap, no other types of body washes or soaps, not even the supposed PH balanced ones! Also no dyes perfumes, bath salts, body sprays or anything else. The only thing that should come in contact with that area during treatment is pure water, Dove soap and the ampho B / Flucytosine gel, as well as a clean rag and or towel that has NOT been dried in the dryer with dryer sheets and the same for your underwear. Also you will be draining the medicine out as the day goes on, so you should also be wearing a panty liner at all times and it MUST be changed as soon as you feel it get wet. This is because Glabrata will spread to the outside of your vaginal area and even up to your rectum and buttocks just by the discharge coming out, even with the gel! When that happens you will be in a world of misery and dealing with ulcerating skin. So, wear a panty liner, also make sure the panty liner is just a plain one! No scented or colored ones or any other kind of panty liner.
10. Finally, take your probiotics and drink at least 4ozs. of keifer a day, this should be your only dairy product!
If it is made right and you use it right and make all the necessary lifestyle changes you should have a high rate of success with beating this beast. However, I am running into more women recently who are still failing, so a strain that has adapted to this treatment is out there, I pray it is not the one you have, but know there is that chance. Also know you can use this gel at least three times before saying it is resistant. Should you be that one, please contact me and I can give you some other things to try if you have not tried them already as well as a doctor who specializes in resistant Glabrata infections.
Well, I wish you the best and please let me know if you need anything else.
Thank you, Debra! This is all helpful information. A few more questions for you. Can you please share names of doctors that specialize in glabrata infections? I’d love to speak to someone. Please email for location. Also, I’m attempting to follow the low sugar/carb diet. Can you tell me why stevia is included in your list? I drink a prebiotic drink every morning which has stevia and I really want to continue as it goes hand in hand with my probiotic.
Hi Lindsey, unfortunately there is only one doctor that SPECIALIZES in Glabrata in the US and his name is Dr. Jack Sobel, he is out of Wayne State University in MI. So let me explain why there isn’t any other doctors who specialize in this. First off, up until this last decade Glabrata was only seen in the sickest of the sick and even within that population it was still rare to see someone come down with it. Those that did get it were people who were very sick with HIV, end- stage cancers and those that were severely immune compromised. Now, because it was only rarely seen in this population of people several things came into play. First, when you only have a few people sick with any rare disease or infection, they are usually spread out over the country or even the world, making it nearly impossible to do any kind of studies. Secondly, because there are so few sick with it and no real studies, it is not worth teaching doctors about it, for the most part most doctors will never come across it in their entire careers. Thirdly, (and this is a sad one, but unfortunately it happens with most “rare” illnesses) because it is so rare and the people who contract it are so very ill and thought to have caught it only because they were so very ill and most with so very little time left, that it is not worth the time or money to research it. This is because these people are going to die anyway even if they could cure the infection, so between the very small population of people spread out geographically and because it was thought only to be contracted and deadly in people who were going to die anyway, it has not been taught to all doctors and there were none that had enough population to study it or specialize in it.
Now the second reason most gyne’s do not know about this infection is because they were never taught it for the reasons above, but also because if they did come across someone with it, like an HIV or end stage cancer person, the gyne would not treat it, they would send the person to an infectious disease doctor (and many were already under an ID’s doctor care), who then would attempt to treat it. So, for Gyne’s, unless they practiced in an inner city where there were large populations of HIV people or at University Hospitals where there were large populations of end-stage cancer people they would never come across a person with this. So, for the most part Gyne’s were not taught how to look out for it or to even think about it as a possible diagnosis in healthy women or even someone chronically ill and for the most part the majority of Gyne’s would never see this in their lifetime of practice. Those that did see it just referred the patient out and they were done with them.
Now ID doctors do treat patients for Glabrata, but again because it is so rare most of them will never see it in their lifetimes either and because of this many are very unfamiliar with how to treat it. Again when they do see it, it is usually in someone very ill, so curing the infection is usually not a priority. It is also important to mention here that Glabrata for the most part was not really seen in vaginal infections, but instead in organs, so treating it in the vagina was a whole new area for them to figure out how to treat and this is because IV drugs (which were the preferred treatment) usually do not treat vaginal infections and there is a whole biological reason for that – that I wont get into here, but surfice to say it has been a trial and error attempt to figure out how to treat it in the vagina.
So, let me explain how we got to here with everyday women contracting Glabrata. You see the AIDS crisis hit the world in the 80’s, but because our government for many reasons sought to ignore it for nearly a decade and because it was thought to only happen in the homosexual population, many of the illnesses they contracted due to having little to no immune system would begin to flourish and spread into populations they never thought would get it. (fungal infections were the worst and most deadly in this population) When they finally recognized AIDS and all that it encompassed, they immediately began to come up with new drugs to not only treat but prevent infections within this population of people, hence the “Azole” revolution was born. (Diflucan, Voriconazole, etc..)
By the mid 90’s they had figured out that if they put HIV people and even cancer patients, uncontrolled Diabetics and anyone severely immune compromised on a preventative maitinance dose of anti-fungals like Diflucan they could head off the infections and keep the person alive a little longer, so that is exactly what they did. What they did not realize was that by doing this regularly they were exposing this organism to a drug that eventually in time would become immune to the drugs, therefore creating a whole new “super” species that they had no way to control. Then just like AIDS this new “hybrid” species spread to other populations of people, meaning healthy people who were not as immune compromised. It would start first in hospitals where people going in for a pneumonia or other illness or injuries would accidently pick it up and then after time it would spread from those people to other healthy people within their communities.
Now at the same time (mid nineties) that we were discovering new anti-fungals to help treat the HIV population we were also discovering broad spectrum antibiotics. These too were necessary in trying to save the lives of the AIDS population and to stop the spread of the bacteria’s that were now becoming immune to the “old” forms of antibiotics. Again, science did not realize (at least that is what I want to believe) or for see the over all damages to the human flora or body from the use of these drugs. So, they began to give them out like candy as a first line of defense in infections instead of as a last line of defense. So, people began taking them regularly and wiping out their flora as well as their own bodies immunity. This now left these people very vulnerable to all kinds of opportunistic infections, including the rare ones like Glabrata. (which was now well on its way to becoming immune to our drugs and it was now spreading to healthy people outside of hospitals) Unfortunately, like most other illnesses in their infancy stages of spreading doctors knew very little about it and had been taught not to even consider it as a possible diagnosis in someone who was not severely ill. Even though Gyne’s are now seeing women come through their practices with Glabrata, many will not know to culture for it or how to treat it, because it was not something that they were taught about. This leaves these women like you and me and so many others sitting in the dark with horrific life altering symptoms. We still have yet to recognize the scope of the problem and the sheer numbers of people with it and until that happens we will not have the necessary studies or the educated doctors. So, this is why there are no real specialists on Glabrata and why it is so hard to find a doctor who knows how to effectively treat it, especially gyne’s.
So, let me explain why Dr. Sobel is the only doctor who specializes in it. First, he is one of only a few doctors who is not only a Gyne but also a register Infectious Disease Doctor. So, he is educated and specializes in both areas. He has spent his life treating cancer, HIV and severely immune compromised women’s gynecological issues, that are harder to treat because of their underlying conditions. Secondly, he has spent his life working in Detroit, MI a city that has been ravaged by Globalization and left to deteriorate. For the last two decades the majority of people that live within the inner city are the poorest of the poor. They have extremely high rates of drug abuse and HIV. This large population were coming in with the worst infections and due to their underlying conditions and or lifestyles they were very ill with things like Glabrata. He recognized early on that he had the opportunity to actually study large groups of people with this infection and he began to try and figure out how to treat it because he was watching so many of his patients die from infections that would normally have not killed them. This would become his life’s work and passion and he would go on to publish his studies world wide. He is now sought after by women from all over the world as well as doctors trying to treat their patients with this infection. I will tell you that when I went to see him it took about six months to get into him, but right now I know from other women with resistant strains of Glabrata that he is booking nearly nine months out. I will also tell you that this man is now in his mid 80’s and not quite ready to retire but thinking it will be soon. However, he states still to this day that this is his passion and recognizes that there are so many women out there that have no one else to turn to with this infection so he is still seeing patients, but for how long I do not know. So, if you fail ampho B /Flucytosine treatment more than twice, I suggest that you make an appt. with him very soon, because he truly is your last hope. I say this too not just because I have been in your shoes and traveled around this country including Mayo to get help, but also because I have literally had contact with hundreds of women at this point from all over the world who have not been able to get help or even someone as knowledgable as him when it comes to Glabrata. He truly is it and God help us ladies when he dies!
Now, just because he is the only one who specializes in Glabrata does not mean that you cannot still find a doctor who can treat it. I can tell you that if you educate yourself on Glabrata and have a doctor willing to listen and work with you, you can teach your doctor how to treat you. Many women have done this and been successful, sometimes they have had to switch doctors but once they find that one that is open to listening and working with them they do receive good care. I do have a doctor here in IL who worked with me and even went a step further while I was trying to teach her and did some of her own research into it and is now treating patients with it. However, I will tell you that if you fail the ampho B / Flucytosine and Voriconazole treatment, it is going to be extremely hard to find ANY doctor including the one here in IL as well as ANY ID doctors that are going to be able to help you. They will send you off to Dr. Sobel because there is really no long term studies on any “one” type of treatment that cures fully resistant strains, so it is really comes down to trial and error regimes of treatments to control it and only Dr. Sobel does that at this point.
OK, so hopefully fully that answers your question on finding a specialist for Glabrata. I probably gave you more than you needed, but I wanted to help you understand why there is no one else when it comes to Glabrata, so you kind of have to know the back story if you will.
So, now why you should not be taking in Stevia while in treatment. You see it does not matter if you are taking in a natural sweetener like Stevia or even honey, because your body still processes them in the EXACT same way it processes cane sugar or any sweetener. You see, when you eat or drink stevia (much like anything else that is sweet including natural fruits that are sweet too) your pancreas has to kick in and up your insulin to balance out the sugars (NO MATTER WHAT KIND YOU ARE TAKING) and when this happens it slows your metabolism and therefore allows the sugars to be absorbed into the body. So, when you have ANY kind of fungi infection you will be ultimately feeding it, sugars of any kind are the main source of food for fungi and they are the main source of interrupting your flora as well as your immune system. Now with that being said, any doctor especially a dietician, Infectious disease doctor, naturopath, intergrative or GI doctor will tell you that any probiotic drink, powder, pill or even yogurt that contains any kind of sugars such as Stevia, honey or even fruit is COMPLETELY WORTHLESS!!! The reason for this is because sugar cancels out and immediately kills the probiotics. Unfortunately, corporations are out for their bottom lines, so they advertise their products as having health benefits with probiotics that are going to supposedly enhance your immune system and health, but they also know the average person has no real knowledge of how probiotics work they just know that probiotics are the latest craze in health conscious people and those people think that if it says it has probiotics that they are going to be doing something great for their body. They also know that if they want to sell a lot of their product they have to make it appealing to the pallet or the average person will find a different brand to take, one that is sweet and not bitter to the taste. So, they add sweeteners like honey, Stevia and even fruits to over power the biter taste of soured bacteria (which is what probiotics come from). They also know that using “key” words like “natural sweeteners” such as Stevia, honey or even fruit leaves the consumer thinking it is much better and less harmful then if the product had actual sugar in it. Unfortunately, the FDA has no regulations on this industry to force them to tell you that any kind of sweetener added to a probiotic cancels out the probiotic, so these corporations get away with it and the average consumer who does not know better or who does not have a doctor that educates them on it will continue to buy their “good” tasting drink, yogurt, powder or gummy bear. This is why I tell women who are dealing with any kind of fungal infection they should not eat any kind of sweetener, nor should they be eating flavored yogurt or even Keifer. They need to get the plain yogurt with no sugars, fruits or sweeteners added and the same for keifer. I’m not going to lie they taste aweful!!! They are very sour but this is the only way to take a probiotic and actually get the probiotic.
So, with that being said and now knowing what you are drinking each day, I want to encourage you to PLEASE stop doing that, because you are not getting the health benefits you think you are and you are definitely feeding the fungi. Your drink is noting more than a fancy and possibly even pricey sugared drink and just to let you know stevia is much stronger than sugar itself (which is why you use 1/4 of the amount compared to sugar) and it kicks the insulin levels even higher, so you are really feeding your fungi very well! You can talk with your doctor about this too, who will let you know how probiotics work and how any kind of sweetener kills them on contact, including fruits. So, please if you cannot tolerate the sour taste of probiotics like from Keifer then please just take a probiotic pill and one with no added sweeteners in it and there are multitudes of them out there and they range from very cheap to very expensive, so find one that works best for you and stop this drink, its worthless and you are just making this company rich!
Well, I hope that answers that question too and helps you get on the right path. I would suggest if you can afford it to get with a naturopath or dietician or even an intergrative doctor who can help you to successfully restore your flora and understand the biology behind probiotics and prebiotics which are only one part of restoring the flora in the body, but both are essential for the life of the bacteria and your diet plays an even bigger part in those bacteria adhering and colonizing within the mucosal tissues. These bacteria and even certain fungi are necessary for our survival and over all health because they are our immune systems so you want to help foster their colonization. I want to give you one more piece of good information and that is when taking any kind of a prebiotic and probiotic you should also be using Reuteri too, because this is the main food source they need to have to not only survive but to adhere to the walls and colonize.
Well, I have written another book, lol! but I hope it helps you in getting what you need to get better. let me know if you have any other questions or if you want my email to talk privately and I can also give you the doctor here in IL if you live close to here too. I wish you the best and good luck.
Thanks Debra. I still have a ton of questions and I would love your email and information on an IL dr.
Debra,
Is there a way to message you privately? I just typed up and submitted a long post with questions and I don’t see it displayed…
Thanks!
Karen
Hi Karen, I will email you, so you will have my email to contact me privately, but your post did show up below, so I will go ahead and answer your questions on here because it will just be easier since this is where you wrote all the questions. Plus it will be here for others to read who may also have the same questions for you too, but again if you want to contact me with other questions or just to talk you certainly can. Thanks
Hello, Debra. I don’t use Facebook, etc. Would you send your email?
Hi Shelly, I did send you an email so that you can contact me.
Hi Debra,
I have read through many of the posts you have written helping people with glabrata and I have a some questions for you. I was diagnosed with vaginal Candida Glabrata about 2 years ago. I honestly don’t know exactly when I got it but I remember going in to the ob/gyn for about a year and being treated with lots of diflucan before my primary doctor finally suggested I get a culture. Needless to say it was positive for glabrata. I have tried almost everything there is to try including terazol, boric acid, nystatin suppositories, gentian violet, gynazole, there’s probably more. I really hope I still have a shot at curing this thing because I didn’t know those were all wasted treatments at the time. In January of this year I finally did 14 days of the ampho b/flucy cream. They cultured me just 4 days later and it was negative. The next day I came down with the flu and ended up with pneumonia. They put me on doxycycline. I actually only took the doxy for about 4 days before my primary doc said I could stop it (he knows about my yeast problems). But, about 4 days after I came off the doxy, I was already having symptoms again. Culture came back positive for Candida Glabrata again. Since then I have been using boric acid off and on because it does seem to help the symptoms some but all subsequent cultures have been positive for glabrata. I decided to repeat the ampho b/flucy gel which I just finished a couple of days ago. Here are my questions on the hopes that you can help me beat this thing.
1) if I get sick again where I need antibiotics, what would you recommend? If it’s Nystatin are we talking the oral kind or the vaginal suppositories? If it’s diflucan, how much daily and will it still help me if my sensitivity culture shows I am resistant.
2) I still have burning after repeating the cream. Is that normal and will it slowly go away? I am waiting two weeks to be cultured so I don’t know my results yet.
3) if this yeast is different than the other strains, why does the diet play a role? Is it just for overall immunity or does this yeast still feed off of sugar/carbs. I tried to be really good with diet on the cream and I have changed my diet significantly since this all started but I wasn’t as strict as you advised in one of your posts. I didn’t read that part until half way through the treatment.
4) my symptoms flare after sex/orgasm more than usual and my vaginal wall will burn for many hours after. Is there anything I should be doing after sex/orgasm (even now) to help minimize the chances of the yeast returning/getting worse?
5) the only other test that was positive for me in all the tests they ran was urea plasma parvum. Have you heard of this and could it be contributing to the yeast problem?
Sorry so many questions and I really do appreciate any advice/guidance you can give me. I pray everyday that I can get back to good health!
Karen
Karen, I am so sorry to hear about your journey with this infection, as you probably already know it is a beast of an infection and very hared to cure, but all hope is not lost. So, before I answer your questions let me first give you some “Glabrata” knowledge for the future.
First, I seen that you wrote that you attempted a lot of other anti-fungi treatments and unfortunately, you did not know at the time that the majority of those were useless against this particular strain of fungi. As you may have read here, this is NOT a candidias strain of fungi, it is known as a non-candidias strain, which also means that this strain does not respond to “candidias” type of treatments. That is because the usual candidias treatments work by altering the PH environment, making the area unhinhabitable for fungi to live and procreate. However, with this specific strain it has the ability to adapt to any PH environment and even to meds used to treat it with. This is what makes Glabrata a beast to treat. Unfortunately, many times using the “usual candidias” treatments like the ones you listed above can make the infection worse, especially treatments that are “topical” (gynazole, terazole, monistat, etc..) This is because Glabrata unlike candidias does not just live on the surface of the mucosa, but instead roots itself into the deeper layers of the tissues and even around the nerves that supply the area. This is also why women with Glabrata suffer from nerve pain like burning, stinging and even a raw razor blade or broken glass being crushed into the tissues feeling. It is also why so many women go on to develop Vulvodynia during or after the infection. So, because it grows into the deeper layers, topical type treatments never work to kill it, but unfortunately they will work to kill other forms of fungi like candidias, which in turn will also make the infection worse. This is because Glabrata as strong of an infection as it is, cannot compete for vaginal or mucosal wall space against other types of fungi. So, you want to maintain some candidias and vaginal flora, which in turn helps to keep the Glabrata infection from taking over and becoming out of control. (this would be why we all NEED a certain amount of candidias and bacteria’s within and on our bodies, they are what keeps us healthy). The same thing applies to using oral “azoles”, like Diflucan or voriconazole, etc.. these two can wipe out the good “stuff” and yet not kill Glabrata, which in turn can leave you with a worse infection. It is also important to say here too that the more treatments you try that fail the stronger this beast can get, which can make killing it even harder, but not always impossible.
The second thing for you to know is that once you have finished any kind of treatment, especially the “topical” ones you should NEVER be retested (even if you are having symptoms right away) for Glabrata, until you are at least two full weeks out from stopping the meds and that does include the oral meds too. It is preferred that you wait three weeks, but if your symptoms return right away then by the two week mark you can retest. If you test any sooner you will almost always get a false “positive”. So, when you were retested four days after stopping treatment and your test came back negative, that was most likely a false negative. The reason for this is because it takes a full two to three weeks for the gel or any type of treatment to fully leave the vagina. So, when they swab the area for Glabrata, they will usually only get a few Glabrata cells but they will also pick up some of the gel, so when they put it in the petri dish to culture it the gel will wipe out the few Glabrata cells, hence giving you a false “positive” result.
Now let me also say that more than likely the four days of doxy treatment for the pneumonia did not bring the Glabrata right back, chances are it never left, meaning the treatment failed. I say this because had the treatment worked to kill the Glabrata and then you went right onto Doxy for four days, you still would have not had returning symptoms of the Glabrata for at least a few weeks, but because you had symptoms within four days of stopping the doxy, that was too quick, which means it never really was cured to begin with. It is also very important to treat any other infections fully regardless of the problems you have with yeast, because many bacteria’s (especially those that cause pneumonia) can quickly return and then become resistant to the antibiotics to treat it or they can move out of the lungs and into other areas of your body, which I will explain later. I will also explain how your doctors could have treated you simultaneously with anti-fungal treatment to prevent a return of Glabrata or even other fungi strains. (although again I highly doubt your Glabrata infection was cured at that point anyway).
So, now your tests keep coming back positive for Glabrata, even though you used the ampho B / Flucytosine gel, but the boric acid is helping you some (which I am glad you are getting some kind of relief.) Unfortunately, the boric acid is just knocking back the numbers of Glabrata cells that are living in you, which is why you are not getting cured and your cultures keep coming back positive. The problem with this is (and it can happen with other treatments that do not fully kill it too) is that not all of the Glabrata cells have adapted to the boric acid yet, so many will still dye, hence knocking your numbers back, but I can tell you from working with so many women that in time all cells will have adapted and then even the boric acid will no longer do anything for you. This is why you will need to stop this soon so that you can move onto a treatment that will fully kill the infection and I will give you some advice on what else you can do in a moment.
I also seen that you had another culture done and are waiting on the results, but again I hope this new culture was done during a two week “free of all treatments” including boric acid period, if not the culture result will NOT be reliable. I will say it is important to get a new culture done for it just to make sure you really still have the infection since you have now done two treatments with ampho B / Flucytosine. I say this because you could have actually killed it this time, but may be still experiencing what feels like the exact same symptoms as if it has not gone away. However, many women who get infections like Glabrata can sustain nerve damage to the area (as I described above), which will leave them with vulvodynia, which unfortunately, will leave you feeling as though the infection has not gone. Now there is no test for vulvodynia, it is diagnosed by ruling out all other conditions and infections. If you are left with vulvodynia then you will need specialized help by a vulvar pain specialist and the treatment modalities are completely different then treating an infection and that is because it is NOT an infection any longer, but instead the damage left behind. So, this would be why it is so important to get an accurate culture done.
Ok, so let me start answering your questions, I will go in order of the numbers you posted above-
1. So, if you get sick again and need antibiotics you will need to have pre-treatment, during treatment and post treatment with either Diflucan or Nystatin. So, to pre-treat you would need four days of treatment prior to starting antibiotics, now this is the ultimate way to go, but if your infection is too severe to wait four days to start antibiotics then by all means start the antibiotics right away, but you must also start the antifungal drugs at the same time. You will stay on a daily regime of antifungal treatment for every day you are on the antibiotics and then remain on the antifungal drugs for up to ten days AFTER stopping the antibiotics. This is important because the antibiotics you take will continue to work and circulate through your system for up to ten days post treatment, so you will need to keep the antifungal treatment going and circulating within your body until the last of the antibiotics have left your system.
Now if you are going to use Diflucan you would need to take 500mgs a day starting four days prior to starting the antibiotics (As long as you can wait the four days) and then continue 500mgs a day every day that you are taking the antibiotics and for up to ten days after stopping the antibiotics. Now if for some reason you are unable to handle that amount of Diflucan daily for that long (And some people cannot due to side effects) then you should either switch to Nystatin or ask for the 250mgs pills of Diflucan instead of the 500mgs. The lower dose is not as optimal but the 250mg. is still better than not taking anything. This treatment is used regularly for patients who are prone to yeast infections of all kinds including candidias. it is also used in immune compromised people when they take antibiotics too.
If you decide to use the Nystatin then you MUST use the vaginal cream and it too will be used in the same manner, meaning that you pre-treat for four days before starting the antibiotics and again used every day that you are on the antibiotics and then again for up to ten days after stopping the antibiotics. Now please do NOT let any doctor tell you that using the oral form of this will work as well because it does NOT. The reason for this is because oral Nystatin, does not get absorbed outside of the GI tract, so it will never reach your vaginal area to prevent the Glabrata or any other type fungi infection from returning. Oral Nystatin is ONLY used for and good for treating candidias of the mouth, throat, stomach, or colon, but it will NOT work in any other part of the body!
Finally, it will not matter if your Glabrata is resistant to the Diflucan or the Nystatin, in nearly all cases of Glabrata infections since the late 90’s the strains have become DNA resistant to these drugs as well as many others, however, multiple studies have shown that even though these are no longer effective drugs to kill and cure Glabrata they are great drugs to prevent it from returning, so that it cannot start up again. I want to stop here and say too that even though they are very effective in preventing a return of the infection while taking antibiotics they too still can fail at even preventing it from returning. The last study I read sited that using one of these two treatments will prevent a return of Glabrata in up to 76% of cases, so even though that is a great number, you don’t want to be one of the 24% that it fails in, especially if you have worked so hard to cure it. So, my advice to you is PLEASE make sure that your doctors have proof positive that you have a bacterial infection and not a viral infection before ever prescribing you an antibiotic. You may also want to work with an alternative doctor who can many times find other alternatives to treating a bacterial infection before resorting to antibiotics. You want to know that your life depends on you taking that antibiotic before taking it, because unfortunately, science still does not have an answer as to why people who get Glabrata have a high return rate with it. There are many theories about this that I won’t get into, but it is surfice to say that once you get Glabrata you are prone to getting it back again at some point in your life, so make sure you need antibiotics before ever taking them again. On that same note you should always ask your doctor (should you need an antibiotic) what is the least amount of time you will need to be on it for it to be effective and always ask for one that is NOT a broad spectrum. Now some infections (especially now a days) will not respond to anything but broad spectrum, so use them if need be, but always ask first. Broad spectrum are ones that wipe out all good and bad bacteria as well as good and bad fungi, leaving you much more susceptible to Glabrata coming back, so be ware and be your own advocate!
2. Yes it can be normal to burn after stopping treatment, however it should get better with each passing day. If it does not then you MUST get retested for Glabrata (like you are) two weeks after stopping the treatment. Once again, both Glabrata and the treatments for it can leave you with the condition known as Vulvodynia, which will also cause burning too, but that burning will NOT get better with each passing day after stopping treatment. It also could be a sign that the Glabrata has not been cured, but again that burn will NOT get better with each passing day. In all the burning should be gone fully by the second week after stopping treatment, if not then you MUST get retested.
3.This strain of fungi, like any strain of fungi does live off of and thrive on sugar and carbs. It is also important to remember that sugar and carbs change not only your PH, which makes your body and especially your mucosa more inhabitable for fungi to live and grow on but it also disrupts your good flora which is needed to fight off these forms of fungi. On top of that a diet high in or even slightly elevated when you are prone to fungi will lower your immune system, which in turn leaves you more vulnerable to any strain of fungi. So, my suggestion to you is to eat a diet full of veggies, lower sugar fruits like berries, citrus and green apples (stay away from melons, bananas and red apples) also eat as much meat as you want. Stay away from dairy except for Keifer which you need to help you fight this infection and stay away from breads, pastries, pastas and rice. Also stay away from all sugars even natural ones like Stevia and honey. Now it is only necessary to eat like this while in treatment, and for about two weeks after stopping it, however when bringing some of these things back into your diet, do it in moderation and slowly. You really need to continue to eat a very healthy diet low in sugars and carbs for the rest of your life to give your body a fighting chance of keeping this beast away. There are many ways to substitute the breads and pastas, like cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles and living grain breads, but even with those breads or any breads do it in moderation. The same goes for using sugars or even drinking alcohol. Make sure to take plenty of probiotics / prebiotics and keifer and make sure to do this daily for the rest of your life, especially if you are prone to fungal infections.
4.Ok, so here is the thing, if you are positive for Glabrata or ANY infection, you should NOT be having any kind of sexual intimacy!!!!! Not even with a condom, because all infections within the vagina are considered transmittable even though they are not considered an STD! The problem for you is, that your partner ( I am assuming it is a male) can contract this infection and he will usually NOT experience symptoms like YOU, however he will give it right back to you during sexual intimacy! I would have hoped that your doctor would have explained this to you once your test came back positive, especially with Glabrata ! I say this because Glabrata is very difficult to treat in women, but it is even more impossible to treat in a male and to even test for it can be very painful for them. He would need a Q-tip swab test down the opening of the penis (very painful!) and if he was positive he would have to be treated by an infectious disease doctor, with oral or IV drugs, for a long period of time and many are very toxic and have high failure rates. It is also known to spread to their prostrate which can be very debilitating and painful! I usually tell women who have no underlying conditions like uncontrollable diabetes or HIV, that if you have failed ampho B / Flucytosine treatment twice and have been having any kind of sexual intimacy with a partner and your Glabrata returns or does not respond to the gel, then your partner must be tested! It is also pertinent to say here too that you only get so many chances with ampho gel before the Glabrata becomes immune to it, so if you keep getting it back especially after sexual contact then you MUST STOP all intimacy until he gets checked or you WILL end up with a completely drug resistant strain of Glabrata and so will your partner and one day your partner will experience the symptoms and it will be devastating for him too. I do not know if this is part of your problem or not, so I cannot say, but if your test comes back positive again your partner will need to be tested by a urologist and if he is positive he will need to be treated by an Infectious Disease doctor. So, please NO MORE intimacy until you have an accurate clean negative culture for Glabrata!
So, with that being said, let me answer the rest of your question, having sex or an orgasm while infected with Glabrata (or pretty much any other type of infection) is not only a NO- NO but it can be dangerous! not only will you make both of you sick, but you could end up with PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) which can leave you sterile with all kinds of internal organ and genital organ problems and in the worse case scenario it can even be life threatening. Having sexual intimacy while infected can also lead to other serious infections, including STD’s and this happens because your mucosal walls are inflamed with possible micro-tears that allow other bacteria’s and fungi to enter into the deeper tissues and set up a home. This is not to mention that the friction of sexual intimacy will only further damage the delicate tissues leading to more seriously deep infections, cuts, scrapes, tears and more inflammation, hence the burning and stinging. Now when the mucosal walls are inflamed from an infection as well as from any treatments you are under taking to treat it, your flora is no longer intact and up to par to fighting off any other micro-organisms that enter into the vaginal space, and you will have thousands of other micro-organisms enter even with a condom. On top of all of this, the more you upset and or damage the area that is inflamed (which is why you are burning and stinging) the higher the risk of developing vulvodynia, which is an incurable nerve pain condition that can leave you in a world of hurt that can lead to all kinds of disabilities for the rest of your life. Finally, any infection that you have, like Glabrata will not have a chance of being cured if you are irritating the area, upsetting what little bit of good flora you have left and entering other organisms into the mix for the body to try and fight off, which it just cannot do right now, especially with a beast of an infection like Glabrata.
So, here is the thing, there is NOTHING I can suggest for you to use to help minimize burning or stinging WHILE you are infected, but I will suggest that you STOP having any kind of sexual intimacy until you know for certain you are cured of Glabrata.
Now I will say this, if you are negative for Glabrata and any and all other infections and you return to sexual intimacy, but are still experiencing burning during and or right after intimacy or orgasm, (and you are positive you are clean of ALL infections), then you need to return to your doctor and have a discussion about vulvodynia, because these are the red flag signs for this problem and you will need professional help from vulvar pain specialists. If this is your problem then you will want to get on it right away because it is a nerve pain condition that does escalate and spread to other abdominal and thigh areas as time goes on. So, it is really important to address it and treat it as soon as it starts. Also once again, women who come down with infections like Glabrata have a high rate of developing this condition, so it would not be out of the norm for you to have been left with this.
Finally, if you are clean and you return to sexual intimacy then it is really important whether you have vulvodynia or not to ALWAYS use a water based lubricant like original KY or aqua gel. Do not use any kind of scented lubricant or an edible one or any kind that has enhancers, fragrances or dyes in it. These types of products will change your PH and disrupt your already delicate flora, which in turn can lead right back to another infection with Glabrata. Please do NOT use things like coconut or olive oil or any other such alternative thing for lubricant either, because even though it is said that coconut oil fights off fungi and bacteria, it also hangs on the vaginal walls sometimes for days setting off PH and flora changes, which will lead right back to Glabrata or even some other infection.
5. Yes I have heard of and know quite a bit about ureaplasma parvum. This specific bacteria comes from the family of Mycoplasma and I am so sorry to tell you this if you do not already know, but any form of mycoplasma is another beast of an infection to treat. This specific genius of bacteria has unbelievable capabilities of adapting to its environment and can quite often become resistant to any and all drugs. I can tell you from my own personal experience as well as all the studying I have done on this one, that it is believed by many in the science and medical field that this genius of bacteria is not curable in most cases. (I have been dealing with Mycoplasma pneumonia that I contracted from a tick bite five years ago and unfortunately it spread out of my lungs to other areas of my body). I have learned that this little nasty bug is probably more of a beast then Glabrata! I have learned about all the forms of it, including ureaplasma parvum. So, let me give you what I know for certain on this one. First it is sexually transmitted, even though it is not official considered an STD. So if you have it and have been having intimacy even oral, then you and your partner have it and he will need to be treated too. This infection NEEDS to be treated with urgency, if your doctor has not already started you on antibiotics. The reason it needs to be treated immediately is because once this bacteria enters you, it only lives within that specific area for a short period of time before it breaches the tissues and moves to other areas of your body, when that happens you will begin to experience symptoms in other areas of your body, symptoms that most of your doctors will have no idea or cause for. Once it moves to other areas of the body it also becomes more difficult to treat and cure, if possible. You can literally be left with life long inflammatory conditions throughout your body and they may even migrate from one area to another daily or over time. So, you can begin to experience arthritis like joint pain, muscle pain, neuropathy in any and all limbs, you can experience migraine headaches, visual disturbances, bladder and urethral pain and problems, menstrual irregularities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and the list goes on and on. So, I would urge you if you have not already been started on antibiotics to go back to your doctor and demand to be treated immediately! (you MUST be your own advocate, I cannot stress this enough!) I would also urge you, if you have been having any kind of sexual intimacy with your partner to have him go in and get tested and treated right away too. Please DO NOT have any more sexual contact of any kind until you are both free of all infections or you will keep each other sick! It is also very important to get treated right away because this infection is known to cause PID and sterility as well as prostatitis in your partner.
Now many doctors will choose to treat this infection with one of two drugs, which are either Doxy or Azithromycin, however, there are multiple studies out there now that state the only effective way to bring this infection into remission or possibly cure it, is to use both of these drugs together. I can tell you that after contracting this nasty bug, it quickly within a month spread to my joints and then out from there to other areas of my body. I was originally treated with only doxy, which I took for five weeks and believe me I felt like a new woman by the third week of taking the doxy. Then after I had taken the drug for five weeks total, it was stopped, it would take about another three weeks after stopping it before it came back with a vengeance (throughout my body no less) and hit me like a mac truck, no lie!!! I spent months trying to get diagnosed because no one believed that I still had this infection. My symptoms got so bad that I needed to use pain pills for the joint and muscular pain and needed a wheelchair to get around. It would be at that point that I dove into studying this infection myself. I began to learn about how this organism spreads throughout the body and the damage that it does. I finally traveled to Vanderbilt to meet a professor who had been
studying this infection for nearly a decade and had written many of the studies I was reading. I learned at that point that it was already to late for me to be cured, my best hope now was to put it into a remission and bring my immune system up to par so that it could hold it there. He told me that once mycoplasma enters the body you only have a short period of time to try and irradicate it and that would have been within the first few weeks of contracting it. However, the only way I could have even had a chance to kill it would have been being treated with both Doxy and Azithromycin, something my doctors had not done, although they did treat me with both, but they did it one at a time. Anyway, I would return home with a three month script of both and take them daily. I did get it into a remission, but I have struggled to keep it there, which has meant that I have been literally on and off of these antibiotics now for years and I most likely will spend the rest of my life cycling the antibiotics as it rears its ugly head from time to time.
Mycoplasma in all its forms (ureaplasma parvum) is nothing to take lightly or to fool around with, this infection will devastate your life! I will also tell you that this specific organism is know to form biofilm immediately to protect itself from any and all antibiotics, so when you start treating this infection it is really important to also use a biofilm buster, which will break up the biofilm it creates around itself and its colonies so the medicine can get in there and kill it. A great natural biofilm buster that you can use and is actually used in most other industrialized countries (it is even a prescription in all other countries but not here) is Serapeptase. This is a protein taken out of the stomach of silk worms that has the ability to break up biofilms from nearly all organisms. It has been used for centuries and a lot of doctors know about this often forgot about natural helper. It is being studied and used here in our hospitals when treating drug resistant bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics due to its biofilm mechanisms. You can buy this cheaply off of Amazon and I would highly recommend it.
Now, you are right to think that this may be contributing to your Glabrata infection and I do not doubt it is involved with your resistance problem, although any sexual intimacy may also be playing a part in it as well as if your ampho gel was not made right or used right. So, there are a few ways of treating all this. First, NO sexual contact until you are both tested for everything and treated and have negative results! Secondly, you can treat with the ampho gel in the vaginal area while treating orally with the antibiotics for the ureaplasma parvum, they will not cancel each other out and you will not make the Glabrata worse if you are using them together. The third way to treat is to first use the antibiotics to treat the ureaplasma parvum and put treating the Glabrata on hold until you have been cleared of the bacterial infection, then you can immediately start on the ampho gel. Any of these ways will work.
Finally, let me say, if your new culture comes back positive for Glabrata, then your partner needs to be tested and if positive treated. As for you, you could try the ampho gel again, but if you do make sure it is being made correctly, that is hugely important other wise it could fail. If it is made right but does not work again and your partner is clean and you have not been having sexual intimacy while under going treatment again, then you have two options. The first, would be try to Voriconazole at 500mgs a day for no less than five to six weeks. (this may need to be prescribed by an Infectious Disease doctor and your liver will need to be tested prior to starting it and every ten days while on it and then ten days after stopping it). If that fails as well or if you want to skip that, you can make an appt. with Dr. Sobel who is the world expert on Glabrata, he is located at Wayne State University in MI. It takes about six months to get into him, but get on the waiting list and you may get in much quicker. He will be your best hope at that point and has spent his career dealing with resistant Glabrata infections. If your Glabrata test comes back negative then you will need to be pre-treated with Diflucan or Nystatin and you will need to use it while under treatment for the ureaplasma parvum, which may be the reason for your symptoms at this point too. Once you have been through all forms of treatment and you and your partner are cleared of all infections, should you still suffer with symptoms even if its only after sex or orgasm then you will need to address vulvodynia with your doctors.
Well I have probably written the largest response yet, LOL! I hope they can publish the whole thing, because it is all really important to what you have written here to me. Well if you have any other questions or need anything else that I can help you with please feel free to email me or come back here to reach me. I wish you the best of luck with all this!
Dear Debra,
I am eternally grateful for this blog! I cannot thank you enough! I’ve learned so much from this. I hope you are doing well!
Here is my story, in September of 2017, i was given an antibiotic with steroid. It wasn’t a flaq but still broadband. In October of 2017, i had a radical hysterectomy due to cervical cancer, and lymph nodes where taken out in groin area.In November after trying to treat what felt like constant uti, my gyn did a culture which showed glabrata. She then treated me with boric acid, which as I’ve read is not very effective. However, after treatment, two weeks later, showed negative when retested. After treatment I did feel relieved, but still had some pain, no burning or discharge or itching, or uti symptoms, only pain and maybe some redness but not much. I cleaned up my diet at the learning of the glabrata, so no sugar and started taking all kinds of natural antifungals. Added probiotics, kefir everything that I could to restore my flora and overall health/ immune system with the vitamins. Then in January i was treated for hpylori cause was having acid reflux so was given a two week double antibiotic course. I doubled my probiotics, ate clean, and took the natural antifungals. However, i still had pain, so felt like maybe glabrata came back or maybe never really left since retested at about 2-3 weeks, maybe too soon. So seems like I am constantly battling with pain or glabrata not sure what it is, because every time i eat the least bit of sugar i get pain. The pain is not constant, I do get relief for hours but comes back in spurts. Or it seems when i’m digesting my food, i will get pain, the pain is vulva pain, not vaiginal pain. There is no burning, just pain and pain in groin. So, i went back this week on Monday to get retested for the glabrata and with the information regarding ampho b gel and flucytocine. She was like let’s recheck but I am not comfortable with treating you with gel if comes back positive, she said I will do boric acid one more time, if still positive then I will refer you to infectious disease doctor because i won’t treat you with the gel, because i don’t know enough about it. She didn’t even want to read the journals. So now, results for glabrata came back negative again, thank God, even after more antibiotics, and it’s been 5 months since first diagnosed. Results from recent pap showed BV, she called in metro gel, however, I’m not sure if this is safe, or if will mess with my ph or cause any affect on glabrata coming back. And does bv cause vulva pain, i have no discharge or itching or anything else. Do you know of any natural remedies for this, or was thinking of going to get a second opinion to test for glabrata again, but not sure. My gyn thinks it’s nerve pain from the hysterctomy, but how would i know? Thank you in advance for any assistance you may have to offer.
i read you had it several times, so wondering if could you feel when it was coming back, because i feel pain if i eat even a green apple so not sure if it’s a sign or just coincidental.
Hi Gracie, I am so sorry to hear of all that you are going through and have been through. I hope all your cancer was removed and you are now cancer free. As for your Glabrata, if you tested negative within three weeks of any kind of treatment then chances are you are Glabrata free. I also have to tell you that your symptoms at this point are not usual for Glabrata and from what you are explaining here, I would definitely agree with your gyne, that this sounds like nerve damage. You have many reasons to have sustained nerve damage to this area, from the initial Glabrata infection, to the cancer and especially from the surgery and removal of the groin lymph nodes. I do not know if your doctor took the time to sit down and explain to you prior to your surgery or even recently, the risks of nerve damage to the pelvic nerves from your cancer and surgery as well as from the infections you have had. These nerves encompass not only the pelvic floor but also the vaginal area, the bladder, the bowel, rectal area and even down the thighs. These nerves are all integrated and if even one nerve on a branch is damaged, they can send signals to nerves throughout these areas in time creating chronic pain syndromes and chronic functional syndromes. Some of these syndromes are known as IBS (when the bowel is involved), Intercysiticial cystitis (when the bladder is involved), vulvodynia (when it is the vulva, the outer vaginal area, or into the vagina up to the coitus), Vestibulitis (when the pain encompasses the deeper inside of the vagina up to the cervix or where it would have been) and finally there is Allodynia (which is a burning, stinging kind of pain on the skin down the inner and outer thighs. You may also get labeled with Fibromyalgia disease as well, especially if you have pain in all of these areas and even other areas of your body.
You see when you get an infection, have cancer or under go surgery in this area, the nerves can get turned on, (which they are supposed to), they send signals to the spinal cord and up to the brain to tell you that there is pain in this area, due to something not being right, hence the infection, cancer or from surgery. The brain then alerts the immune system which quickly goes into action to fight of the “offender” and sends out antibodies to attack the tissues where it perceives the offender. These antibodies attach themselves to the tissues and nerves in this area in order to protect them, but by doing this it causes inflammation, it is like a cushioning mechanisim that the body uses to defend itself. Now all this would be a normal reaction to an assault on the body, but once the infection, cancer or the healing from the surgery happen, the body is suppose to recognize this and the pain signals it sends to the spinal cord and brain should stop which then shuts down the immune system, which in turn then stops the inflammation and you stop having pain, swelling, redness, stinging, burning or whatever other symptoms you may be feeling. However, for some reason in some people, the nerves stop recognizing that the treat is over to the area and so they continue to keep sending signals to the spinal cord and brain, which in turn keeps the immune system turned on and you continue to suffer with what feels like a never ending infection. The area can even look like it is still infected due to redness, swelling, non-smelly discharge, and of course pain. When this happens we know that there has been nerve damage (meaning the nerves no longer know how to shut off or recognize a true threat to the area). This is when you develop one or multiple pain syndromes which can then lead to functional syndromes. Again these nerves all connect to each other so all it takes is one damaged nerve to in time cause other damaged nerves in the area. This is why it is important to get the right diagnosis and then to receive the correct treatment as soon as possible.
Now from what you are describing here, it sounds like you are just dealing with vulvodynia at this point, but as benign as this sounds, it is nothing to play around with, because if it is not dealt with correctly and promptly, the pain can easily spread to other pelvic nerve branches creating even more pain syndromes in other areas, like the ones I listed above. The treatment for this type of pain syndrome is also unfortunately not a “one size fits all” pill. There are multiple modalities used to treat this condition, things like meds (SSRI’s, Tricyclics, anti-seizure drugs, Lyrica or Gabapenten), there is also pelvic floor therapy (massage therapy inside and outside of the vagina as well as exercises), there are creams that are compounded to put in the vagina (Xanax, medicinal pot, lidocaine, ect..) There is also special diets like a low oxalate diet and an anti-inflammatory diets. There are several other types of modalities that are used as well, things like acupuncture, meditation and even biofeedback. Now It can take a few months even up to a year to find the right combination of modalities (usually it takes more than one of these to calm the area down and quiet the nerves), so please do not get discouraged if you do not get immediate relief from any of these things, it will happen it just takes time. Now, unfortunately, most if not all gyne’s have no real knowledge or expertise in this area and so they are not the type of doctor that you are going to need to help you get well. You will need to find a pelvic pain treatment center or a pelvic floor pain specialist in your area and they are usually found in most large cities, so depending on where you live you may have to travel a ways to reach one, but your doctor should have a list or know of one of these places in your area or close by, so make sure to ask you doctor about it. You can also go the National Vulvodynia Pain Foundation site and look up places and doctors in your state and area. You can also find a lot more information on their sites about these kinds of pain syndromes as well as treatments.
So, I also see that you now have BV, let me first say that women who suffer from vulvodynia or even any of the other pain syndromes I mentioned above, often suffer from recurrent bacterial and fungi infections and this is just because the tissues are inflamed and cannot regulate their PH balance or fight off the natural offenders that we all come in contact with. So, with that being said it is important to always get checked if you think you have an infection and if you show positive for one, then to treat it quickly, so as to stop the nerves from over reacting or getting worse. So, using the Metro gel is really one of the safest treatments for BV and this is because it is designed to only wipe out the bad bacteria and leave much of the good bacteria behind. It also has a natural anti-inflammatory effect and quite often it is used in women with vulvodynia who do not even have an infection. It is used to soothe the tissues and bring down the swelling and redness. So, I would definitely tell you to go ahead and use the Metro gel. It can set off the Glabrata again but there is a low risk with this specific gel, however if you wanted to protect yourself from it coming back while using the gel you can ask your gyne to prescribe diflucan too. You would need to take a daily dose for every day that you are using the gel and for up to four days after you have stopped using it. That would ensure that the Glabrata would not come back. diflucan is a great drug to prevent Glabrata but useless at killing it once it has taken hold, so when using antibiotics or even antibiotic creams you can always ask for Glabrata prevention with Diflucan.
As for BV causing vulva pain, yes it can, but usually that happens only when the infection is so bad that you have large amounts of discharge coming out that cover and or sits on the vulva for some time and usually it causes more burning, stinging or itching pain, but without you having any real discharge or itching inside ect,, this is not likely due to the BV. So, I am going to go back to saying here that I am more on board with your doctor that this is more than likely due to nerve damage then from this infection. I also cannot explain why when eating sugars this area gets sets off, this is the first time I have heard of this specific food source causing an exacerbation in pain, however, some women who suffer from vulvodynia do find that certain foods and drinks can set off their pain, this is why one of the modalities in treating vulvodynia is specialized diets, so again this is one more symptom that can be linked back to you having sustained nerve damage in this area. I would definitely tell you to sit down and talk to your doctor about vulvodynia and finding a doctor or clinic that specializes in treating this condition.
Well, I hope this information helps you and I wish you the best.
Hi Debra, yes, thank God, I am cancer free. It was detected early, so the surgery was the only treatment, no chemo or radiation or anything else. I emailed my oncologist/ surgeon to see if it could be nerve damage he said it is unlikely, however, requested to see me. So we will see how that goes. Thank you for all of this vital information you shared with me, and at least now i know somewhat how to proceed. I do live in a huge city so finding treatment, I hope will not be an issue. But now I will probably have to have all sorts of testing to check for nerve damage or torn muscles or what not. If you have any other information that I may need please let me know. Before the onset of any of this, I never had health issues or had to deal with doctors or healthcare, so I think asking all the right questions come from experience. I know now, not to trust what I am prescribed or how I am treated or diagnosed. It is just insane, the consequences. Thank you again!
Can someone give some feedback on how they are doing? Is there anyone with a success story of getting rid of it permanently? I am just so appalled that antibiotics are the most common drug prescribed. So why is it that only a small fraction of people get this infection?
Hi Jeena, I am so sorry you are having so many problems with trying to get rid of this infection. I can tell you that I am a success story, but not before having it return on me (in other areas of the body too) several times. I can also tell you that many of these women on here who have posted have beaten this infection, but because they have become healthy again they have moved on with their lives and have not come back on here to post about it. I can tell you that I know they have beaten it because most of these women privately email me as they are working to treat the infection and once they are better they email me to thank me for all the help, so please know that you can beat it, but I’m not going to lie, it is a journey and it does require several lifestyle changes.
I know you said that you are appalled that the only way to treat this infection is with antibiotics, but actually it is treated with anit-fungals which I am assuming that is what you meant. The reason why this is one of the only sure fire ways to kill this one is because of this specific fungi’s ability to adapt to its environment, which is also what makes it so difficult to treat and kill and to keep it from coming back. This specific fungi is NOT a candidias, it is known as a NON-CANDIDIAS species, which often confuses the doctors treating it, who are not familiar with this fungi and its genetic make-up or its abilities to adapt to its environment and the meds used to treat it. Because it is NOT a candidias is also why trying to treat it with oils or other alternative things does not work, because those things work by changing the PH environment and when it comes to this species it has the ability to adapt to that new environment making those alternative things which can kill most candidias useless against this one. I can tell you too that in studies done they have learned that when it comes to this species of fungi, the hosts immune system and personal body PH and body temp plays a significant role in whether or not a drug is going to work. This means that when your doctor takes a sample of your infection and sends it off for what is known as a MIC test to see what drugs are effective at killing it and at what doses, it does not always mean that the way the drug worked in the petrie dish will hold up once you begin taking it and that is because your own immune system, body PH and body temp which cannot be reproduced in a petrie dish will inevitably play a part in deciding how effective it will really be in your body. This is why so many drugs that are suppose to kill it end up failing. It is also important to understand that this species adapts within approximately seven days to most drugs, so that it can make itself resistant to that drug, leaving you with little options for treatment.
You are asking why only a small fraction of people get this infection, so let me first say that there are more people then you can probably imagine that get this infection (and the numbers are growing exponentially with every passing year), but due to poor testing and a population of uneducated gynecologists, women are walking around with what they are being told is a chronic BV or candidias infection, when in reality it is Glabrata. When these doctors have exhausted trying to treat these women’s supposed BV or chronic candidias they dismiss these women or the women themselves move on to other doctors with the hopes that some other doctor will be able to cure them from what they believe is another infection. Many women, me included, will see at least five gynecologists in an attempt to treat their infections. Some but not all will eventually come across that one doctor who knows to test for Glabrata and for the first time they get the right diagnosis, but then they run into trying to find a doctor who also knows how to treat it correctly. I can also tell you that because this infection was only seen in very sick women who didn’t have much of an immune system left, that most gynecologist were not educated on this type of an infection and most would not have ever even seen it in their lifetime of practice. However, since the 90’s with the HIV crisis and the new chemos meds that are now keeping cancer victims alive longer it began to be seen more often and now in the 21st century we hand out powerful broad spectrum antibiotics like candy which has now made this type of an infection much more common in the average every day women. This is also why we are seeing the numbers growing. This then goes back to the hosts immune system and environmental hygiene habits as well as their diet. This all plays a role in you getting this infection and its ability to continually come back. (I learned that the hard way)
So. I am not sure from what you have said here if you have ever gotten rid of the infection, meaning once the treatment has stopped you have been free from it for a few months, or if once you stopped treatment the infection comes right back. You see, if you stop treatment and are free from symptoms for at least three months then you have actually cleared it, but for some reason it returns. If that is the case then some lifestyle changes can make a huge difference for you. Things like changing your diet to a very clean diet, meaning no processed foods, no sugars even natural ones. Limit your alcohol consumption to nearly none, drink plenty of water and take probiotics and prebiotics daily, including drinking kefir. You should be also staying away from starchy foods too which become sugar to your body once you digest them. Stay away from the pastas and breads too. You will also need to make hygiene changes too, things like taking showers and not using shampoos or conditioners where they will run down your body to that area. Using only Dove hypoallergenic soaps, that means no other types of body soaps, oils, bath beads or salts, no powders, or vaginal PH products. You need to wear cotton underwear only and pants that are not too tight, so the area stays dry and can breathe. You also need to make sure you dry that area thoroughly when getting it wet, you may even want to use a blow dryer on the cool setting. Never douche or use any type of feminine product, other than original cotton tampons at that time of the month. Basically NOTHING should touch that are other than water and dove soap. When having sex use only KY original lubricant or aqua lube, never use scented or flavored products. It is also very important to use Diflucan or Nystatin four days prior to any antibiotic use and then it should be used during the course of the antibiotics and for up to ten days after stopping the antibiotics. Now these drugs are NOT good at killing Glabrata once you have it but they are great at preventing it from coming back. Now if you cannot wait four days to start an antibiotic to pretreat with one of these drugs then don’t worry just make sure you are using it while you are using the anitbiotics and also up your probiotics and kefir during this time. However I would encourage you to use any other alternative treatments before resorting to antibiotics. Unfortunately, once you get Glabrata you are always prone to getting it back and antibiotic use is a sure fire way to get it back real quick, but pretreatment usually works well to ward it off. Finally, exercise and I know your probably like what does that have to do with any of this, but it plays a huge part in it. You see, your immune system kicks in and ramps up and becomes stronger with any kind of exercise even just walking 30 minutes a day and like I said your immune system plays a huge role in this infections ability to live within in your body and even in how well the drugs work to kill it. So, it is of the ut most importance for you to do some kind of exercise to help your body fight this infection off and keep it gone. One last thing here to say, if your infection goes away and stays away for three months but then returns and you are doing all of this still, then your partner needs to be checked for Glabrata because men can get this infection too but unfortunately due to the biological make-up of the male anatomy they will not usually suffer like a female and may walk around with it never knowing they have it and are passing it to their partner. For your partner to be checked for it, he would have to be seen by a urologist and have the aweful q-tp swab test done, but it may be necessary if you are repeatedly getting it back.
Now if your infection returns within a few days to weeks after stopping the meds then your meds are not working because the Glabrata has already adapted to the drug. So, the only reason why you are getting any relief is because not every glabrata cell will have adapted to the drug, so the drug is working to knock the infection back to where you feel some or even full symptom relief but unfortunately it is not killing it. In this case, you would need to use the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel for 14 days. Then wait to see if your symptoms return. Now if they return right away or within a month then you would need to repeat the gel again for another 14 days. If the symptoms return again within days or weeks then you would need to have another glabrata test done, but you MUST wait at least three weeks from stopping the gel. If the test comes back showing positive then you have a really resistant strain and your journey is going to become much more complicated and will require an expert in Glabrata and their is only one in the country. His name is Dr. Sobel and he is located at Wayne State University located in MI. He is going to be your best hope at that point and that is because he is a world renoun expert on Galbrata and treats only the resistant cases and has years of experience with HIV, uncontrolled diabetic and low immune system women who suffer with resistant Glabrata. So, I would tell you to call him right away because he has a waiting list of at least six months, this is because this infection is becoming so mainstream, so know you are not alone in this fight.
Now if your Glabrata symptoms return after two rounds of ampho B / flucytosine gel but your latest culture does NOT show Glabrata anymore then chances are you did rid the infection but you have been left with what is known as vulvodynia, which can act and even look like Glabrata. This is NOT an infection, it is a nerve damage condition usually caused by some kind of serious infection (like Glabrata) or an injury to the area and it requires specialists to treat it. unfortunately many women even some which have posted on here (me included ) develop vulvodynia after dealing with Glabrata and truthfully you cannot tell the two apart except for a culture for Glabrata. There also is no test for vulvodynia it is diagnosed on exclusion of all other vaginal conditions. It too, much like Glabrata is not well known or taught to gynecologists so many will miss this diagnosis too. So, please know that if your Glabrata tests come back negative then you need to question your doctor about this diagnosis as being your problem now.
Well, I can tell you, I have been Glabrata free for four years now even while treating Lyme disease which requires mega doses of all kinds of antibiotics, but again it took changing my diet, hygiene and incorporating exercise into my life as well as pre treatment with Diflucan when treating the lyme. I hope this gives you hope and more information so that you can beat this infection once and for all. I wish you the best and if you need any more information or help finding help please let me know and I will do my best to help you. Good Luck
Hi, I would like to ask if I you do not mind receiving and answering questions?
Mines started out with a nail fungus that turned into a walking pneumonia, to cross sectional systemic issues. I have had a Cipro, Flagyl, four Azoles, some antibiotic for bladder infection and a general antibiotic for an unknown reason for a high white blood cell count, all eight in exactly one year.
I had vision problems (sensitivity to light), lung pain, irregular breathing patterns, anxiety, irritability, depression, small red spot break out, hearing issues (sensitivity), sharp shooting knee pain-elbow-back-neck and feef, massive brain fog where I can’t understand simple questions nor do basic single number multiplication, finger and toe tingling, aging, feeling tired, confusion, memory problems, confusion, high sugar cravings, weight is stagnant despite the effort to lose it, and im freezing most the time and then I get hot.
Next is Vaginal. Crawling, moving, bubbles, pressure, vacuum, sensations and itching. Vulvadonia, vaginosis, bv, and candidiasis dxs. Then I feel these electrical currents and muscle spasms down there.
IBS has flared as well.
Testing. 1st doc test was high leukocyte count. 2nd was C. Glabrata (zero trace of STDs). 3rd BV and Candidiasis. 4th. Waiting to confirm the fungi species.
My skin also has tingling sensations on the scalp and shins.
Anywho, I’m going to go to ID and get it tested for a systemic infestation. Would you happen to know what a systemic infection looks like and what a severe case looks like. Thank you Debra
Hi Versa, Wow, you are really going through alot and I am so sorry to hear about all of your suffering. So, let me try to explain a few things and then hopefully point you in a direction that gets you down a path toward healing.
So, first I see that you said that this all started with a nail fungal infection, so let me start here. First, Glabrta is not known to infect the nail bed / nails. There are a few species of fungi that infect that area of the body, but Glabrata is not one of them. The species that do infect this area can be hard treat like Glabrata, but not because they are a resistant strain of fungi like Glabrata but because it is hard to treat this area due to blood supply and getting enough medicine to the area to effect the fungi. So, it can take weeks to months of anti-fungal treatment to kill one of these species when it infects the nail beds / nails. However, it is important to know that a nail bed / nail fungi infection does NOT spread to any other areas of the body, even if you never treat it. It will only stay within the nail bed / nails and continue to destroy the nail and bed. So, the pneumonia and even the bladder infection did NOT come as a result of the nail infection. These were all separate infections that just so happened to come in succession.
Now, it is improtant to note here that when anyone gets a fungi infection it is usually becuase there is something else going on in the body or with the immune system. Now, it could be something as simple as a poor diet or hygeine or it could be something more complicated such an underlying health condition like diabetes, thyroid problems, an autoimmune disease or from taking antibiotics, immune supression drugs, ect… In any case, a weakened immune system that allows for a fungi infection also makes your body vulnerable to many other infections and diseases. Unfortunately, the meds that you have been taking to treat each infection has also played a part in weakening the immune system further and has more than likely lead to more serious strains of infections, like Glabrata in your vaginal area. But it is important to know that one infection did not lead to another, they are all separate infections, but they all are a result of a compromised immune system for some reason.
So, with that being said, let me also relieve your fear of having a systemic or serious infection with Glabrata or any other infection for that matter. So, first there are three types of Glabrata infections. They are known as “topical”, “internal” and “systemic”.
So, the topical Glabrata infections are infections that inhabit the eyes, mouth, throat, skin, vagina and bladder. These infections are NOT deadly and will NOT spread to any other areas of your body, unless you are SERIOUSLY ill with an underlying health condition, such as HIV, severely uncontrolled diabetes, end-stage cancer, ect… Another words these are truly very sick people, which I assume you are not. Now these infections are usually treated by “topical” drugs like the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel or mouth wash, ect.. Now just because they are not deadly does not mean that they will not cause you horrific pain. You see, Glabrata is not like Candidias Albicans, it is known as a non-candidias, which makes it completely different than the other strains and it makes it a more serious infection along with making it very hard to treat. So, Glabrata likes to move quickly once it takes hold and unlike candidias albicans, Glabrata destroys tissues, nerves and even the blood supply to the area it infects. Because of this it can cause horrific pain and even breakdown of the tissues. So, for instance, a vaginal infection with Glabrata can cause severe burning that feels as if someone has poured acid in your vagina and then ground glass into it (thats the nerves being destroyed by it), it can cause some itching, discharge, foul odor (from the destroyed and dying tissues), and if left long enough or not treated correctly it can cause ulcerations, skin breakdown and even bleeding. However, a vaginal infection with Glabrata does NOT spread to other organs, the worst that it can do is spread via the discharge that comes out in your underwear and then sits on the near by skin, causing it to breakdown. So, like the skin around the outside of the vagina, the buttocks, the anus and even down the thighs. This is the worst Glabrata in the vagina will get even if you do not treat it. So, topical infections with Glabrata are terribly painful and life altering but they are not deadly and they will NOT spread!
Now, an “internal” infection with Glabrata is a whole other story. So, an internal infection means that it has infected an organ, such as the lungs, kidneys, gut, heart, brain, ect.. First let me say that it is rare to get it in an organ, and those that do get it in an organ are always people who have serious underlying conditions, like HIV, uncontrolled diabetes, an autoimmune disease that is being treated with immune supressing drugs, cancer that is being treated with chemo drugs, ect.. Now let me just say that even those with these conditions rarely ever get this infection too. But when they do, it is considered a life threatening emergency. This again is becuase Glabrata destroys the tissues, nerves and blood supply to anything it infects, so when it gets into an organ it will very quickly destroy it and the person. Again this is a VERY SERIOUS infection that moves quite quickly, it is not like candidias albicans. So, time truly is of the essence to save their lives. So, to give you an example, if you got it in the gut, within two weeks you would be so ill that you would be literally curled up in a hospital bed crying out for the doctor to please stop the pain or end your horrific suffering. You would be unable to keep anything down including water, making dehydration a factor. You would also be suffering with severe non stop diarrhea and possibly vomiting and in most cases you would be bleeding out from both areas as well. If treatment is not strated immediately the person would suffer a horrible few weeks before succombing to the infection and passing away. Just to give you an idea, the longest known case of someone living with a GI infection of Glabrata only survived 45 days. For most, no matter which organ it infects they do not live pass thrity days without treartment. Now even with treatment many will still go on to pass away due to the fact that Glabrata is so resistant to most drugs and because the people who get internal infections with Glabrata are usually already very immune compromised and quite ill, so their bodies are just not able to help fight the infection.
Finally, there is the “systemic” Glabrata infection, now a systemic infection means that it has moved from an organ or a port that is in the persons body and into the blood stream. This is the most serious infection of all! This is also EXTREMELY rare and ONLY seen in the sickest of the sick. Meaning the sickest of the HIV people, the sickest of the cancer people, etc.. and even within that population, it is still very rare! However, when they do get a systemic infection with Glabrata their lives are in serious jeopardy and if treatment is not started immediately they will pass within 38 hours of the infection becoming systemic. Let me just say here too that 90% of all people who develop a systemic Glabrata infection still pass away even with the most potent IV anti-fungal drugs known to man. This is not only becuase the infection is so serious but also because these peoples bodies are just so sick and broke down that they cannot combat this infection even with the meds.
So, now that I have explained the types of Glabrata infections to you, you can see that you are definetely NOT sytemically infected with it, nor do you have an internal infection with it. I can pretty much bet that the Infectious Disease Doctor that you are going to see, will end up explaining all this to you too and reassuring you too that you do NOT have a sytemic or internal Glabrata infection. Let me also say that after dealing with so many ID doctors, I can pretty much tell you how this appt. is going to go. He / she is going to explain everything I just did to you and then they will want to at least treat your vaginal Glabrata infection and probably with an “azole” drug like Diflucan again, however, this is NOT the drug to treat with it as you probably already know from already using it. So, they are going to be at a loss, this is where you will need to explain to them how to treat your infection. You will need to bring in the studies I have posted on here in the comments section to others, which explains how to treat it in the vagina with amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel and the one study also gives the formual for making the gel. It is going to be in your best interest to be treated with this, than with any other drug. This is because the gel does NOT get absorbed into the vaginal tissues, so it has no systemic side effects and will NOT further your compromised immune system or set off any other bodily infections or symptoms. (please do NOT let your doctor tell you that it is a dangerous drug, because it is only dangerous when used in IV form, but topically it is very safe due to its molecular structure). So, if you use the gel and stop using any other antibiotics, which is more than likely what lead to this infection, then this probelm should be taken care of.
Now, I can also tell you from past exerience with ID doctors that he is not only going to tell you that you do NOT have a systemic Glabrata infection or any other type of systemic infection for that matter (because even bacterial infections would pretty much do exactly what I explained Glabrata could do if it got into your internal organs or became systemic), but that he also does not know why you are having all these other infections and symptoms. He will end by telling you that he can treat the Glabrata vaginal infection but as for everything else he will have no clue about and send you on your way. He probably will not even bring up that there is something wrong with your immune system, this is just not in their interest or repitiore..
So, because I have not only dealt with most of the symptoms you are describing here but also know hundreds of others that are in your same boat, I am going to give you some advice and hopefully lead you down a path of healing. So, the first thing I want to encourage you to do is Google ” Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome (FQT)”, so a fluoroquinolone is a group of antibiotics, most commonly known by their names, such as Ciprofloxin (Cipro), Levofloxin (Levaquin), Avofloxin (Avelox) and there are others too which include eye and ear drops, but the ones I have listed here are the most commonly prescribed ones and Cipro is one that you listed as having used. So, these drugs are very serious and known to cause mitochondrial damage, which is damage at the cellular level. They also cause a host of other problems such IBS, anxiety, weight problems and a host of other problems from the ones you listed here to many more. Thousands to possibly millions of people who have used these drugs have fallen ill with everything you have descibed here and more. For some the symptoms come on slowly and for others they progess quite quickly, it just depends on each persons own body. The symptoms can progess as time goes on because each cell that is damaged by one of these drugs has to replicate, but they can only replicate their exact self, so if they are damaged by something like a fluoroquinolone then they can only replicate another damaged cell, so in time these damaged cells begin to add up and with each damaged cell the symptoms throughout the body can add up or even become worse leaving people to struggle with all kinds of body wide symptoms, pain and even disabilities.
Now FQT is a REAL syndrome and even has a ICD billing code, yet 95% of doctors have no knowledge of it or even know or understand the damages that this group of antibiotics can cause, so this is why all the doctors you have gone to have yet to diagnose this syndrome and I am sure the ID doctor will also not diagnosis it! Many will never believe it either because they have not been taught about it nor told about it from the pharmacuetical reps who want them to push these drugs on people. Yet the pharmacuetical drug literature describes the majority of the symptoms you are complaining about, truthfully YOU ARE THE POSTER CHILD FOR FQT! There are thousands out there just like you and many have formed support groups on-line to help each other, since most doctors are useless in trying to help treat this condition. Many have fought to get tougher regulations on these drugs and more black box warnings to warn people before ever taking them. There is so much to this syndrome that I cannot possibly explain it all to you here, so I would really encourage you to please google it and find FB groups to help you understand what it is further.
As for how to treat it, well I wish I had the answer but because it is cellular damage, which we just do not know how to fix at this point in time, it is a hit or miss on trying to help the body heal from the damages and everyones body responds differently to things, so even though many have the same symptoms, they cannot all be treated the same, but by getting into the groups you will find thousands like you, suffering with the exact same symptoms, including repeated infections (because it also destroys your immune system), and you will be able to learn from them what things you can try to help your body and to heal. Let me also say that the majority of people who suffer from FQT do end up healing, maybe not to a 100% but they do get better, so please check this out before wasting any more money or time on doctor visits that are going to get you no where and possibly further damaged because they do not know what they are dealing with.
Well I hope this very long explanation has explained Glabrata to you, and relieved any fears you may have with this and has hopefully given you a direction to go down now to finally find healing. I wish you the best and if you need anything else or have other questions please feel free to ask.
Hello Debra!, I’m a 20 yr old diabetic who was diagnosed with a glabrata yeast infection of the vagina last July. I put trust in my doctor to help treat it but all she has done was put me on three separate rounds of diflucan and a vaginal suppository. After those the burning still hasn’t gone away and has sent my anxiety through the roof! I have controlled diabetes too but I suspect my one medication (synjardy. It helps remove excess sugars through urination)is helping feed my infection but my endocrinologist said I definitely can’t be taken off it! It’s called synjardy. I have been alone in this (no parents nor friends) and would really appreciate some help if possible. I’m willing to do anything to change my diet and etc as well. I already cut off most breads (definitely cut white breads and pastas) and added garlic and 100% pure cranberry juice (someone suggested me to). I also only wear cotton underwear and a pad while out to keep the area dry. Thank you!
Hi Hannah, I’m so sorry you going through this. Unfortunately, most gyne’s have no clue how to diagnose Glabrata and even less knowledge on how to treat it. If a gyne is going to try and treat it with Diflucan they would need to give you 500mgs. A day for no less than six weeks. The problem with this treatment is that it is usually pretty toxic to the Neuro system and liver, so most people can tolerate this treatment. The second problem with using an “azole” drug is that Glabrata has adapted to these drugs so the majority of strains are inherently resistant to any of them, making this treatment useless. Also using any kind of topical vaginal cream is completely useless against Glabrata and in many cases can make the situation worse, because the topical creams will kill off other strains of fungi that are actually helping to keep the Glabrata from taking over. So, another words the treatment you have received for this infection was ineffective at best and completely useless, which is why you are still suffering.
I am glad to hear that your diabetes is under control, that is a major plus because it is a huge player when it comes to Glabrata. However, you are probably right that your meds which grab sugars and filter them out through your urine is making matters worse and may have even been the contributing factor in allowing this infection to take hold. It will also make treating it and keeping it from coming back that much harder. Understand your doctor does not want you to come off of the med, but you may want to discuss your circumstances with your doctor and figure out if there is a different med or treatment that you could switch too, because unfortunately, just stopping it to treat the Glabrata and then restarting it, could lead to the infection coming right back. This may become a life long struggle for you and the treatment I can suggest to clear it up will only work a few times before the Glabrata becomes immune to it too. You see Glabrata is like no other fungi because it has the ability to very quickly adapt to its environment. Meaning it can adjust to any PH environment ( which is why most fungal drugs do not work to kill it) and it can adapt to any meds used to treat it, so you only get so many chances to kill it before it becomes resistant to everything.
At this point we only have one treatment left to try and treat it with and that is the ampho B / Flucytosine gel, which has to be compounded. You then use that for 14 days without skipping any days and by the end of treatment it should be gone, however with your health history it may take a second round to fully clear it. Again though with the meds your on, I am not sure it will fully clear it and even if it does clear it, I’m not sure it would not come right back within weeks to a few months and that’s even if you adhered to a strict diet. So, here is the first thing I would tell you to try, which is to find a doctor that is willing to prescribe the gel, it is a completely safe gel when used topically ( in the vagina), and studies have shown it to be safer than any other anti-fungal treatment including over the counter creams. Then if it comes back of does not clear, I would tel! you to contact Dr. Sobel who is out of Wayne State University in Michigan. He is the leading authority on Glabrata and treats women who have resistant strains of who have a hard time clearing the infection due to under lying conditions. He will be your best bet, but again you really need to talk to your doctor about changing your diabetes med if possible, maybe even get a second opinion from another doctor about changing your med, because it is going to be very difficult to treat Glabrata and keep it from coming back while on this med.
Finally, you need to keep your intake of sugars of any kind to hear norhing. Also cut out the breads, pastas and starches all together because they are only feeding this infection. Replace them with other things like mashed caulifliwer , avocados and beans. Secondly STOP drinking cranberry juice or any kind of juice at all!!!!! Juices of any kind are loaded with sugars even if it is 100% pure, it still loaded with natural sugars and you are making the situation much worse. Plus cranberry juice will do nothing for the burn of Glabrata and if you think you have a UTI ( which is usually what cranberry juice is used for and by the way it is a myth that it works for that) anyway, if you thought you had a UTI then would need to take D-Mannose, but if the burn is from Glabrata then that will not help either. Taking the garlic is fine but this Glabrata which is known as a Non- Candidias so things like garlic which work on regular candidiasis have no effect on it, but it won’t hurt you to continue taking it. It is important to wear breathe underwear like cotton and using a pad is also a good idsa, just make sure you change it often and keep the area clean and dry or you could spread the infection to the outer genital area. Also take showers and only use Dove hypoallergenic soaps and nothing else. Make sure to pay the area dry and you can even use a blow dryer on the cool setting to compkete!y dry the area and it can be somewhat soothing too.
Well I hope you can change your diabetic meds and obtain the gel to treat the glabrata, but if you are unable to get the meds or if they don’t work, then please get a hold of Dr. Sobel ( and know it can take up to six months to get into him, so you may want to contact him soon, you can Google his name and phone number ) . I hope this helps some, I’m so sorry I wish I could offer you more, I wish you the best and please let me know what happens. Good luck
What a wake up! When the lab results came back 4 days ago and the doctor told me it was ‘Candida Glabrata’, he even said he’d never heard of it before. What did he do? He just saw the word ‘candida’ and threw 7 days of fluconazole at it and said that would clear it up. NOT! I’d been Rx that before to no avail!
Its sad, he wouldn’t had even run the lab to test for yeast if I had not specifically requested something to find out why I have had chronic thrush for years that won’t go away. Once I saw this and started researching it, I quickly found according to our American medical practices, that there is ‘no treatment / no cure’ that really *work* – kinda like a cancer treatment – its a race to see what dies first, the disease or the patient . . . but then they are not God, even though some may think they’re pretty damn close. I had been struggling with fatigue for 4 years now and finally got to the point of being debilitating – cannot even work from home. Brain fog is bad at times, lethargic. energy level on a scale from 1-10 is about a constant 3, 5 on a good day; digestive problems (Gastropersis) and now testing positive for ANA (automimmune indicator) as well as high CRP NOW I see why!
Unlike the toxic side effects of pharma drugs, I’m going to explore the essential oil road – can’t hurt (in spite the protest from quacks that have studied essential oils for 0 hours in training will rave it won’t work) If I’m gonna die, may as well be by my terms, not theirs!
Hi Walter, I am so sorry you are going through all this, but there is treatment for Glabrata, however, I suspect Glabrata is the least of your problems and is more likely a symptom of a much larger under lying problem. From what you have written here it sounds like they cultured Glabrata out of your mouth or throat and that is where you have had constant thrush, correct me if I am wrong here, but that is what I am taking away from what you have written here. If I am correct, then there is a very easy treatment for Glabrata in the mouth and throat and it is NOT an azole drug! You would need to be treated with amphotericin B mouth wash, which any doctor can phone into any Walgreens for you. It is a very safe mouth rinse that you will swish with a few times a day and then spit out. It should clear the glabrata within a few days to a week, however, even if the thrush is gone within a few days, you still need to use the full prescription which would be for 10 days.
The reason the azoles do not work on Glabrata is because they have been over used since the 90’s due to the AIDS crisis. So, Glabrata has become inherently resistant to it, but the ampho B treatments work. Also please know, unlike your doctor, that Glabrata is NOT a candidias, it is known as a NON-CANDIDIAS, meaning just as it is stated, it is not a candidias and so it will not respond to the usual azole or candidia drugs. so, please ask your doctor about ampho B mouth wash.
Now please know that Glabrata is NOT like other forms of fungi or even candidia, meaning it cannot live throughout your body like the usual candidia, so it is not running through your blood, gut, brain, ect… If it got into any other area other than your bladder, mouth or skin (or for women the vaginal area) it would be deadly within less than 30 days and you would become extremely ill long before it killed you at the end of the 30 days. Let me also state that having it in any topical mucosal area which would be the skin, mouth, throat, vagina, urethra, prostrate, bladder or eyes it would NOT kill you, it will definitely make your life a living miserable hell, but it will not kill you and if you are not immune compromised, with AIDS, cancer, high doses of steroids or out of control diabetes, then it usually will NOT EVER leave these areas and spread to other more serious areas. So, another words you are going to be just fine.
On that same note because Glabrata does not live within the body like candidias, it never causes systemic problems, like the ones you are describing here. Glabrata only effects the very tissues it is inhabiting, However, an underlying condition that you are dealing with that is causing all these symptoms is probably what has allowed for the glabrata to develop in your mouth and throat in the first place. This also means that you will need to address the under lying problems in order to make sure that the glabrata does not come back after you have correctly treated it.
So, let me fill you in on some things you need to have checked. First Glabrata will NOT EVER raise your ANA or your CRP, unless it has gotten into a vital organ and then you would have what is known as fungemia or septic and your life would be literally at risk, so glabrata is NOT the reason for these tests coming back high or abnormal. However, what you are describing are the red flag signs for Lyme and co-infections disease and if you had lyme or any of its co-infections, that would substantially lower your bodies immunity and allow for Glabrata to take hold. I can attest to that, you see after writing this article I found out that I was suffering with lyme and several of the co-infections. since learning I have it, I have done extensive research on it and seen numerous specialists all of which explained to me that the glabrata was nothing more than a symptom of the lyme disease. Now I do not know if you have ever been tested for lyme, but if you have and you only had the usual “CDC” testing which is all that any regular doctor or hospital will test you for, and if it came back negative, then please know that those tests have a 60% false negative accuracy rate, so they cannot be depended on. There are several reasons for this test to show negative when you really have lyme, but that is a discussion for a whole other post. I can tell you that I had three negative CDC Lyme tests done within a two year period and all of them were negative, so I thought I was good. However, I kept getting sicker and sicker like you and finally I did so more investigating on the testing itself, because I knew down deep inside that I fit lyme without a doubt and I knew I had been bitten by a tick a few years back when all this crap started. What I found out was that I needed to get tested by a company called Igenex out of CA, which is CDC approved as a lab and had a 99% accuracy rate on their testing because they use a different method and test for more than one strain ofLyme (there are 75 different strains of Lyme that we know of in the US alone, but the CDC only tests for the two most common ones, however those strains and tests are over 40 years old and do not hold up with evolution anymore). So, I found an intergrative doctor to order the Igenex test and sure enough the test came back positive. Matter of fact it was so positive that my doctor said it lit up like a Christmas tree! I was really sick with Lyme! He also tested me for several other co-infections often seen with lyme and over 6 different other infections showed up positive. I was then sent to a Lyme Literate medical doctor also known as an LLMD. I then began treatment for my lyme and co0infections.
I can tell you that it has been five years now and I am still fighting what is known as chronic lyme, which can happen if you contracted Lyme and did not treat it within the first six months. It is very hard to treat chronic lyme, and for many they will have to treat for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the medical establishment failed me miserably and I am now paying with my health. However, some things have gotten better while others have gotten worse, but I have hope that some day I may get my full life back. Please know there are many with chronic Lyme that do very well with treatment and do get their lives back within a few years, so it is worth treating and you can use herbals or oils for treatment instead of pharmaceutical drugs, most LLMD’s use a combo of both in treatment. Let me also say that even if you do not ever remember getting bitten by a tick, it does not mean that you haven’t been bitten. In studies more than 63% of lyme people never remember ever getting bitten by a tick and that may because they were bitten by a nymph size tick which is the size of a period at the end of this sentence. So, you would have never known you got bit! Also there is still debate as to whether ticks are the only blood meal vectors that transmit lyme through their bite. There are numerous reports especially from other countries of mosquitos, biting spiders, fleas, lice and no seums also carrying Lyme and transmitting it. So, if you have not been tested by Igenex for Lyme I would highly recommend it.
I would also recommend that you do some research on lyme and even join some FB groups, so that you can learn more of how it effects the body and the immune system, so that you can see that your ANA and CRP along with all the other symptoms including brain fog and even glabrata are red flag signs for Lyme and its co-infections. Oh and one last thing, a normal tick can carry over 30 different diseases and we know from studies that ticks have been found to carry up to over 375 different infections, all of which are easily contracted trough the initial bite. They carry infections like viruses (EBV, CMV, Herpes, ect..) they also carry protozoa’s of all kinds (Babesia), they carry bacteria’s of all kinds (like Borrelia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Anamoplasma, mycoplasma, C. pneumonia, rocky mountain spotted fever, ect…) they carry fungi of all kinds (like Glabrata Tropicalis, and candidias), they carry parasites of all kinds (like giardia, fluke worms, filirarious, ect..) so, one tick bite can give an array of infections like glabrata, babesia, bartonella, borrelia and EBV as well as mycoplasma and C. pneumonia (which really isn’t a pneumonia at all), or it could give you a whole other grouping of infections, but you get the picture. So, your glabrata could have easily come from a bite and your other symptoms could have come from some of the other infections that you also contracted from the same bite. So, it is really important that you do your homework and search out an LLMD or an intergrative doctor to consult with and get tested. You want to do this as soon as possible, because if this is what is going on with you, you are only going to get worse with each passing year and the longer you live with these infections (which hide out from your blood making them undetectable by ordinary testing) the harder it becomes to treat them and recover.
Well, I hope this gives you some knowledge on how to treat your Glabrata and hopefully it opens up another area of possibilities to look at as to why you are so ill. I wish you the best and if you figure this out please come back and share what has happened with your health with us. Good Luck
Its interesting you mentioned Lyme as well as EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) because the doc did test me for Lyme and it came back negative but he also tested me for EBV and it did come back positive as well as an elevated WBC. I thought the EBV was just because I had mono when I was 12 years old and the virus was still in my body but it’s funny you mentioned that. Also about the ticks and Lyme because I did live in Arkansas before moving back to TX and we did have ticks in our yard and do remember pulling some off of me at times so you may be on to something there. I am seeing a new doctor tomorrow as I fired the old one – and now going to see an Internal Medicine doctor tomorrow and hope he can help me narrow this down. Thanks for the info and I’ll keep you posted.
Hi Debra,
Thank goodness I came across this page because I’ve been looking and reading different sites. I’ve been diagnosed with C. Glabrata in December of 2016. It started out with an itch I never had it was in November. My doctor had prescribed me Fluconazole and terconazole and yet those have not got rid of it. Right now my doctor is having do Boric acid for two weeks. I just want to get rid of this. It’s stressing me out and on top of that I’am breastfeeding my little one too. I’m just too scared to eat anything because seem like most foods trigger it. Is there a way we can email each other more privately? I hope to hear from you.
Hi Tammy, I did email you so you can contact me.
I need help ! I had utilized started in nov/2017 was on many antibiotics now they tell me I have Interstial Cystits But I learned thru support group to send my urine to micron as the do a DNa testing and will pick up more things then our routine urine tests.. It showed up with this candida gabriela. I am to scared What do I do
Hi Peggy, I am so sorry to hear about what you are going through, but please don’t be scared, this is a treatable infection, it just takes time and some basic knowledge about this specific fungi.
So, first let me educate you on urine cultures and urine DNA testing. They are both great ways to tell what may be living within your bladder and urinary system, however, if the urine was collected by you peeing into a cup, then it can have a high rate of false “positive” bladder infections. You see, in order to collect the urine from the bladder, even if you are doing a “mid-stream” collection, the urine must travel through the vagina on its way out and into the cup you are using to catch it in. This poses a huge problem because the urine is picking up bacteria and fungi as it leaves the urethra and flows through the vagina and then out into the cup. So, the urine ultimately gets cross contaminated with whatever is living in the vagina. Even if you wiped the vaginal area first with the anti-septic cloth before peeing, you will still pick up what is living within the inside of the vagina. For this reason most urologists will do what is called a direct catch from the bladder. It is a simple procedure done right in their offices, where they insert a catheter up through the vagina, into the urethra and then up into the bladder. They then suck up a small amount of urine and pull the catheter back out with the clean urine, which has not been tainted by traveling through the vagina. Now if this procedure was not done in order to collect the urine for the DNA urine test, then there is no way to say with any certainty that the Glabrata infection came from the bladder and not from the vagina, even with the symptoms you are having.
Let me also just say that a bladder infection with Glabrata is highly unusual and most often only seen in women with severe under lying conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, HIV, cancer or are severely immune compromised. It is not usually seen in women who take antibiotics, even long term or large quantities of them. It is also important to say here that those who do get it in the bladder are not only sickly people, but their Glbarata infection almost always started within the vagina, where it was left untreated for a long period of time and then it worked its way up into the urethra and ultimately the bladder. If it does start in the bladder first it is usually caused by a contaminated procedure or instrument placed up into the urinary tract system. So, I know you stated that in 2017 something happened and you were put on many antibiotics, but you used the word “utilized” and I am not sure what you meant by that, so it is hard for me to say if whatever happened to you in 2017, which caused you to have to use many antibiotics could have ultimately contaminated your bladder with Glabrata. Let me also say that an infection ONLY in the vagina with Glabrata can cause urethritis as well as intercystial cystitis symptoms, so it would not be uncommon to have the symptoms you are having with just a vaginal infection with Glabrata.
So, with all that being said, it is very important to figure out where this infection truly is in your body, because that will determine who will need to treat you and how you will be treated. So, the first thing you need to do is make an appt. with a urologist, so they can get a clean catch of urine using a catheter. Then that will need to be cultured and or DNA tested for the Glabrata. Now if you find out that it is truly in your bladder or urethra, then you will need to be treated by an infectious disease doctor, they are usually the only ones who treat “internal” infections of Glabrata. If it truly is in the bladder or urethra, then there are two ways to try and treat it. The first would be to use Voriconazole (which is an oral pill) and you would need to take it for at least six to eight weeks with does of no less than 500mgs a day. Now most infectious disease doctors will want to start you on Diflucan 500mgs. a day, but this should NEVER be done. The reason for this is because Glabrata has an inherent propensity to being resistant to Diflucan, so it has an extremely high failure rate in curing it, especially if the infection is an internal one like the bladder or urethra. The second problem with using Diflucan is that it comes from the same family as Voriconazole and if Diflucan is used first instead of Voriconazole, it not only is known to fail but it will make the Glabrata resistant to all other drugs in the same “azole” family like Voriconazole, wiping out any chances of Voriconazole from ever being able to work. So, please do not let any doctors try and treat you with Diflucan when it comes to Glabrata.
Now, if you do have it in the urinary system and the Voriconazole does not work, then the next step that most ID (infectious disease) doctors would use, would be to place a central line in your chest and treat you daily with IV anti-fungals from a group of anti-fungal drugs known as echinocandins, like micofungin, caspofungin and there are others from this group. Again you would need to do daily IV infusions for six to eight weeks.
Now if for some reason both the Voriconazole and one of the echinocandins failed then there are two last resort ways to treat the infection. The first would be for you to receive Amphotericin B through the IV. Now this is a very dangerous drug when used internally (through the IV), so it would be first started in the hospital to make sure your body could handle it, if it did then you would return home and get daily infusions of it for six to eight weeks. This has one of the highest rate of cures, so it should kill it with no problem. However, there is another safer way of killing it without filling your veins and whole body with this very toxic drug. The other way would be for your infectious disease doctor and your urologist to take you into an operating room and put you under a twilight sedation, then they would take the catheter full of amphotericin B and put it up into your bladder and literally wash out the bladder with ampho B. (I have actually had this done twice and I can tell you that it is a pretty painless procedure, other than some mild irritation and burning from the procedure itself, but not bad at all). It usually only takes one time of doing this to kill the infection, however in hard to treat infections you may need to have the bladder washed out twice with it. The nice thing about this procedure is that the amphotericin B does not get absorbed out of the bladder wall, so it is not risky to your entire body, meaning that there are no real side effects other than some mild irritation from the procedure itself. In studies done on the treatment of bladder Glabrata infections, this procedure has shown to be the most effective with little to no side effects as compared to other forms of treatment. I wish our medical professionals would use this form of treatment as the first line of treatment because it is so effective and does not carry all the risks of serious side effects or permanent injuries that all the rest of the treatments carry, but we unfortunately are not there yet with using this treatment as the first line.
So, that is what should happen if your “clean” urine from a catheter comes back showing Glabrata. Now if your urine is clean, then the infection is actually in your vagina and your last urine DNA test was cross contaminated as it came out. Now, if it is only in the vagina, but still causing you all these bladder and urethra symptoms then treating the infection in the vagina will halt the intercystial cystitis. So, if it is just in the vagina, then you could be treated by your gynecologist, family doctor, naturopath doctor or an infectious disease doctor. Again, Diflucan should never be used to treat this infection, for the same reasons I stated above. With that being said, it should also not be treated with ANY type anti-fungi cream or suppository! This is because topical treatment with these creams (even prescription strength ones) are useless against this specific fungi and by using any of them, you will once again make this infection resistant to ALL “azole” drugs, whether they are in pill or cream form. So, do not let anyone treat you with these things either, this is NOT a candidia species it is known as a “non-candidia” species, so the “usual” treatments for candidia infections are useless against this strain and should never be used because they will ultimately fail and make the infection that much harder to treat. So, If they want to try and treat it with an oral drug then again it should be Voriconazole at the same dosage and for the same length of time as I posted above with the bladder infection. If that should fail or if you want to skip that treatment and go right to what is 99% effective and again without all the serious side effects then you need to ask for the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel. It is gel that has to be compounded and then it gets placed into the vagina for 14 days, without missing a dose. This almost always cures the infection, unless you have an underlying condition like HIV, cancer or are immune compromised. The gel is very safe because of its molecular structure it too cannot be absorbed through the vaginal walls, so there are no known systemic side effects and it has a high cure rate.
So, to sum up what I have said here, you need to first start with a urologist and a clean catheter catch to determine where your infection really is. Then once you know where it is you can find the right doctors to help you treat it correctly, either with oral pills of Voriconazole or by washing out the bladder with amphotericin B ( or amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel for the vagina). No matter where it is located there are treatments to cure it, it just takes time and finding the right doctors. I hope all this information helps you to find the right treatment. I wish you the best!.
Hi everyone. In the New York area here. Has anyone had any luck with a doctor from the US that they can recommend? Even better if in ny. But willing to travel.
Hi Debra,
Did you see my posts of October 21 and 22. Thanks. Deb
Hi Debra,
I have another question. What side effects did you have from the flucytosine and amphotericin b? Thanks. Deb
Hi Debra,
I have a question about the diflucan and flucytosine. Both seem to have fluoride and that is contraindicated after having fluoroquiniolone toxicity. I think you said diflucan doesn’t help candida glabrata, but you can take it if you have to take another antitiobic. I took one diflucan after FQ toxicity and got more symptoms. Also what about the flucytosine if it is is administered topically. Do you think that would cause more FQ symptoms? Thanks. Deb
Hi,
I have been chronically ill for a few years. I have severe gastroparesis and other GI disorders. I have been underweight and malnourished for about a year and a half now. I have been suffereing from various symptoms of candida overgrowth for a while maybe even before I was sick but within the lest 10 months they have gotten extremely worse. I had a comprehensive stool analaysis done where they cultured my stool for weeks and I was found to have candida glabrata in my gut. I have had reoccurring yeast infections that have minimal discharge and the discharge is more white/grey milky like. I have vaginal itching and burning. I have had severe acne and little tiny bumps all over my face for 10 months. Bad itching on my legs without rash. After finding out I had candida in my gut I didn’t realize that there were different types of candida. I thought it was all one type and I don’t think my doctor realizes the difference between the types. My functional medicine doctor put me on an herbal supplement called yeastinol. My candida symptoms have only gotten worse. I developed very severe itching all over my legs especially around the knees. My acne has gotten even worse. My vaginal infection is constant. I have severe GI symptoms and due to my gastroparesis I have been on a very high carb/sugar diet. I am unable to follow a candida diet because I cannot digest most solid food without getting sick. I continued to lose even more weight and my doctor had to put me on am elemental liquid formula which is very high carb/sugar. My candida has gotten worse since doing the elemental formula. I have been on it for over a month because it is the only nutrition I am able to tolerate with my gastroparesis. I am on remeron which I was told can suppress my immune system. I have low WBC,RBC, hemoglobin and platelets for a while now. I am very sick and house ridden. I only just discovered last night when looking back at my test result and finding that the candida I have is glabrata and it started in my gut I believe due to my severe GI dysfunction and immune dysfunction. I am afraid it is too late for me as I have many complications and am very underweight, malnourished, and immunocompromised. I believe my candida glabrata is spreading rapidly and I do not know how my body will ever fight this off given my conditions.
Hi Joanna, I am so sorry to hear how ill you are and how much you are going through. I can try to give you some guidance here and hopefully help you get more informed on a few different issues so that you can help your doctors to help you.
So, first let me put some of your fears to rest because you don’t need the added worry with everything else you are going through. You see, Glabrata, it is not a type of fungi that you could live very long with if it managed to enter into any of your internal organs or even blood. This is a fast moving and very serious fungi strain, unlike other forms of candidia. Let me also say here that Glabrata is NOT a candidia, it is known as a NON-CANDIDIAS fungi, which is completely different than other candidia strains or even other types of fungi. So, let me explain, if candidia entered into your gut, within days you would be doubled over, laying in the fetal position crying out for help. Within a week you would be seeking out medical help from your doctor or showing up in an ER. Within two weeks you would need IV narcotics to control the pain, because it would be beyond anything you have ever experienced before in your life. Your abdomen would be very distended and you would now be facing severe diarrhea and or vomiting. You would also be bleeding possibly out of both ends. By this point the doctors would be in a rush to figure out what was happening to you. Let me just say that Glabrata of the gut is known to kill its victims within 30 days or less depending on the persons health prior to contracting it there. I do believe that the longest known person to live with it in the gut lasted 45 days and believe me when I say it would have been the most horrific 45 days of that persons life. I had it in the gut and within 12 days of it entering there I was hospitalized with IV narcotics that didn’t even come close to making the pain go away. I was also filling the toilet the blood continually and could not hold down even ice chips. I can tell you too that if Glabrata got into any other internal organs you would be looking at a 30 day time frame before your life would be in jeopardy and if somehow it managed to enter your blood it would kill in approximately 48 hours, making it an extreme emergency. Now with that being said, let me say that people who get it in vital organs and especially their blood are usually people that are extremely ill to begin with. These are people who have HIV, end stage cancer, are on serious immunosuppressive drugs or have very seriously out of control blood sugars. This usually does not happen to people who are immune compromised due to poor health, low dose steroid use or even low maintenance chemo drugs. For someone like that to get it there would need to be other extenuating factors involved for them to get it in a vital organ. So, I am trying to tell you that yours is not in your gut at this time and I am going to explain that in a minute.
Now, when it comes to topical or what is also referred to as mucosal Glabrata,( which would encompass the vagina, the anus, the skin, ears, eyes, mouth and throat) anyone has the potential to contract it there, as long as the conditions are right. The types of conditions that can allow for someone to get it in these areas would be things like taking a broad spectrum antibiotic with or without steroids, over use of “azole” drugs (Fluconazole also known as Diflucan, monostat cream or other vaginal or skin anti-fungal creams), out of control blood sugars for diabetics, chronic bacterial infections that are getting treated with antibiotics (even non-broad spectrum ones), unprotected sex with someone who is infected with it, dirty medical instruments infected with it, poor health, other underlying medical conditions the person has or may have that the do not even realize. There are a lot of reasons that someone can get it and at this time in science we really do not know all the ways, however we know the persons immune system plays an important role in allowing it to grow.
So, I understand that they cultured your stool and found Glabrata, so let me explain this to you. Stool tests especially comprehensive ones are great for finding a lot of things that may be wrong with your gut, however when it comes to Glabrata, this test is worthless. It is also NOT used at all to look for Glabrata in the gut. The reason for this is because Glabrata does not just sit on the mucosal surface, like candidias.. Glabrata hooks itself into the mucosal walls and then roots itself into the nerves within the tissues. This is why the pain is beyond anything you can imagine. It is for this same reason that you will not usually find it in the stool. To find it in the gut your doctor would need to do a colonoscopy and or endoscopy and would need to take biopsies and cultures from the inside.
So, now you are probably asking why did it show it up in your stool culture? Well, a stool test is done from the stool that comes out of your rectum and the rectum is very closely positioned to your vagina, which from what you are writing here appears to be infected and is almost always the culprit when Glabrata is found in the stool. Whether you realize it or not, the discharge, however little it is – will spread to the rectal area whenever you have vaginal Glabrata. It gets there via your underwear, panty liners, wiping, washing and while laying down. From the symptoms you are writing here, you definitely sound like you have it in the vagina and it sounds like it has probably been there for some time, which would definitely cause it to spread to the rectal area, which in turn would cause what is known as cross contamination on any urine or stool tests you would have. So, even though you have GI issues, which are complicating your health and even your immune system, I can tell you that you would not be writing me right now if it was truly in your gut or even anywhere else in your body. Instead what you have is a very serious vaginal infection that needs to be cultured and dealt with. Let me also reassure you that Glabrata in any of the mucosal areas of your body almost never spreads to vital organs or your blood, even if the infection is left untreated for a lengthy period or time. Now this is not to say that if other factors were to come into play that it couldn’t move into a more serious internal infection, but it is rare and usually it takes a “perfect storm” for that to happen. So, I want to try and reassure you that it is not to late for you, and this Glabrata infection is NOT going to kill you, now that is not to say that it is not going to make you life miserable but it is not going to kill you.
So, now that I have explained that to you, let me give you the information you need to start getting better. First, you need to go to your gynecologist and ask to be tested for any and ALL infections, like bacterial, yeast, STD’s and also specifically for Glabrata as well as for ALL other rare fungi. It is important to ask your doctor to run a specific Glabrata and rare fungi tests because these tests take special culture sticks as well as special mediums and dyes, so they need to specify this on this sheet sent to the lab. Now if your doctor says a normal yeast test will check for it, please tell them “NO it won’t” and then tell them to please call the lab and ask how to test for it because it is done with different culture sticks. If you doctor does not know how to culture for it, again tell them to call the lab and ask them, they will be able to tell them what they need and how to do it. Any gynecologist or even a PCP can do this test, except possibly a county health clinic, planned parenthood or small town doctor. You will also want to ask your doctor to run what is called a MIC test on any positive cultures they find. This test tells your doctor what drugs your strain is resistant to and what drugs it is not resistant to. It also can tell them how much of a drug may be needed to kill the strain you have. This is really important to know because it will help to determine which drugs are going to work best in treating it.
Let me also stop here and tell you that you need to be tested for all types of infections including STD’s. This is because Glabrata has the ability to live alongside any and all other types of organisms. It can live with both bacterial as well as other fungi because it can adapt to any PH environment and usually the reason you get Glabrata is because you more than likely had another infection in the area prior to the Glabrata. So, you need to know if there is another infection living with it or even an STD. If you do have other infections of any kind (except fungi) you will need to treat those first before attempting to treat the glabrata. The reason for this is because the antibiotics you will use to treat bacteria’s or STD’s will only cause the Glabrata to come right back, and you only get so many chances to kill this beast with any meds before it adapts and becomes resistant. So, make sure to treat other infections first and then treat the Glabrata last. One last thing here, if you have candidias or other strains of fungi but no bacteria or STD’s then you can treat with the ampho B gel right away because it will kill all types of fungi at the same time.
Now when the test comes back, if it is positive, you will need to talk to your doctor about the MIC report and decide which drugs to use to kill it. The important thing to know here is that most if not all strains of Glabrata are either resistant or dose related for any and all “Azole” drugs. So, if your report states that your strain is resistant or dose dependent to any of the azoles, then you want to ask to be treated with the ampho B/ Flucytosine gel. You especially want to use this gel and skip any and all azoles drugs if you have been chronically using Diflucan (Fluconazole), Monostat creams or other candidias type drugs, because then Glabrata will definitely already be of no use to you, even if your MIC report states that it is dose dependent (I won’t go into the reason for that here because this already so long). So, don’t waste your time with these drugs, which could ultimately make your situation much worse and from what you are saying you have been using here, I would say that these are not going to do you any good and are already making your situation worse. So, make sure to ask about doing the gel. It is very safe due to its molecular make-up, so it is not able to be absorbed into the mucosa, which means it will not cause systemic side effects. The only side effects you may experience will be some stinging or burning, but that should end within about 15 minutes of putting it into the vagina. After that it should soothe the area. You will need to use this gel for 14 nights and you cannot miss a night or you will give glabrata a chance to adapt to it and then to become resistant. You also need to make sure that the gel is made correctly or again it can and will become resistant to it. Now if your doctor does not know about the Amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel and does not know how to make it, then you can download the studies that I can email you and bring them into your doctor. Most doctors will have no problem writing this script, and it must be compounded so you will also need to find a compound pharmacy that can obtain the ingredients and make it for you. If you have any problems with any of this, please let me know and I will help you to find what you need. I will send you an email tomorrow so you can reach me if you need to.
When using the gel you will also need to put a small amount on your finger tip and also rub it up from the vaginal area to the rectum and then right around the rectum as well as right into it. This will kill it in this area too.
Now I understand you have many other issues with your gastroparesis that are going to make treating this infection much harder and it will also be more difficult to keep it from coming back, but I can try to give you some things to talk to your GI docs about with this too. I also suffer with GI issues, I have crohns but I do not have the “usual” or “typical” crohns. I have EDS which causes gastroparesis and due to that I suffer from the constipation form of crohns (which is a form of gastroparesis too) . I too have been on an elemental diet as well as TPN, which is all sugar too. I too fight malnutrition and have been severely under weight (my lowest weight was 87lbs.) and I take steroids daily and have been on chemo drugs and biologics and I am dealing with several other health issues, so I know what it is like to be immunocompromised too. I have spent many years being bed ridden and still struggle most days, but things have gotten better with some stuff and yours will too. Believe me this infection will not kill you nor will your other health conditions, you just need to figure out how to get everything managed correctly and that takes time, you getting educated so you can work with your doctors and finding doctors that are knowledgeable and willing to work with you. Once you have that your journey to getting better will happen, so there is hope and you have to believe it and know you are NOT at the end. So, with that being said, I may be able to give you somethings to help with this too. However, it is very late tonight and I have written quite a bit already so I will email you tomorrow with that information, but hopefully what I have written here tonight will at least alieve some of your fears and give you hope that you are not at the end, you can and will get better, however it is a journey, but one that you can and will make. I will send you an email tomorrow, good night for tonight.
Dear Debra,
Is there any way that I can contact you as I need help! I am grateful for whatever time you can give~~
Joanna, I am so sorry this happened to you. Please take a look at the Candida Support and Information Group on facebook. There are people on there that have the same type of candida and are talking about how to recover from it. Good luck to you! sending positive vibes
Debra if you have any input about my situation I am anxiously awaiting it. As I explained I do have a rare lung disease and I certainly don’t want this candia to go there. I am really scared and if you could email me at my email address I would greatly appreciate it. thank you in advance.
Hi Jo Ann, I am sorry you are going through this and I understand your concern and fear, so let me see if I can help to relieve some of your fear and point you in the right direction.
So, let me start by saying that I am not understanding why your doctor would have put you on Diflucan pills for a fungal infection of the mouth or throat and that includes even a simple candidia infection in this area. I say this because oral anti-fungal pills do not reach the tissues of the mouth, even though you take them through the mouth. Once you swallow them they have to go through the liver where they get metabolized and then sent out through the circulatory system and dispersed to certain areas of the body. However, there are areas of the body that these meds never reach, like the mouth, anus, skin or eyes and work poorly in other areas such as the genitals , so they are poor to useless as a treatment in these areas of the body. Because of this we have anti-fungal drugs made specifically for these areas which are site dependent, meaning they work directly where they are put. So, for a skin infection you would use an anti-fungal cream made specifically for the skin, for the genital area you have inter vaginal creams made for that area, for the eyes you have eye drops made for that area and for the mouth and throat you have mouth lozenges or mouth rinses made specifically for that area. So, why they gave you oral pills for a mouth and throat infection makes no sense and I am not surprised that you have not seen any improvement.
So, let me say I do not know what kind of specialist you seen but most doctors who treat immune compromised people who use steroids, chemo or biologics are very well versed in treating these kinds of infections with the correct drugs and that is because they happen quite often in this population of ill people. Infectious disease doctors are also very versed in how to correctly treat these kinds of infections too because once again they are quite common in people who are immune compromised for all kinds of reasons. So, I am not sure what kind of specialist you seen, but apparently they were the wrong kind of doctor because they did not know how to commonly treat a mouth and throat fungal infection. The correct first line of treatment for a normal candidias infection of the mouth and throat would be to prescribe Nystatin mouth wash and rinse (however, this only works on a regular candidias fungal infections of the mouth or throat). This would be the first line of treatment for candidias, now if that failed and it often can especially in immune compromised people then the second line of defense would be to prescribe what are called Troches or lozenges of Diflucan. This is used as a second line treatment in normal candidias and a first line of treatment in Glabrata infections of the mouth and throat. A troche is like a big chalky lozenge that you place on your tongue and let it dissolve with your saliva, then you swish it around the mouth and swallow. You are not to drink or eat anything for up to a half hour after using this. You also usually use one to two of these lozenges a day for 7 to 10 days. You should see the infection begin to clear within about three days, but you have to take the full course to make sure you have killed it fully.
Now, the Diflucan lozenges may not work and there a few reasons for that. So, let me explain why, first you are fighting a stealth organism that is completely different than candidias, secondly you are immune compromised and have been for quite awhile and finally because you probably do not have the opportunity to come off of the immune suppressing drugs while you treat this infection and this last reason is going to be your biggest problem. You see when a cancer patient gets one of these infections they are usually pulled of their chemo agents until the infection is taken care of. Many people who suffer with autoimmune diseases of all kinds (and I am one of them) are also pulled off of treatment too, until the infection is taken care of. The thinking is that it is better to stop the treatment for two weeks and take a chance that the under lying condition may flare, then it is to try and treat the infection without any immune support because of the suppressive drugs. Most patients including cancer ones usually do fine for the two weeks it takes to cure the infection. This is always the optimal way to treat any kind of infection especially one like Glabrata which is known to be very difficult to treat with an intact immune system. So, I would suggest first and foremost that you have a discussion with your doctors about the possibility of stopping your steroids and chemo drugs for the two weeks needed to treat this infection. I say this too because Glabrata is an organism that has the ability to adapt very quickly to the meds used to treat it and we only have two drugs available to treat it in the mouth and throat at this time. That means you only get a few chances with any drug to treat it before it becomes resistant to it and leaves you with no way to combat it. Also because Glabrata is so hard to treat and kill, it really is important for your own immune system to be able to kick in and help with any drug you take to fight it.
So, if the first line of defense for mouth and throat Glabrata fails. (Diflucan lozenges) then you move on to the mother drug and the last resort which would be Amphotericin B mouth wash and rinse. Now this mouth wash will kill it dead in its tracks and is used in the hard to treat cases with people who are severely compromised like HIV and end stage cancer patients, but if your doctors are worried about it spreading from your mouth or throat to the GI area which would be your stomach because with it being in your throat too it is already considered esophageal, so the stomach would be the next area it would spread to (which would be unlikely due to stomach acid, but it could happen with the drugs you are on) then they may want to skip the diflucan lozenges and go right to the ampho B mouth wash and rinse. Let me also say that even with it in your mouth and throat and you being immune compromised it is highly unlikely that it would spread to the lungs and if it did, it is not something that is going to happen over night if ever. So, I want to relieve your fear about this. Glabrata of the mouth and throat usually does not go anywhere else in the body (even when you are immune compromised), it is also one of the easiest areas of the body next to the skin to successfully treat it. This is because your mouth is always opening and allowing light and air in making it more difficult for the Glabrata to live and spread.
Let me also tell you I have been where you are at, I have crohns along with some other health conditions too and I have used steroids for over thirty years, I have also used chemo drugs daily as well as biologics and after I wrote this article I went on to develop Glabrata in my mouth and throat twice. So, I know all to well what you are going through. I did use the troches but they failed for me, so we went right to the ampho B mouth wash and it began to clear it up within two days and it was gone within a week, but I remained on the mouth wash for the full course of 10 days. I was also pulled off of all of my immune suppressing drugs while I went through treatment and I did fine. Once we knew the Glabrata was gone I went right back on my meds.
Now the amphotericin B mouth wash is used quite a bit by HIV people and cancer patients. It gets used not just for Glabrata but also for hard to treat candidias as well as other types of fungal infections in both the HIV and cancer populations. Any doctor who treats cancer patients as well as infectious disease doctors know all about ampho B mouth wash, this is NOT an “out of the box”. or “out of the norm” treatment for them. Unfortunately, when Glabrata shows up in the vaginal area the use of ampho B in a compounded gel IS out of the “norm” which is why so many women have a hard time finding the treatment. So having it in your mouth should not be hard to get it prescribed, although I think you may have to find another doctor because the one you have doesn’t even seem to have the basic knowledge on how to treat any kind of a fungal infection in the mouth and I am sorry you came across a doctor like this.
Let me also tell you that most pharmacy’s like Walgreens and CVS are able to make this mouth wash, however, most have to order the mix, which can take a few days to a week. Once they get in they will mix it up with water and then keep it cold until you pick it up. When you get it home it is very important to use it according to directions, which are going to tell you to swish it in your mouth for at least three minutes then slowly swallow it. You will do this three times a day for ten days. After swishing with it you MUST NOT drink or eat anything for up to a half hour. You need to be consistent with taking it every six hours and at the same time each day. I can tell you since I have used it myself, it stains everything yellow, so do not let it drip on counters or your clothes and if you are wondering about the taste I can tell you it does not taste the greatest but its not as bad as the Diflucan troches (YUCK!!!) I can also tell you that it does not burn the mouth or throat either, it actually will soothe the tissues as it covers them. It must be kept refridgerated at all times and do not use a metal spoon with it because it changes the structure of it. Also and this is very important, it has a 15 day shelf life, and you will only need it for ten of those days but you must discard it after the 15th day because it will be no good, so make sure to start it right away and whatever you do – DO NOT miss a dose or a day because Glabrata only needs one chance to gain hold and adapt to the medicine, so you do not want to give it that chance.
Finally, I want to give you some sage advice since we are in somewhat of the same boat. If you are already not doing this, then I highly suggest you start some of the things I am going to tell, so that you can prevent this from coming back and it can, especially because of your immune status. First you need to be drinking at least 4ozs. of Keifer daily and you need to swish it around your mouth and swallow slowly, you should do this at least twice a day. The keifer has 100 times more probiotics then any pill or yogurt you could take. This will keep your mouth coated with the necessary probiotics to ward off another infection. Secondly , you need to cut the sugars even natural ones like stevia and honey down to near nothing, because they make your mouth a perfect PH breading ground for all types of fungus. If you do eat something sugary then you need to rinse your mouth right afterwards with water and brush your teeth if possible. Thirdly, and this one is very important, NEVER EVER chew gum or suck on candy, not even ones that are sugar free, this is a sure fire way to get this infection or even candidias right back. Fourth, NEVER EVER use mouth wash with alcohol in it, because it wipes out your good bacteria, which is needed to prevent and fight off infections like this, it also dries out the tissues and changes the PH of the mouth. Finally, and you probably already do this just because you are sick, but I will mention it anyway, you need to eat a healthy “clean” diet, with mostly meats, veggies and fruits and try to eat fruits low in sugars like berries of any kinds or green apples, stay away from melons of all kinds because they are full of sugars as well as red apples and bananas (if you do eat them from time to time rinse your mouth afterwards with water) and make sure to drink plenty of water, it is very important to keep your mouth moist, but stay away from sugary drinks like soda, fruit juices and lattes.
Well I hope this relieves some of your fears and guides you in getting the right treatment. I hope I have given you all the info you need and again I would seriously suggest talking with your doctor about pausing your treatments for two weeks to get this infection cured, it really will make the treatment more successful and you will lower your risk of it not only failing but coming right back. If you need anything else or want to speak to me privately just let me know and I will email you. I wish you all the best with treating this infection and with your other health problems.
Everything I am reading is mostly about vaginal candia glabrala but mine is in my mouth. I am immune comprimised and take steroids daily and chemo once a week now for 11 years. I have had this mess for 3 months and saw a specialist at Duke Hospital last week. She put me on diflucan 200 mg. daily for 14 dats then 100 mg for 14 days and then taper down but I have seen no improvement, In fact I am seeing more white spots in the back of my throat. I have a rare lung disease and have to take the steroids and chemo so I do not know what to do. Can you lead me in the right direction? Thank you so much in advance.
Hi Deb, I am so sorry I am just now for the first time seeing this post. So, I do not know if you found a place already to get the cultures done, but if not let me tell you that any gynecologist or even a PCP has the capabilities of running these cultures, you just have to ask them to run them. The only place that you might not be able to get them is in a small rural clinic or a public health department clinic, but all other places that run vaginal cultures have the ability to run these too, you just have to ask the doctor to culture for them. If your doctor has never run a glabrata or other rare fungal cultures before they may not know which culture sticks to use but they can easily find out that information by calling the lab they use. The lab will let them know which stick to use, there are different sticks for different kinds of infections this is because the sticks are soaked in different mediums to keep the organisms alive, so it is important to know which one to use and again if your doctor does not know which one to use she / he can easily call the lab for that information.
I hope this helps you if you have not already found this information out. again I am very sorry I did not see this post sooner. I wish you the best
Hi,
Can you please tell me the specific symptoms of a vaginal glabrata infection? If anyone can get to NYC Dr. Mortan Teich (212) 988-1821 is an expert in all candida/glabrata and gut health. He can also complete the cultures in his office….
Hi Debra,
I noticed in one of your posts someone should get a bacterial culture, regular fungal culture and rare fungal culture to see if they might have glabrata or other issues.
Do you know the best place or any places in Atlanta to get these three types of cultures or do you know where else could I look?
Thanks.
Deb
Hi Debra,
I’m so glad I found your story. You truly are an amazing person and I can’t thank you enough for sharing all your knowledge about this beast. I can’t believe the doctors know almost nothing about it.
When I got my test back, I didn’t know glabrata was so different from albicans so I looked for regular candida treatment and tried oregano oil with organic coconut oil on the vulva and garlic in the vagina. Of course it didn’t stop the itching and burning so I stopped the treatment (my gyn prescribed me nystatine before I even got my results back and told me to use it right after the swab but at that time I had no symptoms except a greenish discharge so I wasn’t worried) Now my thighs, belly and hands are also very itchy. I feel like it’s spreading so my first question is:
– can C.Glabrata spread on the skin like that and if so what can I do to get rid of it on theses areas?
I’m also wondering (sorry I feel like it’s a dumb question but I’m so worried about all that)
– is it necessary to disinfect every areas where I sat? Like the toilet seat or a fabric chair
Thank you
Hi Sophie,
I am so sorry that you are going through this nightmare too. It is sad doctors really have no knowledge of this type of infection and with it becoming so common it is really time that the medical schools start teaching more about it. I hope one day it all doctors will know as much about this as they do about regular candidias.
Unfotrunately, as you have found out alternative or out of the box homeopathic treatments have no efficacy when it comes to this specific infection. That is basically because it is NOT a candidias and its structured in such a way that it can adapt and survive in any type of environment such as alkaline or acidic. Almost all fungal treatments including homeopathic ones are based on changing the PH environment, therefore making the environment less hospitable for the organism to survive. This is also why Glabrata is one of the few types of fungi that can live alongside both bacteria and other species of fungi as well as STD’s. This is what makes this specific infection so difficult treat and kill.
So, before I try to answer your question let me just say that a greenish discharge is NOT indicative of Glabrata. Usually with Glabrata the discharge is white, clear or a grayish color, so with you having a greenish discharge I would suspect that there is another infection living alongside of your Glabrata. This goes back to what I was saying about this infection being able to live alongside other types of infections. So, my suggestion to you, is to make sure that your doctor has run cultures and tests for all other infections, such as bacteria’s, other fungi species (even abnormal ones) as well as all types of STD’s. Now I do not know if you have been using other types of treatments that may have changed the discharge color, things like homeopathic oils, herbs or creams, so this could also be what is playing into the greenish color, but to make sure you are only dealing with Glabrata, make sure to have all other infections checked for. Then let me also suggest that from this point forward you do NOT use any type of alternative or homeopathic creams, gels, soaps, oils, herbs, ect… I say this because they will not work and in many cases can cause secondary infections or exacerbate the Glabrata infection and make it even harder to treat with the correct drugs.
So, your doctor prescribed you Nystatin prior to the culture coming back for Glabrata, which at this point was really not a bad thing and here is why. Nystatin used to be the “go to drug” with this infection but unfortunately, this species has learned over the decades to alter itself so that it is resistant to it. However, just because it is resistant does not mean it will not knock the infection back some, giving you some minor relief until you can obtain a more effective drug. So, using it while not knowing you had Glabrata was not going to make a difference in the strength of the infection, nor was it going to make it resistant, seeing as though it already is. At best it was going to buy you some relief for a short period of time. However, from what you are saying here, it sounds as though it did not even give you that, which in some cases it won’t but you are also saying (if I am understanding you correctly) that it not only did not help you some but, it caused you to start itching through your thighs, belly and hands. Which is what is making you now wonder if you have spread the Glabrata to these areas. So, let me try to answer this for you.
First Glabrata is NOT known to spread to the belly or hands in people who do NOT have very serious under lying immune problems, such as cancer, HIV, uncontrolled “severe” diabetes, etc.. However, if your infection is really bad and producing a lot of discharge the discharge itself if left sitting in your underwear can spread the infection to the outside vulva area, up to the butt crack, around the anus and even down the inner thighs. This would not be abnormal, but that is because the discharge is sitting on this areas for a period of time, not just touching it for a few seconds or minutes, like on your hands and belly. If it did infect these areas they will not only itch but also burn and the skin would be reddened, inflamed and could even be blistered. So, I really do not think that your Glabata infection is the cause of the itching that you are experiencing on your belly and hands and maybe not even on the inner thighs. So, before I go into what I think is happening let me just say that if for some reason your immune system was severely compromised and somehow allowed this infections to spread to those areas they would have to be treated with ampho B gel that is specifically made for skin infections of this type. In order to know if the Glabrata has actually spread to these areas you would have to see a dermatologist, who need to do a scraping or biopsy of the infected area and test it for Glabrata. If it came back positive, then they would treat that area with an ampho B cream that we do have available for skin infections of Glabrata as well as other rare fungi species. It is very rare but it does happen, but again it is usually seen in very ill people.
So, here is what I think may be going on and I would seriously suggest that you talk with your doctor about this immediately. It sounds like you are having an allergic reaction to the Nystatin, which can cause a pruritis (itching) to the areas it is applied to or that come in contact with it. Seeing as though you are using your hands to apply the cream as well as washing the area and wiping the area when you go to the bathroom, it would make sense why your having itching on the hands. The same would go for the inner thighs, because as it leaks out of you it can come in contact with these areas, even if it gets on your underwear when you pull them up and down you are smearing some of it on your inner thighs, so again it is coming into contact with these areas. As for your vaginal area, you would not know that you are reacting with itching from it because you already itch there from the Glabrata, so you would not realize that – that area too is experiencing a reaction. When it comes to your belly itching, that actually concerns me the most, because if you are not somehow spreading the nystatin to that area by hand then your body is absorbing some of the vaginal Nystatin and your immune system is beginning to react systemically. You see, when the body begins to have any kind of a systemic reaction to a drug or something it sees as offending, one of the first places to break out with a rash is usually the abdomen. So, it is quite concerning to me that you may be having an allergic reaction that is getting worse and could become more serious in time. So, I would really encourage you to call your doctor and let them know what is going on as soon as possible. I cannot tell you to stop this med because I am not a doctor but I would really tell you to take action as soon as possible to stop this reaction. You may also want to take some Benadryl and let me say if the Benadryl stops the itching you can then bet this is what is going on and then you MUST talk to your doctor right away. Let me also just say that if the Benadryl works then it is NOT the spread of Glabrata, because it will do nothing for the itch caused by Glabrata.
So, let me answer your last question, which was “is it necessary to disinfect areas where I sit?” The answer to this is “no” you do not have to disinfect areas like your toilet seat or bath tub or chairs any more than you would normally do it. Meaning you do not have to disinfect it every time you sit on it or in it. Here is why, you see a normal healthy person (your husband or children or friends) who use these facilities will not come down with Glabrata just by sitting on the seat or in the tub, nor will washing your clothes or towels with everyone else’s spread it to them. This is because Glabrata is already everywhere in our environment and we are exposed to it much like we are exposed to candidias. What allows some to come down with it like you, is that there was an internal breakdown in the immune systems ability to fight it off, like it does with other organisms we come in contact with. So, for most who get this infection they were already ill with another infection or illness, whether they knew it or not at the time (in the vagina or somewhere else in the body), they could have been taking a broad spectrum antibiotic (which wipes out healthy flora needed to fight these kinds of infections), they could have been using steroids for some other illness within the body (steroids lower the immune systems ability to fight off all sorts of infections especially stealth infections like Glabrata), or they were suffering from cancer or another autoimmune disease, so they were using immune suppressing drugs which lowered their ability to fight off all kinds of infections they come in contact with. Finally, the people who are not healthy with things like diabetes and whose blood sugars are terribly out of control tend to not be able to fight off these kinds of infections because it not only lowers their immune systems ability to fight off infections but the high levels of sugars in their systems feed fungi infections like this. Now, even if someone has any of these immune lowering things going on, it still does not mean they will come down with this infection, however it makes them more prone to it. But they still have to come in contact with the fungi internally or for a long period of time, not just through skin touching it, unless there is a break in the skin, like and open sore. So, just like I was saying for you, it is not normal or usual even for you right now with this infection to have it spread to your hands or belly, etc.. It will usually only spread on your skin if it is in constant contact with the discharge coming out of your vaginal area, but even for you to touch the discharge while cleaning yourself or wiping, it would not spread to your own hands if you washed them afterwards. So, even for you to sit on your toilet seat again and again without cleaning it is not going to cause you to re-infect your skin on your butt or legs, even having the infection and a lowered immune system from it right now still will not do this. So, you will not spread it to others either by them sitting on your toilet seat, chairs or using your tub or towels (as long as your towels are clean when they use them). The only way that you could potentially spread this to someone is to have unprotected sex, but even that is not easy to do or to not wash your hands then prepare food and serve it to others, and again they still would need to be immune compromised for their bodies not to fight it off too. So, please do not worry about spreading this or even re-infecting yourself. Just remember to always wash your underwear, rags and towels in very hot water with soap before using them again and clean your bathroom at least once a week with a bleaching agent. Also make sure to always wash your hands after using the bathroom (I’m sure I probably did not even have to state this one, lol!) Other than that do not worry you are fine.
Well I hope this answers your questions and makes you feel a little less scared about what is going on. I would also once again encourage you to talk to your doctor right away about the itching you are experiencing and the possibility of it being an allergic reaction to the Nystatin, this is really very important because Glabrata does not spread to areas like that. I also hope you can get your doctor to prescribe the ampho B / flucytosine gel for you, which should clear up your infection within 14 days. Once again I would also talk to your doctor about checking for any other infections because Glabrata is not known to cause a greenish discharge, this sounds more like you have a bacterial infection or an STD going on too, which must be dealt with prior to the Glabrata or treating the Glabrata will more difficult and you risk getting it back when you go back to treat any other infections. Well, good luck to you and if you have any other questions please let me know and I will try to answer what I can.
Hi there,
I am from Germany and after more than a year a dermatologist found out, that I have a Glabrata-Vaginitis. All started 1,5 years ago, when I was treated with Cipro against a bladder infection.
My problem also is, that I have severe digestion problems, so I guess the C. Glabrata is also in my guts. Where you treated with Amphotericin B internallly to eliminate the C. Glabrata in your guts? Or did you just do the diet?
I am on fluconazole 800 per day now, for more than two weeks… in addition I got a creme that attacks glabrata.
I am a little bit worried, since I was treated with a lower dose of fluconazole (100g the first three days, then once a week), so I fear that the glabrata is already resistent.
But maybe I am lucky, I try to stay positive!
Thank you in advance for your reply!
Hi Tempura, so sorry you are going through this, it is a beast of an infection to get, but please know that it is treatable and you will get better soon. To answer your questions, yes I was treated with Amphotericin B internally but it was after they had tried several other less toxic drugs internally. Drugs like Caspofungin and micofungin and those were used only after I had failed oral Diflucan and Voriconazole, so it took a long time before I was put Amphotericin B. However, the IV drugs for Glabrata did NOT treat the vaginal Glabrata infection and that is because IV drugs go through the entire system before reaching the vaginal area, so by the time it reaches that area it has lost most of its potency and the vaginal area has few blood vessels and no large ones, so it is very hard to treat this area with any kind of an IV drug. For this reason I still had to use the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel in that area.
Now I understand that you are having a lot of GI problems, but it does not necessarily mean that it is Glabrata in the gut, you more than likely are having GI issues due to high doses of Fluconazole that you are taking, it can be hard on the gut especially at the dose that you are taking, which by the way is a correct dose for treating Glabrata, but it has to be given for no less than five to eight weeks. So, I hope they are prescribing it for that long. You may want to talk to your doctor about the GI problems so that they are aware of it and maybe they can prescribe something to help soothe the gut. Make sure you are taking a good probiotic too because anti- fungal drugs can mess up the GI system just as bad as antibiotics too. If it does not get better within a few weeks of stopping the drug then you will probably need to have a GI work-up and stool tests done to make sure that you do not something else going on besides Glabrata. Usually if Glabrata attacks the gut the pain is very severe and it creates chronic diarrhea and even vomiting and quite often with blood. It will become pretty severe within a short amount of time causing you to not be able to eat and to lose weight and to become dehydrated, so if any of this starts to happen you will need to contact your doctor right away.
Now you said you were also treating the vaginal area with a cream that is suppose to kill it, but I do not know what cream you are using, because the only cream that is truly effective in killing it in the vaginal area is the amphotericin B / Flucystosine gel, if this is what you are using then you are definitely on the right track, but if it is another “Azole” drug it more than likely will not kill it and there is a high probability that it will return within weeks of stopping the cream, I hope this is not the case for you, but please know it would be common. It was not great that you were treated with a low dose of Diflucan prior to this higher dose, but that does not always mean that it will become resistant to it, there is that risk, but like you said you could be the lucky one and I hope you are. Resistance would be more probable if you had been treated repeatedly with a low dose of Diflucan several times, but if it was only once you may be ok.
If you find that the infection returns within weeks after stopping all the meds than there is no point in using the same drugs again, because that I the sign that it is not killing the infection but instead just knocking it back and after a few more uses of it, the drugs will not even be able to do that. So, if I does return you will want to talk to your doctor about prescribing the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel. The studies on its use and the formula to make it is listed on here farther down. You can click on the links and down load them to take to your doctor. The gel will definitely kill it within 14 days, but you will still need to alter diet at least for awhile as well as your heigene habits, to lesson the chance of it coming back. Also please know that once you get this infection you are always susceptible to getting it back, so if you have to use antibiotics ever again, make sure you definitely need first and then ask for ones that are not broad spectrum if at all possible and then you MUST be pretreated with Diflucan for at least four days prior to starting them and then you must continue to use the Diflucan the entire time you are taking the antibiotics and for up to ten days after you have stopped the antibiotics. Now the Diflcuan may not kill the infection once you get it, but it does work pretty well to prevent it while on antibiotics. You can also use Nystatin to pretreat with too.
Well, I hope I answered your questions here and have given you the info you need to help you incase what you are working does not kill it, but I really hope you are one of the lucky ones, and please know it does happen. Good luck to you and let us know how things turn out.
Thank you so much for your detailed reply!
My guts have been bad for over a year now, it all started about the same time… Here in Germany most of the studies say 2-3 weeks fluconazole against Glabrata, but I will talk to my doctor on wednesday and I also will ask him about the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel.
I also changed my diet, and added propiotics etc…
I will keep you posted, thank you again!
On German websites there is not much information about Glabrata, neither about the connection to Cipro. Your website helped a lot to understand what is going on with me…
One more question:
Do you know how they mix the gel in the USA? Because here in Germany, Flucytosine is only available as a solution… so do they mix the two solutions in lube?
And the Flucytosine alone costs 300 Euros…
Thank you so much for your replies!!!
Here in the USA we Flucytosine comes in a capsule and the pharmacist opens the capsule and empties the powder into the gel base along with the amphotericin B powder. So, I am not sure you could use a solution because it would be to watery and may not mix with the gel. This is something you would have to talk to a pharmacist about. I know it is expensive here too, costing around $1,000.00 US for a 14 day supply. If you are not able to obtain the flucytosine capsules or if you cannot afford it, you can always talk to your doctor about using Voriconazole, it is an “Azole” drug to like Fluconazole (Diflucan) but it is stronger and if you have not over used diflucan or if your strain has not become resistant to Azoles, it would be your next best drug to try. It is more potent than the Diflucan and can have some really bad side effects, but if all else fails it would be worth a try. Just know that it too must be used for no less than five to six weeks and with this one, you need to have your liver levels checked prior to starting it and then every ten days while on it. Also let me just say you can try using the amphotericin B in a gel base by itself, it is risky to use it without the flucytosine, and when I say that I just mean that without the Flucytosine in it you take a chance of the Glabrata becoming resistant to the amphotericin quite quickly and without the Flucytosine the amphotericin B may not be as effective at killing the infection, but you may want to try this instead of the Voriconazole because this does not carry all the serious side effects as Voriconazole and hits the infection at the spot without having to go through your entire system first. Well, I hope these are some other options for you in case everything else fails, but I hope it does not. I wish you the best and let me know what happens.
Hi Debra-Jolie,
Thank you very much for the information. I talked to my doctor today: he is very open and interested in this treatment, so he sent me to the pharmacy in order to check, if we can get the ingredients via the international pharmacy. It is possible, although there is one problem: we cannot get the pure substances in capsules. We are able to get tablets, which also will have additional ingredients like talkum, lactose etc. Do you think that could be a problem for the treatment?
In addition, I bought a probiotic today, because I found this article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25688886
I will continue with my Fluconazole course, in addition with the probiotics internally ( I am also contemplating to use them vaginally, that might also work) and if my results come back positive, my doctor will probably prescribe the ingredients, so that I can use the gel for 14 days.
The pills cost around 150 Euros here in Germany, I do not know how much the preparation in the pharmacy costs, but it seems to be less than in the US.
Have you ever tried those two strains of lactobacilli, mentioned above?
Tempura
Hi Tempura, The tablets of Flucytosine will not work. This is because they cannot be crushed into a fine powder to adequately mix with the amphotericin B and gel. On top of that they contain binders, fillers and additives which WILL change the effectiveness of both the amphotericin b and flucytosine in the gel. So, if you are not able to obtain the capsules with the powder then you need to just make the amphotericin B gel without the flucytosine. If you use the tablets, you will be risking the Glabrata becoming resistant to both the amphotericin B and the flucytosine and you will be left with no effective treatments against it. This would be dangerous chance to take because you could potentially make a completely resistant strain of Glabrata. Also because it has other ingredients due to the binders needed to make a tablet, you could risk an adverse reaction that could do damage to the vaginal tissues. I would highly encourage you to just go with the amphotericin B by itself. Many have used just this because of not being able to obtain the Flucytosine and have still cured the infection, so I would go this route and not risk using the tablets.
As for the probiotics, yes I have seen this study and used both of them (and still do) but you have to understand this study was done in-vitro under very controlled conditions and for the purpose of finding new ways to make drugs to treat this infection. The results will lead to new treatment options in the future but not as it stands by itself now. We know from prior clinical studies and from women who have tried this route (me included) it does NOT work the same in-vivo. I have actually used both of these strains orally and vaginally as well as several other alternative things like Hydrogen peroxide, coconut oil with oregano oil, etc.. and I have met several other women who have tried this too, all while under pharmacological treatments of some form for Glabrata and none of us have gotten better with this stuff. Most have developed other issues (me included) due to trying this. Unfortunately, probiotics do not wash or run out of the vagina, but instead cling to the walls, but they do not live in the vagina on the mucosa for more than a few hours and many die right after admisnistration, they do not have the ability to attach to the walls via this route. In turn what happens is you develop severe itching within hours and even days, you disrupt the already existing flora making things worse and can create a bacterial infection or a worsened candidias infection on top of the Glabrata. You may even be able to see posts on here where women have written that they have tried this along with many other things are still suffering horribly and do not know where to turn now. So, I highly discourage any of these treatments especially since learning that so many women have attempted it only to make their situations much worse and more complicated to treat, me included. I actually discourage ANYTHING being put into the vagina or used in bath waters as well while dealing with Glabrata, this is not your usual yeast infection and it likes to gain strength and resistancy when you further disrupt the flora and pH balance.
Now with that being said, I have written responses on here to several posts about the use of probiotics orally and have really stressed the use of Reuteri when using any strains of probiotics. This is because we know that all strains of probiotics that we take orally cannot survive and attach to the mucosal walls without being fed and without help to attach. Prior studies have shown that the probiotics we take only live between 12 and 24 hours once taken, but when we feed them with prebiotics and Reuteri (which is a food needed for probiotics to survive and the necessary ingredient needed to attach to the walls) they can live for days and more than half of them will attach to the walls and colonize, therefore making it harder for “new” fungi to set up homes. I say “new” because it works great for protection but is much less effective at killing them once they have established a home, which is pretty much what this study states. This is because once we get an over population of bad bacteria or fungi they begin to take up the space on the mucosal walls. Kind of like weeds taking over your yard and snuffing out the grass. This in turn makes it very difficult for the new good probiotics to find the space to grow and colonize, much like it would be hard for new grass to grow in a yard full of weeds if we did not first kill the weeds. So, I have encouraged women to start on probiotics right away and to remain on them the rest of their lives. I also tell women to mix up the strains because we have studies showing that by mixing the strains we end up with more of a balanced flora, leading to less infections. However you should mix the strains and even the makers of the probiotics (because they all are different and source their strains from different areas) but you should always use Reuteri when taking any probiotics. You should also be using prebiotics to help feed them and boost their survival. I have written extensively on this subject and Reuteri on here in other posts and really encourage women to use them, but again it MUST be orally and NOT as the main treatment to kill Glabrata, but instead to enhance the treatment and eventually as a protective measure against it coming back.
I hope this all makes sense and again I hope your fluconazole treatment works, I want you to be one of the lucky ones, but should that not happen then I would highly encourage you to just make the amphotericin B gel by itself and continue to take your probiotics and even ad in the prebiotics and follow the rest of the diet and hygiene changes, if you can do all this you will be successful in conquering this infection and hopefully never getting it back again. I wish you the best and please let me know if your current treatment works or if you have to use the gel.
Sincerely,
Debra-Jolie
Hi Debra-Jolie,
I finished my Fluconazole course and it did not work. I used a Ciclopirox olamine cream with it, but unfortunately my doctor made a mistake and gave me only cream for 6 days vaginally, once a day and I read that you are supposed to use it for at least 14 days, twice a day 🙁
I am very upset, because the wrong treatments could end with me having this for the rest of my life.
I tried to do some research if Glabrata can be resistant to Ciclopirox olamine, but I could not find any evidence for that, so does the cream always work?
Because the next try would be the following treatment:
https://file.scirp.org/pdf/Health20100600007_99457810.pdf
Oral
Posaconazole
800 mg (suspension in 3 105-ml bottles)
400mg BID = 10ml BID with high-fat food (e.g. custard made with full-fat milk)
Local
A) morning
Ciclopiroxolamine Cream 35 g
Introduce deep into the vagina and apply to
labia, vaginal opening, under the foresk
in/clitoral hood, and from perineum to anus
B) evening
Ciclopiroxolamine Cream 35 g
(repeat as stated under A)
Additionally at night
:
Nystatin
Ovula inserted at depth once daily
Supportive
A) Pubic shaving of both partners before starting therapy
B) Mouth, bowel and sperm of both partners must be fungus-free
C) Remove IUD beforehand
But I am a little bit scared, that Glabrata might also become resistant to the ciclopiroxolamine cream.
This Dr. Tietz (he is a fungus specialist in Berlin) also discovered resistancies to Posaconazole, so the next possible treatment would be Micafungin 150 mg intravenously with the above mentioned cream (twice a day, plus Nystatin ovula) for 15 days.
I am scared like hell, a sex life does not exist at the moment and although I have a very supportive fiancé (who is also treated, because a penis swab came back negative with Glabrata), I cannot live like this for the rest of my life. The itching and burning and non-existance of my sexlife is driving me crazy…
So back to the question: is it possible that Glabrata can become resistant to Ciclopiroxolamine?
I am waiting for new swab results with an antimykogram, finally for the first time!!! In my opinion way to late, but the doctors here just seem to know nothing about this disease.
Thanks
Tempura
Oh by the way: the Amphotericin B and Flucytosin treatment is not an option here in Germany, because I cannot get the pure substance in capsules. It is always pills with a lot of ingredients like talkum etc in it.
Hi. I had a baby back in July of 2015 and I have had issues with yeast ever since then due to having 4 rounds of antibiotics during delivery. Last week my gyn finally tested for the type and it came back glabrata. She put me on boric acid suppositories for 2 weeks. She had do research on it because she didn’t know how to treat it. After reading your article I know boric acid will not work. She did mention that we would try the cream next, but you said it would need something added to it. Also, my yeast always starts in the anal area and then spreads to my vagina, so the boric acid wouldn’t do anything for that anyways due to it being put in the vagina. I deal with this every few months for months at a time before I get relief for a few months. Vagisil is starting to do nothing for the itching around the anal skin. My sex life is non existent and it’s hard to work or take care of my daughter during these outbreaks. Could you please email me the studies you have so I can present them to my doctor? Also, I noticed this article you posted a while ago, has your infection returned?
Hi Kirstin, I am sorry to hear that you are going through all this. The rounds of antibiotics you were given definitely played a part in creating chronic fungal infections, which in turn can lead to Glabrata. It is an unfortunate vicious cycle that you were thrown into and now you are going to have work at breaking the cycle, starting with treating the Glabrata.
I am glad to hear that your doctor was willing to research how to treat it and is willing to treat you with the gel, you have already won half the battle, so kudos to your doctor. I am just sorry that she found info on treating it with boric acid, because that is definitely not the way to go and unfortunately can do more harm, so I would definitely try to get her to prescribe the gel as soon as possible.
Now you asked what “should be added to the cream?” So, let me first start out by saying first it is not a “cream”, it is a “gel” and that is really important because you do not want this medicine made into a cream, it has to be made into a gel, which requires it being put in a water based gel. This is very important or it will not work and could cause you severe internal acid burns. Now as far as what should be added to it, nothing should be added or altered from the formula that has been posted on here. I have said to others though, that it is important to make sure that your doctor does NOT make the gel with ONLY Amphotericin B, the formula MUST be made with Flucytosine too. I say this become some doctors have found a formula for only the amphotericin B gel, but it is no longer made this way. This is because studies have shown that only using the amphotericin B without the flucytosine is less effect at clearing the Glabrata and leads to early resistance to the only known drug left to treat this infection. Studies have shown that by adding the flucytosine, you not only make the gel more effective but keep the Glabrata from becoming resistant to it right away, buying you another chance at treating it if necessary. It is more effective too because both these drugs work in conjunction with each other for the kill. The Flucytosine breaks open the nucleus wall and allows the ampho to get in and unravel the DNA of the cell, so that it cannot replicate and therefore dies. So, it is important to make sure that your gel contains both amphotericin B and Flucytosine and again it is very important to make sure it is made with a water based gel.
The studies and the formula are listed below for you to download and bring into your doctor and my reply to “Susan” below gives the exact formula to make it too, so please check it out.
Now as far as your anal area being a problem too, this is totally normal with a Glabrata infection that has gone on for a while. This area will also need to be treated once you get the gel as well, even if I is not broke out at the time. You will need to put a finger tip amount on your finger and spread a light layer of the gel over the anal area and right into the beginning of the rectum. You should do this every night for the 14 nights. While in treatment with the gel do NOT use anything else in the area during the day, like Vaseline or A&D or anything. You should only be using the gel at night and you can wash the area the next morning in the shower with Dove Hypoallergenic soap then pat dry and dress.
I will tell you how I am doing and give you a very important tip that is going to benefit you because you are dealing with it in the anus area and it is coming and going. So, let me explain, first I am doing very well and beat my Glabrata, but not until I learned the hard way that I had to change my diet and lifestyle. You see, after my treatment which worked the first time out with my colon and vaginal area, the Glabrata returned, only this time it returned in my mouth and throat. I treated it again this time with a mouth rinse of amphotericin B and it worked. Unfortunately, it would return again and again, with it showing up in my vagina, rectal area, mouth and throat. I went around and around with this beast for nearly two years. I knew I was in trouble because I knew I was running out of chances with the meds and once the Glabrata became resistant to it I was going to be left with this infection for life and that was NOT an option. So, I worked with my doctors, did my own research and we figured out that it was my diet and lifestyle that was allowing for this monster to return, by getting it in my mouth and rectum repeatedly meant that my digestive tract was a perfect place for it to set up home again and again. I had to figure out how to change this before it was too late. This meant working with my doctors and a nutritionist. I had to make my body an unhospitable place for this monster to live. This meant drastically changing my diet, which meant NO more sugars of any kinds, not even natural ones, it meant no gluten which leads to all kinds of chronic inflammation and poor PH and flora problems. It also meant No dairy, no processed foods, no soy and no starches (rice, potatoes and pastas). You are probably wondering what did I eat? Well I ate very well, but it took time because I had to learn how to substitute and cook with herbs. So, my diet consisted of all the meats I wanted (as long as they were not processed meats like hot dogs or sausage or lunch meats, etc..) It also meant that I could eat as much veggies as I wanted to, except white potatoes. I could also eat fruits, but they had to be low sugar fruits like berries and green apples. It also meant that I had to change the way I looked at breakfast. It was no longer about pancakes or cereal or muffins, instead it was about green drinks and Kefir (which is the only diary I was allowed) and if I was still hungry then I ate some chicken or mashed cauliflower with some butter and garlic. My soups were homemade for lunches and sided with a salad that contained all kinds of veggies and some chicken or salmon. Dinner could be something like homemade spaghetti sauce with beef and cut up veggies added to it and then spread over spaghetti squash noodles. I would snack on veggies or fruits or make my own fruit sorbet with raspberries. I would also use the spaghetti squash in place of dishes that called for rice. I used zucchini for noodles also and cauliflower steamed, dried and mashed in place of potatoes. It took me awhile but I figured it out.
I also had to change my hygiene habits too. It meant no more bath products or after bath products like bath salts, bubble bath, scented soaps, lotions, oils or perfumes. The only thing I used in the bathroom in that area was dove hypoallergenic soap and water, period! When it comes to sex, I only use the original KY jelly or surgilube with no scents or additives etc.. I washed all my underwear in hypoallergenic soaps and no dryer sheets. I also had to start exercising to help my immune system kick in and on to fight any and all infections. I have other health problems so believe me it was not some great 30 or 40 minute work out. It was more like a fast paced walk, doing squats while picking clothes out of the laundry basket to fold and marching around the house when putting clothes away. I also added probiotics and kefir as well as a homemade green drink each day. Once I started repairing my PH and made my body less hospitable to all infections, especially yeasts, the Glabrata never returned! I will also tell you that I was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme and several other co-infections and have had to take rounds of antibiotics for almost two years now and even at that I have still not had another fungal infection, but again I work hard at keeping my body less hospitable. So, with you having it around the anus and with it coming and going, this means that your gut flora is out of whack and your problem is not just in your vaginal area, it is also within the gut, which means you are going to be at risk of it coming back again. So, I would seriously encourage you to change your diet and lifestyle now, even before you start the gel. I can’t say this is going to guarantee you will not get it back at some point in the future but I can tell you without a doubt that it will GREATLY lesson your chances and make your whole body much healthier even against other infections.
Well, I hope this helps you and I wish you the best, please let me know if you need anything else and please come back and let us know how you are doing. Good Luck
Hi Debra, I read your story with much interest as my husband has been diagnosed with this candida glabrata. He had antibiotics prior to this as well as Brachytherapy for prostrate cancer, which lowered his immune system because of the radioactive pellets. He is using Wild Oregano oil capsules by Solgar and it seems to be working. The homeopath said that more antibiotics would just make the situation worse.
Have you heard of the Oregano oil that it is sensitive to and has anyone else used it with any good effect.
Thanks Marion
Hi Marion, I am sorry to hear about all that your husband has been through. Unfortunately, Glabrata is a real risk in cancer patients due to the drugs used as well as the suppression of the immune system as well as hospital exposure where this infection mostly resides. I can tell you that there were studies done on the use of unconventional or alternative treatments with Glabrata which included Oregano oil and unfortunately, the studies showed no efficacy in curing Glabrata. They did these studies because we really have no pharmacological drugs that cure Glabrata outside of Amphotericin B, which is very toxic when used internally, so scientists were looking outside of the box with the hopes of finding something to beat this infection, especially because so many die each year from it even with amphotericin B treatment. Unfortunately, in the studies none of the alternative treatments showed any efficacy with Glabrata, however, if I remember correctly in the “conclusion” of the study they did state the use of some of the treatments may not work to cure the infection but they may be able to help alongside of amphotericin B in very serious cases.
Now I can tell you too that I have met a few people who have tried alternative treatments like wild oregano oil, but unfortunately, it did not cure them either. They eventually had to turn to the ampho gel to finally kill the infection. Let me just explain something here, your husband may be having some relief with this because it is knocking it back, which many kinds of treatments will usually do in the beginning including Diflucan. The problem is that it is only knocking the infection back, which is what gives you the moments of relief, but once the treatment has been stopped, the infection unfortunately comes right back and usually with a vengeance. Now it coming back can take a few days to a few weeks, sometimes leading people to think that they got rid of it but then somehow were re-exposed to it again, through sex or their partners or the soap they used, etc.. In truth this is not what happened, instead they never really got rid of it and it just took a few weeks for the numbers to climb again and for you to feel the symptoms of it again. The problem that happens to most people at this point is that they then go back and try treating the infection with what they thought cured it prior like Diflucan or monostat or something like oregano oil, but unfortunately, this time it is less effective or not effective at all. This happens because Glabrata is a unique species that very quickly adapts to whatever you try to treat it with, so if what you use does not kill it and only knocks it back then it leaves the door open for the remaining organisms to become resistant to that treatment, making it useless when it rares it ugly head again. This can even happen with the amphotericin B which is why scientists are now asking doctors NOT to prescribe it as a preventive treatment or to prescribe it without Flucytosine in conjunction. Which the Flucytosine when combined with it lends more efficacy to the kill with the amphotericin but also seems to help with keeping the infection from becoming resistant to the ampho so quickly, therefore buying the person a few more times of treatment if necessary. So, what I am trying to say here is that the oil of oregano may be helping right now with your husbands symptoms but will more than likely not cure the infection itself. If this happens please do not be surprised if when going back to try and treat it a second time with the oil that your husband does not get any effect from it at all. This is a common problem with this infection and would more than likely happen even if he used anti-fungal drugs like Diflucan. I hope this will not be the case but from what I have read and heard from others it usually is what happens even with alternative things like wild oregano oil.
Now, I am assuming that your husbands infection with Glabrata is located in the prostrate or urinary tract and unfortunately, that is not an area that the ampho gel can be used. As you know it is impossible for lack of a better word to “shove” it through there, so he is at a disadvantage with his infection and he will require the help of an infectious disease doctor. This is because he is unable to treat his infection with a topical gel and instead will need to take drugs either orally or through an IV and the only doctors that treat this kind of infection internally are infectious diseases doctors. Now I know you are using a herbalist right now, but if this infection does not leave or spreads you will really have to decide about turning to an infectious disease doctor as quickly as possible. This is not an infection that can be treated by herbals and it is not one that you want to get out of control, especially since your husband is in a weakened immune condition from his cancer treatments. This infection can be quite deadly once it gets into deeper tissues and other internal organs and especially in the cancer community. So, I know you want to try this and I don’t blame you for wanting to try something other than conventional treatment but please be aware that a herbalist really has no business treating such a serious infection, especially in a debilitated person, this infection can turn very quickly and that’s the last thing you want to happen. So, if this does not work or if your husband begins to have other symptoms I would really encourage you to seek out the help of an Infectious disease doctor. They will probably want to start him on an oral treatment first which is the least invasive way to go and they will probably want to use Diflucan first. Unfortunately, Diflucan is the “go to” drug with this infection but you can advocate with the doctor to by pass this one because of its high failure rate especially in cancer patients or the immune compromised people and ask to be put right onto Voriconazole. It too is an oral drug but has a much better kill rate with Glabrata. If you start on Diflucan and it fails it will unfortunately have made this infection more resistant to any of the Azole drugs like Voriconazole, which means when it fails and they then want to try him on voriconazole it will have raised the risk of it now failing too. So, I would really advocate for the use of voriconazole before any other azole drug. If this one fails too, then they will likely need to put a line in him and start the more potent IV drugs like micofungin, or caspofungin. If these were to fail then they would have to put him on amphotericin B, but there are a lot of drugs to go through before you would get to that point. Let me also tell you that the drugs used to treat Glabrata are NOT antibiotics they are anti-fungals which is a totally different class of drugs and these drugs do not mess with your bacteria counts they only are designed to kill fungi which is different than bacteria’s. So, I get how your herbalist does not want to use conventional treatments, for fear of causing more problems but this is not just a simple candidia infection and your husband is not a healthy person to begin with, so in his case I would really encourage you to seek out the advice of an infectious disease doctor because the ramifications of what this infection can do are way worse than treating him with voriconazole.
I don’t want to scare you, but I know first hand how serious this infection is and can becoming before you even know what hit you. It worries me when I hear someone like your husband who is not in good health and is being treated with only alternative treatments with an infection that is not topical. So, I really just want to stress to you how serious this is and that you really need to have an infectious disease on board. That does not mean that your herbalist cannot still be involved too but at least you are covered should this infection turn very serious very quickly.
Well I wish you and your husband the best and I hope he has conquered his cancer on top of all this. Please come back and let us know what happens. Good Luck
Hi Marion, I’m curious to know if the Wild Oregano oil capsules worked for your husband? I tried them for a little while and got some relief but it didn’t get rid if my problem completely yet…
Hello Debora! I can’t believe you have all this knowledge! The hours you have spent helping all of these people!….incredible! I have been suffering with Glabrata since I was 19 I am now 25. Mine started from taking way to much antibiotics to treat cystitis. I then found out through years of all sorts of treatments and surgery that it was Glabrata! I am from England and my Mum got in contact for me with Doctor Sobel who recommend a doctor in the uk Dr Hay who has been treating me with Boric acid and Niastatin but after a year of treatment I still have the infection. Could you send me the research you have and this gel treatment you have been recommending? I wouldn’t be so greatful! I feel my youth has been robbed from me by this awful infection and to know that all my best efforts are still not helping it, is soul destroying! Thank you in advance! Charlotte – charlotteoakley@gmx.co.uk
Hi Charlotte, I tried to email this to you but it kept saying that your email address was not recognized so I am sending it to you here. I am sorry to hear what you are going through, as you already know Boric acid and Nystatin do NOT work against Glabrata. Boric acid kills fungus by changing the PH balance of the vagina, but it is useless against Glabrata because Glabrata is a unique species that has the ability to adapt to ANY PH environment, making drugs or chemicals like Boric acid useless. As for Nystatin, it has not been used to treat Glabrata since the 90’s and this is because it was so over used prior to the “Azole” revolution of fungal drugs that Glabrata as well as many other species of fungi became resistant to Nystatin making it also worthless. Drugs like Nystatin and most of the Azole family of anti-fungal drugs have no efficacy anymore against strains of Glabrata because they were so over used and this fungi species adapts to drugs and PH enviormental changes so quickly that it is now ingrained into the DNA of Glabrata making it almost impossible to kill it. We literally have one drug left to treat it, and more than half of the cases of Glabrata even this drug has become resistant, and because of this we are seeing people die of these infections at increasing rates each year. Our pharmaceutical companies need to get their azzez in gear and start finding other treatments before we run out of time.
So, with that being said I do want to make an important point here to you, the gel consists of two major ingredients, which are amphotericin B and Flucytosine, those are then mixed into a water based gel to make the treatment. So, it is the ampho B that actually kills the Glabrata, but because it is the last known drug to be able to kill it, researchers have found that by adding Flucytosine to it, it not only helps the ampho to get into the cells nucleus and unravel the DNA so as to kill it, but it also for some unknown reason as of yet prolongs the Glabrata from being be able to adapt to it right away, buying the person a few more times of use, just in case it does not kill it the first time or should it come back again. So, researchers are now insisting that anyone who prescribes the gel MUST use the Flucytosine with it so as to not make this last drug resistant to the only known cure right now. So, pleases make sure that your doctors use both ingredients when making the gel for you, it will help kill it the first time for you and spare you the chance of becoming resistant to it, just in case it comes back again.
It is also important to refine your diet from sugars of all kinds including natural ones like honey and stevia. Also stop eating starches like rice because they turn into sugar once digested too. You will also need to change your hygiene habits, no use of any kinds of perfumes, body sprays, perfumed soaps, vaginal PH soaps, shampoos in the shower, bath salts, bubble bath, or oils. You will also need to use only water based pure lubricants like KY jelly, no scented ones or ones with additives. Make sure to keep the area always dry and wear cotton underwear and breathable pants, no nylon pants or stockings. You will also need to be pretreated with Diflucan prior to any antibiotic use for the rest of your life. You will need four to five days of it before starting the antibiotic and you will need to continue to take through the course of the antibiotics and then for another ten days after you have stopped taking the antibiotics. If you do not do this you WILL get it back again and try to not take any antibiotics unless you absolutely have to, try natural remedies if at all first. Now this will not guarantee that you will not get it back again at some point but it will definitely lessen the chances. Unfortunatley, once you get Glabrata you are always at risk of getting it again, so be careful!
Ok so here are the links for the studies, all you have to do it copy them and then paste them into your browser and then pull them up, down load them and print them out. The one has the formula for making the gel too that your doctor can use. I hope this all helps you and I wish you the best.
Sincerely,
Debra-jolie Anderson
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294902/
http://sti.bmj.com/content/77/3/212.full
Hi Debra, firstly I wanted to thank you so much for helping so many people out and warning people against the use of antibiotics.
I wanted to ask you a few questions
1) are you still continuing your no sugar, no grain diet?
2) did you have intercourse during the infection? Is it safe? I know it’s painful, but is it safe?
3) did intercourse become painless again after the candida was cured?
4) is it common to have flare ups when wearing tight clothing?
Please help me get rid of this as Its causing me a lot of discomfort
Hi Mary, I do still continue my no sugar diet, but will occasionally cheat and have a coke, but I try very hard to stay away from all sugars other than those in fruits and even at that I stay away from the high sugary fruits, mostly eat berries and green apples. I definitely stay away from grains and found that I can get all the fiber I need from veggies and some fruits. Although if you stay away from all grains you may also need to supplement your diet with some B vitamins, which I do.
I never had intercourse throughout my infection, first I was in way to much pain, my infection was so bad with pain that I thought I would take my own life at times because I could not imagine living like that for much longer so sex was the farthest thing from my mind. Secondly, after figuring out that it was Glabrata I was told by both the ID doctor and Gyne that any kind of sexual contact could infect my husband too and if he got it too, his treatment would be much harder than mine and we could pass it back and forth, making clearing it impossible as well as making it resistant to any drugs we were treating it with. So, it is very dangerous to have any kind of sexual intimacy while infected with Glabrata, that includes oral as well. So, I would not suggest doing this until you are positive that you are clear of the infection.
Sex was not comfortable after the infection was cleared, but that is because I developed vulvodynia from my infection which is quite common for women to develop after a very serious or lengthy vaginal infection. I have been in treatment for this problem and it has gotten better but it is a life long condition that I have been left with and will always need to treat this.
It is common for it to reappear after you have cleared it and I am not sure if it is because there is always some cells left that hide out just waiting for the right opportunity to come back out, or if we somehow get re-infected but it is common. However, you can control it from coming back out by changing some things within your life, such as your diet, your hygiene protocols and exercise. It is really important to keep your immune system working at its capacity, it is also important to not wear tight clothing, or anything that does not breathe. It is also important to keep the area dry at all times, which means getting out of wet clothes as soon as possible too. It is important not to eat a diet high in sugar especially processed sugars. You also need to try and control the PH of the vagina by only bathing in pure water (no bath salts, oils, bubble bath ect..), no lotions, perfumes, powders or body sprays ever in this area, no using lubricants that are NOT water based or contain additives at all, NEVER EVER douche for any reason, no scented tampons or pads, no scented soaps or body washes or wash your hair in the shower and no dryer sheets in the dryer with your rags, towels or underwear. You should only be using Dove hypoallergenic soap to wash the area with pure water, then dry it thoroughly and get dressed, with cotton underwear and breathable pants that are not too tight. Wipe with only unscented white toilet paper and use KY jelly original when having intercourse and wash the area and dry it thoroughly afterwards. Finally, if you have to use antibiotics then it is very important to be pretreated with Diflucan for at least four days prior to starting the antibiotics and then you must use the Diflucan throughout the course of the antibiotics and for up to ten days after you have finished them. If you follow these things you will be able to prevent any re-infections with Glabrata. Since doing these things I have not had another infection with it, so it is controllable.
In order to get rid of it, you need to start by changing the things you can with your diet (and no cheating during treatment or for the first few months after treatment). You also need to start with the hygiene changes as well, believe me these things alone will help to keep the pain and irritation down while waiting to get treated and during treatment. Next you need to find a doctor who is willing to treat you with the amphotericin B/ flucytosine gel. The medical articles on its use and the formula for making it are listed here on this site, so you can download them and bring them into your doctor. This will cure your infection within 14 days but then you must still keep to the life style changes that I have suggested here or it is highly probable that it will come right back and you only get so many uses with the gel before it becomes resistant to it too. These things should help you to get better quite quickly. If you are still having problems after the 14 day treatment then you will need to be tested again to see if you still have the infection. It is unusual that the gel would not kill it the first time out but it does happen if you have underying conditions or have a diet high in sugars or bad hygiene habits. In any case you would need to wait at least two weeks and up to three before retesting or you could get a false negative. If the tests comes back negative after that then it is possible that you have developed vulvodynia and that requires a whole other regime of treatment. If it is positive then you would need another 14 days of the gel, and that should be 100% effective again as long as you have no underlying conditions. It is also very important NOT to have intercourse during any of this. If you do get cleaned up but it comes back again and again and you have done everything here and if you have been having intercourse throughout this infection then your spouse is going to need to be checked for the infection too, because he may be giving it back to you and men a lot of times will not know they are carrying it due to their biological make-up.
Well I hope this helps you, good luck.
Debra can you please share your email id? Would be very grateful
I am going to be unavailable for awhile to come on and answer questions or email out the studies, so I do not want to leave anyone without this information that may need it. So, I am going to give you the web links here and you can copy and paste them into your browser and then download and print them out to take into your doctors. I will also give the web site for a pharmacy that can make the gel. They are out of Ohio but can ship anywhere in the US. You can go to their web site to obtain the information to give to your doctor.
For any other questions you may have on Glabrata you can probably find the answer to any one of them by looking back through the many posts on here. I think we have pretty much gone through most questions that you may need answered, so please check the numerous posts to see if you can find an answer to whatever question you may have. I wish you all the best in fighting this beast and know there is hope and you are not alone.
The web links to the studies, (the one study has the formula for making the gel too) :
http://sti.bmj.com/content/77/3/212.full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294902/
The web site for the pharmacy:
http://www.LeeSilsby.com
Sincerely,
Debra-Jolie Anderson
Dear Debra,
I was diagnosed with C. Glabrata October 2016. My OBGYN did not understand how I could have caught this type of infection, yet after reading your blog it became clear to me since I had had a hospital stay and was given the exact antibiotics you mentioned in your article. My saving grace is that I am a well trained Functional Nutritionist and was able within 3 months, of a 100% holistic approach, to manage this infection. I was just checked last week and my Dr did not find any C.Glabrata in my vagianl swab, the “crazy” rashes I suffered from for months are 99% improved.
I would be glad to share my protocol with you and your lectors in order to help them heal without the use of harsh drugs with serious side effect.
I can be reached at http://www.Radianthealthnutrition.com
Hi Debra,
I have not been diagnosed with glabrata but am getting chills reading your article. I have had problems for years. I have been told I have interstitial cystitis and now being told I have these problems due to menopause. I am constantly getting recurrent yeast infections. I am so frustrated and so is my husband. I feel like doctors just write a prescription and push me out the door. I just left a message for my gyn to call me after reading your article. My yeast infections never have the cottage cheese like discharge. I always get blood red down there, with unbelievable burning, very little itching. The discharge is usually runny and yellow and at times it looks like mucous. When my gyn does a culture, she always says I have a million white blood cells but never gives me an answer why. My husband has resorted to wearing a condom but I still become inflamed and on fire. I need help but I don’t know where to turn. I was so relieved to see your article because I am not crazy after all. Lucy
Hi Lucy, I am so sorry for what you are going through. I know it has been awhile since you wrote this and you stated you were going to call your doctor to discuss this with them, so I do not know if you have been tested for Glabrata yet or not, but I hope you have. Your symptoms do sound like Glabrata, but please be aware that there are several other vaginal conditions that can cause very similar symptoms to glabrata. Things like Vulvodynia, vaginal Lichen Planus, vaginal psoriasis and other rare fungal infections like Tropicalis, so it is really important to get tested for all types of bacterial infections, all types of rare fungal infections, chronic candidias infections and all STD’s. It is also important to make sure that your doctor is requesting a specific “Glabrata” test as well as a “rare fungal test”, just running a “normal” fungal culture will not show any of the rarer forms of fungi like Glabrata or Tropicalis. These types of cultures use different petrie mediums and dyes then the regular ones, so it is really important to make sure your doctor is ordering the correct tests. Now if these all come back normal then you are going to need to talk to your doctor about other vaginal illnesses and diseases that could definitely be at play here and cause the symptoms you are complaining of. To rule out other vaginal diseases you may need to be seen by a mucosal specialist, now most University hospitals have them, but if your local one does not you may have to travel to one or maybe your doctor can speak with one and send them a biopsy of the tissues from that area. Usually these doctors are able to take that biopsy of the tissue and look at what is happening to it at the cellular level. This tells them if your own body is attacking the tissues like what is seen in Lichen Planus or even vaginal psoriasis or several other vaginal diseases. Now these are rare illnesses but should definitely be ruled out if all your testing for infections comes back normal. Now if the biopsy shows inflammation only with no known cause then you are probably dealing with Vulvodynia. (which by the way causes a high white blood cell count under the microscope as well as what is known as clue cells and a discolored discharge, which are all seen with infections in the vagina, but also with some other illnesses that are not infectious) Unfortunately, this illness can feel and act like an infection and cause exactly what you are describing here too. However, Vulvodynia is NOT an infection and trying to treat it as one with drugs or creams can make it worse, so it is important to figure out what is really causing all your symptoms first. If it is Vulvodynia then you will need to ask your doctor for a referral to a vulvar pain specialist. These people are very knowledgable about how to treat this condition, which believe me your doctor is NOT! You will need their expertise to get control over it and there are many different modalities for treatment. Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all cure” for this illness and you may need to try several different things to help treat it, which again is why you need a specialist in this field. Also please do not expect your doctor to figure any of this stuff out for you, unfortunately most will never bring up any of these conditions or even think of testing or suggesting them to you. They usually just try the “usual” creams and pills and when they do not work they dismiss you as a patient because they do not know what else to do. So, it will more than likely be for you to have to bring up everything I have said here with your doctor and push for all of them to be checked for.
Well, I hope since it is has been awhile since you wrote this, maybe you are already on the mend and knowing what you have. In any case I wish you the best and hope you will come back on and let me know what has happened to you and if you are doing better. Good Luck
Hi Debra
I have been dealing with Glabrata for 6 months now and have tried all the different drugs. I have had 6 cultures come back positive for Glabrata with little relief. I decided research myself and did find Amphotericin B Flucytosine compound. I asked my gyn to prescribe it for me and she did call it into compound pharmacy. I have been using it for one week now and Am more irritated now than I was before starting it. Is this burning normal during treatment? I have been using vasiline but it only gives a little relief. I saw you recommend the Indian healing clay, can you use this while treating? Also could you send the formula so I can make sure I gave her the right formula. My Dr has never said anything about having a secondary infection, is it possible that I only have glabrata? Thank you your articles are most informative.
Susan
Hi Susan, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this nightmare and having such difficulty with the gel. So, let me try to answer your questions. First, let me say that it is not abnormal to have an increase in the burning and irritation, especially if you were raw before starting or had any open or broke down skin in the area. However, the burning usually dissipates within the first couple of days as the gel kills the Glabrata and washes out leaving the area feeling soothed and nearly back to normal. So, it is slightly concerning that you are still burning after a weeks worth of use. Now I say “slightly” because there are reasons that could cause this to last this long or even through the entire treatment. First some women can experience it through the entire 14 days of use due to these women having a severe infection that has gone on for some time. leaving the area very raw and hypersensitive to anything being placed on it. Secondly, there are women who have also suffered a long time with the infection and may have even used other forms of failed treatments, which has left them with neuralgia or hypersensitivity to the area, making this treatment very irritating. Thirdly, you could be having a reaction to one of the compounds in the gel. Now, usually in all these cases the stinging and burning and irritation does clear up after the treatment is finished. This unfortunately, is the one side effect and the only one that is listed with this gel, but again it does go away (albeit slowly) after treatment is finished. Even though your suffering has gotten worse with the treatment, it does not in anyway mean that it is not working, it is just a side effect that I would tell you to try and hang in there with. However, I would also tell you to pay attention to make sure that your skin is not breaking down or ulcerating with the gel or that you are not having some other serious reaction, which could happen if you are allergic to any of its ingredients, but that would be very rare, but possible. So, if you can stand it and your skin is not breaking down, then just hang in there.
Now with that being said, I do need to warn you that it is critical that the gel was made correctly because if not it too could definitely cause you burning and irritation or worse. So, let me explain this part quickly, when the gel is made it MUST be put in a water base gel, not a cream, or oil or in a suppository form. This is because Amphotericin B is one of the most acidic toxic agents on the market. So, when it is used topically like in the gel, it needs to be in a gel that washes right back out of the vagina. You are literally using it as a wash for the inside. So, when your gel arrives it should be cold packed or if you picked it up, it should be refrigerated as soon as you bring it home. This is to keep the gel in a thickened state. So, when you are ready to use it, you will take it out of the fridge and fil your applicator, at this point it will have a thick gel like consistency. You then place it into the vagina and lay down prone for the next 8 hours. Within about ten minutes of insertion, your body heat will have heated the gel up inside you and should notice it beginning to slowly leak out of the vagina. This is what it is suppose to do, because the water based gel now begins to break down and wash over the walls, then it begins to leak out. Now if your base is an oil or cream it will NOT break down with your body heat and leak out washing the area clean of the Glabrata and removing the very acidic Amphoteicin B, instead it will cling to the inside walls holding the ampho on your tissues, where it will begin to burn the tissues and could eventually cause acid burns throughout the vagina. It is also less likely to fully hit all areas of the vagina, leaving you with some live Glabrata cells, which ultimately could start the infection all over again and may leave you immune to the gel. This is why I really stress on here to women who are going to use the gel to PLEASE make sure your gel was made correctly. It is important to stress this to your doctors, especially those that have never prescribed it before, but it is also very important to discuss it with your pharmacist prior to them making it too, so that everyone is on board and knows how to make it correctly. This is very important because most doctors and compound pharmacists have usually never prescribed or made this gel because it is so rarely used. So, you need to make sure that your gel was made correctly. Now you asked me for the formula to make it, so you can check to see if yours was made correctly. So, here is how it is to be made up- it is 100 mgs. of Amphotericin B (this only comes in a powder, usually used for IV use), with 1gram of Flucytosine (this comes in capsules of 250 mgs. or 500 mgs, so to make one gram of this you would need four -250 mg. pills or two -500 mg. pills, no matter which one they used they would open the capsules and empty the powder into the bowl with the ampho B powder). These two are mixed together and then mixed into a water based gel (water based gels are ones like Aqua Gel, KY Jelly (the original), or surgilube). Now they will have to figure out how much gel is needed to make 8 grams of treatment gel to be used each night for 14 days. ( 8 grams of gel each night would be two applicators worth of the gel each night to be placed in the vagina). This is how the gel is made correctly. So, I would definitely check with your pharmacist to make sure this was how they made yours. If it is then, again I would say that you are just having a side effect and as long as you can handle it and are not having skin break down, try your hardest to get through the 14 days of treatment.
So, lastly I want to tell you that you should NOT be using Vaseline in your vagina, while under treatment! This will one, cause the gel to stick to the walls creating a worse situation (much like what I just described above with the wrong base) and two, it will prevent the gel from making full contact with the walls, making the gel worthless and you will be risking making this infection resistant to the gel. This also goes for using anything else in the vagina, you should only be using the gel for 14 days, no other vaginal creams, rinses or anything. Now if you are using the Vaseline on the outside areas of the vagina due to skin break down that would be ok, so would the Indian Clay, however, if the gel is creating the skin break down and it wasn’t there prior due to Glabrata on the outside of the vagina, it is more than likely doing it inside too, and in that case you should stop using it, because it was either made wrong or you are having a reaction to something in it. If it is that you are reacting to something in it, you will have to find another form of treatment and please know that there is still Voriconazole, which is a pill and does carry a lot of systemic side effects but, it does have some efficacy in killing Glabrata, however, if it fails too then you are going to need to see a Glabrata specialist like Dr. Jack Sobel out of Wayne State University in MI. So, please do not loose hope if this is the case.
To answer your question about whether you may have another infection besides Glabrata, the answer is “YES”. Glabrata because of its unique ability to live in any type of a PH environment is rarely seen living by itself. It is almost always seen living alongside bacterial or other fungal infections or even both. You see, most women come down with Glabrata because their vaginal PH and the flora have been for some reason compromised, leaving them vulnerable to this infection. That break down in PH or healthy flora usually first allows for other infections to set up home. Things like BV (bacterial vaginosis) or chronic candidias, it is after these have set up home that Glabrata often shows up, so it is very possible to have other infections going on. I usually tell women prior to starting the gel it is important to get checked for bacterial infections, all forms of yeast infections (including Glabrata) and to be checked for any and all STD’s, all of which can be found along side Glabrata and according to studies can make treating the Glabrata very difficult. You must first treat any other infections, with the exception of other fungi infections and that is because the ampho B / flucytosine gel will work to kill all other fungi. You must also treat any STD’s., if these are not dealt with first you could have a difficult time treating the Glabrata and clearing it. You will also be left with those infections after your Glabrata treatment and you will need to go back and treat them which can in turn bring the Glabrata right back. So, your doctor would have need to have tested and treated other infections prior to your treatment, if not it could make things harder for you. However, here is the thing, you now cannot test for any other infections or even STD’s until you have finished your treatment with the gel and you have waited no less than two weeks, however it is preferred you wait three weeks before testing for any and all infections including for Glabrata again. If you do it any sooner you could end up with false positive or even negative results. You would also have to wait that long before starting any other kind of treatment, unless it was an oral treatment.
One last thing, if you make it through treatment, which I hope you do, and you have waited two weeks and you are still irritated, burning or itching, you will definitely need to be re-checked for Glabrata as well as any other infections. Now if all these come back normal this time around, please know that you could be left with a chronic illness known as Vulvodynia. I have talked on here in length but you can also look up articles on it too. Vulvodynia is usually brought on by long standing or serious infections like Glabrata and unfortunately , can make you feel as though the infection is still there when it is not. You can not tell the two apart except through negative cultures for all other infections. With you having so much irritation with the gel and for as long as you have been dealing with Glabrata it is very possible that your hypersensitivity is coming from irritated nerves within your tissues, which is pretty much what vulvodynia is. Now if that is what you are left with, you will more than likely need to bring it up with your doctor, because very few doctors know about this or have the knowledge to diagnose it. So, you will have to bring it up and if your doctor agrees that it was you may have, then ask them to refer you out to a vulva pain clinic where you can be treated by someone with knowledge on how to treat this condition. I hope this point will all be mute for you and you will heal fully once you get through all this, but just in case please keep that in the back of your mind.
Well, I hope I was able to answer all your questions and I hope this is just a side effect for you and in another week or two you will be on the mend. Good Luck
I wanted to share my Candida Glabrata experience with anyone who might benefit. I was diagnosed with Glabrata after 18 months of pain and testing from my ob gyn. I was persistent enough that after many appointments and complaints with nothing turning up they finally tested my sample at the genetic level. Bingo. The nurse sheepishly called to report that I did indeed have this highly resistant infection. I knew that something had to be wrong, my pain was intense and ongoing. It felt like I had a cut on the inside of the vagina and salt had been applied. After attempting to treat with Boric Acid and many rounds of Diflucan my Dr. was referring me to infectious disease for further treatment. In a last ditch effort to avoid this group I sought out the help of an Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist who treated me for 6 weeks and I was cured. The Dr. was very skeptical but I felt it was worth a try before heading down the infectious disease path. My Acupuncturist, Dr. Dean Deng out of Lake Forest, Illinois assured me that he could help. He did. He is worth checking out for anyone who is struggling and losing hope with this battle. He treated me 3x per week for the first two weeks, 2x per week for two weeks and 1x per week for the last two weeks. I had a follow up lab done to confirm and it was gone. Wishing you all the best of luck with treating this exhausting condition.
Hi Debra,
I also have Glabrata & have been struggling to find help for 2 years. I live in the North Texas area. Do you know if there are any specialists in this area that are knowledgeable?
Hi Susie, I’m sorry to hear that you are going through this, unfortunately, I do not know of any doctors in the Texas area. However, I can email you the studies, which are peer reviewed studies done here in the United States, so almost any doctor in the US will accept them. The one study does have the formula for making the gel. It does have to be compounded, so you will need to find a compound pharmacist to make it and I can give you the name of a pharmacy that is able to make it and ships anywhere in the US. I am telling you this because quite often you can teach your own doctor how to help you. So, you can take the studies into an open minded doctor and it can be a family physician or gyne and show them the studies and ask them to write you a script for the gel. Most will do this, but if not you can try finding another doctor in your area or you may have to travel out of state to see one that will. There is a doctor here in IL that is educated on treating it, if you should need one, but I would really encourage you to try working with your own doctors there in Texas first.
Well I wish I could be of more help to you, but I will email you the studies and the doctor and pharmacy information from here in IL in case you need it. Good Luck to you
Hi Brenda, what exactly did your Acupuncturist treat you with?
Thanks, Melissa
Hi Debra,
This is one of the most in depth and informative articles I have read on Candida! You are so knowledgable! It is sad that so many people have to do their own research to find a cure for their disease when doctors can’t or won’t, but I bet so many women are thankful that you did!
I am convinced I have a vaginal glabrata infection and am truly frightened. I am awaiting culture results from my Gyne doc, but unfortunately, I did not happen upon this article until two days after my appointment, so I am unsure if she ordered a specific glabrata test.
The reason I think I have glabrata is because I have taken multiple courses of Cipro from 2012 to 2016 for diverticulitis attacks. Then, in June 2016, I took both Cipro for diverticulitis again, and a course of steroids for a severe allergic reaction to some sort of insect bite. I took
them at the same time. The “perfect storm.”
I had a sigmoid resection in Sept 2016, so in prep for that, I took three doses of Erythromycin, which I believe is also broad spectrum. I developed an oral thrush infection several days after being home from the surgery. I took Nystatin swish and swallow for 10 days and that cured it.
I did ok for October and most of November. At the end of November, I developed a vaginal yeast infection. I took some OTC cream and it seemed to resolve. Then, in early December I developed another vaginal yeast infection. I tried everything OTC, multiple natural remedies, and Diflucan 150mg three days apart. Nothing worked. I then tried boric acid, one suppository nightly for 14 days. I thought it worked. The burning, irritation, slight itch and slight discharge disappeared. I felt normal “down there,” but only for about four days, then, BAM, burning and slight discharge right back again. My discharge is clear and watery on the outside, but if I stick my finger up there, it comes out with some milky, white, thin, slightly sticky discharge. Rarely, I get a small amount of the white, curd like discharge. Another reason I think it’s glabrata is that this doesn’t have the insane itch that a normal candida infection has. It is more of a burning, irritated sensation. The burning extends all the way to the top of the butt crack. The discharge does not have an odor. I believe I saw in a couple other posts that you stated the discharge has a strong odor.
I am still holding out the slightest hope that I don’t have Glabrata, but my gut tells me I do. I have read through most of the posts to your article and have taken many notes. Your knowledge on this subject is astounding and it is wonderful that you have been able to help so many women. I am a nurse also and I see my gyne doc frequently where I work, so I’m hoping that will be advantageous in getting the correct testing (if she didn’t already order that) and in getting the correct treatment should it turn out positive.
I thought I saw in one of the comments above, you stated there was a link to the studies by Dr. Sobel. I can’t seem to find it. I would like to be prepared for my next gyne appt. with some studies and the recipe for the prescription, should I find out I do indeed have glabrata. If you would be so kind as to email those to me, I would be very grateful.
One more thing Debra. Is there anything that can be applied to the area to soothe the burning while waiting for treatment? Thank you so much!!!
Hi Chris, I am so sorry you are going through all this, you definitely have been on the drugs to cause a perfect storm and you definitely sound like you have Glabrata. So, I will email you with the studies to bring into your doctor and the one has the formula for making gel too.
I also wanted to address a few other things here real quick. First, you need to STOP using the fluoroquinolone drugs (Cipro, Levaquin, avelox, etc..) these are very dangerous drugs that can leave you with permanent life long disabling injuries. They also should NEVER be combined with steroids, NEVER!!! It even states this in the drug pamphlet, which most doctors do not even know about! Let me also say that Glabrata only effects the vaginal area so if you are having symptoms of not feeling well in other areas of your body, things such as painful muscles, joints or tendons, fatigue that is abnormal and for no reason, headaches, visual disturbances like blurred vision or floaters, dizziness, ringing in the ears, jaw pain, dry skin, mouth, eyes or nasal passages, peripheal neuropathy, etc.. then you may have been what is called “Floxed” which is a type of poisoning that happens from using one of the fluoroquinolones and you can learn more about this by checking out a blog by David Melvin at http://www.myquinstory.com or googling fluoroquinolone toxicity or joining a FB group on it.
Next let me explain that Glabrata is able to live in any PH environment, which means that it is rarely ever seen living by itself. It can be found living along side of bacteria or other fungi, which means that the smell of the discharge can be altered by which ever infection is dominant at that point. When Glabrata becomes the dominant one it often has a very distinctive smell of rotting flesh and that is because it does eat and kill the tissues, but again you may not have a strong odor of this if there is other infections living along side of it.
This is why it is very important for your doctor to test for all fungi and bacteria as well as any STD’s. You need to have this done because if there is another infection like a bacteria infection, that infection needs to be treated prior to treating the Glabrata or else it makes treating Glabrata very hard. So, if you had a bacterial infection you would need to treat with something like Metrogel or cleocin before using the ampho gel and you must wait five days after using any other meds in the vagina before you can use the gel or you risk it not working. You could also take Tinadazole orally to treat a bacteria infection while using the ampho gel. If there are other fungi do not worry the ampho gel will kill them too, so do not use Diflucan or any other OTC treatment for it. Now if your doctor did not specifically request for a Glabrata test then it will not show up, so you may have to ask for it to be done.
In the meantime you can use a few things to help with the burning and pain. If you need it on the inside you ask your doctor for a prescription of Metro gel. Now I know this is usually used to treat BV, but it only treats specific bacteria without wiping out the good ones, so you do not have to worry about it causing a secondary problem. Now it is often given to women with vulvodynia or those that have unknown or even known inflammatory conditions without a bacteria infection and this is because it has a natural anit-inflammatory property to it. So, it tends to soothe and heal reddened tissues and bring down any inflammation. However, if you use this, you must stop using five days prior to starting the ampho gel or the gel will not work. Now if the irritation is on the outside areas, like the outside of the vaginal “lips” the perineum, up the butt crack, the rectal area or even around the inner thighs you can buy a product called “Indian Healing Clay” which is made my “Majestic Purity” and you can find it on Amazon for about $11.00 US dollars. You would take 1/4 tsp. of it and mix it with 3/4 tsp. of warm water and mix until it is a clay consistency. Then using your finger smear a thin layer over the irritated areas. You leave it on for about 15 minutes, now if you are really irritated you may only be able to stand it for a few minutes, then you will get into a warm bath and let the water rinse it off. You can use your fingers or hand to wash the area clear. Now if it burns a little in the beginning that is ok, do not stop using it, just keep applying it once a day everyday and within about three days the burn will stop and you will notice the area is n longer irritated or red. This clay naturally heals the skin and brings down the inflammation. I also want to let you know that you should not be washing the area or dying it with a rag or towel, because the tissues are very irritated and fragile due to the Glabrata eating at them, so if you use rags or rub you risk not only tearing the tissues but also spreading the infection to new areas. So, always use you hand or fingers to lightly wash over the area and rinse with water. For drying just pat the area and then follow up with a blow dryer on the cool setting. This will actually feel really good, but in any case never leave the area damp or wet. The same goes with wiping, you want to use a white dye free and smell free toilet paper and only pat the area, do not wipe! If the area is still very irritated you can use destin with zinc, but only smear a thin layer over the areas, this may help some too, but the clay will do the most.
Now when you get the gel make sure to take a little of it on the tip of your finger and smear a small amount over the infected areas up the butt crack and around and right into the anus. This will help to kill the infection in those areas too.
This should help to get you started. I will email you the studies and if you need anything else please let me know and I will do what I can to help you. Good luck
Hi Debra,
I’m writing on behalf of my partner, we’re in Perth in Australia and shes been fighting a losing battle with doctors for nearly a year and we’ve put thousands of dollars into curing her with no luck. She is only finally on some treatment that is getting close to the right thing which is the Flucytosine with Niastatin but reading this we are not hopeful, and her symptoms still persist. Shes been messed around by every doctor and specialist we’ve seen as there is little to no knowledge or awareness on C. Glabrata, especially in Australia, which has only made it stronger.
We’ve only found one place which will compound the Amphotericin B but no doctor will prescribe it, even though we’ve told them that the mix of that and Flucytosine is the only thing proven to fix it and explained the properties of both. I’m hoping we can get in contact with you and get more information like the studies you’ve mentioned in other comments and also the breakdown of the gel with Ampho. B and Flucytosine to try and push to get prescribed and fix the problem,it would be greatly appreciated! Also any information on doctors in America who will treat it as we’re prepared for that option as well.
She’s lost all hope and become very depressed which is killing me to watch, I’ll do anything to get her better.
Thank you for any response and if you need contact details please don’t hesitate to ask.
Hi Chris, I am sorry I didn’t answer sooner, but for some reason I did not see this post show up. I am sorry to hear what is going on. Unfortunately, Nystatin even when combined with Flucytosine is useless against this infection. Glabrata has shown total resistance to Nystatin since the late 80’s and most doctors don’t even prescribe it anymore. All the studies on Glabrata dating back into the mid nineties no longer even study Nystatin as a treatment. I will send you the studies that you are looking for and the one even has the formula for making the gel. Unfortunately, many doctors even here in the states do not understand the molecular make-up of amphotericin B, so they are afraid to prescribe because they have been taught that it is a very toxic drug which has the potential for serious injury and even death. However, that only applies to it if you use it orally or interveiniously. Many times a pharmacist may have to inform the doctor that when using ampho topically, its molecules are to large to be absorbed through the tissues. It often gets used on the skin, in the vagina, in the rectal area and even in the mouth and throat to treat Glabrata as well as a few other hard treat fungi infections. When used this way it has no systemic side effects (because it is not capable of being absorbed) and very few if any side effects to the treated area. It is also combined with Flucytosine in almost all cases. This is because the Flucytosine keeps the Glabrata from being able to adapt to the ampho, buying the person a few more times of treatment with it, if necessary. The Flucytosine is also used to help break open the nucleus wall so that the ampho can get in there and unravel the DNA, there by killing the fungi. The latest studies are stating that doctors should no longer prescribe flucytosine or ampho by themselves, due to the potential of gaining resistance to either drug alone.
I know this infection can be quite painful and life altering, which in turn can bring on serious depression, so I hope that you are able to find a doctor there who would be willing to prescribe this gel. However, if not you can ask about trying voriconazole, which has had some success in treating it as well. If they are willing to do this they will need to treat for no less than five weeks and they should do a MIC test on the culture as well. That will give them an idea as to how strong of a dose you would need to help kill this. Now that test is not always accurate because these drugs always act differently in the body then they do in the petrie dish, but it is a good way to find a starting ground. It is the only other drug that has any efficacy against this infection. The one study I am sending you talks about this drug too. If all else fails and you find yourselves needing to come to the US for treatment there is a doctor here that will be able to see you and prescribe the gel. You will just need a positive culture report with you. I will send you this information too.
Well, I wish you the best of luck and if you need anything else please let me know and I will try to help however I can.
Hi Deborah,
I am so happy to find this forum!!!!! I have Candida Glabrata and have been battling it for a good while. I had a positive test done from a swab at my gynecologist almost 2 years ago and was treated vaginally with boric acid for several months. Then I started developing multiple symptoms and seen several different types of specialist. One of them ordered urine and stool cultures and they both came back positive for Glabrata! I was given Nystatin orally and had a allergic reaction then I was given Prednisone 10 MG for 14 days for the reaction because it was so bad. I was also given Clindamycin 2%vaginal cream. Now I am even worse! I am currently taking a very strong probiotic and a supplement called Yeast Guard. Please help me with any ideas you may have. I have a pharmacy near me that does compounding. Will you please email me the RX ingredients for the gel so I can have my Dr. order it? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Susan, I did get a chance to talk with you by phone and it was a wonderful conversation, I hope all the information I shared with you helps you to finally understand what is happening to you and gets you started on the road to recovery. I did email everything to you and let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you. Good luck to you hun
Debra
Thank you for all this information, so glad to have found it as I’ve been struggling for years with pain and every time I go to the gyn, they say there’s nothing wrong. Well this time, after a course of antibiotics, she said I have candida glabrata, but that’s just based on looking at a microscope and not a culture. Can you please see me all the information I see you sending to others, including the doctor in the US who can treat this?
Thank you!
Hi Molly, I am so sorry you are going through this, but I want to share a little information with you. First Glabrata cannot be seen under a microscope in your doctors office. This is because it does not produce hyphae which makes it invisible to the naked the eye even under the scope. It has to be grown out on a special medium with heat and then a specific dye must be added to it and then placed under an ultra violet light under the scope. So, I am not sure why your doctor is telling you that they are seeing it under the microscope without a culture. What she may be seeing is something called clue cells, which are often seen under the scope in a doctors office, these clue cells tell them that there is some kind of inflammatory condition going on in the vagina. However, the clue cells does not tell them what kind of infection, but in most cases your doctor can see the bacterial cells or regular yeast (candidias) cells under her scope, so if she is not seeing either of those types of cells but is seeing clue cells, she may be just assuming that you have an infection like Glabrata going on because it is something that would cause clue cells without anything else being seen under her scope along with your symptoms.
The problem with this is that there are also other reasons for clue cells as well as your symptoms besides bacteria, candidias and even Glabrata. It can be being caused by atrophic vaginitis (which has many causes) or from STD’s, other rare fungal infections like Tropicalis or even autoimmune conditions that effect the vagina or just irritation like vulvodynia. So, cultures for BV, candidias, Glabrata, other rare fungi and STD’s should be performed so that you truly know what you are dealing with before you just start throwing meds at it. I say this because all these different conditions can look alike under the scope and can cause many of the same symptoms, yet are treated with very different meds. So, you need to know what you are really dealing with so as to not be taking meds that can have serious side effects or make your condition worse.
Secondly, a culture is absolutely necessary when treating some of these conditions, especially Glabrata. Here is why, in studies they have found that Glabrata rarely lives by itself in the vagina, because of its ability to live in any PH environment it is often seen living along side both BV and candidias as well as other rare fungi. It is necessary to know what else may be living with it because depending on what else is living with it will depend on how well certain treatments are gong to work. In most cases the doctors want to treat what else is living with it first then treat the Glabrata, by doing this they have found that there is a higher cure rate. So, it is very necessary to have that culture done. On top of this the culture also lets the doctors know what strain of Glabrata you have and how resistant it is to all forms of treatment. This is called the MIC’s and this lets them know how resistant the strain is and what is going to work best. Now this test is not always accurate because what they have found is that what seems to work in the petrie dish does not always work the same in the host and that is due to the hosts own immune system, under lying conditions, life style and PH of the vagina, but it is a good starting ground and is needed. I will also tell you that any doctor I would send you to is going to require this culture to be done before they will even be willing to see you and you will want it done prior too. This is because these doctors are not cheap, they can have very long waiting periods to get into (up to six months) and for them to do the test it would take a few weeks for the results to come back, so you will have to go back again before they would treat you. They will also not treat without a positive culture for the reasons I explained above.
So, I will email you the studies and the doctors info, but you need to go back to your doctor and ask for a culture to be done. These doctors will want that information with the MIC’s before they will even set up an appt. Once you get that you can do one of two things, you can first try giving your current doctor the studies with the formula for the gel and ask them to treat you and the studies are peer reviewed studies done here in the US at prominent universities so they should take them with no problem. Or you can make an appt. with one of the doctors I email you, just make sure to bring your culture report with you. If it turns out that it is not Glabrata then your doctor will at least know what you really are dealing with and be able to help you correctly from there. One last thing, if your cultures all come back negative but you still have clue cells and pain, then you may want to bring up the possibility of vulvodynia with your doctor. It is often a misdiagnosed problem and one that too often is misdiagnosed as a rare or hard to treat fungal infection, but it really is not and it gets treated with a whole different regime of modalities. I say this because you are complaining of pain going on two years now with the doctors supposedly not seeing anything. This really does not sound like Glabrata, because Glabrata especially one that has been going on two years would not only be causing you severe life altering pain but it would also be causing you tissue break down, swelling, discharge and at this point probably ulcers. So, if you are not having all these issues too and if they are really not seeing anything then you actually sound like you have a classic case of vulvodynia, in which case you would have clue cells under the scope along with pain but nothing to be seen on exam and treating it as Glabrata or any other type of yeast infection would actually make you much worse!!!!! So, please before traveling to see a Glabrata specialist or spending a lot of useless money and treating yourself with unnecessary drugs I would encourage you to go back and ask your doctor to do cultures. When you ask for cultures tell them you want one for BV, one for candidias and one for Glabrata as well as for other rare fungi. Then wait for the results before doing anything else. If you do not have some of the symptoms I said you should see with Glabrata above then I would encourage you to also check out the article on Hormones Matters on Vulvodynia, it explains this condition and how it is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed and it explains the causes, symptoms and treatments. You may want to take that information with you along with the studies to your doctor so that you can have a conversation on all of them to help you help your doctor to figure out what is really going on with you. Then you can be assured of getting the correct diagnosis and treatment.
Well, I hope all this information helps you and I will email you all the information. Good luck to you
Hi Debra, I have another question. Can Glabrata and normal yeast infections, can they be sexually transmitted to your partner???
Hi Helen, Both Glabrata and even candidias can be transmitted to your sexual partner, however they usually do not catch it as easily as a women does and that is because of the anatomical make-up, which I did explain in another post on here to someone if you want to look back at other posts. If your partner were to have either, they too would be suffering with discharge, a reddened area around the uretheral opening, burning with urination, itching in and around the head and if bad enough even on the penis. Now there are some men who may not have symptoms this bad and may not even know they have it, because they are only getting intermittent itching or burning with urination and they are attributing it to jock itch or not drinking enough or even to something they drank. But if they have it there will be some symptoms, so you may have to ask him if he has had any of these symptoms at ALL. If not then chances he does not have it and to find out if he really does have it, would require a q-tip swab for culture into the penis, which is painful (from what I hear) so it is not something you want to put him through unless he has symptoms or if you have been successfully treated and for some reason still keep getting it back especially after sex. I hope this answers your question and helps you.
Hi, Debra! Thank you for the useful information. You are a real Wikipedia on this subject and I appreciate you care some much about the women that struggle with this. I also have the same diagnose and I am worried that my doctor doesn’t really knows much of this disease or how to cure it. Next week I have an appointment and I would like to discuss with the doctor about the studies and the gel formula you were talking about. So, please be so kind and send them via email. Thank you very much!
Hi Nicole, I am sorry I just seen this posting, so I hope I will be able to get you the studies in time for your doctor appt. So, check your email for them. I wish you the best of luck and if you need anything else please let me know. Thanks
Hi Debra,
Thank you for responding to my question, your answers are always so helpful. After much thought, I think I was misdiagnosed. I don’t think I have Glabrata because my symptoms are not what most people experience and also I know for a fact that my OBGYN did not ask for this specific glabrata test to be done. When the test results came back she didn’t even know what glabrata was. And I also think whatever I have isn’t a regular common yeast infection either. I don’t really know what I have, I have to get some more test done. However, what I’m thankful for is that whatever is that I have its bearable, I can handle it until I do find a cure.
Hi Helen, I am so sorry you are going through all this, but thankful that you are able to bear this until you find the answer. I think I did post awhile back to you that I too was not sure that you had Glabrata and even back then I thought you needed to have a full work up with testing. So, I hope you can find a doctor that is able to do this for you. I would still encourage you to ask the next doctor to run a bacterial culture, a regular fungal culture, a rare fungal culture to look for ones like Tropicalis and then a Glabrata culture. You should also ask to have all STD’s checked too, not that you any but it is just to rule every type of infection possible out. Now any doctor (gyne or family physician) can take these cultures and send them to a lab. When talking to your doctor about testing make sure to ask for exactly what I just wrote here, they should know how to order all of them or they can look them up or call the lab, so that they know how to write and send the cultures.
Now if you have ANY kind of infection (rare or normal fungi as well as any kind of bacteria or STD) they will find it. If for some reason these all come back normal, meaning they show no infection of any kind, then you need to discuss with your doctor the possibility of the diagnosis of vulvodynia. This is actually how you diagnosis this condition, which is done by ruling out any and all infections of any kind. This may be what you are suffering with and I think I talked to you about this one too in prior posts. But I want to once again reiterate that vulvodynia is an illness that very few doctors know about , think about as a diagnosis, or even now how to treat, so often it is up to the patient to bring it up to their doctors. I also want to reiterate that vulvodynia almost always feels like and acts like some kind of a yeast infection and for that reason alone, most gyne’s mis-diagnose it as such. However, it is not an infection and requires a whole other regime of treatment by vulvar pain specialists. It is also very common for women to think they have picked up some “rare” or “weird” kind of fungal infection that their doctor is just missing or maybe hasn’t even seem before, but its not, it is very normal to feel or think this way when dealing with this kind of illness. Most women walk around and go from one doctor to another for nearly twelve years looking for an answer to their suffering, so it is not abnormal to go through this, but you can head off this long journey by getting all those tests done and finding out if there really is an infection and if not then you need to bring this diagnosis up with your doctor so that you can start getting treated as soon as possible. I do think that when we talked before I told you that I suspected this because Glabrata is almost never the type of infection that you could get by with or bear with it. A Glabrata infection if not treated gets worse with each passing month and is terribly unbearable, it is truly life altering and will spread to the outside areas of the vagina if let untreated for too long. So, even though you do not fit the usual the symptoms of Glabrata, I would still encourage you to get the test done as well as the other ones and then go from there. I did write an article recently on Hormones Matters about vulvodynia that you can look up and read. It gives you all the information on symptoms, problems with diagnosis and treatments available. So, you might want to check it out, so that you are fully informed the next time you see a doctor. Well, I wish you the best Helen and please let me know what comes of all this for you. Good Luck hun
Sincerely,
Debra
Then when they come back you will know if there is any kind of infection
Hi Debra many thanks for the information, could you email me the details/breakdown on the gel and I will give to my doctor ….hope you are still feeling better x
Hi Louise, I’ll email you the studies, which have the formula for making the gel. Good luck to you
Hi Debra hope yo are well , I just wanted to update you on my story. I took my weeks cousre of antibiotics after a suspected strep g infection in my anus, it didn’t make much difference the second swab did show up glabrata but less of the strep g I don’t know if glabrata was on the first swab probably did but the doctor said it could just be part of my flora and would be difficult to get rid of and they could easily colonise again from foods etc. So I saw a different consultant about the fissure and told him about the glabrata but he didn’t seem interested , he was just going to try and help them so I got a cream to help relax the muscle at my anus but that didn’t make much difference, I haven’t seen him again yet but he said that if that didn’t work then I would be Botox injections there they possibly surgery. I took the nystatin/ flucytosine cream over xmas it was 100,000 units of nystatin and 1gram flucytosine, 8 grams per syringe dose, it wasn’t a gel it was a cream like substance.it also had a 2week shelf life and had to be stored in the fridge. The fist night I used it I felt a different sort of feeling in the vagina . As the days went on i started to get discomfort not during the night but the rest of the time, it was like the vulvodinia symptoms, it was like they knew they were under attack and went into the walls causing discomfort. I was exhausted thinking it over in my head what could be going on and I was still getting the watery discharge. The symptoms are only slightly better now , I have been finished the cream for a few weeks now but still feels worse than when I started it. I am due for a swab next week and see the consultant on the 2 nd. The only other thing that is available to me is the boric acid capsules but I know they are useless .i am also worried that because they have been exposed to the flucytosine they have already became resistant to it and won’t have any other chance to get rid. I found out that there is a world shortage of ampho b and there is a quality issue . The only way I could get it is by going to another country but don’t know how to go about doing that , there must be someone else in the U.K. how has had this andgot rid of it without going abroad. I don’t think I could cope knowing I had to live with this forever.
Oh I am so sorry Iona, I really hoped that the combination of Flucytosine with Nystatin would work for you, I knew it would be a long shot, but really prayed it was going to be your answer. Unfortunately, like I explained before, Flucytosine is NOT the drug that actually kills Glabrata. All it does is break open the shell that protects the nucleus, there by allowing the other drug (which in your case was Nystatin) to get into the nucleus and unravel the DNA of the fungi. In theory and decades ago, Nystatin should have worked to kill it once the Flucytosine busted open the protective shell. However, like I also explained before Nystatin was so over used prior to the “Azole” revolution in the 90’s that Glabrata learned how to adapt to it, making it useless in its ability to kill it. So, the combination that you took of the two was going to be a long shot, but one I truly hoped would work for you.
Now, I can’t say if the way it was prescribed is what caused it to fail or not, but in order for it to have had any chance you would have needed it for no less than 14 days. It also should have been put in a gel not a cream, this truly makes all the difference and may actually be the reason why you felt so much discomfort and were left worse off. You see these drugs are NOT meant to stay in the vagina or adhere to the walls, they are only meant to “wash” out the vagina and exit it. These are very acoustic drugs and if they adhere to the walls they can cause all kinds of burning, irritation, skin break down and even nerve damage. This is why it is very important that the drug be put into a water based gel. However, again I cannot say for certain that it was the reason for it failing, because it was going to be a long shot anyway. Although, it may very well have been what made you worse.
So, I am not sure where you go from here, because you need the amphotericin B to be added to the flucytosine. Let me also just relieve some of your fears right now. Believe me you did not make the Glabrata resistant to the flucytosine from this one use. Let me explain, there have been studies done on the use of Flucytosine and what they found is that for some reason (still not fully understood why) Glabrata has a hard time adapting to Flucytosine, which is why it is suggested that doctors do NOT prescribe the amphotericin B without it. When you combine it with ampho it actually buys you a few more times with both drugs before the Glabrata is able to adapt and become resistant. So, please put this worry aside, you have enough on your plate right now.
So, as you already know the boric acid capsules are useless against this fungi and will only cause you more skin issues especially in the rectal area, where it commonly breaks down the tissues. So, I would really suggest not using this. I will also say that your doctor seems to have very little knowledge of Glabrata, which is very unlike other forms of fungi, commonly known as candidias. This one is known as a non-candidias and for good reasons. With the most important difference being that it will not be treatable or curable with the “usual” candidias drugs, making it very difficult to treat if you are not knowledgeable or experienced with it. However, this does not mean it is not treatable or curable or that it is something you will have to learn to live with. Let me also say Glabrata is not a “usual” part of your flora, nor is it found in foods that you would normally eat either. So, it is not going to recolonize when you eat again, however, it can recolonize if it is not fully eradicated during treatment. Now food does play a role in how well your body is able to help the drugs attack the fungi. If you eat sugary foods, carbs or starches you will be working against the drugs by feeding this fungi, so even though food cannot “cause” or “recolonize” the infection it does play a role in treating it.
I have to say that I am very worried about you, for a couple of reasons. First I am worried because your doctors do not fully understand this infection and I am very worried that they are going to use unnecessary procedures that will not only NOT help you but may actually cause you more problems. I say this because you are saying that they are talking about using Botox in that area. I am not sure if you understand how botox works, so in case you don’t let me quickly explain it to you here. Botox is a neurotoxin bacteria that causes the nerve endings to become paralyzed, so that the “irritated” nerve can’t send signals to the spinal cord and up into the pain center in the brain, therefore making it so you no longer feel the pain. The second effect that you get when the “irritated” nerve is finally calmed down with a Botox injection, is the muscles in and around that nerve begin to relax, which then stops the inflammation and breaking the cycle, which is what they are supposing is causing your nerve to be irritated in the first place (this is why they gave a muscle relaxer). Now all this sounds great IF you did not have an active infection going on and your only problem was an injured irritated nerve which is what was causing you to clench the muscle up, there by creating even more pain, inflammation and irritating the nerve further. But you DO have an active infection and once they treated the strep infection they took away one of Glabratas competing infections, which means they gave this infection full run with no competition to hold it back, which is also why you have gotten worse. Getting rid of the strep was necessary, but it needed to be followed with the ampho / flucytosine gel and unfortunately you could not access the ampho. But again, the botox is just going to be a stronger form of a muscle relaxer, which is not going to work and carries some very serious side effects. It will also leave the anus unable to hold in your stool because the muscle will be paralyzed and this can last up to six months. It can make for some very difficult and embarrassing incidents. (I have had crohns friends who have gone through with this, so I am very familiar with it) I believe this is only going to add to your anxiety, pain and over all health challenges. I would seriously reconsider this and definitely talk with your doctor about what I just said here and get more information before deciding to do it. I will also tell you that you have no clue what you would be in for with surgery in this area. Again I have had to face this decision myself with my crohns and have many friends who have had their rectal areas removed or altered due to disease. This one I would not even consider without first leaving the country and trying to access the gel. If they remove part or all of the rectum you will NEVER be able to hold your stool again. You will constantly have to wear a pad and have some kind of deodorizer with you at all times. This is because our colons produce a mucus like substance around the clock to basically “grease” the colon and keep it supple. Our anus’s hold this mucus in until we are ready to have a bowel movement, however if you paralyze, remove part or all of the rectum you will no longer be able to hold this mucus in. So, you will have constant anal leakage which smells very bad. Please also understand that you have hundreds of nerve endings around the anus which come off of the Peudendal nerve and go up into the spine and then into the brain. If for any reason ANY of these nerve endings are irritated, damaged or cut through surgery you can be left in an incredible amount of pain that WILL BE PERMANENT! This pain is beyond anything you could imagine and in most cases in considered an intractable pain condition, meaning that we do not have ANY drugs available to treat this particular pain and there is a name for it when this happens, but it slips my mind tonight. Please know this was told to me by my own colorectal surgeon. It is absolutely the very last area that you ever want to touch with a scapal! So, PLEASE before you allow any of these doctors to do either of these procedures to you, PLEASE – PLEASE do some research on your own and then sit and talk with your doctors. Let me also say that because your problem is an active infection, the surgery could potentially make the infection worse and definitely put you at a higher risk of it spreading deeper into your tissues and even into your colon, which could be life threatening. On that same note, if you were to have either of these procedures you will be at a higher risk of other infections entering not only the rectal area but also into your vaginal area because of the constant anal leakage. It is a common problem seen in people who go through either of these procedures. Ultimately, you will be opening up Pandoras box or another whole slew of problems and challenges to face. So, once again, please take a moment and trust your own instincts and research, then research some more and then sit and talk with your doctors.
I am also worried very worried about your emotional and mental state. I say this because it sounds like you are feeling overwhelmed and fearful that you will somehow have to learn to live with this horrible infection and that worries me. I know that feeling all too well and I know it nearly drove me at one point to think about ending my life because I could not imagine living with that kind of pain daily. It was effecting my entire life. This is why I wrote this article, because I did not want other women to ever face that thought. I am beside myself with how to help you, but I know there is relief and hope, we just have to get the drugs to you or we need to get you to the drug. So, with that being said, please know if there is anyway for you to make it to the US, I will set you up with a doctor who can get you the gel and I will take you to the pharmacy myself to get it. I know this would all be very expensive from the travel to the drug, but I would help in anyway I could and you are always welcome to stay with me while here to save on hotel costs. I would help you make the appointments and get you there too. If it is too expensive you might want to think about putting up a Go-Fund me account to raise the money. In the meantime there are a few things that may help ease the suffering right now. First you can have your doctor prescribe metronitazole vaginal gel (it is used for bacterial vaginosis) but this gel only targets specific bacteria, so it will not wipe out all your good bacteria causing you another infection. Now it will not clear up the Glabrata, but this gel has a unique quality, it has a natural anti-inflammatory in it. It is often used in women with vaginal pain and irritation or redness with no known infections. It gets used to help bring down the inflammation and redness and can be very soothing to the destruction and inflammation the glabrata is causing to your tissues. It will ease some of your suffering and buy you some time. It too can be used around the anus and it can be used several times a day. You can also use “Majestic Pure” Indian healing clay. This can be bought off of Amazon, I think for like $11.00 US dollars. It is all natural, You will take 1 teaspoon of it and put it in a bowel, then add three more teaspoons of warm water to it. Mix it up until it becomes a clay consistency. Then you will smear a thin layer over the rectum area and any area outside of the vagina. You will leave it on for about 15 minutes, however the first few times you use it, you may only be able to withstand it for a few minutes. Then wipe it off and get into a warm tub to soak for 30 minutes. When you get out make sure to pat the area dry, DO NOT wipe the tissues, because you will set off the Glabrata. You can also use a hair dryer on the cool setting to dry the area, which will actually feel good. Then get dressed, you can do this once a day, every day. This clay has a natural ability to bring down inflammation, burning, itching, redness and heal the tissues. I used this often, it was the only thing that got me through the days. However, if your skin is really irritated or broke down it may actually burn at first, so do not add fuel to the fire, just wipe it off and get in the tub, but do not stop using it, keep attempting it each day, because every time you use it, even for a few minutes it is working to bring down the inflammation and begin the healing. So, within about a week you should see a big difference in the pain and redness and even in the integrity of the tissues. Again this is not going to clear the infection, but it will help to ease some of the suffering and buy you some time until you can get the gel. One last thing too, I do not know how your country feels about narcotics, but when I was really bad (before they knew I had Glabrata) my doctors did prescribe Dialudid, which was a life saver at that time. It did stop the pain, burning and itching for about six hours, giving my body and mind a few moments of rest. So, maybe this is something else you can talk to your doctors about, even if it is only used in the short term. Please also know that there is still Voriconazole, it is not something I would recommend to people who can access the gel, but in your case, this may be worth giving it a try before resorting to these other procedures. Your doctors can do a MIC test and figure out how much of the drug you would need to possibly kill it. Now it too does not have a high kill rate with Glabrata but it is the only other drug out there that has some efficacy against it. It does have some very serious side effects, so you need to be watched while on it and you would need your liver and kidney levels checked prior to starting it (for a baseline of functions) and then you would have to have them checked every ten days while on it. You would need to be on it for weeks, at least 8 weeks, but it might be worth trying too. You can also ask about trying the Voriconazole crushed -up in a gel which would be placed in the vagina. Now I do not know if this would work at all and there are no studies on it, but another women on here brought it up as something else to try. She never did try it so I cannot say if it worked, if you tried it, you would be the first of us to have tried this. It may work, I do not know, but again it is something else to try. If you do try this please come back and let us know how it goes. I would definitely ask to try this before doing either of the other two procedures.
As far as amphotericin B being in shortage or not being pure, I cannot speak to your country, but here in America there is no shortage and our supply has had no issues with purity either. Unfortunately, I do not know anyone else that can help you find the amphotericin B in the UK, I know there were other women on here from the UK who did access it, but none of them have contacted me back, so I am not sure how else to help you there, other than what I suggested above. I will try to reach the other women again. I am sorry I am not of more help, but please hang in there, because this is curable without doing more damage to yourself, we just have figure out a way to get you the ampho. I will do what I can and I hope some of the suggestions I offered above will help with some of your pain. My heart goes out to you! Hugs
Thank you for your reply, and it is so very kind of you to offer putting me up if I have to come to the states. I will try researching more about the Botox and the surgery but when I looked online about glabrata in the anus I didn’t get much. My other concern would be if I did ever get the ampho b gel I don’t think smearing it on my anus would eradicate , it would need to be an inch or two in as I am feeling it inside the anus as well as the outside and wondered how that would work, or would I need an IV to take the meds. The only time I get relief from discomfort dowm there in both parts is usually when I go for a walk or keep moving (I don’t know why). If I do decide to go to the states to get treatment , would I need to go first for a consultation then the treatment or just for treatment, and would I need anything with me for the doctor, also how much roughly would it cost. Sorry for all the questions but one last thing if I decided to go for it , if I can’t get it in any other E U countries would it be possible for me to speak with you over the phone, thanks again Iona x
Iona, you probably won’t find much on anal glabrata because it usually goes along with the vaginal Glabrata as an associated infected area. If you were able to get the gel you could go put it up into the rectum as high as the first 6 inches, if you are infected past that then you would need IV treatment with Micofungin or one of the others. In that case you would need to have an infectious disease on board to help with that. It is not unusual to feel the burning in the rectum about three inches in, but because of the bacteria load right there and mucosal fluids produced right there, it usually does not go any further unless there is an underlying condition. But you definitely could put it into the rectum which the rectum is considered the first six inches, after that it is considered the colon. To do that you would need to put about two pea size amounts on your finger and then rub it into the rectum, making sure you hit all tissues within that area, top and bottom.
The reason you may get some relief from walking is because when you walk your rectal area produces more mucus to lubricate the area so the tissues do not have friction. That extra lubrication may be thinning out the Glabrata conscentration, which in turn is giving you some relief. However, I can’t say this for sure and it could be that there is also something else going on in this area besides Glabrata, because normally it should cause more irritation by moving. They can take a swab of that area and test it for bacteria’s and fungi, even though you have a lot of bacteria normally there. They will look for any unusual ones or ones that have to high of a count. I have had this done several times when that area became inflamed as well. I am definitely wondering if vulvodynia is not at play here too, because this would be something that you could see with that, which would not be abnormal with the infections you have had. However, until your cultures come back clean it will be hard to say.
If you came here to the states, you would meet with the doctor and she would do an exam and a culture right at that appointment. Now if you have a positive culture, you will need to bring that with you to show her. She will still want to do another a culture but with a positive culture report from your country she can at that appointment order you the gel. We can then go and get it filled, but it does take about four days or so to make it, so you will need to be here for at least a week. You could then go back home and finish your treatment. To see this doctor it is going to cost approximately $325.00 (US dollars) and then to get the gel made it is going to cost around $1,400.00 (US dollars). I know this is very expensive, which is why I will try to help you as best I can. On Monday, I will talk with the doctor herself and see if there is anything she can do to cut costs for you too. I will let you know what she says and if she knows of anyway for you to obtain this med, maybe without even coming here. If you are able to get it from another EU country and you want to speak by phone you can definitely call me, or if you want to call for any other reason just let me know. I will send you a private email with my number, so look for it. I will also email you Monday night after I have talked with the doctor here and let you know what she says. I hope we can figure this out for you and soon.
Sincerely,
Debra-Jolie
Hi Iona..
I am really curious to know how you are doing now.. In the same boat as you and I’m not too far from you in the UK.. I’d love to make contact.. It’s so overwhelming in fact consuming my whole life to be honest.. Take care
Hi Debra! I am so grateful to have found this site/blog. It is sadly comforting to know I am not alone. I would also like to share the gel info with my infectious disease doctor tomorrow. After more than a decade of struggling off and on with candida Glabrata I find myself still in need of therapy. And yes, I have taken Voricinazole, Terconazole, Flucytosine, Amph B (suppository), Itraconazole and lots of Fluconazole. After pouring over much of your experience and others, it sounds like this is my next best hope. There are so many details to add… Thank you, thank you!
Hi Lisa, I am so glad you found this site too, I hope this gives your doctors a new treatment that will help you finally conquer this beast once and for all. I will email you the two studies. The one actually has the formula to give your to your doctor, so that they know how to write the script. It does have to be compounded at a compound pharmacy, so if you need help in finding one that is able to access the ingredients and knows how to make it, just let me know and I can get that info to you too. I also want to share with you, that this gel is not cheap and that’s because it has to be made by a compound pharmacy, it is also not covered by insurances. I am warning you so that you will not be in “sticker” shock when you find out how much it will cost. I can tell you that the pharmacies that I use charge around $1,400.00 but if they have to obtain the Flucytosine from an outside source it could cost a few a hundred dollars more, so please be aware.
I do want to share a few other things with you to, just in case you did not read through other people’s posts on here, also because you are stating that you have a had a long history on and off with this beast. First, I am a little worried that you have already been exposed to ampho suppositories, which was the worst thing anyone could have done with this infection. It unfortunately, may have already allowed the Glabrata to adapt to this drug, so I want you to be aware that for you this gel might now be enough to conquer this infection. You see, the ampho is the part that kills the Glabrata in the gel. The flucytosine, is used in the gel to help bust open the nucleus to allow the Ampho to get in and then dismantle the DNA and effectively kill the Glabrata. The Flucytosine is also used to help stave off the ability of the Glabrata to adapt to the amphho, giving you a few more times if necessary to kill it. However, if it has already been exposed only to the ampho, there is a chance that this gel may not work to effectively kill it. Please do not discouraged if this happens, because it is not the end of the road. You can go back and use the gel a second time to see if that will do it. Now if both times using it, you find that it is only knocking the infection back for a few weeks and then you are back to square one, you will need to have long term treatment with not only the gel but also with Nystatin and possibly Diflucan and boric acid washes. this regime would have to be done for about nine months. If this were to happen then you would need to be seen by Dr. Jack Sobel, who is out of Wayne State University in MI. It takes about six months to get in to him. So, if this gel fails the first time out, I would highly recommend making an appt. with him right away. He is experienced in cases where the Glabrata has become resistant to even the ampho. I would also encourage you NOT to use the gel more than twice, because you do not want to make it totally resistant to it before you see Dr. Sobel. Now I cannot say that this gel will fail, but there is a chance, so I am just trying to warn you and give you other options in case it does. Secondly, just let me explain why the ampho suppositories failed. You see, suppositories are made with parafen and or oils, which is what is needed to make into a suppository. The problem is these ingredients prevent the drug from making full contact with the walls where this monster lives. Suppositories also do not usually “wash” out the entire vagina, they soften up and hit only the areas that are toward the front of the vagina, missing some of the key areas it needs to hit. This is also why it is so important to make sure that when they make this gel it is compounded into a water based gel and NOT an oil or cream, or you will be in the same boat too.
Finally, I want to let you in on what it may take to keep this beast gone, once you get there. Let me just say that I too have had go arounds with this beast on several occasions too. It would take me almost a two years before I would finally conquer it fully. What I learned was that my diet, hygiene and lifestyle was playing a big role in allowing for it to come back. So, once I made changes to all the areas I was finally able to conquer it, once and for all. So, here are the tips that I would really encourage you to make and you can start on these right now.
First you absolutely need to change your diet. You will need to eat a “clean” diet from here on out, and for you it is really going to be important to do it not only during treatment but also for the rest of your life. Now a clean diet does not mean eating a specific plan, but instead eating as much as you would like of veggies, meat and fruits (low sugared fruits). It also means that you will need to cut out sugars and that means sugar substitutes as well as natural sugars like Stevia and honey. This is absolutely important during treatment, but for you it should be made a way of life. I know it sounds impossible, but you can do it, you will just have to learn to cook with spices, to make your food just as appetizing. Now your brain is used to the taste of sugar and will want it back really bad, which can cause you to go out and binge, so my suggestion is to go slowly when trying to cut it out, so you don’t just give up. Then once you get there and have not had any sugars for awhile you will find that you will not miss it. Now clean eating also means no boxed, bagged or prepared foods. Everything must be homemade, right down to your salad dressings, which contain a lot sugars too. You will also want to stay away from starches which turn into sugar as soon as they hit your saliva, so things likes potatoes and rice. So, you are probably thinking what am I going to eat to fill up. Well you will have to learn to substitute other things in their places. Things like cauliflower steamed and then mashed with some butter and garlic to make mash potatoes. You can also use cauliflower to – to make rice and there are recipes on-line on how to do that. You can also use spaghetti squash in place of pasta noodles and for rice dishes too. There are many kinds of things to put in place so that you do not lose weight and feel full and get all your nutrition. You may want to ask your doctor to refer you to a nutristionist to help with this. With your diet too you want to stay away from dairy, which is high in sugar and feeds this beast as well. However, you will want to drink at least 4ozs. of Kefir a day to get your probiotics, and kefir gives you more than ten times what you can get from any probiotic pill, so you need to drink this. You still can add probiotic pills to your diet with this as well. The more you can take in and the more strains you can get the better off you are going to be in fighting this beast. You also can use hard cheeses like parmesan too because they do not contain the sugars that soft cheeses do, but buy it by the brick and shred it yourself.
Then you will need to make sure not to upset your PH balance in your vaginal area. So, this means that you should never ever use a douche! It also means no more bath products, like bath salts, bubble bath, essential oils or anything else. Your bath should contain ONLY water! When washing the area, you should only be using Dove hypoallergenic soap, no other soaps should come in contact with this area, not even PH vaginal washes. This is because dove will not change your own PH, where the vaginal PH balance ones will change it and not always the way you want it to. They also contain a lot of other chemical additives which can again change the PH balance and irritate the tissues. This also means if you are taking a shower, no shampoos or conditioners should come in contact with that area, so do not wash your hair in the shower. Now you should also make sure to wash your rags, towels and underwear with a hypoallergenic laundry soap and do not use fabric softner or dryer sheets, which can leave a residue on your clothes and rags, which have the potential to once again change your PH balance or irritate that area, setting off the Glabrata again. The same goes for feminine products and toilet paper, make sure they contain no perfumes, dyes or colors. Also no body sprays or powder in this area. When it comes to lubrication, make sure to ONLY use water based gels like the original KY, Aqua gel, or even surgilube. NO lubricants with colors, perfumes, dyes or additives for heightened excitement, these will definitely set this off again. So, I think you get the idea here and please know this is really important.
Finally, you need to exercise, even if it is a little each day. You do not have to do a thirty minute routine or do some kind of hard exercise or buy a gym pass or an expensive machine. You just need to get your heart rate up several times a day. You can do this by just walking from the back of a parking lot into the store, using the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. You can do squats while picking up your laundry out of the laundry basket on the floor and then marching with your knees going high as you put the folded laundry away. You can do leg lifts while doing dishes and put on your favorite song or two and dance around the house. Just doing this will get your heart rate and you want to do this because every time you get your heart rate up you are kicking on your own immune system to fight and become stronger at protecting you. So, you really want to get your own body in on this fight and keep it working strong to not only help to rid this infection but to help keep it from coming back.
So, these are the things you really want to start getting in place right now and try making them a lifestyle change. One last thing, it is really important to never use antibiotics again in your life, unless they absolutely necessary and you have tried everything else. Then if you have to use one, make sure to ask for ones that are NOT broad spectrum ones if at all possible. Now this may not always be possible with some infections, but always ask. If you do have to take an antibiotic, then it is going to be really important for you to be pre-medicated with diflucan or Nystatin for at least four days prior to starting the antibiotic and continue using it during the treatment with the antibiotics and up to ten days after you have finished the antibiotics. This is really important for you because you have a long history with this beast and you will definitely get it back again if you have to use an antibiotic. If you cannot wait four days to start an antibiotic then definitely start the antibiotic but make sure to get the diflucan or Nystatin on board right with it. This will hopefully head it off and keep it from taking hold again.
Well I hope all this information helps you and I really hope this gel is going to kick it for you, but if not please do not give up there are other options still. You can beat this with the right meds and some lifestyle modifications. Well I wish you the very best and if you need anything else please let me know and please come back and let us know how you are doing. I will send the email with the studies now and if you would like you can email me back at my address and add in any details or questions that you may want to share, but not on here, that you think may make a difference in your treatment. Good Luck to you.
I too am fighting this infection and have been for a year.
I second what Debra has said
Here’s what I have learned:
1. Find a doctor that specializes in c.glabrata. Most OB/GYN doctors have no idea how to treat it and can make it worse. I recommend finding a clinic that specializes in vulvular care.
2. Diet: Eat a paleo diet. I have been told, by a knowledgeable Physician that specializes in c.glabrata, that around 2 servings of fruit a day are not going to hurt you. Most days I eat a green apple and an orange. This may impact you differently but it does not seem to bother me. I eat hard cheeses only and in moderation. Full fat dairy in moderation does not hurt me. For instance, I do about an ounce of heavy cream in my coffee in the morning. Doesn’t seem to impact anything. Careful with the cashews. Almonds, including almond butter (if it is the good kind without added crap and sugar) doesn’t bother me. Pumpkin seeds are fine too. Green apple with some almond butter is a great snack. Cinnamon tea is a great anti-inflammatory and I drink a lot of it.
3. Exercise: Very good for you. However, if you are in ketosis, which is a state that your body can naturally enter when being on a low carb diet, your body can dump a bunch of blood sugar into your blood stream during exercise. This can cause a glabrata flare. Google it yourself- they tell diabetics in ketosis to not exercise for this very reason. I bought ketone strips on Amazon and use it to test myself before exercise. If I want out of ketosis I will eat a sweet potato or a piece of fruit for a few days and that seems to do the trick.
4. Treatment: Mostly c.glabrata is resistant to azole medications. I am currently being treated long term with nystatin, which combined with diet seems to be doing the job although we will see.
5. Tips for Keeping from Going Crazy: Accept that this disease will be a lot of back and forth. I get better for a while and get worse. The bad times are decreasing more and more, and I hope this continues. One thing that has helped me is meditation. Find something you enjoy doing. It will help. It’s okay to cry.
6. Although c.glabrata infections can be fatal, they are not always. I am young and have an otherwise healthy immune system. People with AIDS or diabetes will probably have much more of a struggle. I don’t plan on dying from this anytime soon, although having this has sucked.
7. Supplements: I take a supplement called AHCC and also take curcumin. Both boost the immune system and people use them while going through cancer treatment. Be careful of multivitamins since I have read in medical articles that c.glabrata needs niacin to survive. I noticed I would feel like crap right after taking a multivitamin that was loaded with niacin. I also take a probiotic that has 20 million cultures.
8. Antibiotics: Just say no, unless you really need it. Doctors in the US give them out like candy. I also have a urinary tract/Kidney infection but I am treating it with herbals (uva ursi) and I am having it monitored (by urinalysis) to check up on it. My last test was negative for bacteria and I have used 0 antibiotics.
9. c.glabrata doesn’t like to culture. Boy, it is frustrating.
10. Hygiene: Use dove hypoallergenic soap. You can use coconut oil for a lotion/hydration. 100% cotton underwear only. No dryer sheets, even in other loads of laundry. You can get wool dryer balls on Amazon. I live with 2 other females and wash towels in hypoallergenic soap and boric acid (borax) along with hot water. No problems so far.
Good luck folks and I hope that everyone finds some relief and recovers.
Hi Terri, thank you for you chiming in with your experience and backing up the things that I have been saying that really do make a difference when dealing with Glabrata. I am sorry that you are going through this, but I want to let you know that you could literally clear your Glabrata in 14 days!!! There is absolutely no reason that you should still be dealing with this infection. Unfortunately, you are being treated with a very old drug that has no efficacy in killing this infection, NO MATTER how long you use it. However it is used in long term preventaive treatment if you have used the ampho gel and gotten the infection back more than once. The cases where this would be necessary would be in people who have underlying conditions or who have not changed their lifestyle habits. In these cases, Nystatin is then used for six to nine months AFTER the gel to help prevent it from coming back, but you will be clear of it. Nystatin is not the “kill” drug but it does have some efficacy in preventing it from coming back and according to all the latest studies out there it should ONLY be used for prevention not for treatment. What you are doing right now, is first needlessly suffering and potentially damaging your vaginal tissues and the nerves that live within them, which in time can leave you with a painful permanent condition known as vulvodynia. The Nystatin itself even has the potential to do you harm if continually used as well. Secondly, the Nystatin is only knocking down your numbers, buying you some minor relief, but in time even the nystatin will no longer do this for you. If you are unable to stop the Nystatin after 30 days of use without it coming back within two weeks, then you are definitely not killing this infection, but instead creating a 100% resistant strain to Nystatin, that will leave you with an even harder strain to treat and you will not be able to use the nystatin as a follow-up treatment if necessary for prevention. I would seriously encourage you to talk to your doctor about prescribing the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel as soon as possible. This gel is safer than the nystatin and you only need 14 days of it to be cured! There is no reason for you to continue suffering with this when we have a drug that kills on contact!
The other thing I want to mention to you, is that Glabrata is NOT hard to culture out at all, as long as your doctor is specifically requesting a Glabrata test. When the test is ordered for Glabrata a different medium is used in the petrie dish, it is then incubated in heat for up to six weeks (but preliminaries can come as soon as two weeks, however some strains can take up to six weeks to culture out) then once it has been incubated, they add a dye to it, put it under an ultraviolet light and look at it under a very high powered microscope. They can stain and look at it every week for up to six weeks. If you have it, somewhere within that time frame they will see it light up purple under their scope. It is time consuming but if you have it, it will always culture out, although again your doctor has to ask for this specific test and not just a fungal test. There is also a new test that was mentioned on here by another woman, it is one that is not covered as of yet by insurance and not all labs do it yet, but it is a test that is looking for the DNA strands that it leaves behind and this test takes only about 48 hours to do, however, it is very expensive and not easy to find one that does it. I also cannot say how accurate it is, but it is based off of the same test done for Lyme by Igenex and that test seems to be quite accurate, but again I have not done enough research into this one to know the accuracy on it.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know this information, because I hate to hear that anyone is dealing with this infection for longer than 14 days, when there is no need for it anymore. Unfortunately, most doctors are very unaware of this gel or even this fungi, so most do not even know that this treatment exists and unfortunately are subjecting their patients to needless rounds of useless drugs that carry harmful side effects. This is not even to mention that they are creating more seriously hard to treat strains by over using drugs, while doing nothing more than knocking down the numbers but not actually killing it. Again often damaging their patients tissues and causing them needless on going suffering. If you would like the studies which explain all this and contain the formula for making the gel, because it does have to be compounded please let me know and I will email them to you. One last thing, this gel carries NO side effects, other than some minor vaginal irritation while being used and not all women even get that (it just depends on how raw you are when starting it). This is because the drugs used in it have molecules too large to be absorbed through the vaginal tissues, so there is no systemic effect. So, even though they may be highly acidic drugs if used internally (IV or oral) they are not able to absorbed through the tissues, so this gel is safer than any other treatment out there including the OTC fungal treatments.
Well, I wish you the best and hope that you will consider talking to your doctor about the gel. I will only send you the studies, which are scientific peer reviewed studies done right here in the US, so all doctors accept them, if you would like me too, I do not want to tread on anyone’s treatment protocol, but instead hopefully give you the information on other effective treatments available to treat this infection, usually one that most doctors don’t even know exist. It is time for you to get yourself cured from this infection in two weeks so that you can get on with your life.
This gel was mentioned by my doctor, and to my knowledge it is the next thing we are doing.
I am seeing a yeast infection specialist doctor out of a university hospital in St. Louis. She is probably the best doctor here for c.glabrata and I do believe she knows what she’s doing, unlike the other doctors I saw before her.
We are trying the nystatin first because it was working and c.glabrata can be sensitive to it. Amp B is in the same drug class, as you knoe. I am on cream and suppositories. It’s 2 weeks in to the treatment and I was told to give it a month.
I am going to try and give it a bit but then will request the combo you mentioned. My spouse is a nurse and said to be patient and give it some time since these things can take a while to clear and a lot of patience. I was doing pretty good then ate a sweet potato at dinner tonight which flared it up. Stupid on my part.
I have had multiple cultures specifically for glabrata including a long term one specifically for it. The doctors can see it under the microscope and can see it is the yeast without hyphae, but it will not grow in the lab. Pretty aggrivating.
The yeast infection specialist I am seeing only treats yeast and vulvular conditions and said it was pretty common that it won’t culture. It’s frustrating to say the least since I would at least like to have a clue as to what it’s sensativities are.
I am hoping you can share the office you use in St. Louis. I have not had luck with any drs here. Thank you !
Missy, email me at chernobylorbust@hotmail.com and I will give you the info.
Terri, Do you still have the same email? I know this post is from years ago- but I’d like to know who your doctor is that treated you as well.
Hey Missy,
Did you ever get the info from Terri? I tried to contact her with no avail. I would just like to know which doctor was used.
Thanks in advance.
And yes if you could send me the info that would be great, either through the email provided or on FB. If this isn’t gone in a couple weeks the cream you mentioned will be the next step; it seems to already be on my doctor’s radar.
Thanks,
Terri.
Dear Debra. Thank you for your story.
I had got mixed candida glabrata and ablicants bronchtis 3 month ago after using avelox therapy fo 10 days (avelox effectively cure bacterial bronchitis i had).
As for last test ablicants is eliminated by fluconazole therapy. But glabrata is still on and flukonazole resistant.
Now im getting flukonazole 300 and terbinafinum?! 250 a day with some good dynamics especially after adding terbinafinum.
What do you think of posaconasole therapy for fluconasole resistant glabrata?
Do you have any information or recommendations on this situation?
Thank you for your help.
Hi Leo, it sounds like you got hit hard and having it in the lungs is really scary, I am glad that they were able to at least clear the bacterial and albican infections, which had to have at least lessoned the load. I am not surprised that the Glabrata is fluconazole resistant. A majority of the invasive strains of Glabrata, which is what you have are already resistant to the “azoles”, making these infections much harder to treat and definitely more dangerous to have. I have to say that I am very surprised that the Terbinafine, even when added to the fluconazole did anything to treat your Glabrata infection. I say this because there are studies where they tried treating Glabrata with Terbinafine by itself and combined with Fluconazole and it had no efficacy against Glabrata as well as Kruesi and Tropicalis. It also has no efficacy against normal candidias. However, It has shown some good results with other strains of candidias known as parapsilosis and dubliniensis, but again it did nothing against Glabrata and is usually not even considered as a treatment for this strain. So, I am not sure why you are having some response with it. I can only think that your response may have nothing to do with the Terbinafine but instead to the increase in Fluconazole, which could mean two things. First it may mean that your strain has some efficacy with Fluconazole at higher mics or it could mean that there is another fungal strain that is inhabiting your lungs that your doctors may not even be aware of (this is not unusual and usually it is the Glabrata that gets missed with other strains, but they could be missing something else too) and whatever else is inhabiting your lungs may be responsive to the Fluconazole or the Terbinafine or even the combination. Now what also may be happening (and again is not unusual with Glabrata) is that it is knocking your load back with the increase in Fluconazole, which would make you feel better, but unfortunately, if this is what is happening then once the drugs are stopped the infection will increase in strength again and you will be back to square one. This often happens to people who are treated with “Azoles” for Glabrata, however, I really hope this is not what is going to happen to you.
As for Posaconazole as a treatment for Glabrata when you are dealing with a Fluconazole resistant strain, it is something that can be tried but I have a few things to let you know with this one. First this particular azole is very -very toxic to the body and often does cause permanent damages especially to the kidneys and heart. It usually is not used unless it is the last resort. Even at that, it never gets used by itself to treat Glabrata, its often used as a follow up treatment after being treated with Flucytosine, amphotericin B or Caspofungin. Truthfully in my opinion your best bet is going to be caspofungin. It is the least toxic drug and has the highest kill rate, not only for Glabrata but also for any other strains that may be living in your lungs. However, this drug only comes in IV form, which would mean that you would need a central line put in and you would need a home nurse to administer the drug daily to you at home for a few weeks to months. You could also try Flucytosine, which does come in pills and is also a good one too, with few side effects an usually no permanent injuries and it too has a high kill rate. Now both of these are good ones but your doctor should be able to tell which one would work more effectively at a lower dosage rate based on your mic tests. It is important to know that the mic tests are tests done to show the doctors which drug your strain is not resistant to and to show them how much of that drug is needed to kill it and for how long. However, when it comes to non-candidias strains, especially Glabrata, these mic tests are not always very effective in actually figuring out which drug or at what level is really going to work in the human body. The mic tests are done in a petry dish with controlled conditions, or what is known as in vitro. However, the human body is completely different and you do not always have the same or optimum controlled conditions, making those tests really inaccurate. This is why so many doctors try to treat with fluconazole and will increase it over and over before they realize that it is resistant to it. You see, the mic test usually shows that Glabrata can be killed with Fluconazole at higher mics in vitro, but when they actually prescribe it and you take it, your bodies immune system, the environment of your lungs, other infections living alongside of the Glabrata, other drugs you may be using, your diet, etc.. all will play a role in how well the fluconazole actually works to kill the infection, this is called in vivo. So, the mic tests are great for laying out a blue print as to which drug is best to treat your strain and a starting point for the mgs needed to start, but your doctor must watch you closely to see how you are responding, because what happens in the petry dish with glabrata is almost never seen in the body with it. Anyway, the mic test would be a good way for your doctors to see by which one of these two drugs are supposedly going to work in your body and which one can be started at the lowest possible dose.
Now I am not sure why you got an invasive infection with Glabrata, it is not normal in healthy people even with the use of Avelox, unless you have a compromised immune system, so I am not sure if there is something else going on with you, even something that you are not aware of. So, due to the fact that you did get an invasive infection with it, you should more than likely follow up either of these two treatments I posted above with Fluconazole, so as to help to keep it from returning. If it were to return then you would need treatment again and then I would say the Posaconazole would be worth following up with next time. It may not be something that you need to do for a long period of time, but something that may be needed for a few months after the initial treatment. Now even though fluconazole is not a good “kill” drug against Glabrata it does have some efficacy in lowering the chances that it will return shortly after treatment is completed, especially if there is some underlying immune problem.
Now please understand I am not a doctor, just someone who has a long history with this nasty infection and one who has studied it a lot because of that. So, this is my opinion and something that I would tell you to definitely sit and talk with your doctor about, especially if the regime of drugs you are on now does not work to fully clear this infection. I would really encourage you at that point to not take anymore Fluconazole at even higher rates or to use Itraconazole, or any of the other “azole” drugs. I would encourage you to talk to them about Flucytosine or Caspofungin and then follow that up with Fluconazole. I would also encourage you to not use steroids, if at all possible while trying to fight this infection. I know a lot of inhalers contain some form of steroids and some doctors may even want to prescribe oral steroids to help you breath easier, but it is going to make treating this infection just that much harder and riskier. It will also put you at a higher rate of return with it. So, if you have to use them, by all means you must breathe and use them, but if you can use inhalers (and there are a few) that do not contain steroids I would encourage the use of those while trying to beat this beast. I would also stay away from oral steroids if at all possible while fighting this, use the inhalers before resorting to this, especially since you used Avelox. The use of steroids with or within six months of using a Fluoroquinolone, like Avelox can cause serious permanent “Floxing” injuries that can be body wide. So, I would encourage you to stay as far away from them as possible, if at all possible.
Well, I wish you the best with this, and please let us know how it all turns out and what worked best for you. I am also posting a study that talks about the use of Terbinafine with Glabrata and how useless it is with this infection even when combined with Fluconazole, so that you can see it yourself. You will need to copy and paste the web address into your browser so that you can open it and see it. You can also go to Drugs.com and look up Posaconazole to see the very serious side effects often associated with this drug, so that you can have all the information you need to help you in working and making informed decisions with your doctors in treating this infection. Here is the Terbinafine study web address- . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC105744/
Good luck to you!
Dear Debra thank you very very much for your time and your very useful answer.
I read some controversial articles about terbinafine. One interesting point is that concentration of terbinafine in some liquids in body (incl sputum in my case) could be up to ten times higher than overal concentration.
I have about 10 test only with ablicants and glabrata in different ratios (some with bacterial infection also). After unsystematic use of fluconasole and even voroconasole 7days with some uncertain dynamic and some pause in treatment I got worse. Test showed ablicants and glabrata 10 in 5 both. Than I start my current course first about 4 days fluconasole 300. The dynamic was positive but not very much. Than I add 250 terbinafine continuing 300 fluconasole with very positive changes even after several hours after first terbinafine!
Now I’m taking terbinafine along with flu about 18 days. But I have to say this treatment now cause something that I could describe as some poisoning or intoxication and I have to decrease load to 150 fluconasole and 125 terbinafine a day.
Thank you for your advice, hopefully till now I have no need and never used steroids of any form.
Now I’m on vacation and going to return home about 16 January. I will discuss situation with my doctor.
I will inform you about any changes and new tests.
Thank you again.
Leo you are welcome for the information, I hope in time you will beat this beast. I can tell you that when you get an invasive infection with this particular fungi it can be a long journey to getting better. For me it took five months on daily IV drugs to clear it from my gut. Unfortunately, the fluconazole which was given to me in the beginning also made my situation worse too, much like you and there are reasons for that. One being is that you are wiping out Glabrata’s competition (candidias) leaving it to take full control, so I am not surprised you got worse after using it especially since you took such a low dose to begin with..
I hope when you get home, you sit and talk with your doctor about your treatment, especially since you are beginning to experience the nasty side effects these drugs can cause. You want to make sure that you are not injuring your liver, kidneys or nervous system, because those injuries could become permanent. So, please do follow up with your doctor soon. I would once again, encourage you to talk to them about using Flucytosine, it is much safer and has a much higher kill rate and usually at lower dosages. If you are having to lower your doses on Fluconazole and Terbinafine to lesson the side effects, you may very well not be taking enough now of both of them to kill this infection, and instead you may be making this fungi now resistant to both of these drugs, which in turn could make fighting it even harder. So, I would really encourage you to see your doctor as soon as you get home. I wish you the best and please do come back and let us know how you are doing. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Debra, thank you for your attention and recommendations. Am also afraid of decreasing dosage, but I can’t sustain original dosage any more, though about 12-15 days it was ok. I will contact doctor ASAP.
As for gut infection a could highly recommend primadofilus bifidus capsules, several a day.
I have had some problems with gut for a 15-20 years. Previously problems have bacterial origin. The only remedy that help me for a long period is primadofilus bifidus. They also have primadofilus optima and etc.. with more strain and higher concentration, it also help me but I see no big difference in results with primadofilus bifidus. Of course there are many other probiotics, but only primadofilus family really help me.
As for my resent problems avelox really wiped out bad bacteria from my gut also. And test I passed about a month ago showed glabrata in my gut in a rather high rate 10 in 5 (I have no candida in gut tests before for my life). I think it was colonized from sputum. But as I regularly use primadofilus I can’t complain for any of symptoms concerning my gut.
So as for my experience unfortunately primadofilus will not cure the gut but it could vanish all symptoms as long as you will take it. And as it has no side effects it is possible to take it as long as necessary Every Day! I hope this experience will help.
Thank you Leo for your suggestions, you are very kind to come back and give them. I actually do take probiotics daily and I drink kefir which is much higher in probiotics than any pill you can take and it is easier to absorb, so you might also want to add kefir to your diet too. My gut bacteria was wiped out by Cipro just like yours was by avelox, unfortunately, all of these broad spectrum antibiotics do this and they end up creating a whole other set of problems for us to have to then deal with. The doctors should never give us these drugs unless our lives are in jeapardy and even then then they should help us to prepare for the after effects by upping probiotics and taking anti-fungals to balance out the onslaught that will inevitably happen.
I also just want to let you know that the sputum test will not detect Glabrata in the gut, for that you would need to have a biopsy of the gut wall or a culture taken from the discharge it creates along the walls in the gut. This is done by scoping you from either end. Also if you had it in the gut, you would be very – very ill and would not be able to travel, eat, drink or stay off of a toilet. The pain would be so bad that you would need medical help to control the pain, so the Glabrata they found in your sputum is showing due to your respiratory infection. Every time you cough you will bring up Glabrata cells within that sputum, so when they culture it out Glabrata will show in it. However, that does not mean that you do not have other gut issues from using the Avelox, that drug can cause candidias overgrowth along with bacterial over growth in both the small intestines and the large intestines and that can make your life miserable! Taking your probiotics is a great start to treating these problems, but you may want to add in that kefir too along with it. You also want to make sure that you are feeding those probiotics and helping them to adhere to your gut walls and procreate new growth. For this you would need to also take Reuteri , which feeds them and helps them to adhere to the gut walls and you would need to take prebiotics. This can be taken by pill or by juicing (no smoothies). The green juice drinks provide the fiber and nutrients to help feed the probiotics you are taking. You see the probiotics need certain bacteria in the gut to eat in order to continue to stay alive and adhere to the walls. Green juices when digested create the bacteria that you feed the probiotics with. So, you may want to add this into your diet too. Hopefully these will help to heal your gut sooner. I would also suggest to stay away from gluten because gluten destroys the probiotics and good bacteria that you need right now to re-populate your gut walls with healthy fighting bacteria.
Well I pray you that your lungs get better and you are able to get into see your doctor right away and thank you once again for your suggestions, you are very kind and thoughtful. Hugs
Vaginal Candida Glabrata can be cured with Boric Acid ovules and Gentian Violet. You don’t need any gel with AmpB. Yes, the polyenes, all of them are effective against the Glabrata but Nystatin cream is a lot less expensive than Amp B. Ancobon is also effective against the Glabrata. However, the best is Gentian Violet. In the case the infection has been there for too long, an oral systemic drug such as Itraconazole or Voriconazole should be prescribed long term together with local treatment. DMSO helps to give topic drugs more penetration. Gentian Violet with some drops of DMSO is more effective because the enhanced skin penetration. Many times, only with Boric Acid and Gentian Violet are enough to eliminate the Glabrata.
Not true, I don’t know about other drugs you’ve mentioned but Boric Acid, I have heard far to many times regarding this drug being ineffective with Glabrata. I have been reading up on this fungal infection on several blogs and I still have yet to hear from someone who has had Glabrata claim that Boric Acid does work, all I’ve been hearing is it doesn’t work.
Hi Jorge, Thank you for your suggestions, but unfortunately, the majority of the women on here have already used Boric acid and Gentian Violet, many have also used Nystatin and oral “Azole” drugs, which for these women they have been useless against this infection even when used at high doses. There have been several studies by University Hospitals that have tried to see the efficacy and best treatments for this infection, all of which have studied everything and more of what you have mentioned here and none of them especially the Gentian violet, Boric Acid Nystatin showed any efficacy against this particular infection. This is because Glabrata is not a candidias it is known as a non-candidias and does not replicate in the same manner as the candidias fungi. It is also because Glabrata has the unique ability to adapt to any and all PH environments, which means these treatments which are based on killing by changing the PH environment are useless against this infection. The Nystatin which kills by Polyenes no longer has any efficacy against Glabrata because of its over use prior to the azole revolution, where it was being used even preventively in HIV, cancer and diabetic people. This infection has long adapted to the polyenes and there are many studies to prove this. Now let me just say that Nystatin still has some efficacy in preventing a reoccurance with Glabrata in women who have underlying conditions, it is not full proof, but does inhibit the rate of return in this population, but does NOT treat Glabrata. As for the Azole drugs, you should NEVER treat this infection with Itraconazole., it is absolutely resistant to this one at any level and that is because this particular azole is designed in a way that it cannot treat this specific fungus, just as it is not a good one to treat candidias. This drug is usually used for fungus that inhabits the nails and hair follicles, which is a totally different strain. I will also tell you that this particular azole is one of the most dangerous of them all, with even low levels causing permanent liver damage. You could not and should never be prescribed this particular azole in high doses or for long periods of time and if you are prescribed this one, liver and kidney tests are an absolute must! As for Voriconazole, it does have some efficacy against Glabrata, but it will depend on what strain the person has. and if they have already been treated with any other azole drugs. If you already have a strain that is azole resistant or if you have been treated with high doses or for a long or repeated time with Diflucan you will have made the Glabrata resistant to even this one. You also have to be very careful with voriconazole because it is very toxic even at low doses and again liver and kidney tests MUST be done prior to its start and every ten days while taking it along with ten days after its use. This drug also carries a lot of very toxic systemic side effects that can become permanent and life altering even with the first pill. This drug should not be and usually is not prescribed by any doctors other than Infectious disease doctors because of its toxicity and the length and dose you would need to cure Glabrata. Which you would need it at very high doses and for a very long time and you would need a doctor that is very experienced with this drug. Most Gyne’s will not prescribe this one and if they do, they will prescribe it at too low of a dose and only for a few days, which WILL only make this infection resistant to it and could make the situation much worse. I also want to let you know, in case you are not aware of this, Boric acid is very toxic to the human body. There are studies done with Glabrata and the repeated use of boric acid which proved to show repeated failures, due to its ability to adapt to the change in the PH environment which is the way Boric Acid kills and because of its toxicity to the human body the study concluded that its long term use was not advised and they do not know the long term effects on the body or the tissues and because of this it is discouraged. I will also tell you that I have not only used it myself in the beginning with this infection but have met many, many women on here that have been prescribed this for their treatment and because it did not cure it they would be prescribed it again and again. Many of these women me included went on to develop vaginal and anal fissures, burning, skin breakdown and many of us began to have full body wide illness. Which in turn made our situations much worse and more painful, it also lead to our infections increasing in strength. Now I have no problem with using boric acid on rare occasions to treat BV or even regular candidias but it is not useful against Glabrata as many women on here can tell you and it is not safe to use repeatedly with any infection.
I want to also address another thing with you, just in case you do not know this and I want to put this out there to other ladies reading this. The use of DMSO is NOT approved for use in anyway shape or form and that is because it is very toxic and is considered a poisonous chemical and one that I would not suggest for anyone to use. I know all about its anti inflammatory properties as well as how it allows for other chemicals to enter through the skin. It is a free radical scavenger as well, however it is a toxic chemical found in chemical solvents and if not used carefully or right can cause serious injuries. I would never tell anyone to use this chemical without being under the care of a doctor who is experienced with it and very few naturopaths are. I also would not recommend the use of it with any of the other things you mentioned here. You do not want the Gentian violet to enter into the skin like that because it too is very toxic and is a poisonous compound (you can look it up) to the nervous system. It should be used sparingly and never repeatedly and only a thin coat should be put on when using it, it should only be done once too. All of the treatments you have mentioned here have the ability to cause more damages and leave women with life long pain problems like vulvadynia due to the potential of nerve and tissue damages. So, for anyone reading this please know this is not anything I would recommend and if this is something you want to choose please consult your doctors first!
Finally, please understand I appreciate anyone’s suggestions on here but I do not want any women on here to get hurt, use anything that can make their situation worse, leave them with systemic side effects or permanent injuries. I care about all of these women and many have been suffering in silence for months or even years. Most on here have used everything you have suggested here with disasterous results and are desperate for help and help that will bring them relief. So, for this reason I felt I needed to address this post and explain what you printed here and to hopefully enlighten you to the things you are using too. Now you may have been one of the very few fortunate ones that had Glabrata and was able to beat it with any of these treatments, there are a few cases out there but they are few and far between and the diagnosis has often times been called into question with these ones. Multiple studies show that these treatments have no efficacy against this strain and the studies go on to show and explain why they have no efficacy due to its structure and ability to adapt. I would honestly question whether you had Glabrata to begin with, because I can guarantee Boric acid would have done absolutely nothing against this strain even when combined with Gentian Violet which unfortunately when used together has the potential to cause irreputable nerve and tissue damages. It may have lessoned your symptoms while using it but within days of stopping it would have returned because it does not kill it. I also want to say that the amphotericin B/ Flucytosine gel is extremely effective, it is the ONLY known drug to kill it and it carries no systemic side effects, it will not hurt you in anyway shape or form like the numerous treatments that have been mentioned here. It only takes 14 days to kill it and much safer than anything else you could even use including vaginal creams and suppositories, its even safer than the OTC yeast treatments and this is because it cannot be absorbed through the mucosa due to its molecular structure. So, I encourage women to use this treatment to kill their infection once and for all and so that they do not hurt themselves any further or cause themselves anymore undue pain an suffering.
So, I just want to say again, thank you for your input, but I cannot agree or suggest the use of these treatments and I want the other women on her to know that and why. Again the majority of women on here have already used many of these treatments to their detriment and that’s why they are here looking for something else and trying to understand this infection that even their doctors do not understand. I wish you the best, but I also want to please warn you about the use of some of the things you are using here and to please do your own homework on them, so that you do not hurt yourself in the future. We are our own best advocates, so know what you are using and the risks it carries. Thanks
Debra;
Would you please email me information about Glabrata? (theliteratihamlet@gmail.com)? -I had a diagnosis delivered by voicemail to me today by my nurse practitioner (OBGYN) of 30 years. I don’t know the details, but, I will be asking my family practice doctor to write the prescription for “the gel”. I also have a compounding pharmacy in Georgia -so, I will be researching the possibilities. I have a question *How does a patient determine the severity (besides the discomfort of symptoms) of their Glabrata condition. My provider specifically said, “Candidas Glabrata” -she spoke briefly about how “hard it is to treat” and sounded like I would just have to live with the condition. Two weeks PRIOR to the diagnosis, she prescribed Fluocinolone Acetonide ointment 0.025% -3 times a day (sparingly) -Apply sparingly to infected area -(thighs included). I have been dealing with symptoms intermittingly since 2011 -so, I’m really wondering -along with menopause (ph balance, and hormonal imbalances) -HOW in the world did I get this -I can count on ONE hand how many times in 50+ years I have had to use an antibiotic -and I’ve always been very leary of them, and most other medication. Yeast infections have been a problem -I have had six healthy, full-term births. This is perplexing. Any advice, and full disclosure of the diet & hygiene “changes” that you recommend will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance -and I will be Googling the Michigan physicians resource/book(s) information. We all obviously appreciate your labour of love extended here -btw -Please provide a link to your ‘blog’ site location? Thanks again. A.A.
Hi A.A., I’m so sorry you are going through this, I will definitely email you the studies. The one study I will be sending you does contain the formula for making the gel, which you can bring into your doctor. Let me also say that your doctor is right about this one being hard to treat, but by no means is it anything that you should have to learn to live with. Unfortunately, too many doctors out there are not informed on how to safely treat this infection and many unfortunately, prescribe treatments that can make treating this infection even harder.
Your doctor prescribed Fluconazole cream, which years ago may have been the answer but unfortunately, this drug, especially the vaginal cream is now useless against this infection and in many cases can make the situation worse as well as making the Glabrata more resistant. The cream she prescribed will not be enough or strong enough to even attempt to kill this infection, if she was going to prescribe Fluconazole she should have started with the oral pill, but again if she did not prescribe it at a high enough dose for a long enough period of time you would still be sitting in this same spot. So, I hope your doctor is willing to prescribe this gel for you and will not want to go any further with “Azole” treatment. The studies I am sending will show her the ineffectiveness of other treatments including the Azoles. Now I did see you mention that she is having you put it on your thighs, so I am not sure if you are also having issues that too with Glabrata, which is not abnormal, but if so make sure when using the gel that you put a small amount of it on your finger and smear a thin layer over any irritated areas outside of the vagina as well.
As for why you got this, well I can’t say for sure how it happened, but I can explain why you would have been at high risk of getting it. I see you say that you did not take many antibiotics throughout your life, which is really good, but unfortunately, they are not the only precipitators in making you vulnerable to getting this infection. There are other things that can set you up for getting it too and you have written here some of the most serious ones. You say you are in menopause, which unfortunately, changes your PH balance, your vaginal moisture (which is one of the most important protectors against this and other infections), as well as a hormonal imbalance. All of these conditions set up the vagina for infections to take hold and the more dry you are, the more fragile your tissues become, which in turn does not allow for good blood flow to the area which is needed to keep the area nourished and healthy. The same goes for the hormones, they keep the PH balance, which in turn does not allow for bacteria’s or fungi to grow within the area. The hormones also help to keep the area moist as well and they keep the tissues supple all of which is needed to keep infections at bay. Now these are all risks, but the big one you mentioned is a problem with chronic yeast infections. This one is huge and studies have shown that women who get Glabrata, especially those without immune deficiencies, are women who have had chronic yeast infections. The studies also show that this particular group are usually the ones who have the hardest time treating it and are the ones most likely to have “Azole” resistance. This problem is what put you at the highest risk of getting it and then you add in the menopause and here you are!
So, let me explain, women who have chronic or even often yeast infections are having them because their vaginal area is not healthy and it may go beyond the vagina to the rest of the body. So, they can have abdominal symptoms too, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue and more. Their PH balance is off which is allowing for the infections and there are several reasons for that, all of which needed to be addressed by your doctor after she seen you for the second yeast infection. You needed to get to the bottom of why you were getting them, so as to stop the infections, instead of just repeatedly treating them. You see, by repeatedly treating them, you kept the vaginal area continuously unbalanced and you kept exposing the fungi to repeated treatments with the azoles. By doing that you gave the fungi repeated chances to build up a resistance to the drugs, making them less and less effective. So, even treating regular candidias was going to get harder and harder to treat as well as making the area ripe for another infection within weeks of finishing the treatment. It also sets you up for making an azole resistance strain of Glabrata. You see fungi live all around and in us and we are repeatedly exposed to them everyday, but if you have a good immune system and you have a balanced environment you can effectively keep them in check and kill the really bad ones, often without any pharmaceutical help. However, if you keep treating with the same class of drugs for the same kind of infection over and over you will make not only that fungi harder to treat but you will also make other ones you come in contact with that much less responsive to the drugs. Every time you use the azole cream you are making your body as well as the organism used to it, so when you really need the drug (like now with Glabrata) it will be ineffective. You may have had a few Glabrata cells growing within the vaginal area during what you thought was just a candidias infection and with each use of the azole cream you dosed this beast with just enough to make it resistant to that class of drugs. Now please know you could have picked this infection up from a hospital visit, even one that was for something totally unrelated to this area of your body, (hospitals are the biggest culprits), you could have picked it up from a dirty gyne instrument, from a partner that may have had it, from one of the few times you used antibiotics, especially if you used a broad spectrum one, it is hard to say where exactly you picked it up or even when, but because of the problems with yeast infections and continually wiping out Glabratas biggest competition, which is candidias, you set yourself at high risk of getting this one. You see we all need some fungi in our bodies and that includes the vagina. You should always have some candidias in there, but if your healthy and the area is balanced, your body is going to keep it in check and then that candidias will attack and keep other more serious fungi in check. So, you really never want to wipe out all of your fungi or even all of your bacteria, you need them for health and survival. So, when you use repeated anti-fungals or antibiotics you are continually wiping out everything and changing the PH in the area to do that. Which then leaves you open to contracting another even more serious infection. This is why your doctor needed to help you get to why you were having repeated infections.
So, here are the things you need to now address with your doctor, so that you can get healthy. First you need to treat this infection with the gel. Stop trying to treat it with “Azole” drugs because they are more than likely going to be useless against this infection, especially since you have been already using them and because of your history. Secondly, you need to change your diet, your hygiene routines and address any other underlying conditions that put you at risk. So, that would mean you need to be checked for diabetes and treated for it, even you are borderline. You also need to have your thyroid checked and treated for any problems with that, again even if you are borderline. Now if these are all fine, then your diet is going to be a major thing to change. You will also need to treat your menopause symptoms, so that you can get your vaginal area healthy enough to keep this infection from returning. Now that does not mean that you have to take hormone replacement drugs from pharmaceutical companies, it also does not mean that you will have to be on them forever. What it does mean is that you will have to have a discussion with your doctor about ALL treatments available to help with vaginal moisture and PH balancing during menopause. So, you may want to use the pharmaceutical drugs, but you could also look at bioidenticals, or OTC natural supplements (although these may not be strong enough, but are worth a try), you can also talk to your doctor about vaginal estrogen creams that only go in the vagina and are not systemic or there is the new drug which is not an estrogen, it is called Osphena. It is used for women who have painful sex after menopause, but studies show that it treats vaginal dryness, rebalances the vagina’s PH and even causes the vaginal tissues to become thickened again and regain their elasticity, so they are not so fragile, so another words you get a 20 year old vagina again, LOL! Again it is NOT estrogen and a great option for women with menopause that creates vaginal problems, pain and continual infections. I use this one myself too and I can tell you that it is a wonderful drug and does everything it says without any bad side effects. One other extra benefit to Osphena is that it has been shown in studies to stop and even rebuild bone in women with osteoperosis due to menopause. So, there are quit few options for you to discuss with your doctor, but you absolutely must treat this condition, or you are likely to go on having fungal infections and that includes repeated Glabrata infections and eventually it too will become resistant to the gel, leaving you with no options to kill it. So, please have all of these things checked out and treated.
Then you also need to change your diet on top of this and that is going to consist of eating a clean diet. I will tell you that just changing your diet will make a huge difference in your vaginal PH as well as your overall health. So, a clean diet means that you eat NO processed foods. So, no more eating anything that comes out of a bag or box. Everything is homemade, no more skillet dinners, no more boxed or microwave dinners, no more processed meats, like hot dogs, sausage, lunch meats, etc.. Your diet should consist of meat (any kind you like, but choose lean meats) veggies, (any that you like and as much as you like, however do not smother them in sauces especially cheese), you can have fruits, but while in treatment I advise against this because they contain high sugars and you do not want any kind of sugars while in treatment, but afterwards you can have whatever kind you want, but limit the sugary ones, like melons, red apples, etc.. berries of any kind are the best and have antioxidants to help your immune system to fight off infections. I would total stay away from dairy except for Kefir, which you need and you should drink even during treatment. This is because it has ten times more probiotics than any pill you could possibly take and you need these to help the vaginal area as well as the rest of your body to fight off fungal infections. The rest of dairy is not good for you and should be avoided. You want to use olive oil when cooking instead of vegetable oil, its healthier and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Stay away from salad dressings, make your own, use olive oil and a fresh lemon and add spices to it. Dressings are high in sugars and contain unhealthy chemicals. Stay away from starches, especially while in treatment, this is because starches turn into sugar as soon as they hit your saliva, so no rice’s or potatoes of any kind. I would also say to stop all gluten, this has been implicated in many chronic conditions and is a known systemic inflammatory precipitator. You especially do not want to use gluten during treatment, so that means no breads, pastas, bread crumbs, etc… You will need to learn to substitute certain things so that you do not go hungry. So, that means using zucchini cut into noodles or using spaghetti squash in place of pastas or rice’s. It means steaming cauliflower and mashing it, then adding butter (no margarin) and I like to add a little garlic, to make a mash potato substitute. (believe me you will not even know nor will your family that it is not mashed potatoes). You can also use a large romaine leaf to wrap tuna, salmon or chicken with some veggies in for a sandwich instead of bread or a tortilla shell. You just have to get creative and you can find a lot of substitutes on the internet too. You also will need to stop eating sugars of all kinds, that includes sugar substitutes and natural sugars like honey and stevia. Now this is really important during treatment, but because you have a history of yeast infections, you really need to adapt this for life. So, you can eat some sugary treats from time to time, but try to make it a special thing and then try to eat only things that contain natural sugars. You are going to have to learn how to cook with spices as much as possible, so that your food is not boring and so that you feel like it is worth it. It takes time to learn how to eat like this, but once your palate gets used to it, you will not miss all the crap food. When it comes to drinks, no sodas, no adding sugars or creamers to your coffee or teas. Drink plenty of water, especially while in treatment. Finally, NO fast food, it is not healthy and contains to much sugar, gluten and processed foods. It can quickly become your down fall with fungi! If you have to eat out, try to eat a salad with bottled water and always carry a piece of fruit with you, like an orange for desert. So, this is pretty much the diet.
As for hygiene, first and for most never use anything that is going to possibly change your PH. So, no scented lubricants, bath salts, bubble baths, scented soaps, body sprays in that area, scented pads or tampons, etc.. When taking a shower, do not wash your hair in the shower because the soap and conditioner will run down into that area. Use only dove hypoallergenic soap, no other soaps or body washes, not even the Vagisil PH ones. Use only white unscented toilet paper. When using lubricants they should only be water soluable ones, with no dyes or scents or any additives. So, use ones like original KY or aqua gel or you can even ask your doctor for a handful of surgilube packs (however, until your infection is cleared up you should sustain from sexual activity so as not to give it to your partner, but these things should be adopted for when your clean again, to help from getting the Glabrata or other fungi infections back) . Wear only cotton underwear, so that you allow that area to always breathe, especially since you have chronic yeast problems. Make sure to always dry the area thoroughly after your shower or bath, you can even use a blow dryer on the cool setting to make sure it is really dry. (it will feel really good to if you are burning from the Glabrata) Do not wear nylon pants, like yoga pants while in treatment, you need air to get to this area, that also means no tight pants either while in treatment. If taking a bath, then the only thing in the bath with you is pure water, no oils, salts, or bubble baths. If you swim make sure to dry off and get out of the swim suit as soon as you are done swimming and again use a blow dryer on the cool setting. When it comes to washing the items that will touch that area like bath rags , towels or underwear make sure to wash them in hypoallergenic soaps with no scents or dyes or even dryer sheets, because that does stick to the items and rubs off on that area when you wash, dry or wear your underwear and it has the potential to change your PH. Finally, NEVER EVER douche in your life!!!! If you treat your vaginal menopause symptoms and get that area healthy you will never need to do this because our bodies are designed to clean themselves with the good bacteria and fungi and if you use a douche you destroy that delicate balance and set yourself up for infections of some kind, so never do that!
Finally, make sure your vitamins and minerals are balanced and take probiotics as well as kefir. Change up your probiotic pills daily by using different strains and even different brands so that you are getting all kinds of good bacteria. Make sure to use Reuteri, because this one is needed to help the other probiotics adhere to the mucosa walls and to thrive. Also make sure to get prebiotics to feed the probiotics. Now you can take pills for this too, but I do not recommend it, I would make your own prebiotics, which is really easy. Each morning or at least every third day, just juice 1 carrot, half of cucumber, half of a green apple (no red apples because they are to high in natural sugars), a handful of spinach mixed with kale, a handful of romaine lettuce, 1 stalk of celery and you can add some ginger or a quarter of beets or a few chunks of pineapple or half of an orange or mango to change up the taste from day to day. Do not add yogurt your not making a smoothie, you are juicing and you can get an inexpensive bullet to do it. This combination is chocked full of vitamins and nutrients that will balance your PH and fight off infections and feed your probiotics. It will also regulate your GI system. However, if you have never juiced before start with only a few ounces at first and build your way up to a full glass over time, because if you just jump into it, you can upset your stomach and set off cramping and diarrhea, so go slow to start. Believe me this is the best way to start off your day, you will feel amazing in a few weeks. I do this instead of breakfast and it leaves me full for hours. Finally, make sure to exercise each day. It does not have to be some crazy routine or be some long routine. Start out slowly with just walking more, do some squats while lifting laundry out of your laundry basket on the floor, march around your house as your are putting clothes away, turn on your favorite song and dance to one or two songs. Just make sure to move around, so that your blood gets flowing and your immune system gets turned on and up. It will help to get blood flow and nutrition to all areas of your body and help you to fight off infections of all kinds and balance your whole body.
Well, I think I have answered your questions and I hope all this helps you. I hope you get this cleared up and can finally get healthy in the New Year. I wish you the best and please come back and let us know how you are doing. Good luck to you
AMAZE’n…lady -thank you! Much of what you have shared is affirming. I am an aspiring Pilates enthusiast (11th year) -looking forward to certifying as a teacher. The pre-biotic juicing recipe is simply priceless -I use “Swanson’s” website to purchase my probiotics -I will resume. I SIT all day in the current position in which I work -I must pass my company’s “free” (we already paid for it with the lower wages we incur +Great medical insurance [I WILL be appealing repeatedly any denial of coverage for the Non-Formulary gel] GYM before arriving at the office each day…and I have a WONDERFULLY accessible outdoors (FREE!) hilly walking path 6-blocks from my home.
The menopause advise is priceless, and I didn’t know that Osphena medication was so safe, and side-effect FREE. My goodness -and the benefits!?! I have refrained from wearing underwear at all for YEARS; but I do wear cotton-croched ‘yoga pants’ for my one-hour Pilates classes, 3-4 times a week (goal) -unavoidable. Once I deliver the INVALUABLE information you sent along via email to BOTH of my medical professionals next week -then, I can begin to request them both on board to assist me in acquiring some cleansing outcomes.
Thanks SO MUCH for the details on the diet, and hygiene -I have muscle, or bone aches, and fatigue (heaviness) which causes IRRESISTIBLE CRAVINGS for bath soaks -Dr. Teal’s epsome salts & foaming epsome salts are a staple -but, I guess that TREAT will have to wait until I can confirm that I’m much better.
Question: Is there a blood test that I should specifically request to determine whether, or not there is a more invasive infection from this Glabrata disease? I’m thinking this condition has been present in my body for MANY years -perhaps 6+ -so, I’m wondering if it may be present elsewhere. For instance -the PH Balance (or absence thereof) in my mouth, bloodstream or internal organs?
I have another question -more personal -I will send it by email. Thanks again for your labor of love. Also, as deadly as your condition sounded in 2015, I’m just so grateful that we are entering 2017 in about 30minutes -and here you are -BETTER, and able to help others. Glory to our beloved Creator, and may God continue to Bless you with continued healing.
A.A., you are very welcome, when I hear back from women like you, it makes me feel like what I do is worth it. I hope I give you all hope and the information each of you need, so that you can go back to your doctors and educate them and help them to help you get better. So, thank you for your kind words.
As for your question about a blood test, unfortunately, there is no blood test for this infection when it is inhabiting your vaginal area or even an organ. This is because this fungi lives within the tissues and not in your blood stream, however, if you were severely immune compromised it could get into the blood stream, but then it would become life threatening. You would develop what is known as septicemia and if this were to happen it would literally take your life within 36 to 48 hours. If you had an invasive form of it, (again this is something that usually happens to people who are immune compromised) which would mean it was in an organ like the bladder or the lungs or the gut, you would know within days, of it entering one of them, because this is a very serious infection and can take over the organ and its ability to function quite quickly. You would be in terrible pain (bad enough to take to you to an ER for help) and you would need medical intervention right away. Now you can have a cutaneous infection with it, which would mean that you would have it in your vaginal area, rectal area, mouth, throat or anywhere on the skin. This is what most people on here suffer with and you can get this without really being immune compromised, if the conditions are right, like what happened to you. When this form happens, it can cause severe burning and or stinging pain as well as skin break down. This form is not life threatening, however, it can leave you with life altering pain, dysfunction and even secondary infections from the break down of the tissues. with this form as well as the invasive form, there is no way to detect it other than to culture the discharge or take a biopsy of the tissues effected. As for how severe the infection, it would be based on your symptoms as well as the culture. The culture would show how many micro-organisms grow out in a certain amount of space within the culture, but most doctors will base the severity of your infection based on your symptoms as well as what they are viewing in your tissues. It is also important to know that cutaneous Glabrata usually does not spread into organs or the blood stream, unless you have a weakened immune system due to a serious underlying condition like HIV, Cancer, uncontrolled diabetes or something within that realm. Even at that people who do have these underlying conditions very seldom have the infection spread to their organs and even less likely have it spread to their blood. These are considered rare occurances. Please also know that there are women who have Glabrata that has become resistant even to the gel and have no way of treating it and those women will still go on to live a normal life span, just in agony from the infection and the destruction it causes to the tissues.
So, with that being said I can tell you that your Glabrata infection is definitely cutaneous and localized to your vaginal area and possibly the area surrounding the vagina, like the outside vulva, thighs, buttocks and rectum. You would not have it in any organs, or you would be in serious trouble and would not survive past 30 days without medical intervention. Now you could have it in the mouth, that too is a cutaneous form and can happen if you have it in the vaginal area or have had oral sex with an infected partner. However, if it were in the mouth you would know right away and you would seek out help very soon. This is because it will cause the mouth to dry out, you will develop a painful coating through the mouth and tongue, making it very difficult to eat or swallow. If left to long, it would cause ulcerations in the mouth and tongue and spread to the throat making even swallowing liquid painful and difficult. So, as far as having it other areas of the body for 6+ years, this would not happen, although it is possible to have it in the vaginal area that long, but again it would leave you in terrible pain and discomfort and seeking medical attention constantly. Now that does happen to women because doctors continually miss the diagnosis and treat women for what they believe is a bacterial infection or a constant hard to treat candidias infection. Which in turn can make the infection worse and leave the women in a nightmare of pain and discomfort. This definitely could be what has been happening to you and several of your yeast infections may have actually been Glabrata infections. This would be why after treating with an azole drug the infection came right back. So, I can’t say how long you have truly had it in that area and I’m not sure anyone could tell you that.
Let me also just explain that your bodies blood PH balance MUST always be between 7.35 and 7.45, if it got any lower or higher, your body would go into shock and your organs would begin to shut down. However, you have varying PH balances daily in other areas of the body like your mouth, vagina, bladder and colon. These balances are effected by your diet, your hydration, your immune system, any underlying conditions or diseases, vitamins and mineral balances and any meds you are taking. So, if these get out of whack you can develop bacteria or fungi infections in those organs out of PH balance, but it does not make your whole body out of whack. Now let me also say that the problems you may be having in other areas of your body could be being caused candidias or unbalanced PH levels in those areas. All of which could be being effected by your diet and lifestyle as well as stress and things you are coming in contact with like chemicals. I would first bet that a lot of your problems may be due to these issues. Each of these issues causes inflammation in specific organs or if left long enough you can get symptoms throughout the body. Diet is a major player in this and once something becomes inflamed a whole series of things begin to happen. First you can begin to feel pain and aching from the inflammation, then comes the fatigue from our bodies immune system reacting to what it believes is a threat, then you begin to stop moving or using the area, from pain, the muscles begin to atrophied and then the blood vessels no longer are able to supply the area with enough oxygen and nutrients to keep it healthy. This in turn causes drying of the area, tissue and or muscle break down, leaving you in more pain, then depression sets in, stress sets in and because you are no longer living a healthy life, the rest of your body begins to ache and faulter too, leading to over all fatigue and the cycle just goes around and around, with each making the other worse, until you are a “sick” person with a dysfunctional life. Unfortunately, our medical system likes to just write a script and send us out the door, treating only the latest symptoms you are complaining about. We do not address the root of the problem, so the cycle never ends. This is why naturopath or intergrative doctors are now being sought out by so many people. It is because these doctors try to go back to the root cause and hopefully help you to heal. I can tell you that the first thing these doctors do is to put you on an anti-inflammatory diet. This is where I stated to you in my last post about diet and removing gluten, this is because gluten has been implicated in so many chronic inflammatory conditions and by just removing this from your diet you can change your inflammation, pain and fatigue within weeks of removing it. The same goes for sugar and dairy. So, before spending the hundreds of dollars on one of these doctors, I would first start by changing your diet and adding in exercise. This alone can make major differences in every part of your body. If you are stressed I would also find ways to address this whether it is by exercise and or meditation or some form of a hobby. You have to get that under control as well. Your mind and body are one and work in synch whether western medicine wants to believe this or not. You need to treat the whole you and you need to make time for your health or your body is going to force you to do it the hard way and that will be with infections, pain, fatigue and illness. So, You need to make changes and since it is a New Year, it is a perfect opportunity to set some goals for yourself and to be a little selfish too. However, I always tell everyone to set realistic goals and to start slow so that you do not just give up a week into it. So, like I said with exercise, start with just walking more, do some fun dancing, do leg lifts while washing dishes at the sink, squats while folding clothes and so on. Then as your body gets used to it and you gain more energy, begin setting aside a time each day to take a 15 minute walk and change up your pace as you walk, so that you are getting your heart rate up and kicking in your immune system. Eventually your body will want more of this and you will find yourself wanting to add more minutes to your routine or wanting to try something else like biking or swimming or taking a dance class, ect..
The same goes for your diet, start slow, by removing the soda pop or sugar and creamer from your coffee or tea and try adding in one bottle of water of a day. Then a few days later instead of eating four cookies only eat one. Next stop eating out at fast food places and add in two bottles of water a day. Instead of eating a skillet dinner try baking some chicken yourself and trying out some spice or herbs with it. Then try steaming some veggies or make an awesome salad with it. Then next week, instead of eating that one cookie now, replace it with an orange. You just keep removing one bad thing and adding one good thing and if it is something that you really are not ready to give up then just cut it back little by little until you no longer crave it and that will happen as your body gets used to no sugars and processed foods. Those bad things will not taste the same to you anymore and it will be easier to give up the things you really feel you cannot live without. If time is a problem because you are very busy then you are going to have to find a few hours during the weekend to spend cooking several dishes at once and freezing them so that you have it ready during the week. You can cook six pieces of chicken at once and add garlic and olive oil to several pieces while cooking and add Rosemary to other pieces or whatever other spices you like. Then you can freeze them and pull out one and make it with a salad or veggie. You can also make your mashed cauliflower and freeze it too as well as spaghetti squash. So, all you have to do it pull out and heat it up with your chicken or heat up some spaghetti sauce to add to your squash for a spaghetti dinner. You can also buy the bagged lettuce to make your salad easier to make. You can use your chicken for your own homemade skillet dinners, stir fry’s, chicken wraps with a romaine leaf to hold it, or you could make an awesome salad with chunks of Rosemary chicken. You can do this with other meats as well. Once you get used to this it should not take more than 20 minutes each night to make your dinner and about four hours on the weekend to pre-make your nightly meals. So, you have to make the time and set out to do this, but do it in incrimints so that you get your body and your mind set for it. Make small realistic goals each week, so that you do not give up. You can do this and believe me within weeks you will notice the difference and you will want to continue.
Well I have written another book here, LOL! I did see your email to me too and I have a few things to talk to you about with that too, but it is late tonight, so I will respond back to that email privately tomorrow. I hope this information helps you for now. I will talk with you tomorrow, you have a good night.
Hi I’ve also been diagnosed with this condition. Do you mind emailing me the formula for the gel too? My email is icecoco30@gmail.com I’m literally at my obgyn appt now. Please help than you
Hi Diane, I just got this post so not sure if your still at the doctors appointment but I did email the studies to you. I hope this helps, Good Luck to you
Hello Debra, I have been suffering with Glabrata I believe for couple years. I was diagnosed after being pregnant and keep complaining about a yeast infection. They finally found out what I had after giving different types of antibiotics and creams. After I had my baby I was given boric acid but it keeps coming back. I see you suggested amphotericin B/ Flucytosine gel. If it’s possible, can you provide this information so si can give to my doctor? Thank you for all your information posted in this site.
Hi Karito, I am so sorry that you are going through this, I will email you the studies that you can bring into your doctor. The one study has the formula for making the gel, so your doctor knows how to write the script. Please be aware that it is a compounded formula, which means it has to be made by a compounding pharmacy, which unfortunately, do not accept insurance. It can be expensive, but well worth it because it does cure it, once and for all. I will also email you the pharmacies that do make it and ship it anywhere in the US, just in case you have a problem finding one that will make it.
Also in case you have not read through some of the posts on here, I will let you know that Boric acid will do nothing against this species of fungi. This is because it has the unique capability of adapting to any PH environment, which is also why it is often found living alongside other species of fungi and even bacteria. Unfortunately, Boric Acid kills fungi by changing the PH balance in the vaginal area, making the area inhospitable to the fungi, but with this beast it has already learned to adapt to that change, which unfortunately makes this form of treatment useless. It may knock down the count and relieve some of the symptoms, but within a two weeks of stopping the treatment, the numbers will go back up and you will be right back where you started from. I would suggest not continuing to use boric Acid repeatedly, because it is acoustic to your tissues and the delicate nerves that are in them. With repeated use you can cause skin and tissue irritation as well as skin break down and leave yourself with a painful nerve condition that can be permanent. So, please talk with your doctor about this gel and give them studies that I send you so that they can become educated on this form of fungi and the treatments that work for it.
Well, I wish you the best of luck and let us know how you do or if you need anything else.
I Agree with Helen here Boric acid only suppressed one of my symptoms which gave me false hope but it also made the whole area very painful.
The C. Glabrata came back twice as strong and I feel that the boric acid helped to strengthen the the nasty life ruining bug which I have now had for 7 horrible months
Debra, where do I download all the information I need to show my doctor? Where do I get the amphotericin-B formula to give to my doctor? Can you please email me all the information that I need to take with me? I think it would be easier if you could email it to me at….chubbyjuke@gmail.com. I am planning to resume on this mission as early as possible next year. I’m going to get financial help from my mom and I want to prepare myself before hand, just incase I lose contact with you for some reason or another. If I lost all the important information you’re providing I’d lose my mind because it seems like no one knows about this but you. I still can’t believe how much you know and doctors don’t, it’s so backwards to me.
Hi Helen, I follow the posts on here because I have had a confirmed glabrata infection for 9 months now. Prior to this infection, I had a glabrata infection for 6 months in 2014. I got the first one from taking Levaquin and the second from taking Augmentin. Obviously I never want to take another antibiotic ever again.
After reading through your posts and Debra’s replies, I want to tell you about the test that my doctor uses to detect my glabrata. The description on the lab report says, “This test utilizes amplification of target DNA for Candida genus and selected species by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).” If any candida is detected, it then breaks it down by species–albicans, glabrata, tropicalis, parapsilosis, dubliniesis, krusei. My doctor said that this is the best test out there to determine which species of yeast is colonizing the vagina. The results come back in only 6 days, so no need to wait weeks for a glabrata specific test. He said that his office doesn’t do regular yeast/fungal cultures anymore because they would get false negative results from the older tests. I see a regular GYN doc, so your doctor should be familiar with this test. The bad part about the test is that it is very expensive (my insurance was billed $2,097), so if you don’t have insurance, I would contact the lab and ask for non-insured pricing. Many labs will do this. The test also uses DNA to detect BV and just about every other STI that you can think of. I get a little annoyed by this since we know that glabrata is my issue and I don’t need to see (and pay for) 50 other results. I’m not sure if they can run just the yeast PCR or if it is a one test covers all situation.
Like Debra said, if you do not have the burning feeling, you may not have glabrata (and that would be a wonderful thing!). It may be worth having the test for everything so that you know exactly what you are dealing with. I wish you luck in getting diagnosed and cured (and I really hope that you don’t have glabrata!).
Lynn, thank you for the added tip in testing for all the above, to rule out everything that doesn’t apply to me and find out what I really have. I will let my doctor know on the specifics in testing for this correctly. If I don’t have Glabrata I wonder how I was misdiagnosed. Even though I have been told by other doctors that I have the common yeast infection, but doesn’t feel like my usual yeast infection like the ones I’ve had many times in previous years, the symptoms are different this time. The usual yeast infections I was able to cure it myself with Monistat and this time not even the the stronger medication doctors prescribed me hasn’t worked, topical or oral antibiotics nothing has worked from the 10 different fungal medications I have tried. I looked up the most common symptoms of Glabrata and the top 3 was, severe itching, burning, and mild thin discharge. So itching is one of the symptoms, I just don’t have the burning or stinging like everyone else, it seems, and for me the thin discharge only happens around my period time and not everyday and there is no odor and that part is the big one. Whenever I was diagnosed with the usual yeast infection I always knew even before any other symptoms came up, I automatically knew because of the strong fowl fishy odor and this time I don’t have that and the itch was much more severe than what I am experiencing now because the itch is only at bed time and not throughout the day, thank goodness. I can’t wait to find out what I really have if its not Glabrata, but whatever it is, its been hard to find a cure.
Helen, I am glad that you are going to get a full panel work-up before starting treatment again. I do want to let you know that there are a few key signs of Glabrata, first it WILL have an odor that smells like rotting flesh, not a fishy odor and this is because Glabrata truly does eat into the tissues and wraps its roots around the delicate nerves within those tissues. By doing this it causes cell death to the tissues which causes a foul odor of dying flesh. The fact that it wraps around the nerves is what causes the intense burning, because the nerves are being injured, so they send signals to the brain that they are being attacked and when nerves are being damaged they will produce a burning, stinging, electrical shock or razor blade cutting feeling. You can have all these symptoms or a few or only one but you will experience them and you will experience them around the clock. This is what makes this infection so incredibly painful and different than any other yeast infection. The pain will be life altering for anyone suffering with this. Now it does produce some what of an itch, but it is very mild in nature, nothing like what candidias would produce and many women with Glabrata can tell you that the itch is almost non- existent and not their main complaint. This is how they realize that is not a normal yeast infection. It does not cause the itch so much because it does not have the hyphae like Glabrata. As far as the discharge it produces, it will be a thin grayish to white colored discharge that is very acidic, so anywhere it gets onto, (labia, outside of vagina, thighs, rectum or inside the vagina, it will cause intense burning, not itching. If left untreated to long the skin or tissues will break down and can ulcerate. The same goes for the nerves, if they are left with this infection to long they will cause permanent nerve damage and leave the women with a pain syndrome known as vulvadynia. The burning and very mild itch that it creates does NOT come and go and during your period it actually may lesson NOT get worse and that is because the menstruation is actually washing some of that acidic discharge out of the vagina.
Now I know we have talked before on this, but you have given a little more info this time that really sounds like you are suffering with either BV or a resistant strain of candidias. It truly does not sound like Glabrata. The fishy odor and the fact that it gets worse at night and around your period is very consistent with BV. Please know that BV often can look and feel like a yeast infection and the use of anti-fungals can make this infection worse. BV can wax and wane with its symptoms like you are stating because there is die off of the bacteria and what you drink and eat will make a difference in the build up of it. BV is also known for the fishy smell, as well as a discharge that is grayish white or even mildly yellow, which is often why many doctors misdiagnose Glabrata as a BV infection, because their discharge is the same in look but not smell. I would say that you have probably been dealing with a BV infection for a long time and even though you have BV you still could have a yeast infection if you have contracted or created a resistant strain of candidias with over use of azole treatment, especially vaginal treatments. So, it is really important for you to get rechecked before trying to treat again.
I do want to say too that if you have a resistant strain of candidias, the ampho gel will still be your best bet in treating this one too, since the azoles have now failed it, but again, if there is also BV you will need to treat this one first then go and treat the candidias with the ampho gel or you will be chasing your tail and making even the candidias resistant to the gel. If your doctor wants to hit both at the same time you can be treated orally with Tinadazole to treat the BV while using the ampho gel in the vaginal area to treat the resistant candidias. This can also be done if you are suffering with Glabrata and BV too. Tinadazole is a great option for hard to treat BV and is much more effective than the vaginal treatments, plus it is not messy, LOL!
I would also encourage you to have your doctor check your hormones and look at your birth control because it sounds like this may be contributing to your symptoms and even the infections. I say this because you are having more problems around your period which falls more under a hormonal problem which will get worse during that time of the month and birth control can be a big contributing factor in that. So, I would be sure to have a talk with your doctor about this one.
Well, I am glad that you are going to meet with your doctor and have all the info you need to sit and have a good discussion about what is really going on with you. I hope you will finally get to the bottom of what is causing all your suffering. I hope the new year brings you much healing and a new lease on life, without all these symptoms. Please let us know how it goes for you. Happy Holidays
HI Lynn, thank you so much for the updated testing info. This is great news and it is wonderful of you to come back on and share it with all of us. I do know a little about PCR testing from having Lyme and I know with Lyme it is not a fool proof test, matter of fact is has a dismal failure rate with it, but that also is because of the many different strains seen with Lyme along with some other problems. This type of testing is in its infancy stage and I am sure in time they will perfect it. I have not researched it for this type of infection, so I cannot comment on it success with it. I will try to learn more about it after the holidays are over, but for now this is exciting news! The only draw back is the cost and the fact that most insurance companies will not pay for it, which I am sure is because it is not yet FDA approved and has not passed all the testing to say that it is a successful test, this is the reason why it is not paid for with Lyme and several other illnesses that they are now using it for. However, like I said, this is all new and in time it will be perfected and once the FDA passes it, insurance companies will start paying for it. The cost should also go down then because more doctors will be able to use it in clinic bringing down the costs. Anyway, thank you for this, we women have to stick together to help each other out and I am so happy you shared this with us. I hope you will keep us informed as to how you are doing. Well I hope you have a Merry Christmas and wonderful pain free New Year! Hugs
Helen, I will email you the studies, so look for them in your email. The one study does have the formula for making the gel on it too. If you need help finding a compound pharmacy let me know at that time and I will email you with phone numbers for one. Please keep us informed as to how you do and I wish you the best of luck.
Yes, I got your email and thank you for responding so promptly. I have all the docs printed out but holding off on the treatment until I have 1 more glabrata test done to make sure this is what I really have.
Debra – Can you email me these studies and the formula? Was just diagnosed today and looking for any help I can get. Thank you for all this information.
Hi Staci, I am emailing you the studies and one of them contain the formula for making the gel, so you can take it into your doctor. Good Luck to you
I am just thinking out loud, I am not expecting anyone to respond to this comment. I just want to say that I take back what I had said earlier about feeling bad towards all the doctors I saw regarding this problem. I don’t feel bad but feeling a bit agitated and annoyed. I am just wondering how can a non medical person who doesn’t work in medicine know so much more about this disease than most doctors if not all doctors in Southern California. The only doctor I know who knows allot about this disease is a male doctor in Detroit MI, I wish I could remember his name. He is the only doctor that I know of who knows how to cure Glabrata, but too bad he works in a different state. I am so frustrated with all 6 different medical professionals that I saw regarding this deadly infection and not 1 could help me. I am still baffled by, how could they not know but someone who isn’t a doctor knows more, I just don’t get it.
I am a retired cosmetologist and when I was in business I had to keep up with the changes and in order to keep up with the latest trends and styles I had to take classes to keep up with the current education in hair. I don’t understand how doctors don’t know. If anyone should be keeping up with their studies/education are doctors. I don’t care if Glabrata wasn’t something they studied while in medical school because it wasn’t known then but since it’s known now and that this new disease is becoming more prevalent you’d think more doctors would educate themselves in knowing more about this especially obgyn/ gynecologist, etc… It’s so ridiculous how Debra knows more than any doctors I’ve spoken to about this annoying infection. If it wasn’t for Debra I would still be clueless as to what I am dealing with here. The doctors who we all depend on for medical support are useless in my opinion!!!
Hi Helen, I so get your angst and disgust at the medical field and their lack of concern and education on this illness. I too, like many of you on here, spent nine months very ill with this infection before being diagnosed correctly and I was not even diagnosed by my gyne. I was diagnosed by a GI doctor after it had spread to my gut and made me very ill ( I did have underlying conditions which allowed for the spread). I then would spend the next five months on very toxic IV drugs to treat it, which left me with drug complications to other areas of my body. None of which had to happen, had my gyne just realized what I had in the beginning. I too like you do not understand the lack of education on this illness as well as many others, when we are seeing these kinds of infections as common occurances. I can tell you too that unfortunately, the medical fields lack of education on what we are seeing as common everyday occurances does not end with Glabrata. We are seeing this with illness like Lyme, Epstein Barr Virus, Myalgic Encephalitis and even into disease like Ehlers Danlos and so many others. In my opinion I believe a huge part of this lack of education goes back to the pharmaceutical companies and the insurance industry. You see, insurance industries decide what doctors can and cannot treat by what they are willing to pay out for testing and treatment. There by limiting doctors from pursuing the root cause of a patients symptoms. Which means your doctor finds it easier to just guess at what might be making you ill and then they write a script and send you out the door, hoping not to see you back again. By doing this it keeps them from learning what you really have, which in turn keeps them from learning how to recognize symptoms of emerging illnesses. Which then in turn slows down the healthcare worlds view of what is really happening out here, which prevents them from studying and learning how to effectively treat these illnesses. Finally, because of this lack of information doctors are not being educated on how prevalent an illness has become and what the latest symptoms and treatments are.
You then have the pharmaceutical industry which now is one of the top industries in the country, right up there with the energy corporations and they are out for their bottom line, not your health! This industry has become so powerful and rich that they have bought up the universities and labs throughout the country. The problem with this, is that they call the shots on what is going to be researched and how much will be spent on the research. Now because they are worried about their bottom line, they are only going to want to research illnesses that the majority of the population are effected by, thereby making drugs or treatments that millions will need, which means big money in their pockets. So, universities which used to be dedicated to studying any kind of illness or disease they sought, now can only study what they are told by the pharmaceutical industry. So, they are researching common everyday illnesses like diabetes, cancers, MS and heart disease. Which is great but they are not focused on the everyday illnesses that people are now emerging with, like Glabrata. The Drug companies are also more invested in finding newer and newer treatments for the same illnesses over and over, leaving the universities to continue focusing on the same illnesses, with the only focus in mind of making a more expensive drug then the one they just put out. The second problem with this is that the pharmaceutical industry is not only calling the shots on what will be researched but they are also manipulating the research to fit their needs and the money they have spent on the initial research. This means that a drug which may not be really safe by data is going to be manipulated to look safe so it can be marketed to the general public, so that the pharmaceutical company does not loose its financial butt on the research and making of it. The problem with that is these drugs are causing a wide array of injuries and chronic conditions that doctors are not familiar with and have no understanding as to why. Like the Fluoroquinolones which wipe out all our good bacteria and allow for infections like Glabrata to be seen, and because doctors are prescribing these drugs at increasing rates more and more people are coming down with illnesses like Glabrata. The problem is your doctor is unaware to be looking out for it after prescribing you the antibiotic and they are not educated on how to treat it. So, this is how this is happening. I also want to say that women’s healthcare is a field with a severe lack of education in what we are seeing as common illnesses. This is because our gyne’s who are pretty much are main doctors or at least the ones we will definitely see yearly are not trained in everything that they should be looking out for in women. They are also not up to date on the anatomy changes that have been discovered over the past two decades in women. Which leaves them severely lacking when it comes to conditions like vulvadynia, intercystial cystitis, endometrieosis, painful mensturation, rarer infections like Glabrata, and hormone and birth control treatments. It is very sad, but we are still ruled by a male dominant society when it comes to the medical and research fields and the men still do not get that our bodies and illnesses are different than theirs. As women all we can do is try to reach out to each other to help educate ourselves and then take that education back to our doctors to educate them. We must also teach our young daughters to go into fields like this, so that they can make a difference in the future for all women.
As for how I know so much, well first let me say that I do have a medical background. I was a nurse for twenty-two years and back in the late 90’s I went back to medical school for pre-med. I had the intensions and dreams of one day working for the CDC researching microbiology. Unfortunately, that would not come to fruition, due to my health deteriorating. I had always been sick since I was a child, but it wasn’t until the early 2000’s that I would learn that I had a genetic defect that caused a slew of illnesses or co-morbidities, which finally began to catch up with me in the late 90’s. It left me unable to continue on in school and even having to quit work, which I still to this day have a hard time coping with. I was a hospice nurse for nearly fifteen years of my nursing career and I loved it with all my heart. I miss it everyday and miss the people who gave me so much in their time of despair. Shortly after being diagnosed myself, I would learn that my own mother and her family (all of whom were deceased) carried this genetic defect and was advised to get my own children checked for it. Within months I would find out that all of my children ( who also had been sick most of their lives) were also positive for this illness too. I was now in a desperate situation to find help for all of us, but as I started out looking for a doctor who knew about this illness I quickly became aware of how very few doctors out there had knowledge of my illness and even less that knew what to do with me. It would be at that point that I would find myself turning to my own medical background to help me research a way to save my family. I began using the tools I learned through my career and schooling to research and make connections with professors and doctors in fields that applied to my needs. I literally spent every moment I was bed ridden reading and researching and calling people from around the country. I made several trips around the country to meet with specialists and built up a file cabinet worth of studies and research. Unfortunately, with everything I found I still have not been able to change the outcome that is happening to me or my kids, however, I have used everything I have learned to educate doctors in several different fields from around the country and gave a lecture on it to a class of second year medical students at Northwestern University two years ago.. The genetic defect that my family has is no longer being looked at as a rare illness and with more doctors now knowing more about it and how to recognize it, I am hoping in time it will be given the research its due.
Now it is this underlying condition that along with the broad spectrum antibiotics and steroids I was given that allowed for the Glabrata to emerge in me and of course spread into other organs. After finally being given a correct diagnosis of Glabrata I would once again find myself in a position of finding very few doctors aware of this illness and even fewer who knew how to correctly treat it. So, once again I would spend those five months on IV’s in bed doing research from around the world and making contact with specialists all over the country. Finally, I found the “Guru” of Glabrata, a Dr. Jack Sobel, which I believe is the doctor you are talking about. He is located in Wayne State University in Michigan. He has written some of the most compelling and conclusive studies on this infection and that is because this man has dedicated his life to finding a cure for it. You see, he works in one of the worst economically poor cities in the country, it is predominantly African American and has a huge HIV population. So, the majority of his patients were women with HIV and he was seeing an increasing number of them coming in to his clinic with this infection. (HIV women are the largest population seen with this illness) He was unfortunately watching too many of them dying each year from this treatable infection, so he set out to find the cure to save his patients. So, as I laid there in my bed for months being treated for this infection, I read everything I could on him and his studies and contacted him myself and then set him up to work with my doctors via the internet and phone. Once I was finally able to make the trip to MI I drove up to meet him in person and sat down with this man and had a very long conversation. He was a wonderful man that loved to share his knowledge and has been a big proponent in helping me to get better. So, while I was still recovering from all this I began to write my story on some on-line groups that I belonged to and Chandler from Hormones Matters seen the story and wanted to print it, to help get the word out to other women like you and I of course said yes and here we are! Let me say that I still work tirelessly to teach doctors and pharmacists about this infection and how to make the gel. I have a few doctors here that are now very experienced in Glabrata and the treatment and I refer people to them quite often. I also have two pharmacies that I have personally worked with that know how to make the gel and can ship anywhere in the US. So, I can help women find the drug if need be, but most of all I hope to educate the women so that they can then go back to their doctors and educate them, this way there will be more doctors out there who know how to recognize and treat this condition, which means less women getting misdiagnosed and suffering.
So, my final thoughts to you on all this, is to be your own advocate, get yourself educated, get armed with studies and then go in and do not let your doctor shut you down, be strong and confident when talking with them. Teach your doctors and if your doctor is not willing to learn then definitely move on and find one that is. In todays day and age we have the knowledge at our fingertips and we must use it to help our doctors help us. So, yes you can be upset, dismayed or even angry at the medical fields lack of knowledge, but put that energy into changing it. That’s how we women do it!!
Debra,
Good for you for all of your hard work! Did you clear your Glabrata infection with that “gel” you are talking about? My Pelvic Pain OBGYN is stuck on how to treat me and would love to share with her your recommendations or knowledge of medications to try. What is the “gel” you are talking about? Does Dr. Sobel still take patients?
Thank you for your dedication in fighting this nasty infection. I am also an RN and all of this makes me want to go back to school to help others if I can ever get through this.
Thanks for any help,
Jessie
Debra- Can you share what pharmacies make the gel you are talking about? I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and would love help on where it can be made properly for my MD. She is lost with what to do or where to go for compounding flucytosine and ampB if that is what the gel is. Thanks! Jessie
Thanks Jessie, for the kind words and it was great talking with you last night. It is unbelievable how much we are alike right down to the maxi skirts, lol! I wish we lived closer, but if you do decide to make your way here to Chicago please let me know because I would love to meet up with you. However, once you get the gel, you may find that you will not need Sobel or the other doctors here, because Glabrata won’t be your problem anymore, but if you are left with the other conditions, please remember we have a great team of doctors here for that too. I will send you the email with all the information we talked about last night and all the doctors info and the book too. I have not forgotten, just busy today with holiday stuff and family. So, look for my email after the holiday. Please keep in touch and don’t hesitate to call me any time, even if you just want to talk about other stuff, especially since we suffer with so many other conditions. I would love to hear how you fare with everything right down to the Lyme. Well good luck and Happy Holidays to you
WOW!!! Like I have said before, if you’re not in a medical field you should be. I believe medicine is your calling. For you to be this knowledgeable and you trained yourself, self taught, that is incredible. I agree with you 100%. I recently found out about 9 months ago that all cancers can be cured naturally 100%. I saw this video called …”The truth about cancer a global quest the true history of chemo and the pharmaceutical monopoly”. Just like you, the author of the video, Ty Bollinger was on a mission to find a cure for cancer and he is not a doctor but has accomplished allot more than the average doctor we know too well. He was so fed up with everyone he loved dying from cancer, because of no definite cure, so he made it is mission to find out the truth about the American medical industry. What he found out was very disturbing to say the least. He found out that all doctors are not really trained to cure but to write prescriptions. The whole medical business in America are controlled by the pharmaceutical giants, they rule and control all the doctors. If they find out a doctor is practicing natural medicine for a permanent cure they could get their license taken away. Ty not only interviewed allot of American doctors but he traveled around the world talking to many other doctors regarding the fraud behind medicine. Thank God literally that there are some brave doctors willing to take a risk to educate themselves in healing patients with God given natural medicine that really works permanently 100% natural cure. If I knew all that I know about the truth on cancer my dad would be alive today. My dad was a strong healthy man who passed away due to prostate cancer and not knowing then that he didn’t die because of the cancer, what he really died from was the poisonous drugs they were injecting him everyday until he passed away from over dose and not the actual cancer. I don’t mean to get off the subject on your thread on C. Glabrata, but this is the main reason why I got so upset. Here I go again, getting help from a non medical professional who is helping me find a cure for my ailment. Do you know how backwards that is, how utterly ridiculous it sounds? Well, it does and makes me very angry!!!
Anyone, reading this and even though its not about what you may be suffering from you may know someone who is fighting cancer. Please do not let them go through chemo or radiation, there is something way better, safer ,and permanent and not temporary like chemo and radiation. My brother made a life saving and life changing investment by purchasing all 6 videos and paid around a lil over a hundred but whatever the amount was it was way worth every dime spent. The good news is everyone can watch the videos for free now on YouTube. Again its called……”The truth about cancer a global quest the true history of chemo and the pharmaceutical monopoly” by Ty Bollinger.
Hey Debra, is this ever going to end, I just thought of something else I wanted to talk about, the actual symptoms. I have been reading through some of the other people dealing with this same infection but seems like the symptoms are different. I have read more burning and stinging discomfort but with me I don’t have the burning or stinging, I have the itch but thank goodness its only at night when I am in bed and thank God not throughout the day. If the itch was 24 hours a day that would be way too hard or impossible to deal with. I was able to handle a minor itch only one time at bed time but it was consistent just one time every night but after having this for over 4 years the small night time itch has gotten worse and now its disrupting my sleep. I have to get rid of this before it becomes a 24 hr crises. My other problem is and the reason why I haven’t started on treatment yet is because I don’t have medical insurance and have to pay out of pocket. I’m financially strapped and that is one of my main reasons why I had stopped seeking help. I have to wait until next year to try to save up some money and pay-off some debt before I can resume again.
Helen, when it comes to Glabrata there is a definite burn and sting to it, one that most would describe is like having acid poured into your vagina and then having broken glass ground into it. Women with glabrata also suffer with itch, but this is very minor compared to the burning and stinging. This is because Glabrata is different than candidias. You see candidias lives on the surface of the flora and can be easily wiped off the walls, where as glabrata lives within the walls and roots itself around the nerves within the walls. It is those nerves that create the burning and stinging feeling and if left to long can leave you with a pain condition known as vulvadynia which I think I have talked to you about before. Now, just because you do not have the full symptoms of burning or stinging does not mean that you still do not have glabrata, however, it makes it less likely that this is your problem. So, let me explain, if you have read my last response to your last questions on here, I talked about how Glabrata lives with other infections like candidias as well as bacteria’s. If you remember I also told you that as strong as Glabrata is it cannot compete against candidias. So, what this means and may very well apply to you because of your chronic candidias history, is that you have more candidias or even other bacteria’s living within your vaginal area and they are keeping your Glabrata down. It is not able to take over the area, so your symptoms will be less severe than other women who have stomped out all other infections. However, you should still be suffering with some minor burning from the areas it has attached itself too. Now you could also have a higher pain tolerance too, so you are not recognizing the symptoms. But with what your telling me, I am suspicious as to whether this is your problem.
With that being said, I would definitely tell you that you need to have your doctor run another Glabrata test and make sure they are requesting a specific test for glabrata and not just a fungal culture, or they will miss it. If that test comes back negative then you are dealing with another problem and not glabrata. There are a lot of other fungal organisms that can inhabit your vaginal area that are not canididias or glabrata and you may need to be checked for one of them. You could also have a resistant candidias infection which would cause these symptoms too or even a chronic bacterial infection, known as BV. All of which can look and act like what you are describing. So, you really need to get another specific test for Glabrata before attempting the treatment. You also may want to look at your form of birth control and your hormones because they too can cause what you are going through, so you really are going to need to be seen by a doctor to help you figure this all out.
I will let you know that the ampho B gel is expensive, it can run in the neighborhood of $1,200.00 for a 14 night treatment, but I will also tell you that insurance usually will not cover it because it has to be compounded by a compound pharmacy, which insurances do not cover. so, you may want to start saving for this, in case you do have glabrata and need the treatment. This is unfortunately, not a cheap infection to have whether you have insurance or not. However, your doctor fees and testing should be covered by insurance, so when you get yours going next year you will need to go in and get checked.
I hope this answers this question. I will respond to other posts tomorrow. Good night for tonight!
I have a unique situation.
While I have found a lot of the information helpful for starters, I am unable to relate to a lot of this because I am a man.
How I found out I have glabrata is also unique.(if I even actually have it) I am a US citizen in Poland who decided to take body test given by a naturalpath.
Among things like pinworms and cat liver fluke, ureaplasma, and mycoplasma (most likely unrelated things) I was told I also had candida glabrata. So I went to google to find out what it even was.
Needless to say, I’m wide awake to this as it sounds very serious. I was not given a location as to the location that is affected so I am unsure where to start. Random burning when I pee, very rarely. So it could be there on up. So now what?
I assume a test. But seeing as I am a guy…some of what I’ve read can’t apply.
I’m open to any information you can give me. I obviously want as much information as I can get, not just “yes, you should be tested”
Thank you all for reading and I wish you all the best in your own struggles!
Mike
Coffeeaddicted77@gmail.com
Hi Mike, well you do have a unique situation, seeing as though you are a man, but let me just say it is not abnormal for a man to get this type of infection, but it is rare. I don’t know what a body test is, so I can’t comment as to whether this is something they would have picked up in that kind of test. However, if the body test included a urine test it is very possible this is how they picked it up. Which again would be unique because this type of infection is one that needs to have a specific test done just for it. A regular fungal test or a simple urine test would not test for this. So, it would be unique in the fact that this doctor would have thought to test you for it and if he did, kudos to him!!
So, let me tell you a little about males with Glabrata. First a male is not going to have the exact same symptoms as a woman or even the same intensity as a woman. This is because of the obvious, we are made differently. A woman’s vaginal area is its own natural reservoir which is larger than a mans urethral opening and it is always moist and dark which makes it the perfect climate for growth of any kind. Where as a mans penis and urethra is a very small tube where not much can grow. The urethra in a man is constantly being washed out every time you urinate. The urine of a healthy male will be very acidic and it is the acidity of the urine running through the urethra that washes it out and kills both bacteria and fungus. In a woman, the urethra comes through the vagina but does not wash out the full reservoir, leaving areas for germs to grow. Now if the male has a poor diet (high in sugars and carbs, a lot of alcohol) or if he has been on antibiotics, or if he has an under lying condition like diabetes or HIV, it can throw off the acidity of his urine, which then makes it ineffective in washing out all living germs from the urethra. This then could lead to an infection like Glabrata. A man could also become infected through unprotected sex (both oral or intercourse) if he is intimate with someone who is also infected with Glabrata, but again, it would be less likely unless there was something else going on in the body that lowered the PH of the urine.
So, as far as testing for it, like I said it can sometimes be picked up in a urine test, although this is not that reliable. The other way to test for it in a male is by (hold on because this is not going to be pleasant!) is for the doctor to take a long thin q-tip and scrape the inside of the urethra, it then would need to be specifically cultured for Glabrata. Now Glabrata cannot be tested through your blood, unless you had a blood infection with it and if that were the case you would be deathly ill and would not survive more than a few days, so blood testing is not an option. Now if you have discharge coming out of the urethra they may be able to culture that for Glabrata, but other than these ways there is no other way to actually test for it. If none of these kinds of tests were done then I would seriously question this doctors testing and diagnosis of this infection.
So, like I said before there is a difference between the symptoms of males and females with this infection and that is due to how our bodies are designed and how I explained you wash your area out repeatedly with acidic urine as opposed to a woman. So, due to this a man could potentially have this infection and if it is mild because of the constant urine wash he may have only intermittent burning with urination or in some cases the man may have no symptoms at all and it will be his partner that keeps showing up with the infection that alerts him to him possibly having it. Now if the urine is not acidic enough the man then could have severe symptoms much like a woman. So, he would suffer with constant burning and a raw feeling that never leaves the urethra even when he is not peeing. He could also have a grayish / white discharge that seeps from the head of the penis and that discharge will be full of glabrata, so it can cause skin break down around the head of the penis or even further out on to the penis. You could get blisters as well and you may have blood in your urine too. These would be the symptoms that a man would have with this type of an infection. So, I know you said that you do get some burning with urination from time to time, which may very well be Glabrata , but I would only consider this if you had a urine test or a q-tip test that actually diagnosed Glabrata. Otherwise your burning periodically could be from anything as simple as not drinking enough, to something to acidic you ate, to a soap you used in the shower to some other kind of infection. Which many kinds of infections (bacterial, STD’s, normal fungal, ect..) can cause intermittent burning with urination, so please unless you have had a specific test for Glabrata, I would not get to worried about this yet, however, you definitely need to have this checked out by a doctor. The doctor (which should be a urologist) should check your urine and may want to swab you too.
Now I want to also add here that you have been diagnosed with several other kinds of infections, many of which I am very familiar with and I am sure your doctor wants to treat you with antibiotics or maybe some kind of herbal. So, here is my advice to you, if you are going to treat these other infections I would first get tested for the Glabrata, because if you have it you will need to treat your other infections before trying to treat this one. Otherwise the antibiotics and even some herbals are going to make your urine less acidic leaving you open to regaining the Glabrata infection back, so you treat the other infections first then treat the Glabrata. Otherwise you risk making the glabrata resistant to the drugs you are going to need to treat it and as a male you have less choices than a woman for treatment, so you really can’t risk that!
Ok, so now you are probably thinking “how does a man treat this?” Well, unfortunately, you cannot use the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel like a woman, because as you know you cannot shove the gel through your penis. Which means you only have the “azole” drugs to turn to. Which I am sure you have read are not really good drugs to treat Glabrata because this infection is usually pretty resistant to them. So, you are going to need an infectious disease doctor on board to help you get through this treatment. They will probably want to start you on Fluconazole, which is not a good one and I would advise against it, because this infection is so resistant to it, that it will more than likely fail and in the process it will make it that much harder to treat with the only other azole known to have any effect on this. That would be voriconazole, which is the one you want to be treated with. You will need high doses of this for at least eight weeks or more, but because it is very toxic to the liver and kidneys they will need to check you liver and kidneys prior to starting it and then every ten days while on it, to make sure that your body is handling it ok. Now at the levels and length of time you will need it, it may cause some unwanted side effects like periphereal neuropathy, dizziness, headaches, muscle pain, fatigue and some other things. So, if you begin to experience any of that while on it, you need to let your doctor know right away. Now if these drugs fail or if the infection is also up into the bladder then your infectious disease doctor may want to put a port in your chest and treat you for a few months with drugs like mycofungin, or caspofungin. These should kill it, but they too are very toxic to the body and you will need to be watched closely. This is why you will need an infectious disease doctor, one who is experienced in treating these types of infections and using these kinds of drugs. I will let you know that there are NO herbals that will treat Glabrata, so if your doctor wants to treat you with something like that, then he does not know what he is doing!!! Again please do not let him try to treat you with Fluconazole either, because if you really have this you are going to make this situation much worse and more resistant. You definitely need an infectious disease doctor to treat this, no other kind of doctor! Let me also say this, because of how resistant this infection is, several top universities throughout the world have studied “out of the box’ treatments like herbals, gentitian violet and others and unfortunately, none of them had any efficacy in treating or even knocking this infection down. So, if you really have this, you will need the help of an infectious disease doctor to treat it. Let me also say that when it comes to men with glabrata in the urethra, it is very important to treat this infection as soon as possible and correctly because once in the urethra it can travel up to your bladder and to your prostrate and the havoc it can cause will be unimaginable!!! So, this is something you really want to have diagnosed correctly as soon as possible.
One last thing while talking about this, it is very important to refrain from any kind of sexual activity with your partner until you have been diagnosed correctly and fully treated. I say this because you will give this to your partner, who then will be facing a nightmare as well and the two of you could potentially pass it back and forth, making treatment impossible and eventually making it resistant to all drugs!
Well, I hope this has answered your questions and I wish you the best of luck. If you have any other questions please let me know and I will try to answer them.
Debra, I went back to read your story more thoroughly. I didn’t know you’re in a criticle state and you have the time to help educate the public and spread awareness in your condition? WOW!! You’re so selfless, you have just reached the highest level of respect from me, you’re truly amazing!!! I am so sorry, so very sorry that you’re going through this, especially because it seems like you caught the beast by accident, taken strong medication that you didn’t even need in the first place. I wish I found your blog and read it 2 years ago when I was diagnosed with this and then I would have known not to stop taking fluconazole in the highest strength but not combined with steroids. I have never taken steroids but have plenty of various antibiotics. I was taking the strongest dose of fluconazole for 2 weeks but should have taken it for months. How long was I suppose to take it for, 3 months or 6 months or longer? I had no idea 2 weeks was not nearly enough time to kill the beast. At this point what should I do, start all over again with fluconazole and take it for the correct amount of time or go straight to the strongest and the last resort medications the Caspofungen & Amphotericin-B? I don’t remember off hand when I first wrote on your blog, I think it was either September or October and I said I was going to start a new diet and exercise routine? Well, the truth is I didn’t start my new health journey, the holidays was and still is a huge distraction for me but I will start soon, very soon, like tomorrow, I’ll get back on my treadmill even if its just for 10 minutes, I will, no more excuses and plus will refocus in eating way better cleaner. I just want you to know that you will be in my daily prayers for a fast speedy recovery. Keep fighting the good fight because there is no other option you have to win there is no other choice.
Hi Helen, thank you so much for your kind words and prayers. I am in a battle right now with my own health, but because of that I keep my mind busy with the internet so as to not let this get me too down. I always want to try and warn other women against these antibiotics that can cause such havoc and to help those that get left with these secondary infections. I know all to well how life altering these situations are and how desperate and lonely they can leave us feeling.
I am sorry that you are still going through this too. You definitely need to make those life changes, so that you can help your body fight this infection and it will be really important in helping to keep it from coming back once you get it fully cleared. I would start as soon as you can, but don’t try to do it all at once, or you will fail. You need to make simple small changes each week and before you know it, you will have changed your whole life. You can start with something as simple as cutting back your sugar in take, especially since it is the holidays and you know you are going to want to indulge in some good treats. So, instead of eating a piece of pie and three cookies and drinking a few glasses of wine, only eat a sliver of pie or share a piece with someone else. Then only allow yourself to try one of each of the best cookies and no more than one glass of wine a day. This is easier to do then to try and just go cold turkey, especially right now with the holidays. Then each week cut back a little more and replace some not so good things with healthier options, but again do it in small incriments instead of all at once, you are much more likely to succeed. As far as exercising, you don’t have to do 30 minutes of work out each day, because again you are much more likely to give it up by the end of the first week, especially if you are hurting or tired. So, instead just start adding in more steps to your day. So, instead of parking really close to the store or your job, park in the back of the lot and walk across the lot. Then take stairs whenever possible instead of an elevator or escalator. Also try spending a few hours at an indoor mall, just walking around and mix up your pace from slow to fast as you walk. When doing laundry, leave your laundry basket on the floor and do squats to pick a piece of laundry up to fold each time and then march lifting your knees high as you walk to put the clothes away. You can do leg lifts while standing at the sink doing dishes too and when adding soap to your washer lift the jug three times in each hand first before adding it to the machine. These may seem silly and small, but believe me they add up each day and each week to be a full work out routine and you will feel the effects, but it will be slowly and manageable so that you don’t want to give up. As you do this make sure to pat yourself on the back each time you have completed another exercise, so that you make your brain aware of your accomplishments and it will inspire you to keep going and increase your exercise over time. Before you know it you will want to get on that treadmill and take a run because you will feel more inspired, happier and you will have more energy. By making changes this way you will fool your own brain and body as to what you are doing and before you know it your body and mind will want more of it, this is how you succeed.
As for your Glabrata infection, I am sorry to say that it is more than likely to late to go back on the Fluconazole for treatment. You have already exposed it to this drug and you exposed it for too long of a period of time yet not long enough to kill it, so what you have done is made it resistant to it. You would have had to have been on 500 mgs. a day for three to five months, but please know that even that would not have guaranteed that you would have killed it. Glabrata has a high resistance to the “Azole” drugs. However, there is now no way this is going to work for you. Chances are it was not going to work anyway, but by not doing it right the first time you have given this beast all it needed to change itself so that it can become resistant to it. At this point you really need to get the gel because that is going to be your best bet. I would also encourage you to use the gel instead of attempting the Fluconazole again because the amount of Fluconazole you would need and the length of time you would need it is going to give you some very unwanted side effects that could become permanent and in the end your chance of beating it with that is slim to none! The gel will not give you systemic side effects and only takes 14 days of treatment as opposed to the now five to nine months you would need on high doses of Fluconazole, which most gyne’s will never want to treat for. The only side effect seen with the gel (and not all women get this side effect) is some minor vaginal irritation from the gel, which will subside within days of ending the treatment. I also want to tell you that you need to get this treatment on board as soon as possible because Glabrata is a very nasty infection that grows deep into the vaginal tissues (unlike candidias) and attaches itself to the nerves. Once it does this, it begins to damage those nerves and if left too long it can leave with you a life long pain condition known as vulvadynia, which believe me you never want to have! Several other women on here (including me) are now facing this diagnosis due to their infections being left untreated correctly for so long. There is no real effective treatment for vulvadynia and it can spread to other surrounding nerves in the pelvic areas causing you pain and dysfunction in the colon, bladder, urethra and thighs. So, I would really encourage you to talk with your doctor about prescribing the gel as soon as possible. I would also encourage you to make those life changes now so that your body is ready to fight when you get the med and keep up the changes so that this infection does not come back, because once again this infection will try to become resistant to the gel too and it is only a matter of time before it will, so you have to try and beat it at its own game.
Well, I hope this helps you and I wish you good luck on making those changes. If you need anything else please let me know.
Hi Debra, thank you again for thoroughly answering my questions. However, I just have couple more if you don’t mind, I hate to keep asking you so many questions when you’re not 100% healthy yourself. Hopefully this will be my last few questions. First of all I have to retract what I said about me have taken allot of antibiotics in previous years. I was thinking about what I said last night and not realizing, I really haven’t taken allot of antibiotics maybe total of 4 in all my 49 years and never steroids. Most of my normal yeast infection medication wasn’t oral antibiotics it was topical cream, ointment meds, most often store bought Monostat would cure it. So now I’m back to square one and wondering how I caught this infection. I spoke to a friend about my situation and my friend told me she’s taken allot of antibiotics way more than I have, plus she’s also taken plenty of steroids as well and she hasn’t contracted this infection. If I have not been exposed to too many antibiotics and no steroids what could it be as to how I caught this disease? Could it possibly be because I was prone to yeast infections? Just recently I have been on allot of antibiotics trying to cure this infection but not before in past years and so far nothing has worked in recent years.
When I was on the Fluconazole the dosage I was on was 200 and I thought that was the highest I could be on, I didn’t know it could go up as high as 500? Also, is it possible to have both regular yeast infection and this fungal glabrata infection at the same time? The reason why I’m asking is because when I was getting tested, the first doctor’s report came back with the glabrata but the 2nd doctor did the same test but the results came back with regular yeast not the other. So could that mean I have both? If your answer is no, then I know the 2nd test was misdiagnosed and the first test is correct because the symptoms I have is different from having a regular yeast infection.
So, my 2 last questions are…. How do you think I caught this infection? Could I have both types of infections, yeast and fungal? Oh wait, I just thought of 1 more question. If the last resort medication doesn’t work, what then? Could I live with this disease for the rest of my life without being a life threat? What are my chances of this spreading to other areas in my body if I can’t cure this?
I can’t thank you enough, there are no words to express my appreciation for how much you’ve helped me. Also, thank you for the exercise tips I will take that into consideration. How do you know so much about everything? Its amazing and unbelievable how you know so much more than the average doctor regarding Glabrata. If you’re not already, I think medicine is the field you should be working in.
Just wanted to grow this out there for you. (Think i actually posted it below in the wrong place. Sorry for posting twice.) I’ve dealt with chronic Glabrata for many years. I used boric acid and medicated duche for years. Kept my symptoms at bay as long as I was using it, but it’s a poison, and finally stopped bc a doctor said it wasn’t good to keep using it. Struggled on and off with all the symptoms in the article. I started taking Jarrow Formulas, Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS, and I had really good results. When I first started using it, I went thru a die off stage. My eyes swelled up almost like an allergic reaction. I stopped it, then started again once my eyes weren’t swollen. What a difference taking those has been for me. I take two every night before bed. Recently, my gynecologist told me about studies with iodine. Apparently the group (sorry I don’t know who it is doing the studies) has found a link with a lack of iodine in those who struggle with yeast issues. With the use of Sea Salt instead of iodized salt in use for foods today, many people who are in need of iodine are not getting what they need on a daily basis anymore. (At least this is what my doctor told me she had just learned in the seminar she had attended.) About two months ago I started a sublingual iodine drop that I use every day under my tongue. I feel better than I have in years using it. It may not be for everyone, I realize, but it is really worth checking out for yourself. Wanted to put this out there just in case it helps anyone. It’s simply awful living life with something doctors seem to know so little about. I have felt so alone in all this for such a long time. Thanks for sharing your experience Debra!
Hi Helen, I can see that you are really struggling with this infection and the emotional toll it plays on us. I am so sorry you are going through this and I hope what I write here helps you finally get some kind of correct treatment. I see that you have written a few posts on here so I will try to post to each one and answer what I can. I am sorry it takes me a day or so to get back to you, I do try to reach out to everyone that posts as soon as I can, but due to my own health right now, sometimes I am only up to posting back to one post a day. So, If I don’t answer back right away, don’t worry I will get to you as soon as I can.
So, let me start by trying to answer this post for you. When it comes to Glabrata, it is hard to say why some will get it and others won’t. I am sure it falls into your own bodies immune system and how well it works against infectious agents. It also depends on your lifestyle and any other underlying conditions. Now I know you say you did not have underlying conditions and you did not use very many antibiotics, but here is the thing, for some people, especially those prone to yeast infections, due to diet, lifestyle, immune system and genetics, Glabrata can happen with literally one prescription of an antibiotic, especially if that antibiotic is a broad spectrum one. Some of the broad spectrum antibiotics are the Fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, avelox, oflaxcin, etc..) another one is going to be Clindamyacin and there are still others, but not as used as these ones are. These can set off a Glabrata infection in some people with just one pill. The reason for this is because they wipe out all the bodies good and bad bacteria, leaving you defenseless against any organisms left behind or contracted right after taking the meds. Let me also explain that good bacteria grow much slower and need nutrition to replicate where as the bad bacteria (including fungus) grow back at a much faster rate than the good bacteria and need nothing more than dead cells and dying bacteria to feed on. So, it is kind of like a patch of grass, if you wipe it out the first thing to grow back is going to be the weeds and before you know it the weeds take over where the lawn should have been. This is how a broad spectrum antibiotic can totally ruin your bodies flora. The flora in your gut, where 75% of your immune system resides and also in your vaginal area, bladder, urethra, mouth and gums get wiped out from a broad spectrum antibiotic and within weeks your flora grows back bad bacteria and fungi. Which in turn leaves you with chronic fungal infections, bacteria infections, GI troubles and so on. So, what I am saying here is that, it does not matter how many antibiotics you have taken, because it could have happened with just one.
Now, you also stated that you were prone to fungal infections and have used a lot of anti-fungal creams in the vaginal area. Now this is going to make you very prone to getting Glabrata and here is why. Every time you use an anit-fungal cream in the vaginal area, you are wiping out all candidias and I am not sure if you are aware that all of our bodies NEED a certain level of candidias. You need this to help keep other fungi and even some bacteria under control and our bodies are full of all kinds of bacteria’s and different fungi’s at any given moment. You need this for survival, however, your bodies immune system along with your lifestyle are suppose to help keep all of them in check. But when something goes wrong, due to a drug you took, or a cold, or flu or any assault on the body, you loose that delicate balance and when this happens, one or more of the bacteria or fungi can grow out of control and that’s when you get an infection. Here’s the problem, you then go and take an antibiotic or an anti-fungal cream to stop the overgrowth of the offending organism, but many times that will help with that organism but then unbalances another one, leaving you to have to treat the next one. This many times becomes a viscious cycle for people. This is how they get into treating a bacterial infection and then get left with a yeast infection and then after treating the yeast they go right back to a bacterial infection. Once you get into this cycle it can be very hard to break it. You also have to realize that every time you treat with a fungal cream you are not only killing all of the candidias but you are also making not only the candidias resistant and harder to treat but you are opening the door for other yeasts like Glabrata, who normally is in competition with candidias to take over. So, studies done on women who suffer with Glabrata, especially the resistant forms showed that these women were chronic users of “azole” creams and pills to treat candidias. This is often why it is mostly seen in HIV and diabetic women. You see they are constantly having to treat candidias because of their poor immune systems and out of control sugars that feed the yeast. However, even women who do not have these underlying conditions who use anti-fungal treatments regularly or often have a much higher rate of contracting Glabrata. It also makes treating their Glabrata much harder. So, your use of the anti-fungals have raised your risk of contracting this.
Now I know you probably have felt like what else were you suppose to do treat the constant candidias infections. Well, unfortunately, this is where our medical system is lacking, you see your doctors should have sat you down after the second bout with it and explained to you that you need to change your diet and exercise. They also needed to check your hormones, your thyroid and you should have been checked for diabetes and any STD’s. If any of these came back abnormal then they should have been treated and corrected. If they came back fine then they should have looked at your type of birth control, which also can have a tendency to change the vaginal PH, which can lead to chronic yeast infections. So, you may have needed to have your birth control method changed. These are the usual underlying reasons for chronic yeast infections and should be addressed, so as to stop the cycle. Your doctor also should have advised you NOT to treat what you may think is a yeast infection with an OTC cream without first being cultured for one, because often times women think they have a yeast infection and treat on their own, when in more than half the cases they really do not have one. You also should not be treating a repeated yeast infection with OTC creams. The first time is fine but if it returns then you want to get to the bottom of why is it returning (with the suggestions I listed above) and then treat the second time with a prescription anti-fungal which is stronger and should work to finally kill it. This is what should have happened, but it didn’t, so you are now dealing with the aftermath, but be hopeful it is curable with the right treatment. However, I will stress that you must change your lifestyle and diet so as to avoid it coming back and you must have your doctor address any underlying contributing factors that are leading to these chronic infections.
So, to sum this up, you probably got it due to chronic yeast treatments, diet, lifestyle, hygiene habits, and any one of the antibiotics you took. Glabrata is everywhere just like candidias, but it usually is controlled and irradicated immediately in a healthy individual, which you were not.
Ok, so on to your next question, first you can take up to 800mgs. of Fluconazole a day, however, most regular doctors will not want to prescribe this amount or any amount over 200 mgs. and they will not want to prescribe it for more than a week or ten days. Neither of which is going to treat a Glabrata infection. So, a good gyne, should either refer you on to an infectious disease doctor who is used to treating and using these drugs at higher doses and for longer periods of time, or they should know about the gel and prescribe that. So, why won’t they treat at higher levels or for longer periods of time? Well that is because ALL anti-fungals drugs are very toxic to the liver, kidneys and nervous system and can cause permanent or even life threatening injuries, so a regular doctor like a gyne will not feel comfortable in treating a patient with these drugs above or longer than the usual 200 mgs for up to ten days. Again, unfortunately, this will do nothing against glabrata except to make it more resistant and harder to treat!
Secondly, yes you can have Glabrata with candidias. Actually it would be very unusual for you to have glabrata all by itself, this almost never happens. The reason why is because Glabrata has a unique ability to adapt to any and all PH environments, which means it can be found living alongside all kinds of bacteria’s and all strains of yeasts. So with the vaginal area being “sick” enough to allow Glabrata to grow, would mean it has been “sick” for a long time prior to the Glabrata, with overgrowth from candidias or even bacterial organisms. Here is the thing, as strong as Glabrata is it cannot compete against candidias! So, if you had candidias with the Glabrata, chances are your glabrata infection would not be as bad as someone who has worked at stomping out all the candidias. This is why women who get treated with Fluconazole for their glabrata can become much worse instead of better.
So, here is why your two tests came back differently. Obviously your first doctor specifically tested for Glabrata, so they caught it. That doctor knew to ask for this test specifically, which many doctors do not know they have to ask for this one specifically, because a different agar, and testing is used to check for this test. If they do NOT request for this specific test and only order a “usual” yeast culture, it will never catch this one because it cannot be seen with a normal test, due to its lack of Hyphae. So, I am guessing your second doctor did a “usual” yeast culture, which is why his only came back showing candidias. Now let me explain, a “usual” yeast culture will not find Glabrata, but the same goes for the glabrata test, it will not show other forms of yeast like candidias, it will only show Glabrata. So, you would need to have both tests done to check for all forms. This is why your tests came back differently.
So, I think I have answered your question as to how you got this and to your question as to whether you could have both, which again, is YES!
So, as far as if this treatment does not work, what will you do and what does that mean for your health. Well, first let me say that this treatment is 100% effective as long as a few things happen. First, you must make sure that the gel is made correctly, secondly, you must make sure to use it correctly as directed, no messing with it or skipping a night, NEVER let that happen! Thirdly, you MUST change your diet during the treatment and for at least a few weeks after treatment has ended. Then you, must have your doctor address any conditions that are leading to these infections. Again, you need to be checked for hormone imbalances, thyroid conditions, any STD’s, birth control may need to be changed and you need to be checked for diabetes, even borderline. Those things must be addressed if they are not right. Finally, you will really need to make life altering changes with diet, exercise and hygiene, if you do not make these adjustments it will come back again and then you could get into trouble. Now women who have suffered with chronic yeast infections and have used anti-fungals a lot, or those who have had this infection for a long period of time and have not been treated correctly may have to be treated a second a time with the gel, but let me just say that this is rare, it usually works the first time around as long as you follow the steps I suggested. If you need it a second time, you should still be ok and in studies with women who have needed it a second time, 99% of them were cured. The one percent who did not rid it, where ones with HIV, uncontrolled diabetes, end stage cancer or some other immune suppressing underlying condition, which is NOT your problem, so this will not happen to you! However, you must address why you keep getting fungal infections and you must change your diet and hygiene if nothing else.
Now if for some out of this universe reason you did not clear it and it became resistant to the last resort drug, you could still live a normal life span with it. So, let me tell you that there are many women who have HIV and cancer that contracted Glabrata and were not able to clear it before it became resistant to this med due to their underlying conditions. It is an unfortunate way to have to live because it is very painful and it will eventually break down the vaginal tissues causing you bleeding, ulcers and permanent nerve damage, so this is not what you ever want to be left with. Now I cannot say that if you were left with this infection for the rest of your life that at some point it would not spread to other areas of your body and cause you more problems and grief. It is very likely to spread to the urethra and bladder and into the rectum as well as down on to your thighs. If for some reason you were to fall ill to another disease like cancer, it could then become life threatening, but your doctors would refer you out to an infectious disease doctor to help treat this infection in other areas of your body and there are very toxic IV drugs that can work against this infection, but would not be used unless it entered into these other organs. So, let me finish up here with this by saying, this will more than likely NOT happen to you, nor will you NOT be able to clear this infection. You can and will treat it successfully with the gel, so please do not go to this place or this thinking, you have hope!
One last thing that I want to advise you on, since you have used anti-fungal creams often in the past and have a history of chronic yeast infections, it is going to be very important for you to make sure that your doctors prescribe both the amphotericin B with the Flucytosine. The reason for this is because you may need to treat your glabrata infection a second time because of this history, which could make treating yours a little harder. So, it will be very important for your doctors to combine both of these drugs. Some will only want to prescribe the ampho B but if you were to use this one alone with your history, it could very well fail because you have a history of “Azole” use which means your Glabrata is going to be more resistant, so ampho B will usually not be enough to fight this one. So, you need the Flucytosine added to it. The Flucytosine not only helps the ampho B but it also helps to prevent the Glabrata from becoming resistant to it right away, giving you a few extra chances if needed. Now the Flusytosine is an old chemo drug that has the ability to go in and bust open the shell surrounding the nucleus of the Glabrata cell, therefore allowing the ampho B to get into the nucleus and disband its DNA and its ability to replicate. In people with your history the Glabrata has already altered its nucleus shell so that the ampho b cannot bust it open and get into disband the DNA. So, this is why you need both drugs.
Well, I hope this answers these questions and I will go through and answer your other posts that you posted today too. If I don’t get to them tonight I will get to them tomorrow, so hang in there!
Yes, thank you Dera you always clearly and thoroughly answered all my questions.
Oops I wasn’t done responding, what I was about to say was…. before I start on any treatment, I have to ask my obgyn if my test was specifically tested for Glabrata because she is one of many doctors who thought I had an yeast infection and when the test came back Glabrata she told me she did not know how to treat it. She told me out of 25 years she’s been in practice she has never seen a patient with Glabrata. If she says my culture was specifically tested for Glabrata, I am going to ask her if the test can be taken one more time just to make sure and then I’ll resume from there. I am skeptical whether my test was correct because the primary symptom of the burning I do not have and I am not tolerant of any type of physical pain. I don’t feel not even a tiny bit of burning or stinging, just the itch at night that wakes me up almost every night. Thanks again Debra, I’ll stay in touch and let you know how it pans out. Take care…..;)))
Hey Debra,
I saw one of your earlier posts on here about Glabrata in the bladder… could you tell me what test the doctors did to confirm the Glabrata in the bladder/how they tested for it? Also, what type of doctor did you see to do this testing to confirm?
I only ask because I’m still experiencing urinary frequency and vaginal discomfort each day, but have tested negative 3 times for having a UTI based on urine culture, and am also no longer showing/detecting glabrata in the vaginal area per my most recent lab results from my gynecologist.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Ali, When it comes to Glabrata of the bladder of urethra, you would need to see a urologist, which is a doctor that specializes in these organs. He would need to do what is called a cystoscopy, which is where they put a long flexible scope with a camera on the end of it, up through the urethra and into the bladder. During this procedure they would be able to view the inside of the urethra and bladder but they also are able to take biopsies and can even grab some urine from inside the bladder to be cultured. This is important if you are having symptoms like you are explaining and here is why.
You see, if they just try to culture the urine that you pee out into a cup for Glabrata it may not be a true test of Glabrata in the urethra or bladder because the urine you pee out has to go through the vagina on its way out. Now if the vagina has Glabrata living in it – it can taint the urine culture, so you really would not know if you had Glabrata in the vagina or if it truly came from the urethra and or bladder. This is why they would need to go in and grab urine from the bladder directly without having it come through the vagina. They also can take the biopsy and culture it as well for Glabrata, which is the best way to check for Glabrata in these areas because it lives within the walls.
Now with that being said let me explain some things to you. First you need to make sure that your doctor has specifically requested for a Glabrata test when she is doing the vaginal cultures to make sure the Glabrata is really gone. Secondly, if it is really gone then you need to be referred to a urologist to have your urethra and bladder scoped and tested for any other type of illness along with a test for Glabrata in those areas. Now I am not sure that you would have Glabrata in that area if you are not showing it in a standard (pee cup) urine culture, because it should pick it up too as long as they are specifically culturing for Glabrata and not just for yeast. However, like I said this type of urine culture would not be able to say for certain that it is coming from the urethra or bladder or from the vagina, but it is worth testing for it this way first.
Now here is the bad news, your tests may be correct in the fact that there really is no Glabrata. Unfortunately, many times when a woman gets a Glabrata infection that lasts too long or is very severe they can develop a pain syndrome that will continue long after the infection has been cleared. The two types of syndromes that can develop are known as vulvadynia and intercystial cystitis, both of which can make you feel as if there is still an infection in these areas. Both of these conditions are sadly misdiagnosed or not diagnosed for years. Some doctors even though they cannot find an infection will treat the patient with meds only to irritate the area further and cause more systemic problems and side effects. Other doctors blame the patient for their symptoms when they cannot find an infection. The problem is that there is no test to identify these conditions, all they can do is rule everything else out and then that would leave you with either or both of these conditions. They are not very well researched conditions so we do not fully understand them and because of that we do not really have a one size pill that works on everyone suffering with it. Now there are treatments but you have to work with a specialist who understands these conditions because they have the knowledge of the many- many things that can be tried to help control the condition, so there is hope!
So, let me just quickly explain that vulvadynia is a pain syndrome of the vagina,, which can be brought on by an injury or an infection to the area, even having a baby can set it off. It appears to be a nerve problem where the nerves got turned on by something like a Glabrata infection and even though the infection is gone it cannot turn off, so the nerves continually send messages to the brain that there is an infection still in the vagina. The brain then responds by sending out its immune cells to hasten the assault it believes its under, but by doing this the immune cells begin to attack the healthy vagina causing pain, redness, swelling, discharge, burning, etc.. Now you may not get all these symptoms but these are the ones most frequently seen. This is also why you and possibly your doctor think you have some kind of infection there. Then there is intercystial cystitis also known as IC, this too comes from what the body perceives as an injury to that area which could be from an injury or an infection or it could be part of an over all pain syndrome that you have, which I will explain in a moment. So, again, this one will set off what appears to be an infection causing you pain, burning and urgency with urination. Let me also just say a urologist is the only one who can diagnose this condition and it can only be diagnosed with a cystoscopy being done to rule out any other causes for your suffering.
So, let me explain something here about both of these conditions. Usually a woman starts with only one of them and it can start with either of them first. If the condition is not recognized and treated correctly as soon as possible this pain condition can spread to near by areas. So, lets say it starts in your vagina, if it is not recognized and treated correctly within time you can then develop it in the urethra and then into the bladder, but it does not stop here, it can then go into the colon causing IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), it can also spread through the pelvic area, so it causes pain, burning, tingling or electrical shocks around the outside of the vagina and then down into the thighs and up into the butt and lower back or sacral area. This happens because the nerves causing all this pain, redness, swelling, etc.. are from your sympathetic nervous system and they come off of the spinal cord, which is how they send the messages of supposed infection and pain to the brain, which then falsely sends out the auto-antibodies that create the problems. Now like I said we do not know the real cause of this but it is believed that there is a problem with the whole sympathetic nervous system, it gets injured if you will. Now each sympathetic nerve coming off of the spine connects and talks to the other sympathetic nerves, so once one of them like the ones that innervate the vagina are set off, they then will tell the ones that innervate the urethra and bladder that there is trouble in the area, so now these ones get set off and the longer it goes on the more sympathetic nerves in the area get involved. Now because we do not have a good understanding of these conditions and do not have a sure fire way to treat them, it can be very difficult to get them under control once they get set off. So, the sooner the condition gets recognized and treated the better the out come for the patient is.
I want to just add here that if you start to appear with several of these pain syndromes popping up then you will get diagnosed with what is known as Myofacial pain syndrome, which basically is an over all heightened sympathetic nervous system injury. Women who have this tend to suffer with a barrage of pain syndromes that are unexplainable and can be life altering. It is also said that if you have suffered with one of the pain syndromes you are much more likely to eventually develop pain in other bodily areas. So, here are some of the more common pain places seen in these people. They suffer with migraines, cognitive problems, brain fog, irregular and painful periods and or endometreiosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, Temper mandibual jaw pain, vulvadynia, inercystial cystitis, anxiety, depression and IBS. So, if you have suffered with any of these conditions in the past or still due you are much more likely to develop vulvadynia and or IC and unfortunately, all it was going to take was a bad infection like Glabrata to set that area off and now leave you with a new pain syndrome in that area.
So, it is important for your doctors to specifically request a Glabrata vaginal culture, then if that comes back negative you need to be referred to the urologist to be scoped and rule out Glabrata as well as any other conditions in those organs, this doctor may at that point be able to tell you if you have IC. Now if he finds nothing and says it is IC then you need to talk with your gyne and ask to be referred to a vulvar pain specialist that also treats IC and most who treat vulvadynia or IC treat the other. Now your doctors may not bring these conditions up to you, so if they tell you that they have found no reason for your symptoms then you will need to bring these conditions up to them and help them to get educated on it and refer you out to a specialist for treatment. The specialist has a multitude of things that can be tried to treat them and not every thing or even one thing works for everyone, so you will need to be patient because it can be a long process to find the combination of things to treat your symptoms, but have hope because most women do find relief in time. I say all this because if your gyne is truly running the Glabrata test and she cannot find Glabrata any longer and if she is not finding a UTI then you really sound like this is what has happened to you from the former Glabarata infection and it is not unusual for you to be left with this condition, because it is a monster of an infection that can do a lot of nerve damage and turn that sympathetic nervous system on to where it cannot turn off. So, I want you to have all the facts so that you can get the help you need as soon as possible.
Well, I hope this answers your questions and gives you hope. Please let me know what comes of all this and I wish you the best. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask and I will share what I know with you. Good Luck
Hi Debra,
I have had glabrata for years also without much medication help, however would you know if there is any effects during pregnancy?
I had a baby a few years ago and he was born very ill with a case of strep mitis septicimia, none of the doctors seemed to have known how he caught it.
However my partner and I were talking about having another baby but I wanted to make sure the glabrata wouldn’t affect the fetus in anyway but it’s hard to find information online, would you know anything?
Thanks
Hi Clare, I am so sorry you have been dealing with this for so long, that is awful! I am also sorry your baby was born so sick, that must have been so hard for you both. There is nothing worse than when our children are sick, but I am glad your baby made a full recovery.
As for your question about Glabrata effecting your fetus, let me just say that as long as the Glabrata is only in your vagina, it will not effect the fetus while it is in your stomach growing. However, if you have a vaginal birth the baby will then be exposed to it via the birth canal and that could be very dangerous. Now I can’t explain why your first child did not get sick with Glabrata if you delivered via the vagina, because ANY bacteria, fungus or virus located in the vagina or birth canal WILL expose your baby to a potential life threatening infection with it. This is why OB/GYN’s check you for any and all types of STD’s and infections after you get pregnant. This is so that they can either treat you for the infection to clear it prior to birth or if it is something that cannot be cleared they will choose to do a C-section at the time of birth. This is to avoid the potential of the baby contracting whatever you are infected with.
Now, I don’t know if you understand or realize that as a baby moves through the birth canal it is already beginning to cry and it begins to open its mouth to breath. So, as it does this it is taking in all the bacteria that lines our birth canal and vagina. This is very important for the babies survival because that bacteria actually then begins to line the babies mouth, throat, esophagus and gut. It are these bacteria’s that over a few weeks begin to grow and populate the babies mucosal linings and sets up the babies immune system, which in all respect will look microbally much like the mothers immune system. This is necessary because this is the babies first defense mechanism in fighting off everything it comes in contact with. It is also what helps the baby to adjust and digest the mothers own breast milk and this is because all the bacteria that line your mucosal linings were formed in you from your birth mother, your diet, lifestyle and anything that you have been exposed to over the years. So, your bodies microbiodome is set to defend you and to help you digest foods and toxins. So, what you take in gets metabolized and some of that ends up in your breast milk, which the baby will then need to digest just like you. This is why we are now understanding that our microbiodome is so very important in every aspect of our bodies health and wellness. It is also why we see children have many of the same allergies to foods and meds as their mothers. It is also why we see children come down with and have a hard time with the same kinds of infections as the mothers. We have recently learned with fecal transplants that people who get their transplants from siblings or parents do much better than those who get it from outside sources. It is because their siblings or parents carry the same micro bacteria that they had prior to their infection which left them needing a new bacteria lining. There is much to be said about our own personal microbiodomes and how they truly play an essential part in our over all health for our entire lives.
So, here is the thing, if you have any bacteria, fungus or virus living within the vagina you are putting your baby at serious risk if you give birth vaginally. I would think your doctor would know this and definitely should be checking you for it as soon as she sees your pregnant. Now again I cannot say why your baby did not get this if you had a vaginal birth, but I would say that you were very lucky because Glabrata babies are very sick ones and some do not make it. As for your first baby getting septic with strep, that did not come from a Glabrata infection, however let me just say because of Glabrata’s unique ability to adapt to any PH condition it is not abnormal for it to be found living alongside a bacteria like strep, but again the Glabrata did NOT cause the strep infection. Let me also just say that strep is EXTREMELY common in hospitals and a baby who has not had a chance to grow and produce the mothers bacteria from the birth canal is at high risk of contracting any infection it is exposed to in the hospital. This is why it is so important for hospital staff to wash their hands between touching and taking care of each baby as well as you. It is also very important for the hospital birthing room, your room and the babies nursery to be sterilized repeatedly. If somewhere along the way one of these steps are missed or not done correctly an infection like strep can easily be passed to an infant. So, your doctors are right that there was no way to tell how your baby got it, but if you did not have it in your vagina at the time of birth than the hospital or someone on its staff was the culprit. So, with this being said I would seriously encourage you to become an advocate for yourself and your baby the next time you deliver. That means making sure that the doctor washes his hands before gloving up and touching you, the same goes for any nurses. It is also important to make sure that any nurse that comes into your room washes their hands before touching your baby. If you do not see them washing their hands (usually every hospital room has a sink in it) then kindly ask them to please wash their hands before reaching over to touch your baby or even you. I would also encourage bringing your own wash clothes to the hospital to wash you and your baby up with, because hospital wash clothes are notorious for carrying all kinds of diseases. Also keep some sanitizer next to your bed and use it yourself before picking up your baby or touching or eating something yourself. This is so that you do not spread anything that you may have picked up off of the bed rails or bathroom area to you or your baby. I tell people to do this no matter what they are in the hospital for because hospitals are notorious places for some of the worst infections known to mankind and it is very easy to infect yourself while staying in one.
Finally, I would definitely tell you that you NEED to treat your Glabrata before even thinking about getting pregnant. It only takes 14 days to clear it and two weeks to make sure it is totally gone. If you need to retreat it will only take another 14 days of treatment and this cures nearly 100% of the women with it. The only ones who will not clear it are those that have some very serious underlying condition like HIV or end stage cancer. So, why take a chance of having a baby that could be potentially very sick or worse when you could easily treat this. Also it will avoid a possible miscarriage which is very high in women with Glabrata infections and it will help to avoid a possible C-section. Not to mention it will make you healthier and put your mind at ease so you can enjoy your pregnancy and baby when it comes. Let me also just say here that if you get pregnant you will not be able to treat the Glabrata with the ampho gel, until after the baby is born. They may try to treat you with the usual Diflucan after your first trimester but even that is a risk to your fetus, and has the potential to harm you and your baby, so it is really important that you treat now before you try to get pregnant.
Well, I hope this answers your question and I wish you the best with your next baby.
Thanks so much your reply Debra,
You’ve told me alot more then my baby doctor and female doctor put together. My Child was delivered by c sections however due to other reasons (which reading this I’m now very thankful for).
I have had a papsmear recently which came back with no abnormalities which I’m assuming is good.
However did you say the ampho gel treats it? Ill have to bring that up with my doctor, I’ve done repeats after repeats of boric acid which just do not do it anymore and shes not prescribing anymore and has told me the only way I have to maintain it is my diet.
Thanks alot for your insight,
Clare
Also would you mind emailing the information you’ve emailed others so I can show my doctor? As I’m unsure we have that cream in Australia as I couldn’t find alot online about it
Thanks, Clare
PS: So sorry for misspelling your name, Debra! I also didn’t know my photo would be used on here, which I do not want. Is there any way to get rid of the picture?
The photo is tied to your email account. If you have another email that you don’t have a photo attached too, then the photo would not show. Alternatively, you can change the photo on your email to a graphic and/or remove it entirely and it should disappear from the comments. There is no way for us to remove the photo.
Dear Deborah,
I’ve just read through all of this and am hoping your wisdom might be able to help me out. This is going to be fairly long, so I apologise in advance.
I am only 24, and I have been dealing with vulva issues for over a year. The first time it happened was in July. I took a morning after pill and it threw my hormones off completely. That’s when the burning started. I went to my doctor, and he told me to take Monistat. It helped slightly but didn’t work completely. I moved to Scotland, and they ran general tests for HIV, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, and Chlamydia, which were all negative. The doctor took one look and said it definitely looks like yeast. The slides showed it was a normal yeast infection. I took medicine and also asked for UTI medicine, since I remember having a yeast when I was 14 (the only time ever) and having it affect my bladder. The doctor also said it looked like my urine had an infection, even though the results came back negative.
My symptoms went away completely, but I made the stupid mistake of taking the morning after pill again. It threw off my body again, and I started experiencing slight burning. I went to the doctor and they gave me yeast medicine. It didn’t help, but I figured it was because I was intimate with my then partner, and all the medicine came out at one time. I tried it again just in case, but nothing helped. I experienced a yeasty odour, or so I thought. Drinking alcohol made it worse, but eating biscuits didn’t seem to make my problems worse, oddly enough. So I went in for a Pap Smear, and I’m fairly sure they test for HPV as well as search for abnormal cervical cells. Everything came back normal.
I started taking daily probiotics, but somehow felt worse, so I ended up going to another clinic, and the doctor told me that it seemed I had very little flora at all, probably from all the yeast treatments. He said there was more bacteria than anything else, and gave me medicine to treat it as well as something to help the flora restore itself. For nearly an entire month I felt completely healed. No burning. No discomfort. No unusual discharge or yeasty smell. I was so excited and relieved. Then, a few days before my period, it came back. And it has been back ever since May. I went to the doctors three more times in the UK. The first time they ran routine tests again and said everything came back normal.
The second time, in August, I told him I was having similar symptoms as I had before, when it was watery, grey discharge. We decided it was probably bv. I took medicine for it, but very little changed. I still had some of the medicine, so I tried it again, and then I experienced terrible burning. I had whitish pink, fleshy vaginal discharge. I was very scared and very upset. The skin around my vagina, the hymen, turned white and looked like it was deteriorating slightly. I went to the doctor again in the morning, and she gave me diflucan. This is the second time to use diflucan, I believe. Or the third. I’ve been in so many times I’ve lost count. I got the tests back, and everything came back negative! I was so upset I cried.
After taking the diflucan, the skin healed, but this might have been done on its own accord. The burning was still there. It gets worse during menstruation, and some days it feels like it’s completely gone for a few hours, only to come back at night. I have bought new, cotton underwear, I tried fasting to remove sugar for a few days, which didn’t do anything, I don’t use soap in the area, I’ve soaked in tea tree oil, olive oil, lavender oil, oats and baking soda baths. I tried taking probiotics again, and it seemed to make it worse. I started testing my urine’s PH and saw it was very acidic, so I started eating more alkaline foods. I started drinking a glass of water with lemon juice and baking soda. I felt that actually start to help, but when my last period came, things seemed slightly more uncomfortable. The burning is only a 1-2 on a scale of 10, but its the subtelty that makes me so upset, thinking maybe I’m imagining it. Of course, stressing about it actually makes the symptoms worse.
So I tried my dad’s doctor. I was convinced it was too much of a good bacteria, such as lactobacillus. I was experiencing a lot of watery discharge, and it smelled like garlic, even though I only had one garlic clove days before, and it usually doesn’t have such a strong odour. I would wake up in the morning and feel it dripping. It was slightly cloudy, and happened a few days before ovulation, which was something I only started experiencing often after taking that last morning after pill last November.
I went in and told this doctor that I didn’t think it was yeast. No cottage cheese discharge, but white skin around the entrance. He told me to try Diflucan for a week. I didn’t feel okay with it, but he said no harm would be done and it would rule out yeast. He took no samples, not even of my urine. I took it for two days and started having EXTREME burning. I had to go back in, and they told me I had a UTI. The skin was turning completely white. My hymen split in a place it hadn’t before. It felt like it was being shredded and looked even worse. I went to the ER because nothing could be done at that useless doctor’s. They took samples and gave me medicine for the UTI and for bv.
I took the bv medicine for two days but didn’t feel it was doing anything for me, and I didn’t want to kill off any remaining good bacteria in case it actually was a resistent yeast. Things got worse, and I woke up Saturday morning with slight tenderness on the right side of my pelvic area. They already did a pelvic exam two days before at the ER. My dad drove me to another ER, and they said it was definitely yeast. The UTI was gone, but now I had a yeast infection. I recognised it immediately with the obvious symptoms. And, oddly enough, all of the white skin and shredded inner areas were gone! It’s pink and normal looking now, but it burns and there is a lot of yeasty discharge. I’m being treated for it now, but I am afraid the burning isn’t going to go away, like all the other times before.
What makes me more anxious and suspicious is that the test results for my first trip to the ER came back negative today. Negative! How could it when I was burning and in so much pain after taking Diflucan? Why wouldn’t it show bacteria if the Diflucan killed all the yeast when I already thought it was a bacterial infection?
I am sorry this is so long, but I feel like the mistake I made with some of these doctors is I wasn’t firm enough in explaining all of my symptoms and experiences. I have an appointment with a gyneocologist on the 30th. If it doesn’t feel better during this time, though, I can go to a walk-in clinic when I head back to Scotland tomorrow for my graduation.
I also want to add that my period has been pretty regular since March, after the terrible effects of the morning after pill finally left my body, and while I think my vaginitis is in part a hormonal issue, as it all started because of it, I know it can’t be all. I am not diabetic (that I know of, and I was tested last year two months after this started). I have eczema on my arm and neck, and that also started months before any of this. I often get eczema during certain times of the year, though, only this time it has not gone away. I was given a topical steroid cream, which I use sparingly. I do not know if the two are linked, but I don’t think they are. I have very bad allergies, and the eczema seems to be due to that, rather than yeast.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am curious as to whether you think this sounds like glabrata, hormonal issues, vulvodynia, or Cytolytic vaginosis. I will be adamantly pressing my gyneocologist to look at all of these possibilities. In fact, I might just read this entire reply to him so that I do not miss a single important detail.
Sincerely,
Allie
Hi Allie,
I’m glad to read your post because we have some similarities. I too had the same “white” skin appearance off and on in the vulvar area. I thought to myself, “whiteish gray skin down there, nobody is going to believe this.”
I have been treated for a yeast infection that started 5 months ago. I had my annual physical so I may have picked it up at the doctor’s office or two days later when I soaked in the tub (which I always shower, rarely take a bath because of disrupting the pH).
Anyway fluconazole helped at first. Then my provider said I had clue cells and I used flagyl which gave me a couple of days of feeling normal. That’s the hardest part of all of this – not feeling like me!
But it kept coming back. Burning, pressure, terrible. Then the discharge, not cottage cheese, I hate that description, my discharge has never been like that. Sometimes it’s a bright white, not chunky at all.
I finally got in to see an OBGyn of course on that particular day just after my period and finishing up another fluconazole, I didn’t have the discharge. She acted like she didn’t believe me. Why would make this stuff up? I don’t like hanging out in doctors offices!
So 2 weeks laterI had a follow up appointment and this time the discharge was present, not as much, but enough to prove I wasn’t making this stuff up. The OBGyn did a culture. The initial culture reading said it was yeast so I was started on a long range plan of fluconazole. Two days later the more definitive results confirmed it was glabrata. My doctor is aware this is resistant to fluconazole. She gave me three options of meds: boric acid, amphotercerin B, and the flucytosine. I’m a nurse and know that the last two are hardy medicines so I opted to start small with the boric acid inserts. Then I saw this site. After my last period and 9 days of boric acid I thought I was getting better, less pain and burning. The discharge is becoming thin and gray although there is more of it. So that’s where I’m at now. I’m thankful for the sporadic days that feel normal, it gives me hope.
Just know you are not alone. You need to get a culture of the drainage so they can confirm it is yeast and tell you what type of yeast it is.
Hi Tararn,
I also have been trying boric acid suppositories to treat for BV and glabrata simultaneously, followed by Gynazole cream, also for the glabrata per my doctor’s instructions. It helped some initially, but then I felt like my symptoms of burning/irritation between the labia area started coming back. I’m trying a second round of boric acid in case it was the BV that came back. I’ll know for sure when I get the cultures back from my dr. office.
Can you let me know if the boric acid ends up working for you to treat the glabrata? Also, I’m curious when your doctor gave options of amphotericin B and flucytosine… were they talking about IVs (which are definitely the harder, riskier form from what I’ve read), or tablets, or a gel form like is being mentioned on this site? Thanks for your help!
Hi Allie, you definitely have a lot going on and have tried a lot of things, some of which I am going to suggest that you do not do again and I will explain that later. So, let me try to go through each paragraph you wrote and answer some of the things that have gone on with you and where some mistakes have definitely been made.
Ok, so I will definitely tell you that using the morning after pill is going to definitely upset your hormonal imbalance, but it can also burn the delicate vaginal tissue because the pill is basically a low dose of chemo therapy, which in the first trimester of pregnancy would cause the uterus to contract and send you into a miscarriage. This is how we figured out how to come up with the “morning after pill”. We give it in much lower doses than we would give it to someone fighting cancer, but it can have the same effect on the delicate mucosal linings in the body. So, that pill more than likely not only set off the hormonal imbalance but also chemically burned the vaginal tissues. You may have developed a normal yeast infection with candidias after using the pill due to the drying up of the tissues from being burned by the pill. However, because of the irritated mucosal lining the monistat was the wrong way to treat it, because all creams use parabins, alcohol and other additives that were going to initially make the vaginal area feel soothed but the residue left behind from the additives can cause further burning, irritation and leave you with more flora problems. Your doctor should have treated you with Diflucan to have avoided further irritation and burning to the area. Now the next problem is that you took a medicine for a UTI at the same time, which usually only furthers the flora problems, it also works against the yeast medicine you were on and can make a very vulnerable area (your vagina, urethra and bladder) very susceptible to hard to treat infections like Glabrata or others. Your doctor should have realized that your mucosal tissues were reacting to the chemo pill you took and they were burned by it, if the urethra or bladder were in pain it was probably due to the pill as well because your kidneys, bladder and urethra are the exit route for this very toxic chemical (the morning after pill), so instead of just prescribing you these meds on an assumption, the look of the area or even the look of the urine under the microscope, they should have cultured all areas first and if everything came back negative, then they should have treated the tissues with metro gel. Now metrogel (also known as metronitazole) is normally used to treat bacterial vaginosis but it has a natural anti-inflammatory component to it, that is often used in women who have inflammation, burning or redness due to unknown causes. It would have soothed area and it is a very specific bacteria drug, meaning that it does not kill all bacteria’s in the flora, it only goes after the bad ones, sparing the good bacteria so you do not wipe out what little of good bacteria you still had. So, these were some fundamental mistakes that were made, but fortunately you did heal, and I would say that you got lucky that first time around. So, lets go onto your next paragraph.
This is the problem with your doctor NOT recognizing what was going with you the first time, that being, that you reacted to the morning after pill like a usual cancer patient. Your tissues were burned by it the first time around, so you were not warned to NEVER take that drug again. You have to find a better way to prevent pregnancy so that you never have to use this drug again because you are damaging delicate tissue and nerves that reside in those tissues which is going to leave you with life long problems and make you vulnerable to serious infections like Glabrata or worse. So, again your doctor should not have treated you for a yeast infection this time without doing a culture first, had they done that they would have realized that you were burned by the pill again and did not need a yeast drug, which as you can see did not work and only served to irritate and make things worse. It makes sense that drinking alcohol made this much worse and that is because the alcohol is going to get excreted through those burned and irritated tissues with a high alcohol content still in your urine, so it only was going to further the burn. It is like taking alcohol and pouring it over a piece of burned skin or open sore, its going to burn like hell and that’s what you did to yourself! The biscuits did not hurt you because it was NOT a yeast problem that you were dealing with, it was burned tissues from the pill! Now I also want to address one more thing here with you, because I am not sure anyone has ever told you this, so I am going to let you know, when you have a yeast infection, bacterial infection or any kind of infection going on in that area or your urethra or bladder you should NEVER EVER have sex, not even if you are using medication!!!! First you risk giving whatever infection you have to your partner even if you are using a condom!!! Second your body is fighting an infection already and even with medication, you run the risk of the meds not working, increasing your pain and irritation and you are VERY vulnerable to picking up any kind of infection that your partner may expose you to, maybe even one that he does not know he has and I will tell you that males usually do NOT get symptoms of chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV or HIV like a female. So, they can carry it and not know it and you will not know that they have it by looking at them either. Also many of the drugs used to treat these infections can weaken condoms so they break or even make any kind of birth control less effective leaving you at high risk for an unwanted pregnancy. Also when your tissues are irritated or infected you are at a much higher risk of catching whatever your partner may have and you will not be able to fend it off. So, please for the sake of your future and your health, NEVER EVER have intimate sex while being treated for any kind of infection. So, on to your next paragraph.
Using the Diflucan probably had nothing to do with the healing of the tissues, it was going to happen anyway and that’s because they were just burned from the pill and it was going to take time for them to heal. However, your flora and the tissues have been damaged and this time they may have left behind some scarred nerves in the area, as well as flora issues and hormonal imbalances. This may be why you have burning that comes and goes and is worse during menstruation. You may also find that certain foods or drinks that you take in throughout the day may increase your burning come night time and this is because you are excreting the acidic chemicals out through this area which with having heightened nerves, so your pain will increase. Now let me just go through some of the things you have done that you listed.
Using the cotton underwear was a good choice and you should continue to always wear them because they will allow the area to breathe which is important especially once the area has developed any kind of problems. As for stopping sugars, that was a good choice too, but let me just say that a few days of doing this is NOT going to give you results. For you to see any real results with this kind of diet you would need to do it for no less than two weeks and up to a month before you would see the effects of that kind of diet, so you may want to do it again and give it more time. Now if you cannot give up all sugars you need to cut back as much as you can and stay away from starchy foods like rice because they turn to sugars to once digested. I can tell you that if you can do this you will see a reduction in your pain and burning and your over all health will also get better right along with your energy level. It will also begin to heal and balance your flora and tissues. Now stopping sugars also means stopping alcohol too which is very high in sugars and yeasts and the alcohol is NOT good for the tissues in the vagina too.
Now for all the stuff you tried soaking in, STOP IT!!! None of these things are going to help that area and many of them especially tea tree oil, lavender oil and olive oil are going to make things worse!!! First tea tree oil is very acoustic to the delicate mucosal tissues and should never be used, and yes I know it is a very old homeopathic disinfectant against both bacteria and yeast, but we know now that it is not a good product to use in this area and can cause nerve damage and leave you with burned, irritated tissues and it can even create vulvadynia, so never use this again! As for the oils, they are OILS so they do not rinse out of the vaginal area and tend to cling to the walls, which they then can become irritants to the mucosa, they can upset the flora balance and bacteria along with yeasts adhere to them and feed off of them, so STOP that too!
The oats and baking soda would be ok to use but, with not having a balanced PH or flora you could make the area worse and leave yourself with another infection, so it is something that I would use with caution and only once in a while not everyday or even every couple of days.
As for the probiotics making things worse, that could be due to the brand you are using, which may have additives in it that get excreted though the bladder and further irritate the tissues and nerves which have been damaged or it could be because you have a Glabrata infection and you are changing the balance again which is making the situation worse. So, I would suggest at this point to stop taking them until you know for sure what you are dealing with, but you could also try Kefir instead of probiotics. It is more natural with no additives and gives ten times more probiotics then any probiotic pill you could take and I prefer this over the pills. Drinking the lemon juice with the baking soda is fine but do be careful because drinking baking soda also changes the PH balance and flora of the gut which can lead to GI problems, so it is not something that you should do to often. I would say to do it only when you are really uncomfortable and need some relief. Now with your PH being more acidic it does not surprise me that the baking soda and lemon juice are helping to ease this area, but please remember that it is changing your over all PH balance and it may be changing it in areas that do not need to be changed like the GI or bladder area, so be careful. Now since your PH is acidic you could very well be dealing with a Glabrata infection or it could be due to the damaged tissues and imbalance of the hormones, which will leave this area very acidic especially if the area is drier than usual. However, vulvadynia which could have been caused by the acoustic reaction to the morning after pill will also leave the area drier and more acidic too, so there are several things that could be going on here, it is also important to know that women who suffer with vulvadynia also suffer with more infections and tissues that crack open spontainiously. and you could be dealing with Glabrata, hormonal imbalances and vulvadynia because they are often seen together because one creates and leads to the other. I want to say too that any of these conditions can be made worse by stress because stress changes your mucosal moisture, it also makes your pelvic muscles tense up, which only furthers the tightness and pain in that area as well as preventing good blood flow to the area. So, you first need to know that what is happening to you is NOT in your head, it is real and you are not imagining it. Please remember this even when a doctor disregards your symptoms or does not know how to treat it. Then know that there is treatments for all these conditions out there you just need to have a doctor who understands all of these and that may mean that you have to educate your doctor, so that you get the help you need. So, please take a deep breathe and know that you are going to be ok and let your pelvic muscles and body relax. You need to learn some deep breathing exercises to help loosens these muscles and relax your body especially when you feel anxious about what is going on. So, on to your next paragraph.
The smell of garlic and the dripping of a cloudy discharge could be a bacteria infection, it could be a Glabrata infection or it could be nothing more than a hormonal imbalance which is going to get worse just prior to your period. So, it is hard to say what is going on without a culture for bacteria and one specifically for Glabrata, which in case you have not read on here from other posts, Glabrata will NOT show up in a “usual” yeast culture or bacterial culture. Your doctor MUST specifically request this test, because it has to be put on a special agar and then it must be incubated in heat for weeks, then a special dye must be added to it and then it needs to be put under an ultra violet light and looked at under a very high powered microscope. So, your doctor will never know you have it unless they are specifically requesting that test, which needs to be done! Now if your cultures come back negative then you are definitely dealing with vulvadynia or another disease process which I will talk about later in this letter. Let me just say that with all the symptoms you are describing here you could definitely be dealing with vulvadynia, but it also still could be Glabrata but I am kind of hesitant to think that this is going on or at least that it is your only problem. I think this because the pain level that you are describing as well as how it seems to get better here and there and your period making it worse really do not fit for Glabrata. However, with that being said, if there is other issues going on with it, it could definitely change the symptoms for you, so you definitely need to have it ruled in or out. So, lets go on to your next paragraph.
Ok, I need to say this at this point, you need to STOP letting doctors treat you for things that have not actually been cultured out!!!!! Please do NOT let a doctor ever tell you that taking any kind of a drug is not going to hurt you, because that is not true!!! First every drug you take has side effects to it, second every drug you take changes your PH balances and efficacy of your vaginal and mucosal tissues and most importantly ever time you take a drug that you did not need you run the risk of creating a drug resistant strain of any kind of infection. Meaning if you continually take Diflucan when you do not need it, you will make the yeast which naturally live in your gut and mouth and vagina resistant to it, so when they get out of control you will not have a drug to treat them because you made them resistant to it by over using it! You also run the risk of getting into a vicious cycle of yeast then bacteria then back to yeast ect…. You also disrupt the urethra’s flora which can lead to urethritis which can be a very painful condition that can truly disrupt your life. so, please do not let doctors do this to you anymore! Now if you have Glabrata and you take Diflucan you can actually make this situation much worse and this is because Glabrata lives alongside regular candidias, and what happens is that the two of them compete for mucosal wall space, so having the candidias actually helps to keep the Glabrata under control. So, when you take Diflucan and kill off the candidias you open up the mucosal wall space for the Glabrata to then take over the entire vagina which leads to a horrible burning infection that will leave you in a true nightmare!!! So, if you have Glabrata this is exactly what you just did!!! Please know that Glabrata is a non-candidias fungus so it does NOT cause a cottage cheese like discharge, because Glabrata does not have hyphae which is what candidias has and it is what causes candidias to create that cottage cheese like discharge. Glabrata’s discharge looks more like a bacterial infection, which is why so many gyne’s mistake it for one and treat with anti-bacterial drugs making the situation worse. So, it is not surprising that you did not see a cottage cheese discharge. It is also important to know that Glabrata will cause the tissues to break down, because this fungus like no other actually eats right through the mucosal wall, so it is not surprising that your skin broke down and felt as though it was being shredded. I always described it as though someone had poured acid in my vagina and then rubbed broken glass into my walls. I too had fissures throughout the vaginal walls with bleeding especially after my doctor who did not know I had Glabrata tried treating me with Diflucan which made my situation much worse! What you are describing could actually be Glabrata, but I am still hesitant that it is and I will explain this later in the letter. Now you said the ER treated you for a UTI and BV, but did they culture it out or just assume again? I say this because chances are you did not have either, chances are you had urethritis from the infection and the use of the Diflucan and they misdiagnosed a BV infection instead of a Glabrata infection or even some other disease process going on. I also find it curious that after two days of using drugs to treat your UTI it magically disappeared, this tells me that you more than likely did not have a UTI again, but instead had urethritis which can be set off by a number of things besides infections. As for the area clearing up within days too leads me to believe a few things which I will give you what I think and probably what you need to discuss with your doctor. Let me first say that I have taken each paragraph separately because your letter had so much information and I wanted to address a lot of things that I read that were not healthy for you, but as I have gone through the letter I do have some suggestions for you to bring up with your doctor.
So, here is what I think you need to bring up with your doctors. First you need to have a specific culture for Glabrata done, however I still feel at this point that this is probably not your problem and if it is, it is not your only problem. Even though you had an episode toward the end of your letter that sounded very much like Glabrata, it could also be several other things that could have caused it and looked like Glabrata but was not, especially since you got better so fast without correct treatment. So, with that being said you need to rule it in or out for sure. Then you need to have your hormones tested and you need to have any imbalances treated, because no matter what is going on if these are off and can very well be of due to whatever else is going on, it will make the situation worse and it eventually becomes a vicious cycle, so get those checked. Next you need to have your urine cultured for any infections and you need a referral to a urologist so that they can look into your bladder with a scope and possibly take biopsies to check for any hidden infections, they also need to check for something called intercystial cystitis also known as IC (which is not an infection, it is another pain syndrome caused by irritated nerves and it is often seen along with vulvadynia (but can be seen all by itself too) and makes you as well as your doctors think there is an infection when there really isn’t one. It will also cause that lower pelvic pain along with an irritated urethra or even urethritis, which is what you really sound like you are suffering with and there are treatments for this that do not consist of antibiotics which are only hurting you and making all your situations worse! Now the Intercystial cystitis along with the vulvadynia could have been brought on by the morning after pill which burned the tissues and the nerves which reside in them, so both of these are the most probable situations that are going on. Then you need to have your gyne either test your vaginal area for eczema or send you to a dermatologist who deals with vaginal mucosa diseases. I say this because you said that you are dealing with it in other areas of your body and for some women who suffer with the eczema they can get it in their vaginal areas too, which will cause the mucosal tissues to turn WHITE, like you have described!!! It will also cause the discharge you are complaining about and it will cause the burning, irritation and all of the other symptoms you are experiencing. Now when they test you for that you also need to be tested for another condition called vaginal Lichen Planus, which again will turn the vaginal tissues WHITE like you described and can cause all the other symptoms you are suffering with, however, I don’t think this one is your issue either only because it usually does not disappear without steroid cream treatment and it usually leaves scarring behind, but it is worth checking for this one too. Now both the eczema and the Lichen Planus can only be diagnosed by a biopsy and it can only be diagnosed by a biopsy of the area that is white or inflamed, so you may not be able to have these checked until you are broken out again, but you should talk to your doctor about it because you want to have a plan ready to go if and when it should happen again.
Finally, you need to get a referral to an allergist, because you have said here that you suffer from a lot of allergies and we need to talk about this for a moment. When you have allergies you can set off a cascade of situations throughout your body far beyond just a rash, hives or not feeling well. You see allergies are usually caused by your bodies attempt to attack what it sees as foreign, so it sends out these antibodies to attack things that sometimes it should not. These antibodies are a type of white blood cell that tries to cushion the area from what it perceives as an attack by a foreign substance. When enough of these antibodies build up in that area they create inflammation, which in turn causes pain and lack of good flow, which in turn can cause nerve and tissue damage especially if it goes on to long or you continually keep coming into contact with whatever it is that the body is recognizing as a foreign substance. So, here is the thing, the majority of people who suffer with eczema suffer with it due to food born allergies. The most likely culprit for their eczema is gluten, dairy, eggs and sugars. It is also important to know that when you have eczema or other allergies you are more likely to have intercystial cystitis, urethritis, vaginitis, vaginal eczema and many other problems and once the cascade of these things start they set off other things and before you know it you are miserable with symptoms throughout your bladder, urethra, colon, vagina, rectum, muscles, skin and if it gets out of control it can even effect your nervous system causing brain fog, headaches and visual disturbances, which then lead to anxiety and depression which of course only furthers all your symptoms. It is also very important for you to have an allergist test you for an allergy to Diflucan because a lot of your problems may be from an allergy to it and let me just say a few things here too. First if you are a person who has a lot of allergies you are more likely to develop an allergy to a med or a food if you are continually using it and with each use the reaction can become more severe and cause serious symptoms. So, with each use of Diflucan you may have created a protein that now sees it as a foreign substance that needs to be attacked, so each time you use it your reaction has gotten worse and worse to the point that the last time it broke down your skin, turned it white and even set off urethritis, which all your doctors and even you are thinking it is due to infection, but in truth it may be an allergy to the Diflucan. So, you need to have this checked before you ever use this drug again especially since the last time you used it things got so bad. Then you need to also get checked for food allergies, however many people never show a true allergy to foods on these tests yet can still be negatively effected by them, so here is my suggestion to you. I would start a food journal and start charting everything you put in your mouth including drinks. I would also do an elimination diet to help you figure out what is setting you off and you can look up on line how to do an elimination diet. Please know that even food allergies can cause or contribute to vulvadynia, intercystial cystitis, eczema, hormonal imbalances, flora imbalances, and on and on. This is because what goes in must come out and many of those noxious substances found in foods or even drugs will come through your bladder and urethra and vagina, so my best advice to you is get back on a clean diet, meaning no processed foods, only meat, vegetables and fruits. Stay away from grains of any type and diary to start with also stay away from pops and alcohol. Do this for a month and keep a food journal then slowly add one thing with grain or sugar back into your diet, but only one thing a week and watch to see what happens with your vaginal, bladder and skin. Or do the elimination diet but you need to really start this if you want to get better. Also make sure to get all the other tests I have listed here to rule everything else out as well and if you are left with vulvadynia and IC (intercystial cystitis) and allergies then you need to do the diet, and get with a vulvar pain specialist that deals with both vulvadynia and IC. If you do all this you will get better once and for all, but please be aware it is going to mean lifestyle changes.
So a quick sum up here, culture again for all types of infections including a specific test for Glabrata,
check all hormone levels and treat for any imbalances. Have urine cultured and referral to urologist for IC diagnosis, referral to allergist and specifically request to be tested for allergy to Diflucan as well as other foods as well as latex (just because of the use of condoms which can also be a problem for someone with allergies and eczema, also let them know you suffer with eczema too. Finally, change your diet and look at it for possible causes, and if all cultures come back fine and you are left with vulvadynia and or IC diagnosis get a referral to a vulvar pain specialist that treats both of these conditions. One last thing too, when having sex only use water based lubricants that contain no dyes, perfumes or enhancing additives because with your allergies these products can set off a cascade of painful symptoms. Personally, I think you are dealing with allergies which have lead to this cascade of symptoms which is why it comes and goes with intensity and with how severe each reaction is, I also believe that you may have created a pain syndrome from the allergies and the use of the morning after pill which has left you with vulvadynia and IC, but I believe that you have a great chance of treating and maybe even curing yours if you address the allergies and your diet. Now please know I am not a doctor, so this is just my opinion and these are things that you should bring up with your doctor because they are often missed conditions or misdiagnosed conditions.
Well, I hope this very long letter back to you gives you some hope and some things to discuss with your doctors. I also hope I have educated you on several things that you may not have known about and where some mistakes have been made along the way. Please let me know what comes of your doctor appt. and how you are doing. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask me and I wish you the best.
Hi Debra,
So glad I found your website! I now understand a little bit more of what I am facing to get get rid of my C. glabrata infection. I had ben been treated for IC for about 4 months with DMSO bladder instillations when I was admitted to the hospital for pain control- That is where they did the urine culture and found the C.glabrata…. An infectious disease specialist came to see me and explained how resistant to tx the yeast actually is, and he would try and treat me with Itraconazole, but wasn’t too sure they could rid me of the yeast until they took out the two large kidney stones where the yeast would be harbored for awhile, and then leach out again, infecting me all over again!
So, where I am now is seeing a new urologist who will be removing the stones first, and then the Infectious Disease Specialist checking again for the yeast…
I am now in the process of reading everything I can about what I need to do diet- wise, as previous to reading your posts, I was only following a low acid IC diet…
What I would like to know is whether you or the others posting to this thread have systemic C glabrata, or candidemia, or where has it been isolated, only vaginally?
I need more info on the Amphotericin B gel, cause I think my local drs are clueless! Thx in advance for your response… Joanie
Hi Joanie, well you definitely have a fight on your hands, but at least your doctors thought to check you for this infection, so you can hopefully get the correct treatment soon.
As for most of the women on this thread they are all dealing with vaginal Glabrata, however I have dealt with it in the gut, mouth, esophagus and vagina. Now with that being said, let me explain here that systemic Glabrata would mean that you have it in the blood and it is spreading body wide (or systemically) to every organ of the body. This form of it is very rare and is usually only seen in the sickest of the sick. It is also the most deadly form of it, with less than 10% of people surviving it and that is because of how serious this infection is. but also because those that get it systemically are already critically ill and have no defenses against it or the very toxic drugs needed to treat it. If you have it systemically you will only survive for about three to four days without immediate IV treatment. So, it is very unlikely that we are going to see anyone who has had it systemically on this site.
Now when you say candidemia that means that you have managed to get the infection into a specific organ, much like what is happening to you with your bladder or me with it in the gut. These are very hard to treat and usually only happen to people whose defense are seriously low due to other underlying conditions like diabetes, HIV, cancer or cancer treatment, serious infections or even the use of broad spectrum antibiotics and or steroids. Anything that has weakened our defenses and at the same time has wiped out our good bacteria makes us prone to this type of an infection. Unfortunately, that weakened immune defense which lead us to get this is also going to make treating it that much harder and on top of that you have a monster of an infection with the capability of adapting to its environment and the drugs used to treat it. For the most part candidemia with Glabrata is rare.
Then you have the topical or mucosal Glabrata’s which encompass the vaginal infections along with the mouth and throat and even skin infections. These are the least serious ones and used to be thought of as hard to get or rare too. However, with the widespread use of broad spectrum antibiotics and drugs like steroids along with poor diets high in sugars and hygiene products that contain all kinds of chemicals which change our PH’s and wipe out our good bacteria we have managed to make this form quite common. The unfortunate part is that our medical community has not caught up on how common it has become and so at the same time that they are not looking for it they are also not learning how to treat it. which leaves women suffering needlessly and not understanding what they have picked up.
Now I will share with you something that I am currently going through and some information on how my doctors are going to treat it. You see, I have had blood in the urine for months, with no sign of infection. I have also had burning with urination but not frequency of urination. So, my doctor (PCP) just kind of disregarded it and thought because all my kidney labs were fine that it was nothing more than urethritis. Then a month ago I found a lump in the vagina right above the where the urethra opening is, so my gynecologist took a look and did some biopsies and realized that I have what is known as interepithiel neoplasia, which is a type of vaginal cancer that I had dealt with twice in the past. So, she sent me to the onocologist who now believes that it is ha spread to the urethra, bladder and possibly even the rectum. So, I have been dealing with several specialists trying to figure out where all this is at and if the vaginal cancer is the cause of all the problems in the other areas. After several tests this past week it is looking like the cancer is once again contained to the vagina and I will need surgery again to remove it and then have the area washed out with chemo. As for the urethra and bladder it is looking like I have a Glabrata infection in them and so the urologist and the infectious disease doctor are going to go back in on the 13th of Dec. (my choice to wait that long due to other family matters) and they will take biopsies again to rule out the cancer again but they will also wash the bladder out with amphotericin B / Flucytosine. I will then be put on voriconazole for 15 days and follow that up with Nystatin orally for another six months. Now I still have to have the rectum scoped and biopsies taken there and I am waiting to get for that, so not sure if I am dealing with cancer there and or Glabrata again. It is also important to say that all docs want another set of biopsies taken from different places in all areas to be checked for the cancer and the Glabrata, to make certain what all we are dealing with. Once we get all this done we will then decide how to go forward with total treatment. This is one of the reasons I have not been on here to much lately to post back to people and I am sorry that it has taken so long, because I too know the desperation when you have questions about something that there is so little information on. understand your pain, I have ended up in the ER now twice since Thanksgiving for pain control as well. Glabrata is a monster disease that no one can understand the full scope of pain that it causes until they have truly experienced it themselves.
So, I am sharing this with you because I have done studies now candidemia with Glabrata in the bladder, I knew a lot about it when I first got sick with it but never had to go into depth with it because I was not infected there. So, I am now re-learning everything about this form and speaking with my infectious disease doctor who is really educated on Glabrata, partially due to having to treat me with it so many times now.
So, with all that being said here is what I can tell you. First, when it is in the bladder drugs orally and gels are NOT going to cure this form of it. You HAVE to wash the bladder out with the amphotericn B and it should be combined with the flucytosine to make sure you kill it and do not make it resistant to the ampho B. Now one washing is not always effective in killing it, for many it will take up to three times to kill it, so you have to be checked for it, especially if your symptoms return or do not go away. Then you really need to be treated with one of the least resistant forms of oral meds to help the body continue to attack it after the wash out. That means NOT using Diflucan because it is known to be resistant to this drug, so it will be useless in helping to fight it. You need to be put on Voriconazole because this one is much stronger and has been used less in the treatment of Glabrata so in many cases it still has some efficacy in treating and definitely in preventing it from coming back, especially after the wash out. Now the Voriconazle is very toxic to the liver and nervous system so it should not be used more than 15 days and labs should be run prior to using it and within the first ten days of use and then within ten days after its use. This is to make sure the liver and kidneys are ok with it. It is also suggested by Glabrata specialists that anyone who has developed candidemia of an organ continue to use some kind of preventive treatment for up to six months after the initial treatment and if there are underlying conditions it may need to be used for even longer. So, because the “Azole” drugs are so toxic to the nervous system and the liver and kidneys it is not a good idea to use them for that length of time. Plus you risk developing another strain of total resistance to ANY an ALL Azoles. For this reason doctors will choose Nystatin. Now Nystatin is NOT a good drug to treat Glabrata with and has a high failure rate just because it was so over used prior to the existence of the Azoles, but because of its chemical make-up and its specific mechanicisims of how it works, it does make it a good drug to use in prevention of it coming back. It is also a drug that can be taken for longer periods of time without causing serious damage to other organs. So, this is why it will be used in the long run. It is also important here say that if the wash and the oral meds do not kill the candidemia in the bladder and or the urethra then the next step would be to have a central line put in and you would need very toxic systemic drugs like mycofungin, caspofungin or amphotericin B / Flucytosine. These are very risky drugs and can cause very serious permanent injuries to other organs especially the liver and kidneys. They are always used as last resort treatments or first line of treatments if you have Glabrata systemically or in an area that cannot be washed out like the gut. However the bladder, urethra, mouth, esophagus and vagina can all be washed out prior to resorting to this type of treatment and definitely should be done first.
Now, I will say this if you have it in your bladder and or urethra chances are you have it or had it in the vagina as well, so using the gel to treat the vagina is also essential but should done after the bladder wash. Because you want the wash to wash out those areas first and then follow up with the vagina with gel. But please understand that the gel will do nothing in the way of treating the urethra or bladder, it will only treat the vagina. So, you must do the wash and oral treatment as well.
As for your diet, I would really encourage you to not follow any specific diet plan, because each one is going to make you deficient in something and each one has the potential to disrupt your bodies own ability to maintain and control its PH environment. What I would encourage is four you to eat a healthy “clean” diet. Which means NO sugars of any kind, that includes sugar substitutes, or natural sugars like honey and stevia. Your diet should contain a lot veggies of all kinds except for potatoes (which turn to sugar after they are digested) and night shades because they are known inflammatory veggies, which could upset your immune system which needs to be running at full force right now. You should also eat lean protein like chicken, fish (especially salmon because it is high in omegas which help your immune system) turkey and lean beef. You can eat fruits but they should be the ones that contain the least amount of natural sugars, so those would be ones like any berries (which are also high in antioxidants again great for the immune system and fighting off infections like Glabrata) and green apples and citrus fruits. Stay away from the red apples and bananas as well as the melons. Drink plenty of water especially with it in your bladder, you want to keep washing that area out. Stay away from sugary drinks like sodas and fruit juices, I would also encourage you to stay away from coffee and tea’s with it in your bladder because the caffeine will only disrupt the healing and PH of the bladder making it harder to rid the infection. I am not a proponent for dairy at all because it causes inflammation to the body and weakens our immune systems and can unbalance the gut bacteria. However, drinking 4ozs. of kefir a day I would definitely suggest because it contains more probiotics than any pill could ever give you and it is pure and not filled with additives. I would also suggest to stay away fro gluten because it too is a known inflammatory to the body and has been implicated in many chronic conditions as well as weakening the immune system. Now if you find that you need some sugar or piece of bread, try to only do it as a reward once a week like on a weekend and pick something that will not totally negate what you did all week. Things like gluten free bread or some kind of natural sugary product. I can tell you that you will need to learn how to substitute other things for things you are used to. For instance you can substitute zucchini or spaghetti squash for noodles in dishes, you can substitute mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes. Things like that, you also will need to learn to cook with spices instead of sugars and it may take awhile for your palate to get used to it, but before you know it you will love it and not miss the processed or sugared foods as much and you will feel better over all.
I want to follow up here with one last thing and that is to let you know that once you get a Glabrata infection you are very prone to getting it back again and for people like us who get candidemia with it, we are much more likely to get it back in other areas of the body and at much higher rates. Science still does not know why this is because we have killed it and they find no sign of it after treatment yet somehow we always get it back. I personally think they are going to find that this fungus is very advanced and has ways of digging in deeper and hiding out until the area is ripe again for it to reappear. Or because it is so resistant to drugs that all it takes is one tiny one to escape the drugs or become resistant to the treatment and that one little one makes it way to another area of the body, only to wait and come back out again. In any case please know that you MUST take care of yourself and follow a life changing protocol or you will be subject to repeated infections that one day could be disasterous to your over all health. That means adopting a life long diet change, life long hygiene changes, exercise when possible to help keep the body healthy and focus on distressing to keep the immune system healthy. Make sure your over all health is good, meaning get your thyroid checked as well as your hormones and vitamins levels and treat anything that is not balanced and do it as naturally as possible. Finally, I would encourage you to never take antibiotics or steroids or any type of medicine that is NOT NECESSARY, because this WILL put you at risk of getting it back again. I can say this because even though I changed everything I have told you here and managed to keep it away for a few years, I did contract lyme and needed very long courses of antibiotics which I am sure lead to this new infection. So, unless you really need drugs I would suggest avoiding them and using natural methods as much as possible.
Well, I hope I gave you some useful information and I hope you figure this all out and get the correct treatment. I will email you the studies on the gel, so that you can bring them to your doctors and the one study does contain the formula for making it as well as the resistance of the other drugs, but again please know that the gel will NOT treat your bladder infection, so you must deal with that issue separately. I wish you the best and please let me know how you are doing and what comes of everything. Also if you have any other questions please feel free to contact me and I will try to share what I know with you. Good luck
Hi Debra,
Thanks so much for creating your website. It wasn’t until I found your post that I learned how I got my more resistant yeast infection caused by candida glabrata. Very informative! I just wish I had known before the meds. 🙁 I too was given antibiotics (not a fluoroquinolone, but other types) simultaneously with a steroid (medrol) in June by doctors to treat a sinus infection/inflammation. So, now I have been trying to get rid of my candida glabrata infection for the last 4 months. I’ve also tried boric acid capsules and gynazole cream, which helped some, but didn’t completely eliminate the burning and stinging discomfort. I was bummed the boric acid didn’t cure it completely, as a couple other journal articles I read showed a 65-70% success rate in treating glabrata infection in those studies’ sample of women. And I’ve never had a single yeast infection before. I simultaneously have bacteria vaginosis from the antibiotics prescribed back in June also, so annoying. Ugh.
Could you please also email me the studies you are emailing everyone else? I think I found the journal articles you are talking about online, but I want to make sure it is the same one. And that it calls for Flucytosine (1 g) and amphotericin B (100 mg) formulated in lubricating jelly base in a total 8 g delivered dose?
Hi Ali, so sorry you are gong through this and it may very well have been the combination of drugs that you were given that set this off. If you have read through some of the posts on here then you probably have read why the boric acid has failed. In case you are not aware I will share with you that Glabrata has a unique survival tact of being able to adapt to any PH environment which means it has the ability to live alongside both yeasts and bacterial infections and it is quite often found alongside other infections, rarely is it found living by itself. So, I am not surprised that you have a bacterial infection going on with it. Unfortunately, treating the other infections without treating this one correctly can make the situation much worse. By having a bacterial infection alongside the Glabrata is a definite sign that the strain that you have has already learned how to adapt to all PH environments, which makes your strain a tough one. The boric acid only has the ability to kill by changing the PH balance but as you can see your strain has already learned to adapt and by continuing to use the wrong treatments you are only making this infection stronger and more resistant, so you definitely need the ampho B gel.
So, with that being said, let me give you some advice, if you have a bacterial infection going on along with the Glabrata you will need to treat the bacterial infection first with something like Metro gel or Clindamyacin. Then you will need to wait a week before starting the Ampho B gel. You need all of the bacterial meds out of your vagina before starting the ampho B gel or it will not work properly and you run the risk of making the Glabrata resistant to the only drug left to treat it, so make sure to wait it out. Or you can take care of both at the same time by using the ampho B gel while taking Tinnidazole, which is a pill often given to treat hard to treat bacterial vaginosis. Either way would be fine, but what you do NOT want to do is treat the Glabrata before treating the bacterial infection because you will get yourself into a viscious cycle of treating the Glabrata which will leave you with the bacterial infection, then you treat that but the treatment for that brings the Glabrata right back, which after a few treatments of ampho B gel the Glabrata will become resistant to it and you will be left with no way to treat it. So not worry if you have other yeasts living alongside the Glabrata too, that is also quite normal and the ampho B gel will kill them too.
I would also suggest that while you are in treatment that you follow the diet and hygiene suggestions I have listed on here to other women. It is really important to help fight this infection. It is a very strong fighter and it will take more than just the meds to kill this monster, which means you have to help your body and immune system to kick this one, so make sure to follow the suggestions during and after treatment for at least a few weeks. Believe me it will lesson your chances of it coming back again. It is also important to know that once you get a Glabrata infection you are highly prone to getting it back again at some point, so I would also suggest trying to make life long changes in diet and hygiene to lower your chances of getting it back.
I will email you the studies, so look for them, and you sound like you have found the correct journal articles because you listed the ingredients above correctly, but I will send you both articles in case you need them to educate your doctor. Please know that this drug has to be compounded by a compound pharmacy, it can be expensive so be ready for that! Not all compound pharmacies have the ability to obtain the compounds needed to make it or even know how to make it, so if you have any problems finding a pharmacy I will let you know that Leesilsby pharmacy in Ohio can make it and ship it anywhere in the US. (you can look them up on line if necessary). Well good luck to you and I wish you the best!
Hi Debra,
Thank you so much for taking time to respond and sending me the journal articles. I don’t really have a support network, and feel like i’m dealing with this all by myself, so it’s nice to have someone to turn to even on the internet world.
I agree with you that the bacterial vaginosis needed to be dealt with first. That’s why my dr. and I decided to do boric acid suppositories to treat the bacterial vaginosis, which seemed to be taken care of after i did 14 days of it. My symptoms of discomfort reduced noticeably. I didn’t want to do the antibiotic gel or more antibiotic pills, since I knew it would just make my glabrata infection more rampant “down there,” and taking more antibiotic pills – like the 4 rounds i had to take in summer – would just make me run the risk of depleting all the good bacteria i’m trying to now restore and further injuring my gut flora or worse causing a UTI again. So that’s why I opted for the boric acid suppositories instead. Everything seemed fine, and then I moved on the the gynazole cream that my dr. wanted me to try next. Believe it or not this also helped further alleviate my symptoms/irritation a little more down there for the next 2-3 days after I took it. However, now a week later after taking it my vaginal area is more red than ever! It is like a scary bright red that it hasn’t been since back in summer when I just got off the 4 rounds of antibiotics… I don’t know if it means the bacterial vaginosis came back from the gynazole cream changing my vaginal PH, or if I made the candida glabrata infection worse, or if it is a bad reaction to the cream… 🙁 So now back to the dr. I have to go to figure out what made me so bright red and irritated down there. It does get like this a few days before my period but hasn’t been this red since summer.
You had also mentioned following the right diet and hygiene. Which I’ve also been doing for the last 2 months, where I’ve been doing the anti-candida diet in case the antibiotics caused a fungal problem in my gut also (quite possible). It was going well in the beginning. I stuck to eating only low carb veggies, healthy meats, and nuts (except peanuts) and only allowed myself like 1 serving of fruit a day. I also avoided all things like mushrooms and vinegar and starchy veggies like potatoes and beans. And, I had no grains, except quinoa very occasionally. But, after two months of this I’m running into other more serious health problems being caused by constipation. I’ve had issues with constipation in the past, but was able to tackle it better by changing my diet to more fiber from beans and whole wheat products. But, after eliminating those things from my diet for a full 2 months I seem to have reverted to constipation problems again that are causing my old anal fissures to re-tear every day. So now I’m dealing with 2 problems of pain down there instead of the one and don’t know what to do anymore, since the solutions to each one contradict each other….. it’s so depressing.
I wanted to ask have ladies from this site come back to you saying the ampho B/flucytosine gel worked to cure them? I just really need some addt. hope right now…
Also, could you explain the dosing to me so I can share with my dr.? The journal article says “in a total 8g delivered dose…” Does that mean we take 8 grams each day or 8 grams over 14 days? Also, does the pharmacy know to provide the right type of applicator with it, so we are inserting the proper dose each night?? Also, will the pharmacy know the right lubricating jelly base to use? I’m just a little nervous of doing it wrong and messing up this shot. Thanks for your help.
Ali, Debra will be without internet access for the next two weeks and won’t be able to answer your questions until she returns.
Okay thanks for letting me know, I will wait for her response when she can get back to me.
Thank you for sharing this information. I have been dealing with recurrent yeast infections for five months. I finally had a culture that showed glabrata. My doctor prescribed boric acid which is not helping. Could you please email the studies and recipes for the medications you talk about?
I still don’t understand how I got this. I’m not diabetic or immune compromised. I have realized the burning is worse if I eat sweets. My doctor said it’s another normal flora yeast.
Hi Tararn, I am sorry that you are going through this, we all here know your nightmare and I hope the studies I will email you will help you to educate your doctors, so that you can get what you need to get better.
As for how you got Glabrata, I’m not sure anyone knows how we get it. There are multiple ways and being immune compromised is not always necessary, but if you are immune compromised it does put you at a much higher risk. Some will get it due to diet and continual yeast infections with other strains of fungi, some will get it from the use of broad spectrum antibiotics, some will get it from using steroids and some will get it from the use of both of those drug classes. Some may get it from douching, and some may get it from unbalanced hormones. For some they will get it because they are exposed to it from being hospitalized where it is most often found living. Others will get it from being exposed by an infected partner or even from unclean gynecological equipment. So, as you can see there are multiple ways to get this and probably many more than even what I have listed here. Like I said we just do not know yet and we need more studies on this particular fungi.
As for the use of Boric acid, unfortunately, this is a vey ineffective treatment when it comes to Glabrata. This is because Boric acid kills fungi and even some bacteria’s based on changing the PH environment so that the area is no longer hospitable to the infection, there by leaving the infection to die off. The problem is that Glabrata has a unique capability of survival that allows it to adapt to any PH environment, making treatments like Boric acid and many of the other usual yeast fighting meds useless. So, although I cannot and will not tell you to stop treating with anything that your doctor has prescribed for you, I would encourage you to go back to your doctor with the studies I am sending you and educate her/him on Glabrata, so that they stop prescribing ineffective treatments that will not only fail, but will also cause you a lot of unnecessary side effects. If your doctor actually told you that Glabrata is “another normal flora yeast infection” (which just enrages me!), then it is imperative that you educate her/him because Glabrata is NOT a normal flora yeast and until they understand this particular fungi they will continue to try and treat it as a “normal” yeast infection. Meaning that they are going to try and treat it with the “usual” yeast fighting drugs and treatments, like the boric acid they have you on! They will eventually not understand why everything they prescribe for it seems to fail and eventually they will give up on you. This is an extremely common problem with this infection and the poor women who are dealing with it. It is because so many gynecologists have not been properly educated on non-candidias fungi’s like Glabrata and unfortunately, because of that they do not have a clue on how to deal with it. So, it is really important for you to now become the teacher with your doctor. It is a sad state of affairs that women have to be put in this position and that our medical society is so far behind in so many women’s health issues, but it is what it is and if you want to get better than you have to be your own advocate and educate and fight for what you need to get better.
As for the sugar making things worse, this is not uncommon and I have spoken so many times on here to other women about diet and hygiene and by making some life long changes they cannot only lesson the symptoms but also help to keep it from coming back once they treat it correctly. As you know sugars feed all kinds of yeasts, they cause all over systemic body inflammation and they compromise the immune systems ability to fight everything and anything off that is going on in the body. So, it is really important that once you start treatment you halt all and any sugars and that includes sugar substitutes, natural sugars replacements like stevia and honey and hidden sugars in products. You will need to eat a “clean” diet through your treatment and for at least a few weeks after treatment has ended. I would suggest adopting this lifestyle to ensure that it does not return but if you can’t do it as a lifestyle change at least do it through the treatment and for a few weeks after it. I would also encourage stopping gluten and dairy during this period as well because they too are know systemic inflammation creators and have many hidden sugars in them. You may find by changing your diet through treatment that within a few weeks your whole body feels better and you have more energy, it will make a difference body wide. Also please be aware of hygiene changes that need to be made as well. Use only Dove hypoallergenic soap, no perfumes or dyes in any products, NEVER EVER douche again in your life! Use only pure lubricants like KY jelly, no using perfumed ones, or anything with any kind of enhancement additives, no bubble baths or bath salts of any kind, just plain bath water. Only use cotton underwear that can breathe. Always dry the area thoroughly and use only white unscented toilet paper. Wash underwear, rags and towels with unscented, undyed laundry soap. Do not wear tight clothing during treatment and I would suggest not to wear it to often even after that. I think you get the idea here, it is basically to keep it clean and dry, do not use products that will change the PH environment, and let it breathe!!! Finally, make sure your hormones are balanced and your thyroid is working properly along with being checked for diabetes and any STD’s. All of this should help to keep it from coming back once you are treated properly.
Well I wish you the best of luck and look for the studies in your email.
Hi Debra,
I am going to see an infectious disease specialist tomorrow. ( I also have appt with Dr. Sobel in a few months )
Do you have instructions you can send as far as the prescription goes for the compounding pharmacist ?
Thank you so much. I have had this for a year now.
Hi Mel, I am sorry you have had this for so long. I will email you two documents about treating and curing Glabrata, so look for it. Also with an infectious disease doctor he may want to treat you with Fluconazole first, if you have already been treated with this, which I am assuming then you must be assertive in asking for this gel, because Glabrata is immune to Fluconazole even at higher doses which many will want to try. Unfortunately higher doses are going to cause you a lot of nervous system side effects along with other systemic problems and in the end it will fail, especially if you have already been treated with an “Azole” drug. So, it is really important to push this doctor into prescribing the gel and the two documents I am sending you will back you for asking for it. Also the one has the formula to make it so he/she will know how to phone it in. It must be phoned into a compound pharmacy because it is the only way to get it. If you have any problems finding a compounding pharmacy able to make it please let me know and I can get you that info. Now your ID doc may want to skip over the Fluconazole and go right to voriconazole which is a very potent azole and carries some pretty nasty side effects but if given at high enough doses and for a long enough period of time it may actually kill it, but it does have a high failure rate too and it does have a high return rate, so if he suggests this, even if he is going off of mics from a resistance test, which usually is not a good test for cure rates with meds when it comes to Glabrata, I would still try to get him to prescribe the gel because it has the highest cure rate with no side effects other than some vaginal irritation while using it (and not all even get that) and it has the lowest return rate, so you really want to push for it if possible. Well, good luck to you tomorrow and I hope you get what you need. IF you have any other questions or need any help in getting anything let me know. Thanks and good luck
Hello Debra,
Thank you very much for all the info you are providing us with, it seems like you know much more than doctors do (at least my doctors). I am 27 years old and I’ve been having similar vaginal infection symptoms with the ladies commenting here for the past two months. I have a constant burning feeling, a slight swelling but no discharge. On the contrary I feel dryness and difficulty with peeing. The cultures I’ve done so far had shown low levels of vaginal flora and a bv infection (which showed up-as doctor said- mainly due to the low flora). i treated this with oral and topical antibiotics and then used clotrimazole cream to deal with possible. This way my symptoms got better but they came back really soon. I had a new culture done and it seemed to be completely clear. I was told I was too stressed and need to relax. I also have the impression that this situation is affected by stress but I don’t think it could be only that. Then i used clotrimazole cream again which alleviated but didn’t clear my symptoms. All samples I’ve given had been cultured for 4 days (as in my country this is the typical way of performing vaginal discharge cultures).Is this time enough to show if you have Glabrata? I was also wondering if it can be transmitted back and forth between partners (even though we are using condoms). I would appreciate it if we could communicate by email, i really feel like I cannot address this issue to any more doctors, since I’ve been trying to do so until now with minimal results.
Hi Iona, I am so sorry that you are going through so much, I know your struggle as well as so many other women on here. I will definitely send you an email so that you can email me back privately, but I want to answer the questions you posed here.
First four days is not enough to culture Glabrata, but I need to ask you two questions, first have your doctors actually told you that they are testing for Glabrata? I ask this because most doctors do not even think to test for it, especially in a healthy women. This is because it is rarely seen in a healthy women, or I should say that it USED to be rarely seen in healthy women, so gyne’s do not think to even check for this infection. If they are not actually testing you for it, then it will never show up, because Glabrata is a specialized test that requires the culture to be placed on a special medium, then incubated with heat for a minimum of four weeks (for preliminary results) and up to eight weeks for a definitive result. Once the culture has been incubated for that long they add a special dye to it and then put it under a fluorescent light and look at it under a very high powered microscope. This is the only way to even catch this one and that is because it is NOT a candidias and it produces no hyphae, so it makes it impossible to culture out without taking these steps. For this to be done the doctor must specifically tell the lab that they are ordering a Glabrata test. If they are not ordering it specifically and just running a normal culture test it will never be seen or cultured out and you will never know that you have it. This is why I asked if your doctor has actually said that she is testing for it, if she hasn’t then you need to bring this up with her and request that she test for it.
Second question to you is, if your doctor did specifically test for it, did you ever have a positive test for it? Now if the lab is not doing the test correctly, which is not abnormal to see this happen, you may have never had a positive one, but I’m still wondering because you found this site and are asking about an infection that very few women have ever heard of or would ever think is there problem, unless their doctor has brought it up or they were diagnosed with it. So, I am just wondering.
Now let me also say that Glabrata is in NO WAY effected by stress, but with that being said your hormones are effected by stress right along with your vaginal moisture and PH balance. So, if any of that is off and you come in contact with Glabrata you will have no way to fight it off on your own. So, it is not that stress will cause or create it, but it will definitely leave you vulnerable should you come in contact with it. So, I’m not sure if this is what your doctor was trying to get across to you or not but I wanted to make sure that you understand that.
As far as catching Glabrata from a partner, yes it is very possible that you could catch it from them if they are carrying it and have no symptoms, and don’t even know they have it. This would be especially true if you are “vulnerable”. If you are using condoms there is still a slight risk and that would come from the condom breaking or if any of his bodily fluids somehow came in contact with your vaginal area prior, during or after intercourse. It would also be possible for him to transmit it to you if he had it in his mouth and you had oral sex, but I would think that if he had it in the mouth he would definitely know that he has a problem and would seek out medical attention. I can tell you that gynecologists as well as Infectious disease doctors would tell you that if either of you are infected with this infection that you should refrain from any kind of intimate sex even with a condom until you both are cleaned up.
Finally, I want to talk to you about another diagnosis that is often missed or missed diagnosed in women that will also fit your symptoms. Now I want to first say that if you have not been actually tested for Glabrata or tested correctly, then you NEED to talk to your doctor about this first and get the correct test done. However, should that test get done correctly and come back negative, then you need to talk to your doctor about another diagnosis known as vulvadynia. This is NOT an infection, however it is often seen after some kind of trauma to the vagina, which can be from childbirth, rough sex, back injuries, pelvic injuries or a prior INFECTION, especially if the infection was a long standing one. When you have vulvadynia, your vaginal area will feel as though it is dry and may actually be (and that will have nothing to do with stress), the tissues can be red or look totally normal, the vagina can be mildly swollen, very swollen or possibly not swollen at all. The women can experience any number of symptoms that often make her and her doctor believe she has an infection going on. Symptoms like burning, stinging, itching, pain, deep seeded pain that can travel through the vagina into the pubic hair, or up into the bladder or even the colon and through the pelvic region or even down into the thighs. (you do not have to have all the symptoms I listed or in all those areas) Now some women will only have a sore spot in the vagina that creates this type of pain while others feel the pain everywhere in the vagina. Some will experience the symptoms only during sex or while peeing, while others will feel the symptoms with just the shear act of walking, sitting, going to the bathroom or even wearing clothes. With vulvadynia you may have no discharge at all and be very dry, while others will have some mild discharge and others can have severe discharge, each women is different. However, the discharge is usually not discolored nor does it have a smell. All women with vulvadynia suffer from low levels of healthy vaginal flora and can have repeated vaginal infections. It is a very difficult and painful problem that many women suffer with for years before being properly diagnosed. I bring this up because the symptoms of Glabrata can often be the same as vulvadynia, but before any doctor should ever diagnose vulvadynia they should spend the time running the correct tests to rule out all other reasons such as infections or hormonal imbalances. Once everything else is ruled out then a positive diagnosis of vulvadynia can be made and then you will need to see a vulvar pain specialists or a doctor that has knowledge on how to treat this condition. It is important to find a knowledgable vulvar pain doctor if this should be what you have because this is a very complicated condition that requires more than one type of modality to treat it. For most women with this condition it requires pelvic floor therapy, nerve drugs like Elavil or Lyrica to tone down the nerves, biofeedback and psychotherapy, which is not because the pain is in your head because it is REAL, but because you have to train your brain to alter the faulty signals it is getting from your pelvic area. It also may require hormone type drugs if your hormones are imbalanced along with hygiene changes to keep the tissues from being irritated. There are also plenty of alternative treatments like crushed Xanax in a gel placed into the vagina, or even Elavil or lidocaine jelly as well as acupuncture and neuro stimulators and the list goes on. This is why you need to be with a specialist if this turns out to be what you have because it is usually beyond what a regular gynecologist can offer or even knows about. Unfortunately, science really does not know what the true cause of vulvadynia is, which is what makes it so hard to treat, but we do know that it deals with the puedendal nerve as well as with the sympathetic nervous system that for some reason got injured or turned on during a traumatic event (or what the body seen as a traumatic event) and for some reason they cannot turn themselves off, which in turn leaves you having these awful symptoms. I hope this is not your problem but I wanted to bring it up because you are describing it more than you are describing Glabrata. I say this because Glabrata DOES cause a discharge and it usually has a very distinct smell to it, it is the discharge that burns like acid being poured into the vagina. I also say this because topical drugs like metro gel and cloritrimazole are often used in the treatment of vulvadynia and they will offer some mild relief as long as they are being used. Some vulvar pain specialists feel that vulvadynia may actually be some kind of fungal or bacterial infection that we just have not been able to see under the microscope yet (much like Hy pylori was), because women with this diagnosis do find relief while using drugs to treat either a bacterial or fungal infection, but always go right back to the pain as soon as the drug is stopped. It is for this reason that many gynecologists often misdiagnose vulvadynia as a chronic vaginal infection of some kind, instead of realizing the patient has vulvadynia.
So, what you are describing in your post to me sounds more like vulvadynia then Glabrata which again is why I am asking if your doctor has raised the issue with you about Glabrata and if your doctor has actually told you that she/ he is testing for it. It is also why I am asking if you have ever tested positive for it, because if you were positive at one point you either still have Glabrata or you have possibly developed vulvadynia from the infection, which is not uncommon to be seen after this type of an infection. All this makes a huge difference in how you need to go forward. It is also not uncommon for doctors to not pay attention or to give up on a person who they are unable to cure with a simple prescription, which often happens with women who have Glabrata or vulvadynia, but you cannot let them get away with that. You are going to have to take control by educating yourself and then educating your doctor. You will need to go in and be assertive with your doctor and sit and have a conversation about proper testing for Glabrata and also about raising the possibility of vulvadynia if that test comes back negative. Unfortunately, you will have to bring up these diagnosis’s because they may not and you need to get better. No matter which one of these are your problem you need to be treated correctly so that you can get healthy again and so that your situation does not progress, which both can do causing life altering and serious pain problems. Vulvadynia, if not treated early in the disease can begin to effect the bladder and colon, causing problems and pain like intercystial cystitis and IBS, which would definitely cause pain during peeing and eventually even with bowel movements. Because it can dry up the vagina it can cause atrophic vaginitis, tears in the mucosal lining, painful sex that causes bleeding, repeated vaginal or bladder infections and numerous other problems. This is because the faulty nerves communicate with other sympathetic nerves that branch off of the peudendal nerve which encompasses the whole lower region of the pelvic area right down into the thighs. You do not want this to spread to any other areas because once they get activated it will be that much harder to get it under control. So, you need to figure this out as soon as possible so that you can start getting better. One last thing I want to add here about vulvadynia, it is often seen alongside women who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, lower back injuries around the L4- L5 area, it is also often seen in women who suffer with irregular periods, endometreiosis, migraines and IBS. It is part of what is known as a myofascial pain syndrome or easily put an injured (for unknown reasons) sympathetic nervous system. I bring this up because if you have any of these other diagnosis’s or suffer from them, then you are at a much higher risk of developing vulvadynia, so I want you to be aware of that.
Well hun my heart hurts for you especially because you are so young, and I want to be able to help you in anyway I can, even if it is just supporting you or talking via email. I know all to well about both of the conditions I have talked about here and I want you to know I am here for you, so please do not hesitate to email me, even if it is just to have someone to listen to you. I will send you an email so you can contact me back privately, and if you have any other questions about either of these conditions please let me know and I will share with you what I know. I wish you the best
Thank you very much for all the valuable info you shared with me and your support which is really touching. I can also see you have focused on things not even doctors bother to mention to me. I will be replying to you by email to let you know more. Thank you again
Hi I have been fighting this on and off for almost 3 yrs 🙁 it has been devastating I have been through all kinds of medications and remedies and it will go away and I will test negative and then the next thing you know it’s back again it has been horrible. Could you please email me your studies so I could take to my doctor the next time it shows up again. thank you so much
Hi Billie, I am so sorry that you have had to suffer for so long with this devastating infection. It definitely can consume your life and leave you in terrible misery 24/7. I hope this site helps to let you know you are not alone in this battle or in finding treatment that works. I will definitely email you the studies to take into your doctor, but I also want to offer you some sage advice, which I had to learn the hard way.
First the treatments you have been given, which I assume are any one of the numerous “azole” drugs, both topical and oral as well as boric acid, Nystatin or even gentian violet are all treatments that are not known to cure this infection. Although, I will say that you have been one of the fortunate ones because obviously some of them have worked to knock it back, which for many they won’t even get that relief. So, you have been fortunate in your attempts to kill this beast. However, with each repeated go around with this infection it is gaining resistance to whatever drug has been knocking it back. At some point you will probably find yourself in the same position as many of the other ladies on here where the drug has no efficacy anymore in helping to knock it back. I don’t know if you have read through any of the comments on here but in case you have not I will just give you a quick over view of what you are up against and then tell you to check them out for other info on diet, hygiene and where to get the meds if necessary.
You are dealing with a fungus that is not a candidias, it is known as a non- candidias, which means it works in a different way and it produces no hyphae. It also has a unique survivability factor that allows it to adapt to any environment as well as any meds that are being used to kill it. This is important to understand because all the drugs you have been being treated with kill by the action of changing the PH environment, which works great against normal candidias strains, but this is not that! By being able to adjust to any PH environment also means it can often be found living alongside bacteria’s or other fungal strains. (any bacterial infections must be treated first before using the ampho gel) Due to its ability to adapt to meds quite quickly it often is either resistant right off the bat or it only gets knocked back for a short period of time, only to return and sometimes with a vengeance. Unfortunately, most if not all doctors have very little knowledge of this fungus and even less knowledge of how to treat it. Many think it can be easily treated by the repeated use of any of the drugs I listed, but unfortunately, this strain out smarts them and leaves you with an infection that just won’t go away. In turn that leaves many doctors not knowing how to treat you. Many do not know that this treatment is available and is one of the only sure fire ways to kill this strain. That is because this one uses a different method of killing it. You see the Flucytoisine gets in there and busts open the wall of the cell, thereby exposing the nucleus with the DNA. It then allows the amphotericin B to get in there and destroy the cells DNA and ability to replicate. Using the Flucytosine with the ampho B also helps to keep the Glabrata from becoming resistant to the ampho for a few uses, buying you a couple more chances should it not kill it the first time. I will say though that it is very rare for it not to kill it the first time out, unless you have under lying conditions or have a poor diet, hygiene and life style.
Which brings me to my next suggestion, especially since you keep getting it back. You absolutely need to change your diet and hygiene routines as well as add in prebiotics and probiotics. You need to make your body less hospitable to this infection. You MUST do it during the treatment but to lesson your chances of it returning in the future you need to continue it for the rest of your life. I can tell you if you do not change these things it will return even with the ampho gel and it WILL eventually become resistant to the only known drug left to treat it!
Now let me also let you know that if you treat this infection with any drug, you CANNOT retest for it again until it has been at least three weeks since you stopped treatment. If you do you will more than likely get a false negative, leaving you to believe that it is gone, only to return a few weeks later. There are two reasons for this, first the drug you used may have only knocked the infection back, leaving you to believe it may be gone because you are not experiencing the symptoms. Secondly, if they test to soon you will have some of the drug you treated with still in you so when they take a swab of the area to culture they will also be taking some of the meds. because the amount of cells are so little it will not be able to grow out in the petry dish because there is enough med in there too to keep it from growing out. So, after using a med you must wait three weeks before testing even if you are still having symptoms. Even with symptoms it can come back negative if taken to soon. Also please know that you can continue to have symptoms for up to ten days after you have finished meds, but it does not mean you still have the infection it just may means that you are irritated and need time to heal especially with the ampho gel.
If you do everything right, meaning you use the ampho gel, change your diet, change hygiene habits, add in prebiotics and probiotics and you still are getting it back, then you will need to talk to your doctor about testing you for other under lying conditions which may put you at a higher risk of it returning. Things like diabetes, hormonal imbalances, STD’s including HIV, make sure to get a pap smear and if all that comes back fine then you need to have any partners tested to see if they are carrying it and not having symptoms but unfortunately giving it back to you. I would look at these things if this infection returns after a second treatment, and I would do it right away. I say this because you want to figure out why it keeps returning before it becomes resistant to the ampho gel, so that you can attack it and fix it. If for some reason all that comes back fine and yet you are still having it return then you will need long term treatment which can consist of oral azoles (voriconazole), and Nystatin which would be used after treatment with ampho gel. There is a doctor that deals with this and if it comes to that please let me know and I will give you his name so that you can get into see him. Well, I hope all this helps you and I hope you can get the ampho gel and finally be done with nasty infection. Good Luck to you
Hi Debra, Thank you for creating this site and taking the time to respond to queries! Dealing with glabrata is such a scary and isolating situation since there is so little known about it and so few treatment options. Reading through the posts here makes me feel less alone and hopeless.
Two years ago I was prescribed Levaquin for a sinus infection (prior to this it had been years since I had taken an antibiotic). I had never heard of it, but I trusted the doctor to know what she was doing. Soon after, I developed a yeast infection. I had only had one previous yeast infection, 20 years earlier, and this infection felt very different (no itching or discharge but intense burning). My culture came back positive for glabrata. I tried Diflucan, Monistat, Clotrimazole, Gynazole, and gentian violet. By some miracle, the culture after the gentian violet can back negative for glabrata but positive for albicans and showed zero lactobacilli. I used a compounded miconazole/acidophilus cream for 2 months, and the next culture was negative for all yeast! I knew how lucky I was and never took for granted that I was glabrata-free.
A year later (last March), I took Augmentin for a sinus/ear infection. I was wary of antibiotics after the previous glabrata infection, but I hoped that taking lots of high quality probiotics, eating yogurt and kefir, etc would prevent another infection. No such luck. I developed another infection with the same symptoms and again cultured positive for glabrata. I thought that this second infection would respond to the gentian violet, also, but it has not. Over the last 7 months, I have used gentian violet (burns my skin off!), Gynazole, the compounded Miconazole, and finally boric acid.
My susceptibility testing just came back and revealed that my strain will respond to anidulafungin, micafungin, dose-dependent Diflucan, voriconazole, and flucytosine. I mentioned the information that I have found on your site regarding the compounded flucytosine/amphotericin B to the nurse, and I have an appointment on Friday to discuss options with the doctor. I am both optimistic and scared because I know that this is my last chance to get rid of this horrible yeast.
I have found some studies on google, but will you email me the studies and formula that you have so that I can bring them to my appointment? I want to make sure that the medication is compounded correctly so that we don’t blow this chance.
Also, I am scared that if I ever have to take an antibiotic again, this infection will return. I take 100s of billions of CFUs in probiotics daily, drink kefir, watch my diet (I haven’t given up all sugar and carbs yet but will do so), no baths, no scented products, cotton underwear, etc. In other words, I am doing what I am supposed to (and I do not have any underlying medical conditions). I believe that the Levaquin was just overkill and ruined my intestinal and vaginal flora. I certainly will only take an antibiotic from here on out if there is absolutely no other option, but if I do need to, do you have any suggestions on how to avoid getting this back? Obviously taking Diflucan to ward off an infection won’t work, and the probiotics didn’t have any effect either. If I am lucky enough to get rid of this, I don’t want it back!
Finally, the infection also has spread to my anal area. Will the “run off” from the flucytosine/ ampho take care of this area also?
Thank you so much for taking the time to maintain this site. Knowing that you have beat this (and an even worse infection) gives me hope!
Hi Linda, I am so sorry to hear your story, but give your doctors a lot of credit for knowing to test you for Glabrata, especially since you had no under lying conditions to suggest that you even needed to be tested for it. That truly is a rarity in the gynecological world, so kutos to your doctors. As you can see you are definitely not alone with this infection or from the after effects of using a Fluoroquinolone drug like Levaquin. I will say that I am happy to hear that Glabrata was your only negative after effect of Levaquin because so many others are left with life altering injuries far beyond Glabrata.
So, I can see that you did all the right things and I would guess to say that is probably one of the reasons why the gentian violet had the efficacy to work the first time around. It may have also been too that the strain you had is one that had not been exposed to it in the past, which gave you that chance for clearing it. Unfortunately, as you probably already know this infection has the unique capability for survival to adapt to whatever is deadly to it, whether it is the PH balance or meds being used to treat it. So, from what you have said here I would say that the strain you have is a virulent strain in the fact that it adapts quite quickly, making it very important that you treat it right the first time, because you may not get another chance with the drug. So, I want to give you some info real quick and then I will email you the studies too.
First it is going to be incredibly important that you use Flucytosine paired with ampho, you should NEVER EVER use the Flucytiosine or the Amphotericin B by itself, because in studies both of these used by themselves do not have the same efficacy at preventing the Glabrata from becoming resistant to either of them. The studies showed that either drug used as a stand alone treatment failed with a high resistance rate within two treatments, but when paired together the treatment was viable for at least four treatments before the Glabrata was able to gain resistance. At the time of the study they had no explanation as to why the two together drugs when paired together were able to hold off the resistance but did state in the conclusion that neither drug should be used as a stand alone treatment for Glabrata because of the high resistance rate that could be created leaving the only viable option to fail. So, please make sure that your doctors do NOT only prescribe the Flucysitosine or even ampho by itself!
I want to address one other thing with you too. Let me just say that susceptibility testing is really pretty useless with Glabrata. this is because what is seen in vitro (the pertry dish) and what actually happens in vivo (your body) is two different things. The reasoning for this is because drugs especially drugs used to treat flora infections are subject to PH balances for their efficacy. Which means that the drug may show that it is good at certain mics in the petry dish and should by all standards work to beat the infection but when they are actually used in the vagina the PH balance, hormone balances and moisture come into play on how well they actually work. This unfortunately cannot be replicated in a petry dish and is very individual to each womens own body chemistry and make up. So, scientist who have studied Glabrata using the susceptibility testing have found out that it is not reliable in actuality. So, even though your tests showed that each of those drugs worked chances are not a one of them will really work in your body. I know I too went through the same testing and I showed susceptibility to many of the same drugs as you including the dose dependent amounts with voriconazole and with Diflucan, but when we tried them they were worthless, they truly had no effect on the Glabrata at all. I mine as well have not used them because all I did was waste my time and money and in some cases (the fluconazole) I made the situation worse! This is what has made this particular infection very hard to treat and is why we need more in depth studies on it. Now the one study I am emailing to you will show this problem and goes on to explain why the susceptibility testing does not work in vivo, which is basically what I just explained to you here. So, you can bring this into your doctor so that they understand it too. These studies are all peer reviewed studies done right here in the United States so any doctor should be able to accept them.
Secondly, as you can see once you have had an infection with this beast you are very prone to getting it back again and again, which is very scary since there are so little options available for treatment. With that being said it is going to be very important to change your diet and hygiene routines not just for treatment but for the rest of your life! Now that is not going to insure that you will not get it back but it will definitely increase your odds GREATLY!! As you also know taking any antibiotics are a HUGE risk of getting it back and I am not so sure if it is because your flora is off, in my honest opinion I think that this particular fungus has the ability to lie dormant hidden away, maybe deep in the tissues, just waiting for the next chance that your immune system becomes compromised (even a simple cold or the flu) to come back out and wreak havoc again. The scientific field is just beginning to understand this phenomenon with several other bacteria’s, viruses and parasites. It was once thought that if you cleared the infection (even testing showed it was gone) you were free from it until you got exposed again. However, we are learning that many of these strains have the ability to hide out in our bodies just waiting for the next chance to come out. We are seeing this with EBV, MCV, Lyme, Giardia, and so many others. It is also important to know that Glabrata is known in the science world as a parasitic fungus, which means it feeds off of its host, replicates and spreads just like a parasite. This was news to me because I never knew a fungus could be a parasite but this one is. So, from what I have learned and experienced I believe that it is one of these infections that we just truly have no ability as of yet to fully clear it and so it has the ability to come back again and again, which is what we see with women who get it. I think in time if we can get more in depth studies on it we will find this to be true for this infection too. Now that does not mean that we cannot find ways to keep it surpressed in our bodies until science catches up with what is really happening. Obviously doing everything you are doing (diet, hygiene, probiotics, etc..) are the first step and limiting the use of antibiotics are definitely the next step. We must keep our bodies in optimal health and keep our flora full of all kinds of good bacteria.
So, here are few things know, first when using probiotics you need to use several different strains and even several different brands. Most people think that if they take a probiotic once a day they are good to go, but recent studies have shown that taking the same brand and the same probiotic strain can become useless in fighting many of the infections once thought to be preventable by probiotic use. This is because we are learning that our microflora is made of billions of different strains, many of which we have yet to even identify or know even know fully what their purpose is. So, the latest thinking is to switch it up by using different strains and different brands so that you get a full range of bacteria which is more optimal then just using one brand. It is also important to make sure that one of those strains is Reuteri, because this strain we know is the bacteria that feeds all the rest of the good bacteria and allows the other strains to adhere to the mucosal walls. So, make sure you are taking this strain. Secondly, make sure to also take prebiotics because they too are what feeds the good bacteria and also helps them to replicate in the mucosa. Now you can use a prebiotic supplement or you can make your own, which I find to be much more beneficial and if you make your own you get extra perks for your health out of it. (ups your vitamins, cleans your colon and helps prevent colon cancer, etc..) To make your own, you would basically make yourself a green drink each morning, not a smoothie, but a full fiber green drink. So, a good full rounded drink would be to use kale and or spinach (I use both), Romaine, celery, cucumber, carrot, half a green apple (not a red one) and you can change it up from day to day by adding different spices like ginger, cinnamon, pineapple chunks or some berries. When you make it don’t juice it, you need the full plant. Now if you have never done it before start slow and only drink a few ounces the first week and then keep adding more until you get to a full 8 oz. glass a day. I say to go slow because if you have never done it- it can upset your stomach with all the fiber and cause nausea, stomach cramping and diarrhea, but if you go slow it won’t do this and you will get used to it. This is a very effective way to get natural prebiotics and so many other benefits.
Now as you know taking an antibiotic is going to put you at high risk of getting this infection back again, so, only take one if absolutely necessary! If you do have to take one here are a few tips that my Infectious disease doctor uses with me. First you NEED to be pretreated with Nystatin orally for five days prior to starting the antibiotic, now this may not always be possible if the infection needs immediate treatment, but in most cases it just means that you will have to survive an extra five days with the infection before you can start the antibiotic. The one thing that has been found by Dr. Sobel the “Guru” who has spent his life studying this infection is that even though Nystatin is not a good drug to kill the Glabrata it does have some efficacy in preventing it. Because it works differently than the “Azoles” it has the unique ability to keep it from happening during antibiotic treatment and if you are one of the unlucky ones who gets it back again and again he uses it for months on end after the ampho gel to help ward it off and keep it from coming back. So, you need to let your doctors know that you will always need to be pretreated with Nystatin prior to any surgeries, procedures or antibiotics. You will also need to use the Nystatin during the antibiotic treatment and for another two weeks after you have stopped the antibiotic. This is because it takes about 10 days for most antibiotics to leave the body fully and until the antibiotic is fully cleared you need to remain on the Nystatin. Please do NOT pretreat with any of the “azoles” they do not work in the same way and will not prevent it, they may even encourage it to come back, so only the Nystatin.
Secondly, when using an antibiotic you want to stay away if at all possible from broad spectrum ones. These are ones like the fluoroquinolones, the myacins like clindanyacin, erythamyacin, etc.. These ones tend to wipe out ALL good and bad bacteria and really put you at risk of getting it back, so when possible do not use these ones. The ones least likely to set it off again are going to be the tetracyclimines, like Doxy, minocyclimine etc.. but they unfortunately, do not treat all infections so they may not always be an option but when needing an antibiotic ask about their use first. Also ask to use it for the shortest amount of time as possible and let your body deal with the rest if possible.
Thirdly, when using an antibiotic always up your prebiotics and probiotics, also make sure your diet is as clean as possible even for ten days following treatment. So, that means to take your prebiotic drink twice a day, and take your probiotics four times a day and definitely make sure to take in several strains each day. It also means to eat NO processed foods and no sugars or sugar substitutes! This will help to keep up your good flora while using it. Again if you are able to pretreat for five days before starting the antibiotic with the Nystatin then you should also begin upping your intake of prebiotics and probiotics at this time too. I would start this at the first sign of getting sick so that if you have to go on antibiotics you are ready to go. So, if you are at the point of needing to make an appt. with a doctor for the infection, which can take a week to get in, then know it is time to start pretreatment while waiting to get in to see them. Your doctors can give you a script for Nystatin to keep on hand with refills just for these occasions, (which is what my docs do for me).
Finally, you can look into other natural options to help beat infections or even prevent them. I know a lot of people that use oregano oil, garlic, silver, high doses of vitamin C and other things to treat and prevent infections and many swear by them. So, it may be something that you want to research now to see if there is something you can do to help prevent any future infections or even alternative treatments for infections. Working with an Intergrative Doctor or Naturopath doctor would be a plus too because this is how they treat infections before resorting to antibiotics, so it may be well worth your time and money to see one and get them on board. I use one myself and love him dearly!
As for your last question about the anal area being infected too, let me just say this is normal with this infection because it is known to spread just by the shear act of the discharge, which is what makes it so nasty! So, here is the thing, if you have it really bad in this area then you are going to want to take a finger tip size amount out of the nightly plunger before inserting it into the vagina and smear this not only around the area but also right into the very beginning of the anus. Then put the rest of the nightly plunger into the vagina. Now if it is just mildly irritated you can leave it and the run off at night will treat it too, but if by the third day of treatment you are not seeing this area respond to the run off, then definitely treat it with a finger tip worth of gel too. If you are really itchy there or burning you an also use natural Indian clay (which you can buy off of Amazon) and use it according to the directions each morning for 10 minutes. It will naturally bring down the inflammation and redness and heal the skin.
Well I think I have written a book here, so sorry for that but I wanted to explain everything I could to you and hope I also answered some of your questions too. I will email you the studies with the one that has the formula for making the ampho gel too. I hope your doctors will treat with this as soon as possible and I hope this is the end of your nightmare. If you have any other questions or need any help in attain the meds please let me know and I will do what I can to help you. I wish you the best.
Thank you for all this information! I confused about how much of the gel is inserted nightly. Is it 8 grams per night or 8 grams divided into 14 separate doses? My doctor thinks it is 8 grams per night. He showed me a 5 gram tube of surgilube, and it is TINY, so dividing 8 grams by 14 would like inserting a fingertip’s worth of the gel each night!
HI, Lynn, I am so sorry that I have not gotten back to your email, it has been a busy weekend for me and I did see it but got distracted, so I am so sorry. I will email you a place that your doctor can phone in for the Flucytosine and they can ship it to you, so that you can take it to your compound pharmacy. It is a Walgreens so your insurance will hopefully pay for it or at least a portion of it. I will also email the phone number for my pharmacy here that makes it, so that your compound pharmacy can talk wit them about making it too. As for the formula it is 8 grams of gel to be inserted each night for 14 nights. It will take two tubes a night to be inserted because it is quite a large amount so you need two plungers full each night. It is a lot and it will run out of you, so make sure that you are done getting up for the night before inserting the gel. Also place a towel under you to sleep on because the ampho is a bright yellow and it will stain anything it comes in contact with. You want to remain lying prone for at least 8 hours so no sitting up or getting up for a drink once you have put it in. Because it is a liquid it runs out very quickly so stay prone and do not worry that it feels as if it is all running out right away, that should happen and it will still work. One last thing it must be kept cold, so if the pharmacy making it is not close to you, make sure they cold pack it when sending and put it in your fridge right away. Then only take out the two plungers worth each night to insert. It will be like a thick gel (kind of like coconut oil) but once it gets into the vagina your body heat will turn it within ten minutes into a water like substance that will begin to leak out of you, that is normal and what you want to happen. This will run toward your back and rectal area so it will treat that area too. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask and again I am so sorry that it took so long for me to get back to you. Well, I will get that email off to you, so look for it and let me know if there are any other problems. I wish you good luck.
First off… thank you! This site is a big help.
I was just diagnosed three days ago. I’m trying to wrap my head around having this fungus. I’m at a lose for words when I think this could kill me.
I have diabetes, Crohn’s Disease and recently had Cipro and steroids. I guess it was inevitable that I would get this.
My question is…could my husband have contracted this from me and what are the ramifications for a spouse getting it?
Thank you
Hi Colette, I am so sorry to hear that you have fallen victim to this nasty infection. I hope your doctors are starting the correct treatment right away. I see that you have diabetes as well as Crohns disease and have used Cipro with prednisone. Unfortunately the diabetes as well as the crohns put you at high risk of getting this infection but just let me say that it was probably the use of Cipro with the prednisone that caused this. You see, I too have crohns as well as other underlying conditions, although not diabetes, which also put me at a higher risk, but it would take the use of the Cipro with the prednisone to set my infection into full motion. Which I would later find out from the infectious disease doctor that this combination together is becoming all to common at causing Glabrata in otherwise healthy women or women with some under lying issues but not usually the kind of conditions that would normally allow for this infection to happen.
I do want to say to you that once you get the treatment started it will be really important to follow a clean diet, control your blood sugars, follow good hygiene protocols, exercise and use prebiotics as well as probiotics. I say this for a few reasons, first once you get this infection you are prone to getting it back again and again, secondly you have a compromised immune system with very unbalanced flora throughout your body, (due to your underlying conditions) which all of that opens you up to further infections with this and it also makes it harder to treat it. It is also very important to know that the ampho gel is the only drug left that this infection has not yet become resistant too, but because of this species unique ability to adapt to its surroundings (the PH balance) and to drugs used to treat it, you will only get a few chances to kill it before it becomes immune to this one too. So, you really want to make sure that you do what you have to – to make sure it does not get the chance to come back. One last thing I want to mention here is that having crohns does put you at a higher risk of it spreading into the GI tract, especially if you have it in the rectum, have fissures or openings into the vagina. This is how mine spread and became very serious. As you know with crohns it can make tunnels from any organ through to another one and unfortunately, there is only a thin wall of tissue that seperates the vagina from the rectum, so as you may know what lives in the vagina can easily spread to the colon and vice versa. So, please be aware of any signs that may suggest it has spread and if it does please get help immediately and let your GI doctor know that you are positive for Glabrata in the vagina.
So, let me answer your question, yes, it is possible for your husband to get Glabrata, however it is rare and here is why. Our vaginas are reservoirs for all kinds of bacteria and fungus’s with a large space for them to grow and take over, especially if our PH balance or flora is not optimal. Were as a mans penis only has a very small opening for the urethra, which is constantly being washed out with acidic urine, which in turn keeps bacteria’s and fungus’s from being able to set up house there. It is also a very small area in which not much will grow. Now this does not mean it cannot happen, but usually if the man is healthy and his urine is at a normal acidity his chances of getting it are no higher than him contracting candidias from us. Now with that being said if it were to happen, here is the sucky part, he may or may not know he has it. You see for some men (as with many STD’s) they will not have any symptoms and if they do they may be very mild (because again their urine and the way they are designed keeps things under control better than when it happens in a women’s body), so for many men they will brush off the fact that they are experiencing some mild burning with urination or ejaculation and attribute it to something they ate or drank or maybe even that they did not drink enough. Those that get some mild itch will also attribute it to sweating, tight underwear or even jock itch, so again they may dismiss it especially if the symptoms only come and go. Now for other men they will know they have something because they will have intense burning (much like the female) with some itching that gets intense and the area around the head of the penis may become inflamed, blistered or even crusty and they may weep from the urethra opening. These men will definitely search out help for their conditions. Most of the men who get it this bad will have either an underlying condition, a poor diet, do not drink enough or urinate enough or they are not circumsized which will definitely put them at a much higher risk of contracting it. Now if they were to get it, they will have to be treated as well or it has the possibility in a man to spread to their prostrate, bladder and other areas, making them very sick and in terrible misery. However, because their bodies are designed differently than ours they will not be able to put the ampho gel into their urethra, so they will have to be treated with oral drugs like the “Azoles” and they may also use the ampho gel on the outside of the penis if they are severely inflamed or broken down. Because this infection is so resistant to the “azoles” it may take months on high doses to treat them and if all fails or if it spreads they will need to be treated by an infectious disease doctor who will have to treat them for months on end with IV drugs like amphotericin or one of the others like caspofungin or microfungin. It can become very serious for males that do get it. So, I will tell you what any infectious disease doctor or gynecologist would tell you, and that is until you are clean of the infection you need to refrain from any intimate activity. Now let me just say that it is way more common for men to get Glabrata in their mouths and throats from oral sex than it is for them to get it in their urethras. If they get it in their mouths or throats they can easily spread it to anyone they are having passionate kissing with or even to a women’s vaginal area if they are down there. So, when I say to refrain from intimate contact I mean from all ways until you are clean. Let me also say that with Glabrata you will not know if you are clean until you are two to three weeks out from finishing treatment and that is because this fungus is very hard to kill, so many times the symptoms are gone by the end of the treatment and you think you are clean, but then within two to three weeks of stopping the drug the old familiar symptoms return. This means that the drug did not fully work at clearing it, instead it only knocked it back, which means you will need another treatment. So, be patient and wait it out especially because you are very prone and vulnerable to getting it back. Now if your spouse is having no symptoms at all, then assume he does not have it and refrain from any further sexual activity until you are clean from it, if however you do everything right and for some reason you seem to get it back after restarting sexual activity you may want to have him checked. I will tell you it will not be pleasant because they will need a q-tip culture from the urethra, so I would not put him through it unless he is showing signs or you are getting it back repeatedly. As for your mouths (if you participate in oral sex) if either of you begin to experience sore throats, redness anywhere in the mouth or throat or you get sores or you develop a coating anywhere in the oral cavity, you will both need to be treated with amphotericin mouth wash and again refrain from kissing or any other intimate contact until you are clean. I would just like to add in here that I have had Glabrata of the vagina three times now, in the colon once and in the throat and mouth twice and through all of it my husband has never once gotten it and I can say that with all certainty because after getting it several times he went in and got tested to make sure he was not passing it back to me. It turns out he was not giving it back to me, it unfortunately was because of my under lying conditions, the crohns which leaves us as you know with very compromised flora and immune systems which just lends to this infection. I finally had to work with specialists to figure out how to prevent it from coming back before it became immune to the drugs. This is when I would learn to change my diet, learn proper hygiene protocol, learn to take prebiotics and probiotics as well as to exercise and not use broad spectrum antibiotics unless they were the last resort and even then never any of the flouroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, avelox, etc…) It changed my life by learning this and has kept me from getting it back now for about two years, so please I would encourage you to make these changes in your own life and stick with them for the rest of your life, because this is one infection you never want to get again or have spread to other areas or be left with because there is no cure left to treat it with. One last thing I also want to share with you, please understand that the flouroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, avelox, etc..) are very serious antibiotics, they are what is known as the “nuclear bomb” of antibiotics and were never meant to treat common everyday infections. They were suppose to be the last line drug when all else has failed and your life is in jeopardy. Unfortunately, doctors have been abusing this class of drugs by handing them out as the first line of treatment like they are candy, which has lead to many unnecessary injuries in people. Glabrata is only one of the serious problems it can cause, but it can cause things that can be permanent far beyond Glabrata and they could be life altering or even deadly. It is also important to know that these drugs should never be combined with steroids or Nsaids because they both use the same pathway in the liver which will ultimately hold one of them up in the liver longer than it should be causing permanent damages that could be serious and body wide. Again doctors should know this information but most have no clue even though it is right there in the drug information that comes with the drug. So, if a doctor in the future wants to use this drug for an infection or for your crohns, please tell them “no” and ask for them to prescribe a much safer alternative, which there are many alternatives that will do the same job with much less risk.
Well, I hope I answered your question and also gave you some valuable information too. I hope things turn out well for you and if you need anything else please let me know and I will do my best to help you. good luck!
Thank you so much for being so knowledgeable on the subject. I have been looking for reference sites.
I lost my entire colon and 69cm of my small intestines. But I have had severe pain in my left lower quadrant for months. It’s getting worse. So I went to the doctors. I really don’t know how long I’ve had this.
When you speak of the treatment, what exactly do you mean?
Thanks so much for helping people.
Oh Colette I am so very sorry that your Crohns has taken so much from you and now to have Glabrata on top of all that. Wow I give you a lot of credit, you are a very strong person. I too have been dealing with left sided lower quandrant pain for months now too. My doctors have tried to figure out where the problem is but after scoping say they say that they cannot see anything that would be causing mine, but it is very painful too. I hope they are able to figure yours out. With that being said I would really suggest that you let your GI doctors know that you have been diagnosed with Glabrata in the vagina. I say this because it sounds like your crohns is very serious and you are at a much higher risk of it spreading into the GI tract. Now I do not think that your left sided pain is from that because you said it has been going on for months and Glabrata in the GI tract spreads rapidly and is known to be life threatening within 30 days, so this is probably not your problem as of yet. However, you are at a very high risk for it to spread and your GI doctors should be aware of it and ready with a plan should it spread. You definitely need to be treated with the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel as soon as possible and your doctors should not mess around trying to treat it with the “azole” (topical or oral) drugs, they are a waste of time. So is Boric acid which a lot of doctors try to treat with it too. The ampho gel works very quickly and is very effective at killing it. It has no side effects other than some mild irritation to the vagina during treatment and not all women even get that. It is very safe, you use it for 14 nights and it is 90% effective at killing it. Which is the highest cure rate of all drugs. If for some reason it did not work the first time around you can do a second round of it and that carries a 100% cure rate, which for you is very important! The “azole” drugs fail 78% of the time and there is a much higher return rate with them and boric acid fails 98% of the time because this infection can live in any PH environment, so do not waste your time with these. Now your doctors may not know that this treatment even exists, so you are going to have to bring in the studies which I will email to you that explain the failure rates with the other drugs and the cure rate with this one. It also explains why the others fail so often and explains how this one has no systemic side effects because the molecules are to big to be absorbed through the mucosa of the vaginal walls. The second study I will email you goes into three cases of women with this that failed the other treatments and then went on to show the effectiveness of the ampho gel. This study also gives the formula to make the ampho gel (which has to be compounded at a compound pharmacy, it is the only way to get it) so your doctor can phone it in to a compound pharmacy for you. Now you may want to call around to compound pharmacies before going to your doctor to make sure that the one you pick is able to obtain the compounds to make it and have some experience with it. If you cannot find one where you live do not worry, just let me know and I will email you two pharmacies in the Midwest that can make it and can ship anywhere in the US. But you need to bring the studies into your doctor along with the pharmacy information and then be assertive with the doctor about getting this med and not wasting your time with other treatments. This is really important because this is a nasty infection and you do not have optimal health, so this infection can quickly become a nightmare for you. If your doctor is not willing to treat you with this (which is much safer than any other form of treatment) then either ask them to refer you to an infectious disease doctor or look for another doctor. Also any doctor can prescribe this gel for you, so it can be a PCP, your Gastroenterologist, a family physician, or even a naturopath. You just need one with an open mind that is willing to read the studies I will email to you and be willing to order it. The studies are all peer reviewed studies done right here in the United States so your doctor should be willing to accept them. If for any reason you have a problem finding a doctor willing to treat you with this let me know and I can email you two doctors here in the Midwest that are very familiar with Glabrata and have no problem treating you with it, however that would require you making a trip. So, I would start with trying to educate your own doctors first, which usually works well, but if it fails let me know. It is also very important that you follow a clean diet with no sugars (especially during treatment) and also follow the hygiene protocols too. You should continue these changes for the rest of your life because this infection is known to come back especially with the kind of under lying problems you have which leave your flora deficient and open to these kind of fungal infections. Well I hope you get this treated quickly and get your crohns under control too. My heart goes out to you! If you need anything else please let me know and I will do what I can to help. Check you email for the studies too. good luck to you!
Would you be able to email me the studies you mention on Glabrata. I have come back positive for this and am very imnosuppressed (long story) and the drs are saying it is in my vagina and oesophigus and are testing bowel and urine at the moment. The treatment they have me on is borac acid suppositries and nyastatin drops which from what I have read here isnt going to help. I will need to take these studies to my drs for them to understand this
Thanks for your help
Hi Linda, I am sorry that you have been stricken with this nasty beast, but having underlying conditions as you may now know makes you more susceptible to getting it and unfortunately, it also puts you at high risk of getting it back over and over. Now I am not sure what your under lying conditions are that have left you immunocompromised but getting it in the vagina is one problem and getting it in the esophagus is another problem, by getting it in two places like this means you are really immune compromised and at an even higher risk of it spreading to other areas that could be very serious. With that being said I am glad that your doctors are testing for it in other areas too.
Unfortunately, the treatment they have you on is useless against this fungus, those treatments are great for normal candidias but have no effect on this particular non-candidias fungus. The Boric acid kills by changing the PH balance of the vagina but this fungus can adapt to any PH balance which makes this form of treatment (right along with the “Azole” drugs) ineffective against this one. The Nystatin even though it kills in a different way also is ineffective against this strain and for the most part that is because it has been so over used in the HIV population prior to the existence of the azoles. Most if not all strains of Glabrata have adapted to this drug rendering it useless for the kill. However, it can be used as a preventive treatment after the kill with the ampho.
So, to treat this in the vaginal area you will need to get the Amohotericin B / Flucytosine gel to insert vaginally at night for 14 days. It is really going to be very important that you use the two together, do NOT let your doctors only treat with one of them especially since you are immune compromised because you do not have the immune system to help either of these drugs on their own. As for it in the esophagus you will need to treat that with amphotericin B mouth wash. The “azole” trouches and the Nystatin mouth wash will not effect Glabrata and both may even make the situation worse. Now the mouth wash needs to be compounded too just like the vaginal gel, however, most Walgreen’s pharmacies can make this one and some insurances will pay for this one because it is a known mouth wash in the HIV and cancer community and is used regularly. So, you may want to find out if your local pharmacy (even CVS) can make this one for you and if your insurance will pay for it. (it is expensive like the vaginal gel too). The formula to make the mouth wash should be available to your regular doctor right on their drug sheets, because of its common use. However, if for some reason they do not have it and need the formula then please let me know and I will get the formula for you.
Now, because you are so immune compromised I really, really want to encourage you to make the lifestyle changes I have written to others on here (diet, hygiene, probiotics, etc..) I can really tell you that it will make a huge difference in your over all health and increases your chances of NOT getting it back again, even though you may remain immune compromised. I know this because I too have under lying conditions and I am immune compromised too, but doing these things have kept the Glabrata away for me. Please also know that if the Glabrata is found in your urine or stool or any other place in your body outside of the mouth and vagina, you will NEED treatment by an infectious disease doctor and you will need much stronger IV drugs to combat it, I pray this is not the case for you, but know that it may happen. This is a nasty infection that can spread quite quickly if given the opportunity, which all it needs is a compromised immune system, so please make sure to try and take care of yourself and any signs of something not being right ( fever, pain, diarrhea, burning, coatings or discharges, etc..) make sure to get into your doctor right away and let anyone know treating you that you have been diagnosed with Glabrata. I would also encourage you to refrain from any sexual intimacy and that includes passionate kissing and oral sex too. I say this because having it in the esophagus means you also have it in your mouth and your partner could easily contract it from you. If you have a partner and if he is having any signs of it he will need to be treated too or he will just pass it back to you through kissing or oral sex. So, please be aware of this and on the look out for it. I have sent you the studies so look for them in your email.
Well, I hope these studies help your doctors to treat you and I wish you all the best. If you need anything else please let me know and I will do what I can to help you. Good luck
Hi
Would you be able to post these studies on here to see if I can download them. Thanks for all your help
Linda
Hi, I am so sorry you are having so many problems opening them. I did try emailing them through your second email too, but will post them here too just in case. http://sti.bmj.com/content/77/3/212.full and the second one is https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294902/ I don’t think they will open from here but you can copy and paste them into your browser. I hope this helps, Good Luck
Does anyone know of a good doctor who knows about Glabrata and know how to treat it? I desperately need to find a doctor who can help me cure of this annoying Glabrata condition. I live in OC Stanton, CA. Any referral would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance….
Hi Helen, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to respond back to you. So, let me try to answer some of your questions. First let me say that I am not surprised that your doctors had no clue on how to treat this infection at the same time I give them credit for at least testing for it, which soooo many doctors do not.
The reason why so many gynecologists have no clue is because they have not been trained in school to recognize it nor how to treat it and there is a reason for this. You see, up until about a decade ago this type of an infection was unheard of in healthy women. It was predominantly seen in HIV positive women and end stage cancer women. There were a few cases of it in the very out of control diabetic women but even they numbered very low. It was basically thought to be an illness found in the sickest of the sick. For most women who contracted it they were already on deaths door step and this infection was usually what claimed their lives. The majority of these women were usually under the care of a team of doctors that was headed by Infectious Disease specialists, so even if their gynecologists knew to check them for it, due to their high risk of it, they would automatically be referred back to the Infectious disease doctor for treatment. So, gynecologists never had to actually learn how to deal with such an infection and at the same time they were trained to only think about it as a cause if the patient was HIV or end stage cancer. So, this is why so many have no clue on how to recognize it and even less of a clue on how to treat it.
With the advancement of medicine and the newer fungal drugs we have reached a point of keeping this population of sick people alive longer and returning them to some quality of life again. This was a great advancement except that these people were now beginning to infect the general population with illnesses that were usually not seen in the healthy people. We were also learning that if we prophylactically treated these people we could keep them from even getting many of these life threatening infections. Again this was thought to be a great advancement, but as time has gone on and with the over use of these drugs we have created resistant strains or extremely hard to treat infections including Glabrata.(this would be why all the drugs they have put you on have failed so miserably!) Unfortunately, the medical profession has not caught up with what is happening out in the real world, so they are still not being trained to detect, suspect, diagnose or learn to treat many of these infections now being found in otherwise healthy women. Over the past two decades we are also seeing doctors using last line treatment antibiotics and anti-fungals for minor infections and they are dishing them out like candy. The problem with this is that these last line defense drugs are very toxic drugs and have the ability to wipe out all the good bacteria right along with all the bad bacteria. This leaves the persons immune system vulnerable to infections like Glabrata and again the medical profession has not caught up to what they have created. All of these issues have lead to what you could call the “perfect storm”. Women who are otherwise healthy get a minor infection and are given antibiotics that are meant to be the nuclear bomb, therefore wiping out there guts and other mucosal flora like the vagina. Which then leaves them vulnerable to contracting these once thought to be very hard to get infections. Once the women gets it, she is in desperate mode to find relief but finds instead that doctors have no clue what is making her sick and the ones that do finally figure it out have no clue how to treat them. This leaves women like you and me and so many others out here floundering around looking for someone to desperately help them. Many will see over 15 doctors looking to just get diagnosed and many others will be inadequately treated for it and then dismissed by doctors that just do not know what more to do for them. It is a truly scary and sad situation that so many women like yourself are in and please know you are not alone with this!
Again gynecologists are not usually the ones to have to treat this infection, but are recently finding themselves in that position due to the fact that it is being found in relatively healthy women. So, because they are the ones now on the front lines it is going to be mandatory at sometime in the near future to educate these doctors on this specific fungus. I say this because not only have we created resistant strains with it, but this type of fungus is like no others, it has an amazing survival tactic that allows it adapt to its surroundings and even anti-fungals. Which means it can live in any type of a PH environment and survive and adapt to any anti-fungal drug. This is why so many of the “usual” treatments that gyne’s try to use to attack it fail. It is also why once you get the amphotericin B gel you must use it correctly and then modify your lifestyle, because it is the only drug left to treat this infection at this time and you will only get so many chances to kill it before it becomes immune to it too.
So, with that being said let me answer you question about “how long can you live with this before getting really sick?” So, here is the thing, Glabrata does NOT usually spread out of the vagina and into any other organ areas of the body, UNLESS you have a VERY serious under lying condition like HIV, end stage cancer, VERY out of control blood sugars or some other very serious immune compromising condition. Women can live out their full lives with this infection only in their vaginas and possibly the surrounding areas of the vagina. ( outside the vulva, rectal or anal area, or even the inner thighs). For me, I had several under lying conditions, some at the time of the infection that I didn’t even know I had, which put me in a position to have it spread to my gut, which in turn made me very ill. So, let me just reassure you that even with diabetes (and you said your was borderline) you are NOT at risk of it spreading to your gut, blood or other organs. However, that does not mean that you will not suffer horribly with this beast and it also means that it will probably effect every aspect of your life and create undo depression. I know this all too well myself! It is not something that you would want to have for any length of time for that reason alone! But in case you are still worried and want to know what to look out for should it spread, here are the usual first signs, a fever of 101 or higher, severe abdominal pain, and when I say severe I mean bad enough to take you to the ER doubled over and in tears. You will have diarrhea that leaves you going to the bathroom 12 or more times a day and within days of this starting you will begin to bleed out into the toilet. You will have severe nausea, to the point of not being able to eat or even drink water, you can have bouts of vomiting that can also be bloody. You will be weak all over with muscle pains, headaches and severe fatigue. If this infection got into your gut you would have symptoms within about three days that would be so over whelming that you would need ER help within a week. If it got into your blood (which I never even got it there) you would be so ill within 24 hours that you would need immediate ER care. Let me just explain that if you got this fungal infection anywhere outside of the vagina, mouth or throat you would need immediate intensive care to survive. In the gut it is known to kill within 30 days or less and in the blood it kills within 34 hours, in any other organ it would kill in less than 30 days. Time truly is of essence if you got it in any of your organs or blood and you would know it right away! Let me just once again state though that having it in your vagina as awful as it feels is NOT deadly and it should not spread unless you had one of the underlying conditions I have mentioned here and borderline diabetes is NOT one of them! so, you will be ok!
So, now lets talk about you getting help, first it is going to be extremely hard to find a doctor that knows about Glabrata especially a gynecologist. This means that you are either going to have to travel to the Midwest for treatment or you are going to have to educate your own doctors and I would advise to start with the latter first. Now if you have an open minded doctor and one willing to learn then you are already half way there. Now this doctor does not have to be a gynecologist it can be a PCP, Family physician, naturopath or any other doctor who can prescribe. Once you find one or use the one you have, all you have to do is bring in the studies which I have posted on here to other women. There are two studies, one in which it talks about the high failure rate of probably all the drugs and treatments they have tried you on. It then goes on to site three cases of women like yourself who responded to the amphotericin B / flucytosine gel. The second study goes into depth on why these drugs and treatments do not work against this fungus and then gives the formula to make the gel. So, whatever doctor you are seeing can then phone in the prescription for the gel to a compounding pharmacy (which is the only way to get it). Both studies are peer reviewed studies done right here in the United States, so all doctors should accept them and be willing to try you on it especially since you have failed all other treatments. Now if you cannot find a doctor who is willing to do this, then your next step is to travel to the Midwest to see one of two doctors who are very knowledgable about the treatment of glabrata and who have no problem using the gel. If you should need their names please contact me back and I will email them to you. If you have a problem finding or downloading the studies to take to your doctors then once again please contact me back and I will email them to you. Once you get to a point of a doctor writing the script you will need to find a compounding pharmacy that has knowledge of making it and has access to the compounds. If you cannot find one out by you, do not worry there are compounding pharmacies here in the Midwest that are able to do it and ship anywhere in the country. Once again if you need that info please contact me for it and I will email it to you. One last thing I want to say to you, is when you go into a doctor (of any kind) you need to go in armed with the studies and you need to assertive in demanding the gel and use the fact that you have failed all other treatments for this infection. show the studies and when the doctor says to you that they are not comfortable prescribing ampho because of its toxicity then please reassure them that when used in the gel in the vagina only, it is not systemically absorbed because the molecules are to big to penetrate the mucosal lining, so there are no side effects to this treatment other than some minor vaginal irritation during the treatment. You can then back this up with the studies you have too. If the doctor still has a problem with it then ask to be referred to an infectious disease doctor or move on to another doctor at that point because you need to get to treated properly at this point!
Finally, I seen that you said that you are going to change your lifestyle and start eating right and exercising and I just want to say that this is really important when you are in treatment so that you can give your body and the gel every chance of beating this beast and making sure it does not come back. You can start those changes now and it will even help to tone down some of the pain and it may even help to control your blood sugars better which all in all will help in the fight against this beast. Also make sure to follow hygiene guidelines now, during treatment and afterwards so as to help fight this beast and to make sure it does not come back again! Let me also just say that it was probably not your borderline diabetes that lead to this infection, from what you have stated here I would say that it was a whirl wind of circumstances that lead to this infection and it sounds like it started with multiple prescriptions of antibiotics and anti fungals, that helped to wipe out your good bacteria and your good yeast (which we all have and need) , which that lead to lowering your immune systems ability to function and fight things like this. Then add to that the borderline diabetes with elevated blood sugars or spikes which not only fed the bad yeasts like Glabrata but also changed your PH balance (which may have been why you got the other infections and yeasts that required all the antibiotics and anti-funglas to begin with) and which also would have changed the moisture and maybe even your hormone balance in the vagina too. This then would have lead to this infection flourishing. Finally, you got discouraged with your health and the pain it causes and gave up eating healthy and exercising and maybe even with good hygiene practices too. All this coupled together not only lead to this infection but helped it to thrive, this was your “perfect storm”! So, now you are going to have to reverse it all and fight the beast, but most of all you have to control your diet and blood sugars in the future or this infection is known to come back again once you have gotten it, so you will have to work hard keeping your health and life as your first priority! You can do this and you will get through it, so please know that and know that you are not alone with it!
Well I know this was very long but I hope addressed all of your concerns and questions and I hope you are able to get the treatment you need very soon. If you need anything else please let me know and I will do what I can to help you. I wish you the best!
Dearest Debra, I LOVE YOU!!!! I don’t know you but you just have saved me and gave me hope and assurance that I will be ok. After you taking the time explaining everything in detail to help a stranger, me, is so overwhelming I am literally speechless! I am so appreciative for all you’ve done for me, I am lost for words. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to educate me on this very annoying infection in which I didn’t know how I caught it but thanks to you, now I know. It actually doesn’t surprise me though. As long as I can remember, I have always had a problem with my vagina starting at a very young age. However, I never knew why I was always prone in catching female annoying problems. I have always had an impeccable hygiene routine, maybe a little too much at times but nevertheless, I hold personal hygiene to the highest standard even when I am depressed over this matter. For the majority of my life I have always weighed at a normal healthy weight and my diet being moderate meaning average not too horrible but could be better. I have never been promiscuous, I don’t have a healthy libido its always been low but now its non existent. I have a clean record on STD’s, never caught any diseases in that area. So, with that said, I never knew why I was always prone to catching yeast infections, bladder infection, psoriasis skin infection, all developed down there. I have been prescribed many antibiotics more than I can count, I guess that is what ultimately lead to this monster, which it doesn’t surprise me, it was just matter of time for it to catch up to me. Again, thank you so much for taking the time in not only helping me but so many people who are in the dark like I was. I will graciously accept your instructions and execute it ASAP!!! However, if I do run into any problems, thank you for allowing me to contact you again. Before I close, I want to wish you and all your love ones the Merriest Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year. My New Year resolution is going to be to finally tackle this monster once and for all and because of you, you have made it possible!!! XOXOXO :))))
OMG!!!! I was diagnosed with this 2 years ago and my obgyn doctor told me that she had been in practice for over 25+ years and has never come across my diagnosed with Glabrata before and didn’t know how to treat it. I thought she was stupid for not knowing her job but after reading this very informative article I understand it now why my doctor couldn’t help me and not only her but plus 5 other doctors as well. I saw total of 6 doctors none could find a cure for my constant vulva itch. Also, the 10 most popular medications were prescribed to me and nothing worked. I still don’t know how I caught this, everything that was mentioned doesn’t apply to me so I am more confused than ever as to how I caught this annoying fungus infection. If I can’t fight this how long do I have until I start getting really sick and what are the common symtoms I should look out for? I have been suffering from a constant vulva itch for the past 5 years and I am literally at the end of my rope. I have pretty much lost all hope especially after reading this article it pretty much confirms what I have been dreading. However, I want to thank the person who wrote this very important article because now I know what I am really dealing with and not so much in the dark. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain and share your story to help others like me.
I was diagnosed with a yeast infection while pregnant. After many courses of azoles and nothing helping my midwife did a culture that came back positive for C. Glabrara. I did boric acid treatment which also did not help. I gave up on treatment and now that I am no longer pregnant I don’t have the same symptoms, but I’m curious if I am still positive for c. Glabrata. Is it possible it can go away on its own? Should I have another culture done?
Hi Gayle, congratulations on your new baby! I would say that if you are having no symptoms then your own body may have taken care of the Glabrata along with the change in your hormonal balance from the pregnancy. There are cases of Glabrata infections disappearing with some of the treatments were you on along with the body taking care of it on its own too. Many women get exposed to Glabrata and never even know it because their bodies recognize it and their immune systems kick in with full force. If their hormones are and vaginal area are healthy (meaning the flora is full of good healthy bacteria and the moisture along with the PH are in balance) the body usually can take care of the infection all on its own, much like it does with hundreds of other strains that we humans come in contact with on a daily basis. It is when our bodies are compromised by under lying conditions, other meds we are taking, poor diet or life style and hormonal and or flora imbalances that these infections can take off and procreate until we have rip roaring infections. However, it sounds like you were one of the lucky ones, whose body was able to combat it all on its own. So, if you are having no symptoms then I would not bother doing a culture and instead focus on your new baby! If you still had an active infection you would know about it, so unless you start up with symptoms don’t worry about. Good luck to you
Hi there, I have had vagina glabrata for 5 months now, I got it after being prescribed high dosage antibiotics. It took I while for the doctor to confirm what it was as I was being treated for albicans to start with, then I got nystatin for two weeks then miconaloze for two weeks now she says she is going to give me oral itraconazole for a day then for four weeks . It is getting me really down , there is nothing visible to see but the symptoms are burning ,tingling, uti symptoms, and sore with pressure when I sit. I have no normal discharge . I have lost weight. It’s affecting my marriage . I can’t understand why the drugs used proved to be sensitive against the glabrata but still didn’t work , oh and I have two strains of it which probably makes it worse. I was considering using some essential oils on a tampon to see if that works , as I saw that in candida hub , I am in th uk , please someone help before I start to go mad .
Hi Iona, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this nightmare, unfortunately, using broad spectrum antibiotics or high doses of antibiotics for extended periods of time is usually what sets this infection off. The sad thing is that OB/Gyne are very unaware to look for this infection when a woman comes in complaining of these symptoms after being treated with these antibiotics, so many women like yourself end up suffering needlessly for months. I will say it again on here that this infection is like no other type of fungal infection and totally disrupts every part of your life. It is an intense burning that effects the nerves within the vagina causing unrelenting nerve pain and burning. It can feel as though someone has literally doused the vagina with acid then rubbed crushed glass in there. It can make going to the bathroom an ultra painful experience, that even for me would bring tears to my eyes as I urinated. I would try to drink less throughout the day just so I would not have to pee so much (which was not a good idea and only created other problems), but I totally understand what you are going through. The reason you cannot see anything when looking at the vagina is because Glabrata is a different kind of fungus all together, this fungus does not create hyphae like other strains of fungus and it is the hyphae that creates the white cheesy like discharge that you see in the vagina with other strains. So, with Glabrata having no hyphae there is no creamy white or curdled white discharge to be seen. Instead what happens is that it dries up the vaginal walls where it is attaching to and then it creates a thickened biofilm wall that covers the vagina. This biofilm is usually clear to a grayish white (often looking more like a bacterial infection instead of a fungal infection) and it protects the fungus from anything that may actually treat it. The biofilm is usually thick and sticky and can have a very distinct smell to it, but unfortunately, most doctors do not recognize it and so many times they cannot see what is happening in the vagina, leaving women to go undiagnosed for long periods of time. Between the biofilm and the infection itself, it can cause severe pain, burning, swelling, redness and some itching. So, that’s why you do not see anything. As for the reason why drugs that are suppose to treat it in vitro (in the petry dish) do not work in vivo (which means in your body) like they show in the lab, is because all drugs are subject to the human body condition. This means that in the petry dish conditions are set up like they should be in a healthy vagina, but each women’s vagina is uniquely different due to under lying medical conditions, lifestyle habits, hygiene habits, medications, diet, hormonal balances etc.. It is these conditions that change the PH balance, the flora and the integrity of the vaginal wall, which in turns changes how the drugs work. On top of this you have several strains of Glabrata and depending on the strain and where you picked it up at, it can be a strain that has been formerly treated with “Azole” drugs and it has now become resistant to it, so this class of drugs no longer work on it too. So, there are a lot of reasons why the drugs do not work like it shows in lab reports.
So, here is the problem, your doctor treated you with “azole” drugs but unfortunately, did not treat this infection with those drugs correctly, which has now exposed this nasty infection to this class of drugs and if it wasn’t a resistant strain to them, it is now! First when it comes to the “azole” drugs the topical ones will have no effect on this infection, other than to make them resistant to it. She needed to try and treat you with oral fluconazole right from the beginning but she would have had to have treated you with 800mgs. a day for three to five months for that to work. However, most likely you would not have been able to tolerate that amount and would have had to have stopped it. There also would have been no guarantee that it would have worked anyway, but it is always worth a try. So, her wanting to treat now with oral itraconazole will more than likely do nothing except cause you a lot of nasty side effects (and put your liver at risk for damage because Itraconazole is very toxic to the liver, more so than the other Azole drugs). It will be ineffective now because it has now been exposed to – to low of a dose of the “azoles” which have now given it the opportunity to change itsself so that it can become resistant to it. As for using essential oils on a tampon to treat it, is also going to do nothing, this is because you are dealing with Glabrata which is not a normal candidias, it is known as a non-candidias fungal infection, which means the usual treatments (both pharmaceutical and natural) are not effective against it. This goes back to it not having hyphae and its ability to adapt to any conditions (PH balances), drugs (like the ones you have been treated with) and natural treatments (boric acid, essential oils, gentian violet, etc..) that it is exposed to. The site you got treating information from is one that helps you to treat difficult strains of candidias but you do not have this, so again this will do nothing and actually may make the situation worse. I would seriously suggest not attempting this, your vaginal walls are in a very raw state and you are dealing with a fungal infection that has a totally different chemical make up then normal candidias infections, so it may not interact very well with essential oils, causing more severe burning , swelling and pain and because your nerves are being attacked (which normal candidias does not do) you risk further damaging them with essential oils.
So, here is what I would suggest to you, you need to download the studies I have posted on here to other women and take them into your doctor. These studies explain why the drugs she has been treating you with, which showed sensitive in vitro have failed in you. The studies then goes on to show how using the ampho B / Flucytosine gel clears this infection when everything else has failed. Now I know you are in the UK and from what I have heard from other women in the UK is that Flucytosine is not available in your country, but that is ok, you can still use just the ampho B gel in the vagina and hopefully it will work by itself, but you may need to be treated more than once. The one study gives the formula for making the gel, so that your doctor has it. You are unfortunately going to have educate your doctor and if she is not open to this then you may need to find another one that is. I would also suggest implementing the diet, hygiene and environmental suggestions that I have posted on here to other women. (these can be started right away, even before treatment begins). It will be very important for you to start these as soon as possible and stick with them because you are not going to have the Flucytosine with your ampho B. I can tell you that even without treatment many women have found that just starting these suggestions make a big difference in the level of your symptoms. Unfortunately, it will not clear the infection but it can tone it down and it will definitely help to rid it during treatment and keep it from coming back. If you have any problem finding the studies to bring into your doctor or the diet and hygiene suggestions on here let me know and I will email them to you.
There is one more thing I want to bring up with you that is important. I do not know if you have had another culture done since trying the treatments which seemed to have failed, but if not you probably should get re-checked. I say this because sometimes the infection (if you have a mild treatable strain) can disappear but you will feel as though it has not cleared because you are still suffering with the what feels like the same symptoms of it. The problem is that Glabrata effects the vaginal nerves and sometimes in rare cases it can set them off and even once the infection is gone the nerves do not realize this and so they continue to tell the brain that the infection is still there. When this happens you get left with what is known as vulvadynia, which requires a whole different treatment plan. Now I do not think this is what has happened to you because none of the treatments you have tried have been correct for this infection, but there is always that possibility, so I would suggest another culture if you have not had one recently. I will also say that very few OB/ Gyne’s are very aware of vulvadynia and often misdiagnose it as a vaginal infection when it is not. If you end up with vulvadynia you will need to be seen and treated by a vaginal pain specialist and it must be treated as soon as possible because it can become very painful and very disabling. It can also spread through the puedendal nerves and begin to effect not only the vagina but also the bladder and colon. It can become so painful that you are unable to walk, sit or even wear clothes. It can also cause bladder and colon pain and change the way both of those organs work. When you get vulvadynia it can cause redness, mild swelling and either no discharge or an unusual discharge in the vagina. So, it is important for you to have another culture done to make sure you are still dealing with Glabrata. I would also suggest that if you do have it and get treated for it with the ampho B gel, if you continue to have symptoms two weeks after you have finished the meds then you need to get another culture before retrying the gel again. I say this because this infection is known to damage the nerves and create vulvadynia and you need to know what you are dealing with so that you are treating the right thing. I hope this helps you and I wish you the best of luck. If you need help with the studies or hygiene suggestions please let me know.
Hi and thanks for getting back to me so quickly , I get all you say, but one thing I forgot to say is that during and after any treatment the symptoms get worse and I know it’s not side effects from the drugs ,it’s the same feelings bur worse, so I just wondered why that was . And also if you would be so kind as to email me the studies for me to forward to my doctor . I had a swab taken last week so should get the results back beginning of next week. If they are positive (which they defo will be) then that’s when she was going to start me on itraconazole . My email is doodlegsmith@btinternet.com , thanks again wish there was more people who knew as mush as you .
Hi Iona, it can be common to experience a worsening of symptoms during and after the type of treatments you have had. The reason for this is that Glabrata is a unique fungal infection that can adapt to any kind of PH environment, this infection also is one that usually only finds it way into becoming a full blown infection when the hosts body has been compromised, especially by other infections. Due to these unique characteristics Glabrata is rarely found living by itself. It usually is found living alongside a bacterial or candidias infection (because it can live in both PH environments). It is usually one of these infections that have compromised the vaginal flora, PH and integrity of the vaginal wall, which has opened the door for you to come down with this infection once you have been exposed to it. So, what usually happens is your Gyne tests for the usual infections and not Glabrata and when one of those infections come back positive they prescribe the usual treatments for one of them. Things like Metro gel for bacterial or one of the azole’s for the candidias. Here is the thing though, all of these infections are competing for vaginal space, which in turn helps to keep the symptoms from Glabrata down because it cannot take over the entire area and flourish. You then start taking one of these treatments to treat the usual infections and you end up wiping out the Glabrata’s competition, now opening the door for this infection to take over. Besides this the drugs you use for these other infections will have no effect on the Glabrata, including the azole drugs because they are not prescribed at a high enough dose or for a long enough period of time to eradicate the Glabrata, so you just end up aggravating it and because of no competition it ends up spreading leaving you in complete misery. The other problem with using the incorrect drugs or wiping out the other infections first is that the drugs you are using also changing the PH balance and integrity of the vagina again. Most of the them will dry the vagina up further and weaken the flora defenses which plays right into making this infection stronger. All of this will cause a worsening of symptoms during treatment and after wards.
There is also a second reason that could be going on along with the one I just said or all by itself. The second reason is that Glabrata is different than candidias. You see, candidias lives on the surface of the vaginal wall and fills the vaginal cavity, but Glabrata lives within the walls of the vagina and digs down into the epithiel layers where the nerves live and it wraps itself around the nerves. (think of it like a plant wrapping its roots around the nerves), it then creates a biofilm that adheres the walls of the inside of the cavity. This biofilm is noxious and irritating and begins to break down the walls integrity (kind of how a leaky gut happens in irritable bowel syndrome). When this happens the walls become inflamed, red, swollen and painful, but besides this it creates an opening for chemicals to pass into the deeper tissues where they should not be, therefore effecting the already inflamed nerves even more. It is like you have lost your protective barrier that protects you from the noxious ingredients in many of the meds you are using to treat the infedctions with. So, the meds then irritate the already inflamed weakened walls and make your symptoms worse. Once this happens it can take quite a while for the tissues to heal due to the fact that the vagina is a moist dark area, which then can leave you feeling worse even after the treatment has stopped. With a Glabrata infection still active you have no chance of healing at all in this area too. With each subsequent ineffective med you can consistently change the PH balance, irritate the walls and inflame the entire area leaving you in terrible misery.
So, this is more than likely why treatments are so painful during and after the use of meds. Now let me just say this to you, from what you are saying here it sounds as though your vagina is very “angry” and quite inflamed right now, right along with your nerves in that area, so when you go to use the ampho B gel please understand that this med will more than likely cause a worsening of your symptoms too. It is not that the drug is not working, but it is because you are so inflamed right now. The amphotericin B is a very acid drug that can be very noxious to the tissues and burn quite badly. Even for women who are not as inflamed as you, it can cause a mild burning stinging sensation. Because of the high acid content of this drug and its ability to burn tissues it is very important that your compound pharmacist make this drug according to the directions and put it in a water base gel only, this way the gel has no ability to adhere for any length of time in the vagina. In essence you are using it to wash out the vagina, but even at this with the condition you are describing it is going to more than likely have a good sting and burn to it. Again it is not that it is not working, it is only because of the condition you are in. So, please fight through it and finish the entire med. This drug has a very high cure rate if used correctly and if it does not clear it the first time around then the second time should do it, even without the flucytosine. The only people who do not clear the infection from this drug are usually women who have uncontrolled diabetes, HIV, or some other immune compromised condition, which it does not sound like that is going to be your issue.
Finally, let me say a few things here, first once you have finished the meds do NOT get re-checked even if you are still feeling like you have Glabrata for at least three weeks. Here is the reason why, first it is more than likely that the infection is gone, but your vaginal tissues are going to need time to heal, so don’t get overly concerned if you still are burning, just give it time. Secondly, if you get cultured before three weeks you can get a false negative because when they swab you they are only taking a very small amount and they will not only be grabbing Glabrata cells that may be left in there but they will also be grabbing some of the ampho B med, so when they try to culture it out the little bit of Glabrata will be killed in the petry dish by the little bit of ampho gel that also got swabbed up, so you can get a false negative. Now if the you reach a point three weeks down the road from stopping the meds and you are still having symptoms then you need to get re-checked. If the culture comes back positive then you will need to retreat again, this should kick it once and for all. If it doesn’t then you need to email and we an discuss other options but this would be very rare to happen. However, I really would encourage you to follow the diet and hygiene suggestions while doing treatment and for at least a month afterwards to really give your body a fighting chance to help the meds kick this infection. Finally, I want to let you know that if you are still having symptoms and your doctor re-checks you at the three week mark and your culture comes back negative, then please believe your doctor because it is more than likely correct. It will mean that you have more than likely developed vulvadynia from the infection and at this point you need to raise this diagnosis with your gyne and talk about treatments for this. I say this because vulvadynia is almost always caused by a severe traumatic injury to the vagina, and that injury could be caused by an infection of this nature. Your symptoms right now definitely put you at risk for developing this and it is not uncommon in situations like this. Let me also just say that the symptoms of vulvadynia can feel just like the Glabrata infection and the look of the vagina can be the same as with a Glabrata infection, so you will not know the difference without a culture. If it turns out that you have developed vulvadynia then you will need correct treatment for that as soon as possible so that it does not spread through the nerves and create more problems through the bladder and colon. Plus you have a better chance at recovery with it if you catch it earlier.
Well, I hope this answers your questions and I will email you the studies too for your doctor. I hope things go well for you and please let me know how it all turns out. Thank you
Hi thanks very much for your email, I am going to forward them to my doctor but if she insists that I take the itraconazole and doesn’t want to give me the others I will try and find another doctor. Oh and I found out today that you do get the gel with both drugs in it in the uk but I think they said the amphotericin b was out of stock at the moment so they may have to use caspofungin instead , would that be ok?. But I don’t know how long it will be before I eventually get this. I hope my symptoms become a bit better by then. Is there anything you could recommend for pain relief at the moment for my discomfort. And also what the hell happens if this doesn’t work either, I am already losing the will to live. I am 40 next year and going to New York in April wonder if I will going solo or if the beast will be hitching a ride. Thank you again your help is so much appreciated. Xxx
Hi, Iona, my heart goes out to you, I know your suffering very well and I know that feeling of wanting to give up. I know the incredible pain that this infection causes and how it can consume your entire life. It makes everything you do and every moment of your day filled with incredible pain that is not like any other infection, but I promise you that if you can get this med this will all end for you within days. I have been down the road you are traveling more than once and the first time around I lived like that for nine months, and thought I was doomed to stay like that forever! Like you and many of the ladies on here I was tried on every drug out there which only served to make things worse and of course fail just like you guys. This is why I wrote this article, so that I could reach others like you and let you know there is an effective treatment out there, but unfortunately we women have to teach our doctors because they are just unaware of this infection and the correct treatments for it. But you found this site and you are now armed with what you need to get better, so you just have to hang in there until you are able to access the meds, don’t give up there is hope and an end to this nightmare!
As far as the gel is concerned, it MUST be the amphotericin B, the Caspofungin does not work in the same way as the ampho and it will not work against this infection topically. Caspofungin does work to kill this infection but only when given through the IV, but I will tell you that even when given through the IV it has a very low success rate against Glabrata too. I have actually used this drug for about five weeks through the IV when the infection was in my colon and my vagina, it was the first drugs they used on me and even then I was told by the Infectious disease doctor that it had a success rate of less than 60%. It failed miserably and we needed to move to the amphotericin B through the IV. I ended up on IV drugs for a total of five months in order to clean this beast up. I then got it back two more times in the vagina and twice in the throat. However, when it is located in the vagina or mouth and throat you can use the ampho B topically, which is much safer and it does work. I continued to keep getting it back due to some underlying conditions and not following the diet and hygiene suggestions I listed below. Once I changed all that I stopped getting it back, but each time I got it the ampho B / flucytosine killed it, so this med does work like a charm. So, if your pharmacy does not have it in stock right now, then you will either need to find another pharmacy that does or you will have to wait it out because the caspofungin works in a totally different way and does not work topically, so hang in there.
There are a few things you can do to try and help the pain right now. First if you are taking baths right now stop doing that and go to showers. When in the shower try to let the warm water run over that area and use Dove hypoallergenic soap to wash the area. Do not use other types of soaps or washes right now because they have other abrasives and perfumes that will just ramp up the sting. Secondly, when you get out of the shower use your towel to pat the area dry, do not wipe it with the towel because it sets it off. Then use your blow dryer on the cool setting and wave it back and forth over the area to fully dry it, the cool air will feel good too. Once the area is fully dried then get dressed but only wear loose cotton under wear and if you are having any kind of discharge use a panty liner that you can change as soon as you feel it get damp. When wiping after going to the bathroom make sure to pat yourself dry not do not wipe the area because again it will set it off. If the outside area around the vagina is inflamed as well you can use Indian clay which you can buy right off of Amazon. You will mix 1/2 tsp. of the powder with 1 1/2 tsp. of water and once it makes a clay consistency you can smear it over the area and let it sit on there for about 5 to 15 minutes then get into the shower and let the water run over it to wash it off. This will help to naturally bring down the inflammation, redness and any swelling, but it is only to be used on the outside of the vagina and around the anus if it has spread to that area. You can also try applying destin or another baby diaper rash cream that contains zinc to the outside areas, it should help to soothe it and tone down the redness and burn. Stay away from drinking or eating anything with caffeine right now because when you pee it out it will ignite that area! Also follow the suggestions for all other diet and hygiene suggestions because it will start to make a difference too. The last thing you can try is too have your doctor prescribe you some metro gel and you can inset this into the vagina, it will not treat the Glabrata but it has a soothing component in it (the metronitazole has a natural anti-inflammatory reaction) that will help to bring down the inflammation on the inside of the vagina (you can even smear it around the outside of the vagina or rectum if you are inflamed there too), it will feel cool and soothing to the area and this can be done every night up to about five days before you are ready to start the ampho gel. Do not use it within five days of starting ampho gel because it needs time to clear out of vagina so that the ampho can reach all the tissues in the vagina. All of the suggestions (except for the metro gel) can be used several times a day including showers. These things should help to bring down some of the inflammation and redness as well as the deep burning sensation.
Well, I hope this helps you and I hope you can access this med sometime soon and please know that once you get the med it only takes 14 days and then this nightmare will be over, so please hang in there, because you will make it to New York solo!!!!!
Hi just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse I have found out today direct from the pharmacy that they haven’t had amphotericin b for more then 2 years and they use nystatin instead with the flucytcosine and they are the only place in the uk that makes anything like this , there is nothing else I can do now.
Iona, are you sure they that it is just this pharmacy that cannot obtain the ampho B, because I have dealt with several other women in the UK who were able to obtain Ampho B. Matter of fact they were able to get it this summer, just a few months ago. I would try calling around to other compound pharmacies, because I am not sure that you are getting the correct information. I can tell you that Nystatin even when combined with flucytosine is worthless. First Glabrata is completely resistant to Nystatin, you would have better luck with a high dose azole drug for three months then with nystatin. Let me also explain that flucytosine does NOT kill Glabrata at all, it has no effect on it, so it is a worthless drug without the ampho B. You see you add the flucytosine with the ampho B because the flucytosine is a very old chemo drug that has the ability to crack open the outer shell of the Glabrata cell, which then allows the medicine (ampho B) to enter the cell and attack its DNA, so it is the ampho B that does the work of killing Glabrata, NOT the flucytosine. Flucytosine is also combined with the ampho B because it helps to keep the Glabrata from becoming resistant to the ampho B after one use, so should the Glabrata not be fully killed the first time around, it should keep it from becoming resistant to it so that you can use a second and even a third time if necessary. So, Nystatin mixed with flucytosine is going to be a waste of your time and money and may even end up inflaming you worse then you already are.
At this point I have a few suggestions for you, first I would try calling around to any compounding pharmacies, even ones that are very far from you because most will ship the drug to you, so check around. The second thing I would suggest, is if you cannot obtain it then you need to bring in the studies I gave you so that you can talk to your doctor about somehow finding this treatment, she/ he may have other options for you to obtain it, even through a hospital pharmacy, because this drug is carried in every country because it is the only known drug to treat very serious fungal infections in HIV and end stage cancer patients who get these infections quite often, so the hospital pharmacy should have it on hand. If she is unable to help you obtain it too, then have her read the studies and do some research on how to correctly prescribe an azole and if she is going to prescribe one then the best option of all of them is going to be voriconazole, it does have some success in treating Glabrata, but I will tell you that you have to take high doses for long periods of time and the side effects can be pretty bad including nervous system symptoms, it also does not have a high success rate with curing Glabrata especially in the vaginal area and especially when other azole drugs have failed but it may be your best shot. This combined with boric acid and the diet and hygiene suggestions may do it. If all this fails then you may have to try and obtain the ampho B gel here in the US when you come to visit NY. You would need to call a compound pharmacy here to find out if they will honor a prescription from your doctor there and then have them send it to where you are staying in NY, or you can take a flight to the pharmacy to pick it up. One of the pharmacies here that make it and ship anywhere here in the US is Leesilsby pharmacy in Ohio. You can look them up on the internet at http://www.leesilsby.com you can also try calling them and asking if they ship out of country too. If they do not ship out of country or will not honor a doctors prescription from there then you are going to need to find a doctor here to visit when you come to NY. Unfortunately, I do not know any doctors in NY, but if you can make a short over night trip to Chicago when you are here visiting I can get you in with one here. These are the best things I can come up with and hope one of them will work for you. Let me know what happens and good luck to you.
Thanks again will be in touch. X
Hi Debra, I just wondered if was ok to email you now instead of on this thread, I got my swab results back and they were what I thought , a profuse grow , I am still waiting to see the doctor and haven’t had any luck trying to find the drugs , do u think u could ask the women from the uk where they got them from . Sorry for being a pest but I don’t know where else to turn , thanks Iona x
Hi there , I am seeing a top gyne in London next week about all this, I have done some research on vulvodynia and seems that is what I have due the glabrata , but I am not sore to touch. Do you think it will still be ok to have the combined gel with this problem? Also I am going to ask my doctor to test me again for helicobaktor pillory ( sorry for the spelling) (the stomach bacteria ) as I have had some symptoms of it again and wouldn’t like to get rid of this then to be treated with more antibiotics for it then to return. Hope u r well
Many thanks Iona
Hi Iona, so sorry to hear of all the problems you are having and sorry it took me so long to respond back, I have been out of town and out of internet access. Anyway, I will try to ask the other ladies where they got their meds from, they are actually on this thread, so I just have to look back on it and find them and ask and then hope they respond back to us.
As far as using the gel with vulvadynia, it is fine to use it, it will not make it worse and if you still have Glabrata it may even help to calm it down, so if you can get the gel definitely use it. However, if you are going to use antibiotics to treat the Hy-pylori then you will want to use the antibiotics first and just deal with the Glabrata until you are finished with the antibiotics, then go ahead and treat the Glabrata. If you use it first and then use antibiotics right away, it will for sure come back and be even harder to treat with the gel, so wait until you are done with the antibiotics.
Now if you have vulvadynia due to the Glabrata, you will need to talk to your doctor about the specific treatment for that which can be done while you are using the gel. Vulvadynia as you may have read it a real hit or miss kind of disease to treat, meaning there is no real one cure fits all, it will take time to fine the right treatment and meds to treat you, so be patient, it does get better for most women, but it can be a long process, just make sure you get any and all infections treated and make sure your hormones are in balance and the vaginal PH is balanced, these are the first things that need to be addressed when trying to find a treatment that works.
Well, I will try to find out where the other ladies got their meds and let you know. please keep me informed on how you are doing. I wish you the best.
Hi there Debra, just wanted your advice about something and to update you on my story . It is impossible to get the combined gel here in the uk, so the only option I have is flucytcosine / nystatin combo. I was going to try it and and if doesn’t work I would like to try going to an country to obtain it. I did email the pharmacy you mentioned in the US but haven’t heard back, I don’t know how to go about finding out if another other EU countries offer it. But there is another oroblem came up, I have been sore and bleeding from the anus, I thought it was my pile at first but when I looked there are little cuts and must be some instead that are sore and bleed after I poo and also bleed during the day . I went to the doctor and she wasn’t sure but took a swab which I got back today and it turns out I have a bacterial infection so they want to give me more antibiotics. I haven’t started the flucytcosine/nystatin cream yet so will have to wait till I get rid if this, just wanted your opinion on all this , oh and the symphtoms of the glabrata have settled a bit , probs because there is more flora down there but the antibiotics will soon wipe them out again and the thought of that feeling again makes me scared. Many thanks Iona x
Hi Iona, sorry there is no reply button under your newest post, so I am using this reply button to post back to you. I am so sorry to hear of everything you are going through. You really are having a time of it lately! First I think you have no choice but to try the Flucytosine / Nystatin since you cannot obtain the ampho. So, let me explain, the Flucytosine is not the drug that actually kills Glabrata, it is a very old chemo drug that acts by breaking through the cells wall to expose the nucleus and DNA, which is what allows for the cell to stay alive and replicate. It is often used in conjunction with ampho in hard to treat Glabrata cases or ones that have become resistant to the ampho by itself. This way the flucytosine breaks open the wall and allows for the ampho to get in there and do its job of breaking up the DNA, therefore killing the cell. It is also used along with ampho to help prevent Glabrata from being able to become resistant to the ampho, therefore buying you a few more chances if necessary to use the ampho should you not clear it the first time around.
When it comes to Nystatin, it used to be the first line of treatment against Glabrata as well as many other fungal infections, but in the early years of HIV, it became over used, mostly because it was the only option. It lost its ability to be effective against almost all strains of fungus back in the early nineties, but thankfully the “azoles” came into existence and took its place, saving many lives. Since the “azole” revolution Nystatin has become the last line treatment when the “azoles” fail and the person has repeated recurrent infections with a fungus. What they have found is that it is not so good for the kill but it does have some efficacy in keeping it from coming back. So, in HIV women who have recurrent infections with Glabrata the doctors will treat with the ampho gel and then follow up with six to nine months of nystatin, with the hopes it keeps it from coming back and becoming resistant to the ampho gel.
So, here is my opinion, I think first you have no choice but to try it at this point, but secondly I think you may have a chance at killing it too. Here is why I think this. You see, Nystatin is a drug not commonly used against this infection anymore, so it may be able to work on it because your strain may have never been exposed to it. But here is also why I think it may work and that is because you are pairing with the Flucytosine, so even if the strain you got has been exposed to it and it is resistant to it, it may just be that the wall has the ability to stop the Nystatin from getting in and doing its job. This is often seen with the “azole” drugs and even the ampho gel in hard to treat Glabrata cases, so by pairing it with Flucytosine which can go in and open the wall it gives the Nystatin a chance to get into the nucleus and disrupt or kill the DNA. Something it otherwise could not do on its own. So, I think you may have a good chance at killing it with this. There are no studies that I can find that show the two of these drugs being combined to treat it, so I cannot say for sure if it will work, but by theory it should do it. Nystatin is also not an “azole” drug, so it works in a different way to kill, which is very important when it comes to Glabrata. The “azoles” action of kill is based on changing the PH balance which is ineffective against Glabrata but Nystatin works by disrupting the cells ability to replicate with certain chemicals, but that is as long as it can get into the cell. So, Nystatin has a better chance at killing it then any of the “azoles”, so pairing it with the Flucytosine could work. So, keep your hopes up and your fingers crossed!
Now I would definitely not start it until you have finished the antibiotics or you will for surely put yourself at high risk of getting it back, so just hang in there until you are done treating the bacterial infection.
Here is the one thing I want to bring up with you too, Glabrata has the ability to infect the anal area as well as around the outside of the vaginal area (vulva, inner thighs, etc,,). If it spreads to the anal area you can get a break down (fissures, sores or even ulcers) with bleeding of the area from it. It can also be very painful and even itch too. So I am hoping your doctors also tested for Glabrata when doing the swab. Unfortunately, Like I have said before Glabrata has the ability to live alongside both bacteria and other fungus’s, because of its ability to live in any kind of a PH environment. So, it is not uncommon to be tested for a bacterial infection and have that come back positive, but they miss the Glabrata because they are not testing for it. So, I hope your doctor tested for it too with the swab. If not, the antibiotics will kill the bacteria infection but you may not feel any different in that area and that will be because you still have the Glabrata there. So, if your doctor did not test for it, don’t worry about it for now, just use the antibiotics, but if you are still left with pain, burning, fissures, etc.. then know it is probably the glabrata and you can either have her swab you for it or you can just start using the Flucytosine / Nystatin. However, when using it, make sure to save enough of it to smear a pea size amount on that area too each night. This should treat that area as well.
I would also suggest that while on the antibiotics you beef up your prebiotics and probiotics to help combat the flora destruction they are going to wreak on you. You can make a green drink each morning using kale and or spinach, cucumber, carrot, Romaine, celery and half of a green apple. You can also add in things like lemon or ginger or even limes for the taste, but this is a really good prebiotic drink. Then you can take your probiotics three to four times a day and I would try to use at least two to three different brands with different strains (make sure one of them is Reuteri because this feeds the other probiotics and helps them to adhere to the mucosal wall). You can also add 4 to 6 ozs. of Kefir a day which is very high in great probiotics. Finally, stay away from processed foods which contain a lot of high sugars and stay away from all sugars too. All of this should help to maintain or even build your good flora while on the antibiotics. If you do these things remember to continue to do them for at least 10 days after stopping the antibiotics because that is how long they will still be active in your system. By beefing up your good bacteria you may be able to keep the Glabrata under some control while going through the antibiotics, which in turn will help to keep the nasty symptoms from getting out of control again and making your life a living nightmare! Also make sure to keep the area dry especially after showering or bathing and wear cotton underwear at all times, this too will help to make the environment not Glabrata friendly!
Well I hope this helps and I wish you the best, please let me know how it all goes. I would love to know how the Flucytosine / Nystatin works for you and it would be another great option for women to know about in case they too are unable to obtain the ampho, so please let us know. If it does not work, please also let me know and maybe together we can find a way or another EU place for you to get the ampho gel (I will try calling the pharmacy here to find out about shipping it out of country too.) , but I really hope this is your answer! Good luck to you and let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.
Thanks for your replay will be in touch x
Thanks for your reply , I forgot to ask one more thing I have the option to take the nystatin first on its own before I take the combined cream the doctor said it could help the symptoms men time,so you think that is a good idea or not , I have once been treatment with nystatin before which did reduce it a bit but then came back bad again.
Many thanks iona, p.s how do I next reply as they have all been used up? X
Hi Iona, sorry once again this is the closest reply button that I can reply back, but this reply is in response to your last question. In regards to your question to “using the Nystatin by itself in the meantime”, I would NOT do that especially since you have already used it by itself. This infection has a very high and quick resistance rate to anything you use. First Nystatin is not known to kill this infection, but instead only to knock it back, which is exactly what sounds like has happened to you in the past. The problem is if you use it again on its own, you may find that this time it does not even have the ability to knock it back, making this drug useless all together, which is NOT what you want to do since you cannot obtain the ampho gel. You may or may not have only one more shot with the Nystatin where it has any efficacy against it and you want to make sure it is when you pair it with the Flucytosine. So, I would really, really encourage you to wait it out until the antibiotics are done, then pair it with the Flucytosine. In the meantime try taking sits baths with 1/4 cup of Borax in it. The Borax is NOT a bleach as some people think, it is made of natural minerals and it does not burn or do anything bad. It is an old wives treatment for skin irritations and arthritis. Back before there were meds like steroids, it was prescribed as the treatment for psoriasis and arthritis and it works very well. I use it a lot for my leg pains and skin problems, but it has the calming ability even in the vaginal area to calm down the burn and itch. If that does not work you can have your doctor prescribe metro gel, which is used for vaginal bacteria infections but is also used as a soothing agent for women who have undiagnosed vaginal irritation and vulvadynia. and that is because metronitazole is a natural anti-inflammatory. I used it a lot prior to being diagnosed with my Glabrata. It will tone it down enough for you to get by until you start treatment and can be combined with the Borax sits baths. The one thing I want to tell you though is if you use the metro gel, you must stop it a week prior to starting treatment because it needs to be fully gone from the vagina, otherwise the Nystatin / Flucytosine will not be able to hit all the areas of the vagina and it will be ineffective. These are the two best options, however you could also try having your doctor prescribe oral Diflucan or even topical Triconazole cream. Now these two options have the least ability to help knock back the symptoms but they are something else to try. Once again if you use the Triconazole cream or any other vaginal preparation you need to stop it a week prior to starting the treatment. I personally would use the first two options I mentioned because they are going to be the most likely to calm things down for you and the metro gel like I said is a natural anti-inflammatory so it will definitely take down any swelling even though it is not killing the infection, which in turn will help with the burn and pain. In any case I would NOT use that Nystatin until you are ready to pair it with the Flucytosine! I hope this helps, good luck to you
Hi, the flucuytosineAnderson i have been reading your story and from all the doctors i have been, you are the one closest on knowing and being familiar with these subject (beast as we all call it). I would like to know how was it that you knew you had glarabata in your colon, because i know i have it in the vagina because of the cultures but how would i know if it has gone to other parts of my body, like i had mentioned before all of the thousands of doctors I’ve seen dont even know what candida is
Hi Victoria, I found out that I had it in the colon before I even knew I had it in the vagina. You see, I had a vaginal infection for about nine months and my doctors kept treating me for bacterial and candidia infections but it never got better no matter what I took. In fact by month sixth I was in desperation and even thought about ending my life because I thought I was going to have to live the rest of my life like that and it was horrible!!! By then it had spread to the outer area of the vagina and up into the rectum and up the butt crack. I could not sit, walk, sleep, pee or have a bowel movement or move without severe pain. By month nine my stomach started to act up with nausea, diarrhea and cramping. Within about three days of that I was doubled over in such severe pain that I thought I was literally going to die. I had already stopped eating days before and I could barely leave the bathroom because I could not stop having diarrhea. That night I literally crawled up onto the toilet crying out in pain and then filled it with blood. It was then that I knew I was in serious trouble and we headed for the hospital. I was admitted and put on IV’s and meds to help stop the diarrhea and pain. the next day a GI doctor scoped me from top to bottom and took biopsies and cultures. At first the doctors had no idea what was happening all the original testing was coming back negative, but the whole GI tract was inflamed and breaking down. The GI doc I had decided to send off cultures for rare things and in the meantime I was kept in the hospital off of food and liquids and living on IV’s and heavy pain meds. I was in misery!!!!! It would take three weeks before the preliminary culture came back and it was positive for Glabrata. It was then that they decided to test the vaginal area as well for it and it too would come back positive. The doctors were shocked because this was an infection that they thought only happens in HIV positive women or end stage cancer or in the very ill, I was none of that! They then called in Infectious disease and they ran tests for diabetes, HIV and several other things that could have lead to this infection but everything came back negative. My doctor then sat with me and went through a history and once he found out that I had been on a broad spectrum antibiotic along with steroids he knew right then that my immune system had been wiped out right along with all my good bacteria. This is what lead to my infection. From there I had a central line put in and heavy duty drugs were started. The first few would fail and we would move to the big toxic ones from there. We were beginning to see slight improvements and so I would go home on daily home IV infusions through my central line for five months trying to beat this beast.
Now let me just say that I had underlying conditions like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Lyme disease, autonomic dysfunction and Fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome, so I was already in a very weakened state with not much of an immune system to fight anything off, so when I got it somehow in the vaginal area it was only going to be a matter of time before it was going to spread to other areas, just because of my under lying conditions and wiped out immune system. Had my doctors realized I had Glabrata of the vagina months before it never would have spread, but they never thought to test me for this infection and so, it spread from the vagina to the rectum and up into the GI tract. Even after five months on drugs and being cleared of it, I would get it again in the vagina two more times and then twice in the mouth and throat. So, it took me a very long time to beat it fully. I finally kicked it for good by changing everything in my life like diet, hygiene and meds.
So, let me just say to you that it is NOT normal to get it in the GI tract or the blood (which I never had it in the blood) unless you have other under lying conditions that have left you with no immune system. For the vast majority of women who get it in their vagina’s it will never leave that area, but make no mistake it is very painful even when it is just in that area! If it were to spread to the GI tract you would know right away, this is NOT like candidia at all and it usually kills within 30 days or less when it does get into the GI tract and if it gets into your blood it can kill within 10 days. These are very serious infections that require hospitalization, IV treatments and very toxic drugs. The first symptoms of it in the GI tract is going to be nausea and very severe cramping, within about 48 hours you will have non-stop diarrhea and pain so intense that you will not be able to even sit up straight. From there you begin bleeding out and can even vomit non-stop too. You should also have a slight to high fever with it too and you will NOT be able to eat all. You will drop weight very quickly. Like I said this is not an infection that you can live very long with once it gets into your organs or blood.
In the vagina or even the throat and mouth it can easily be cleared with local amphotericin B/ flucytosine gel or mouth wash and you can live with it in these areas for a very long time without it spreading, that is as long as you do not have an underlying condition that wipes out your immune system. Which once again that would be things like end stage cancer or very long chemo treatments, HIV, uncontrolled blood sugars from diabetes or another very serious condition. So, chances are you do not have it anywhere other than your vagina and you should not worry about it spreading to other areas, but you definitely want to clean it up as soon as possible because it is very painful, life altering and can damage the nerves in the vagina, bladder and colon by causing vulvadynia or intercystial cystitis, so if you have not used the gel I would really encourage you to talk to your doctor about prescribing it. I would also encourage you to read some of the other threads on here where I have talked about hygiene, diet and probiotics, these things will definitely help your body fight it and hopefully keep it from coming back. If you have candidia in the gut these things will also help to beat that too, so it is definitely worth trying them. I hope I answered your question and maybe eased your fears. If you have any other questions please let me know and good luck to you!
How many of you all were on some form of hormonal contraception when you developed these infections? Did any of you cease taking the hormonal contraception as a way to help treat the infections? Intractable yeast infections are very common with hormonal contraceptives, we have no evidence that they glabrata is among the strains, but I cannot help but wondering if there isn’t a connection there too.
Dear Debra-Jolie Anderson,
You truly are the answer to my prayers. I am so thankful for you and you sharing your battle with this horrifying fungi with all of us women who are suffering and grasping for hope and an answer. I was diagnosed with C.Glabrata almost 2 yrs ago and have done at least 3 to 4 rounds of the boric acid suppositories and now on another round with Diflucan 200 MG for 14 days on both. You are so RIGHT ON about everything you say! You should be a doctor you could definitely replace alot of them…with all your knowledge. I need you! So what is the name of the place and doctors that you know who are familiar with treating this monster?? I am willing to go anywhere I have to go to get someone who know how to effectively treat it! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a blessing to us suffering women. I don’t even think I should finish the 12 days of treatment I have left. I think I need a prescription for the gel formula you mentioned in some of your responses to others. What do you think? How are you doing now? I hope you have finally beat the beast. I so hope you get this message! Thank you for all your time & caring!!
Hi Jessica, first let me say how sorry I am that you have been dealing with this infection for two years, I truly cannot imagine going that long without relief. For me it was nine months and that was waaaaay to long! Secondly, thank you for the kind words and I am so very glad to help other women who are suffering needlessly with this infection due to the medical fields incompetence!
So, let me say doing boric acid is useless against this infection because this little bugger has the ability to adapt to any PH environment and boric acid is only used to kill fungi by changing the PH balance, so again its useless. Boric acid is also acostic to the vaginal tissues and is absorbed systemically, so I would really refrain from using this method again, especially since it has no efficacy against Glabrata. Diflucan has a very high failure rate against Glabrata as well and there are multiple reasons for this, but in rare instances it has helped some women, however if it gets used it must be used at the correct dosage right from the get go. That dosage is 800mgs. a day for three to six months. Now this dosage is extremely high and in most cases causes such severe side effects including intolerable neurological ones that most patients cannot finish the course. Now most gyne’s either do not know that you need this high of a dosage of Diflucan to even try to combat it or they are not comfortable prescribing that high of a dosage to treat it because of its toxicity, so unfortunately, between doctors not prescribing right and patients not being able to finish the full course we have created resistant strains making the “Azole” drugs useless against this infection. I would also say here that the amount you are on is doing absolutely nothing to combat this infection and at this point you have made this infection resistant to azoles of any kind, although there was probably already a high probability that it was going to fail anyway.
Now I cannot tell you to stop any prescribed treatment that a doctor has put you on, that will have to be your decision, but I would say that what you are doing is not going to cure this infection and you have done the standard treatment which has failed as usual miserably, so you definitely need to get treated now with the amphotericin B / Flucytonsine gel. The sad thing is that the majority of gyne’s and even infectious disease doctors are unaware of this treatment and how effective it is. They are also unaware of how easy this treatment is and how it carries virtually no side effects other than some vaginal irritation during the course of treatment. It cannot be absorbed systemically because of the size of its molecules, making this not only the most effective treatment but also the least risky one, it also has the highest cure rate of any treatment. So, you are definitely going to have to find a doctor to prescribe the gel. Now I don’t know what state you live in, but there is a Dr. Sobel who is out of Wayne State University, in MI. There is also a Dr. Meghean Boston who is out of Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. (she is cheaper and easier to get into, she is also an internal medicine doctor and has experience in treating Glabrata). You can also try bringing in the case studies that show how to treat Glabrata and the formula to make it the doctor that is treating you now, sometimes it just takes educating them to get what you need. You can also try taking these same case studies into your PCP and asking them to prescribe the gel or even to a naturopath doctor. Truthfully any doctor can prescribe the gel, it does not have to be a gyne. However, if you don’t think you can get anyone you know to treat you in your area then please check out the two names I gave you above and make an appointment with one so that you can finally get the correct treatment and be rid of this beast!
I will tell you that when you do start treatment you need to change your lifestyle as well to make sure that you give your body every chance of beating this infection once and for all. Plus you do not want it to come back so you really need to make sure to follow some of the recommendations I have listed below in my response to other women. This really is important because once you get this infection you are at high risk of getting it back again and the gel just like any other meds that have been used to treat this infection only can be used a couple of times before it becomes resistant to it too and once that happens you will have no way to cure it anymore, so please make sure to follow the suggestions I listed below. As for me, I fought with this nasty infection a couple of times before figuring out that I had to change other lifestyle habits in order to keep it from coming back. Now since making those life changes I have been Glabrata free for nearly two years and I have even been on multiple courses of antibiotics and immune suppression drugs for other health reasons. So, I have definitely beaten the beast for good! I hope the same thing for you and all the other women that come on here looking for help! Well, I wish you the best and if you have any other questions please feel free to ask.
Thank you so very much Debra for getting back to me.Your message was the bright spot in my yucky feeling day!I printed all 25 pages off of the info you provided on the C. Glabrata and even highlighted the important parts for my compounding pharmacist.I gave him the formula for the gel..and made certain to tell him it had to be water based and he said that it wouldn’t keep for 14 days in the water based state and that he was going to use a different base.So now I’m scared that it will ruin my ONE shot with this medicine. What more can I do? I thought if I printed it & highlighted it that it would be simpler. I believe you can treat they just need to give you the title. I am so happy for you that you were FINALLY able to beat this monster. You are heaven sent for me and alot of other women!Words can’t express how grateful we are to YOU!!! :)…I’m stopping the Diflucan as of today and the boric acid. One of them was making me feel weak and sick..not sure which one.
Jessica, NOOOOO, you can absolutely NOT put this compound in a gel that is NOT water based!!!!! First your pharmacist does not know what he is talking about, this gel lasts for 14 days with no problem, women all over the world are using it this way. BUT here is the problem and your pharmacist should know this, if you put amphotericin B in a non-water based gel it will not run out of you and it will cling to the vaginal walls, this is very serious because the ampho B is highly toxic and acidic, it will burn the vaginal tissues to the point that your insides will peel off and ulcerate!!!!!!!! it then WILL be absorbed into your body systemically and you will become very ill!!!!!! YOU CANNOT PUT THIS IN A NON_WATER BASED GEL!!!! Please do not use this, because I am not kidding that within hours your inside vaginal walls will begin to burn beyond belief and then they will start to ulcerate and the mucosal lining will peel off. You will do permanent nerve and scarring damage to yourself!!! Damn this pharmacist for not knowing this information, WTH?!!! Please I do not want anyone to get hurt, so it is very important to follow the guidelines of this.
Let me explain, when they make the gel it is to be shipped over night if you do not live close to the pharmacy, it should be refrigerated immediately and that is where you keep the tubes because the fridge keeps the gel in a thickened state and preserves it for up to 14 days. Then each night you will pull out one tube and insert it into the vagina. Once inserted into the vagina your body temp will warm the gel from the thickened state into a water based state. So, you will need to make sure that you are fully ready to stay in your bed for at least eight hours after insertion. That means no getting up for a drink or to go to the bathroom, you cannot even sit up to watch tv. once you put it in you NEED to remain lying prone for up to eight hours. You will also need to place an old towel under you to sleep on and wear old under wear because once the gel heats up in you and turns to a water it will begin to naturally leak out, even if you are wearing a pad, there will be to much liquid leaking out of you and that’s ok, that’s suppose to happen. However, the ampho gel is a bright yellow and will stain everything it comes in contact with, which is why you want old under wear and an old towel under you. Now it needs to be in a water based gel for a few reasons, first if it were in an oil based gel or any other kind of gel like coconut oil etc.. it will not be able to come in full contact with the vaginal walls, where the Glabrata lives. This is because the oil adheres to the wall and does not allow the drug to fully come in contact with it. This will cause the drug to be ineffective and I GUARANTEE you will not fully clear the infection so within weeks of stopping the drug you will be right back where you started, only now you will have exposed this infection to small amounts of the ampho B / flucytosine (because the oil will have prevented all the med from coming in contact with the infection) so now you WILL have blown your only chance of ever curing it, it will become resistant!!!! Secondly, and most importantly (which your pharmacist should have known!) is that amphotericin B all by itself is a VERY STRONG acid and cannot be left on any skin or mucosal surface for any length of time, because the acid will literally eat through the tissues and ulcerate them and then cause them to peel. It will also open up the tissues to allow for systemic absorption!! This is why it needs to be in a water based gel so that it can run out of you quite quickly, basically you are washing out the vagina with it and hitting all the tissues and then it needs to run out of you!!! Trust me when researching this I found studies out of Europe (where it was first discovered) that showed doctors originally trying this gel in a non-water base and their patients were permanently injured and several went into kidney failure within a day from systemic exposure. They quickly learned that it HAS TO BE IN A WATER BASED GEL ONLY!!! When done this way it is not systemic and there are no side effects except for some minor vaginal irritation which comes from the acidity of the ampho B washing through the vagina, but because it washes out right away it will NOT do permanent damage! The burn or irritation you may feel while using it, is only minor because the ampho is only coming into contact with the vaginal tissues for a few seconds before washing out of you, if it were in any other type of base it would not run out fast enough and believe me the minor irritation you feel from it just washing over the tissues will be nothing compared to the burn it will cause if it does not wash right out!
So, please dear GOD, do not use this gel if it is not in a water based gel. If this pharmacist cannot follow the formula prescribed then find another pharmacy!!! The best gel to be used is Surgilube or you can use original KY gel but surgilube has a better wash out rate than KY and it has been found to be the most effective base to put it in. Aqua water gel can also be used too. Please note to that it DOES last 14 days in the fridge and if used correctly you will use it all by the time it expires! This is how you treat this and the formula must be made right or it will not work and you will risk getting seriously injured not to mention you will make it resistant to your last hope! Please write me back as soon as you get this message so that I know you got it and read it and understand that you cannot use it in a non-water based gel. I am very concerned about you right now, so please let me know! Thank you
One more thing Jessica, if you need to find another compound pharmacy because this one is not willing to make it correctly, please let me know I have several pharmacies that know how to make it and ship over night anywhere in the country. Just please let me know you got this message. Thank you
Thank you so very much. I knew I needed you and your advice which I would take to the bank.I took the papers to the pharmacist yesterday and he said he would have to research some. And I haven’t heard from him. I’m going to call and tell he that if we can’t do the exact formula then never mind. You ARE AN ANGEL!THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
What can & should I eat right now because I’m really struggling with finding Foods that aren’t going to feed the yeast. I know to stay away from sugary foods,carbs,breads,dairy product. Is there anything else that I’m missing? I’m just eating salads,eggs,& chicken. Does it get any better?
I gave my doc the exact formula and told her to do it in pills so I can get it at regular pharmacy.I also told her it was a 14 day treatment & she asked me how many pills of each so that it could be compounded into the 8 grams of surgilube? I assume it would be 14 of each,is that correct? Also what can I eat? Chicken,salad & eggs are getting old! I know no bread,dairy products, sugary foods & carbs are out but what is in?? Also just drinking water 🙁
Hi Jessica, For the formula you would need your doctor to write a script for 1 gram of flucytosine which is equivalent to 1,000 mgs of flucytosine. So, flucytosine comes in 250 mg or 500 mg strength, so your doctor would need to write a script for four 250 mg. pills or for two 50 mg. pills. Now 1 gram worth of flucytosine ( the four or two pills) is going to cost you around $1,200.00 so if you have drug insurance it is definitely going to be cheaper for your doctor to write the script for these pills and take them into any walgreens or other drug insurance covered pharmacy, so they will help pick up this cost. Now for the ampho B, unfortunately, this only comes in powder form here in the United states, the powder is used for IV treatments, so your doctor will not be able to write a script for this one. You will also not be able to get this one from a normal pharmacy, it can only be gotten from a compound pharmacy. So, what you would need to do is pick up the flucytosine pills from your local pharmacy where your insurance has helped pay for it and take the capsules to the compound pharmacy who will then mix the powder from the capsules with the powder from the ampho B with 8 grams of surgilube. unfortunately, there is no way for you to make this script yourself and even some compound pharmacies will not make it because they are not equipped to handle the ampho powder because it is so toxic that breathing it in while making it can be very dangerous so those that can make it have special labs set up to deal with these kinds of compounds. So, another words you have to have a compound pharmacy on board, but if yours will not make it right and you don’t know where to go let me know and I can give you couple.
Now for what you can eat, well for the most part you can eat a modified Paleo diet, or any meats and veggies you want except for potatoes or starches like rices or anything made of flour. YOu can also eat eggs which it sounds like you are doing and getting sick of. So, you are going to have to learn a whole new way of eating and cooking, and it can seem over whelming at first but in time you will get it down and find recipes that will help you make stuff quickly and easily. Now your diet must be very strict during your treatment which is only fourteen days and then for another few weeks afterwards just to make sure that the infection is completely gone. Then once you know it is gone then you can start to add some things back in but with moderation.
So, let me give you some examples, you can eat any meats you want (beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, etc..) and you can eat any veggies (except for the starchy ones like potatoes and that includes sweet potatoes.) Now I prefer antibiotic free and organic meats and veggies, but I understand that not everyone can afford that or has access to them, so that is not as important as just learning to eat right. So, for breakfast you are going to have to rethink how you look at this meal, which means you know longer think of only eating breakfast foods for this meal. You can get up and eat some chicken with veggies or a piece of steak with an egg or you can eat one greek yogurt (plain only because fruit ones contain to much sugar and this and kefir are the only diary you eat during treatment), so you can have your yogurt and some tea, just make sure your tea is sugar free. YOU can also make a green drink which is usually very filling to and is a great way to start off your day. Then for lunch you can have a salad and you mix it up from day to day. You can put chunks of meat or fish or even a hard boiled egg in it and any veggies you want (mix up your veggies daily even use grilled ones one day) and then for a dressing you can only use olive oil and lemon or lime juice and then add spices to it like garlic, oregano or cumin, etc… ( not store bought ones because they contain a lot sugars) You can also make yourself a shell less taco, you would put your taco meat on a plate and add tomato, lettuce, onions, and whatever else you would like like olives or whatever, then add a dolip of greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Then mix it up and eat with a spoon. You can also make some homemade soups which you can find very easy recipes on the internet that can be made within in a half hour and then you can freeze some for another meal. You can also eat any kind of meat and veggie for lunch or even a hamburger without the bun, you just eat it with a fork and for condiments you can have mayo and mustard but no ketchup because that contains to much sugar. Then for dinner you can make a spaghetti dinner, but instead of noodles you heat up a spaghetti squash in the microwave and scoop out the noodles on a plate then make your own homemade sauce because store bought ones contain large amounts of sugar, but you can find the recipes for quick easy recipe for spaghetti sauces on line that only take twenty minutes to make. You can also make some lemon or lime chicken then add a veggie like asparagus and then you can take a cauliflower steam it and then mash it up and add some butter and garlic and it becomes your replacement for mash potatoes and believe me it does not taste like cauliflower when done this way, you almost do not know it is cauliflower. Then for snacks you eat veggies with homemade salsa and again store bought ones are full of sugars but you can find great recipes on line to make your own. You can also use any kind of hummus as a dip or avocado dip. You can snack on nuts of any kind except for peanuts (they are high in fungus and natural sugars) also no honey roasted ones. You can eat your greek yogurt too. You can also find other sugar free desserts on line to make or eat another salad or a chicken or tuna salad sandwich but you wrap it in a romain leaf instead of putting it on bread. As for drinks you can drink teas of any kind just no sugars or honey added and you can drink your kefir and water. For the most part you are going to have to learn how to use spices for flavor instead of sugars that we Americans have all become so accustomed to. You will also have to make most of your foods yourself, no store bought pre-packaged foods which all contain sugars and finally you will have to learn to substitute foods like the cauliflower for potatoes and spaghetti squash for rice or noodle and romain leaves for bread. You are going to learn a whole new way of eating but once you get it down you will find how much better you feel over all and how much more energy you will have.
Now once your treatment is over you can add back in some fruits and you should start out with any kind of berries because they have the lowest amount of sugar in them, so start adding them in with your yogurt or in your salad etc.. You can add in parmesan cheese which is the lowest dairy cheese you can get but only use the brick form that you grate. Then you can also learn to make your own gluten free croutons for your salads and soups. What I do is take a piece of Udii bread brush it with olive oil and then sprinkle on some spices (I like garlic, oregano, and some basil) then I grate some parmesan cheese over it and place it the oven for 15 minutes then take it out and cut it into cubes. It makes the best croutons! I put that with my spaghetti squash and homemade sauce and some parm cheese grated over that. YOu can also make gluten free garlic bread using the Udii bread by brushing it with butter and garlic and toasting it. I also roast veggies (zucchini, eggplant, summer squash, mushrooms, tomatoes) then I put them on a gluten free tortilla shell and add some spices, parm cheese and a dollip of sour cream and have a roasted veggie wrap. When I do make meats I make extra so that I have extras for the next days breakfast or lunch. Another good meal is to get some seasoned tuna (they have the garlic and herb ones) and add that to a salad and top with some olive oil for a great salad while in treatment and even afterwards.
Like I said it is kind of overwhelming at first but you will get the hang of it pretty quickly and once you get it down you can make most of your meals within a half hour even the homemade sauces. Don’t be afraid to experiment with spices and believe me you will find that spicey dishes are much more tasty than sugary filled ones. Plus the spices have extra benefits like helping to protect you against viruses and bacterias and fungi and help to heal wounds and nourish your body. The one thing I would tell you to get if you do not have one is a Nutra Bullet or vita mixer, because you will use it everyday. You can make your own homemade salsa in it and soups and other dips and mash your cauliflower to replace your potatoes and they come with a recipe book that gives you a lot of the recipes and it only takes minutes to make it. You can also use it to make a green drink while in treatment which can be drank for your breakfast in place of breakfast foods and you can find great green drink recipes on line and once your treatment is over you can use it to make smoothies too. Well, I hope this gives you some ideas and gets you started and I hope I have helped you with the meds too. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help.
O my thank you so much for all the helpful info. And yes I do need your help with the meds.I have been trying for 2 days to find someone who even carries the meds and haven’t had much luck.I called my insurance which is a state insurance Tenn Care and they do not even have the medicine listed which she said meant they don’t cover it period not even in pills for the one. So this means I will be paying for all of it out of pocket. Do you know pharmacies that I could get it from that have these drugs on hand so that I could only pay for what I need? And probably go ahead and compound it to since they would be familiar with it. And how much it would cost in total? I guess I will have to try and take a loan out. I did make an appointment with Dr.Sobel but they can’t get me in until Jan . 17th but they did say he would have cancelations and that I would be able to get in sooner. Where did you go to be treated? But not sure what I am suppose to do with this animal in the meantime. I know it needs to be treated. I just don’t want to ruin my last chance is why I figured I would go to the one with the most experience. But if the other is just as good & cheaper & faster.That would be awesome! I live in Tennessee. Where are you located? What do you suggest? Thank you for being the rock for me to cling to during all this. You are so Amazing & wonderful!!!
Please let me know how to go about getting this medicine. My doctor is willing to write the script I just need to tell her where to send it. I need it soon. I will be paying for it out of pocket so whichever Avenue is cheaper & works! Did you get my last message? I had so questions. I feel like you are my lifeline. I’m on no treatment right now and feel bad & weak.
Hi Jessica, sorry I didn’t get back to you right away, but I was not well enough yesterday to get on the computer. So, let me answer your questions, first you can have your doctor send the script to LeeSilsby compound pharmacy in Ohio. They know how to make it but make sure you tell them it has to be put in a water based gel like surgilube , only because I have had an issue with this mistake once with them. You can go to http://www.leesilsby.com to get their phone number and fax number. They do ship anywhere in the country so there will be no problem. Now if you have a current culture showing Glabrata and are willing to drive to IL. you can get in to see Dr. Boston within the next two weeks. Now she knows how to treat Glabrata and knows the formula too, so you would not have to wait so long to get into see Dr. Sobel. plus she is much closer to you. If you decide that is what you want to do let me know so that I can let her know your coming and what your coming in for. She is a wonderful doctor and is well trained in Glabrata (I trained her and I don’t mean that as a joke, I had to bring in studies and sat with her and went through them all, I showed her all of Sobels stuff and she being such a great doctor took it upon herself to go and research Glabrata further from what I brought in to her) she now jokes that she needs to hang a sign over her door as an expert in this for all the poor women who have been abandoned by the rest of the docs! She is out of Northwestern University in Chicago, which is about an 11 hour drive from you. I have worked hard to train two doctors here in IL and to train a compound pharmacy here in IL to make it. So, I now can refer people to them. I would refer you to Mark drugs which is here in IL but they do not have the ability to access Flucytosine, so you would need Boston to phone in the script for the flucytosine to the Walgreens pharmacy in Northwestern Hospital (where you see her) and then you would need to pic it up and bring it to mark drugs who then would mix it with the ampho and gel and ship it to you. That might be a hassel for you without knowing your way around the city, so that is why I am giving you leesilsby pharmacy which should be able to access it all and make it for you. I won’t lie this is going to be expensive without being able to have the flucytosine phoned in to a regular pharmacy where you prescription coverage would cover it. I think you are going to be around 1,500.00 total but it may be more now, not sure I have not had anyone use them in awhile, but you can call them and ask how much this script is going to be and they will let you know. If you could see Boston and have her phone in the flucytosine to Walgreens in her building, you could pick it up within an hour of seeing her and drive it to Mark drugs in Roselle IL. and maybe your insurance would cover it. then you would just have to pay Mark Drugs for the ampho B and to make it and ship it. The cost for Mark Drugs to do that would be around $500.00 so it would be much cheaper for you. Well, let me know if you decide to see Boston, so I can let her know your coming, however if your doctor is willing to phone in the script to leesilsby then you may not need to see any other doctors because the gel should clean you up once and for all, so you won’t need to travel to any of them. Like I said this drug works and as long as you follow the diet while in treatment and do the gel correctly you should be cleared of it within 14 days with no problem. If you have a very resistant strain or do not follow the diet and hygiene recommendations you may have a chance of getting it back within a few weeks of stopping the drug, but that is rare, but if it were to happen then you will have to retreat again and make sure to follow all recommendations while in treatment and afterwards, with NO cheating because the second time around may be your last time before it gets resistant to the drug. Well, let me know what you want to do and how things go for you.
Oh my go. I have been suffering for almost 3 years with these infections! I’m about to break emotionally because I have seen so many doctors and they know nothing! I’m in Minneapolis and wan Oder this doctor in chicago,
I had one other question,how do you treat the outside of the vagina & all the tissue surrounding it extending as far back as the anus. Previously I have had what look like thrush that went from the vagina all the way out and up my butt crack.Can I treat all that area with this compound of Amph B & Flucyto gel? Also how will I feel during treatment? Will I be able to work and get hot & possibly sweat? I do physical work. I’m am so sorry that you are feeling bad. I don’t understand how that could happen with as much as you help and support all of us women that noone knows what to do with! I hope and pray that you get to feeling better real soon. I am going to call the pharmacist in Ohio today then call my doctor. Is there anything I can do to help you my friend? ?
The Pharmacy called and said they spoke with you and that it is 8 grams per night dose?! So that is not divided into 14 daily doses, it is 8 grams per night for 14 nights? Thank you so much for calling. After talking with them concerning the water based versa base cream, what do you think? Please advise me which to go with. She said I could do 4 grams in the morning & 4 gram at bedtime with the cream and that it would stay in better. I told her my concerns with burning & peeling. She just assured me it was water based and no oils or anything. Please tell me which to go with because I fully trust you & your judgment. Thank you again & again for being there and all your wisdom & support you’ve gave me!You’re my hero!!:)
Also one more question for the pharmacist, is that formula per nightly dose? Amph B 100 MG, Flucytocine 1 gram all mixed into 8 grams of surgilube. Also can it be another water based gel besides KY? I might have a compounding Pharmacist here in TN on board!! 🙂 :Still waiting for the one in Ohio to call me back.
So sorry it keep asking you more stuff but honestly I don’t feel like anyone else has as much wisdom on the subject as you do. Can that formula be mixed in a water based cream called Versa base? The person at the Medicine Shoppe said she spoke with someone from PCCA in Louisville, KY who was familiar with the formula and said that they used the water based cream and that it worked.What do you think? They said it would be $1,091.
Well, let me see if I can answer all your questions you have asked here, I hope I get them all, lol! So, first as far as the outside areas of the vagina and anus, which is a common area to become infected when you have had this infection as long as you have, they will get treated too by the running out of the gel once it heats up from your body. However, what you can do is insert the majority of the gel into the vagina but leave a small amount (like 1/10th) and then spread it over the outside areas and around the anus. If you are having any kind of itching or burning right within the anus you can put a tiny amount on your finger and smear it around the very inside of that area too. Then as you sleep and the gel runs out it will run all over these areas including the anus and up the butt crack. This gel gets everywhere which is why you want to lay on a towel when in treatment.
For how you will feel using it, that is hard to say because everyone is different, so some women will have no side effects and not even know they are using it where as other women will experience some mild irritation and other women will experience more of a burning sensation, these are the only side effects you should experience because it is not absorbed systemically (as long as it is in a water based gel). I can tell you that when you first start using it you are going to feel a cold burn sensation., but don’t get scared that is normal and as it begins killing the fungus you can feel a slight burning raw irritated feeling but by day three that should start to dissipate and you should look forward to the next dose because it will begin to feel soothing to the area and everyday after that you should feel better and better and more back to a normal vaginal feeling. You should be able to continue working, but your vaginal area may be more irritated than usual for the first three days, or you could be one of the lucky ones and it your vaginal area may feel great again right after the first treatment. The one thing I want to say though is if you get sweaty doing your job or whatever activity you do, you need to make sure that you are wearing ONLY cotton underwear that breathes and you need to take breaks and make sure to wipe and clean the area and even change your underwear if they are damp. This will be very important during treatment and it should be something that you may have to continue from this point forward. I say this because sweat and dampness in that area breeds fungus period point blank! With having Glabrata you cannot let that area stay in that kind of a condition without taking a chance of it either not dying with treatment or it coming right back, so please try your hardest to keep it clean and dry as possible and allow the area to breath as much as possible.
As for the formula, that formula makes enough to make 14 days worth of the gel, which then gets put into individual vaginal tubes to be inserted in the vagina nightly. Now some pharmacies will put the gel into a large tube which you will hook the vaginal insertion tube to and squeeze the gel into the tube till its filled and then insert it into the vagina. I am not a big fan of this way only because you are using the same vaginal tube to insert into the vagina every night, which raises the risk of reinfection. If this is the way your pharmacy does it, then make sure to wash the tube out every morning and let it soak all day, until you are ready to use it again that night. Do NOT get up after inserting the gel in the vagina and then go wash the tube because the gel will heat up from your body heat within minutes and turn to a thin water, so if you get up it will run out and you will lose that dose, so just have a bowl of soapy water next to your bed and drop it into it. Then in the morning get up and wash it out and then let it soak all day in a new bowl of soapy water. Best way of all to do this is to ask the pharmacy to prepack 14 individual tubes for each night, so all you have to do is throw each one away. In any case that formula is enough to make 14 days worth.
As for the water based cream, I have never heard of it so I can’t say because I do not know what it is made with. I am very leary of a cream because most if not all creams that I know of have parabins and or oils in them to make them cream, either of these would be detrimental to the vaginal lining and how fast the drug leaks out of you and it may prevent it from fully coming in contact with the vaginal walls. Because I do not know about this I cannot recommend it and I honestly do not think that Dr. Sobel would either. I do not understand why you are having such an issue with getting it put into surgilube, KY or aqua gel, these are the most effective bases to put it in and have been studied thoroughly with this treatment. They are also very cheap bases and readily available anywhere in the country. My own personal opinion is I would demand it be put in one of the three I listed, I say this because we know without a doubt that they are effective, will not cause damage to the tissues (because the meds run out of you in the time they need to so they do not burn the tissues) and we know they allow the drug to come in full contact with the walls. You only get a few shots with this drug and I am sure you want this gone the first time around, so I would demand one of the water based gels. Creams do work the same as water based gels and they tend to contain other ingredients that may make the ampho and flucytosine less effective, please don’t take any chances. The price they quoted you is a great price and you are lucky, but make sure they put it in one of the other bases and there is now way that putting it one of the three bases I listed would make it cost any more, those are very cheap bases, so I would definitely demand it. Well, I hope I have answered all your questions. If you have anymore please just ask, I don’t mind trying to help, so don’t worry. Good luck to you
Thank you so much for being so helpful! So just to confirm you don’t insert the 8 grams in per night, that is divided up into 14 individual nightly doses?? So it won’t be 100 MG of Amph B & 1 gram of Flucyto per night? I apologize to keep asking but I just want to make absolute sure that they get it exactly right so I have every chance possible at a successful treatment! I am still praying for you. I hope you are feeling better. 🙂
Thanks Jessica, yes the formula is to make a 14 day batch of the gel then it is put into 14 individual tubes for nightly insertion. You could not possibly put all that into in one night or even into one tube, plus if you needed to use that amount each night for 14 days it would cost you around 14,000.00 to buy it. (thank God it is not like that all we all would be in trouble, lol!) Anyway, yes the formula is to make a batch that will make 14 days worth of treatment. I hope this answers your question. Good luck to you
Can I eat popcorn or use flavored low calorie drink mix in my bottles of water? Both of them don’t have sugar but do have 1 gram of carbs in drink mix and popcorn has 19 g of carbs? ? Just wanted to see. 🙂
Good Morning Debra! I am at the Pharmacy right now and she said she would like to speak to you or a pharmacy that does this mixture frequently to ask a couple of questions so she can get this medicine made for me. She just wants to make sure to do it correctly. Thank you so much.
Hi Jessica, First there is no problem with you eating popcorn but I would do it in moderation, because it is a carb. As for the drink mix I would avoid it while in treatment. I say this because I do not know of any drink mix that does not contain some sort of sugar. The mix may have what we call hidden sugars in it, which means it could have sucrose, frucrose, dextrose or some other type of sugar substitute, so for now I would avoid it. If you want to add a taste to your drink you can add fresh lemon or lime squeezed juice to it.
As for your pharmacy I will email my phone number to you so that you can give it to them and I can help them with any questions they have and give them the name of a pharmacy that makes it. I hope this helps
Thank you so very much Debra! You are so Amazing!!:) The Pharmacy said she tried to reach you and left you a message. If it is possible and you are able to could you please give Kayla a call at the Medicine Shoppe. I will send you the number in an email.
Hi Jessica, I spoke with Kayla this morning and answered her questions, she now has the correct formula but there is a question on the base, so she is waiting to talk with my pharmacist, who unfortunately is not in today, so it may take till tomorrow for her to reach him. However, she is set to make it as soon as she knows about the base she wants to use. I do believe the base she is talking about will be fine but because I do not know enough about it I want her to talk to Mark (my pharmacist) to make sure that it will be safe and effective. So, please hang in there another day, she totally knows now how to make it, so it will get done very soon. I hope this helps you
I am so glad I found this website with this treatment information! I was diagnosed with C. glabrata a few weeks ago, and fluconazole and terconazole of course did not work. I was panicking a lot after reading about all of these women that have had this infection for years. I am getting married in a year and a half, so I really hope it can be cured by then!
I am starting treatment tonight with Amphoceterin B & Flucytocine compounded in Surgilube for 14 night treatment. I will keep you posted on how it goes. From using the Diflucan & the terconzole. I then went to Boric acid suppositories which just put a bandaid on it but didn’t kill it. I went thru 3 or 4 separate treatments with the boric acid and still hurt! Had I not found this website & Debra Anderson I would still be feeling hopeless with a cure! Debra is soooo amazing and a true angel. It might take her a day or two but if she is able she will get back to you. Hang in there hun.
Hi Jessica, did the gel work for you? I am working with my doctor now to try to get the flucytosine/ampho gel. How did the pharmacy supply the 14-day treatment–in individual applicators or a tube that you used to fill an applicator each night? What was the total dose of the gel each night (is the 8 grams of surgilube divided into 14 doses)? The formula is vague, and my doctor thinks it is 1 gram flucytosine/ 100mg ampho in 8 grams gel per night.
Hi Jess, I am so sorry you have had to find this site, I wish doctors knew more about this infection and how to treat it effectively, but let me just say if you get the ampho b gel you will be cleared of it in 14 days and as long as you follow the recommendations for diet and hygiene you should not get it back. So, your wedding day and night should be beautiful and you should be able to enjoy it with all the beauty and intimacy that every bride should have on that special day and night! if you look through the posts you should be able to find the formula for making it and studies to bring into your doctors to help educate them on how to treat it. If you have any problems obtaining anything or have any other questions please let me know and I will try to help. good luck to you
I still have Candida glabrata instead of being treated for it again they decided to give me Botox injections to paralize my pelvic muscles. Not sure how I feel about this so far it’s not really helping but It’s only been 2 weeks. Any thoughts ?
So sorry Melissa that you are still dealing with this horrible infection. Unfortunately, your Botox injections are going to nothing to help your infection, the injections are only meant to help with pelvic pain from tightened muscles, which are usually caused by a brain pelvic floor connection,but your muscles are tightened up from an infection that is ravaging them and causing deep nerve pain because that is where the roots of glabrata grow to and wrap around. So, these injections are not going to do much for you. You really need to find another doctor who would be willing to treat you with the ampho B / flucytosine gel or once again try to get your doctor to treat you correctly. Maybe you can bring in studies that talk about how to effectively treat this infection and give the formula for making the gel. You might be able to talk your doctor into it once he/she sees that the injections failed. If not then you really need to look for another doctor. I don’t know what else to suggest because Glabrata is not something that you can find other treatments or home remedies for, so you are stuck until you can get a doctor to treat you right. I wish you the best!
Thank you for your advice I will suggest treatment, I really appreciate your help and information
Hello Debra. First I want to thank you for this extremely informing post. I really hope that you finally got your infection under control – I guess it is a good sign that you are still active in here?
I am an otherwise healthy woman from Denmark recently diagnosed with a vaginal glabrata infection after nine months of suffering. As for many others boric acid just doesn’t work for me, and therefore I have been referred to the Department of Infectious Diseases in the leading research hospital in my country. There is a month of waiting time from now, and I have absolutely no idea if they know how to deal with this. The last doctor I saw looked strangely at me and proposed Voriconazole, but did not feel competent enough to use it. As it definitely sounds like a bad option compared to the compound of Amphotericin B and Flucytosine I am much more interested in that, but I don’t even know if it is available here. I know that they use it in the UK, but the administration of especially Flucytosine is severely limited by the Danish health authorities. I suppose that I must be well prepared and tell them that a local treatment with a success rate of around 90 % is damn more interesting for all of us than high doses of Voriconazole creating systemic reservoirs for more resistance and a high risk of treatment failure.
Now comes my question: I have read a good deal about the Amphotericin B and Flucytosine option. Everywhere it is said that the gel should be administered intravaginally for 14 days. I just can’t find anything about how to treat the outside at the same time. Would that be an additional tube of the compound or something different? My infection spread to the clitoris area (ouch!), the area around my anus and even my labia majora are now affected, so I definitely want to do something to deal with that problem too.
Thank you again for sharing what you know about this. There ought to be an international organization demanding serious research in finding new treatment options for this!
Hello,
I was diagnosed with C. Glabrata about a year ago now vaginally. I also have IBS and have been pushed off by my doctors, claiming my symptoms are just stress or all in my head. I’m in the middle of a shake up one health insurance company failing and another one picking up the pieces. With me scrambling to make things work. But the ob/gyn I have been seeing has been treating my infection with Boric Acid suppositories for over four months now, I may be at the six month mark if not more of this specific treatment and she is not willing to try anything else. I know it has stopped working and is just causing massive irritation but she won’t listen. Prior to receiving care from her I was seen at another clinic and fed diflucan after diflucan tablet. But recently I have started to have more severe stomach issues, more cramping and then rectal bleeding but that has been caused by fissures and hemoroids or so I have been told. My biggest fear after reading your story is that the Glabrata has some how found its way from just inhabiting my vagina to possibly my GI tract or some where else. I was wondering if you could help put my mind at ease until I get in to see a doctor hopefully sometime this week if not for sure next week. I’m just at a loss as what to do, but I know something is wrong with my body. My options for doctors are limited as I am unable to afford health insurance at this time so I am on a government program to help take care of any of my medical needs, but I am restricted to one facility and subsequently the same doctors that have not been helping me at all. Any information or just reassurance would be greatly appreciated. I understand this is not a site for medical diagnosis but I am just grasping at straws and as a 27yr old female who once had a semi healthy life I would like to try and get back there and have my life back.
Thank you
Hi Cate, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this, my heart breaks for you and I truly wish I could get you to a doctor who could help you. This is such a crime against women and science that it infuriates me to no end! With that being said I can try to answer your questions and hopefully put your mind at ease. First as you may know this infection does not respond to Diflucan or Boric acid or any other typical anti-fungal treatment. As you may now understand it is because this pathogen has the ability to live in any kind of PH environment and all other typical anti-fungal treatments are designed to kill by changing the PH balance of the area, so they are of no use and in many cases can exacerbate the infection, pain and problem, which might be what is going on with you now.
So, first let me ease your fears that this infection is not in your GI tract at this point. If it was you would be very very ill. Once this infection gets into the gut it takes over within hours to days (depending on your over all health). Once that happens you will be doubled over with severe cramping and this pain would be so bad that you would need medical attention. You would be so nauseated that you would not be able to eat and vomiting would start shortly after that. Next would be severe diarrhea that will keep you on the toilet repeatedly with the risk of dehydration and within days of this starting you would be filling the toilet with blood. Your blood counts would be severely abnormal and the doctors would know that there was something seriously wrong with you even if they didn’t know exactly what it was. For all of this to happen you would have had a very compromised immune system to start with or have had a series of events that would have knocked it out as well as your gut flora as this infection was introduced into the gut. So, although I am not a doctor I think I can safely say that what you are describing is not a GI infection with Glabrata. I hope this eases your fears greatly!
Now with that being said I want to say that you NEED to stop using the boric acid!!! This is more than likely part of your problems you are experiencing. I can’t believe your doctor has had you on boric acid for four months!!! That is insane and unheard of. I don’t know if you know this but boric acid is absorbed vaginally through the wall in small amounts so using it for a short course a few times with breaks in between is considered safe but should never be used for more than twelve weeks and that is with breaks every six to eight days. When use for longer periods of time it can cause acoustic burning of the vaginal wall tissues, tearing of the tissues, cramping and even bleeding. Because the boric acid runs out of the vagina and gets into the anal/rectal area it can cause these same types of problems like burning, bleeding, fissuring, irritation and irritation that can lead to hemoroids. On top of this it is absorbed systemically and can lead to toxicity as well as more GI issues. So, please stop this treatment before your doctor hurts you worse, besides this treatment as you can already see is of no use against this infection, so you are putting yourself and your health through something that is not going to help you. As for the Diflucan it too is ineffective and I can probably already guess that your doctors attempted to treat this infection with a simple few doses of Diflucan, which would have never worked to begin with. If a doctor is going to try to treat with Diflucan then they are going to have give you 800mgs. of Diflucan a day for more than three months!!!! That is the prescribed treatment with Diflucan if they wanted to actually try to treat it correctly. However, most people could never tolerate the side effects of that large of a does for that length of time and even if they could the failure rate is still very high. This is such a crime that these doctors are so uneducated on this infection and us women are left to be blamed when their inadequate treatments fail. So, please from one woman to another, never doubt your gut instinct. What is happening to you is not “stress” its not “all in your head”, you truly do have something going on in your body. Now whether it is all from Glabrata and the failed treatments they have been using on you or whether there is some other underlying condition which has allowed for the Glabrata to take hold I don’t know but you are SICK and you deserve better treatment then you are getting!
With that being said I can only suggest that you some how find a way to get seen by another doctor even if you have to save up and pay out of pocket. Please know that you do not need to have a gyne treat this, you can have a family physician or even a naturapath doctor treat you as well. All they have to do is order the specific test for it, because that is the only way they will be able to diagnosis it and then you can bring them in the formula to treat it. You can google Dr. Sobel out of Wayne state University and bring in his studies that show how to treat it. You may have to educate them which is a shame but if you get with an open minded doctor you may be able to just give them the formula for the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel which can be phoned into any compounding pharmacy. However, I do not want to scare you or discourage you but most insurance companies do not pay for compounded drugs which will mean you have to pay for it out of pocket and this gel can run upwards of $1,200.00 for a 14 day treatment which is all you should need to kill it. However, I have found a way around cutting the cost and I have state aid myself. What your doctor would need to do is phone in the amphotericin B pills and the Flucytosine pills to a regular pharmacy where your insurance will pay for them and then you pick up the pills and take them to the compound pharmacy where they will take them and turn them into the gel needed to treat it. The compound pharmacy then only charges you for the compounding which runs between $200.00 to $400.00 dollars which is much cheaper and you can call around to compound pharmacies to get the best price.
Now I know you said that your in the middle of losing one insurance company and another one picking up the pieces, so can I ask you if you live in IL? because we are dealing with the failure of one of our insurance companies here and people scrambling to get into another one. I am only asking because if you are in IL. I may be able to help you further. I can direct you to doctors that are very familiar with Glabrata and are able to diagnose and treat it correctly. They also take state aid. I can also set you up with a compounding pharmacy that will take the pills from a state insured pharmacy and turn it into the gel for cheap. So, please let me know if you are in IL and would like this information. Well, I hope I have eased your fears and I hope you can find a good doctor and some relief very soon.
Hi Debra,
Okay hopefully I answer everything. First thank you so much for replying. After getting your reply I can breathe a little easier and my Mom is over joyed learning my GI tract isn’t affected and hopefully never is from this infection.
I will never use the Boric Acid again and I am glad I finally found some material that supports the fact that it doesn’t kill this infection. I raised concern when I was last able to see this doctor that I felt we where doing nothing but poisoning my body, as well as destroying everything internally. I’d like to possibly have a child some day and I was always worried about the possible ramification of that course of treatment. The first time I was treated with the Boric Acid was probably Oct/Nov of 2015 I haven’t been on it consistently, but I would venture a guess of at least half a dozen times, if not more over the course of that time in 2015 to just as recently as June of this year. I do have problems with fissures and hemorrhoids that I have never had before. They’ve just gotten worse over the last six months and now I know and will completely refuse the Boric Acid.
I have been given 6 weeks of Diflucan twice by one gyne when my (current) one was on maternity leave. At that constant rate I was so sick by the end of it I told that gyne no more. I will see my current gyne on the 8th, and if she refuses to treat my infection in any other way then I am going to find a new gyne. The regular practitioners where I am going will not treat yeast infections, you are referred to a gyne. I have no idea why but that is just how the institution functions, and as a annoying as the hassle is I would rather have a specialist who might have a better understanding as to how to treat the infections. I am currently without a regular practitioner as she has left the state. So sadly at this time I am just stuck in between a rock and a hard spot.
My current gyne did mention a form a treatment that wasn’t covered under insurance, but was around what the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel cost was. So maybe she does know what it is, but won’t help me get it. I’ll have to raise this question again when I see her. I am familiar with compounding pharmacies we have one that is close to where I live. I had to obtain my last course of Boric Acid from them since the pharmacy at the facility I was going to closed down because of the close down. But there are not many within my area, it was almost impossible to find one until this one luckily popped up in our searching.
I live in Ohio. I’m not sure if the company was nationwide or if it was local only to Ohio.
But thank you for replying. You have helped calm some of my fears as well as give me advice and information to have when I go and see my gyne. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Hopefully armed with this information I’ll be able to be free from Glabrata soon.
I’ve read all comments, very great information. Question: after being told I have this candida, I’m being prescribed 3 doses of diflucan to take every other day. That’s it…after reading this I’m thinking I need to reconsider this method. I’m curious is the blood infection of this candida different that a vaginal infection? I’m basically scared. Thanks.
I would very much re-consider this treatment plan, first three days of diflucan will do absolutely nothing!!!!!! With Glabrata you MUST treat for no less than 6 weeks with diflucan (which is worthless) or with High doses of voriconazole. Both have to be taken daily with no less than 800mg. a day, if you take these drugs like your doctor is prescribing you will do nothing but make the situation worse because you will kill necessary flora and other yeasts that are right now keeping this one in check! so, please dear God don’t do this, you need to find an experienced doctor if you decide to treat and since you have no symptoms, I would really advise against treating at this point, because you are opening pandoras box and more likely to make it resistant to drugs that are not necessary right now because apparently your body is doing what God intended it to do and is fighting it on its own, or believe me you would be in utter misery, so give your body a chance to fight it first.
Yes the blood form is deadly in most cases, but please understand the people who get this are people who have very compromised immune systems and they are unable to fight it and because it is so resistant drugs many will die. However, if you are a healthy person with a good immune system your body will more than likely take care of it with no problem! I got it in the GI tract after it spread from the vaginal area which lead to a fight for my life, but please understand my body was seriously compromised due to using steroids and fluoroquinolones together along with other under lying problems, so my body had nothing to fight it with. Also understand that because I did not have HIV, end stage cancer or diabetes my doctors never thought to check for this infection. I was not someone who should have ever had it to begin with, so I lived with this nightmare for nearly nine months with my doctors treating me for bacterial and candidias, thinking that’s what I had, never realizing I had Glabrata, so the drugs they were treating me with made this situation much worse, until it literally was such a mess that it seeped into the GI area and then from there I became deathly ill. It would take a specialist by chance to test me for this in my colon and BAM there it was, then it was a fight to treat it. I was spent months on IV’s with very powerful drugs which in the end killed my left kidney and left with me many other problems that I am still dealing with. This is not typical if you just get it in your vaginal area. If just in the vaginal area and your body is fighting it you should be completely fine. For it to spread and make you that sick there needs to be a complete storm, which is using drugs that make you prone to it, a compromised immune system for whatever reason,going undiagnosed for weeks to months and finally being treated with the wrong drugs which can ultimately make the situation much worse and even life threatening, all of which happened to me. Which is why I warn women now to not use diflucan to treat it with, nor do you use boric acid which does nothing against this one either because it is not susceptible to PH changes like candidias, it can live in any PH environment, making this treatment useless because boric acid does nothing more than change the PH environment which should kill yeast but this little bugger is much different and can adapt. there are ways of treating this one and you have to use the gel! Anyway, I hope this answers some of your questions and relieves your fears. Good luck to you
Thanks for your response. I’m so very sorry this happened to you! For clarity I want to share a few things and ask your insight. I know your not a doc but you know a ton!
Dox also tested because something was “off”. Something was slightly off in odor (nothing crazy) also I mentioned I had tinged pink in my vaginal discharge for a few weeks post period. Aside from this no real symptoms of anything.
BUT it scares me when you say GI tract because a few months ago I noticed changes in my bowel movements. Just different and maybe this isn’t the best forum but I was off. However I’m a mom of a toddler that cosleeps and still breast feeds waking me thru the night (21 months) so I chalked it up to body being totally wiped. I’m wondering if I’m wrong?
In searching for HOW I got this bug I wonder a few things….1) I was treated with Levaquin and a steroid but YEARS ago like nearly over a decade.
The only other thing I can think of is my c-section?
Aside from the candida my doc said I have BV and prescribed another gel. Now I’m wondering if I should skip that too. I don’t even know where to start to find a professional who would know about this!!!!
Also curious about a simple baking soda douche? That would totally normalize PH…? Or even apple cider baths?
I’ve tried boric acid , vinager douches and baths and baking soda baths none helped not even coconut oil or nystatin cream
Melissa, please check out what I wrote about Glabrata to Jen, so that you can understand better what you are up against and why these remedies did not work. I hope this helps to give you a better understanding of it too.
Thank you Debra I am scared to death that the medicine won’t work a second time around, I cannot imagine living my life like this
Jen, You have to understand Glabrata, it is a different species all together and is not susceptible to PH changes. So, let me try to explain this, what makes this particular fungus such a problem to treat and so deadly is because it is not susceptible to PH changes. This fungus has the capabilities to change and adapt to its environment and that not only means to the PH levels but also to any meds that may be used. The problem with our medical system is that we at this point only know how to treat fungus by changing the PH of the bodies environment, so drugs like Diflucan, voriconazole, Ketaconazole and the rest of the “azole” drugs only change the PH environment in certain areas of the body where the fungus may be living. Nystatin only works in the gut and is poorly absorbed outside of it, but this drug interrupts the protein sysnthesis of the fungus’s DNA rendering it unable to replicate, but again it is only good in the gut. Then there are the more toxic ones like Amphotericin B which actually targets the DNA strands of the fungus cell, however this drug is unable to differentiate between a human cell and a fungal cell, so once it is given it goes after all cells in the human body as well as the fungus, this is a problem with this drug making it a deadly option for treatment which is why it is only used as a last chance drug. Then you have the natural remedies like Boric acid, gentian violet, baking soda, etc.. the problem with them is that all they can do is change the PH balance again of the area you are treating, which if you were treating candidias this would be a great option because Candidias can only survive in an alkaline environment, so essentially using these forms you can kill the fungus by changing that PH balance.
The problem with Glabrata is that it can adapt very quickly to a low or high acidic environment, so this fungus can actually live alongside bacteria that require a high acid environment as well as a long side other types of yeast which live in a low acidic environment. So, rarely do you ever see Glabrata all by itself, it is almost always living with other bugs and fungus’s. Now because it can adapt to cold, heat, low PH as well as high PH, it makes all the “azole” drugs useless as well as all the home remedy treatments like boric acid, baking soda, vinegar baths, gentian violet, etc… So, that leaves you with nystatin, which interrupts the protein synthesis and can be put in the vagina to treat that area or taken orally to treat it in the gut, but unfortunately, it is an old drug and has been over used and this bug long ago altered its system and DNA to ward off this treatment, so now it is resistant to it. So, the only drug left is amphoterracin B, which can be given interveiniously with serious consequences to the rest of the body and in more than half of all people who get treated with it through the IV will die from the treatment itself. However, we also now know that we can crush the pills up and add them to flucytosine and gel and place them in the vagina to treat it there. This way of treatment is NOT harmful because the molecules that make up the drug are too big to pass through the vaginal lining and enter the blood stream, however, the drug is still very potent to the infection living in the vagina, so there are no serious side effects to the body and its organs but because it is so toxic it can irritate the vaginal walls while treating.
Now amphotericin B can be used by itself but it has a higher failure rate by itself only because it is now being used more often because we are seeing more and more cases of Glabrata due to people living longer with very compromised immune systems, like HIV, end stage cancer, diabetes and from the over use of antibiotics, anti-fungals and steroids, so we are once again running out of options to treat this nasty fungus. So, many doctors will start with ampho B gel by itself to see if you have a strain that has not yet become resistant to it, if it fails then the last option is to add flucytosine to the ampho B. You see Glabrata has adapted to the ampho and built itself a wall around its nucleus that makes it impenetrable to the ampho B, so they add flucytosine to it, now flucytosine is a very old chemo drug from back in the fifties and what it does is it has the ability to go in and crack open that hard wall shell and then exposes the DNA of the glabrata so that the ampho B can then get in there and kill it. This is the last line of defense we have against this fungus and unfortunately drug companies are not working on any new anti-fungal drugs other than to re-arrange the azole ones to make them more effective, but this class is of no use to Glabrata, so you have to use the ampho / flucytosine gel with great care and you MUST try like heck to prevent it from coming back, because this fungus only needs two treatments with any drug before it figures out a way to adapt to it, leaving you with no other options.
So, I hope this makes sense and also helps you to understand that there is nothing you can use or do that is going to effect this fungus, you will have to be treated by a doctor for it and trying to change your PH level will do nothing to kill it, however, please know that like I said it does not ususally live by itself because it can adapt to any environment, so if you try to change the PH you may end up killing other things it is living with, which is great but also understand that everything living in their must compete with each other for space and nutrients, so if you only kill off the other inhabitants (candidias, bacteria) you will then ultimately leave this fungus with no competition which in turn leaves it to take over the area, making it a much worse infection. So, if you have another infection like a bacteria or candidias you need to treat them but you must also treat this one too at the same time or directly after treating the other one or else you will be left with Glabrata and it will take over making for a miserable experience. I hope this helps you understand it more.
Jen, please check out the other response where I tried to help you understand more about Glabrata and how it works and why certain drugs and home remedies have no efficacy with this particular infection.
Let me also put some of your fears to rest. Chances are that you more than likely do not have it in your GI system, believe me when I say you would know. The symptoms of it in the GI system would be nausea, vomiting ( so severe that you would not be able to keep anything down and may actually be throwing up blood), diarrhea that is severe enough to dehydrate you with blood in it and pain so severe that you would be in the hospital, this is not some simple infection like candidias. I was filling the toilet with blood and pain so severe that I could not stop crying and needed dilaudid through the IV to cope with it. I was unable to eat and had lost a lot of weight. Your bowel habits may have changed due to many other factors including breastfeeding. Also please know that you cannot spread it to your born child, not even through your breast milk because it is not in your blood or you would be deathly ill within hours of that happening. However, you can spread it to your partner through sex but not to your baby. As for the tinged discharge, that can be due to numerous reasons from a hormonal imbalance, thyroid condition, birth control pills, a glabrata infection or any other infection in the area as well. It can also be from HPV, an ovarian problem and even breast feeding, so your doctor would have to test you for all these things as well as look at your birth control. You did say that they did find a bacterial infection too, so more than likely that is the cause for your odor as well as your tinged discharge, but Glabrata too can be playing a part in that too, Glabrata does have an odor to it and often it smells like rotting flesh basically because it is buring through the vaginal lining so it smells like dying flesh, but usually in the early stages you do not have this until the infection becomes severe, so it may actually be more of the bacterial infection right now, which is probably taking up more of the vaginal area than the Glabrata. As for treating the BV, you do need to be treated for that too because it can lead to deeper infections and even sterility if left unchecked, but if you still have Glabrata then you will also need to be treated for Glabrata right afterwards or the Glabrata will have no competition and that infection will get out of control, I’m not going to lie to you – you have a journey ahead of you but it is all treatable and you can get well.
Hello, I am not sure if I am starting a new thread, or replying and interrupting an ongoing conversation. If so, I sincerely apologize and hope that the moderator can move this to the correct location.
Let me preface my story with a little background. I am 46 years old, 2 healthy adult children, happily married, and working full-time (because I work for an amazing, small company with great family values and allows me to go be gone for extended periods).
When I was 29, 2 years after my son was born, I developed a rash all over. Biopsies, etc, I was diagnosed with lupus. Several months later, I had pericarditis. I was on predinose for almost a year. Random rashes but basically asymptomatic being on plaquenil, evoxac. About age 32, the severe dry eyes, mouth, vaginal area, you name it made my rheumatologist check me for Sjogren’s Syndrom. Positive. Also RH positive. My made symptom/compaint besides my rashes was horrible FATIGUE. My rheumy attributed it to my autoimmune disease and basically told me he didn’t want put me on any other stronger meds at this point. I understood his logic. Jump to last year. July of 2015. A week before my sons highschool graduation party.
It’s Friday, I am at work. Everyone at the office left early. I feel like dirt. I close up early and go home to the couch thinking some rest might help because this is my last weekend to prepare for the big bash. I never got off the couch until Sunday morning when my husband took me to the Emergency Room. I had a fever of 104, excruciating headache that went into my neck, my entire body hurt. I was dehydrated. They immediately quarantined me and did a lumbar puncture thinking I had spinal meningitis. After the test came back negative, I was taken upstairs to a regular room, with iv bags ( I assume antibiotics) I had an infection, they didn’t know what. ( I arrived at ER that Sunday about 10:00 am). Around 9:00 pm, my stats started dropping. I was in tachycardia (sp), my bp was so low and my fever so high (106.5) they called all my family in and transferred me to the ICU. They were ready to intubate. I have never been so scared in my entire life. That Friday morning, before I started not feeling well, I woke up FINE. Tired, but that was normal for me. To think I could go from that to this from Friday to Monday was horrifying. I had a port put in my chest, so they could give me up to 6 or 8 iv’s at once and take blood from it without sticking me. Meanwhile, the month before, my rheumy had sent to me a sleep clinic to check for sleep apnea. While I was in ICU, my phone rang and my husband answered it. It was the sleep specialist. He needed to speak to me asap. My husband explained the situation and he informed my husband I had severe narcolepsy. Hit me while I am down. Obviously I survived. But while I was in ICU for almost 2 weeks, fighting for my life, I was given everything. Antifungals, antivirals, antibiotics. You name it. They had infectious disease dr’s in everyday running different tests trying to find out what “infection” I had. While I was in ICU, they were treating me for thrush. Nystatin, swish and swallow, 3 times a day. When I was discharged, the drs exact words were “We don’t know exactly what you had, but lets hope you never get it again” The nystatin was discontinued upon discharge and I honestly never gave it a thought. This March, my rheumy sent me to ENT to see if they could help me with my sore mouth. He attributed it to the dryness but thought she might have some insight or tips on how to keep my mouth more comfortable. She didn’t see thrush, but ran a test anyway. Changed my diet to avoid all acidic foods. Test came back I had albicans and glabrata. Put on Nystatin 4 times a day but this time I had to swallow it. Two months of that. Went back in May, retested and I had albicans, glabrata, and dublicans (sp). She didn’t know how to treat me so she sent me to an oral specialist at a large hospital. I just finished two weeks of swish and spit of liquid diflucan 40mg, 4x a day for two weeks. The day after my last dose, I was retested. I just got the results back. I have albicans and glabrata budding. I am waiting to hear back from the specialist. She said she would call me when results came in. She said if my numbers were low she was going to just leave me alone because SOME yeast in normal in everyone. I am concerned because my immune system is already compromised. If she recommends that, I do not know what I should do. I am so stresed out. I havent kissed my husband since March because she said she couldn’t guarantee that anyone I kissed may or may not get seriously ill?? And advice is greatly appreciated.
Hi Renee, I am so sorry about your suffering, your story sounds a lot like my own. I know how scary it must have been for you I too have been there several times. I can’t say that all your problems are due to Glabrata including your last ICU event, but what I can tell you is that with all your problems you are at a higher risk for contracting Glabrata. It is also important to state here that those whose immune systems are weakened by other diseases are at the highest risk and can become the sickest with it. I don’t know if you have been tested for HIV or Lyme disease but if not both of these infections are definitely worth getting tested for. Even if you think there is no way possible you could have contracted either I would still consider the test. I only say this because both of these diseases can cause many of the problems you are suffering with and both can mimic other diseases like Lupus and Sjogrens. Plus both of these diseases will knock out your immune system and allow for an infection like Glabrata. Especially with Glabrata in the mouth, it is almost always seen in HIV, but that is not to say you could still not get it without having HIV, God knows I have had it twice in the mouth as well and I do not have HIV, however I do have Lyme and several of the co-infections. All of which has lead to many other health complications. So, I just wanted to raise that issue with you.
Now for how to deal with it in your mouth, first let me start by saying that you have to understand the pathogen you are dealing with and most doctors and when I say most I mean nearly 99% of them (including infectious disease) have no clue what they are dealing with. You see, Glabrata is a very special fungus, it is not like any other. The reason why is because Glabrata can alter itself to live in any kind of PH environment, this is very important, because it means that it acts and gets treated differently than all other fungus’s. You see, all other fungus’s can be easily dealt with by changing the PH balance of the tissues and that is how all anti-fungal drugs are designed to work. However, when it comes to Glabrata it is resistant to PH changes and because of this it can live along side not only other fungus’s but also along side bacteria’s. It also has the ability to quickly adapt to any meds that you take to treat it, so that it can survive. This means you only get a few shots at treating it with one of the only meds known to kill it. After that it becomes resistant to it too and you will be left with no way to treat it.
So, here is the thing, your doctors are trying to treat it with the usual anti-fungals which have no efficacy against this pathogen. Again those drugs are only able to change the PH climate of the tissues but with this pathogen it adapts very quickly and so they are of no use. You may have already even picked up a resistant strain to them to begin with because we are seeing more and more resistant strains due to the over use of the “Azole” drugs. I have written more indepth about this in other replies to posts on this site, so you may want to look through all the replies to get a better understanding of it. So, you are now at the point where your only treatment is going to be amphotericin B mouth wash. It is used in the HIV population and works very well against glabrata as well as against candadidias. It has to be compounded by a specialty pharmacy and can be pricey but it will do the job. Now you must use it much like the vaginal gel for no less than 14 days. During this time you MUST cut out all sugars and starches of any kind and I say starches too because starches turn into sugars once they hit your mouth and saliva. Continue on with your canadidias diet as well. This will aid in the fight of treating it. Once you get it cleaned up you will need to try and build up your immune system through diet and supplements to help you from getting it back. You also need to get checked for HIV and Lyme if you have not been checked because they may be your cause for this. Then it is very important that you do NOT use antibiotics unless you absolutely have to, because by using them you put yourself at risk of getting it back right away. Please understand that once you get this you are at very high risk of repeated infections and you have to do everything you can to prevent it because amphotericin B is the only drug we have to fight it and it WILL become immune to it leaving you with no treatment options. so, never use an antibiotic or even an anti-fungal drug unless you absolutely have to, always try to treat naturally first. Now most doctors do not understand this pathogen like I said so they have no clue that nystatin or diflucan will do nothing for this infection and that you have to use the amphotericin B mouth wash, so you are probably going to have to teach them and ask them for the prescription. They should be able to look up the recipe for making it so that it can be phoned in to a compounding pharmacy but if your doctors do not know the formula please let me know and I will get it for you. I do not have this one on hand at the moment to post but it should be readily available to your doctors.
One last thing, PLEASE DO NOT let any of your doctors tell you that fungus should be left and not treated, or that it is a natural part of your flora like candidias because it is NOT!!!!! This fungus must be dealt with and killed especially if you have a weakened immune system. With it being in your mouth it will spread in time to the GI tract or into the blood stream where it can be deadly and that may have been what just happened to you. You see if the hospital did not directly test you for Glabrata it would not have shown up in any other tests. This is because it does not have hyphae which makes it impossible to been seen or grown out in a culture. In order to find it you have to specifically test for it and that means that it has to be put into a special median culture dish and then it has to be incubated for six days with heat and then a special dye has to be added to it and then it has to be looked at under a very high powered microscope. This is the only way it can be seen and detected and most doctors would not even think to test you for it unless you had HIV or end stage cancer or even uncontrolled diabetes. This is because this is what all doctors have been taught, but unfortunately we now live in an era that this fungus is being seen in healthy people who have just had their immune systems knocked out by other entities like autoimmune diseases (because of the drugs used to treat them), lyme disease, or even the use of broad spectrum antibiotics combined with steroids. So, doctors are missing this diagnosis with hundreds to thousands of people each year and many will not survive because of it, it is usually found on autopsy later. It is a crime that doctors are not up to date on this information. So, what happened to you could have been from Glabrata and you were fortunate enough for the Diflucan and any other anti-fungal drugs they gave you to have beaten it back, but if it is still in your mouth you have the potential to spread it back into the GI system or blood system and it can take you down like it did within hours of getting into these areas. So, please I urge you to educate your doctors and get the amphotericin B mouthwash. I hope this helps you and if you need the formula please post back and I will get it for you to give to your doctors. Good luck to you
It looks like glabrata is back again I can’t believe this
Melissa, I am so sorry you got it back, this is unfortunately, a common problem with this infection. I too have had it back three times since this article came out. I did see that you used ampho B to treat it with, but I want to ask if you used ampho B with Flucytosine? If not you need to have them compound them both together into the gel and make sure when they make the gel they are only using a water soluable gel like surgilube. You also need to make sure that you are using it for no less than 14 days and if it is still not gone then you need to repeat it for another 14 days. It should be in a gel form and not a suppository form too, so that it gets into the walls and works deep within the tissues. If this fails too, there is still voriconazole but it is a pill with nasty side effects but it has to be used at high doses for six weeks, it can be a last ditch effort. I can also give you some sage advice that I have learned the hard way with this infection. First NEVER use any kind of feminine products, including scented tampons or bubble bath of any kind. This also applies to scented lubricants or tasty ones for that matter. These will all change your PH levels and kill necessary flora which keeps you from getting this back. Secondly, make sure not to take an unnecessary antibiotics or anit fungals, if you need to use them make sure to take 800. mg of voriconazle for four days prior to starting drugs this will head it off while on the drugs. Finally make sure to take a good probiotic everyday for the rest of your life and make sure to change up your probiotic every couple of days, because you want different strains so use several different kinds with different strains. These are all ways to avoid getting it back. Since I have started this I have not had a reaccurance since which has now been almost two years. Also make sure to eat healthy and lower the amount of sugars and carbohydrates you eat. Hopefully this helps. Good luck to you
Thank you for the information. I’ve been in tears all day about it because I’m afraid it will become drug resistant. Last time I used amphortericin b only and it was In a suppository not a gel, I can request the gel apparently amphotericin b is a drug that is hard to get it had to be sent to an outside pharmacy to compound it and it took weeks meantime I’m sitting here on fire, I’m staying hopeful ill keep posting updates
Melissa, I’m so sorry you going through this, I know that “fire” you are talking about and it is truly Hell on Earth. Let me just say that the suppositories are not as effective and should never be used to treat Glabrata, so that may be why it is back, so please make sure that this time they use the gel. Now if that fails then that means that you already have a strain that is resistant to ampho B, but now that does not mean you are out of options yet. It just means that you will need to get the ampho B / flucytosine gel. This gel is used against the resistant forms of ampho. What happens is that there are already strains out there that are resistant to ampho (I had one of them) you see from over use of this drug we have already created resistant strains, the Glabrata has learned to adapt by creating a hard shell around its nucleus so the ampho can’t get in, so if you have this strain then they will need to add the flucytosine to it. The flucytosine is a very old chemo drug that has the ability to crack open the hard shell exposing the nucleus and the DNA, which in turn leaves it open for the ampho to get in there and kill it, so you are not of options yet. I hope this helps you. I did write the formula for this gel (and make sure it is only a water soluable gel like surgilube)in one of my response on here, so look through them if you need the formula. Good luck to you!
With all the advancements I technology and medical field I hoped that we would be in a better position as patients to receive advanced treatment for glabrata, it is the second most common strand, as a result of being misdiagnosed by 5 doctors for almost a year I have nerve damage and pelvic floor pain, my PT sessions have barely helped my pain and now Im battling this infection, I don’t understand how something so potentially deadly can go overlooked for so long, I’m deeply saddened and I feel like something more should be done seeing as how it is on the rise due to prescribing broad spectrum antibiotics along with a corti steroid
Hi there.
I am wondering how long glabrata can go untreated before it gets out of hand vaginally? I’m convinced this what I have, but my doctor is useless. I have made an appointment at Drexel Vaginitis Clinic with a doctor who is well versed in these issues, but I couldn’t get in until February!!! Any advice on what to do between now and then to keep symptoms at bay? To be fair, my symptoms are mild, but I want them to stay that way!
Hi Lacy, So sorry you are in this position. Truthfully I do not know how long you can go without treatment without it getting out of hand. I think everyone is different and it will depend on your own bodies immune system as well as your lifestyle. As far as what you can do in the meantime to ward it off from getting worse, I am not to sure that there is much you can do when it comes to this pathogen. The reason I say this is because Glabrata is different than any other known yeast. You see it has the ability to adapt to any PH environment so trying to use things that would normally work against candidias will be of no use with this one. Things like boric acid, baking soda baths, lemon water and the usual anti-fungal creams are designed to change the PH environment to make the area less hospitable to the fungus which in turn would kill it or at least knock it back, but that is of no use with Glabrata because it can live in any environment which is why you see so many on here who have failed these treatments. The only thing I can suggest to possibly help from aggravating it would be to abstain from using any kind of feminine hygiene products, scent lotions, sprays, bubble baths, soaps or lubricants. I would also tell you to use pads instead of tampons right now because using tampons will inevitably dry the area and help to remove some of the good flora that may be fighting this for you right now. I would also tell you to use protection when having sex because you can spread this to a partner and then once you are cleaned up you are likely to get it back. Another thing would be to try and feed the good bacteria you have in there to help them to keep fighting this off for you. So, you want to eat healthy refrain from sugars and starches and take probiotics or kefir everyday and alternate the strains you are using to make sure to feed all good strains. Other than this I am not sure what else you could do to ward it from getting worse.
I do want to also let you know that you do not need a gyne to prescribe this med for you. All you need to do is have a doctor (your family physician, or a naturapath) to phone it in. It is just a gel and the molecules it is made up of are to large to be absorbed through the vaginal wall so there are no systemic effects from using it. It is very safe with the only side effect being possible vaginal irritation from using the gel. You first need a doctor to culture it out and again even your family doctor can do this or any gyne. They just need to write for this specific test to be cultured. if it comes back positive then you can give them the formula for the amphotericin B / Flucytosine gel to phone in to a compound pharmacy. If you look back at my replies to other people on here I did list the formula that you can bring into your doctor. Now when you get it made you need to make sure that it is made correctly and that you use it correctly because as I said this pathogen has the ability to adapt quite quickly to its environment and to any meds used to treat it, so you only get a few chances to use this med before it becomes resistant to it and this is the only med on the market right now that has the ability to kill it. This is because this med works in a different way, it does not change the PH but instead it uses the flucytosine to break open the nucleus of the cell and then the ampho gets in there to bust up the DNA strands leaving it unable to replicate. So, it is very important to make sure that they make you enough for 14 days straight and do not miss a day in treatment because you will open that window for it to become resistant. You also need to make sure that it is made in a water based gel like surgilube, DO NOT let them try to make it into a suppository or put it in an oil based gel. The reason for this is because the oils used to make it into these compounds will prevent it from being able to fully attach to the vaginal wall, so you will not be able to fully clear the infection and you will get it back besides you take the risk of making it resistant, so make sure it is made right.
Finally, it is important to know that once you get this infection you are at a high risk of getting repeated infections of it again so it is really important to try and prevent it from coming back. So, once you start treatment you need to follow many of the things I suggested above like diet, feminine hygiene protocols ect.. you will need to follow these even after you are done with the treatment so you don’t get it back. Well, I hope this helps you and I would definitely talk to your current gyne or even your family physician and ask them to test you for it and see if they will phone in the script if you are positive. Good luck to you
You are seriously awesome. Everyone on this thread is blessed by you!
What do you mean by different strains of probiotics? I’ve taken acidophilus and femdophilus…..should I add something or alternate by the week or month?
Thank you for the kind words Lacy, I am just glad that I can help other women who are suffering with this awful infection. What I mean about alternating your strains of probiotics is that you need to be taking more than just acidophilis and femdophilis. You need to also be adding in Reuteri, Biofidius and other strains. It does not matter what brands you buy as long as they are good reliable brands and that each brand contains different types of probiotics. You want this because your flora is made up of millions if not billions of different strains and science really does not know for certain yet which ones are the most beneficial as well as what ones work synergistically with other strains. So, the latest research is showing that people get more benefit when they alternate strains of probiotic bacteria’s. So, the best way to do it is to get a few different brands, ones that contain the ones you are already using and other ones that contain, bifidious, Reuteri and other strains too. Then one day take one brand of strain and the next day you take another brand with a different strain and the next day a different brand with a different strain and you keep alternating daily so that your gut flora gets a healthy dose of all strains and works better at fighting the bad bacteria. It is a little more costly because you will need to purchase at least three different brands a month but they do not have to be expensive ones and because you are not taking the same one everyday they will last a little longer, but you will get a better effect this way and help to fight off bad bacteria better plus you will be rebuilding all of your gut flora and not just a certain strain which makes it more beneficial. I hope this all makes sense. Good luck to you
I need help was just diagnosed just last week with ,C. glabrata I am a diabetic and scared crapless..
Hi Jennifer, please do not be scared by this diagnosis, you will get through this. Let me start by saying that being diabetic puts you in the high risk category but it does not mean you cannot treat it and get rid of it, it s just going to take some extra effort on your part and a good doctor. You see people who suffer with HIV, end stage cancer and diabetes are at the highest risk of getting Glabrata and that is just because your immune systems are very compromised, but in all actuality in todays society anyone has the ability of getting this infection just because of our poor diets and love for popping antibiotics as well anti-fungals, but you can treat it. The first thing you need to do is control your sugar levels, this means by diet, exercise and of course any meds your doctors have you on. You absolutely must keep your sugar levels under control especially while trying to fight this infection and its not just because it feeds it but because it also compromises your immune system. Next you need to find a doctor that has some clue about Glabrata and knows how to treat it and unfortunately there are very few out there and a crap load of ones that think they know. If you cannot find one that knows how to treat it, then you need to find a doctor who is willing to learn, this can even be your PCP or a naturopath doctor. They will need to treat you with a compounded gel known as amphotericn B/ Flucytosine. The mix MUST be made in a water based gel like surgilube. The compound pharmacy will take both of those pills and crush them into the surgilube and you will insert it every night for no less than 14 days. During that time you MUST control your sugar levels and use NO other types of feminine products. You will insert it each night before bed and make sure to lay on a towel because it will leak out during the night and the yellow color will stain. At the end of the 14 days you should be cleared of it completely, however, it does not mean it will not come back again, which means you need to remain vigil with your blood sugars, diet, exercise and refrain from using douches or other feminine products. You should not have intercourse until you are clean of it as well because you can give it to your partner who can give it back to you. You want to avoid getting it back as much as possible because this nasty little infection has a way of becoming resistant to drugs quickly, so this formula may only work once or twice and then you will be out of anything to help. The thing is too once you have gotten it you are much more prone to getting it again, so really try hard to prevent it by what I said above and also by refraining from using any kind of antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. The doctor who discovered this cure is Dr. Jack Sobel out of Wayne state University in MI and he has dedicated his life to understanding and treating this infection. He has done multiple studies and treated successfully hundreds of people. If your doctors do not know how to treat this or if you have to teach them, you can google this doctor and his studies and bring it in to them. The formula for the gel is Ampho B at 100mg. mixed with Flucytosine at 1 gram and mixed into 8 grams of surgilube. This is to be used for 14 days once a day. Please do NOT allow your doctor to first treat you with Diflucan because this bug is 100% resistant to this drug and this yeast lives along side candida and the two of them fight for space in the vaginal wall area, so what happens is when you take Diflucan it kills off the candida but does not touch the glabrata now since you killed off its only competition (candidias) it now has full reign and the infection can get out of control and become very difficult to treat and you will be in horrible misery!!! This same thing applies to boric acid suppositories, it will make you feel good for a few days then once you stop using it – it comes back with a vengeance and makes treating it very difficult. voriconazole is the only other drug you could possibly try and in some cases at high doses it has worked, but this drug is very toxic to the liver and has some very bad side effects and does not have a high cure rate, so you are best using the gel, which does NOT get absorbed into the body, so there is no side effects other than some vaginal irritation that may occur while using it. Well, I hope this helps you, and good luck to you
I thank you very very much my test came back C Glabrata then said detected so I decided to search it up like I do everything else. I will be telling my doctor asap!!! Like tomorrow. And I will print this and show them. I try to control my sugar but it’s hard. If you could email me I need to ask a private question about me..
Jennifer I emailed you so check for my email.
You state that this bug is completely resistant to diflucan, yet I’m reading studies that say in some patients (40-50%) that diflucan can be effective – not that it’s a convincing percentage. But I’m just curious.
You also mentioned sexual transmission. How do I know if my partner has this? Both he and I have had NO symptoms. I went in for a regular appt with new doc who did a swab cause I wasn’t due for
My pap. He found this to my surprise…?
Hi, Jenn, yes this bug is completely resistant to diflucan and nystatin. The studies that you are reading are based off of studies done years ago before this bug was exposed to Diflucan on a regular basis. Because we have so over used it, like anything else we over use, we have created a super strain that is now resistant to it. Those studies also were based on in vitro (which means in a petry dish) and what works in a petry dish does not always work in vivo (which means in the human body. I guarantee you that Diflucan will not work and if given at high levels for a long enough duration (usually six weeks at 800 mg. or higher a day), you will experience side effects that are going to be very uncomfortable (most are unable to complete the course due to side effects). Because it does not work on Glabrata what will happen is that you will feel somewhat better while using it and you will think you are getting better but as soon as you stop it, it will come back with a vengeance and that is because you will have never actually killed the Glabrata. Here is the thing, Glabrata never lives on its own, it almost always lives with Candidias and can be found right along side of bacterias. This is because this bug can adapt to all PH levels so it can live with bacteria as well as other yeasts. So, when you take Diflucan you will begin to feel better because you are lessening your candidias load, because it is killing that yeast, so you feel better and think you are getting better, but then once you stop taking the diflucan the Glabrata now will have total reign in the vaginal area because you killed off its competition, so within a week or two you will not only be back to where you started but worse because it is now taken over the vaginal area. This is why any doctors who know truly how to treat Glabrata (and those are usually ones that have treated it repeatedly with other patients) will know that this is not going to work and can now make the situation much worse. The gel is the only sure fire kill with no systemic side effects and it will treat all yeasts that are living with it, its like a re-boot for the vagina where as the other treatments only kill certain species and leave the rest to take over after treatment stops, so it becomes a viscious cycle.
As for sexual transmission, yes it is easily transmitted just like candidias or any other bacteria or yeasts that are living in there, however, your partner like you right now may not even know you have it because if your immune systems are working fine, chances are it is going to be controlled by your own immune system and truthfully you may not need treatment. Let me explain, this infection is found in our society and world every where much like candidias is, however it is one that for centuries have never caused any human problems, even though it is a deadly yeast, it is fairly able to be controlled and killed within the human body by your own immune system. It has only been since the 80’s that we have noticed people getting really sick and dying from this infection and the only reason for this is because of the HIV epidemic and people living longer with cancers. Which has also unfortunately also lead to the over use of Diflucan along with it being sold over the counter where women are using it even when they do not have yeast infections. So, here is the thing everyone gets exposed to it at some point in their life (and many will never know because they will have no symptoms and their bodies will take care of it) but people who have VERY compromised immune systems will not be able to fend this one off and these are usually almost always people with HIV, end stage cancers, diabetes and now we are seeing it in people like me who are using Fluoroquinolone drugs (which wipe out all your good bacteria needed to help you fight off yeasts and its even worse if they are using steroids which lower your immune system, you then have created a very compromised immune system which can no longer fight off this infection) then you break down with the symptoms and life becomes miserable and scary!
So, let me go back and say that if you had no symptoms and your partner have no symptoms then this is not something I would bother treating right now. Instead you should have your doctor re-check you for it in six months to see if your body has taken care of it itself. Or if you come down with symptoms then go back and definitely treat it. In the mean time you NEED to use protection when having sex and NO oral sex because you could give it to your partner and would enter the GI system and blood and that would be very dangerous! If you are trying to get pregnant or thinking about it, you would also definitely need to be treated for it prior to pregnancy. Other than this I would not treat but watch vigilantly. Instead for now be careful with sex, eat right, exercise and make sure you bodies immune system is up to par to fight it on its own. You will know if it becomes a problem very quickly because both you or your partner will begin experience the symptoms of it if your immune system looses control of fighting it. The symptoms for either of you are going to be extreme itching, swelling of the vaginal area or for males swelling of the urethera or head of penis, you will also notice redness and EXTREME burning like someone has poured acid over you vaginal tissues and his urethera, that is one of the main signs. The way most describe it is as if someone poured acid over the area and then ground glass into your vaginal area and then poured biting fleas over it that are biting you constantly. It will be like nothing you have experienced before and you will be in utter misery day and night. Anyway, I would not treat yet, let your body do its job before trying treat, because you do not want to open that pandoras box if your body can do its job. I hope this answers your questions.
Wow. So many thoughts. My husband and I are having sex, trying to get pregnant (again, recent miscarriage in January). We’ve had oral sex….
I’m still breastfeeding my baby….I’m so concerned. But what’s insanity to me is my doc really acted like this was NOTHING. How do I know if it’s in the GI and blood?
After reading your message I think now I know how I caught this. I was diagnosed with boarderline type 2 diabetes 3 years ago weighing 125 lbs and I have had many common yeast infections starting at a very young age and have taken allot of different antibiotics over the years. Due to depression over this ongoing ordeal I have let myself go with poor diet and stopped exercising. I gave up after seeing 6 different types of doctors and no one could help me. Thank you for sharing your information. I am going to contact my doctor and start fighting again to get my health back.
I have some confusion about Glabrata. I was also diagnosed with vaginal C. Glabrata, but my nurses at the women’s practice I go to seem to think it is no big deal, very common and easily treated. What am I missing? Is it because mine is vaginal that it is much less of a risk/danger? They have me on Fluconazole and I am worried about taking the full dose (six week treatment). Can someone please provide me with a little insight? Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer, I am really in need of some clarity.
I use 4-6 drops 100% pure oregano oil (not diluted). NOW brand is good. I put the drops into empty capsuless (you can purchase at many pharmacies, or purchase online http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_1_19?k=vegetarian+capsules+empty&sprefix=Vegetarian+capsules). Take with a big glass of water. If your stomach burns a bit take with food or with ginger oil extract (has protective effects for the stomach’s mucosal tissues). I do this for 3 – 4 days until all signs and symptoms of the yeast infection are gone. I took the drops every day for several months before I noticed I didn’t have to take as frequently. Now I rarely need to use it anymore. I use it more to nip viral infections before they become full blown colds/flus, because it works for that too, & I rarely get yeast infections anymore. Read through the website I linked in my previous post for more info. Just thought I’d share the dosage that worked for me, with absolutely no negative effects.
Hi Johanna, Are you dealing with C. Glabrata? There are so many and you didn’t mention which fungus you had. I’m researching for my sister-in-law who is suffering with C. Glabrata in her mouth. Any help you can get I would appreciate. Thank you so much!
Oregano oil kills Candida.http://candidahub.com/essential-oil/Oregano-Oil-for-Yeast-Infection
The personality type that is drawn to medicine is prone to a complete inability to recognize that they are doing anything wrong. They are just never wrong! So they have been causing this problem for decades, haven’t been able to cure it in the few instances where they recognized it and got wealthy off of insurance money while patients die? Do I have that right? I’d rather visit a shaman in the Amazon actually…
I have vaginal Glabrata after reading this I think I know why……..
It has been 6 months and we cant get rid of it. I have used nystatin vaginal supposotries for 14 days I had a culture but now I have bad symptoms again know it is back. What do I do now? My GYN want to try Boric acid. Has anyone heard of those? Then if that dont work Gentian Violt. None of my docs can help me. Can any of you?
I had Candida glabrata for a year, the only thing that worked was amphotericin compounded my a pharmacy into suppositiries for 14 nights, I still have irritation and now pelvic pain from all this. Good luck hope this helps
Melissa, I believe I too have vaginal glabrata, but am waiting on culture results to verify. It’s scary and miserable. I tried 14 days of boric acid and I was so sure it would work but it didn’t. My doctor is saying there’s nothing else to treat it with, but I know it isn’t true and she admits she’s not experienced with cases like mine. If I may ask, what Doctor did you see that finally gave you these suppositories? I’m ready to travel to see someone well versed in this if the results come back showing glabrata. I think that has to be what I have based on the fact that nothing traditional has even put a dent in my yeast.
Lacy I saw Dr. Gunter at Kaiser San Francisco, I have c glabrata again after a year and it looks like I’m going to have to be treated. I hope the drug works because it looks like I have no other options if it doesn’t
Melissa
I am so sorry to hear that you have this again. I have finally had a culture but am waiting on the results. My doctor has been truly useless in this situation, and I found a specialist who lives about 3 hours from me but she has no available appointments until 2017!!!! It’s crazy! PLEASE keep us all updated about if your next treatment works. It’s insane that modern medicine is of no better use when this type of yeast is actually pretty common.
Take care.
Lacy, I did reply to your post on an upper thread about this and I just want to reiterate that when you get this compound made PLEASE, PLEASE do not have it made into a suppository, this is possibly one of the mistakes that was made with Melissa and why she now has it back. You MUST- MUST get it made into a gel using ONLY water based gel like surgilube!!! I cannot be more specific or adamant about this because the molecules in this formula are to big to be absorbed into the vaginal wall, so it can only adhere to the vaginal wall where this pathogen has attached itself and it then grows its roots deep into the tissues and wraps around your nerves which is why the symptoms of this infection are so extreme and feel like someone has poured acid in your vagina. It is different than candidias which only layers itself on the flora of the wall, so when you use this formula it needs to get right to the wall and attach to the pathogen and being to start killing its nucleus. If you put the med in an oil based or waxed base compound the oil or wax will prevent it from being able to attach to the wall and do its job. You might get some parts of the med that get through the oil to the wall but you will not be able to douse the entire walls. This will knock the infection back so you feel better but it will leave some pathogens behind to start the process all over again. This is not to mention that you will take a risk of making it resistant to the only med out there to treat it. This is most likely what happened to Melissa and I have spoken to her about it. So, please make sure when they make this for you that it is made with a water based gel like surgilube. They can use KY jelly too but it is a thicker based water gel and is not nearly as effective as the surgilube so I would push for the surgilube. I hope this help you. good luck
I do not know how Glabrata fairs against natural medicines as all of the ones listed in this article seem to be synthetic or prescribed, but as a person who has had a massive Candida infection for more than a decade and has been actively fighting it for the last few years with many different methods, I can say that the most effective antifungal for me has literally been the consumption of **ORGANIC** Coconut oil as well as the pure form of caprylic acid specifically found in the “Brain Octane” oil from the Bullet Proof product line.
I have been seeing more of these things being purged from my system than from any other treatment or combination of treatments to this date.
I have also read that the 3 acids found in coconut oil are all antifungal/antimicrobial, that they balance gut acidity/alkalinity (detrimental to immune health), act as a prebiotic, and that Candida cannot adapt to this form of treatment. Once again, I do not know if this applies to Glabrata, but you can lose nothing from consuming a couple tablespoons of coconut oil a day as it will do nothing but improve your health and is relatively inexpensive. I waited till I was at my lowest to finally give a try, as a last ditch effort, and it has been quite a blessing.
is there anyone who can help me with this Glabrata
Gidget, it depends on where your infection is at ( GI system, vaginal, mouth or throat) as to what doctor you would need. For all infections you will need a doctor who specializes in that system, for instance if it’s in your colon you will need a gastroenterologist, if it’s in your vaginal area you will need a gynecologist, etc.. But besides these specialists you will also need an infectious disease doctor to work with your other specialist. However very few infectious disease doctors know about Glabrata so you need to find one that has experience with it, this is really important. If it’s In your vaginal area and is not responding to he usual treatments ( fluconazole, voriconazole, boric acid, etc..) then you will need a compounded gel known as amphotericin B / Flucytosine. It will kill it within 14 days once and for all but you must also fix that area so it will not come back, which means breathable underwear, no deodorants or other perfumed products or soaps. Only wash with Dove hypoallergenic soap. Do not use anything else in this area to clean or freshen also no lubricants of any kind including coconut oil. You will also need to be on a yeast free diet as well as a sugar free diet and that includes artificial sweeteners and honey. Finally you will need to take probiotics ( a good brand that is refrigerated). If you do all this along with the meds you should be able to clear it completely. However, you must maintain this regime for at least six months after antifungals are done and then you can add back in sugars and yeast but very very slowly and if you begin to have symptoms stop them right away wait six more months then attempt again. If you have an under lying disease like diabetes or thyroid you need to make sure that -that illness is well under control or you will be fighting a viscious battle. Also make sure your hormones are balanced or again it just becomes a viscious cycle and you can only use these antifungals a few times before the glabrata will become resistant to them and there is no other treatments available, leaving you with a life long chronic painful infection, so make sure you follow the whole protocol when starting treatment, this will give you the highest chance of ridding it and keeping it away. There is an infectious disease gynecologist who has dedicated his life to this disease and can help you if you can’t find a knowledgable doctor by you. His name is Dr. Jack Sobel and he is out of Wayne State University in MI. He is world renown for being able to eradicate this infection even in the sickest of people, so he is worth seeing if all else fails. Well good luck to you
Thank you for responding!! I have it in my vagina and I believe possible in mouth. They tried boric acid and it didn’t work. Just talked with nurse today and now they want to try a bag oh moisture balancer. I do have a appt in May with a infectious. Disease. Dr. Feeling hopeless and neglected. Again.Thank you for responding!
Ph balancer darn auto correct. And ironically it is Dr Stobel. Ty again for responding!!!! And thank you so much for the great info!!!!
Debra is there a way I could talk to you in a more private setting. Like an email? I have a few questions. Please and thank you. Prayers for all all
Hi Gidget, I sent you an email with my email, so we can talk.
Debra,
I too Glabrata vaginalls foy I just got a good culture but in 10 days I have it back. Its Christmas so doctor isnt in. I just finishe usimg Nystatin supposororiefor 14 days. we thought it went away. I teribly afraid of amprorticin B It is deadly. Do you or have you used this?
Please send me contact info as well I have been diagnosed for 6 months now. My gym has no other options then boric acid or Venetian violet I have an appt with infectious disease doctor next week but im in so much pain I don’t think I can wait.
Hi Debra,
I’m a 24 year old woman from Brisbane, Australia. I was recently diagnosed with vaginal Candida Glabrata after 3 painful years of being misdiagnosed with regular thrush and bacterial infections. I’m having a lot of trouble finding any doctors or specialists here in Australia that know anything about it. I was hoping you could help me. After being diagnosed my doctor treated me with a 14 day course of boric acid capsules which didn’t work. I have since been to the naturopath and am following the candida diet to the best of my ability. I want to kick this for good. I want to start a family in the near future and worry I won’t be able to. Please help me!
Hi Debra,
I am also from Brisbane and facing similar issue. Could you pls send me ur number on 0433950071 to discuss abt doctors and treatment.
Hi there
Am also in Brisbane, i think i could have this. Can you please let me know someone to contact.
Kim
Hi Kim, I am so sorry I missed this post. I hope you have cleared your infection, but if not please post back and I will try to help in any way I can. Thanks
HI Alice, I am so sorry I missed this post, I do not know if you have resolved your Glabrata problem and I am hoping you have, but if not please post back and I will for it so that I can try to help you in any way I can. Thanks
Hi ladies. I am in Brisbane also and have been diagnosed with this. Have been on boric acid for 6 weeks and no change. Just started candida diet 2 weeks ago. I need help.
Hi Tonia, so sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately, Glabrata is a different kind of fungus than all the rest. Most doctors have no clue on how to treat it and many will try to treat it as if it is just like candidias. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work with this one. You see, Glabrata has the capability of adapting to its environment and to any meds given to it. What this means is that it can live in any kind of a PH balance climate, which is why it is often seen living along side both bacteria’s and other fungus’s. So using things like Boric acid or doing candidias diets are of no use with this species. It is also why drugs like nystatin and diflucan are also useless. You see, these drugs much like the boric acid and diet only serve to change the PH environment so that the fungus can’t survive, but with Glabrata that will do nothing because it can survive any PH environment. You will have to use amphotericin B/ flucytosine gel in order to kill this one. It is a gel that has to be compounded and then used for 14 days without stopping. This drug actually works in two ways. First the flucytosine gets in there and busts open the nucleus of the fungus and allows for the drug amphotericin B to then get in and destroy the DNA of the fungus so that it can no longer replicate. This gel is absorbed outside of the vagina so it does not cause side effects in the body but can cause some minor vaginal irritation while your using it. Now it is important to refrain from sugars and starches while treating as well as from using any kind of feminine hygiene products especially ones that are scented. This also means no bubble baths or lubricants or body sprays in that area. When you wash you need to use DOVE hypoallergenic only because it is less likely to change PH balance. Once the infection is gone you must try to prevent it from coming back because as I said this fungus has the ability to adapt to the meds too leaving it to be drug resistant. It adapts quite quickly so you may only get a few times before the amphotericin B does not work and there is nothing else out there to treat it. It is also important to know that once you have gotten it you are at a high risk of repeated infections, so you need to change your lifestyle to prevent it from coming back. You need to eat healthy, exercise, take probiotics and rotate the strains you use, you also need to NEVER use any kind of scented feminine hygiene product again. NEVER take bubble baths, or use body sprays, douches, or “fun” kind of lucbricants, unfortunately they will for surely lead to another infection. To understand more about Glabrata and to get the formula to make the gel (and it must be in a gel lubricant) you can look back to some of my other replies to some of the other women on here, where I tried to explain more about this fungus, how to effectively treat it, how to prevent it from coming back and why your doctors do not understand this pathogen. I hope this gets you started on your road to recovery and helps you to understand why the boric acid and diet and other anti-fungal drugs are of no use against this fungus. Good luck
Thank you for your advice. It gives me hope. I have changed my whole dietary lifestyle which i feel better internally for. I am now trying to organise gel with my compounding chemist. Have amp b but trying to get them to add fluc. Will order extra so can use on outside of vagina as well.
Hi, Tonia, I am so glad that the diet changes have made a difference for you, I knew they would. Now I hope you can get the gel, if they only make the ampho B without the Flucytosine that may be ok and may work for you. There is a higher failure rate with it then the one with the flucytosine but it if does not work you can always go back and add the flucytosine to it. The Ampho B without it used to work by itself but some strains have become resistant to it which is why they have added the flucytosine to it, the flucystosine helps to keep the infection from becoming resistant to the ampho but you may have strain that is not yet resistant to it so it may just work for you. In any case I hope things continue to keep getting better for you. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, please let me know how it goes. Good luck to you
HI, I am so sorry I missed your post. I do not know if you have found treatment for your Glabrata yet or if you still need help. If you do please post back again and I will try to help if I can. I hope that you are better now. Thanks
I need advice and know what to do. Becki
Becki, I removed your phone number as I am not sure you want to post that online and risk inviting unwanted phone calls. If Debra sees this comment, she can reply directly here or perhaps you can arrange to communicate privately. She has been ill, so I am not sure if she will respond.
I am I same boat. I think I have bartonella and +1 c.glabrata and +2 c. ablicans. I have terrible pain in intestines , throat, gut, and vagina and opening of my rectum. I have constant constipation,anus itches and vagina, pain in groin, vasculitis and upper rrspiratory. I raise my blood pressure with cigarettes and drink Pepsi. I also have adrenal fatigue. Lost 40 lbs. I weigh about 89 something. Sore throat, white blood count has gone down and red blood cells. My neutrophils are very high. I was bitten by unidentified insect and I have encelapathies with tic syndrome and blood thickening. I am allergic to medicine and foods. My brain is foggy and my skin is red in tummy and I breakout in hives. And I itch. I thought it was a parasitic infection. My neurotransmitters are high. I feel hopeless I pray everyday and night. And water doesn’t hydrate me. No one will believe ime. I think I have worms too. Much more. Becki
I am so sorry you are going through this. I know what you are dealing with because I too was dx with Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, mycoplasma, and chlamydia pneumonia, all of which came from a tick bite almost five years ago. The tick bite is what caused me to become sick and need the cipro and then the prednisone, however I did not know I had these tick borne illnesses at the time. I only recently found out this past spring after receiving a second tick bite this time to my head which caused encephalitis seven days later. I have been under treatment for all of these infections since April of this year, but I have not responded well to the treatments. I have slowly deteriorated and have many of the same issues as you. I am currently bed ridden and just got of the hospital. I now am in GI failure, so they are trying to treat me with TPN feedings through a central line. They are going to start heavy duty antibiotics through my IV next week, with hopes of knocking down the bacterial counts. Due to all of the antibiotics I am once again fighting Glabrata and candidiasis , so I take nystatin pills four times a day, diflucan three times a week and they will be treating me systemically again with IV microfungin. My labs sound much like yours except my WBC is high along with neutrophils. My vitamin counts are all very low, in fact my fit. D was not even traceable. My potassium was so last week that they had to give me IV potassium twice in one day to stabilize my heart. I too have severe allergies to everything but my doctors are trying to work around them because some of the drugs I need in order to save my life right now, but they are making me very sick. I have all kinds of neuro issues including seizures that are not controlled by seizure meds. I have severe word find problems and stutter badly since the encephalitis which nearly killed me. They had to give me over 1,000 msg. Of steroids in three days to bring down the swelling in my brain, which just re floxed me again. I can no longer walk or even dress myself and depend on a home nurse to help me. I’m not sure how long I have but I’m still fighting albeit some days I pray for death and cry non stop, but then I pick myself up and try to find a reason to continue fighting. I have no muscles left and have developed bed sores but my doctors tell me to keep fighting because some have recovered even ones as bad as me. So please don’t lose hope. If you want to talk to I can give you some information on where to get help for what is happening to you or if you just want to talk we can do that too. You can email me at mybubbycomet@gmail. Com and I can give you my phone number if you would like. My days are up and down and I’m currently in and out of the hospital so I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. There is hope but to get better it is going to be a long journey with ups and downs, coming back from these infections is not a sprint but a marathon and it will not be easy nor is it for the faint of heart but you are already in the belly of hell and your still here like me, which means you got it in you to keep fighting! Good luck to you
I’m currently using Boric acid to treat my glabrata. Has anybody heard about this approach??
Yes my gun wants me to do it? How is working out for you
I used boric acid for years. Kept my symptoms at bay as long as I was using it. But it’s a poison, so I didn’t want to continue. Struggled on and off with all the symptoms in the article. I started taking Jarrow Formulas, Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS, and I had really good results. When I first started using it, I went thru a die off stage. My eyes swelled up almost like an allergic reaction. I stopped it, then started again once my eyes weren’t swollen. What a difference taking those has been for me. Recently, my gynecologist told me about studies with iodine. Apparently the group (sorry I don’t know who it is doing the studies) has found a link with a lack of iodine in those who struggle with yeast issues. With the use of Sea Salt instead of iodized salt in use for foods today, many people who are in need of iodine are not getting what they need on a daily basis anymore. (At least this is what my doctor told me she had just learned in the seminar she had attended.) About two months ago I started a sublingual iodine drop that I use every day under my tongue. I feel better than I have in years using it. It may not be for everyone, I realize, but it is really worth checking out for yourself. Wanted to put this out there just in case it helps anyone. Thanks for sharing your experience.
i have had a yeast infection for two years now ..doctors have done culture test of vigina c.albican and c.glabrata was positive ..but it feels like its taken over my entire body tho my blood tests come back fine its killing me and my doctor wont believe me that all antifungals arent working
Print this article and show him. There has been a resurgence of glabrata in populations not considered typical for this infection.
My test finally came back negative but was on dican. Can this go dormant
Hi Jane, hope you are doing well. Did you have Glabrata? Did it ever come back?
I have glabrata. What are your symptoms? My biggest one is a fatigue that can only be described as being in an awake coma. I take narcolepsy med to stay awake and I can still sleep for 3 hours. Do it show in your blood test? My dr say it is very hard to find in blood test and that stool test is valid. I also have lyme and and am taking doxy for it. Should I stop all antibiotics?
What hospital specializes in it? I have only found 2 drs that are familiar w treating it and they want to do microfungin ivs for 6 weeks 2 times a day. Most of my wbc and rbc are normal again. The wbc was down for a while but my alt is 64 and my immoglobin M is 348 which is high.
Debra,
My heart goes out to you. What’s happened to you is terrible and beyond heartbreaking. I hope you were able to beat this fungus. I don’t know what to say. I’m forwarding your story to my friends and family. Nobody should take fluoroquinolones.
I was speaking to someone who happens to run data for a hospital about Glabrata. More of a random conversation than anything else. As soon as I mentioned it, she knew exactly what I was speaking about and mentioned that she had noticed an increased incidence over the last year. She had no idea it was becoming more prevalent in non-immunocompromised people. Who knows, maybe she’ll dig into it. Thanks for bringing this to our attention Debra.
Oh how I feel for you. I am one year healthy after a 3 to 4 year struggle with Candida. I chose a different course of action. Ask yourself a logical question… Why would you go back to be treated by a profession that almost killed you? Ditch the Docs!!! I did & that’s probably the ONLY reason I am alive today. The modern diet works hand in hand with this ACQUIRED illness. It is your body’s response to what you put into it. Then what you are feeding it. I ate a restricted diet of almost no carbs for close to 3 years. Long enough to declare myself HEALED. At 57, I could kick anyone’s butt today. Americans are brainwashed as to what a healthy diet is & that misinformation is enough to kill us. You have to throw out everything you believed to be healthy. Low fat is a killer. Heart healthy is a killer. I eat tons of meat, greasy meat, a few veggies, lots of virgin coconut oil & not much else. Ditch the wheat, corn, rice, sugar, booze & all processed foods. You’ll live to be thankful. I did it. And I am living the best years of my life. Search for Healing Naturally by Bee Wilder to find your answers. Best wishes for a full recovery.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and I hope that this will not happen to anyone again…
I was floxed by Leviquin bad, I was using it to treat Lyme and Bartonella….
To this day I still struggle with Candida and Adrenals…….