Taming the thrush monster

Mariam has been battling thrush for a month or so.  I have half-heartedly dealt with it over the weeks, treating only the rash that it produced.  The rash and a white tongue were her only manifestations.  She had none of the spots in the mouth that one usually associates with oral thrush.

This weekend the yeast must have partied.  I would like to be in denial that there is any connection between the Great Yeast Anarchy and the peanut m & m’s I inhaled…but indeed, my sugar intake as a nursing mother is probably the huge culprit.  This thrush HAD to be dealt with, no question about it.  I awoke IN PAIN, and Mariam had a rash that was covered with white, sticky ooze.  Her skin was peeling!  Misery for baby AND Mom.

Now, less than 36 hours later, we are both doing very well – and are on the quick path to being symptom free.  Here’s the protocol we followed – in the hopes that this will help someone else.

With babies past, I have used Gentian Violet.  If you aren’t familiar with it, here’s what Wiki says.  I find it effective, but messy.  It stains the baby’s face purple – not to mention EVERYTHING that comes into contact with it.

I was out of Gentian Violet, and it is not easy to find in stores where I now live.  I called every pharmacy I could find – no go.  It can still be bought on-line.

Yes, I could have called my doctor to ask for help, but it was a weekend.  I did not want to use Nystatin, which is usually the first line of defense prescribed.  It does not usually work for me.  Nystatin contains some form of sugar to make it palatable to the infant.  Sugar feeds yeast, a possible reason it doesn’t always work so well.  The next suggestion is usually a second round of Nystatin.  Sigh.  Takes so long, when you know it isn’t going to work anyway!  The third suggestion seems to be Diflucan.  Diflucan is thought to be hard on the liver, so I did not want to use that, either.  Diflucan may help more with a systemic yeast overgrowth, but at what price?  If you are struggling physically to maintain health already, taxation of the liver seems risky business.  Personally, I am overall healthy – but it is only by working hard at it and striving to maintain balance.  It doesn’t take much to throw me into imbalance and poor health.  Thus, I wanted a natural treatment….one that didn’t take a week to work!

I decided to try out Grapefruit Seed Extract as a main treatment option.  Here’s what I did:

• mixed 20 drops of GSE into one ounce of water.
• rinsed the diaper area with each diaper change
• did not allow the diaper to stay wet.  As soon as it was wet, she was rinsed and dried.
• re-applied the GSE mix and dried the diaper area with a hair dryer set on low.   (Since yeast thrives in wet/moist climates, the dry heat was a further inhibitor.)
• I next applied a powder that contained only cornstarch and calendula.  Calendula is one of those natural, super-skin healers.  A good friend gave me this powder – I was so thankful to have it on hand!  It really seemed to help dry up the nasty goop.
• I swabbed her mouth with a Q-tip dipped in the GSE and water mix.  I did this every time following a nursing on one side and subsequent diaper change.  She did not like it – but I could nurse her and comfort her quickly afterward.
• Before I nursed her, however, I dipped my finger in some acidophilus and rubbed that on her tongue.  (I should mention that I washed my hands, very well, in between each of these steps, so as to not cause re-infection.)  This is to build up the good bacteria in her intestines, to help them fight the imbalance that caused the yeast in the first place.

It doesn’t stop with treating baby, however.  Mom needs to be treated too.  None of these steps are fun when you are hurting yourself, and trying to nurse the little one.  If you have help, take it!  If you don’t, then forge ahead the best that you can, knowing that relief is right around the corner.

Here’s what I did for me:

• Following every feeding, I applied the GSE to myself as well – right where she nurses.  (How’s that for eluding spam triggers?)  After it was applied, I again used the hair dryer to apply heat and dry it up.  I tried to keep everything really dry, really clean.  No wet nursing pads – they just allow the thrush to breed.
• Cut out the sugar.  For real.  There’s no motivator like aching throbbing pain that won’t even allow you to lift your arms!  Thrush in the milk ducts is NOT fun!  Goodbye to the lovely m & ms.  Goodbye to the pumpkin pie my mama baked, with cool whip on top.
• “Hello” to things that will help your body to maintain the proper ph level.  I am drinking lots of liquid chlorophyll and teas.
• I am taking GSE in tablet form – 250 mgs. three times a day to kill off those yeastie beasties!
• Also, I’m taking acidophilus.  I could eat more plain unsweetened yogurt – but I don’t have any made up.
• I’m washing all towels and cloths and diapers with about 20 drops of GSE for now, until this invader is gone!

Yes, all of these things are time consuming.  Illness is a time waster, but in less than 24 hours I was back to running my energetic household.  The baby’s rash is almost all gone.  She looks great.  She has gone from a rash that literally peeled skin off to smooth, baby skin in such short order!  Amazing!  I will continue with these treatments for a week to truly get rid of it all – but will apply them in decreasing amounts as needed.

If you have any experience with the yeast monster and babies, please feel free to throw your comments into the ring!  We can all benefit….