Clear, white vaginal
discharge
I am noticing a discharge that is unusual. It is clear or white in
color, but it has the consistency of (for lack of a better word) snott.
There is a slight odor to it, however I am not experiencing any pain, or
itching. I have no idea what this is, but I would like to clear it up
very soon. I am thinking of getting an over-the-counter yeast infection
medication because I can't get in to see my doctor for another month. Do
you have any ideas as to what this may be, or if the yeast infection
medication will help?
This doesn't sound like a yeast infection because you don't describe
vulvar itching and burning or a whitish thick discharge usually
characteristic of yeast. Therefore I don't think using yeast
medication will help.
Itching and dry skin - is
it yeast?
I think I have early signs of a yeast infection. I felt itchy and
noticed that I had some dry flaky skin. The skin is red but I assume
it's a result of scratching. The itching is not severe and it's once in
a while but enough for me to notice and check it out. I actually noticed
the itching in the midst of my period. There's no bleeding or broken
skin in the area where it has dry skin. I guess I'm a little concerned
and was wondering if anyone has experienced something like this. I've
had yeast infections before but I don't recall getting dry skin.
Itching is often a sign of a contact allergy. The fact that it is
happening during your menses would prompt me to ask if you are wearing
any type of pads or liners (as opposed to a tampon). Could you be
sensitive to a certain brand? Yeast usually produces burning rather
than itching but not always. Sometimes there are other fungal
infections such as tinea species that can produce itching on the "dry"
skin. If this persists or worsens it should be checked out.
I recently started using a different brand of condoms (well my
partner) and It contains nonoxynol 9 could be be a reaction to that?
It can be. We see reactions to vaginal foam that contains nonoxynol
9 but it's hard to tell if its that specifically or some of the other
carrying agents used. The only way to tell with the condom is either
going back to a brand you previously used or abstinence for long
enough to tell if the problem goes away. This is an area where you
will need to be your own detective with trial and error of different
materials/substances that that area comes in contact with.
It went away -- lasted only two days. everything seems normal. No
itching, burning, or smell. guess everything is fine and it's just a
contact thing like you said....?
Odorous vaginal discharge
I've been having abnormal discharges (thick and have an odor) for
a while now...is this vaginitis? and since I've had this problem for so
long...could I have become sterile? Is there any medication that I can
use to help that does not require a prescription? I don't feel
comfortable talking about this with my parents let alone my
doctor...please reply back with your suggestions and input...it would be
greatly appreciated.
An odorous vaginal discharge can sometimes be a symptom of bacterial
vaginitis. It should be checked out. I know you may feel uncomfortable
talking about this with your doctor, but that's what the doctor is
there for. This is a common problem that your doctor has heard many
times before. If you avoid bringing it up, the poor doctor will go out
of business! In general, vaginitis doesn't cause sterility. If you get
a sexually transmitted disease, that can cause sterility. The doctor
checks for that by doing a cervical culture or smear at the time of a
vaginal exam. As far as home remedies, the only thing I know of would
be douching. In this process you are rinsing out any vaginal or
cervical secretions so that bacteria have less material on which to
produce odorous causing chemicals. There actually is evidence that
regular douching seems to increase the incidence of vaginal
infections. However, if you already have a problem, douching is often
effective in reducing the symptoms. Betadine douche is one still
recommended by many physicians. If the symptoms don't clear up after
douching 3/week for one or two weeks, you really should see your
doctor.
Recurring yeast infections
- milky white discharge
I have asked about it before but I would like to get a little more
detailed. I am 29 and I have been on the pill (Marvelon) from 1986 until
1994. I got pregnant in August 1994 and had to terminate the pregnancy.
I got back on the pill in the summer of 1995. At the end of 1995 I
started having yeast infections on a regular basis. In 1996 I had 8 of
them throughout the year. I also had a bacterial infection once that
year. Almost all the time when I have a yeast infection, I also have a
skin rash, the same kind I've been having off and on since I was little.
I put hydrocortisone cream on the rash and it will go away with that.
For yeast infections, I take Diflucan. This helps for that moment but I
have to take a higher dose every time I take it, probably because my
doctor told me to take it every month just to prevent it, and I might
have become resistant to it. I have tried Terazol too but this gave me
fever, muscle aches and cold chills. A few weeks after taking Diflucan,
the yeast infection comes back and I have to start over again. I have
stopped taking Diflucan on a regular basis now. For my feeling, the
recurring yeast infection started after I got back on the pill in 1995.
I took Levlen, which gave me big bumps on my face and neck and made me
spot in between periods. Now I use Ortho-Tricyclen and the bumps got a
little less. Spotting is not happening anymore but the yeast infections
keep coming back. I eat healthy (low fat, high fiber) although I have a
sweet tooth. I eat fruit and yogurt everyday and take vitamin
supplements daily. I exercise 3 times a week and take a shower right
after that. I wear cotton underwear and don't douche, wash my vagina
only with water and don't sit in the bathtub. My partner and I have been
together since the beginning of 1995 and we are in a monogamous
relationship. We both tested negative for HIV and I have tested negative
for diabetes. Also my partner has used the OTC yeast infection cream
which didn't make a difference. He has been checked for yeast but was
negative. Right now, I am on the 15th day of my cycle and I have a milky
white discharge. When I go to the bathroom I see 1/2 inch big drops of
discharge. Is this normal or is it yeast again?
A milky white discharge is usually normal. It represents cervical
and vaginal secretions that contain old vaginal wall cells
(epithelium). As long as there is no vulvar burning/itching, this does
not represent a symptomatic yeast infection.
Could it be possible that the yeast infection is an allergic
reaction to something?
Allergic reactions (contact) of the vaginal or vulvar epithelium are often confused
with yeast infections because they cause a histamine release in the
skin of the vulva with subsequent itching or burning. That is one
reason why culture for yeast is so important because you may assume
it's a yeast infection when in fact it is allergic. The most common
allergens are feminine hygiene sprays, contraceptive foam and jelly, even carrying agents in anti-yeast preparations,
lubricants on condoms, or soaps or bath oils. It doesn't sound as if
these are a problem in your case but you have to be your own detective
with allergens. The fact you are sensitive to terazole does make
allergy more likely.
Are there any other things I can try or am I just "doomed"
to take yeast infection medication on a regular basis for the rest of my
life?
Make sure this is yeast. Sometimes women with sensitive skin will
react to any normal vaginal secretions when they get on the vulva
because the secretions are naturally acidic. You can try petrolatum
jelly (Vaseline) to coat the vulva (a small layer) to protect it from
acidic discharge or you can use a tampon to block the discharge from
getting to the vulva and irritating it. These would be tests to see if
it is just an acidic (but normal) discharge you are reacting to or a
yeast infection. These things will usually not prevent the reaction to
a yeast infection.
Could it help to stop taking the pill?
Some women will get more yeast infections on certain birth control
pills. I think it has to do with the specific progestogen in the pill.
I would suspect that Levelen would be worse than Ortho Tricyclen
because it has a stronger progestogen than Ortho- Tricyclen. Sometimes
when we have women discontinue pills, recurrent yeast infection gets
better; other times there is no difference in the rate of infection.
It would take a 3 month trial off of the pills to tell.
Boric acid as treatment for
recurring yeast infections
What about boric acid?
Boric acid vaginal suppositories have been used in the past for
resistant, recurrent yeast infections. Many experts in vaginitis
clinics use them still. Unfortunately in the U.S. we don't have any
commercial vaginal suppositories with boric acid. Perhaps in Europe
there are some if that's where you are. We have to have the pharmacist
mix them up. Find an experienced pharmacist who remembers the
formulation.
These recurrent infections usually run their course after several
years. Something in the biochemistry of the vagina changes and they
disappear or at least get much less frequent as long as there is not
an underlying disease. Have hope. At the risk of losing you due to
repetition, make sure this is recurrent yeast infection by culture and
not just by visual diagnosis of the physician. I can't count how many
women I've seen who thought they were having recurrent yeast infection
when in fact their cultures were negative and their discharge was just
irritative, but not infectious.
Resistance to Diflucan®?
I'm 29 years old and for the last year and a half I've been having
yeast infections almost every other month. One of my doctors told me to
take Diflucan every other week for a few months and then every month
just to prevent. Now two weeks ago I had another yeast infection and my
doctor gave me a prescription for Diflucan again because I'm allergic to
Terazol. I had to take 3 times the normal dose of Diflucan to make the
yeast go away. Is it possible that my body is immune to Diflucan now?
The yeast infection went away but now, 3 weeks later, I have one again.
I'm so desperate! Is there anything else I can try? I'm taking the pill
now, but I want to try to stop taking it to see if that might make a
difference. Please help me!!
Resistance of candida (yeast) species to Diflucan are becoming more
and more a problem, probably because it is being used so much to treat
yeast instead of topical, vaginal medications which usually don't
develop as many resistances. Terazol® which you react to, is
actually the most effective topical medication with the least
resistance. That being said, it is still extremely important to make
sure of the diagnosis. Vaginal and vulvar irritation can be due to
causes other than yeast. (See our news
about cultures
for yeast. Assuming that you and your doctor are absolutely sure
of the diagnosis of recurrent yeast infection and there are no
predisposing factors such as diabetes, antibiotic use, immune disease
or immunotherapy use, then the treatment becomes problematical trial
and error. You need to work with the physician to find medication to
use periodically to keep it in check. Dietary change and douching may
also play a role.
Clumpy vaginal discharge
with white cells
Hello, I am 24 and for the past 4 months have noticed that my
discharge is not like it used to be. I was on an anovulatory cycle for
about 9 months because of hyperprolactinemia. I started taking Parlodel
and started my usual cycle about 8 months ago. After I started my
period, I stopped taking the Parlodel because it makes me so ill. Well I
have been pretty regular except the bleeding for the past couple of
months have been for 8 days instead of my normal 6 days and for the past
4 months my discharge has changed. The whole week after my period it
will be lite and a little clumpy, then the clumpiness will go away
almost totally during my mid cycle, and then about a week before my
period starts it will become very thick and clumpy. When my period
starts it goes away and the cycle continues. There is no odor and no
itching. I thought it was a yeast infection at first. I have been to
three doctors and they all tell me that my tests come out normal on
vaginal cultures. On wet mount they find epithelial cells and
Lactobacilli along with an elevated amount of WBC's. I keep asking them
that if there is so many WBC's then it means I have a vaginal infection
or something but they keep telling me that it may be normal for me. I am
wondering if my hormones have anything to do with this problem because I
have been wondering if I should get a fourth opinion. I thought that you
go to the doctor if something is out of the norm and I do but then they
tell me it is normal. I am really stressing out over this.
Vaginal discharge varies in its nature and consistency from one
person to another and even for one person throughout the menstrual
cycle. Commonly the discharge is grayish white or clear. The cells
come from the vaginal lining and fluid from the vagina and the cervix.
It often gets thin (non clumpy) at mid cycle of the menses because the
cervical mucous is thin and copious if ovulation has taken place that
cycle. In the 2nd half of the cycle it becomes thickened and sometimes
clumpy under the effect of progesterone. These are all normal
mechanisms to help a woman become pregnant at the mid cycle time of
ovulation and then "block" the cervix in the 2nd half of the
cycle so that if a pregnancy occurs there won't be any ascending
infection.
When a woman is anovulatory, there is less discharge and not the
monthly variation in consistency. It sounds as if, in some respects,
what you describe is normal now (for ovulation) and was just different
when you were anovulatory.
The white cells in the discharge change things a little. Usually
there are not too many white blood cells (WBCs) in vaginal discharge.
It's difficult to know if what your doctor has seen is "too much"
or not. WBCs can indicate infection but usually of the cervix, not the
vagina. If the cervical mucous is clear or white, not yellowish, there
usually is not an infection that needs treatment. All that being said,
there have been instances where doctors have just treated with
antibiotics for a "cervicitis" just because of the amount of
vaginal discharge. Sometimes it gets better and other times it doesn't
change because there really wasn't any infectious process in the first
place. Usually, if I see numerous white cells on vaginal wet prep, I
treat with an antibiotic cream (Cleocin®) vaginally or and
erythromycin or Zithromax® oral antibiotic as an empirical trial.
I would say it clears up the problem about 50% of time.
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