Alternative causes of chronic yeast infections

DEAR DR. GOTT: I’ve noticed in the past there have been more letters from females about reoccurring yeast infections. My wife had that problem for several years before her doctor had her A1C checked and found she was type 2 diabetic. Once her diabetes was under control, she had no more problems.

DEAR DR. GOTT: A while ago, you had a column about a lady with a chronic yeast infection. Many years ago, I had a recurring problem in the same area. For months, my OB/GYN and I tried a variety of pills and ointments, but the irritation always returned. I discovered the cause by accident. When we were traveling in our motor home, I had no problem. But it came back as soon as we returned home. The culprit was the extra-soft toilet paper we used at home. I have been using the simple septic-tank-friendly paper ever since and have no more irritation.
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Reader wants past article

DEAR DR. GOTT: You had a recent article in my paper on chronic vaginal inflammation and repeated yeast infections. I’ve been battling this problem for the past six months and have been on Premarin cream for years. Can you tell me when the article was written or how to find out if the “delivery system” was ever corrected?

DEAR READER: Newspapers don’t always run my column on the same day, but you can go to www.AskDrGottMD.com and hit the search button. Type in “yeast infection” to view the complete column or columns on the same topic. The search button and a key condition or phrase works well. Good luck.

Chemist offers possible cause of chronic infection

DEAR DR. GOTT: I’ve been a chemist and forensic scientist for more than 50 years, and in your column you address a woman’s questions regarding chronic vaginal inflammation and repeated yeast infections. Years ago, I had a legal case involving a woman who used Premarin cream packaged in metal-walled “toothpaste”-type tubes. Her complaints and symptoms were much the same as your reader’s. In working as her expert witness on that case, I opened up and examined the offending Premarin tubes she had used. What I found was a badly designed delivery system that could not fail to cause horrific injury to anyone that used the product down to its completely collapsed, scrolled-up endpoint.

Such tubes are made of soft metal-like zinc but with an internal layer of polymer plastic coating the interior surface to prevent metal contamination or any reactive ingredients from chemically reacting with the metal walls. The defect comes when the user squeezes and deforms the tube walls to such an extent that the internal plastic layer fractures into small chips and delaminates from its attachment to the wall. [Read more...]

Chronic yeast infection needs better care

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 70-year-old active woman who has had a yeast infection for almost five years. I have gone to several doctors and have been given prescriptions for all of the usual medicines for yeast infections, the latest being Premarin vaginal cream plus clobetasol propionate cream. All of these prescriptions have worked, but the infection always comes back within two months. The last time the infection was almost to the staph stage.

After my last infection, a biopsy was done. The report said: “Vulvar Biopsy: Ulceration with very severe active chronic inflammation and numerous plasma cells. A serology for spirochetes was negative.” The microscopic description said: [Read more...]