Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    To the base note author. I seriously doubt that you will find a doctor
    who will treat an unknown patient no matter how well you know exactly
    what you have. However, if you go to a physician this time, you'll
    very probably be able to get a refil by phone.
    
    I don't know of any over the counter medications that will cure
    Monilia and it can get really awful if left untreated. Plain
    yoghurt will relieve the symptoms to a degree but not necessarily
    cure the condition.
    
    Bonnie

    Developed by the Women's Health Institute in California.
    
    You'll find it at CVS and some other drugstores for around $9.  This
    stuff works!  I also called the 800 number on the package and they will
    talk with you at length!  Women helping women.  And the result is an
    inexpensive, over the counter product that WORKS!  Beats waiting for
    some doctor to invade bruskly, (because this complaint is so common it
    bores most of them), and then take your money to tell you what you
    already know and hand you a prescription for stuff that oftentimes
    doesn't work, requiring a second visit!
    
    Yeastguard works homeopathically, (uses small amounts of dead yeast to
    control live yeast - I don't understand it but it works), and as such,
    women who are prone to these infections, diabetics, etc, can use low
    doses intermittently as maintenance with no side effects.
    
    Other things you can do over the long term are cut down on fermented 
    products - wine, beer and bread, or products containing large amounts
    of yeast like apple skins, and increase your intake of yogurt or 
    straight acidophilus if you'd rather.  A plain yogurt douche, (mix in
    enough warm water to make it liquid), will quiet things down until you
    can get the Yeastguard.

I actually did get a perscription over the phone for a yeast infection once. I
called some gyn-docs in Nashua (don't remember who), and was given an
exceptionally long period to wait. I expressed dismay and outrage, explained
the situation, and got the perscription.
	Mez

    re .2
    
    I heartily second this recommendation!
    
    -maureen
    

    I would hazard a guess that your regular family doctor or OB/GYN might
    prescribe over the phone if s/he knew your propensity towards monilia.
    

    I thought that yogurt (acidophilus bacteria in the yogurt) worked for
    candidas albicans - I wasn't aware monilia was in the same family of
    microorganisms.  
    
    There's also a product sold at health food stores called "cantrol"
    which is some systemic product that helps control yeasties.  I've never
    tried it - but you don't need a prescription.
    
    Maybe find a doctor who'll do a checkup once, explain you've had it
    before, and thereafter make him aware that you have the same symptoms
    and have him fill out a running prescription that you can refill as you
    need it (you need a doctor who trusts you here!) - sorry I don't know
    of one who would personally....
    
    -Jody

    You probably need a doctor you trust who also trusts you with a
    refillable perscription.
    
    In the meantime, yogurt does help and can indeed get rid of the
    yeasties if caught early enough.
    
    I don't know if any of these apply to you but you may have recurring
    problems because of:  
        * nylon panties or pantyhose that cause things to get too hot
          and moist
        * being on the pill
        * being on any antibiotic
        * your own body pH being too alkalai thus promoting yeast growth
        * birth control foam, cream or lubricated condon irritation 
        * your partner having untreated yeast or jock itch
    
     Yeast is no fun at all. You've got my sympathy.  
    
     If you live in Eastern MA, you may want to try the Cambridge Women's
     Health Center they may be able to see you pronto.
    
     Take care,
       Margaret

    re: .8
    
    Monilia is the former name of the genus Candida.

    
    I thought it's only *live* yoghurt that works in this case (is monilia
    that same condition that we in England call "Thrush"?).
                             
    Sam

    Sam,
    
    Good point, the yoghurt has to be non pasturized or whatever. Also
    monila is the same as thrush.
    
    Bonnie

    Plain yoghurt - the fresher the better, and low-fat has a lower
    acidophilus content than whole-milk yoghurt.
    
    -Jody
    

    Homeopathy  n.  A system of medical treatment based on the use of small
    quantities of drugs that in massive doses produce symptoms similar to
    those of the disease under treatment.
    
    Yeastguard bills itself as homeopathic, so I assumed the definition
    had been broadened by the medical and lay community to include the same
    use of other substances besides just drugs - like yeast cells in this 
    case.
    
    Monilia, Candida, Yeast, Thrush, they're all the same.  In the states,
    Thrush is generally used to refer to a yeast infection in a newborn's
    mouth, having contracted it during birth from the mother.  But it's
    still the same thing.
    
    I can't imagine why doctors have to "trust" their patients with
    prescriptions for Monostat, etc.  How the heck might women misuse
    it?  Squeeze out rails of it at parties?

I was wondering the same sort of thing Sandy. What makes a perscription drug a
perscription drug? Yeast infections are _so_ common. Are there special, useful,
perscription drugs for jock itch? Are the two very different?
	Mez

    Mez
    
    My personal suspicion is that the reason Monostat is still not an
    over the counter drug is that there are other things that can cause
    symptoms similar to Monilia's and most of them are far more serious.
    Thus the advantage of seeing a health practictioner, at least the first
    time, is to be sure that what the individual really has is Monilia and
    not something else. If people self medicate for any condition then
    they have to be aware that if it doesn't get better they'd better 
    check with a doctor or other trained health care individual.
    
    Bonnie

    The following response is from a member of our community who wishes
    to remain anonymous at this time.

    							=maggie
    ====================================================================

    In response to .14:

    Prescribing medication without examination can be a problem not just
    because the medication is dangerous but because there can be several
    diseases/disorders with similar symptoms.  It is thus necessary to
    check to ensure the correct treatment is being given, not because the
    treatment is dangerous but because leaving a different problem
    untreated is dangerous.  Further, a history of some particular problem
    in a patient does not guarantee they do not have something new.
    

    re -1:  I understand the basic principle, but I don't see why it
    applies here.  So what if a woman is wrong?  If it isn't yeast, then 
    the Monostat just won't work very well, now will it?  And that would 
    probably prompt a woman to seek medical attention.  
    
    You can buy cough syrup which might mask the symptoms of early lung
    cancer, no?  You can buy peroxide to wash out a puncture wound which
    may contain clostridium, can't you?  And you can buy a bandaid to mask
    the seriousness of a wound that may need stitching.
    
    What I don't understand is why a product specific to women should be
    considered "special".  Is it assumed that women don't have as much
    sense as the general public?  As a group, women are more in tune with 
    their bodies, more concerned with maintaining good health and more 
    likely to seek medical attention than men or boys.  So why are we 
    treated as though we don't have a clue?  I doubt a woman would use
    Monostat for fun.  It's pretty gross.  Monostat is not addictive, and
    I don't think it has any more potential side effects than cough syrup.
    Could it be that these are the "bread and butter" cases of gynecologists?
    
    Pretty soon they won't want to leave women alone in the supermarket in
    case they buy hamburger and coke instead of fish and skim milk. Maybe
    they'll start with just the pregnant ones.  We can be such silly girls,
    you know!  

    Basenoter:  you need a doctor you trust who also trusts you.  If you
    live in the Boston area, try the Cambridge Women's Health Center, they
    may well be able to take you pronto.

    Ah! The politics of medicine and medication.  

    Lots of medications are prescription because its the only way for
    pharmaceutical companies to recoup the cost of R&D.  Take Motrin for
    instance.  For years it was only available by prescription, and was
    quite expensive.  Now its relatively cheap and available over the
    counter.  Same with many cold and allergy remedies.

    Also, as mentioned, an easily diagnosed and treated disease is great
    for doctors. It could well be that yeast is a cash cow for many
    gynecologists.

    As for monistat and "gee, it is really yeast" concerns: if the treatment
    doesn't work (assuming its self prescribed) then a woman can go to a
    doctor for more expert advice (and access to lab for possible
    cultures).  It works this way for the kind of yeast that causes jock
    itch.  Men can buy stuff over the counter, if it doesn't work they go
    to the doctor.  

    IMO many prescription drugs can be self prescribed and self
    administered.  Everyone ought to have access to the Physician's Desk
    Reference (and even if a doctor prescribes something for you, don't
    take it until you're checked it in the PDR*).  We are intelligent (men
    and women), have high stakes in maintaining our own health, and capable
    of deciding and taking responsibility for ourselves.

    (* PDR is useful! I had a rash on my eyelid.  Went to doctor (who shall
    remain nameless) and got a prescription.  Checked it in PDR.  Found
    that it contained cortisone and was _not_ for use in or near the eye. 
    Went to another doctor and got a different prescription.)

    >It's special because the FDA has determined that it should be
    >a prescription drug rather than an over-the-counter drug.

    Yes, Mike, I understand that.  My question is WHY did the FDA determine
    this product should be a prescription drug.  There's far less in it
    than in a shot of Nyquil, no side effects like Nyquil and isn't really
    ripe for abuse, like Nyquil.  So why?  I think it's the "cash cow"
    theory.  Since at any given time, something like 85% of the sexually
    active female population has this, it represents a pretty steady
    income.
    

    The cash cow / bread-and-butter argument has been primarily referring
    to gynecologists making steady money off its being classified as
    prescription, not manufacturers.  Gynecologists clearly gain by
    requiring office visits to prescribe it.  
    
    For instance, OTC tartar-control toothpaste formulas have meant that
    dentists have lost some income from easy teeth-cleaning visits.
    
    Pam

    I have always been able to diagnose myself correctly. I can tell in an
    hour or two whether I have Monila or Trichomoniasis. I have never been
    wrong since the first time I had Trich. After explaining my history and
    convincing my doctor(s) that I am intelligent and have a
    biology/medical background and using the correct terminology, I have
    been able to call them up and get a prescription called in for me. If I
    have any doubt, I trot off to the doctor pronto.
    However, I will admit I don't fit the standard patient profile and that
    I am very careful and that I probably trust myself less than the
    doctors do, so I am a good bet for this sort of trust.

    On the other hand women with chronic yeast problems (and I've been one)
    probably can diagnose themselves very well and do need some other
    mechanism for getting Monistat rather than having to see the doctor
    every time.

    Tamzen

    I also have had many numerous occasions when I had a yeast infection,
    and because I had them so regularly, I knew what it was.  My previous
    doctor would never ever give me a prescription over the phone, thank
    god he retired and I had to find a new doctor.  The one I have now will
    prescribe over the phone, but he wants me to call each time so he can
    note it on my chart.
    
    If I got a 1 year pres. he wouldn't know how frequently I got them.
    
    Maybe what we need to do is start a campaign to get Monastat made into
    an over the counter drug?!?!?!?  Start with the FDA, then drug
    companies, etc.  Might make an interesting project!  The notes in this
    file have some really great statements! 
    
    I agree also, that when you have it, you know it, it's not guess work
    on my part, I know.
    
    Jackie   :-(
    
    

    RE: .22

    You don't even have to be sexually active to have a yeast flare up.
    The yeastie-beasties are always there and are usually benign.  When
    they start to party and reproduce in LARGE numbers they become a
    problem.  Various non-sexual life occurrences can lead to an
    overabundance of yeast.  Stress among them.

    If you are sexually active, the changes caused by sex can make the
    native yeasts go wild.  Another possibility is that a foreign yeast 
    can be introduced through creative acts that are not necessarily
    procreative acts. (Not that I encourage any such foolishness.)

       Margaret 

Reply from the basenote author
    
    Bonnie J
    
    =wn= comod
    
    _____________________________________________________________
    
    
The Yeastguard worked *great* - thanks for all the help and info.

    Fantastic!  So to hell with the gynos as a first string defense.
    Support that Women's Health Institute in California!  Who knows -
    even as we speak they may be working to bring RU486 to us.

    What a great feeling to know your fellow noters can help with problems! 
    I myself will now try Yeastguard.
    
    I have a few other medical questions......maybe in another file!
    
    Thanks to all!
    
    "j"