Is it thrush?

[tea]

Um so, my vagina is itchy. Actually, it’s fine now, but last week it was very itchy for three days!! I don’t know if it was thrush and cleared itself or something else? Is thrush at STI? I’ve never had thrush (to my knowledge) before so I have a million questions about it! Will it come back? What causes it?

Have you ever had thrush? What’s your experience with it? Is there another cause for itchy vaginas?

[GoldenRose]

I’m pretty sure i’ve had it when I was younger and not even sexually active yet, I remember having more discharge than usual and my vagina being a bit itchy but I never saw a doctor about it cause I was either too embarrassed or unsure of what was going on.

Thrush isn’t an STI and it’s caused by an overgrowth of yeast. I’ve heard that taking some antibiotics can cause thrush as it messes with your good bacteria and pH levels so it’s always good to take a probiotic when you have to take antibiotics. @nurse_nettie What are some of the other causes?

[aphrodite9]

Thank you for asking this question @Tea – commenting to follow the thread! I feel like I’ve heard thrush talked about a lot but never really properly understood what it’s like to have it…

I don’t think I’ve ever had a particularly itchy vagina, but on many occasions I’ve had a moderately itchy vulva, with a little bit of external cottage cheese-y type discharge. It would usually go away after a few days so I’ve never been to a GP to get it checked out. I figure maybe these might have been mild cases of thrush (little bit of yeast overgrowth) which resolved back to a normal balance on their own?

I find it really hard to know what’s within a normal range versus what degree of itch/redness/smell/discharge is too much? I guess it just comes down to knowing your own body?

But for example one time after going down on me a sexual partner asked if I’ve ever had thrush – I put it down to the fact that I hadn’t had a chance to shower for a while so wasn’t particularly fresh down there – but maybe they thought I was smellier than I should be?

[aphrodite9]

Also yes @tea I’m pretty sure there are several other things that can sometimes cause itchy vaginas. For instance, there’s bacterial vaginosis – which is an overgrowth of bacteria, as opposed to yeast. Some STIs and hormonal imbalances can cause itchy vaginas too. To tell the difference, I think a nurse/doctor would usually examine any discharge and take a swab for some tests.

But I’m sure @nurse_nettie will enlighten us more!

[-_-]

oh my @tea I have had thrush a handful of times and I have definitely found the itchiness pretty unbearable on occasion – that’s when I will go to the doctor or get the over the counter treatment at the pharmacy (combined tablet and cream) and that really helps clear it up.

In my experience I have got thrush after either taking antibiotics @GoldenRose or if I haven’t been looking after my health so well. Also I have found wearing tight non breathable clothes (like heavy denim or cheap undies) and sweating in them can bring it on and once I even got thrush after sitting on a heated seat in a car for 6 hours!!

@aphrodite9 I think that a bit of that cottage cheese-y type discharge for a couple of days is pretty normal – at least it is for me. It normally doesn’t smell and goes away. I agree that paying attention to your body helps figure out what’s normal for you because every body is different. Getting a check up when things are uncomfortable is worth it.

Some of the best advice for me was to ‘air my vagina out’ as much as possible by wearing natural fiber underpants – I now buy bamboo knickers and go commando when practical! I am aware that getting hot and sweaty around my vagina can bring on thrush so I also avoid staying in my gym clothes for longer than I need too.

[GoldenRose]

Yeah ‘airing out’ your vagina is a good tip! @stephaniaaaah I always change straight after the gym, including undies and always try to wear cotton undies as much as possible. Keen to check out bamboo undies though!

[Nurse_Nettie]

Vaginal itch is really, really common. There are 10,000 nerve endings in the vagina which make it sensitive. You’re right @aphrodite9 many things can cause an itch. Women always have a little bit of candida or yeast in the vagina, however it may overgrow when ‘healthy’ bacteria is damaged. Thrush is not an STI. @goldenrose it’s usually caused by over washing with perfumed soaps or feminine hygiene products, douching, wearing tight synthetic clothing for a long time, taking antibiotics or cancer treatments & also diabetes.
If you have a thick white clumpy vaginal discharge, a red vagina and feel itchy, it’s ok to start treatment which can be bought at the pharmacy without a doctors script. If the symptoms continue or get worse the next step is to visit a doctor for an STI test.

[tea]

@nurse_nettie 10,000 nerve endings!! Woah! Thanks so much for clearing that up, good to know that thrush isn’t an STI.

Soo happy to hear I’m not alone with this experience! Tbh, always freak out a little when there’s a small itch haha maybe I’ll try air it out more @stephaniaaaah !!

I think I’ve just gotten too sweaty from tight clothing and working a long shift. So glad to know what I’m experiencing is normal.

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