Possible Oral Thrush

[BRUMI1968]

Hi all! I was recently on antibiotics for a persistent cough/throat issue (it did help, so at least there's that). However, I've been off it for two or three days, and for about four days, I've had a bizarre tongue. It is not white spotted, like the thrush on the Internet shows. But it is kindof yellowy and utterly disgusting. It feels fat and fuzzy. Normally if I get a weird tongue it is not this bad, and I just scrape it. When I scraped this tongue, it seemed weirder than ever -- like it might bleed or something.

I am thinking mild thrush. So I quit eating any sugar, starting swishing with salt water, and am trying to eat alkaline. and have been taking mass doses of acidophilous. It did get worse last night when I drank a tea latte with sweetener in it.

Has anyone had oral thrush? Can this be it w/o the white spots? Any ideas for home treatment? Anyone use that antifungal drug I can't think of the name of...nystatin, something like that?

Please help. It's gross and disturbing.

Sherri

[DingoGirl]

HI Sherri -

Yes, it IS gross......I'm sorry you have it! I got it a few years ago while taking a really strong antibiotic (name escapes me) for C. Difficile. I had a furry, white, coated tongue for almost two weeks. So disgusting. As best as I can remember, it just went away on its own - - I wasn't aware of any treatment for it, seems that it just had to run its course? I got mine while on antibiotics - oh, it was Flagyl - and once the drugs had completely left my system, I think the thrush cleared up shortly after. Did I mention I had a new boyfriend when all this kicked in? Needless to say, no kissing.......

I am sorry I can't be of more help, I remember just being so weak and sick at the time, and the thrush, I was told, was just a symptom of the antibiotic - I was actually too weak to even research or care about the thrush that much. I hope it clears up soon......

[Rachel--24]

I had it for a long time...some days it was worse than others...but always there to some extent. It started after antibiotics but never went away until I was on the candida diet. I took nystatin also and I think it helped. Other good antifunglas are garlic and grapefruitseed extract.

Dont take the suspension liquid nystatin. It doesnt help and its sweetened.

I took oral nystatin powder....it was a pain to get it because none of the pharmacists even knew what it was and kept ordering the wrong stuff. They kept trying to give me the topical powder for skin infections....to take orally.

I hope it gets better...I didnt have the thrush that is shown in pictures either. My tongue felt big and had a gross white fuzzy coating.

[tarnalberry]

yep - I've had it a couple times from the inhaled steriods I've taken. it's quite icky. keep brushing your tongue, rinsing well (hydrogen peroxide is a good one to use as well, or tea tree oil), and if you want something OTC, you can get genetian violet. be careful - it stains *everything* and will leave you with *purple* lips for about three days and may take two or three treatments (every three or four days, iirc), but it can work *quite* well. (it's the old remedy always used before people started using prescrip antifungals and is available in many drug stores.)

[Guest cassidy]

I drank kefir and it tingled. I would keep it in my mouth a while before I swallowed and just let it tingle. I was thinking that the probiotics were getting exactly where they needed to go, but I have no proof of my theory. I also liked the tongue scraper and I brushed my teeth a lot. Hopefully you will get better soon.

If it doesn't go away, I tried Threelac and that really helped. I would keep that in my mouth a while as well before I swallowed. I also tried their oxygen elements and after that everything went away.

[BRUMI1968]

Thanks all. I bought some tee tree oil today and play to swish with it. Otherwise, I'm keeping it stable with eating alkaline, swishing with salt water, and ZERO sugar. Hopefully the tee tree oil will help. What a disgusting horrible thing this is. Oh well, at least my cough is gone.

I just want my immune system to get back on track after a few months of perpetual illness.

Anyway, thanks again.

Sherri

[chrissy]

if you really want to get rid of your oral thrush, ask your doc for diflucan. you don't want this to spread to your esophagus. two of my kids have had esophageal thrush.

[mouse]

My doctor gives me an RX for diflucan with every antibiotic RX. I get oral thrush every time I take antibiotics. Get the diflucan RX and you will have prompt relief.

[tiffjake]

if you really want to get rid of your oral thrush, ask your doc for diflucan. you don't want this to spread to your esophagus. two of my kids have had esophageal thrush.

I agree. I don't know what I am missing here, but if you have trush, you need Diflucan (generic: fluconazole). It is ONE pill (though you might need two if it is bad). If you don't get it under control, it will spread, and be BAD. ONE PILL will fix it, if it IS thrush.

Note: Many (actually, most) antibiotics will kill the normal, healthy bacteria that we have that "eats" the yeast. If you take antibiots, it is a good idea to take a Diflucan after, to make sure that the yeast is in check. MANY women have to take a Diflucan after taking antibiotics to prevent vaginal yeast infections (most commont place to have a yeast overgrowth). You can try yogurt, or other "healthy" bacteria supports, but if you can't eat dairy, or just don't want to down lots of yogurt, Diflucan, one pill, is the way to go.