Doctors - any advice for infections?

I recently went to a specialist for chronic vaginal infections after years of getting nowhere with my regular ob/gyn. In addition to a laundry list of steps we are going to take to fix this, she was insistant that I NOT wear any synthetic fabric, which makes sense. The bad news - she inlcuded cycling shorts in this. So I tried riding in cotton shorts once, and besides being totally uncomfortable, it just doesn't seem to be a better alternative. Are there any doctors out there who can comment? I want to get rid of all my health issues, but I also want to be comfy/dry when riding. Thanks in advance for any advice :)

I'm not a doctor, but if you do a search for the type of infection you've been having (yeast?), you will likely find a number of threads that might give you some guidance. There are number of women on the boards who've battled with persistent problems "down there" and there are a number of homeopathic remedies and whatnot suggested. I'm used some myself w/ success.

As for the shorts, I'm not sure what to suggest. TE sells some wool shorts by Ibex, but I would assume that the chamois itself isn't wool. Frankly, I can't imagine that cotton would be a good choice. It gets wet and stays wet, but not knowing the specifics of your brand of infection, I don't really know.

Thanks, Indy. I'll check out the other threads.

I have been battling with yeast and bacterial vaginosis off and on for about 6 years now. Finally seem to be making good headway with this physician, for which I'm grateful. She thinks I might also have something called intercistial cystitis (sp?), which is a bladder condition that has similar symptoms.

But I agree - on this point, the cotton definitely does not seem to be a good alternative! :) Just looking for any insight.

as long as you get your shorts off and bathe as soon as possible I don't think the material has much, if anything, to do with it.
I'm leaning toward a dietary answer.
Have you done any internet research?

I second the getting the shorts off as quickly as possible (even take a skirt, put on skirt, take off shorts if you're driving to a ride).

I wonder if you have an overabundance of yeast in your entire system. I have a friend who did, and I think she ended up eliminating all sugar, yeast, dairy and I'm not sure what else from her diet, but she feels much better now. Seems someone here had something similar - but I don't remember who:confused::confused:

Good luck!!

CA

wow, thanks for all the quick replies. was wondering how to do a quick-change, but i like the skirt idea!

i dont post here often, but i read all the time. this is a great community.

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Originally Posted by CA_in_NC

I wonder if you have an overabundance of yeast in your entire system. I have a friend who did, and I think she ended up eliminating all sugar, yeast, dairy and I'm not sure what else from her diet, but she feels much better now. Seems someone here had something similar - but I don't remember who:confused::confused:

Good luck!!

CA

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Yes, treat yourself as a whole person, not just a localized infection.

The diet suggestions are right on track.

Back when I was commuting 14 miles each way, I had this problem. My doctor suggested that I was "too clean," because I was taking several showers a day--am commute, pm commute, and sometimes even another one before bed (no A/C in that house). Too much soap down there, she said. So I cut back and things were resolved.

But sounds like you might have a more serious condition. Have you tried the diet suggestions? Sugar is a mean thing, as is caffeine. Do you drink lots of water (like lots)? That seemed to help me, too.

I feel your pain, but I'm not a doctor.

At one point they thought I had IC as well but it was a stress thing for me. I do know for a fact if I don't drink enough water and wash (no soap) after riding and I use a squirt bottle (a mobile bidet) to rinse after going to the bathroom, then I get a urinary tract infection which quickly becomes a kidney infection.

I also have had a number of surgeries which seemed to have changed the environment 'down there' so any time I ride or exercise, a rinse off and new undies are a requirement.

I found when I left the east coast years ago and moved to CA that alot of the problems I had diminished because of the humidity. Now that I'm back, I was 'almost' on my second urinary tract infection in 4 months. So with that, make sure you let it 'air out' (ie sleeping without undies works for me).

Diet is also a big factor for me. If I eat too much sugary refined foods, I'm sure to get something but it's not a yeast infection. I know when I go to the GYN they tell me it's not and are puzzled because there is no bacteria or yeast. Then I just make sure it's rinsed off, dry and eat right and it goes away.


I wash all of my shorts and undies seperately from the rest of my laundry and I use Dreft which is for babies.

I also found that the chamois bothers me in that it's too much padding. I just switched to regular shorts on most days but then some days I do use a chamois but I get out of them ASAP.

Hope you find some kind of relief!

I was on a yo-yo with infections for a while when I was younger. Treating the yeast infections meant harsh greasy goopy creams that predisposed me to bacterial vaginosis. Treating the bacterial infections predisposed me to yeast.

I finally just had to step back, chill out, and let my normal flora restore themselves. I just had to live with the burning of bacterial vaginosis for a while, until everything straightened out.

Make sure you're not using any soaps, lubricants or laundry products that might be irritating you and aggravating the problems. Dr. Bronner's or pure olive oil or glycerine soap for your body; unscented color-free detergent for your shorts; if you use lube on the bike, search this board or ask your riding buddies for a gentle one that works for you.

And +1 on taking a hard look at your diet. Your problems could be aggravated by allergies to foods other than yeasts/molds, even if your diet is healthy and yeast-free.

I followed the apple cider vinegar suggestion that I found on this board and that helped get things back to normal down there after a bad spell.

I tend to think that riding without a chamois in regular ol' bike shorts is just going to cause its own set of problems and that you would be better off approaching it from a different angle. That said, I'm out of my league here. I barely make it through a month of discomfort. My heart goes out to anyone out there who has dealt with something like this for years.

Thanks again for all the support. I drink 70-90 ounces of water a day, so it's not that, but I probably need to take a close look at my diet and cut out the refined sugar, etc. I rode in cycling shorts last night and today feeling a little irritated. I'm not sure what to do :confused:

I've been off the prescription meds for a full month now at new doc's advice, so things can get back to normal down there. Also changed soaps, laundry detergent, 100% cotton white undies, the list goes on. My doctor suggested a boric acid capsule as a possibility to restore pH, so we're going to try that as a next step.

Thanks again for thoughts and advice! I hope to find a solution soon! :)

Eating yogurt with live cultures is supposed to be good. I'd steer clear of the sugary ones, though.

There's a great book called Prescription for Nutritional Healing. See if you can find it in the library or bookstore (Whole Foods sells it). Well worth the money for me.