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Hey all,
I have been biking (mostly MTB, lots of commuting, a bit of road) for a couple of years. About a year ago I moved to Washington DC, which has a hot humid summer climate. This summer I have been riding a lot and have also gotten several yeast infections. I'm wondering about the possibility that they are related to the amount of time I've been spending on my bike in bike shorts in hot humid weather. Has anyone else had any similar problems?
Earlier this year, it seemed like I'd get infection after infection, after just making a 200 mile move 'north' ... Oregonian winters are wet, but I don't know that that justifies it.
The Y/i thing and humidity/time in the saddle DEFINATELY correlate. Some things I made sure to change/do:
1. take off the damp/sweaty chamois/shorts ASAP after getting home, rinse off in the shower and dry well.
2. Make SURE when you treat them, you get them GONE. My first 3 were actually (according to the gyno) were recurrances of the 1st, which hadn't been 'properly' treated. (don't putz around and waste time with yogurt and home remedies most of the time)
3. do NOT use antibacterial soap 'down there'. (had no idea GF's soap was such, and.. um... yeah.)
4. wear boxers or similarly airy, breatheable underwear as much as is practical, esp. after a ride.
5. This one's weird, but when you start 'feeling one coming on' or are in doubt, an individual little clove of garlic, with the papery stuff removed, put 'up there' is the most effective 'home remedy' I've tried, and will head the infection off before it turns into a full-blown pain in the ***.
Hope this helps...
I wouldn't wish those things on anyone.
I highly recommend the book "The Yeast Connection and the Woman" by William G. Crook, M.D. It will put a whole new paradigm out there for you :)
I would agree with the others there is a direct relationship between cycling and yeast infections. I suffered from these nasty infections for almost 2 years before we (new gyno and myself) finally found a cure. Here is what my gyno recommended:
1. don't wear your biking shorts any longer than you have too. I now carry a pair of street shorts to change in as soon as I get off the bike.
2. don't wash your gential area with anything other than a baby soap.
3. douche with buttermilk - you need to reculture your vaginal tract. I had up to this point been eating yogurt everyday along with taking oral acidiphilus. My gyno told me this was great for my digestive tract but the healthy bacteria stayed there it never makes it way to your vagina thus the buttermilk douche for it allows for a "direct route" to the problem area.
4. I had to use a three day treatment of difulcan (sp?) as well as a topical vaginal cream - terconazole. My gyno recommended I apply the prescription cream to the external region before every ride and on long rides to reapply at some point during the ride.
I certainly understand what you are going through and I hope you find a treatment that works. It took me several doctors and many different treatment options to finally find the one that works for me. Knock on wood I've been free of yeast infections for 5 months now. I know that does not seem like much been after fighting them continuously for 2 years it seems like heaven.
[QUOTE=Kitsune06]5. This one's weird, but when you start 'feeling one coming on' or are in doubt, an individual little clove of garlic, with the papery stuff removed, put 'up there' is the most effective 'home remedy' I've tried, and will head the infection off before it turns into a full-blown pain in the ***.
Oh yeah, I posted on this a while ago. Very effective.
Tip: Thread embroidery cotton (or regular cotton doubled) up and back down thru the garlic clove and tie the ends together. Unless you feel like a frusrating half hour in the bathroom trying to get a hold on the by now slippery little f--ker!
...you know, I've never had a problem. Good idea, though.
I'm full of them; good ideas,not lost garlic clovesQuote:
Originally Posted by Kitsune06
I've had lots of YI problems. Mine are pretty tenacious. Diflucan doesn't seem to help much. And I've had lots of other heavy duty drugs prescribed.
I didn't really seem to see much coorelation between cycling and YI in my case. My YI didn't let up much even when I was doing 6 weeks of hiking in loose shorts in a desert climate.
One thing I found that works well for me (and I've tried everything) is a warm bath with 1 to 2 cups of apple cider vinegar in it (no soap). The ACV puts the proper pH in the area, which the yeasties don't like. I sit in it for about 1/2 hr, reading a book.
I also found a product at w*mart called Azo Yeast. It's a homeopathic tablet. It was $5/60 tablets and worth a try.
The garlic on a string is also a good idea.
Right now things are going pretty well with me.
I've been sitting in the ACV bath every couple of days to keep it that way.
I used to get yeast infections and I tried everything - definitely after a ride I would get out of my wet shorts as soon as possible. I avoided yeasty food products such as bread, and kept myself very clean. Since menopause, no more yeast problems. Heck I can wear wet shorts all day long (not that I want to). I think for alot of women yeast infection are tied to the monthly cycle. Have you noticed that? If so, know that just before your period starts, you need to try and keep yourself dry and clean, avoid yeasty food products, maybe use a chamois creme that protects and keeps you dry during rides.
I asked my OB-Gyn and she said some women have yeast infections at EVERY cycle. In this case, she suggested getting a box of 7-day Monastat in the suppository form. She said to use one suppository each month as a preventative right before that point in your cycle when it happens.Quote:
Originally Posted by bcipam
That's not my case. My YIs are almost always stress-related. After my car accident last year, I had YI almost constantly for six months. Boric Acid worked to kill the infections, but they invariably kept coming back until my stress levels came back to normal.
How long do you leave the garlic clove in before taking it out? I did use the string, but I poked two little holes in the garlic and threaded the string through and tied the ends. I think it will work pretty well.
Thanks for all of the suggestions, they all sound good.
Overnight, then another one in the morning, and so on. Should not take more than 2 or 2 1/2 days. )
I was never a chronic sufferer, have no idea why I got 'em when I did. But this worked for me
Good luck!
Mine were linked to stress and my cycle. When I'm really, really stressed, if I actually manage to have my period, I'll have a yeast infection, too. :eek: It's scary to be so stressed you skip, but spot with the infection. That was what terrified me to the point of using home remedies along w/ the diflucan b/c the diflucan didn't seem to be doing much. Another thing I've done and seen great results from is douching with 1c warm water and about a tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Don't douche when you're healthy, it'll screw up your biological balance, but I did it before starting treatments, whether with garlic or monistat, to clean everything up and (at least in my mind) make the treatments more effective, because yeast is anaerobic, and the h202 will kill it pretty handily.
I skipped the hiatus week of my oral contraceptives one month. This resulted in my first-ever yeast infection and first-ever migraine within the same day, a week later. I can't say if everything was related, but I took it as a sign not to mess with my cycle.
I feel the second one coming on--what have I started?! Moreover, good topic timing!
[QUOTE=makbike]
3. douche with buttermilk - you need to reculture your vaginal tract. I had up to this point been eating yogurt everyday along with taking oral acidiphilus. My gyno told me this was great for my digestive tract but the healthy bacteria stayed there it never makes it way to your vagina thus the buttermilk douche for it allows for a "direct route" to the problem area.
How often do you douche with buttermilk?
Thanks to everyone for your helpful advice. Am now on a course of diflucan but want to remain yeast free in the future so will be doing the vinegar baths as well as getting out of my shorts immediately.
Also, does DH stand for "Doting Husband" or Dumbass Husband"?