Aunt Vadge: endless yeast infections after antibiotics

Hi Aunt Vadge, 

Every time I take antibiotics i get a really bad yeast infection that lasts forever. I’ve tried probiotics, fluconazole, Difflucan, yoghurt, no sugar, low carb diet. I have one now. How do I make it go away?

Yours,
Desperate
Age: 58
Country/Area: United States
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Dear Desperate,

Yeast infections almost always originate in the gut, which by the sounds of it means you have a yeast issue in your intestines, so that is where your treatment needs to start. In the short-term, get the probiotic species listed below, using one vaginally (vegetable caps only vaginally, not gelatin or enteric coated) and take two orally per day with food. This should give some relief. You should also cut carbs and sugar out for the short-term. It matters.

If necessary, try to keep your vagina free from the gunk a yeast infection can cause, using a tea tree oil douche as needed, but sparingly. A few drops of tea tree oil in a cup of warm water should provide a bit of anti-fungal activity, while keeping your vagina clear of irritating discharge.

You may have a yeast biofilm issue. Biofilms are built by bacteria and yeasts, and typically form in your unprotected spaces like intestines, vagina, and your respiratory system. Antibiotics kill off your defensive good bacteria, so biofilm-building pathogens – even normal ones like yeasts – can build their protective structures unimpeded. This means you can end up with a yeast problem throughout your intestines that doesn’t respond to typical treatments.

Sounds really uncomfortable! Antibiotic-driven yeast infections can be really brutal.

There is a biofilm product called InterFase Plus that breaks down yeast biofilms in the gut, which is where your yeast infection has likely originated. You can solve the gut imbalance by getting rid of your unhealthy yeast biofilms, and you are likely to find the yeast problem is solved, for good. That would be my first recommendation.

You can buy InterFase Plus via the manufacturers website (look up Prothera/Klaire Labs, if you get stuck, email for our practitioner code) or Amazon/eBay. Read the patient handout so you know how to take it and understand any warnings that may apply to you. Also take a high-dose high-quality refrigerated women’s probiotic containing Sacchromyces boulardii, a yeast-fighting probiotic. Get the best quality product possible, with the highest CFUs.

You may also benefit from an all-round digestive support probiotic at the same time. This might just include regular lactobacilli species. Look for a product that says for digestive health or something like that. If you can, get a good product containing S. boulardii plus other yeast-fighting microbes instead of two.

In terms of the process, everyone experiences really different symptoms during the biofilm removal process. You need to be clear about what you are trying to achieve – you are dissolving gut biofilms, and live bacteria and the biofilm matrix are being released into your colon. This is why taking the probiotics is so important – the good bacteria will fight the bad on the way out, in required resistance.

The released bacteria, yeasts, and possibly sneaky hiding viruses can cause transient symptoms as they are released and sent out the other end.

These symptoms indicate the enzymes are working, so unless they become problematic just bear with – any discomfort will pass as the bacteria are flushed out. If your symptoms become intolerable, drop down the dose until it becomes manageable. Don’t stop unless you have to. You may get upset digestion for some of the treatment time (which is about two or three weeks), so plan your treatment ahead of time to avoid having to stop mid treatment due to dates/holidays/travel/work commitments. Once you start, don’t stop!

Dose of treatment
The goal is to get to the max dose of eight InterFase Plus capsules per day on an empty stomach, if you can. The highest dose means a swift exit of biofilms and bacteria, but may come with its own challenges unique to you. An empty stomach is necessary because the enzymes must make contact with your intestine wall to work. You can choose to start slowly, day one taking two, see how you feel, day two take four, see how you feel, etc. up to eight. Pace this as you see fit. Buy the 120 capsule bottle. Finish the bottle.

Take two probiotics per day with food. Keep carbs really limited as much as you can, since yeasts love carbs. Eating too many carbs will slow your progress somewhat. You want the yeast to starve.

You need to ensure your bowels are moving every day during this time with well-formed stools. This means eating plenty of fibre and drinking plenty of fluids. If you have taken a lot of antibiotics you may have digestive problems, so manage those effectively during this time – let me know if you suffer chronic constipation, as this needs addressing before treatment.

Your stools act as the garbage collector, escorting the bacteria and junk out of your body. If you need to, take a fibre supplement – it can really help, as the bulk acts as a broom, scraping the sides of your intestines as it goes, clearing away any lingering debris that bacteria or yeasts might otherwise use as safe harbour. Staying very well hydrated becomes even more important then.

Some side-effects may include transient almost ‘fake’ infections as the microbes try to cling on and reattach (infect) on the way out, so anything you have had before/regularly might flare back up. This includes yeast infections, UTIs, flu, other infections, since these biofilms act as a safe space for multiple pathogens. They all get released, alive. They look after each other. So, you may have a range of symptoms during this process. Each of you is unique here, so it’s impossible to tell. You may not have any symptoms at all, but this would be the exception, not the rule.

If you have any underlying health conditions, do your homework so you know what to expect, and understand why certain conditions may be exacerbated – it is normal to experience a range of sometimes downright odd symptoms. Many health conditions can have biofilms at their root, so just be aware that the unexpected can crop up, and will do so in phases. A few days of this, a few days of that. By the end of the bottle, however long that takes, you should have stabilised in terms of symptoms (with your unhealthy biofilms gone and a healthy one in its place), but if you are still experiencing what seems to be symptoms, it could pay to buy another bottle and keep going until you just feel normal for a few days.

I’d be very happy to be on tap for any questions you have during the process, as it can be interesting! Any questions, let me know.

Whatever happens, try to avoid anymore antibiotics unless it’s absolutely necessary, because you are building a little army of antibiotic-resistant critters. This is bad news.

Keep me posted.

Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge