Thrush and Riboflavin (B2)?

[flying plum]

Since I turned vegan in feb last year, I have had four or five instances of thrush. Prior to that, i had only had it when a baby (oral) and once due to very strong antibiotics after an operation.

I can only assume that it's something to do with my change in diet that is causing this. i did a little google search, and the only thing i came up with was Riboflavin. So, i wondered if:

a) anyone else had ever heard of this deficiency being a cause
b) if anyone could recommend something to supplement my diet foodwise - i think i'll start taking a b vitamin supplement anyway!
c) or if you think it could be something else entirely?

amanda

[auntierozzi]

Hello Amanda,
I hope that you have been able to treat this uncomfortable situ. In order to help protect yourself against it again I would advise making sure you eat bif.act. soya yoghurt regularly which should help to maintain a healthy flora and fauna in your intestines and everywhere else.

[Alphabette]

Agree w/ Auntie.....thrush is basically an oral yeast infection that will happen when something goes a little wonky with the oral mucosae. However, if you've had that many instances of thrush I would recommend seeing your healthcare professional as it's not normal and could indicate a supressed immunity response.

[twinkle]

I noticed the opposite thing after I went vegan - I had been getting thrush now and then but since being vegan haven't been bothered by it.

It is possible a change in diet could have an effect - numerous websites say that in order to treat it holistically it is a good idea to cut down on sugar, refined carbs and caffeine in particular.

If it is thrush then the ph balance is out of whack and, in addition to going to a doctor and taking conventional medicine, I've heard of a large number of home remedies.

In addition to eating live soya yoghurt, you can insert some on a tampon. Douching with diluted live yoghurt, or diluted vinegar solution is also a possibility, as is inserting one or more cloves of garlic (for the antibacterial properties). You can also use a dilute solution of the stuff home-brewers use to sterilise equipment - I've done this before and it stings a bit, but seems to be somewhat effective.

[Alphabette]

In addition to eating live soya yoghurt, you can insert some on a tampon. Douching with diluted live yoghurt, or diluted vinegar solution is also a possibility, as is inserting one or more cloves of garlic (for the antibacterial properties). You can also use a dilute solution of the stuff home-brewers use to sterilise equipment - I've done this before and it stings a bit, but seems to be somewhat effective.

Twinkle....thrush is oral, not vaginal. When it's vaginal it's something completely different. I highly doubt Flying Plum wants to suck on a tampon....lmao.

[flying plum]

no...thrush can be oral and vaginal. well, at least, that's the colloquial name for it over here. i think the vaginal strain of candida is technically called something else. but anyway, mine is deffo not in my mouth this time!

i've heard about the tampon remedy...in fact, i know many remedies for getting rid of it once it's there - i just wondered how to stop it coming back so frequently! it's very annoying...i'll start eating yoghurt, but i just thought the coincidence of timing must be telling.

i assumed it wasn't normal...i guess i better go make an appointment at the docs

amanda

[Alphabette]

Here, in Canada, we use the term 'thrush' to indicate oral candida and rarely use it to describe vaginal...lol. Interesting how the same words can have slightly different meanings with different countries!

Don't worry...it's likely something as simple as too much sugar in your diet. I used to be a Pepsi fiend and got a mild case of thrush repeatedly until I quit and started drinking more water. Now, thrush free.

Hey, what a great slogan for my next personal ad:

She's vegan, she's got four cats, and now she's THRUSH FREE....

Yup. Never dating again.

[flying plum]

what's the time delay between infection and manifestation of external symptoms? i know it takes a while to develope in teh gut first...maybe i can work out what my diet was that week.

i only say this, because i don't drink a lot of coffee, or have a very high sugar diet. that's why i wondered if maybe it was a deficiency in something else that controlled the yeast - but maybe not!

i have been drinking more coffee that normal in the past week or so, but is that too quick a time span?

i still wonder if it's only a coincidence with the vegan thing though...seems suspicious timing to me.

amanda

[flying plum]

oh...i've also been eating white bagels, which i don't normally do (been on holiday...limited hotel breakfast food available). white bread isn't great is it, and bagels are the equiv. of five slices of bread, aren't they?

amanda

[harpy]

Never heard of this as a side-effect of veganism, but I think if you get it once it often comes back, which could explain your run of bad luck. The one time I had it I was given some cream for my partner to use as well, to prevent my getting re-infected.

I expect you've already seen this page which has a list of possible factors, e.g. stress

http://www.womenshealthlondon.org.uk...rushrisks.html

[Alphabette]

oh...i've also been eating white bagels, which i don't normally do (been on holiday...limited hotel breakfast food available). white bread isn't great is it, and bagels are the equiv. of five slices of bread, aren't they?

amanda

Any change in your diet can throw off the natural flora and fauna of your oral mucosae...there are so many different causes that it would be difficult to narrow it down, here. White flour could definitely do it, and it wouldn't take more than a few days (if that) to show up.

It's worth having checked out, though, because anything that happens recurrently is your body telling you that something's off. Most of the time, it's completely benign etiology--nothing major, just a little too much of that or too little of this--but sometimes it can be an indication of something a little more serious (not to freak you out or anything....really, most of the time it's nothing).

Just to let you know....I work in cancer research and the ladies that get certain treatments for breast cancer get oral thrush regularly because the chemo breaks down their immune systems--they're generally given an oral rinse called Nystat that helps regulate bacterial and fungal growth. Hence, the reason I know a little about it.

[flying plum]

yeah, there's multiple reasons recently i could have got it...the more i think about it, the more i find!

it's just very frustrating that it seems to be happening so frequently. it must be every couple of months for the last year or so. i guess i'll just start buying more of the alpro pro-biotic stuff and put it on my porridge!

stupid, yeasty body

amanda

[techkitten]

B2 (riboflavin) is one of those necessary nutrients that need to be replenished every single day. Unlike other vitamins, our bodies do not have storage set aside for it, so anything not used that day gets flushed (pun intended). If you already have a tendency to get thrush (it is more common in humid areas and some people are very yeasty) it is important to get the necessary B2 every day. You only need about 1.3 mg (for an average non-pregnant, non-lactating woman) of it per day.

Excellent sources of vitamin B2 include mushrooms and spinach
Very good sources include romaine lettuce, asparagus, chard, mustard greens, broccoli, collard greens , turnip greens, and soy yogurt. I have also heard that avocados will help do the trick as well, but basically getting your greens will help ya out alot, but that if you already have an imbalance, you may need to treat it for awhile to keep it under control until your diet can regulate it on its own.

Jenn