Leah
Leah has experienced recurrent thrush for the past 10 years. Since having her son, she feels thrush has gotten worse, occurring almost every month before her period. Leah has seen multiple healthcare professionals but felt she was running out of options. She is currently completing a 6-month course of pessaries which has been helpful, but she worries about thrush returning.
Leah is a straight woman. She has a 6-year-old son and works in administration. Her background is white British. Interview clips read by an actor.
More about me...
Leah has had recurrent thrush on and off for ten years starting in her early 20s. In the last five years, since having her son, Leah feels recurrent thrush has gotten worse. All through her pregnancy, Leah suffered with recurrence and now she gets thrush 10-11 times a year, mostly the week before her period. Her symptoms include intense itching.
Recurrent thrush has affected Leah’s mental health as she said “it’s lifechanging, it’s awful”. Leah felt stigma around thrush, which made it difficult to speak openly. She said “it’s just not something that’s super-easy to talk about”. Her sex life has also been impacted as she experiences pain and has passed thrush to her partner before.
Leah was an active cyclist in her 20s and wonders if wearing tights and getting hot contributed to recurrent thrush. Now, sitting on a bike is painful. Leah also wondered if recurrent thrush could be hereditary as her mother suffered from thrush often.
Over the years, Leah has been swabbed for thrush three times and a GP told her she has recurrent thrush. GPs checked for other health conditions such as Lichen Sclerosis and diabetes which can have similar symptoms, but concluded that she did not have these. She once had bacterial vaginosis (BV) at the same time as thrush, and was happy that she went in for a swab to learn this and get treatment.
After seeing multiple healthcare professionals, Leah said she kept being told “go to the chemist”. However, once at the chemist, Leah said she was questioned as to how many times she has had thrush and directed to go back to her GP.
Leah has not been directed to sexual health services or secondary care and was not sure if they could offer more help.
In terms of treatments, Leah tried natural yogurt and probiotics but found they did not help. Leah prefers to use pessaries because she tried the tablets but said they made her feel quite ill. She has tried cutting sugar out of her diet and seen a nutritionist but this did not help.
Leah felt that antifungal medication only provided temporary relief as “every few weeks it would come back again”. She said she has spent “a fortune” as pessaries and creams are expensive. Leah also worried about becoming immune to pessaries.
In terms of prevention, Leah doesn’t wear tights and avoids shower gels and bath bombs as these are “like throwing fat on the fire” because they can lead to thrush. She encourages healthcare professional to provide patient leaflets about not using soap. Leah is also proactive in keeping cream and pessaries at home and in her bag, in case she has a flare up.
Most recently, she has been on two courses of long-term pessaries where she uses them once a month for six weeks. She worries that once she stops taking the pessaries, the thrush will be back. Leah hopes for better treatment options in the future to help manage this condition.
Looking forward, Leah does not plan to see a doctor again because she thinks “there’s nothing more they can do for me other than treating it myself at home”. She said that she has had to “get used to it” as doctors see it “miniscule problem”.
Leah did not find any forums online, but said that a platform for people to share their experiences would be helpful to not feel so alone. She feels less embarrassed about the condition as she has gotten older.
Leah noticed she was getting thrush every few weeks in line with her menstrual cycle (read by an actor)
Leah noticed she was getting thrush every few weeks in line with her menstrual cycle (read by an actor)
It’s really weird, because I get it, and then when I’m on my period, it seems to clear it all away, and then it seems to be OK for a couple of weeks and then it’ll come back again, it’s really... really strange. I don’t know if periods have got anything to do with it; the doctor did say that was odd. But I suppose because it’s sort of like so clearing things out, I don't know but then I... but then two weeks later I’ll get it again. It’s just like I say, it’s just constant really, and it’s just so annoying, as you can imagine... as you know, itch, itch, itch, and it... makes it bleed and it’s just so aggravating, it’s unbelievable.
Leah found it difficult to identify thrush symptoms during pregnancy. For example, she was unsure what was considered normal in terms of discharge (read by an actor)
Leah found it difficult to identify thrush symptoms during pregnancy. For example, she was unsure what was considered normal in terms of discharge (read by an actor)
But I didn’t even really know I had it at that point, because when you’re having your first baby you don’t really know what the symptoms are I suppose, like I just thought that was discharge from being pregnant, do you know what I mean? I didn’t know I had even thrush at that point, do you know what I mean? Because I had it that... on and off that much throughout the years, it’s... yeah, I just... you just, like I say, you just get on with it, and I just thought it was discharge just from being pregnant, I didn’t think it was thrush again, but yeah, I had it again, and I just can’t get rid of it. But a lot... I think a lot women do though, don’t they, when they’re pregnant and that?
Leah was concerned the recurrent thrush could mask other health conditions (read by an actor)
Leah was concerned the recurrent thrush could mask other health conditions (read by an actor)
To be honest, I’ve only ever had swabs about three times, which has surprised me, because there is another thing that... that’s very similar to thrush, and I don't know what other ill... do you know what illness it is? It’s some... it’s something... another issue that women can have but it’s not thrush, but actually it’s quite... you have to have it checked very often because it can turn into something bad, do you know what I mean? And I can’t remember what it’s called now, but... so... but they never tested me for that for years, but I don’t think they have ever tested me because I... I think if they’d... if they send it off to the lab and it’s thrush – they know it’s thrush, but if it wasn’t thrush and I was getting similar thrush systems it could... symptoms, then it could be something else, I can’t remember what it was called, but I... like I said, I’ve read this on the internet.
Leah described the challenges of exercising with recurrent thrush (read by an actor)
Leah described the challenges of exercising with recurrent thrush (read by an actor)
Yeah, and also like I used to enjoy cycling a lot more. Now, like, sitting on the bike when I’ve got it, it’s just so awful. Like sometimes I don’t even want to get... I’ve been trying to get fitter and go to the gym and stuff, and sometimes when I get it, I don’t want to go there because I just feel like... you know when you’re sitting down... I mean I suppose you’re all right if you’re on the walking machine, or running machine, or stepping machine, but do you know if you want to go cycling, which I love cycling, it just... it’s just... don’t... it just makes you not feel good, do you know what I mean? It... again, sitting down on a bike seat just makes you feel... it just aggravates, do you know what I mean, because it’s like chaffing, isn’t it, I suppose in a way? So, yeah, it’s not good.
Leah felt bounced between the chemist and GP and unsure where to go for help (read by an actor)
Leah felt bounced between the chemist and GP and unsure where to go for help (read by an actor)
The thing is with the chemist, if you say to... if they say to you, “Oh, how many episodes of thrush have you had in past so many months?” and I’m honest – they won’t give it me, they’ll say, “Ouu no, you’ve got to go to your GP,” well then your GP will say to go to the pharmacy. And I understand where the GPs are coming from, because they’re very busy, and you should just be able to pick something up like that, do you know what I mean? But anyway, automatic... anyway I went to... so I went to... when... when I go to the pharmacy now to get the cream, I just lie, I just have to say... I lie... I just have to lie, and that’s how it’s got, because no one wants to help you.
Leah found the nutritionist empathetic but was unsure about the effectiveness of the advice (read by an actor)
Leah found the nutritionist empathetic but was unsure about the effectiveness of the advice (read by an actor)
I thought they were more empathetic, but I suppose you’re paying for a nutritionist though, aren’t you? You’re paying for someone one-to-one, you’re paying them a lot of... you know, it’s a lot of money. I mean I think the advice that I got was about over £100, but if you want... you could have stayed with this lady for 12 weeks and I think it was three or four hundred pounds, so of course they’re going to be sympathetic, they’re going to be at your beck and call, they’re going to offer the advice, but yeah, she just told me to cut out sugar, which I did for a while, but it’s very hard to stick to. It’s not... it’s not... it’s not normal life, is it? It’s like when you... that’s like when people say they’re on diets: you can’t be on a diet for a life, you’ve got to just make lifestyle changes, is where, like I say you can’t ignore sugar for the rest of your life.
She wanted me to go on this completely 12-week programme; I think I did it for six weeks. I did a six-week programme with her, and not a 12-week programme with her, but she reckoned the 12-week was the best, but it’s just... it was just so hard, it was like cutting out dairy and everything and it was just... it made me more miserable in a sense because it was like... and it never even... it didn’t help, it didn’t help to get rid of it anyway. I think a lot of these nutritionists feel like it is down to diet, but I don't know if it is or not, do you know what I mean, I’m not sure?
After noticing that bathing products worsened her thrush symptoms, Leah stopped using them (read by an actor)
After noticing that bathing products worsened her thrush symptoms, Leah stopped using them (read by an actor)
Because it was recurring so often, they were like, “Mm, there’s something weird,” but then they were like, “don’t use bath bombs, don’t use shower...” you know, “don’t use intimate things.” Even that Femfresh wash apparently is supposed to be quite bad, do you know that feminine wash? Apparently, that’s not good for you either, but then they advertise it, don’t they, as being good for people who have thrush, so my GP was like, “Just use water, you know, don’t add anything to your bath,” and that’s what I’ve been doing.
Yeah, I suppose I don’t wear tights as much anymore, and like I say, just like the bath bombs and the shower gels and things, I don’t use around that area anymore, because again it... it just aggravates it and it’s just like throwing fat onto a fire, it just makes it worse, so I just... like I say, tights, I don’t really wear very often now, and just like I say, bath soaps, bath bombs, things like that, I’m very careful with now. And it’s a shame because obviously it’s so nice to have a bath in the winter with all like bath oils and stuff, and like I say, I can’t do that now really.
Leah recommends keeping treatment on hand at home as a “safety blanket” (read by an actor)
Leah recommends keeping treatment on hand at home as a “safety blanket” (read by an actor)
I think like always having the thrush cream available, and the pessaries at home, because I do think like you can grab hold of it a lot quicker if you treat it a lot quicker. I’ve found in the past when I’ve left it and thought, ‘oh, it’ll go away,’ and it doesn’t, it actually gets worse, so I think... I think when you get the first sign of thrush, you do need to treat it yourself, and I think you need to have that medication in the house. Have the cream, it helps me a lot, and it reassures you, it gives you a sense of... I mean I carry one in my bag as well and I think it gives you that reassurance that, you know, if you do have a flare-up at work, and in the afternoon, and start to get that twinge, I can put a bit of cream on and carry on with my day and feel less irritated, because the cream does help a lot, like the irritation of the skin.
So, I think it’s just having that at home, do you know what I mean, and having... having that in the house does make me feel a lot better.
So, I think... yeah, I think that’s good advice for people who do get it reoccurring just to have things on hand, so you’ve got that peace of mind. It’s like when you get headaches and stuff, if you suffer with headaches you’d take paracetamol with you, wouldn’t you, so it’s the same sort of thing as having that safety blanket.
Leah worried that thrush would return after completing longer-term medication (read by an actor)
Leah worried that thrush would return after completing longer-term medication (read by an actor)
But I know it sounds really quite... I don’t know, it sounds negative, but I just know it’s going to come back, as soon as I stop taking them pessaries, that thrush’ll be back. I just know that it’ll come back after those six months, do you know what I mean? I know it sounds...I’m probably sounding a bit... I don’t know, a bit like... do you know what I mean, a bit like I’m not giving it a chance, but I’ve done it before and it never worked, it just came back again, so I just... I’ve got no... much hope for it, but I feel like for six months I can sort of feel better for six months, do you know what I mean?
Leah did not find or join any online forums but thought they could have been helpful for her (read by an actor)
Leah did not find or join any online forums but thought they could have been helpful for her (read by an actor)
I never found anything on the internet other than what the NHS website was really. I never really found any forums as well either, do you know forums that the people go and talk about it? I didn’t find any of that either, which I thought there would be because it is... I know a lot of women get it, don’t they? But no, I didn’t... I didn’t see any of them, otherwise I would have joined in and asked for advice and stuff, but again I didn’t find anything which was, yeah, it’s not... it would be nice to have a platform like that, but then I suppose, you know, is there anything that can help us? But I suppose it would be a platform for people to share their experience so you don’t feel like you’re on your own with it.