Chinese medicine for chronic yeast infections and BV

Ahh, the joys of being a woman sometimes. But seriously, this is way way way more common than most people think… if this is you- there’s nothing to be ashamed of!

Gut issues and gut dysbiosis are extremely common nowadays; so this issue tends to affect a lot of women. Did you know that taking the birth control pill can also increase women’s risk of recurrent vaginal yeast infections ? This is because synthetic hormones interfere with your body’s natural hormone production, which can lead to yeast overgrowth.

While medicines like Diflucan(Fluconazole) are often prescribed for yeast overgrowth- I often find that sometimes they work and sometimes they do nothing for women with chronic infections, or it works initially but then keeps coming back. In addition, they come along with harsh side such as chest tightness, clay colored stools, difficulty swallowing, fast heartbeat, skin rash, stomach pain, hives, hairloss, etc. Antibiotics also disturb our gut flora further by wiping out beneficial gut bacteria and women often report that they get yeast infections after a course of antibiotics. Since 70% of our immune system is located in our gut, it’s important to only use antibiotics when absolutely necessary.

The good news is that Chinese medicine can do wonders for vaginal burning, chronic or acute yeast infections, or bacterial vaginosis and can restore your vaginal microbiome as well as help restore your gut’s microbiome. Often, you will have symptomatic relief in a few days to a week, and when taken for a few months can completely eliminate chronic infections, as long as a healthy diet and lifestyle are also implemented.

According to Chinese medicine, poor gut health can cause poor vaginal microbiome health, which can lead to less beneficial bacteria and more harmful bacteria and cause yeast to overgrow.

We often use herbal medicine to address internal medicine conditions such as these, as they work faster, more efficiently, and are able to address the root cause. We often use herbs to not only clear the inflammation and yeast out of the body, but also herbs to restore your gut health, especially when the issue is chronic or recurring. For instance, it is not uncommon at all for women to get a yeast infection in there luteal phase, just right before their period each month.

I often suggest a food as medicine approach in addition to the herbs, as either eating probiotic rich foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or kefir can be beneficial for restoring balance to our gut flora.

If you are currently dealing with a lot of painful, burning, inflammation down there, you might also want to avoid gluten, sugary foods, fried foods, and spicy foods as well as too many carbs and starches.

Drinking ginger tea made from the fresh root can also help to restore our guts microbiome and has been used to support gut health and promote longevity by boosting the digestive system for thousands of years in China. Research also supports gingers anti-bacterial effects, even eliminating bacteria such as e.coli and inhibiting the growth of other bad bacteria. Often, ginger is not strong enough to completely get rid of BV or chronic yeast infections alone; however it is a helpful tool for supporting gut health and beneficial bacteria in your microbiome.

If you are currently experiencing lots of discomfort- don’t hesitate to reach out! This is a very common issue that I often treat in women that often responds fabulously and quickly to safe, effective, and evidence based herbal medicine.

Give me a call or leave me a message here on this site if you want to find alternative ways of addressing this condition.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control/birth-control-yeast-infection#connection

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/fluconazole-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20071428?p=1

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7504760/

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/want-to-boost-immunity-look-to-the-gut