Ditch The Itch! (Canesten)

Member Name: Squiggles

Product:	Canesten
Date:	15/08/01 (1802 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Provides instant soothing relief, Cures the problem

Disadvantages: Expensive

Most women at one time or another during their lives will suffer from the unpleasant condition commonly known as thrush. It’s a yeast-like fungal infection (Candida Albicans) that can effect the mouth, the bowel or the vagina, or if you’re very unlucky, all three! The fungus is one that we all have in our bodies, but it only becomes a problem when it builds up resulting in an infection that needs to be treated.

The most common symptoms of vaginal thrush are constant itchiness, pain on urination, a feeling of soreness and sometimes a white or yellowish discharge. And being that the infection is of a fungal variety, it can be a real stubborn devil to get rid of!

I’m lucky, I’ve only had it once, and believe you me, it wasn’t pleasant! Common causes can include ‘being too warm’, fungi thrive on moisture and warmth and if you wear a lot of close fitting non-breathable underwear, you are more at risk. Avoid nylon like the plague and stick to good old cotton! Women who are pregnant are also more at risk because their hormone levels change, resulting in a change of the acid levels in the vagina. Sex is also another cause; a lot of men carry the thrush infection but experience no symptoms whatsoever, so the minute the two of you get together intimately, he is passing on the infection to you! So it is important that if one of you is showing symptoms, that you BOTH get treatment to prevent passing it back and forth. If you are taking a course of antibiotics, the risks are greater as the antibiotic actually kills off the normal bacteria so that the yeast multiplies resulting in a thrush infection. Also, some scented bath products can cause it, as they can actively change the PH balance of your body.

So, if you are unlucky and start to experience that unpleasant incessant dry itching sensation, what can you do about it? Firstly, see your doctor and make sure that thrush is the correct diagnosis. If it is, th
en there are various over the counter treatments now available, and a chat with your pharmacist will determine which is the best for you, In most cases, Canesten will be recommended.

Canesten offer a number of products for treating thrush, but by far, Canesten Combi is the most popular. It is a treatment containing an active ingredient (Clotrimazole 10%) that kill off the excess yeast that causes the infection as well as reducing the unpleasant symptoms. The pack contains both a cream (which HE should use too!) and a pessary. The pessary can be easily inserted using the applicator provided (very similar to the way you would insert a tampon) and ensures that that the treatment is reaching the infected areas, without the applicator the product simply would not ‘travel’ far enough. It might be an idea to wear a pad for a few days after application too, as what generally goes up, must come down!

The cream gives relief from the soreness and itching, the two most common and unpleasant symptoms of the condition. Immediately you should feel cooler and a little more comfortable. In all cases, you should see a dramatic improvement after about three days and the infection should be cleared up in less than a week.

Other treatments available from Canesten include a 500mg pessary-only that can be used by women who are not in a sexual relationship or Canesten Cream for partners who are being intimate and concerned they may be passing the infection back and forth. Pricewise, the treatments will set you back between £5 and £8 on average. But if you can get your Doctor to make out a prescription, it might cost you a little less.

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