Patient's question:
In mid-September, I realized the itching was unbearable and went for a check-up, which revealed a fungal infection.Previous treatment and effectiveness:
After the diagnosis, I took medication for 15 days and stopped immediately after my period. After my period, I continued taking the medication for another 10 days. I soaked my external genital area in a solution of sodium bicarbonate tablets every day without scrubbing.
After the second round of medication, the itching stopped, and my discharge remained white and creamy. One week after stopping the medication, I had my period, and there was no itching afterward. A follow-up check-up at the hospital still showed a positive result for fungus. The doctor advised me to focus on the medication.
I then took a single-dose clotrimazole tablet and, starting three days later, took one tablet of nystatin every night. The itching has not returned, but my discharge has turned into fragmented, membranous material, which is abundant.
Why is the fungus still positive after three months of medication? Is this fragmented membranous material normal? I don’t have any itching now, but how long should I continue taking medication? I have never scrubbed.
Doctor's answer:
Candidal vulvovaginitis is very persistent. All cases of candidal vulvovaginitis should be treated continuously for three menstrual cycles. Normal vaginal discharge should be checked three times consecutively before and after menstruation to confirm cure. Additionally, underwear, bed sheets, and other items should be exposed to sunlight and boiled for sterilization, otherwise it is easy for the condition to recur repeatedly. A 2% to 4% baking soda solution can be used to rinse the vagina once or twice daily, with two weeks constituting one course of treatment. Then, clotrimazole suppositories should be inserted into the vagina once nightly after rinsing, with 10 to 14 days constituting one course of treatment. Alternatively, miconazole nitrate suppositories can be used once nightly after rinsing, with seven days constituting one course of treatment.Furthermore, during the treatment period, the dietary condition and care of patients with vaginitis are also very crucial.