Vaginal candidiasis is a fungal or yeast infection of the vulva and/or vagina. It causes a smelly, thick, white-yellow discharge that might be accompanied by itching, burning and swelling. It can also can make walking, urinating or sex very painful.
Vaginal candidiasis can be an occasional problem for even the healthiest woman. However, it's more common and severe in women with weakened immune systems. For many, a repeating or worsening vaginal yeast infection is the first symptom of HIV infection. This infection can occur at any CD4+ cell count but is likely to occur more often when your CD4+ count falls below 100.
Certain drugs can alter the natural organisms in the vagina, which can then promote the growth of Candida. These include the extended use of antibiotics, steroids and oral contraceptives (birth control) with a high estrogen content. Other factors that may cause candidiasis include: diabetes, pregnancy, using antihistamines (drugs commonly used to prevent allergies and rash) and iron, folate, vitamin B12 or zinc deficiency. Factors that may weaken the immune system -- from cancer chemotherapy to stress and depression -- can also cause candidiasis. Tight fitting pants and reactions to chemical ingredients found in soaps and detergents can lead to vaginal candidiasis as well.
Most topical treatments are put into the vagina once or twice a day for three days or once a day for seven days. (See table for drug names and doses). Longer courses (7-14 days) may be more effective in HIV-positive women.
Generally, topical treatments do not cause side effects, but in a small number of women they may lead to vaginal burning, itching or skin rash. A few women have experienced cramps or headaches. Oil-based vaginal creams should be used with caution as they may weaken latex condoms and diaphragms (see table).
If topical treatment does not work, or if outbreaks recur often, you may need systemic (throughout the body) drugs. A single oral dose of fluconazole (Diflucan) is increasingly used to treat vaginal candidiasis.
|Butoconazole 2% cream||5 grams for 3 days||Available over-the-counter. May weaken latex condoms and diaphragms.|
|Clotrimazole (Lotrimin) 1% cream||5 grams for 7-14 days||Available over-the-counter. May weaken latex condoms and diaphragms.|
|Clotrimazole (Mycelex) 100mg vaginal tablet||One 100mg tablet for 7 days or two 100mg tablets for 3 days|
|Clotrimazole (Mycelex) 500mg vaginal tablet||Single dose|
|Miconazole (Monistat) 2% cream||5 grams for 7 days||Available over-the-counter. May weaken latex condoms and diaphragms.|
|Miconazole (Monistat) 200mg vaginal suppository||Once a day for 3 days||Available over-the-counter.|
|Miconazole (Monistat) 100mg vaginal suppository||Once a day for 7 days||Available over-the-counter.|
|Miconazole (Monistat) 1,200mg vaginal suppository||Single dose|
|Tioconazole (Vagistat) 300mg ointment||A single dose||Available over-the-counter.|
|Terconazole (Terazol 7) 0.4% cream||5 grams for 7 days||May weaken latex condoms and diaphragms.|
|Terconazole (Terazol 3) 0.8% cream||5 grams for 3 days||May weaken latex condoms and diaphragms.|
|Terconazole (Terazol 3) 80mg vaginal suppository||Once a day for 3 days|
|Fluconazole (Diflucan)||One 150mg dose||Not recommended for pregnant women; sometimes used weekly as a preventive measure.|
|Itraconazole (Sporanox)||One 100mg dose||Not recommended for pregnant women; sometimes used weekly as a preventive measure.|
|Ketoconazole (Nizoral)||One 200-400mg dose||Not recommended for pregnant women; sometimes used weekly as a preventive measure.|
|Nystatin vaginal tablet (Mycostatin)||Applied to affected areas twice a day for three days.||Available over-the-counter. May be useful for recurrent infections (apply every 7 days for 1 month); messy application; can cause vaginal swelling; refraining from sex or use of condom recommended.|
below). For women with recurrent vaginal candidiasis, a single dose of fluconazole weekly is sometimes used to prevent the infection. Caution is recommended when considering this approach since extended use of fluconazole can result in candidiasis that becomes resistant to treatment.
Gentian violet has been used to treat and prevent fungal infections for years. It is available without a prescription, but your doctor may have special instructions for preventing vaginal candidiasis. As a prevention strategy, it is applied onto the affected areas with a cotton swab once a week for four weeks, or as instructed by your doctor.
Sugar, yeast, dairy, wheat, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol promote the growth of yeast. Nutritionists recommend ingesting as little as possible of these foods and products to decrease the risk and/or severity of yeast infections. Eating larger amounts of foods that may suppress the growth of yeast, like garlic or milk and yogurt that contain acidophilus, may help prevent yeast infections or provide extra treatment for infections that occur.
If you are pregnant and treating or preventing vaginal candidiasis, topical therapies are preferable. Moreover, it's recommended that oral azole drugs be stopped in women who become pregnant and that women taking these drugs use effective birth control.
It's important for you to prevent and treat vaginal candidiasis, like other forms of candidiasis. This will improve the discomfort created by the infection and reduce further damage candidiasis may cause to your immune system.
For information on oral candidiasis, read Oral Candidiasis available by calling Project Inform's HIV/AIDS Treatment Hotline at 1-800-822-7422 or by visiting our website.