Topical Medication for Vaginal Yeast Infections
Yeast infection creams usually have the dual benefit of treating the infection, and providing relief for symptoms. To use it, you rub it on the affected skin and work it in, making sure that you don't wash it off afterwards.
Apart from the cream, that skin must be kept clean and dry. You shouldn't scrub the skin hard enough to remove the Candida colony, because this will only damage the skin and can allow the yeast easier access to infect your bloodstream.
Some general notes about using yeast infection creams:
- Don't use a tampon while using yeast infection creams - the tampon will absorb
the medicine, making it far less effective. - Creams are great for dealing with the symptoms, but they don't address yeast infection causes. You'll still need to learn about real cures for yeast infection in order to clear the problem entirely.
- Your doctor must be consulted if you are planning to take over-the-counter yeast infection medications when you are breastfeeding, pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Here are some of the different yeast infection creams you might encounter, and some notes about them.
Miconazole Vaginal Cream
Miconazole is the active ingredient of Femizole-M, and the Monistat line of vaginal yeast infection creams. It is an antifungal that comes either as a cream or a suppository. Using Miconazole will relieve the painful skin symptoms of the infection.
You can purchase formulations of Miconazole cream that are designed to be taken over one, three, or seven days. The one-day formula is available only by prescription. The tablet form is for vaginal use only, not oral.
It is not safe to double-up on Miconazole dosage, so if you miss a dose, adjust your treatment schedule for that day. It's also not safe to take this yeast infection cream with certain other drugs that thin your blood.
Miconazole yeast infection cream can weaken your contraceptives and cause them to break, so if you rely on diaphragms, condoms, or other such birth control methods, it's best to abstain from sex during treatment if you want to avoid pregnancy.
Tioconazole Vaginal Yeast Infection Ointment
Tioconazole is the active ingredient of Vagistat-1, and is for treating monilia-borne yeast infections as opposed to the more-common Candida infection. Tioconazole is only for use in the vagina. It's inserted at bed time, to help the medication stay in place. According to the instructions, only one application of this yeast infection cream is needed for relief of symptoms.
Butoconazole Vaginal Yeast Infection Cream
Butoconazole is the active ingredient of some formulations of Femstat, plus Myselex 3 and Gynazole 1. This is another antifungal which primarily treats the symptoms, but does not entirely cure the infection.
Clotrimazole Vaginal Yeast Infection Cream
This is the active ingredient for Gyne-Lotrimin, Trivagizole, Bynix, and some formulations of Mycelex. The antifungal formula reduces yeast infection symptoms and is available both in cream or tablet.
It's not safe to take clotrimazole for more than a week, and your doctor needs to know if your infection persists beyond that week.
