Know The Risks​
Thrush
Thrush is a common vaginal infection with 75% of women developing it at least once in a lifetime.
Recurrent thrush
For the 5% who develop recurrent or repeated thrush infections, it can be a challenging disease to manage.
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Nerve damage
A severe thrush infection can lead to neurological damage of the vulvar vestibule. This can be a chronic, incurable and disabling pain disorder.
Thrush can cause nerve damage in the vulva
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Most gynaecologists do not know the dangers of thrush as they are not taught about the basics of vulva anatomy and pain syndromes at medical school [1]. This means there is no prevention of thrush-induced neuropathic vulvodynia and it can take years to be diagnosed.
Nerve Damage Can Be Incurable​
How to find a decent thrush doctor
If it's your first or second thrush infection, most gynaecologists will be able to test, diagnose and treat you.
However, if you've had > 5 infections in a lifetime, you need a consultant who understands the stakes; a severe infection > 2 weeks could lead to neurological damage and disability. (The more infections you have in a lifetime, the more drug-resistant, the more likely you'll have a severe infection). Your best option is a vulval pain clinic – not a standard gynaecologist as after repeat infections you'll need treatment that's sensitive to your skin and won't trigger further inflammation.
Thrush News
Founder's story
My name is Philly
I set up Thrush Support website so that no woman has to go through what I have been through. A severe thrush infection left me with neurological damage in my vulvar vestibule, which took just under 2 years to diagnose.
A misdiagnosis of cytolytic vaginosis and associated prescription of Augmentin triggered recurrent thrush and rendered me disabled by pain. My career has been derailed, my dreams of having a family are indefinitely on hold and I have been living in constant pain for 2+ years. The prospect that my genitals will burn for the rest of my life is devastating and it's a damning indictment on the state of women's health that it's taking a patient to raise awareness and help prevent the development of nerve damage in other women.
If you are prone to thrush, you have the right to know the real risks and stop nerve damage before it starts.
[1] Vulvar Pain Clinic Blog 'A Review of “Bridging the Gap in Care: A Call for Interdisciplinary Guidelines on Vulvar Pain Disorders"'