I got a really nasty yeastie at the end of my period this month and I'm worried my cup may have some lingering yeast - I generally only boil it between cycles.

Will hydrogen peroxide kill yeast/is it safe to use on the cup? If so how much should I mix with water to soak it? Or can I just wipe it down? Would also be nice to remove the discolouring around the top of my cup while I'm at it.

Thanks for the help.

I apologize if this strays into the TMI region, but I am dying! I definitely have a yeast infection. I was a little uncomfortable a day or so before shark week, but it could have been attributed to having done to the gym and rollerskating and new hot weather, so I wasn't sure. Using the cup for four days definitely made it come out with a vengeance. *squirm* I tried the clove of garlic last night and spread some unsweetened yogurt around this morning, but I am barely able to sit still right now.
I wanted to ask those of you who use the garlic and/or yogurt method how often you have to do it? Does it only work if you catch it at the beginning or will it work when the YI is in full swing? And how on earth do you get the yogurt from your cup into your parts? Do you leave it in or take it out so the yogurt works its way all the way down? I am not sure I can bear the idea of putting it in right now, though.
Lastly, I have read many different recommendations for cleaning the cup to get the yeasty spores dead but not really precise amounts of solution. Like 16oz of water with 1oz bleach; 12oz water with 2ml of peroxide. What do you all use?
As one last note, I only get to see my boi on the weekends and we haven't had sex in forever and we really won't be having it this weekend, either.

I am on day 5 of cycle two. Last night, I had some trouble, for the first time, getting the cup out. It had migrated so far up that I couldn't get a hold of it! I squatted, bore down, relaxed and everything. I ended up having to literally dig it out. Up to the second joint on both index finger and thumb, squeeze, twist and pull. And I spilled the contents all over my fingers. Rinse, reinsert, and go to bed. Only to have the same problem this morning with the variation of there was nothing to spill and I dropped it in the toilet. Luckily I can get by with a liner today since I will be tapering off and I was at home, so I just stuck it in the cupboard to boil later and left for work. I didn't get this drastic change in placement last month and I was wondering if others have. I seem to vaguely recall reading some posts about it. I had to cut all of the stem off because it sits so low at the beginning of my cycle and I am sure that is contributing to some of this difficulty.
And in addition to being sore from difficult removal, I think I have a yeast infection for the first time in a couple years, I think. *grumble*

Following on from this recent post about ways of treating yeast infections, I wondered whether anyone could recommend the UK brand names of probiotics that can be taken vaginally and have proved effective.  The brand names in the linked post include Jarro-Dophilus, FemDophilus and Accuflora, but I've not been able to find them in the UK.

I managed to reach 40 years old without ever having a yeast infection, but have been very stressed and now have had a chronic one on and off for the past 6 months and am reaching my wits end with the over-the-counter treatments.  I find that it clears up during my period (the ph balance alters) but within a week or so it is back (I've been professionally diagnosed that it is thrush).  I may try the raw garlic cure, but I'm very sensitive to garlic and I'm not sure it'll be suitable for me.

Many thanks for any advice.  I've found these tablets Vagiclear by Higher Nature - has anyone tried them and found them to be beneficial?

On another topic, the Summer edition of the Mooncup UK Newsletter has details of an Early Day Motion about reusable sanitary products that is being brought before the House of Commons to raise awareness.  Those of us in the UK can support this by emailing our MPs and asking them to sign the Motion.  Mooncup UK have full details and a sample letter and details of how to contact your MP at the link above. 

So, after seeing lots and lots of suggestions to use a clove of garlic to treat yeast infections, but no real specifics (like how long to leave it in, etc), I found this great article on midwifery today that goes more in depth about how garlic works to combat yeast infections, and different tips (like putting a string through the garlic for easy removal.) Since yeast infection questions come up a lot, I thought I'd share the article for one and all.

It seems like I keep reinfecting myself with a yeast infection with my diva cup. This has been going on for three or four months and it's driving me crazy. I boiled the cup, which seemed to make no difference. Then I soaked it in vinegar and that seemed to help a little, but I tried the cup again, and again got a mild yeast infection. Now I'm boiling it a second time, but for longer. Is it possible that my cup is ruined? Has anyone else had trouble getting their cup clean after an infection? Are there other ways I can clean the cup that might work better?

I've been using a Diva Cup for the past six months, and I love it, except that I get yeast infections every two months or so. After taking some precautions, I don't get them as often as when I first started using my Diva Cup, but I still get them occasionally. Here is my question: For the past few days following my period my vulva has been more itchy than normal. I've been eating lots of yogurt and I took a bath with vinegar in it, but there still seems to be itching. If I'm not sure that this is a yeast infection, would it hurt to put yogurt directly on my vulva? Does it make a difference that the yogurt is plain, but has honey in it? (It's Nancy's Plain Honey Yogurt, and honey is the third ingredient.) Thank you!

For the past several months I've been having a problem with recurring yeast infections, but I finally seem to be over it-- hooray!-- and, understandably, I very much want to prevent the problem from coming back yet again. Unfortunately, I used my cup during my last period without realizing at the time that I was infected. Now that things are apparently under control down there, I need to treat my cup so that I don't accidentally cause another yeast insurgence!

It seems that most of the community's advice is to boil the cup to kill off residual yeast spores. However, I live in a college dorm and have no access to anything with which to boil water for the required length of time. No microwave, no stove, no hot plate; nothing. I know people have suggested hydrogen peroxide, but I've got a Diva Cup and I was under the impression that hydrogen peroxide isn't supposed to be used on silicone because it could be damaging. I definitely can't afford to replace my cup, so I'm kind of afraid to try this.

So, I'm currently soaking my cup in white vinegar. Will that be good enough? I've also been eating plain yogurt and taking acidophilus supplements as a precaution.

(Sorry that this is a bit of a repeat topic.)

Hey everyone,

Just wondering, is there anything in particular you do during your period with your cup to help keep a yeast infection from occuring? I'm still recovering from an infection from my last cycle with the Diva and I'm really not ready to do it all over again. My Dr suggested that I let my cup dry completely before putting it back inside me, but that may not always be feasible if I'm out and in a hurry.

Just as a side note: I'm a vegan, so I won't do anything with yougurt to help prevent/heal infections (I say this because I've seen it mentioned a few times).

Thank You!

So, yet another post about the dreaded y.i. I followed the yogurt advice and inserted it into my cup, but found when I took it out the next morning, most of the yogurt was still in the cup. I decided to try a more direct method and used a tampon applicator to squirt some yogurt up there. For two days, I didn't feel any itching or discomfort!!

Then I began to spot today, as  my period is arriving soon, so I stuck my cup in. I BEGAN ITCHING! I'm assuming my cup reinfected me, as I didn't bring it to a boil (but did soak it in boiling water and washed it out thoroughly). I didn't want to boil it as I don't like the idea of having yeast spores in my cooking pot and haven't had the opportunity to get  a pot just for boiling purposes yet. Would it really react that quickly??

I'm assuming that since yogurt kills the yeast in me, it would do the same for my cup... so I currently have it soaking in a jar of yogurt. Is that weird? Is my thought process completely off?

Let me know your opinions.

Hey everyone,

I'm a first time Divacup user and I just finished my first cycle with it (well, almost). About the 4th day into my period, I woke up and realized that my vagina was super itchy and extremely red and irritated. At first I thought maybe I was just annoyed from taking the cup in and out to clean and such. Luckily I was done bleeding by this point so I just kept it out to give my vagina a chance to heal. That was yesterday and I'm still really uncomfortable today. I was thinking that maybe I'd contracted a yeast infection, but talking to my sister about it, she thinks I'm allergic to the silicone in the Divacup.

Has anyone had a first time reaction like this?

I'm pretty sure by reading the memories that the keeper is made of latex, but is it different in size? I've been using the smaller model of the Diva and it really feels too big for me so I was thinking of switching to a Lunette before all of this happened.

Thanks for any help! Any suggestions to ease my pain/itching would be greatly appreciated as well.

 

So I went to the gyno today, and it turns out I do have a yi and have probably had one for some time now. I want to make sure my cup is clean and won't re-infect me for next week's period (if I manage to get rid of my infection by then). I've been reading up on the posts on yi's and have gathered that boiling is my best option, followed closely by vinegar soaks.

Do both of these options effectively kill active yeast and yeast spores? Now how about the pan that I'm boiling it in... will there be leftover yeast/yuckies in there? Is it necessary to clean the pouch as well?

I got a one dose oral pill and an ointment from the doc, but I think I'm going to go the natural route first and try yogurt/garlic.

Anyway, any advice would be wonderful!

PS) I've managed to get three people onto cups!! I bought my sister one for her birthday a few months back and she loves hers! My Mom and my friend were both SUPER grossed out by it, and both are now anxiously awaiting their period to give it a try!! Keeping my fingers crossed that they love it too!

Think about it... women go through about 6800 disposables in their lifetime (according to Gladrags) so through the support of this community, I switched to a cup, as did three others = 27,200 disposables diverted from the landfills thanks to everyone here!!! (Just some 1am trivia for you!!)

I recall someone on here mentioning that she had heard that filling menstrual cups with yogurt is effective to ward off yeast infections. Does anyone have any experience with this? Does it work? Are you supposed to fill the entire cup? Does it allow the yogurt to move around your vagina in order to work it's magic, or does it just stay cooped up in the cup? Sorry for asking so many questions!

I appreciate any advice you can offer :)

Sorry if this question has been asked, but I don't think it has--

I've been battling a minor yi, went to the doctor but they weren't that helpful, all the did was culture it to confirm its yeastiness.   So I made the executive decision to use my cup anyway because I love it and I'm NOT going to wear pads no matter what anyone says, at least not on the heaviest days.  I'm on my cycle now and the flow has slowed down quite a bit, so I decided I should start treating it.  The problem is, I know Monsitat can damage latex, but I'm not sure about silicone?  Has anyone used their silicone cup with Monistat or the like?  BTW, I've already tried more "gentle persuasion" methods like the garlic clove, and eating/inserting tons of acidophilus caps.  So I think it's time to go for the conventional OTC.  Any idea if I can use teh cup without screwing it up?

I've been using my Diva Cup for about a year now. Three months ago, I was smitten. It worked perfectly, it felt great, it was convenient, clean, healthy for my vagina, healthy for the earth, all that. At the end of my cycle, the cup smelled a little earthy, mineral-y and not at all unpleasant. I would boil it and it was good to go for the next round. I couldn't find a downside. But then I got a new boyfriend and we started having sex without condoms. 

I first noticed a problem when I put my cup in (after sex and after peeing directly after the sex) and left it there for the 24 hours that normally works for me. I've never had a problem leaving it in this long. When I took it out it smelled disgusting. Like cheesy, rotting, gross. So I boiled it with baking soda and got it ready for next time. I think at that time I was at the end of my cycle so I didn't put it back in. What followed was 2 weeks of a UTI followed by a yeast infection and just overall uncomfortableness in the area. So I realized that wasn't a good idea. For the next two periods I wait about ten minutes for initial leakage, which I then wipe up. I also make sure to pee. Then I pop the cup in. Two hours later I take it out and rinse, and again two hours after that. Then I change it every twelve hours, if it is that long before I have sex again - otherwise I just repeat the two hour cycle. 

The last two cycles I've had hints of UTIs which have been easily quashed with large amounts of cranberry juice. But there's also been a bad smell both in the cup and in my vagina. This time around the smell of the cup was so bad (like a particular Danish cheese that I love to eat, not to have inside my girlparts) that I just used pads for the rest of my cycle, as that was all I had. And my vagina just sort of constantly smells like I haven't washed it in 3 days, even right after a shower. 

Am I allergic to sperm? Did I have an STD? Have I just had three unlucky coincidences? I love my cup so much and I don't want to give her up but this isn't any fun!

1. I used my diva cup for my past cycle and it now smells like really really bad. I am not sure how to deal with it. I let it sit up in my bathroom for like a few days to see if it would air out and that's not helping. I need (or would like) a quick way to clean it. Would using vinegar and baking soda together work ok, or could that damage the cup? Even though I have been using my cup for a year, this is the first time it's happened and I think it's the result of having my cup in for almost 24 hours after my period ended thanks to having a sick baby.

2. I'm having the worse periods ever since a few months ago. Last month I had nausea and vomiting, as well as bad back pain during my period but just assumed I also had the flu. Well this month, the same thing happened again only luckily I didn't puke but I had the worse headache, back pain, nausea and was very achy. I actually just thought I was getting the flu that day, until I went into the bathroom and discovered my period had started. The blood also looks different and is more red and clotting more then when I got my periods in the past. I had really bad periods when I was younger, but between being 15 and even after my daughter was born, at 19 my periods were relatively mild. I missed a couple of periods, which I assumed was because I started nursing my daughter more often and stopped supplementing with formula and since my periods returned 3 months ago they have just been really really bad. Is it normal to have back pain and feel sick during that time of the month? Has anyone else experienced this? I feel like I am experiencing labor pains and morning sickness all in one.

3. Lastly, I think I am having mild yeast infections all the time. I rarely have any kind of fluid issue, but just...discomfort. I've heard of taking probiotics or eating probiotic foods to help, I kind of hate yogurt though. Would raw milk/cheese help? What about garlic supplements? I've also heard of people putting yogurt in their diva cups to cure yeast infections. Does that actually work?

Hi,

Having looked through all the posts I could find tagged 'yeast infection' and not found an answer, I thought I would make a post on my predicament, since my situation is somewhat unique.

i want to thank everyone who helped me with my question earlier this week about how long to soak my smelly cup lol.  the hydrogen peroxide soak did the trick above and beyond boiling, vinegar soak, etc.  i didn't even try the baking soda but will probably dust my cup with that while it's in storage before my next period. it really helped to know how long to soak the cup and people were really friendly. a nice first experience here on LJ  :)

i wanted to let peple know about a product i use that is targeted specifically as a yeast treatment and preventive, but which i've found is a great overall balancer and deodorizer for the vagina....it's called Yeast Free, made by Vitanica, and i get it at vitamin cottage.  they're vaginal suppositories. a very informative info sheet comes with the product, specifying different instructions for use depending on one's condition, i.e., acute yeast infection, chronic problems, etc.  i found it interesting that use during one's period for 4 consecutive cycles is directed for a chronic problem. the thing is, i've only had one yeast infection in my life, but i still use these around the end of my period, after the major flow has passed. i insert one at night for 1-2 nights, and it does a gr8 job of balancing my flora. i also take a probiotic capsule daily and other supportive supplements, do a douche once a week or so with apple cider vinegar, etc., but this product has done the trick for me in terms of keeping my flora at a nice balance and keeping me smelling nice. it's an unscented product, and the active ingredients are boric acid, oregon grape root, and calendula flowers.  it's really a gr8 product, so i wanted to tell others about it.

thx again to everyone who helped me solve my issue with an extremely odiferous cup!

-t

So... I got my first ever yeast infection while I was on my period (and using my diva cup). I didn't know I had a yeast infection but I do, and I'm pretty sure I had it while on my period, because the symptoms were there around the 3rd day of my 6 day period. Now, I've soaked my cup in hot water/alcohol solution and boiled it. I absolutely do not want to get another yeast infection if I use my cup for my next period. Should I do anything else to be sure the cup is sterilized?

I recently bought a Divacup and I am very excited to use it. However, I am very prone to bladder infections and, more recently, prone to yeast infections (ugh). I was wondering if Dr. Bronner's unscented baby formula liquid soap would be suitable to use to clean my cup during my cycle. I'm afraid regular washing with soap will cause the natural chemicals in my vagina to react (i.e. infection). But, I'm also afraid that hot water alone will not ward off bacteria. I really want the Divacup to work out for me as I do not want to add anymore waste to the environment or deal with the harsh makeup of tampons any longer.

Is anyone here using a cup also prone to bladder and yeast infections? How do you deal with yours?

Or maybe this is just going to be a trial and error situation for me?

Great, so I accidentally posted this on icon_tutorials a second ago. Awesome.

Anyway...

This isn't so much menstrual cup related as it is cycle related, but I really have to ask...

I was very sick yesterday with a 102 fever, presumably from a stomach virus. My fever is down today and such, but all of a sudden I just felt myself produce a lot of discharge/lubrication. I checked, and the fluid seems to be thick and white. My lubrication/discharge is usually clear and thin. Fearing a yeast infection, I hesitantly smelled it. The thing is, it doesn't smell bad... it smells sweet, actually. There doesn't seem to be any irritation on the outside of my vagina, but when wiped away with white toilet paper, tissues, or a towel, the discharge shows up as being more yellow than white.

The only thing that's changed in the past few days is that I've been eating yogurt to help amp up my digestive tract (Dannon Activia).

Is this a YI? Or something else? I'm fairly concerned...

About a week and a half or so before my last cycle I had to take penicillin for strep throat. What ended up happening is that the antibiotics gave me a yeast infection that started the same day as my period. I've been using my diva cup as usual and attempting to treat the infection at the same time but an absolutely horrid smell as latched onto the cup. I'm sure it's because of the infection but I can't get it to go away. I've soaked it in boiling water multiple times but the smell is as strong as ever.

Has anyone else ever had this problem? Did you get the smell to go away? I'd almost be willing to by a new cup even though I've had this one for only 9 months or so just to be free from it.

Any suggestions?

Hello all!

I received my Diva Cup on the Saturday before last, so this cycle that I'm about to start will be my first time using it.

Anyways, I've been practicing insertion and removal since I got it (is that gross? since I've actually had my period yet?) and I'm a little worried that I'm not doing it correctly. See, I'm finding it really easy to put in and take out (which doesn't seem like a problem, I know, but I guess I'm from the school of thought that if something seems to good to be true, it probably is). I'm using the "c fold" and it just pops right in without question. And when removing it, I barely have to pinch the base at all. Now, I've read up on the Diva's super suction (I believe someone said you might actually see stars if you tried to remove it without breaking the seal) and either everyone is exaggerating like crazy or I'm not doing it right.  Because honestly, I think I could pull it out right now without pinching the bottom at all and only feel the slightest pull. Does that mean that it hasn't popped open all the way? I hear a bit of a...slurpy sound when I insert, which I would assume is the cup popping open, but I'm not sure.

Is there any way to be 100% positive that it's open? (That is question and concern number one)

Another thing I've noticed is that people tend to complain about the little stem poking them. Well, mine is up too far to poke anything. When sitting on the toilet, I would say that the end of the stem is about level with the lips of my labia (that's TMI, I know. I'm sorry). Is that higher than it should be? I've also noticed that
when I insert it, I've noticed that my lower abdomen feels a bit...heavy. And a little crampy. Bearing down slightly seems to relieve the feeling a bit. Is that another indication that it's perhaps too far up?

Could you ever insert the cup too far up? Not in the sense that it would get lost or anything (I know better than that) but in the sense that it wouldn't be as effective if it was too high?

Also, I think that I'm getting a yeast infection (Why me, vagina gods?) and I know that you shouldn't use tampons when you've got one, but what about the cup? Can you use it during a yeast infection?

Aaand, I think that's it for now.

Thanks in advance,

--Kate

I've gone through two or three cycles (I forgot already) using my diva cup, and I just wanted to share my experience with it, since I've gotten so much help reading other women's stories in this comm.

As a fairly petite, 20 year old virgin, I was really anxious about insertion/removal at first. Once I realized that I couldn't hurt myself with it though, I managed to get past my nerves and learned pretty quickly. I found that the punch-down fold is easiest for my short fingers to keep hold of, and that the band-aid approach (quicker is better!) made for less stressful insertion/removal.

I also solved leakage problems pretty quickly. First, I learned a lot about the shape, etc of my vagina after spending so much time fishing around in there and I used that to my advantage - for example, I insert following my natural angle, which makes for a better seal. Also, I found that it pops better if I push it higher up; presumably I am wider farther up so there is room for the cup to open.

Best of all though, using a cup seems to have cured my mild, chronic yeast infections!  Presumably, using tampons or pads for days was too irritating.  Tampons were dry and scratchy and pads were too hot and moist.  My daily commute by bicycle probably exacerbated it as well.  With a cup there's no irritation and I'm dry and clean all day.

I've also found that using a cup has made me more aware of my vagina - what it's doing when it bleeds, how it is a part of my body, my attitude towards a body part that makes me biologically female.  Sexually active women probably don't experience this, but for someone like myself with no sexual experiences, using a cup has been thought-provoking.