So I had my doctor appointment today. He took tests and a pap smear and said I had a yeast infection. I didn't think it was so I had been wearing my meluna (which I have decided I don't like because it's too stiff and leaks). He lectured me about the only best, natural, and safe way to deal with a period is pads. His nurse was going on about how HER daughter only wore pads, etc etc. Needless to say, I'm getting a new doctor, ASAP. I didn't have any swelling like I have before, granted I've been putting hydrocortizone and anti itch stuff on it for the past week and it looks better. I'm assuming the swelling and redness was due to scratching before because I scratch less as well. OTher then that, I FEEL fine...I have a normal discharge and it HAS increased but it's not that gross fish smell like with a yeast infection that I recall when I'd get 'em. But he had no desire to hear what I had to say. And I admitted wearing a cup during a yeast infection wasn't good, IF that's what I had (I ordered a new Diva today for when I'm cleared up to be on the safe side though) but as long as it's cleaned properly it's not a problem. He looked at me like I was crazy. And he did check me but the pressure on my abdomen had me leak, so I had to wear a pad home too. I'm very VERY upset. On top of that (unrelated sorta) I have an eczema breakout like whoa. I KNOW it's eczema, I've had it before. It's clearing up on it's own cause I've been treating it at home, it's not weeping and I'm on the mend, most of it is from scratching now. You know what he says? I have scabies. Srsly??! I thought scabies was contagious, WTH, man. I did find that the eczema coulda caused the vaginal itching and things that I was experiencing....so I'm going with that. It IS improving, I had HOPED the doctor woulda helped push it in the right direction since I DO believe both the infection/itching I have and the eczema can be related. *sigh* I also bought tampons today....I leaked. It was HORRIBLE. We (bf, my kids, and I) were driving home from the store and I looked out the window and about cried saying I miss my cup. I really do. :( Tampons are just...UGH. And pads......OMFG. *Cries* I feel like I'm missing something.

Hey people,

This question may be more suited to vaginapagina but since im trying to post on my phone and for some reason I can't post to VP, ill post here. Also, it does relate to cup use so it is relevent.

I seem to have made my vag unhappy recently. I've realised I have my first (or at least first recognised) yeast infection. Its fairly mild so no biggie, right?. Here's the problem though: my period is starting tonight, so I put in my cup. Now, I know that periods can help reduce YI symptoms, if not cure it since it washes everything out and essentially rebalances it all. I also know its not a good idea to use a cup while you have a YI due to a risk of reinfection. However my period is a week early (its actually due new year's eve) and it took me by suprise. I am at my Dad's place, and I only brought my cup and one cloth liner. I will not be able to get to the shops tomorrow to get supplies (being christmas and all - in fact, ill be suprised if I get replies to this since everyone will being doing christmassy things - happy holidays to you all!!) and there's no option this time of cutting things up to make my own since I have the bare minimum of clothes here. If I had a choice id just use a cloth pad and wait till my period is over and see if that sorts it out but I don't really have that option.

so, in the interests of having this cleared up asap, and having heard of inserting garlic as a treatment, I've done the following:

I've inserted some garlic, in my cup (first day or so will be light so no capacity/leaking issues from garlic taking up space overnight). Ill see how things are going tomorrow and if needed, ill put some fresh garlic in. I intend on boiling my cup each morning too to try and make things less risky in terms of reinfection.

So really, what I was wondering is if anyone has tried this treatment before? If so, am I doing the right thing? If its not a good idea please let me know!

I think its really me secong-guessing myself and wondering if I've just done something incredibly stupid?

I'm just on the tail end of an EXTREMELY bad yeast infection, and I started bleeding today.

You think it's safe to use my diva, or should I use a pad just to make sure all the bad yeasties are still flowing OUT as fast as possible?

I use a cup everyday for what I've considered heavy discharge for a long time.  I was not using cups at my last annual exam, nor had had any sexual partner for over a year.  After last year's exam it was determined I had an "abnormal" pap smear, but it was probably okay.  So this year I go in, and as per usual, she asks if I had abnornal bleeding, pain, discharge...yada-yada.  I have always considered my heavy discharge normal, as it seems to have been that way since aldolecence, so I say no.  After the exam the doctor went to look at one of the slides under the microscope.  She came back in and said I have Bacterial Vaginosis, and that is why I have such heavy discharge, and what caused my last abnormal pap.  She said it was common for those with this problem to complain of always having to wear a pantyliner (or my case a cup) because it's so heavy, and prescribed an antibiotic.  But what I also found interesting is I don't fit any of the suspected risks.  So if someone else has been going through the same thing, ask at your next pap.  Even if you don't fit the causes!

***UPDATE 10/04/09***

After finishing off all the antibiotics, I sure enough ended up with a yeast infection.  The first I've ever had in my life.  :(  Even worse, it was the guy I was having sex with that informed me afterwards of my condition.  Also, after he had his mouth down there even.  :((

I searched through the YI tag, but the one post on my question had scant answers.  I started a three day treatment and oral probiotics for a YI.  I finish on Monday night.  I'm spotting, so liners have been used.  But the big day is coming later in the week.  On to the questions:

1.  When would it be safe to use a cup in terms of not reinfecting.  I figure two or three days is good, but should I wait longer?  I would rather not use pads because I have become a bit unpredictable in terms of flow and my schedule does not allow for many trips to bathroom to change a pad.  But I can deal if I have to.

2.  How long should I wait for the medication to leak out/be absorbed so I do not have to worry about damage to the cup? 

I am all over H2O2, boiling, TTO, etc. for cleaning cups/pads.

Thanks in advance.  You always have great advice and help.

So, typical, I have a yeasty cup. This is my sort of luck, so I'm not surprised. I read about soaking it in apple cider vinegar, but what if I just covered it in gentian violet-or soaked it, I guess. (i'm unfamiliar with the consistency.) I know it would dye it purple...which is almost an incentive unto itself. ;) If it matters, I have a size 1 diva. Would it harm the cup to cover it in gentian violet?

The main reason I switched to Menstrual cups was because I had been having symptoms of a yeast infection with my last two periods, but no weird discharge.  Just more irritation... sort of like diaper rash (no idea what else to compare it to, sorry lol!).  So this period I have used my Diva Cup... super happy with it!  No symptoms of pain, irritation, itching.... NOTHING!  YAY!


Then today I pulled the Diva Cup out for the morning cleanng etc, and there was definitely unusual discharge going on.  Yeast-like... so Have been having yeast infections all along, and if I hadn't used my cup I would have never known, so Thank goodness for becoming more familiar with our bodies eh?

I am headed to the Doctor tomorrow assuming my period is all over by then.  I am probably going to be the worst patient because some of the common treatments will be impossible... yogurt grosses me out beyond belief.  I would rather eat dog food.  I am considering going off of HBC once I am married, but I wanted to take a Natural family Planning course first and get used to NFP for birth control before going completely off HBC.  So we will see what the Doc says.

Still, I suppose I could cross-post this with success stories if I wanted to, since one of the good things about Menstrual cups is that it keep women a lil more in touch with their cycles and bodies.  That part was certainly a success with me!  Still, total bummer about these yeast infections... I was hoping I would end up being one of those women that never get them, but no such luck!

I've been using my DivaCup for about a year, and have been on HBC for about 4 years. I've never had unprotected sex and both my partner and I are STD free-untested but no symptoms. Last august I got switched to a low estrogen HBC(without me knowing, yay!) and developed a yeast infection-but, the thing is, my body has a really, really high pain tolerance, and is very adept at hiding infections, so I didn't know. It didn't really bother me, occasional itchies but it would go away before becoming a concern. I wasn't sexually active at the time, so I really didn't detect it.
A few months ago when I met my partner and became sexually active again it started really hurting and causing pain. After the first two or three times I couldn't have sex, it was too painful, and the yeast infection came full force. I treated it with Monestat one day (NEVER AGAIN), it was disgusting but seemed to work. After I got my next period- my first after switching back to my High Estrogen HBC-I got another yeast infection, not as bad as the first, though, but by now I had learned to spot the symptoms my body was trying to hide. I started using tea tree oil on my cup before insertion(Again, HIGH pain tolerance made this bearable, it barely hurt!) and it went away. The next period I used the tea tree oil the entire time and didn't get one. This period, however, I ran out-and was on vacation in a spot which isn't exactly well stocked. I had a little I used sparingly, but not enough to fend of a yeast infection. I managed to find a new bottle, but it was too late and the infection had set in. I used TTO and it BURNED like never before, really hurt, I couldn't figure out why. Today I got home and looked with a mirror-there is a sore just below my labia, which is what I'm assuming the oil hurt. It looks like a pimple-not a canker. But this is coupled with soreness of my vagina, made worse I think by having the cup in.
I'm sick of getting an infection after every period! Is there anything I can do about this? I soak my cup in hydrogen peroxide and water for a day or two, and boil it every few months-and lately after every period which is followed by a yeast infection. The infection seems to start when I start taking my HBC pill again after the week of placebos(which I don't take). The tea tree oil works, but ever since the stinging and sore I'm worried abotu using it again?
I'm planning on seeing a natropath, since my doctor will just prescribe me something to bandaid the problem, but is there anything I can do in the meantime?

I'm currently being treated vaginally with Lactobacillus after a pretty heavy YI. I got my period yesterday, quite unexpected (haven't had one in over two years because of pregnancy/breastfeeding), and was wondering if I can continue treatment while wearing the cup. I have a Mooncup UK. Could the meds somehow harm the cup? I don't think it's very likely, but ya know. Better safe... :)

Hi! I am wondering why some women can't use the Diva cup specifically... or isn't working out for them be it uncomfortable, leaking, size, suction... etc...???

I am new to researching about cups and ordered my first cup just recently. I received it and now I am using for the first day today, actually just put it in a few minutes ago. It is not a Diva cup however, and it didn't feel that comfortable at first but now I think that I do not feel it much. It is a Femmecup, and so this will be my first period with it. It does feel like a lot of suction and was not pleasant putting it in.

 

I am also wondering, read someone mentioned yeast infections and how they do not get them anymore... How does using a cup affect yeast production...??? I get yeast infections very often, although not often "full blown" (and I never use any man made medicines) just enough to be very annoying and sometimes itchy and a bit of pain off and on and does bother me during sex too. Anyway it is usually easily controlled by drinking more water, eating more garlic, and garlic tabs and oregano oil tabs as well as acidophiles tabs and eating yogurt, I even put the organic yogurt there to help cool soothe and heal. Try to eat healthy, most of the time ;) and keep coffee to a minimum.

  

Oh, (sorry) one more question... (but I am sure that I will have even more!) How does cramping decrease from using a cup!?!? I will let you know if mine overtime decreases, but I do tend to get cramps bad.

 

Thanks in advance for your time!

I just wanted to say a big 'Thank you' to LJ - I have been using a Lunette for nearly 2 years now and had found that sometimes towards the end of my cycle I was either a bit 'irritated' or 'thrushy' down there. Whilst I was even worse when I used to use tampons, I had thought this was just something I'd have to put up with.

I'm a bit of a clean-freak and would scrub my cup most evenings with a disinfecting handwash and toothbrush. Anyhow, after reading some posts on over-washing of the cup in soap solutions and how chemical residues might upset the delicate pH balance of the vag, I have tried this cycle with just washing it in hot water...and guess what?! I have just finished my cycle with NO soreness/irritation/thrush or anything!!! YAY!!!

So for anyone with anything like I had... I suggest to stop over-washing your cup!! :p

Thanks again LJ!

OK I've been using a cup since December. I am a long time IUD user if that makes any difference.

Out of the last five months four of those I have had yeast infections within the first two or three days of using my cup. I know that vaginapagina comm thinks it's unlikely to have a yeast infection on your period, but it acts like every other yeast infection I've had. (I was on a lot of antibiotics for a year so I got them pretty frequently at that time.) Up until this month, either using garlic or calling my doc for Diflucan cleared it up until the next time I needed my cup. This time it didn't work, it acted like it was going away and within a couple of days it was already back (I'm on the last day of my period at the moment.) I DO have a doc appointment scheduled for next Friday, to double check that it's not something else. While I start getting the weird feeling of the yeast infection coming on, I haven't stopped using my cup for that cycle until I get evidence in the cup (it's usually around the last day of my period anyway... mine are short) which means there's about a day or two lag.

I have tried three different soaps to scrub my hands before emptying the cup, and then rinsing thoroughly, although I haven't tried using straight up hand sanitizer. I pay careful attention to scrubbing around the edges of my lack of fingernails. (I chew...if it's the last bad habit I have left in the world, I'm not concerned.) In between cycles, I have been boiling my cup for at least 6 minutes or so, and also soaking it in a hydrogen peroxide solution (ratio: 1 to 3)

Point is I love this friggin' cup, but if I'm going to keep getting indirectly related yeast infections then I've got no choice but to give it up and go back to tampons. (ICK!)

Any advice or suggestions? I'm pretty much willing to try anything at this point.

TIA!

I've never had a yeast infection, and I could just be psyching myself out, but I'm sorta worried.

I just started using the cup last month. I cleaned it thoroughly and boiled it in the microwave between periods. I put it in a couple days early to catch my period when it comes so I don't have to stress about that plus final exams, and I've changed it every 10ish hours for the last two days. When I've changed it, I've found a light off-whiteish colored discharge in it with the slightest hint of pink(from the beginnings of blood, I'd assume). I'm not sure if this is normal or a yeast infection? I've never put it in before I started bleeding before, so this could maybe just be what my normal discharge looks like when its collected in a cup rather than a liner. This could also be why it looks like there is so much more of it. It doesn't have an abnormal odor, smells just like I normally do when I'm about to get my period, and I'm not itching in my lady-parts at all either.

I posted this at the iud_divas community as well, and was told that there is some sort of a test kit I can buy at a drug store? I was wondering if any of you have ever heard of it, tried it, and what the results with it were.

My main concern is that I'm supposed to get my IUD inserted this cycle, and I've barely started bleeding. I was just curious as to what some opinions would be... should I be worried, or is this sort of discharge normal for pre-period days? If you ladies could shed some light on the situation for me, it'd be great. I've never had a YI before, so I'm not sure what to expect... though what is in my cup looks nothing like the pictures that Google has of what the discharge looks like, and smells nothing like beer or bread, plus I'm not itching.

Help?

So I have been itchy for a few days, but thought it was probably just my Lichen Simplex Chronicus (that annoying little bugger), since my discharge didn't really look or smell different, and so went ahead and put my cup in today in anticipation of my period (yay for the pill making me predictable). However, when I took it out for the first time today...along with the blood, there was yuckiness...white, clumpyish, more than normal...yeah, i'm pretty sure i have a yeasty beasty. went out and got some pads and OTC YI stuff at the pharmacy which i'll use after my period, put on a pad and scrubbed the cup with a toothbrush and soap...already i'm uncomfortable in this pad. it's GROSS. how did i do this for almost 10 years? Jeesh.

I'm sick of re-infecting and worrying about my cup, though. I clean it as best I can, make sure to rinse well after soap or HO2 (although when I get back to a country where i have lots of stuff available i'll switch from HO2 to rubbing alcohol as has been suggested here), make sure my hands are clean...*sigh*. I'm thinking about buying a new cup when I get back to the states, probably another Diva since it's been working well for me (i'm one of the lucky ones who found the right cup with no research), but does anyone have any sure-fire yeast-killers that i can use on this cup as my last resort? Or, anything that will help prevent recurrent yeast infections, other than keeping clean and dry? I probably can't do anything while i'm here in Israel, as it's hard to find natural food stores and specific items (like those acidophilus caplets i've seen mentioned somewhere, or tea tree oil) when you don't speak the language, whereas in the US there's an awesome natural gourmet store near where I live--the one where I got my Diva, as a matter of fact.

I frikkin' hate this. I've been plauged with YIs every few months for the past few years, and I hate that they're getting in the way of me using my amazing cup that makes my life so much easier. Please help!

I want to start by saying that I love love love my cup and will continue to use it. I'll just be more careful next time.

See, usually when I'm about to get my period I'll start wearing my cup. My periods are never ontime so that means I might wear my cup for a week or more before I get it. But I do that incase it is ontime so I don't ruin my clothes. I used to do the same thing with pads.

The bad thing is that when my cup isn't filling with menstrual fluid I might forget to take it out and rinse it off. Usually this isn't a problem. I just wash it off when I remember. However this time something happened.

I had forgotten my cup for a few days. Lots of stuff going on and in the chaos I just forgot about it. I remembered when I started getting itchy and began to feel pain in my vagina.

So I took out my cup and sterlized it. But the damage had been done. I was itchy, swollen, in pain, and had a clumpy white discharge. I had never had a yeast infection before but I assumed that's what it was. I went to the doctor to be sure. He said it was indeed a YI and it was also pretty severe. He gave me medicine and it's helping thankfully.

Lesson learned. Don't let the cup stay in for a few days. Better yet, don't let it stay in for more than 12 hours (as everyone on here suggests). Next time I'll be more careful. TRUST ME! I'll be careful. I don't ever want to have this problem again.

Oh, I still haven't had my period. lol After the YI is cleared up I'll go back to using my cup.

I'm 16, a virgin, and I just got through a really great first cycle with my Lunette. ( Then all hell broke loose... )

So, is it even possible for me to get a yeast infection from a cup?

I've used my cup for several cycles now with no issue and I think it's GREAT.

A few weeks ago I had an ear infection and my doctor prescribed antibiotics. I ended up getting a yeast infection from them. I'm currently using the homeopathic product "YeastGard" which is a vaginal suppository, similar to Monistat. It starts out in solid form but "melts" while it's inside of you. Normally I used it at night while I'm sleeping so I'm staying horizontal but I forgot last night so I used it today while I napped. However, now I'm awake and am scared to stand up cause of the inevitable gush. 

Do you think using my cup to catch the liquid would be a good idea or a bad one? I'm not sure if it would harm the cup or make the yeast infection worse. The ingredients are

Pulsatilla, candida parapsilosis, candida albicans, polyethylene glycol.

Thanks in advance! This community is great!

I was excited to try my Diva Cup for the first time about 2 weeks ago or so, but I can now honestly say I did not have a good experience and I don't want to try it again.

First, I really wanted to try this because of the raving review from other people. The convenience sounds nice, especially since I'm horrible about remembering to bring tampons and I leak all the time. I'm super active (avid athlete) so this type of thing fits my life style. Also, the environmental waste! I don't like using and throwing away more stuff than I have to. But, despite all of these potential positives, it just doesn't work.

You should know that I was using the Diva Cup size 1. I'm 25 with no pregnancies, so this size is supposed to fit me. It didn't. It was too wide and too short. The wideness was an issue because it actually tore the skin around my vaginal opening when trying to remove it -- all 5 times. It stretched me out really bad, like I was having sex for the first time again -- except this time I was losing my virginity to a silicone cup.  It also made me get uncomfortable cramps while I was using it. I NEVER get cramps, so this was a first for me. The reason I say it was too short was because removal was really hard. I just couldn't reach it. The first time it took me an hour to get it out. I posted on the forum for help and I got a lot of helpful advise. The best advise I got was to squat and pull it out. That method only took me 10 minutes to remove -- the other 4 times I removed it (I also found lube to be really helpful with removal). It was SO hard to reach this thing inside of me!! A big part of the reason why I wanted to use the cup was for convenience. I do not consider a painful 10 minute removal convenient... especially since I had to squat ALLLL the way down and push like I was birthing my little cup to get it out. I don't think I can do that in a public restroom.

If the issue had just been that, I would have been willing to try it again and see if I had improvements during my next cycle. I would have been willing to try other brands besides the Diva Cup, but I developed another issue: A yeast infection.

I've had experience with yeast infections in the past. I've probably averaged about 2 per year ever since I was 14. I know how to recognize them and treat them and not long after I started getting them, I quickly identified the one thing that causes them: hands internally touching me. It does not matter HOW CLEAN my hands are -- I could probably soak them or scrub them for 4 hours before touching myself and still cause a yeast infection. I should have thought about this before trying to use the cup, but I didn't. Every time I inserted or removed the cup I washed the cup and my hands thoroughly. Nothing was missed -- I even scrubbed under my non-existent nails. But still, I developed a yeast infection. I hate yeast infections. Even if I were to find a way to minimize the number I caused from using the cup, I know that the risk is always going to be there for me. So, I decided it is not for me.

I still tell my friends about the cup because everyone should be aware of all options available to them, but I also tell them that it's not for everybody.

Usually after my period I soak my diva cup overnight in a 50/50 water/peroxide mix and boil it. But, during my last period I managed to get a yeast infection, so I wanted to make sure to clean my cup really really well - I know yeast can be touch to kill.

So, this time around, I soaked it in a water with a few drop of tea tree oil overnight, then water-peroxide, and now I've just boiled it for about 10 minutes.

It still smells like tea tree oil. Does that mean there is still some on it? Does this normally happen when you wash your cup with tea tree oil? Is there another way to clean it?

Thanks!

This was done totally on a whim. I wanted to take out my MCUK and look at it(!) last night... then once I saw it I decided to go for another dry run overnight. Tried some KY on the rim, which made it terribly slippery - I probably should have used less. Took it out(MUCH smoother thanks to the KY), realized I was slightly yeasty, so washed the cup, put some yoghurt in the cup and on the rim before putting it back in.
How do you use yoghurt, btw? Do you put it IN the cup, or spread some on the surface?

So anyway, the cup was in for about 9 hours, and I had no discomfort in the vaginal area. I noticed that my pelvic and abdominal muscles were slightly tense, and I was getting the weird feeling in my tummy that usually comes with Aunt Flo. Probably need to work out, heh.
Come morning, I took out the cup - less of a hassle than on my first dry run, but not as smooth as with KY. I think dry runs are a pretty good idea, just to get my insides used to the cup before Flo comes along and adds another ingredient to the mix!

a bit of a strange line of questions and thoughts

I'm new at the whole cup thing (2nd month) and well I ended up getting a yeast infection on the first day of my period this time.  I'm not about to say it was caused directly by the cup (because silicone can't cause them) but possibly indirectly.  I have a sensitivity to a lot of soaps and I can't remember what I washed my cup in last month.  I also can't promise that I washed my hands good enough before taking the thing out.  Both of those I will watch for next month.  In my opinion, while the timing is right for yeast infections  (generally they come on the first day of my period), I didn't have any anti-biotics and that's what causes 9.9 out of 10 of them for me (and I really don't get them very often).

Then I started thinking.  (watch for rolling smoke from ears)

A.) Is it ok to continue using my cup if I have a yeast infection?  Will the cup keep the environment too moist or warm and just encourage the yeasties?   EDIT: duh, go read the correct tags entries. But I didn't see anything about the second one:

and then my brain went off on a tangent and while I think this is unlikely I'm still curious....
B) Do we know of anyone that has stopped using a cup for any reason out of the ordinary? (ordinary in my mind is can't get it in the proper position, or it leaks)  I was thinking if one can't use a cup in situation/question A)... I know quite a few girls that are very prone to yeasties.... well you see where my brain was going.  Again - I'm not trying to say one is caused from the other - I was just more curious...

Hi,

I was on my last (third) day of my yeast infection medication when I got my period. Are there any reasons for not using the cup while I still seem to have some of the cream mixed in with the blood? I looked at the ingredients list and there is some kind of hard fat, but I'm guessing if it doesn't contain silicone, I have nothing to worry about, right?

I've just finished my second cycle with my Mooncup (UK) and I'm more than happy with it. It makes periods so much less annoying and has really helped me adjust to being comfortable with my own body already.

However, I think I may have developed a yeast infection... I've never had one before and I'm not quite sure what it is, but reading up on it it sounds like that's what has happened. I'm itchy and there's more discharge than usual.

Is this a yeast infection? If so, what do I do? Will I have to stop using my cup or is there some other way to make sure this doesn't happen?

Thanks for your help.

Hello! I've been searching the comm for hours now, but couldn't find the answer, so here goes. Apologies if this *has* been answered before!

I bought myself a Mooncup UK about a year ago, and it worked fine the first period I tried it out. The second time, though, I got a Candida infection. I got a bit worried, because I had pretty bad chronic vestibulitis for several years when I was younger, but had been trouble-free for quite a number of years. Anyway, I managed to get rid of it with creams and suppositories, and boiled my Mooncup thoroughly before using it again, the next period (the third with the cup). Lo and woe, another Candida infection. After that I haven't dared use it again, but have gone back to my usual homemade cotton pads and occasionally a type of tampon we can buy here that contains lactobacteria (they work very well for me, but they are quite expensive). I've had no yeast infection since I stopped using the cup.

Anyway, I think the reason for the yeast infections wasn't really the Mooncup, but the fact that my mucous membranes are still pretty sensitive after that horrible period when I was younger (I'm pretty fair and I have sensitive skin in general). Insertion went pretty well; I managed to fold it well enough to insert it with no particular discomfort, but when I removed it I had more trouble. My fingers are pretty small and short, so I found it very hard to fold it up before removal. I had to pull it out best I could, and kept hurting myself. My theory is that when I removed the cup I got tiny (possibly microscopic) ruptures, and that the Candida got its toeholds there and got happy.

My question now is about the LadyCup. From what I've been reading, it appears to be softer than the Mooncup UK, and more squishy. So those of you who have tried both, and had trouble with removal of the Mooncup, do you find the LadyCup more trouble-free? I'm asking, because I'm thinking that a cup with a softer rim, surface and general texture might be more gentle on my tissues, which could be what would make me dare try again. I think the cup is a great invention, and I would really love it if I could make it work... Any thoughts on the matter are welcome!

(Apologies if any terms I've used seem strange, but English isn't my first language and my vocab might not be really up to par in this context... XD)

EDIT: Oh, and in case it matters, I'm 42, no kids, and so used the large Mooncup.

EDIT 2: What I want to know is if people find the LadyCup easier to remove than the Mooncup! I appreciate all tips for curing YIs, but my goal is to avoid YIs to begin with! ;)

I hope this isn't TMI - but this period around I got pretty itchy halfway through, and was wondering what was up.  I've never had a yeastie before (I'm 20) but I'm guessing that's what this was - I thought my vag was dying, haha, but I realized that it was just yeast stuff.  Anyway, I'm more into natural, effective treatments (unless otherwise necessary, of course) so I did a search and found this website.

Let me just tell you that prayers have been answered - I use apple cider vinegar for many small things, but I didn't know it would work SO AMAZINGLY for yeast infections.  Please, anyone who gets yeasties or vaginitis, have a look at this site.  And if you don't get them, check it out anyway because it's wonderful information to have on hand!  Scroll down a bit on the page until you reach the section titled Apple Cider Vinegar. 

www.earthclinic.com/CURES/yeast_infection.html#TED

Enjoy!  Happy period!