My son's had oral thrush now for almost 3 weeks. I also have it on/in my breast. It doesn't seem to be going away. We were prescribed Nystatin (topical cream for me, drops for him). It isn't working... to be fair, I accidentally knocked his bottle all over the floor and it took a few days for us to be able to refill it. We seem to just keep passing it back and forth to each other.

Has anyone tried Gentian Violet? One of our pharmacies in town carries it but the pharmacist was very strong against it. My midwife loves it and highly recommends it.

I'm going to at least try Gentian Violet but if that doesn't work what have you all tried and succeeded with?

Laura

Genetian Violet is supposed to be *the* stuff for treating thrush. I've not used it myself. We've been blessed in not having the ailment/infection.

The thing with GV is that it *is* powerful. You will want to find out the proper recommended dosage for it and not exceed that. The alcohol content of the tincture can make the babe's mouth sore/raw. And....the stuff turns everything purple :p

But it does wear off and I would consider it a small price to pay for such results as it produces.

Sorry I can't offer more personal/btdt advice. *shrug*

Oh, remember to treat BOTH of you. With equal diligence.

Gentian Violet worked great for us...only thing is be careful not to get the kind with the higher alcohol concentration! That irritated my daugher's mouth.

You have to be really persistent with treating thrush. It's pretty nasty!

HTH.

Nystatin worked for all of mine....rough it up with a warm washcloth every day several times!! Then medicate and make sure it's AFTER eating to keep it in there...rub it everywhere to absorb in really well!! Then wash well! Bottle feed if you can, it only passes back and forth bad and never cures well if you continue to breastfeed until it's cleared up on BOTH!

We got it as well...
I found that if I took off the bra and breast pads as often as possible the air was good (no moisture makes it hard to grow)- at night i just put a towel inside my pj shirt... not pretty for sure. When it was just me at home, I'd just open the bra and let the girls hang.
Reduce the amount or stop altogether, of sugar that you eat- yeast thrives on sugar.
A tip for once things clear up... I bought a canestan tube of ointment and when i could feel it coming on (the burning sensation for me) then I would rub it on AFTER nursing and wash BEFORE nursing. That would stop it from getting to my ds.
Another option is to use a nipple shield if you are concerned about using bottles... sterilize your shield after each use until you are both in the clear.
My anecdotal experience with gv is keep a bib or bibs on babe at all times. Don't put babe in clothes that you don't want to be stained.
Hope it clears up soon,
d:)

I'm with danou. Both of my sons got oral thrush. With my oldest son... I tried the nystatin and he had an allergic reaction to it. I stopped using it and refused to use anything else. The pediatrician had told me that thrush in babies does clear up on it's own and that I could wait it out. I did so and it cleared up with-in 6 weeks. It didn't bother him really, so I was fine with waiting and keeping his mouth clean. I kept my breasts very dry and open to the air whenever possible, and I regularly washed my son's mouth with a damp cloth or with a gum cleanser with water on it. With my second son... I did the same method without nystatin and it also cleared up, but in 4 weeks.

My daughter and I just finished a 2-month battle against thrush and it was the Gentian Violet that finally killed it (and I'd been on 2 rounds of antibiotics that didn't seem to do anything). You just have to be careful not to use too much of it...I guess using too much for too long has been linked to oral cancer. It worked really fast for me, though. I put it on us once a day for two days and it was gone!

Warning: The stuff stains REALLY bad, though! Make sure you're both in old clothes that you don't care about because no matter how careful you are, it will end up on your clothes. Also make sure you have old sheets on the beds and if your baby uses a pacifier, only let him use the one you care the least about. It stains pacifier nipples pretty bad, too.