Virginia and fungal infections

So, I started taking Cinderella birth control, and I just wrapped up my fourth pack. Honestly, I was feeling pretty proud of myself because I thought I wasn't dealing with any side effects at all🙂 but yeah, that was a total lie. Before I ever touched these pills, I didn't have a single urological or gynecological issue to my name, and now? It’s just one thing after another. First, I caught a yeast infection, but I didn't even bother treating it because it wasn't a huge deal and I was like, "I don't have time for this," thinking it would just go away on its own. And sure, it would settle down for a bit, but then—right before my period hits—boom, there they are again. Then I dealt with a bladder infection and had to take some antibiotics for that. And of course, the yeast is back. So I hit up the drugstore and grabbed some Monistat (the 3-pack with the vaginal suppositories). I've still got one left to use and I am seriously praying it actually works. Has anyone else dealt with this? Like, did it actually get rid of the damn things for good, or am I just waiting for them to crawl back? Does birth control really make you more prone to yeast infections? Am I just stuck with this crap forever as long as I'm on the pill??😕

I guess taking Virginia shouldn't have anything to do with fungal infections, maybe.

I started taking Virginia too... could that be why? Honestly, these pests always find their way back to the scene of the crime. I really thought I'd finally gotten rid of them, but they showed up again after all this time. Such a nightmare.🙂

Fungal infections have absolutely nothing to do with birth control pills. Honestly, it feels like every other woman deals with this—regardless of whether they're on the pill or not. Dealing with yeast infections requires real persistence. You need to use something like Monistat for at least a full month; otherwise, you’re just masking the symptoms rather than actually clearing them out. That’s what both my gynecologist and dermatologist told me. In my own experience, I kept using Monistat for a month even after the symptoms vanished. It's also smart to use it preventatively once you've cleared the infection—applying it a few times won't hurt you, and it helps stay ahead of it. All of this is based on what worked for me personally, following my doctor's advice.

silentcanyon102 said:Fungal infections don't really have anything to do with birth control pills. I mean, it feels like every other woman deals with yeast infections, whether they're on the pill or not. When you're dealing with fungus, you just have to be incredibly persistent with treatment.

Yeast can definitely contribute to fungal growth since it raises vaginal pH levels, though if you're also eating poorly and your immune system is a bit weak... well, you basically have a case of Candida. Maybe look into that topic. 🙂

Not all fungi fall under the category of Catherine. I personally never dealt with it—but if you don't address an overgrowth early enough, it can certainly turn into that type of issue.

Quick correction; those pills might actually trigger fungal infections 😬

I was actually thinking the exact same thing as what Alex Collins26 just said
for me, Catherine first showed up in my life right when I started dealing with Virginia
but hey, what can you do? 🙂

I’ve had my fair share of issues with them too—honestly, ever since I switched over to Virginia, it feels like my immune system has just completely tanked... Did anyone else here deal with that???

So, my OB-GYN actually told me that birth control pills basically wreck your immune system (which I guess explains why yeast infections seem to pop up way more often)... and they said I absolutely had to be taking some kind of immune booster if I started on them. I'm not even taking them anymore, though—just gave up on the whole thing. I think maybe there’s even a warning about it in the fine print on the packaging...

And what about boosting the immune system? Are we talking a little bit of everything—vitamins, iron, you name it?
I’ve heard about that trick Alex Collins26 mentioned regarding raising pH levels, too.

Ashley Perez50 said:And what about immunity? Like, just throwing vitamins at everything or what?
I know about the stuff Alex Collins26 mentioned regarding raising pH levels.

🙂 Please stop calling me miomi, I'm actually Alex Collins26 😬

Oops, my bad! 😳
I promise I won't do it again. 😘

There’s just so much junk out there on the market when you're trying to boost your immunity... I used to take colostrum plus and Esberitox N, mostly just as a preventative thing, even though I wasn't even on birth control pills at the time...
I mean, all of that is fine, I guess. You should probably check out what the girls are recommending in the other threads. The main thing is just making sure you're actually doing something about it 🙂

Did you end up putting on any weight from taking that colostrum?

Any kind of hormonal birth control—including pills like Catherine—definitely plays a role when it comes to yeast infections. Hormonal therapy alters the natural environment of the vaginal mucosa, which essentially makes it more vulnerable and less resilient against various types of infections.
You could certainly keep taking Catherine, assuming everything else is fine, you aren't experiencing other side effects, and your lab results look good; there’s no strict requirement to stop just because of yeast issues. However, I have to be honest: your battle against those infections will likely feel much more grueling and difficult than it would if you weren't on hormonal therapy at all.
I personally was on a similar hormonal pill for years, and during that whole time, I just couldn't seem to shake the Candida infections—and honestly, I won't even go into the full list of everything I tried, because that would be a five-year story in itself. Eventually, I stopped the pills, and after just one single round of vaginal suppositories and an ointment (if I recall correctly, it was something like Geonistin and Nystatin), the problem was finally resolved.
It really depends on what kind of doctor you end up seeing; my physician constantly hammered it into my head that I should get off hormones because he believed the downsides outweighed the benefits. At the time, though, I didn't pay any attention to that "hippie" logic😁 but once I finally found myself in a position where I had to stop the pills, it occurred to me that his advice wasn't entirely without merit.😉
In general, the connection between changes in the pH levels and the structure of the vaginal mucosa and hormonal contraceptive therapy is something you can find documented in all the major medical literature.

Quick question... what does the discharge look like for Catherine?

Does it have to smell bad?

I’m on Virginia’s prescription, and for the last month or so, I’ve been dealing with this thick white discharge about twice a day... but there's zero smell... nothing hurts and there's no stinging either... it’s just the sheer amount of it that’s getting on my nerves.... it gets a little itchy when I'm on my period because of those annoying pads... but it passes...

Greetings to everyone. I suppose I should join the fray and see if I can glean any actual wisdom from this thread... though, frankly, all this chatter about fungal infections has left me feeling a bit unsettled. Up until now, I haven't had any need for birth control; I've been in a committed relationship for three years, but my partner is currently working overseas. He’s expected back in mid-September—which, by some stroke of cosmic irony, happens to be exactly when I’m due for my period. I was considering using hormonal contraceptives to shift my cycle timing, just so things align smoothly when he arrives. Has anyone here actually gone through this? Does anyone have any real-world experience with manipulating your cycle this way?

Rebecca Palmer60 said:Just a quick question... what does the discharge actually look like when you're dealing with Catherine?

Does it necessarily have to have an unpleasant odor?

I’ve been taking Virginia for about a month and a half now, and lately, I’ve been experiencing this thick white discharge roughly twice a day... though there isn't any smell attached to it. It doesn't hurt, and there's no burning sensation, but the sheer volume of it is just incredibly irritating. I do get a bit of itching when I'm on my period because of those ridiculous pads... but it passes eventually.

Regarding Catherine, the discharge doesn't strictly require an odor; it can be thick and white, and while it's frequently accompanied by intense itching and burning, that isn't always the case.