Women's Health
Recurrent Vaginal Yeast Infections
A vaginal yeast infection is considered to be recurrent when you have had four or more symptomatic infections, unrelated to antibiotic use, within 1 year. Severe or recurrent yeast infections are a problem for about 5% of affected women, sometimes related to diabetes, pregnancy, or a debilitating health condition.1
If you have a recurrent vaginal yeast infection, your doctor may do a culture to confirm that yeast is present. You may also be tested for certain conditions that could be making you more vulnerable to yeast overgrowth, such as diabetes.
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The recommended initial treatment for recurrent vaginal yeast infections includes vaginal medicines for 7 to 14 days or a single dose of oral fluconazole, with a second dose repeated 3 days later.1
Initial treatment is then followed by at least 6 months of maintenance therapy, which could be oral or vaginal medicines.
Some women who are treated for recurrent yeast infections do not see improvement in their symptoms. These women may have another condition that is causing symptoms similar to a yeast infection. Additional testing and treatment may be needed.
Citations
Eschenbach DA (2008). Vaginitis section of Pelvic infections and sexually transmitted diseases. In RS Gibbs et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th ed., pp. 608-612. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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