Demon Glycerin
I hurt. I will not go into details, because that's not what this post is about. But I have what is probably the worst yeast infection of my life. Treatment is helping, but it's one of those things that requires tooth-grinding patience.
Below is a disquisition on what I have learned about personal lubricants and my health. If it distresses you to think about my sex life, sexual lubricants, or women's health, don't click.
What did you do to yourself, wired?
I used a personal lubricant in a totally on-label way. It was not my usual brand, my beloved Pink. It was, instead, a lube that we had acquired because the front said "Glycerin Free". Evil Hydra-Smooth.
The glycerin-free label was important, because we have found, through painful experience, that glycerin-based lubes cause my chronic UTI problems to flare. It's like bacteria like to grow in sugar or something.
The ingredients list on the back of Hydra-Smooth is thus: Distilled water, Propolyne Glycol, Glycerol....
Did you notice that "glycerine" redirects to glycerol? Same damn thing. Deceptive bastards. Both of them are sugars that are totally awesome to foster microbial growth.
What is a yeast infection?
Briefly, a yeast infection is the imbalance of our good bugs and our bad bugs. Some women, due to tricks of pH, eating habits, or the whims of the gods, are more susceptible than others. Another leading cause of candida overgrowth is antibiotic use, which kills off all of the yeast's competitors and leaves it lotsl of space to get uppity. But mostly, candida, like other yeasts, wants someplace warm, wet, and sweet to grow.
In my experience, it starts off feeling like a particularly bad mosquito bite, and rapidly escalates to the worst sunburn you've ever had, yes the one with the blisters, COMBINED with itching so bad that scratching only makes it worse. That's the first 24 hours.
If I take antibiotics, I just make the prescribing doctor give me diflucan, too, which is the oral remedy. I am fast with that.
This time, it had been, oh YEARS since I'd had a problem. Since around when Kay was born.
Then we used the evil lube. Then I got my worst yeast infection ever. I am NOT a happy camper.
Why on earth are you telling us?
I'm pretty sure that you do not actually want to know the goings-on of my genito-urinary area. But every time I post one of my little "here's what I've learned about my body" things, someone writes me to tell me that what I have said really changes the way they are handling their health. And that makes it worthwhile.
So if I can get even one woman with yeast or uti problems to read the label of her lube and stop buying things that are adding to the problem, then all of this overdisclosure will be worth it.
What kind of lube IS safe for women with excitable candida colonies and or sissy urinary tracts?
I say unto you: silicone-based lubes are the way, the truth, and your last best hope. I like Pink, but as long as the lube is silicone-based and doesn't taste sweet, you are probably going to be okay. You should always read the package, look at the ingredients, and be a smart consumer. Get lots of those little sample packages.
I have been looking around, and even most of the petroleum-based lubes have glycerol in them. Plus you can't use them with latex. We can't use latex anyway, so I thought that would save me, but no. Silicone-based. They are usually more expensive, but they also last FOREVER. A little dab'll do you.
But what about my silicone toys?
Silicone-based lubes and silicone toys are notorious for not playing well together (SOME PEOPLE are famous for melting their dildoes this way). It depends on the lube, and the toy.
There is a test method (which I can't look up here at work, but it's on the Tantus website), where you turn the toy over, and on the underside of the flange, put a drop of your chosen lube and smoosh it around and note whether there is any degredation of the toy. If there is, don't combine the two. If not, well, wash the toy afterwards, which you would do anyway. You can even (gasp) put a condom on the toy for extra protection.
But here is my theory.
Glycerin-based lube may preserve my toys, but if it costs me $20 in medicine to treat it and 3 days of grinding agony, it's not worth it. I would rather buy a new toy and not be in pain.
Below is a disquisition on what I have learned about personal lubricants and my health. If it distresses you to think about my sex life, sexual lubricants, or women's health, don't click.
What did you do to yourself, wired?
I used a personal lubricant in a totally on-label way. It was not my usual brand, my beloved Pink. It was, instead, a lube that we had acquired because the front said "Glycerin Free". Evil Hydra-Smooth.
The glycerin-free label was important, because we have found, through painful experience, that glycerin-based lubes cause my chronic UTI problems to flare. It's like bacteria like to grow in sugar or something.
The ingredients list on the back of Hydra-Smooth is thus: Distilled water, Propolyne Glycol, Glycerol....
Did you notice that "glycerine" redirects to glycerol? Same damn thing. Deceptive bastards. Both of them are sugars that are totally awesome to foster microbial growth.
What is a yeast infection?
Briefly, a yeast infection is the imbalance of our good bugs and our bad bugs. Some women, due to tricks of pH, eating habits, or the whims of the gods, are more susceptible than others. Another leading cause of candida overgrowth is antibiotic use, which kills off all of the yeast's competitors and leaves it lotsl of space to get uppity. But mostly, candida, like other yeasts, wants someplace warm, wet, and sweet to grow.
In my experience, it starts off feeling like a particularly bad mosquito bite, and rapidly escalates to the worst sunburn you've ever had, yes the one with the blisters, COMBINED with itching so bad that scratching only makes it worse. That's the first 24 hours.
If I take antibiotics, I just make the prescribing doctor give me diflucan, too, which is the oral remedy. I am fast with that.
This time, it had been, oh YEARS since I'd had a problem. Since around when Kay was born.
Then we used the evil lube. Then I got my worst yeast infection ever. I am NOT a happy camper.
Why on earth are you telling us?
I'm pretty sure that you do not actually want to know the goings-on of my genito-urinary area. But every time I post one of my little "here's what I've learned about my body" things, someone writes me to tell me that what I have said really changes the way they are handling their health. And that makes it worthwhile.
So if I can get even one woman with yeast or uti problems to read the label of her lube and stop buying things that are adding to the problem, then all of this overdisclosure will be worth it.
What kind of lube IS safe for women with excitable candida colonies and or sissy urinary tracts?
I say unto you: silicone-based lubes are the way, the truth, and your last best hope. I like Pink, but as long as the lube is silicone-based and doesn't taste sweet, you are probably going to be okay. You should always read the package, look at the ingredients, and be a smart consumer. Get lots of those little sample packages.
I have been looking around, and even most of the petroleum-based lubes have glycerol in them. Plus you can't use them with latex. We can't use latex anyway, so I thought that would save me, but no. Silicone-based. They are usually more expensive, but they also last FOREVER. A little dab'll do you.
But what about my silicone toys?
Silicone-based lubes and silicone toys are notorious for not playing well together (SOME PEOPLE are famous for melting their dildoes this way). It depends on the lube, and the toy.
There is a test method (which I can't look up here at work, but it's on the Tantus website), where you turn the toy over, and on the underside of the flange, put a drop of your chosen lube and smoosh it around and note whether there is any degredation of the toy. If there is, don't combine the two. If not, well, wash the toy afterwards, which you would do anyway. You can even (gasp) put a condom on the toy for extra protection.
But here is my theory.
Glycerin-based lube may preserve my toys, but if it costs me $20 in medicine to treat it and 3 days of grinding agony, it's not worth it. I would rather buy a new toy and not be in pain.