Effective Natural Remedies for Thrush: Safe & Easy Solutions

Correspondence| Volume 361, ISSUE 9369, P1657, May 10,2003

During the five decades of my medical career, I have seen gentian violet used as an anthelmintic (enteric-coated tablets administered orally for entrobiasis), a local antibacterial and antifungal surface agent, a laboratory stain, a fungal inhibitor in culture media, and to improve visualisation of surface sutures, not to mention its use as a dye for labelling and marking.

Restrictions on the use of this chemical have now been imposed in the UK, Canada and Australia, based on reports of its mutagenic and carcinogenic effects in animals. However, after centuries of use, there is not a single report linking gentian violet to cancer in human beings. Furthermore, in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Study on New Zealand white rabbits, no evidence of teratogenicity of gentian violet was recorded. That this cheap and effective antiseptic agent still retains its place in the US Pharmacopeia is reassuring.

Ishak Mansi has not only restated the benefits of a largely abandoned, though useful and inexpensive topical antiseptic, but also touched on the almost obsessive apprehensions of every practising clinician: what if even in doing their best for a patient, a much-advertised trial lawyer finds fault with their handling of the individual?

From the instant a doctor has first contact with a patient, to weeks, months, and years afterwards, he or she has to live in the shadow of an impending lawsuit.

This is not the art of medicine one dreamed of, or was trained for. In such a scenario, even the patient does not get treated in the best traditions of medicine; unnecessary investigations are ordered, and the most expensive medicines prescribed even for trivial ailments. This trend has sent the cost of medical care skyrocketing and has forced doctors into early retirement due to appalling costs of malpractice insurance.

By all accounts, medical practice is in need of a renaissance, the signs of which I do not see on the horizon.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(03)13287-4/fulltext

In 1982, my newborn had thrush in his mouth. The doctor advised swabbing his entire mouth (NOT to be swallowed) with a q-tip dipped in Gentian Violet. After a few swabs, it was cured.

I delt with thrush and yeast rashes with both of my babies. I found the best thing to use was gentian violet. It was the only remidy that consistantly worked. The prescriptions and OTC's never even put a dent in clearing the problem yet, with gentian violet we saw results immediatly.

This is in response to the negative feedback for gentian violet and thrush. Look up the website in Canada and look up any possible name for gentian violet on wikipedia and you will find the person who left that feedback is misinformed. Gentian violet, or any of the other names it goes by, are not listed on the website the user mentions.

I used gentian violet--one time--for my baby's thrush. Painted my nipples and she sucked. Within a day, the white spots in my infant's mouth were gone and she was back to eating normally.

Gentian Violet is AMAZING! When my son was 2 months old he came down with thrush due to some antibiotics I was taking for complications of my C-section. Our lactation consultant said to use GENTIAN VIOLET 3 times a day and in about 2-3 days the baby's Thrush should be gone. It worked. just don't plan on going out for about a week. It stains the skin for several days. Your baby's face will be purple everywhere depending on how messy of an eater they are and the size of your nipples.

Natural Breastfeeding Thrush Remedy

In response to the issue of persistent thrush while breastfeeding, I would strongly recommend Gentian Violet. You can pick it up at most drugstores for a couple dollars and it's one of the most effective remedies in my own (frustrating and painful) personal experience with thrush. My daughter and I passed it back and forth for a while and Gentian Violet was the thing that cured it most efficiently.

You paint your nipples and the inside of the baby's mouth three times a day for three days. It's safe to use frequently. Be forewarned-- your nipples (and your baby's mouth) will be a very bright purple so plan to wear breast pads or an old t-shirt during the treatment. Also, I found that once my daughter was older-- over a year, I believe-- she wouldn't nurse from my breasts if they were purple. She didn't seem to be bothered by it when she was younger.

Whenever I have used this remedy, I have had relief from thrush and the accompanying nipple soreness.

Good luck!

My pediatritian recommended trying Gentian Violet when my nursing 6 month old had thrush that would not go away with Nystatin. I just put a little on a q-tip, swabbed his mouth and it quickly went away. It should be noted that his lips turned purple and his drool discolored anything he put into his mouth. This was a small price to pay to cure his thrush and relieve my pain.

Two of my sons had thrush as infants and I got it on my nipples too. I was told by a friend that if I did not mind a bit of mess to try gentian violet. I went to Ultra Food and Drug and got a bottle and painted his mouth and my nipples with the stuff and it cleared right up. Use old clothing and sheets though as it does stain everything purple but was worth it.