Natural Yeast Infection Remedies: Herbal Solutions & Lifestyle Tips

I have been dealing with a vaginal yeast infection for 2 years now. It began as a BV/ yeast infection. It took one year to get rid of the bacterial infection and now the yeast is extremely hard to kill. I have tried everything from increasing my water intake (always with lemon), taking B vitamins, folic acid, inserting probiotics, orally taking probiotics, eating yogurt daily, ACV 2 tablespoons morning and night, ACV douching, yogurt douching,tea tree oil douching and tampons, eliminating alcohol, carbs, and sugars, diflucan and OTC creams and suppositories do nothing, and now I've recently finished a round of itraconazole. But, two days ago I decided what the hell I'm just going to make my own remedy... I have created an herbal douch that seems to be working wonders! I am only 2 days in but I will keep updating my findings... the recipe is 3 heaping tablespoons of plain organic yogurt, 1 part ACV, 3 oil of oregano (mediterranean) capsules at 460 mg, and 1 part dandelion and cinnamon tea made by boiling 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks with 2TBS chopped dandelion root and blend that all together in a blender. It needs to be refrigerated and I recomend just making enough for one day of douching (once in the morning and once at night) I expect to be done with this in 5 to 10 days. I will keep everyone updated! I am excited to feel my abdominal pain gone and pinkness returning! I will continue to take yogurt, ACV and the oil of oregano orally.

I was reading Ted's cure for yeast infections and he prescribed niacinamide 100-500mg daily and I was wonder for what length of time should I take the niacinamide in order for my yeast infection to be cured?

Dear Eh,

I think I have a similar problem. How long did you take the GSE 3x daily, and when did you step it down to 2x daily & once daily? When did you begin to feel relief from your symptoms? Thank you so much for your original post!!!

when u r applying the apple cider vinegar..do apply it into the vagina??and does it cure the discharge and the cramps too??

A quick cure for yeast infections is to cut off a piece of aloe vera, remove the skin and insert it like a tampon. It burns, so it is difficult to keep there. Just putting some of the aloe vera gel on, also helps. You will have immediate relief, but keep doing it for atleast 3 days to prevent recurrence.

Ok so I am currently suffering from a YI or BV which I have had in the past so I figured its one of the two because I am familiar with the symptoms...anyway, I have burning, itching, and musty smelly discharge coming from my cooch but no cottage cheese. I have tried VH Essentials only for 3 days but experienced very little relief so that was a waste of $$. So I started doing some home remedy research and came across the "yogurt remedy" and the "ACV remedy" on this site. I filled a needleless syringe with plain greek yogurt (greek because its texture is thicker than most)and inserted about 1 teaspoon into my cooch. I am on dose #2 and I noticed the smelly discharge is not as strong about 85% gone and the itching was not as intense but still lingering. So I decided to be brave and try the ACV (from the supermarket). I poured straight ACV on a cotton ball and squeezed it so the liquid could drip onto my clit and labi...OMG! It burned like hell for about 60 seconds! However, I am 100% not itching or burning at ALL. ACV works for real!!!! I am ready to just pour the whole bottle down there lol...but yes ladies it does work. As for the yogurt...I will repost in about 3 days since I just started it today (02/19/10)...ACV is my hero!!

ACV douching also works well for anal yeast infections. 1 tbsp in 1 cup water once per day for a week or so and the infection was gone! Took care of a recurring anal yeast infection that fluconazole wouldn't kill.

Betty - it is true that boric acid is toxic when ingested, but it is NOT when inserted vaginally. there is plenty of research out there, and many standard gynecologists do recommend this as a solution. i know you mean well by warning people about the toxicity of this compound, but your response is so alarmist it is more scary than helpful. you have to ingest a LOT of boric acid for a lethal dose, but ingesting any amount can definitely lead to sickness. as a vaginal suppository, however, the chemical re-balances the pH in there and makes sure to leave no room for the bad stuff (yeast infections, BV). read up on this a little more before scaring everyone away! this can help a LOT of people!

We all should research the things that we put into our bodies in general, and it is wise to do so.

Miara- I am just wondering how many living cultures are in the acidophilus you mixed with the coconut oil. I take a probiotic capsule that contains 50 billion live organisms and was wondering if one or two capsules at that strength might be enough. I suffer from chronic yeast infections, about 3 every 2 months, and just discovered the soothing effects of coconut oil about a month ago! I have also been on the candida diet (no sugars, grains, or dairy) for about 3 weeks now because I just can't handle the constant discomfort anymore. I have an infection right now, and I am trying out your recommendation! Thanks!

I made my own garlic oil by filling a coffee cup half way filled with olive oil. Bought fresh garlic and used one clove and cut up into pieces and put into the olive oil in the cup. I let the garlic soak in the olive oil for several hours. I knew that it had steeped enough when I smelled the oil and it had a garlic smell. I then used this to apply to my outer areas and applied to a tampon and inserted vaginally. This is the only thing I have found so far to find any relief. I have been miserable. Once I did this for a day I found that my symptoms went away. I applied the oil any time I found discomfort on the outer area of my skin and used the tampon soaked in oil in the morning and a night. I found that I only needed to insert the tampon and leave it in an hour or two. This method does not cause discomfort or burning from the oil. It actually soothed the symptoms. I would highly recommend this and will use this again if I ever get a yeast infection again.

Okay, so I really do struggle with yeast infections pretty frequently. The things I have found most helpful are Apple Cider Vinegar (douching) and Boric Acid powder in capsules. There used to be a natural product that used boric acid for yeast infections but then they re-formulated it and since they brought the boric acid powder content way down, it doesn't work for me at all. I'm afraid to mention a product name because I think it says not to do that. Anyway, it's clear to me from what I read here that the people for who ACV did not work at all are dealing with something other than a yeast infection. Yeast is not a bacteria, it's a fungus. You don't take anti-biotics for it, in fact they cause yeast. Diflucan is prescribed for yeast infections and it's not an anti-biotic. Bacteria Vaginitis, however, is a bacterial infection and they do prescribe anti-biotics for it. I'm still suffering with my current yeast infection but the ACV is really making a huge difference. It's strange to me that some people find yeast infections very painful. It just itches like crazy, makes me crazy, and makes me want to do crazy things like pull my hair out or run through a brick wall or scream at a pharmacy clerk until she might cry (did that today, not proud of it). I'm just glad my 2 year old and I survived the day. I'm putting her off on my husband as soon as he gets home. Anyway, I'm going to do some more douching with the ACV or maybe I'll try a bath. By the way, I also shoved garlic up there, it gave some temporary relief but very temporary. No immediate help from acidopholus in any form but I think it tends to help prevent them. I also have to stay away from my antacids, combined with PMS, my period, or sex they cause yeast infections. YEA on ACV

Yeast???? With a yeast infection the last thing you want to take is yeast....stay off all yeast products, sugars etc., all junk foods.

I would think Apple Cider Vinegar would certainly NOT be a cure for Candida Albicans or Thrush as it`s more commonly known. The reason being that apples themselves are full of natural sugar and yeasts thrive on sugars.
The best cure for Canadida is going on a special diet and avoiding ALL fast foods, sugars (even those in fruit, breads with yeast, stick to basic things vegetables, meat, fish etc., the yeast will die off gradually. This will take about 3 months to feel really better. But you cannot then go back on the junk foods and sugars you used to eat as the Candida Albicans will come back. Candida has been deemed by many physicians a pre-lude to cancers. You`ll feel amazing after being on the diet a few weeks, but persevere and you will not be troubled by it again. Not only that your Immune System will be strengthened, you`ll have lots of energy, better skin and any depression will lift.

Hydrogen peroxide can either be applied, or diluted and applied. [Do NOT use internally as the doseage is in DROPS. Too much taken internally will cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar level.]

Just regarding your SINUS INFECTION - I always find inhaling the steamy fumes from a hot cup of water and ACV, that my sinus infections are cured within a day or two. Thanks for the post from a guys perspective on yeast infections. I'm worried I might have spread it to my husband (though he's showing no signs or symptoms) and that we're passing it back and forth to each other. Time for a couples ACV bath, how romantic...

After many, many rounds of antibiotics I got a horrible yeast infection (Candida Albicans) The itching was so intense that I couldn't sit down. I was pacing around my house. Never in my life have I had such intense itching! In desperation I grabbed a washcloth and poured a small amount (maybe 2 tablespoons of ACV on it then ran the tap water over it briefly to saturate the cloth and held it on my genital area. The itching stopped IMMEDIATELY! No burning for me, just relief. Thank you Ted for being here.

With an odor and no cottage cheese discharge and having just started having sex, its very possible what this poster was experiencing was bacterial vaginosis and not a yeast infection.

I was suffering from recurrent yeast infections an BV a few years back. I got tired of taking the prescribed medications, because fighting the BV caused a yeast infection and then getting rid of the yeast would only last for a little while and back and forth and back and forth.

I started taking acidophilus orally (more than 100 million active per pil) twice a day and inserting garlic cloves into my vagina at night (strange right?) but it worked.

Also, I got rid of my partner. Sounds funny, but I do believe he was constantly passing the yeast and possibly even the BV back to me everytime I worked to get rid of it (that, and he was cheating on me anyway) but I noticed that after having sex with him (which was usually unprotected) I would get a yeast infection. I believe either he brought them to me or was carrying something that I may have given him but men usually dont get symptoms and so sex with him was disrupting my pH.

I suggest to any woman who is getting recurrent infections to definitely convince their partner to treat for yeast or to get a prescription of the flagyl to take orally for BV. It's very possible HE may be the reason you can't get a cure...and the pair of you might not even know it.

I haven't had a single yeast infection since I stopped dating and sleeping with him, but I also haven't had one since I started regularly taking Acidophilus, limiting my sugar intake and the garlic rememdy for about a week... and I eat yogurt (mostly, because I love yogurt tho! lol)

I am currently treating a very mild *so mild in fact i didn't know i had it until i had my annual pap smear* bout of BV with metrogel and am still taking my acidophilus regularly and will probably insert garlic vaginally and maybe even some capsules of the probiotic vaginally after i finish the metrogel just in case, as I dont want yeast to think they can come back!! Its been a great few years without yeast whereas i was having an infection every few weeks and was miserable!!

OMG, I do not normally get yeast infection but one came on me all of the sudden today and was very Uncomfortable. I immediately looked up natural cures and found these on ACV which I take in a drink with Honey daily anyway. But I decided to do like some have said and soak a cotton pad in it and apply it to the area and once the burning quit I could not believe that the itching was gone. Now it may come back but I am so stunned about the instant relief that I had to share with ya'll. Hope it helps someone as noone deserves to go through that misery (lol).

I have found a cure for my yeast infections! I have been reading earth clinic for years, and promised myself that I would never post until I found something that was worthy. I don't get yeast infections often, but when I do, it's horrendous. It quickly gets out of control, even when I abstain from all sugars, grains and anything else that would worsen the problem.

So for the last two days, I was in horrible pain, and I had this crazy idea that seemed like it would work. Take the two most powerful antifungals - Coconut oil and acidophilus, and keep them in your vagina somehow.

Here it is ladies :

1. Take a tampon (I know this sounds excruciating but wait)
2. Soak the tampon in coconut oil. Don't need to go nuts, but just enough to coat the tampon.
3. Take a tablespoon of coconut oil and put it into a cup.
4. Next, get a good probiotic( acidophilus) in capsule form and take three to four capsules, open them up and add them to the coconut oil.
5. Stir together to make a paste. Not too thick though.
6. Then coat the tampon with the paste and insert.
7. Scrape up the rest of the paste and coat the labia and just the very outside of your vagina, to relieve any discomfort.

Sit back, relax, and wait :)

I woke up this morning and my infection was gone! No more pain, AT ALL!!!!

I would suggest doing this for a few nights though, just to be extra sure it's gone.

Hope this helps!

Hello all, ever since I got pregnant with my daughter earlier this year I have suffered from yeast infections. So far I have had 4 this year and the only comfort I have found for them was cranberry pills and tons of water. I figured that once I had her the yeast infections would go away but they did not. Right now I have one that just started yesterday. I usually be in so much pain and itchy I decided I had to find a better remedy as the cranberry pills took a few days to work. I just now heard of the Apple Cider Vinegar remedy and luckily my mom bought a whole bottle of it a while back. It's never even been opened. I just tried dipping a q-tip in some diluted apple cider vingear and it does burn a little but already just about 3 minutes in I can feel it slowly fading away. I do intend on taking an ACV bath and soaking for a while. I will update and let everyone know how fast it goes away. This remedy came just in time, I thought it was going to ruin my New Year ;D.

I know this is an old post but I had yeast for 3 months and then BV for about 3 weeks. I used probiotics, garlic, yogurt, oregano oil and ACV, which did not work. I added about 8 oz. of kombucha a day and it cleared up within 3 days. I am completely amazed and elated. The connection is that kombucha has copious amounts of good bacteria, B12, and amino acids, etc. The difference could be that it has live, good bacteria compared to probiotics in pill form.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the ER for what turned out to be a gum infection from a tooth. I was given amoxicillin 875mg. The attending physician told me I would probably get a yeast infection from it and said if I did to just eat some yogurt. I said to myself "yeah, yeah." I got the yeast infection and did everything for it, for 2 weeks, but not the yogurt. Last night I went to the grocery and happened to see some Greek yogurt and bought some. My yeast infection was full blown, so I thought "what the heck" and ate one of the yogurts. THIS MORNING I HAVE NO MORE YEAST INFECTION.

I also wanted to mention that even though hydrogen peroxide may not have any direct effect on yeast and/or fungi, it is believed it has an indirect effect against fungus because it balances your pH balance like normal flora (good bacteria). Therefore making it a harder enviorment for yeast to grow in but a helpful one for the good bacteria that keep you healthy. It works well for jock itch, atheletes foot, and other fungal infections because of this reason.

UPDATE from 12/14 comments: I LOVE ACV!!!!!!! This is truly an amayzing, healing solution. INCREDIBLE. I never thought I would be writing that my yeast infection is fully healed! No itching/burning/discomfort anymore. I never realized how good ACV is good for you anyways and I plan to keep full stock of it for a loooooooong time!
THANKYOU EARTHCLINIC!!!

Yeast free diet cured me of yeast infections

I used to have recurrent painful, debilitating yeast infections. I would sometimes get a red rash as well. The treatment was a three day dose of Sulpha tablets followed by yeast infections inserts and cream. This worked but began to deplete my energy and immune health after a while. On a whim one day I decided to try giving up yeast. This was five years ago and since that day I have not had a single yeast infection. It is hard to give up yeast. Not only is it in almost all processed foods, it is also hidden. Enriched flour, citric acid, soy sauce, vinegar, natural flavor and and vitamins is how it is added and hidden in most foods. I make all my own foods basically and that is alot of work( fortunately I love to cook) but the pay off is that I am completely free of yeast infections and my immune health is so strong that now if I do occasionally eat yeast containing food I do not get infections and my body will naturally clean itself out within a few days.

A healthy (low or no sugar, salt and bad fats, preferably vegetarian or vegan )yeast free diet is the easiest way to cure yourself of this ailment and it works. I also eat alot of acidic fruit like kiwi, cranberries and eat alot of greens which helps alot as well.

For vegans- watch out for soy products (soy milk, meat, dairy) as they almost always contain yeast. It is added as Vitamin B12 or D and labeled as such or sometimes as "natural flavoring".

Also- nutritional yeast is okay but you need to boil it for 20 minutes to kill any living yeast and use it only occasionally. It is an inactive yeast but can still cause yeast to overgrow in your system. It is common in vegan food as a Vit B12 supplement and flavoring additive.

THANK GOD FOR THIS SITE!!!!!!!! Im 28 yrs old and I found this site about a week ago in search of relief for a yeast infection. Sorry if this is TMI, but if this helps another person then so be it!...I had extreme itching accompanied by sore rawness after that would just not go away. This went on for about 3-4 days progressivly getting worse. I used OTC Monistat 'one day treatment' that is supposed to be cleaner,faster working, and all together conveient, hense the title. Well i had relief, but only for 'ONE DAY'! The next morning I woke up itching again, so I googled the heck out of finding a natural remedy and found this amazing site.

I chose to try the ACV that the site recommended and just picked it up at my local grocery store.I also picked up a bottle of Acidophilis capsules. The first night I honestly didnt even measure the first amount of ACV i diluted in a glass of water, as I was just desperate for something to work. Then I took a Acidophilis capsule following the drink. Maybe it was just mentally expecting a difference but within about 30 minutes I felt like the itching decreased. So I drank another glass of AVC (minus the acidophilis) before bed (this time i measured about 2 tbsp in 8-10oz water)and by morning I was still slightly itchy but had decreased about 85%! On a side note my menstral cycle had been extremly off for a few months, as this had been a high stress year for me, but my last period was in mid October. Well that day, mid afternoon I began spotting. Did I kill 2 birds with one stone? lol...Now I don't know if the AVC induced my period or if I got it reguardless, but I will say that when I was a few hours late of taking my ACV I began to feel 'itchy' again, as I was taking the same dose (2 tbsp ACV in 8-10 oz water) once nightly.

It has been almost a week of the regimen Ive been using and had had my period full blown for about 4-5 days now. I am almost 100 % comfortable, but the very minor itching can also be caused by the blood alone...I will definatly keep you posted. I am now a believer in ACV! It has also regulated my BM's too...I never realized how good ACV was good for you..if you look at other ailments on this site you'll find ACV pops up quite a bit as a #1 remedy!
THANKYOU EARTHCLINIC :):):)

okay, I happy to say that I have found something that works for me. I have been battling BV and Lucky me Yeast infection at the same time. This is what I did, I empty a bottled water bottle and add half peroxide and half distilled water, then I add 1 acidophilus caplet to the mixture. Once the caplet dissolves I use this mixture as a douche for 5 days........works wonders. oh, I also take the probiotic pills ____ one daily. Hope this helps and please share with if it does.

If it only worked temporarily,and you've been experiencing the problem for years, you definitely want to see a clinician to make sure its yeast and that it is your only problem. Sometimes problems can occur together. Personally, I was skeptical of the yogurt cure until I tried it. I always get a mild yeast infection a couple of days before my period. I got a 20cc syringe, no needle and just applied liberally and went to bed. I do this for another night even after the symptoms disappear, to ensure complete efficacy. It made a believer out of me! Make sure you use certified organic yogurt with live active Lactobacilli (more than one species is good).You can also alternate between yogurt and garlic cloves as garlic contains allicin, a powerful natural anti-fungal. Both are definitely better for me, since I'm allergic to most of the topical application anti-fungals available on the market and the pill is not 100% effective for me in the recommended dosing schedule.

The quest for well womanhood continues!

How do you apply the peroxide if you have a yeast infection?

I have been having recurring yeast infections for the last 4 years. This year I was diagnosed with HPV. My doctor adviced me to continue living a regular life style and that the HPV would go away on its own. The following week he inserted a Merina IUD. I told him that I thought the birth controls I was taking imbalanced my harmones. The IUD seem like it's not helping either. Every month I get a yeast infection. This month is by far the Worst Ever. I took off of work, because I was so uncomfortable. Aft reading about Acidolphius on this website, OMG!!!! Thank you sooooo much for the advice. To be honest, I was sort of skeptical about inserting a pill into my virgina. After trying prescribed medication (Diflucan, Terozol, etc.)and even over the counter medicine Monistat, I was desperate. I was sooo uncomfortable with the itching and burning that I was desperate for any advice. I went and purchased the 1 billion acidolphius. I took 3 orally, and I inserted 1 tablet vaginally. (I did not have time to freeze it, I just immediately inserted it). I feel like a completelly new lady. There in no itching, burning, or irritation (the first day). For the next 4-5 days I will continue doing this.

For vaginal yeast infections, I like to take plain yogurt right out of the 'fridge and shoot it up my "cooter" with a turkey baster. It is very soothing, and has never failed to eliminate the yeast over-growth in just a few doses. I do this once in the morning and once at night for a couple of days and wear a pad to protect my clothes (and my dignity, LOL).

Thank you for that tip, I have been using h202 and h20, which was was very beneficial for me, The more I read this site, the more I learn, hopefully I won't come in contact with this unwanted problem again, but if I do' I'll be sure try your tip or recommend it to someone else. This site is so enlightning.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Bacterial Vaginosis and Yeast Infection

I have been suffering with some sort of vaginitis for the past 3 or 4 months. At first, I had itching and a fishy discharge and it seemed like Bacterial Vaginosis. I started taking P. Reuteri probiotic capsules and it seemed to go away but after sex it always came back. After that I tried taking folic acid. The smell went away but the itching was worse than ever and my vagina was red and irritated.I then tried golden seal suppositories at night while taking golden seal and garlic capsules orally. The itching and redness were worse than EVER. At this point, it was starting to look like I actually had a yeast infection, but I had no cottage cheese discharge. After reading the entries here on yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis I noticed that Apple Cider Vinegar was used to treat both, so I bought unfiltered apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and I folded 2 paper towels together to use them as a rag. I put warm water on them and poured about 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and put it on my vagina. I left it there for about 2 minutes but I noticed it wasn't burning or stinging so I thought it wasn't working. I added about 2 more tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and it still wasn't stinging, but I still kept the rag on for about 2 more minutes. It didn't help right away but about 5 minutes later, I'm sitting at my desk typing this up and I am finally ITCH FREE! The redness has also decreased. I am so happy to finally get rid of this! I'm also going to start taking the apple cider vinegar orally in a glass of water before bed. Just wanted to say that if your symptoms are ambiguous and you aren't really sure if you have a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis, it's a really good idea to try the apple cider vinegar, because people with both types of infections have seen results. You have nothing to lose !Good luck everyone! Don't give up!

I am a 27 year old female who has suffered from a raging yeast infection for the past six months. I tried everything, and I mean EVERYTHING to get rid of this infection and it would not go away. I took the one-dose diflucan pills three times and used a prescription cream once. These treatments used to help, but this time they did nothing. I then turned to alternative meds. At one time, I was taking oil of oregano drops, pau d'arco drops, garlic pills, capyrilic acid pills, doing apple cider vinegar douches, and following a low sugar/bread diet. This did not alleviate my symptoms at all. I had basically given up hope at this point and the yeast infection was seriously affecting my sexual relationship with my husband. I was sore and itchy all of the time and I had a serious amount of discharge. I tried the boric acid suppositories as a last resort. I had been afraid to use them before because of toxicity of the boric acid. After thoroughly researching, though, I realized that they were only toxic when taken internally and not intravaginally. Well, I bought the boric acid powder at the pharmacy (it was difficult to track down though, you might find it easier to order it from Amazon.com) and I actually used grapeseed extract capsules to fill. I just opened the capsules and dumped out the grapeseed extract and filled them with boric acid powder. This was MUCH cheaper than buying the empty capsules and just as effective. Now these capsules may be smaller than the OO empty ones and I also used half of the recommended dosage (one half-full pill every night for two weeks). I was still a little scared when I began the treatment, which is why I used less. I would recommend trying the lower dosage and then increasing the dosage if you respond well to avoid unecessary irritation. Well, within a week, my symptoms had drastically improved. After the two week treatment, my symptoms had disappeared. They later returned after my period and I had to continue treatment for another week (same low dosage). For me, the boric acid is more of a treatment than a cure (I often have to resume treatment when the infection returns), but it is the only thing that has given me relief from my symptoms. I am SO glad that I discovered this treatment. Just remember that you cannot take them orally, only as a vaginal suppository. I don't usually write testimonials, but I felt that I had to share this in case anyone found themselves in the same situation that I was in.