Yeast Infection

Vaginal discharge, teeth-marks on the tongue, slightly "greasy" stools, what more do you need? Even just the white vaginal discharge all by itself is enough to indicate dampness. However, the tongue and stools tell you where the dampness is coming from.

Bob Flaws
Blue Poppy

I think body types can sometimes be very misleading. Take, for example, a patient of mine who is extremely skinny but very cold, fatigued, and sluggish, with cold lower back, pale puffy tongue, loose watery stools, all pointing to classic yang vacuity--yet her body type did not fit that classical pattern. I have also seen very obese women with all the classic signs of yin vacuity, and, other than their obesity, not one obvious sign of phlegm dampness. Especially with dampness--it can come in many forms, one being in the body tissue manifesting as plumpness; but I think that vaginal discharge ( especially profuse or thick discharge) or loose sticky stools (to give just two examples) are other expressions for the dampness, still present no matter what the body type. Even a person complaining of fullness, poor appetite, nausea with a sticky mouth and greasy tongue fur will have dampness and may not be at all puffy or overweight.

Looking at the person's diet can reveal whether or not the person is likely to have dampness, especially in the case of an allopathological diagnosis of candida. I have found candida to have conflicting s/s in terms of finding a straight forward pattern--often the white discharge with bloating and many Sp vacuity manifestations, but also, commonly, local redness, swelling and burning dry itch, as well as these flare ups occuring at a time in the menstrual cycle--like when your patient had it--right before the menses when dampness and blood are accumulating, and most likely depressive heat. So dampness is, yes, a factor, along with so much else and in any kind of body shape.

I have been taught in the past to combine a modified version of wan dai tang with herbs that clear heat and toxicity--suggesting white discharge mixed with symptoms like swelling, burning, itching and redness ( toxic heat) . Others have said that it is for sure a case calling for long dan xie gan tang--suggesting the discharge is thick, yellow, sticky and foul. These formulae are used for many different body types. The nature of the dampness varies. It seems to me as though a modifed diet is the important thing to address, along with replenishing gut flora, as the Western paradigm would indicate. Ultimately of course, for our TCM treatment, we need to address the pattern showing at the present time of the infection. Infection here being a key word, as candida does need to be cleared just as the underlying pattern which has allowed for this overgrowth must also be balanced.

I look forward to hearing what did you eventually did use to treat this woman and what your results were. I find the discussion of candida very interesting due to the stubborn nature of the condidtion and yet it is so prevelant amongst our female clients. I have found it difficult to treat.

One more thought.

I wonder if itching and imflammation of the vagina are symptoms that are always present with a yeast infection. Is the characteritic curd like discharge necessary for the diagnosis of candida? So many more questions. Let's keep the discussion going.