It is about 88 percent effective and comes in vaginal suppositories, and creams. A large size of monistat cream costs $38. Three and seven day courses of treatment cost about $29.

Canesten and ecostatin are more effective than nystatin but a little less effective than monistat. Canesten has both a one and three day course of treatment. Both cost about $26.00. A three-day course of ecostatin also costs about $29.00. Occasionally the one and three dose treatments can cause more burning and stinging than longer courses of treatment with lower doses.

The newest classes of drugs are the triazoles (fluconazole, itraconazole and terconazole). They are highly effective because of their ability to penetrate the cell wall of the yeast cell. Only one, terconazole, is available in vaginal creams and suppositories. Terconazole costs about $30.00 per course of treatment.

During any course of treatment it is advisable to cut out all sugars, and avoid excess dairy and bread.

Persistent Reoccurring Yeast Infections

Persistent reoccurring yeast infections are more challenging to treat. Recurrent yeast infections mean you have four or more confirmed episodes of yeast infections every year. At this stage, I might recommend monistat vaginal cream every night for seven days; then every other night for four weeks; then monthly at the time of menstruation. Boric acid capsules or nystatin vaginal tablets may be used as an alternative if the person has a sensitivity to monistat.

Recently it has come to light that recurrent yeast infections may be part of a larger picture involving widespread overgrowth of yeast organisms in the whole body. This may cause symptoms affecting every system of the body.

Symptoms include:

• Fatigue.

• Depression, anxiety and other mental and emotional illnesses.

• Digestive difficulties, of all sorts, including indigestion, bloating, gas and diarrhea alternating with constipation.

• Menstrual problems including premenstrual syndrome.

• Sexual difficulties and infertility.

• Arthritis.

• Chronic skin problems.

• Repeated urinary and vaginal infections.

• Asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

• Allergic reactions and chemical sensitivities.

Candida overgrowth may also be suspected when a person feels very ill and no cause can be found for his or her problems. He or she may have been written off as a hypochondriac.

Women are particularly susceptible to candida overgrowth, especially if they have been exposed to tetracycline for treatment of acne or long-term use of the birth control pill.

Children can also be affected if they have been overexposed to antibiotics. A baby can get thrush if her mother had a yeast vaginal infection at birth. Pregnant women with yeast infections should be treated promptly.

In children, a chronic yeast infection can show up as hyperactivity, learning disabilities, or even, in a few cases, autism. In adolescents, candida can cause depression and severe mood swings. A typical story is a top student who suddenly becomes unable to think clearly or learn, and who becomes suicidally depressed. In one teenage girl these symptoms appeared after just a two-month course of tetracycline for acne. Candida has also been implicated in some cases of teenage anorexia.