Vaginal thrush/learning disabilities

Ask our Nurses your questions
1

I have a sister with learning disabilities going through chemo. She struggles to articulate how her body feels and explaining possible side effects.

She’s currently struggling with vaginal thrush. Was in pain for about 3wks before letting me know. Hoping it was vaginal dryness she tried Yes moisturiser but this didn’t help. She saw a gp who prescribed antibiotics (which she didn’t take😢) ended up in hospital for a night but uti ruled out and she was discharged with clotrimazole. She’s now 6days in, using cream most of the time (but not always 3x) and taking pain meds (but not airways when she should) and claiming she feels worse.

She lives with our elderly parents who are struggling because she won’t listen to them but also isn’t taking responsibility for herself.

I’ve suggested my dad calls chemo line tomorrow and/or gp to see if she’s able to get the oral tablet to help with the thrush. She’s also trying vagisil for additional relief but seems to think its no better.

I’ve read oral thrush is quite common through chemo and presuming vaginal is also a side effect of compromised immune system but wondered if there’s anything else I can suggest she tries?

She can have a high pain threshold but then kick off at trivial pain so we’re all struggling to gauge the reality of what she might be feeling

1 Like
2

So sorry to hear that your sister is having such a tough time.

Shes very lucky to have a sister like you to advocate for her.

I think youre right, best to call the chemo line or mention it at your sisters next pre-chemo appointment. We all struggle with different sideffects during chemo but the doctors are very good at prescribing further medications to us - they just need to know about it.

Wishing your sister all the best through the rest of her treatment x

1 Like
3

What a difficult situation for you all .

Does your hospital have a Learning Disabilities Liaison Practitioner or Nurse ? They might be able to come up with some strategies to help your sister communicate better with medical staff and get her to comply with treatment . I had a lot of problems with thrush at one time in my life though not anymore . I found that an intimate wash containing lactic acid helped and still use Dr. Wolf VSan - it can replace shower gel as it’s suitable for the whole body which might be easier for your sister . I’ve also been using the Dr. Wolf cream externally for what I think is probably mild vaginal atrophy and it helps. I’m not needing anything Internally but it can be used internally and can help prevent thrush - I tried Vagisil but didn’t like it. If your sister’s treatment has put her into the menopause then she could be struggling with vaginal atrophy which can be a miserable painful condition and can predispose to getting thrush or UTI .

Hoping you get a good response from the helpline xx

1 Like
4

Hi cujo4498,

Thank you for posting. It sounds as though your sister is having a difficult time with her chemotherapy and side effects. As @Luskentyre1 says, she is lucky to have you and your family advocating for her.

Vaginal thrush can be a side effect of chemotherapy and it is important that your sister’s treatment team are aware as @Luskentyre1 says, so that they can assess and treat her side effects effectively. It is a good idea for your dad to ring the chemotherapy helpline as you say, they can arrange for her to be reviewed and can prescribe medication to help her symptoms. It can also help to talk to her breast care nurse and GP about the side effects she is experiencing so that they can provide support.

Once the thrush has resolved there are a variety of non-hormonal treatments that can help with vaginal dryness, including vaginal moisturisers and lubricants. Pelvic floor exercises can also help improve vaginal dryness by increasing blood flow to the area.

Being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer when you have learning difficulties can be especially difficult, especially if your sister finds it difficult to express how she feels. You may find these resources helpful in supporting your sister and she may also find our easy read literature useful.

We wonder what support you have at this time, you are welcome to call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team are here for anyone affected by breast cancer and have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.

Our number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties dial 18001 followed by our number and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.

If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. Please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.

Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturday.

Please see our website for our Christmas opening hours.

Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.

We’re continually evaluating this service. If you want to provide feedback, please click the link to complete the survey . It should take approximately 10 minutes.

Best wishes,

Katy

Breast Care Nurse

Please read the disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy

As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.