Dear Leonore and Liz:
I think that one can safely assume that if 13 mo of treating for thrush
hasn't done any good you may be pursuing the wrong culprit.  I personally
think fungal infections are over-diagnosed.  Think about athelete's foot.  If
you start to treat it -- even stubborn cases that reoccur -- it usually feels
better after a few applications of the right meds.  If you don't follow thru
it may come back, and you have to stop putting your feet in wet tennis shoes,
etc. but if you did all that and you never felt better and the skin between
your toes never healed, how long would it take for you to say, Hmmmm.  Maybe
this isn't athelete's foot?  I suspect it is some sort of dermatitis --
perhaps eczema.  A dermatologist will be the person to diagnose and treat --
prob. with steroids.  These are safe if used properly. If the skin has been
broken for 13 mo. they may also want to use a topical antibiotic to clear up
secondary infection.  A question I always ask in this type sit. is "Do you
have any other patches of irritated skin like this anywhere else on your
body?"  That is the big tip-off for dematological conditions.  A worse-case
scenario is Paget's  of the nipple -- a type of cancer. This usually presents
unilaterally, however.
Barbara Wilson-clay, BSE,IBCLC
priv.pract.  Austin, Tx