> Dear Sandy Arnold:
>
> You wrote about thrush treatments:
>
> > My real question was about the various methods of treating a mom's nipples
> > for thrush--just for the initial problem, not an ongoing one that has had
> > treatment.  Some of our Dr's say to just put the baby's drops on the nipple.
> >  Is this effective enough? Or is separate cream for the mom better?  If yes,
> > why? I would think the cream would be easier to apply & feel more soothing?
> >  Any other comments or personal experience?
>
> Dear Sandy,
>
> I'm a PA who works in private family practice.  I really LOVE being able
> to write my own prescriptions --esp for BF problems!  My initial
> treatment for thrush is Nysatin suspension 100,00I.U./cc.  Give 1 cc
> squirted to each side of the mouth four times/day.  Try to rub it into
> mucosa with clean finger or thin baby washcloth.  Use for about a week.
> Refil if necessary.  Have Mom drop on her breast after each nursing and
> rub around and let air dry.  (So nice to be in FAMILY practice where one
> can treat BOTH the baby and the mother!)  It is sticky but usually works.
>  If Mom's not happy with that then I use Nystatin cream or Lotrimin.  I
> know creams won't hurt the baby but I just feel "safer" putting the same
> thing on Mom's breast that I know is already FDA approved for baby's
> mouth! I would say it works the 1st time about 90% of the time.
>
> I don't know of any studies saying that cream vs. suspension is more
> efficacious.  Would love to know of any.
>
> I have suggested Gentian violet to patients but only one non-patient
> (aquaintance/friend) ever took me up on it.  It didn't work for that
> lady.  She found that expressing the fluid from lacto bacillus capsules
> was what finally worked for her sore nipples.  (Maybe the Gentian violet
> had worked onthe baby's mouth already?) But I'm not making any medical
> reommendation of that one.
>
> Sadly about half the time that I treat thrush it is for non-BF babies.
>
> Meg Wright, PA-C
> Physician Assistantps sorry about the quote marks--still trying to work out why I get
"Bumped" off the network so often--messes up my mail sending ability.