Monistat cream

Monistat cream is a product sold in pharmacies and drug stores for the treatment of vaginal yeast infections, also known as vaginal thrush or by the scientific term, candidosis. As treatments for vaginal yeast infections go, Monistat cream is among the best known and most well trusted. Yeast infections, as many unfortunate people know, can be intensely uncomfortable with symptoms including itching, burning, redness, inflammation or irritation, and in some cases a white or whitish cottage cheese like discharge which a distinct texture similar to curd. Vaginal yeast infections are one of the most common kinds of fungal infections, and one of the most common sites for infection by candidosis, though the fungus which causes them is commonly present in humans and infections can occur in any number of places. Other common sites for candidosis infections include the skin, mouth, the digestive tract, the urinary tract, and male genitals. Yeast infections are rarely serious and almost always treatable in healthy people, though in patients with compromised immune systems, such as those suffering from HIV, they can be dangerous.

Monistat cream is only used in the treatment of vaginal yeast infections, though the active antifungal ingredient is commonly used, miconazole, is commonly used as a topical treatment for yeast infections that occur on the skin or mucus membranes. Monistat cream contains 2% miconazole, which works by interfering with the yeast cells’ ability to produce a substance called ergosterol. Since ergosterol is a key component in the ability of the yeast’s cell walls, this inability kills the fungus. Monistat cream is commonly a very effective treatment for vaginal yeast infections.

Some people can have discomfort or allergic reactions to Monistat cream, though, and when moiconazole is used vaginally there is some risk for interactions with other drugs. People who have serious adverse side effects such as swelling, pain and inflammation due to the use of Monistat cream should stop using it and consult their doctor. It probably is not worth trading one inconvenient discomfort for another one, and in some of these cases the immediate effects of the cure may seem worse than the disease.

In general, though, use of Monistat cream is safe and effective, and provides quick relief for most patients. The real danger with the use of Monistat cream is misdiagnosing something else as a yeast infection and so using Monistat cream needlessly. Since Monistat cream is available over the counter, many women self-diagnose themselves with vaginal yeast infections without consulting their doctors, and often misidentify other common vaginal infections as vaginal yeast infections. One study found that as few as one third of women who were self-treating with Monistat cream or similar products actually had vaginal yeast infections. Most of them actually suffered from some kind of bacterial infection, mixed infections, or other imbalances of the naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria in balance within the reproductive system.

Using Monistat cream for these sorts of infections is not only ineffective since Monistat cream is not the appropriate treatment for the disease, it can also make matters worse by further unbalancing the ratio of naturally occurring flora. Overuse of Monistat cream, particularly in situations where it is not actually treating a problem, can contribute to chronic vaginal infections. People who believe that they have vaginal yeast infections, but find that they do not respond to products like Monistat cream or other over the counter brands, should check with their doctors to make sure that they do not have some other infection or abnormality at play. The ability to buy something over the counter may mean that it is safe for use, but it does not turn the average person into a doctor to know when it might not be appropriate.

Last updated on Mar 21st, 2010 and filed under Drugs and Medications. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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