Sodium tetraborate for thrush in women and children

Among the diseases of the female reproductive system, thrush occupies one of the leading places, because a banal decrease in immunity or a violation of the vaginal microflora can lead to active reproduction of yeast fungi that cause this pathology. Children and men suffer from candidiasis (this is what thrush is called in medical circles) less often, which is still not a reason to ignore the disease, because today scientists have sufficient knowledge about this pathology and have already developed many drugs that can help reduce the activity of pathogens. Borax in glycerin is one of the budget products used for candidiasis of the genitals, skin, and oral cavity. Sodium tetraborate for thrush allows you to slow down the process of fungal reproduction, because, despite the fact that the disease does not pose a danger to human life, it has quite unpleasant, one might even say painful symptoms that significantly reduce a person's quality of life.

A little about the disease itself

Thrush is a disease caused by opportunistic microflora. It would seem that so much has been said about it, but the topic does not lose its relevance. And all because the treatment of thrush is very difficult, despite the wide variety of drugs developed to combat Candida fungi.

The thing is that these fungi can be called opportunists. Their ability to hide from the deadly effects of antifungal agents and survive in the most unsuitable conditions is simply amazing. Medicines can reduce the activity of these fungi and their ability to reproduce, but they are not able to completely destroy the entire family that has settled on the skin or mucous membranes. Sodium tetraborate acts in approximately the same way against thrush.

Being representatives of opportunistic microflora, they are always present on our body, but they begin to actively multiply only under certain conditions. Most often, this occurs against the background of a decrease in the body's protective functions. Doctors call dysbacteriosis a fairly popular cause of candidiasis, which in turn can develop as a negative consequence of antibiotic therapy, and in women, excessive passion for hygiene (intimate hygiene with antibacterial detergents, frequent douching, etc.) can lead to such a result.

The development of fungal microflora is facilitated by hormonal imbalances that affect the state of local and general immunity. This also includes pregnancy, the hormonal changes during which become the main reason for the prevalence of thrush among expectant mothers. Fungi love warm and humid secluded places (this is why the disease is most often diagnosed in women whose genitals meet all these requirements), so the proliferation of pathogens, always waiting for their moment on the human body, can be provoked by banal wearing of synthetic underwear and regular use of daily pads, which create a greenhouse effect. This is also facilitated by the abuse of thermal procedures (baths, saunas, where the disease is often transmitted).

Metabolic disorders, in particular diabetes, can also provoke the activation of fungal flora. Increased blood glucose levels are not the only disorder in diabetics. With this disease, the normal acidic environment of the vagina in women changes the pH values towards alkalization. Namely, an alkaline environment is considered more suitable for the active life of fungi.

In this regard, we can talk at length about the need to maintain hygiene of the genitals, but without fanaticism and the use of inappropriate intimate care and cleansing products, about contraception, which prevents the transmission of infection from partner to partner, about the danger of regularly taking oral contraceptives, which introduce an imbalance in the composition of hormones. And most importantly, about the benefits of underwear made of natural fabrics and maintaining immunity. But all this does not solve the problem of candidiasis in those whose body has already experienced all the symptoms of the disease, although it can help reduce the frequency of relapses of the disease.

How can a fungal infection manifest itself? With vaginal candidiasis, which can be diagnosed in women and girls, the main symptom is excruciating itching in the genital area. Since fungi (or rather their waste products) have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane, redness and swelling appear on it, indicating an inflammatory reaction. When urinating and during sexual intercourse, the inflamed tissues can burn and hurt. A curd-like substance with an unpleasant sour smell begins to be secreted from the genitals.

Symptoms of genital candidiasis in men are less pronounced and the disease is most often diagnosed by a whitish coating in the area of the foreskin, reminiscent of cottage cheese.

Children rarely have thrush of this localization, but oral and skin candidiasis can appear from birth. Usually, children get the disease while passing through the birth canal, if the mother has thrush, and the baby's unformed immune system is not able to stop the growth of pathogens that have entered the child's body.

Treating thrush, especially in the genital area in women, is not an easy task, because the fungi can hide for a while, creating the illusion of recovery, and at any suitable opportunity remind of themselves again. For effective treatment of thrush, it is necessary to act on pathogens both from the inside and from the outside. Therapy with drugs for external use makes it possible to act on fungi directly at the site of their localization, which in this case is even more relevant than systemic treatment. Although, if fungi from the oral cavity penetrate the digestive system and descend to the intestines, causing its irritation, you clearly cannot do without oral drugs.

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Indications sodium tetraborate for thrush.

"Sodium tetraborate" is a drug known as a good antiseptic. In other words, it is an antimicrobial agent for local use, which can be used to treat skin and mucous membranes in case of various injuries. The drug received antibacterial properties due to boric acid, and glycerin, known for its softening and protective effects, protects the skin from irritation. It is undesirable to apply boric acid in powder or borax to the skin in its pure form, so they are diluted with alcohol, water or glycerin.

Borax in glycerin is considered a more gentle remedy than boric acid, therefore, in case of thrush, when mainly the delicate tissue of the mucous membranes is damaged, sodium tetraborate is used more often. A cotton swab or a piece of bandage soaked in the composition is used to lubricate the mucous membranes of the mouth in case of oral candidiasis, as well as the male genital organ in case of genital thrush. Women soak cotton or gauze swabs with borax solution, which are intended for wiping the skin of the external genitalia, as written in the instructions, and also introduce the solution into the vagina by douching. Colpitis is treated in an identical manner.

In case of skin candidiasis, the preparation is used to wipe any affected areas.

But candidiasis is not the only indication for the use of an antiseptic. Sodium tetraborate can be used to treat the skin of newborns with diaper rash and prickly heat. Often, children (less often in adults) have single or multiple ulcers in their mouths, which are a characteristic sign of stomatitis. Borax in glycerin will also help to quickly heal damage to the mucous membrane.

Recalling diaper rash, it can be said that similar skin lesions can also appear in adults in the area of skin folds and places where the skin of different organs touches. They can also be treated with the described antiseptic.

Borax in glycerin is used to treat bedsores in bedridden patients, since such skin lesions can become a breeding ground for various types of infections.

For stomatitis and throat infections, a solution of borax in glycerin can be applied to the inflamed areas or used as a gargle. This can help prevent the spread of infection, but it is important not to swallow the medicine, which is intended for external use only.

Release form

But today we will talk about local treatment of candidiasis and the use of an inexpensive but quite effective remedy called "Sodium Tetraborate" for thrush. People often call this drug "borax in glycerin", which is explained by the composition of the drug.

On pharmacy shelves, this medicine can be found in the form of a 20% borax solution. Sodium salt of boric acid (which is what borax is used in medicine, industry, and everyday life) is dissolved in glycerol in a ratio of 1:5. The resulting composition is packaged in dark glass bottles with a volume of 30 g.

This is the most popular form of the drug. This is the form in which the drug is sold. True, it is not always possible to find it in pharmacies, but pharmacists can quickly prepare the required solution upon request (it can be a 5, 10 or 20% composition), because the procedure is not very difficult.

And since the preparation of the medicine seems simple, and the components are quite available for sale, it would be fair to ask how to make sodium tetraborate at home? To do this, you first need to buy a bottle of glycerin at the pharmacy, and borax can be found in industrial goods and construction stores. It may not be possible to find boric acid salt in small packaging (most often it is packaged in 0.5 kg). In this case, do not be upset. The price of the package is low, but there are many possibilities for using borax, for example, the prepared glycerin composition can be used to clean ovens and stoves, as well as to make a popular toy called "slime".

Prepare sodium tetraborate as follows: pour 1 spoon of borax into a clean glass and pour 5 spoons of glycerin over it, obtaining a 20% solution. Mix the composition thoroughly until the borax, which is sold as a crystalline powder, is completely dissolved. Additionally, it is better to strain the resulting solution through 2-3 layers of gauze.

Many people confuse the main component of the drug, borax, with boric acid, although these are slightly different mineral compounds. Boric acid is also an antiseptic and is used to treat thrush. But doctors still prefer a borax solution, which is considered less toxic.

You can find recipes on the Internet for obtaining borax from boric acid crystals, soda and salt, but it is unlikely that the resulting composition will have the same properties as the one made in industrial conditions (boric acid and sodium hydroxide are used there, which are mixed under certain conditions). Such a composition may be suitable for cleaning tiles, but we are talking about medical procedures when human health is at stake. This means that it is better to buy a ready-made pharmacy product or at least real borax.

Pharmacodynamics

As we can see, "Sodium tetraborate" has a fairly wide application in medicine, and given the low price (it fluctuates between 15-20 hryvnia), the drug can be called a fairly profitable purchase. The drug is used to treat candidiasis in women, men and children, colpitis, stomatitis, infectious pathologies of the throat, skin irritations, and all thanks to its properties to restrain the proliferation of bacterial and fungal microflora and prevent re-infection.

The pharmacodynamics of the drug differs depending on the pathogen. "Sodium tetraborate" is considered a good antiseptic, exhibiting a pronounced bacteriostatic effect on microbes (inhibits the process of division of bacterial cells), but in case of thrush, it affects fungi in a slightly different way. The drug does not allow fungi to attach well to the skin or mucous membrane, as a result of which pathogens can be easily removed from the affected area. This prevents fungi from actively multiplying and reduces their number, which ensures a therapeutic effect.

In the acute form of candidiasis, treating the skin and mucous membranes with borax in glycerin allows you to cope with the disease more quickly, and when thrush becomes chronic, it makes it possible to achieve remission and relieve unpleasant symptoms.

It is important to understand that borax in glycerin, despite its activity against Candida fungi, is not a full-fledged antifungal drug. It does not have fungicidal and fungistatic effects. That is, the drug cannot destroy fungi, inhibit their growth and reproduction. But as an antiseptic, it can significantly reduce the number of active pathogens in the affected area.

In mild forms of thrush, the effect of the drug can be considered sufficient. But the treatment of severe forms of vaginal candidiasis requires additional use of antifungal agents. In this case, "Sodium tetraborate" will enhance their effect.

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Pharmacokinetics

Speaking about the pharmacokinetics of the drug, it should be mentioned that when applied to the skin, the absorption of the solution is insignificant, unless there are any damages. If accidentally swallowed and the drug gets into the gastrointestinal tract, it is absorbed into the blood more actively and quickly. When the concentration of 40 mg of the drug per liter of blood is reached, severe intoxication begins, and increasing the dose by another 10 mg / l can lead to the death of the patient. A dose of 10-20 g of sodium tetraborate is considered life-threatening for an adult.

The drug is eliminated from the body over a long period of time (about 7 days). The kidneys and intestines are actively involved in this process. Borax can accumulate and remain in the liver and bone tissues for a long time, having a negative effect on them.

Boric acid, the salt of which borax is, is known for its toxic effect. Therefore, long-term use of the drug, especially on areas of the body with damaged skin, can lead to intoxication of the body and malfunctions of various organs.

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Dosing and administration

Since a fungal infection can choose various warm places with high humidity as its habitat and reproduction site: genitals, oral cavity, skin folds, the method of using the drug will be slightly different. In case of candidiasis of the genitals, it will also be necessary to take into account the difference in the structure of the genitals of women and men.

Sodium tetraborate for thrush in women, localized in the genital area and vagina, is used for lubricating the mucous membrane and douching. Less often, tampons are used, after all, the medicine is considered quite toxic and not everyone decides to leave a tampon in the vagina for a long time.

Much attention should be paid to the preparation for the procedure of applying borax to the mucous membranes. First, you need to wash the external genitals with clean water and soap (it is better to use children's soaps without unnecessary fragrances), then carry out preliminary vaginal douching using infusions or decoctions of medicinal herbs, such as chamomile, calendula, St. John's wort, sage. Some of the fungi will leave the body after this procedure.

Next, choose one of the procedures using borax in glycerin: lubrication, douching, or inserting a tampon. To lubricate the genitals, wrap a bandage around your finger and dip it in the borax solution. Now carefully lubricate the external genitals and penetrate the vagina as deeply as possible. There is no need to wash off the solution.

For douching, the borax solution is drawn into a prepared syringe and inserted into the vagina, leaving it there for about 10 minutes. To perform the procedure, you need to lie on your back, lift your bent knees up, insert "Sodium Tetraborate" using a syringe inside and lie down without lowering your legs for a few more minutes.

For tamponing, you can use ready-made store-bought tampons, but it is better to make them yourself from cotton wool and bandage (or use a bandage twisted several times), leaving a tail by which the tampon can be taken out. The ready tampon is soaked in a solution of borax in glycerin and inserted deep into the vagina. You do not need to keep the tampon in for a long time. 20-30 minutes is enough, during which it is better to lie down quietly.

Treatment of acute candidiasis or exacerbation of chronic infection is carried out for a week. The number of procedures per day is discussed with the doctor, but usually the gynecologist prescribes from 1 to 3 procedures per day depending on the severity of the disease.

"Sodium tetraborate" is much easier to use for thrush in men, although there is no comfort in this case. Usually, a piece of bandage folded in half or three is moistened with a borax solution and wound around the penis for half an hour. Additionally, you can simply wipe the penis with a bandage soaked in the composition 2-3 times a day.

Since penile candidiasis in men is usually milder than vaginal thrush in women (and it is women who in the vast majority of cases become the source of infection), then performing such procedures for 7 days is quite enough for the signs of the disease to disappear. But even if the unpleasant symptoms of itching and irritation have disappeared earlier, the treatment should be completed (this applies to both men and women) to avoid a relapse of the disease in the near future.

A disease such as oral candidiasis is rare in adults. But insufficient hand hygiene while eating, the habit of biting nails and eating unwashed vegetables and fruits against the background of reduced immunity can lead to the development of candidal stomatitis. As a treatment for the pathology, you can use rinsing the mouth or lubricating it with a solution of borax in glycerin. In the first case, use 1 tbsp. "Sodium tetraborate" per 1 glass of water and rinse the mouth as usual for stomatitis, trying not to swallow the medicine, in the second - soak a piece of bandage in undiluted composition or use a cotton swab, carefully treating the mucous membrane of the lips and cheeks, gums, tongue.

Oral candidiasis is considered a childhood disease, typical for infants. But if the child is breastfed, the nursing mother is also at risk, because fungi from the child's oral cavity can migrate to the nipples of the mammary glands, which the woman tries to keep warm during this period, which allows the infection to multiply. With nipple thrush, the main symptoms are itching, increased sensitivity and pain in this area, which make feeding the baby a torment for his mother, but "Sodium tetraborate" can be used to treat the pathology only in case of refusal to continue breastfeeding (for the period of use of the drug).

If a mother does not want to deprive her baby of food that supports his health and immunity, she will have to look for other, safer methods of treating thrush on the nipples than the rather toxic borax. After all, even washing the breast before feeding cannot remove the substance that has penetrated deep into the tissues and possibly into breast milk. Nevertheless, our mothers and grandmothers often solved such a problem with borax or boric acid, but this did not prevent us from growing up healthy. So the harm of treating nipples with borax is still in doubt.

For the treatment of adult patients, a popular 20% solution of borax in glycerin is used, but for treating nipples, it is better to take a 5 or 10% solution, which is used to treat oral candidiasis in children.

"Sodium tetraborate" for thrush in children, especially newborns, should be used with extreme caution. A concentrated solution can cause severe intoxication and convulsions in the baby, so preference is given to a medicine with a lower concentration. But even in this case, treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Rinsing the mouth with a solution of "Sodium Tetraborate" and water (1 tbsp. of 10 or 20% solution per glass) can only be done by older children who know how to carry out the procedure correctly, without swallowing the composition. For children under 2-3 years old, it is enough to treat the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue with a finger with a bandage wound around it, previously soaked in a 10% solution of "Sodium Tetraborate". Rinsing and lubricating the mucous membranes of the mouth of a child should be done 1-2 times a day for 3 days, but no more.

If you cannot find the drug of the required concentration in the pharmacy, you can take a regular 20% solution and dilute it with water in equal proportions. To obtain a 5% composition of water, take 2 times more.

Use sodium tetraborate for thrush. during pregnancy

As we can see, borax in glycerin, despite all its beneficial properties, is far from the safest drug. That is why discussions about the possibility and advisability of treating thrush and other diseases with this drug continue to this day. At the same time, one group of specialists is of the opinion that with careful use, the drug can only bring benefits, facilitating the treatment of such a tenacious disease. Another group argues that the best solution would be to refuse to use sodium tetraborate for thrush due to the high toxicity of boric acid preparations.

Adhering to the position of the first group of doctors, it is necessary to understand that the effect of the drug on people at different periods of life may differ. The most dangerous toxic effect on the body of an unborn child is in the embryonic period. After all, we are not even talking about work, but about the formation of organs and systems. And any negative impact during this period can lead to various developmental defects.

It is clear that the embryo itself will not use the drug, which means that we are talking about its mother. When using borax to treat vaginal candidiasis, one can expect that the active substance will penetrate the embryo through the placenta, exerting its toxic effect and disrupting its development.

The official instructions state that the use of the drug "Sodium Teraborate" during pregnancy is contraindicated. However, many doctors consider the drug, which is classified as a low-hazard substance (toxicity class 4), to be the least of the troubles compared to antifungal drugs prescribed for candidiasis. It is believed that these drugs can have an even more dangerous effect on the embryo and the body of the pregnant woman, and refusal of treatment at all threatens infection of the child during childbirth.

It must be said that pregnant women have a limited choice of medications for any disease. In addition, the effectiveness of approved medications in most cases leaves much to be desired. In this situation, expectant mothers are not to be envied, because they have to choose medications at their own risk.

Although, perhaps, the danger of borax in glycerin is somewhat exaggerated. The substance is actually considered low-toxic. In the absence of effective antifungal agents during the Soviet Union, it was actively used to treat thrush in pregnant women and treat nipples in nursing mothers. But this did not lead to widespread development of disorders in the body of newborns, and if such were the case, their connection with boric acid preparations remained unproven, because there are many factors that affect the development of the embryo.

It is difficult to say what is actually the reason for the ban on boric acid preparations abroad: concern for ordinary people or commercial interest (the cost of antifungal and many antibacterial agents is significantly higher than boric alcohol or borax in glycerin). Our country does not yet support this ban, and gynecologists still often prescribe "Sodium tetraborate" for thrush in pregnant and nursing mothers.

Contraindications

After reading the instructions for the drug, you can understand that pregnancy, regardless of the term, is not the only contraindication to its use. Like any other drug, borax in glycerin cannot be used if the patient's medical history includes a mention of hypersensitivity reactions that occur against the background of the use of boric acid or glycerin preparations.

Since the penetration of boric acid into the blood when the drug is applied locally is associated mainly with a violation of the integrity of the skin or mucous membrane, the drug is prohibited from being applied to areas where there are wounds, ulcers, scratches, microcracks, and burn surfaces.

However, this is not an obstacle to prescribing borax for stomatitis, a characteristic symptom of which is the appearance of painful ulcers on the oral mucosa and tongue. And it is not so easy to notice microcracks in the skin or inflamed mucosa, although the doctor prescribing the drug does not conduct any special studies on this matter. But for large wounds, the drug should definitely not be used.

Boric acid salts, penetrating the body, can accumulate in liver tissue, so people with pathologies of this organ should avoid treatment with drugs based on them.

In the treatment of women, there is a period when the procedures become impossible - these are the days of menstrual bleeding. It is better to conduct the course of treatment in the interval between periods so that it is not interrupted.

"Sodium tetraborate" can be prescribed even by pediatricians for the treatment of oral candidiasis and stomatitis in children. In this case, the instructions recommend that you be especially careful, not forgetting about the toxic effect of the drug on the baby's body, some important systems of which are still in the formation stage even after birth. It is better to treat small children under the supervision of medical personnel, and to choose safer means for the treatment of vaginal candidiasis in girls.

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Side effects sodium tetraborate for thrush.

Borax in the drug "Sodium Tetraborate" is dissolved in glycerin. This component has a protective effect, so it prevents irritation of the skin or mucous membranes when the drug is applied externally. However, the body of some patients may be more sensitive to the active substance, which increases the risk of allergic reactions.

Since the drug is applied to the skin and mucous membranes, and not taken orally, allergic reactions manifest locally in the form of rashes, itching, swelling and redness of the skin and mucous membranes, and some soreness as a result of irritation.

The use of borax in glycerin to treat small children can provoke convulsive syndrome in them. This again speaks in favor of the fact that treatment with the drug should be carried out in the presence of a doctor.

During the treatment procedure, when applying the drug to the skin and mucous membranes, some of the medicine may enter the blood. If the course of treatment is short, it is unlikely to cause serious intoxication, but with prolonged use and especially when swallowing the drug, which is possible if the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue are treated with borax, unpleasant general symptoms may appear, requiring a visit to the doctor:

• the appearance of nausea and vomiting not associated with food intake,
• hyperhidrosis (increased sweating even at rest),
• sudden onset and regularly recurring dizziness and headaches,
• severe weakness,
• twitching of the muscles of the face and limbs, convulsive syndrome,
• allergic reactions,
• menstrual irregularities,
• problems with the heart (increased heart rate), liver, kidneys.

If the drug has penetrated the gastrointestinal tract (accidental or deliberate ingestion of the solution), epigastric pain, severe diarrhea, which along with hyperhidrosis and vomiting leads to dehydration of the body, and signs of anemia appear. In severe cases, heart failure occurs, the person loses consciousness, and toxic shock may occur at high doses.

All these symptoms are characteristic of a condition called "overdose". Moreover, they are considered dangerous to the life and health of a person, so they require emergency assistance. So, if the solution is swallowed, immediate gastric lavage is required by any possible means and drinking a large amount of water, which accelerates the removal of toxins from the body.

In a hospital setting, the victim may be prescribed forced diuresis. This is a set of procedures aimed at increasing urine production (namely, with it, toxic substances will be excreted faster) and accelerating its excretion from the body. The introduction of fluid into the body can be carried out either orally or through a dropper. Diuretics will stimulate its excretion from the body along with toxins.

In case of severe poisoning and boric acid salts entering the blood, hemodialysis (blood purification) will be effective. In addition, symptomatic therapy is carried out:

• intramuscular administration of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), which takes an active part in metabolic processes, improves the functioning of the nervous system and digestive organs, increases the body's resistance to diseases and negative factors (10 mg per day),
• intravenous administration of water-salt solutions and other drugs that reduce the effects of dehydration,
• subcutaneous administration of solutions of atropine, promedol, platifillin, if there is severe abdominal pain (as an option, a mixture of glucose and novocaine is administered via a dropper),
• prescribing medications that support the functioning of the heart, kidneys, and liver.

Throughout the entire period of overdose treatment, doctors conduct the necessary laboratory tests and monitor the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Storage conditions

The storage conditions of the antiseptic provide for the preservation of its properties during the shelf life at a temperature of up to 25 degrees, and the dark glass of the bottle protects it from active sunlight.

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Special instructions

In the instructions for pharmaceutical products there is always such a point as drug interaction, because chemical and natural substances can enter into reactions, the consequences of which can enhance or weaken the therapeutic effect, increase or decrease the toxicity of the combined products, and some drugs are strictly prohibited to use together. This must be taken into account regardless of whether the drug was purchased at a pharmacy or prepared at home.

Interaction with other drugs "Sodium tetraborate" used for thrush may increase the risk of toxic effects on the body of the borax itself or drugs used simultaneously with it. Do not apply antifungal agents, boric acid, phenol-based drugs to the affected areas at the same time as borax, which are toxic in themselves. During treatment with borax, you will also have to stop using local hormonal agents.

The simultaneous application of several external agents becomes a risk factor for the development of allergic reactions, so it is advisable to adhere to local monotherapy or maintain a large interval between the application of different drugs.

The preparation is not intended for treating the mucous membrane of the eye, so if the solution accidentally gets into the eyes, it should be blotted with a soft sterile cloth and rinsed well with warm water.

To achieve maximum effect, do not abuse borax in gicerin, applying it to large areas of the body or using it more than 3 times a day. Such treatment can provoke the appearance of signs of intoxication.

Shelf life

In order for the treatment to be effective and as safe as possible, you need to pay attention to the expiration date of the medicine. For "Sodium Tetraborate" it is two years. The composition prepared at home can also be stored for a long time, but it is better to use it within six months.

Fungal infections, like bacterial ones, are quite contagious, and to achieve a positive treatment effect, they require regular hygiene of the genitals, daily change of underwear (in severe cases, it will have to be changed after each procedure), refusal to use panty liners and sexual intercourse. If one of the partners is diagnosed with thrush, both should be treated, with the difference that men often only need local application of antiseptics and antifungal agents, while thrush in women often requires a comprehensive approach to treatment.

Genital hygiene is only half the battle. The hands that will perform the treatment procedures must also be clean. And after the manipulations, the hands will have to be thoroughly washed again using household or antibacterial soap. And the point is not even that particles of toxic medicine remain on the hands and fingers, but that there may still be active fungi there.

Without observing hygiene measures, it will be very difficult to get rid of the fungus, because even one microorganism accidentally introduced into the oral cavity or vagina under suitable conditions is capable of producing numerous offspring. And how many can boast of excellent immunity?

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Analogues

Thrush is a disease that has plagued humanity for decades. It is not surprising that scientists and fans of traditional methods of treatment have developed many drugs and recipes to combat fungal infections. But due to the high adaptive capacity of Candida fungi, even special drugs do not always produce the desired effect. The patient often has to try many remedies and methods of treatment before he finds the one that will help him specifically.

"Sodium tetraborate" is actively used for thrush due to the high antifungal activity of boric acid and its compounds. But the drug, alas, does not help everyone. What medications should you pay attention to if the borax in glycerin treatment method did not work due to the lack of a decent effect or the development of intolerance reactions.

Borax in glycerin is an antiseptic with somewhat unusual properties. But special preparations have been developed to combat fungal infections. So, in the fight against Candida fungi, pharmacy vaginal suppositories "Nystatin" can be used as a local treatment. "Clotrimazole", "Miconazole", "Fluconazole", "Geksikon", "Livarol", as well as preparations in the form of tablets and capsules intended for insertion into the vagina ("Terzhinan", "Polygynax", "Fluomizin").

It is more convenient for men to use antifungal drugs in the form of ointments and creams (Nizoral, Dermazole, Miconazole, Mycozoral, Clotrimazole), which are applied to the diseased areas of the penile mucosa according to the instructions.

Epigem-gel has proven itself as a means for genital hygiene in the treatment of thrush, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus; doctors prescribe it as part of a comprehensive treatment for these pathologies.

For local treatment of oral candidiasis, doctors recommend:

• the use of analine dyes (brilliant green, methylene blue solution, fucorcin solution),
• application of medicinal iodine-containing solutions to the mucous membrane (for example, Lugol's solution, "Ioddicerin", "Iodinol"),
• resorption of tablets with a fungicidal effect (Lizac, Lysozyme),
• use of nystatin or levorin ointment (relevant for fungal angular stomatitis).

Rinsing the mouth for thrush can be done with a soda solution (20 g of soda per 1 liter of water), a boric acid solution of the same consistency, or an iodinol solution mixed with water in equal proportions.

For douching in case of vaginal thrush, women often use various antiseptic agents:

• "Miramistin" (used undiluted, the bottle is equipped with a special nozzle),
• "Chlorhexidine" (used undiluted),
• aqueous solution of "Furacilin" (2 tablets per glass of hot water, dissolve and strain)
• a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water (1 tbsp. per 0.5 l of water),
• complex preparation "Citeal" (2 caps of antiseptic per 1 glass of water),
• "Chlorophyllipt" (does not require dilution for the douching procedure),

The same antiseptics, which are essentially analogues of "Sodium tetraborate" and boric alcohol, helping to remove fungi from the mucous membrane, can be used to wipe the penis with thrush in men. With a mild course of the disease, sometimes even such simple procedures are enough. In more serious cases, they resort to prescribing antifungal agents for systemic and external use.

To treat candidiasis in infants, the following antiseptic solutions active against fungi can be used:

• light pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate powder),
• a weak solution of soda (1 teaspoon of alkali per 1 cup of water),
• 2% aqueous solution of tannin,
• 1% aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide.

A bandage or cotton swab is moistened with antiseptics and the baby's mouth is cleaned, after which the tongue and mucous membranes are lubricated with a two-percent aqueous solution of methylene blue, gentian violet or brilliant green, a solution of the drug "Iodinol" (for 1 part of the drug we take 2 parts of water), a solution of Lugol's solution (we dilute it in a ratio of 1:3 with warm water). The treatment is carried out for 3-5 days, repeating the procedures 3-4 times a day.

For persistent oral candidiasis, topical antifungal agents can be used:

• suspension "Pimafucin" 2.5%,
• 1% clotrimazole solution,
• suspensions of nystatin or levorin (a crushed nystatin tablet of 550 thousand units is diluted in 10 ml of water, levorin in the same dosage - 25 ml of water).

If there is no effect, antifungal drugs are prescribed orally or intravenously.

During pregnancy, when such a procedure as douching is considered dangerous, women should pay attention to drugs produced in the form of suppositories (the safest are Pimafucin and Betadine). In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy, the list of drugs can be expanded to include suppositories Gino-Pevaryl, Ginofort, Clotrimazole.

It should be said that it is almost impossible to cure thrush during pregnancy, because it requires not only special drugs, but also a certain diet, measures to improve immunity, a stable hormonal and neuropsychic background. "Sodium tetraborate" for thrush, like other drugs, is not able to solve all these problems. The final fight against the disease will have to be carried out after childbirth, but this is not a reason to refuse treatment during pregnancy.

The toxicity of borax in glycerin can be considered the least of the troubles. After all, a fungal infection in a baby's mouth can easily spread to the respiratory system, causing the development of bronchial asthma, and digestion, causing gastrointestinal diseases, anemia, etc. When the infection gets into the blood, there is a risk of such a complication as sepsis, which can even cause the death of a child whose body is not yet able to fight such a strong enemy.

It is better to choose between boric acid preparations and their analogues than to let the process take its course, exposing the child’s life to even greater danger than the statistically unconfirmed danger of intoxication.

Reviews

Since there is a lot of controversy around "Sodium Tetraborate" and scientists cannot come to a common opinion, many are wary of using this product. A similar situation is observed with boric acid. Nevertheless, the drugs are sold in our pharmacies and are still in demand as a budget option for solving such a complex problem as candidiasis of the genitals and mouth.

When comparing boric acid preparations with modern antifungal agents, another question arises: which of them causes more harm to the body? Many women, who were previously prescribed Fluconazole or Clotrimazole, eventually found a better option for themselves – borax in glycerin. And it’s not even about the cost of the preparations (fluconazole is not an expensive medicine), but about the results of treatment.

The use of antifungal agents in some patients caused quite severe side effects. For example, there are complaints of hair loss, nausea, headaches, menstrual irregularities. But those who underwent a week of treatment with "Sodium Tetraborate" for thrush do not report anything like that.

If you compare reviews of antifungal medications and borax, you will notice that in the latter case there are significantly fewer mentions of any of the possible side effects. Sometimes women complain of a feeling of vaginal dryness, but usually do not mention any other symptoms. Perhaps borax is not as toxic as we are told.

Some patients of gynecological departments risk treating recurrent thrush with even more radical methods, which, by the way, were recommended to them by doctors themselves. For example, they insert a tampon with borax into the vagina not for half an hour, but for the whole day, replacing it with a new one in the morning and evening. According to reviews, after 3 days, not only the itching disappears, but also the cheesy discharge, irritation and pain during urination go away. And even though boric acid contacts the mucous membrane for several days in a row, it does not cause complaints about the appearance of intoxication symptoms.

An interesting treatment option, again offered by gynecologists, is the use of "Sodium Tetraborate" for thrush during sexual intercourse. This can be preliminary lubrication of the vagina or douching, but even more effective is considered to be applying the solution to the entire surface of the penis. When in contact with the vaginal mucosa, the medicinal composition lubricates it as well. The probability of catching an "infection" in this case is minimal for men, and for a woman, sexual intercourse becomes a kind of treatment procedure.

It would be untrue to say that borax in glycerin helps absolutely everyone with thrush. There are some reviews where people talk about the ineffectiveness of treatment with the drug. But most of those who write such reviews complain about severe forms of thrush. At the same time, other methods of treatment and the drugs used in them turned out to be equally ineffective.

The reason for the lack of sufficient effect of using an antiseptic with high antifungal activity is often non-compliance with hygiene requirements during treatment, unwillingness to give up daily sanitary pads. There will be no effect if only one of the partners agrees to be treated, while the other remains a carrier of the infection.

As for the treatment of pregnant women with "Sodium Tetraborate", it is often recommended even by gynecologists themselves. They believe that antifungal agents during pregnancy are more dangerous than borax, so they can only be prescribed as a last resort. But less dangerous natural remedies are simply not able to cope with the disease against the background of hormonal changes and decreased immunity.

Failure to treat candidiasis before the baby is born again poses a danger to the child, because at the moment of passing through the birth canal, he takes the infection onto himself. And the body of children under 3 years old is not yet able to independently fight any kind of infection.

Borax in glycerin, in connection with the above, is the optimal option for treating thrush in expectant mothers, and it is used even in the last stages of pregnancy. At the same time, there are no significant differences in the statistics of malformations in mothers who were treated with borax in glycerin and those who used other gentle means.

When pediatricians prescribe the drug for treating children, women are quite worried about the spread of information about the toxicity of sodium tetraborate. But those who have risked treating their child with this remedy do not notice any unpleasant symptoms in their babies. Perhaps an allergic reaction may occur in overly sensitive babies. On the contrary, mothers are happy that in a short time the baby's mouth is cleared of whitish plaque, the child becomes calmer, eats better, and sleeps well.

It is possible that not all children and adults experience such a cloudless treatment with borax, but we were unable to find any categorical, extremely negative reviews of the drug, indicating that "Sodium Tetraborate" not only did not help with thrush, but also caused serious complications. If you use the product wisely and carefully, you can quickly and without serious consequences get rid of a painful, difficult-to-treat disease. If after a while the symptoms of the disease appear again, borax will come to the rescue again, without causing addiction and reducing the effect.