Getting rid of oral thrush: What works?

Hi @kjg47 Hopefully I can help your mom with her ongoing oral thrush.
The medication which has helped me the most is a prescription medication ~ Clotrimazole Troche 10mg. It’s a lozenge which needs to be dissolved slowly over the tongue for 15 to 30 minutes. When I have a flare up, I use 3 daily. The directions say up to 5 depending on what the doctor writes for the prescription. It takes a few days to work but it’s been a wonder drug for me!

It’s ok to swallow the medication but it can cause stomach upsets, especially when using more than 1 or 2 per day. But it’s not necessary to swallow the product for it to work on the tongue! So what I do is let the lozenge dissolve a little on my tongue, then remove it for a couple minutes and slowly swish the saliva around in my mouth. Instead of swallowing my saliva, I just spit into a little paper cup and repeat the process until the tablet is all dissolved. It has no taste.

Also, it’s important for your mom to keep the yeast colonies from growing. She should try to brush her tongue with a soft toothbrush several times per day, basically scraping off the yeast. She can also rinse with warm salt/baking soda water which helps sooth the tongue after brushing.

Avoiding sugars/starches is also another key step in preventing oral thrush. Yeast loves sugar. So no white breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, candy…
Eating plain, non-fat Greek yogurt daily helps kill off bacterial. It produces a hostile environment for Candida, which is usually the culprit for oral thrush.

Another soother is Extra Virgin Coconut oil. This is called Pulling and it can be very beneficial in killing candida and restoring good oral health to the tissue.
Put a tablespoon of coconut oil on the tongue and let it melt. Then swish without swallowing the oil for 20 minutes. Then spit into a paper towel…not down the drain! It will clog the sink.

But again, the biggest help for me were the Clotrimazole Troches. They are very inexpensive too! That should be a simple call to her hematologist/oncologist, PCP or even her dentist.

What type of treatment is your mom receiving for her MF?

The most comprehensive treatment for severe oral thrush that I know of is Rx fluconazole, orally, 200mg day one, then 100mg daily for 2 weeks. Alternatively, fluconazole tablets, 150mg repeated weekly for maintenance. Clotrimazole troches can be used as well if needed. Both are effective but need a Rx from your dr. I hope her infection clears up and stays away with maintenance treatment. It’s great you’re trying to help her!

My dad, who also had ET, dealt with chronic thrush at the end of his life. I am glad to read about these treatments!

@loribmt hello.. how long did you used the Clotrimazole Troche?
Thanks in advance

Hi @annmvenus, I still use the Clotrimazole troches as needed if I have signs of an oral yeast issue flare up. Depending on my symptoms it can take several days for the issue to subside and then I can go weeks to months without needing to use them again.
My situation is a little unique as this yeast issue is related to side effects of my medical condition. But I’ve shared my experience of using the troches to others. And after using the medication as I outlined in my above comment, most had great results as well. The key was to allow the troches to slowly and completely melt over the tongue. I used at least 3 per day, sometimes for up to 5-7 days. Most of the time it helps within a day or two. Might be worth mentioning to your doctor/dentist.
By the way, welcome to Connect! Are you having the symptoms of an oral yeast infection? Is this ongoing or relatively new?