yellow tongue

[JPeriod]

My tongue is yellow, down the center. I use the tongue scraper and nothing happens. I googled and it seems the concensus is either yeast or bacterial. I was reading in my "Feast Without Yeast" book (DS is on an anti-yeast diet) that the hormones in preganant women make them more suseptible to yeast overgrowths (I'm 9 weeks pregnant).

Thoughts?!

BTW, I can't stand the taste of my own saliva, though that might just be a pregnancy thing right now!

[flowermama]

I'm not sure what the yellowness would be from , but I've heard that coconut oil is really good for yeast overgrowth (and for tons of other things as well!). Also probiotics are always helpful.

Do you drink a lot of drinks that might stain or discolor like coffee or tea?

[cobluegirl]

you could swish with some listerine and it might help kill those germs too.

[JPeriod]

Originally Posted by Raspberries

Do you drink a lot of drinks that might stain or discolor like coffee or tea?

I stopped a month ago. I can't remember if I saw the yellow before that though.

Originally Posted by cobluegirl

you could swish with some listerine and it might help kill those germs too.

Listerine has been my best friend since I became PG, multiple times a day! I read that stuff with menthol or something (i.e. mouthwash), can cause a discolored tongue, so I thought .

I tried gargling with my son's powdered nystatin for 2 minutes and there really wasn't a change.

One of the home rememedies I read about is brushing the tongue with 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 5 parts water. I tried that the other day and it removed all the yellow I could reach. But I couldn't get the very back because I gag. The taste in my mouth was much better after that.

I'm kinda wondering if there's a connection between my eating so much more gluten and casein since becoming PG, yeast, and the tongue thing.

Drives me absolutely bonkers right now.

[Quiteria]

when I was on diflucan (antifungal med that you swallow) to treat yeast in my ducts, my tongue was coincidentally the pinkest I'd ever seen it

so yes, I would suspect yeast

one gargle with nystatin won't change it...it often takes two weeks for nystatin to work, and that's dosing 4-8 times a day, and assuming it isn't nystatin-resistant. ftr, nystatin works on contact, not by digestion, so feel free to spit it out afterward.

another option...if you can stay home for about a week...is 3 days of gentian violet. Again, works on contact, and it is not as safe as nystatin if overused, so definitely do the minimum and spit out all excess after painting your tongue with a q-tip dipped in 1% gentian violet once daily. You will look like you chewed a ball point pen for about a week, hence the suggestion to stay home. . Vaseline (or other oil) coating on your lips (and around them, too) will help keep them from getting stained like your tongue. When the stain wears off, the yeast goes with it.

[JPeriod]

Originally Posted by Quiteria

when I was on diflucan (antifungal med that you swallow) to treat yeast in my ducts, my tongue was coincidentally the pinkest I'd ever seen it

so yes, I would suspect yeast

one gargle with nystatin won't change it...it often takes two weeks for nystatin to work, and that's dosing 4-8 times a day, and assuming it isn't nystatin-resistant. ftr, nystatin works on contact, not by digestion, so feel free to spit it out afterward.

another option...if you can stay home for about a week...is 3 days of gentian violet. Again, works on contact, and it is not as safe as nystatin if overused, so definitely do the minimum and spit out all excess after painting your tongue with a q-tip dipped in 1% gentian violet once daily. You will look like you chewed a ball point pen for about a week, hence the suggestion to stay home. . Vaseline (or other oil) coating on your lips (and around them, too) will help keep them from getting stained like your tongue. When the stain wears off, the yeast goes with it.

Well, it was 2 minutes with 500,000 units (and I did spit it out!)! And we noticed a difference in DS after the first dose. But true, if it's resistant...

I've never been able to find gentian violet every time I tried. Where have you found it? And if I DO find it, what do suggest to get it on the back of my tongue? Can I gargle it? Wonder how it tastes.

[flowermama]

We use grapefruit seed extract to combat yeast in our family. It's worked well for us, that and taking probiotics. Coconut oil would taste better, though, and has so many other benefits; I've never actually tried it to combat yeast, though, but just read that it can work. I'll try and find some directions for you in case they might help and will be back.

eta: I had another reply typed up but lost it! Anyway, here is where I first learned about using GSE to treat thrush. It's mostly about treating it in babies, but it has some helpful information that could be applied to mom as well. http://drjaygordon.com/breastfeeding/thrush.html When I need to combat yeast in myself, I put a few drops in water and drink it.

I don't know anything about this site, but I thought this advice at least sounded healthy for people who can take coconut oil.
http://www.coconutdiet.com/candida.htm

So to summarize the Coconut Diet Anti-Yeast program:
1. Slowly work up to at least 3.5 tablespoons of Virgin Coconut Oil into one’s diet.
2. Add traditional fermented foods to one’s diet.
3. Eliminate sugars and simple carbohydrates (white breads, pasta, etc.) as much as possible from your diet.

(Instead of traditional fermented foods, I just take probiotics from the store , but I've heard that fermented foods are good for you.)

Anyway, just some ideas!

[JPeriod]

Originally Posted by flowermama

We use grapefruit seed extract to combat yeast in our family. It's worked well for us, that and taking probiotics. Coconut oil would taste better, though, and has so many other benefits; I've never actually tried it to combat yeast, though, but just read that it can work. I'll try and find some directions for you in case they might help and will be back.

eta: I had another reply typed up but lost it! Anyway, here is where I first learned about using GSE to treat thrush. It's mostly about treating it in babies, but it has some helpful information that could be applied to mom as well. http://drjaygordon.com/breastfeeding/thrush.html When I need to combat yeast in myself, I put a few drops in water and drink it.

I don't know anything about this site, but I thought this advice at least sounded healthy for people who can take coconut oil.
http://www.coconutdiet.com/candida.htm



(Instead of traditional fermented foods, I just take probiotics from the store , but I've heard that fermented foods are good for you.)

Anyway, just some ideas!

I had forgotten about the GSE! I have some and I think I could do it. It never worked for DS though. Our DAN! doctor was cautious with it though -- said it killed EVERYTHING, like abx do.

We're all already on good probiotics. Check!

I can't stomach the coconut oil right now though.

[Quiteria]

Oh, I hadn't realized you were preg.

Why don't you try brushing with some powered probiotics sprinkled on your toothbrush after every meal?

[JPeriod]

Okay, so I'm pretty sure it's yeast. Ick! I've been gargling and taking GSE drops the last couple days and it's only gotten worse. The back is all white and the yellow has spread down the sides of my tongue. Ewwww! I swished with DS's nystatin again this morning and examined more closely afterward. I think it IS killing stuff because there was ramdom slime and stuff came off with my tongue scraper, just not ALL of it. I ended up swallowing so I could get the back of my tongue too.

I have no experience with thrush, but I thought it should be more patchy, painful, and around the sides of my mouth too?? So weird.

I'm debating trying to get to the dr to get a rx for nystatin or if I should try GSE capsules first? I was reading 250 mg/3x day for 3 days? Thoughts? I'm not sure I can handle nystatin 4x a day in my mouth like that.