Thrush

My friend told me about Dr. Phil's show today. There was a women on who was terrified of the Doctor b/c of 2 year battle over oral thrush caused by antibiotics. This just screamed to me and I had to share the text with you all: (text below)

"I'm scared to death to go to the doctor," says Kim, 43. "The only way that I can go is if I'm carried in on a stretcher."

It all started when Kim was in her 20s and got thrush and a yeast infection in her mouth all from taking antibiotics. "For two years, I was going back and forth to the doctors, trying to get this treated and fixed. The last time I went to the doctor, he told me that I needed to come back for an AIDS test. It's impossible. You think right away your husband is cheating on you. I knew I was misdiagnosed, but the fear was there. The tests came back negative. I didn't have AIDS," she says. An eventual trip to a dentist taught her that all she had to do was change her toothbrush. "It went away and it's never come back. I'd been through 18 doctors and not one of them told me to change my toothbrush. I don't trust doctors anymore."

Kim hasn't been to the doctor in almost 10 years. "I am getting really good at diagnosing myself. I go online and research anything that's wrong with me. I've diagnosed colds, ear infections, allergies, sinus infection. My middle daughter got meningitis and I diagnosed it and that's what it was. I am Dr. Kim," she jokes.

"I know I need to go to the doctor, but fear is taking over. It's overruling any logic." Kim turns to Robin for help: "You are such a wonderful role model for women all over America. How am I ever going to get over this fear of going to the doctor?"


What did Dr. Phil have to say about this?


Sadly, Dr. Phil didn't talk about the Oral Thrush much at all. But I plan on writting the show and asking them to carry this theme over into another eppisode, and maybe we can get this issue some badly needed publicity!


what is oral thrush


Thanks for posting this. I saw this a couple months back, so it must be a rerun. The one thing that kept going through my mind was, I wish MY candida/thrush had been as easy to sure as changing my toothbrush! I change those suckers all the time :)


Yeah I agree. I think there was more to the story then just changing her toothbrush. But this happened to this particular women 20+ years ago. And I think in her memory that was thing that stood out (her tooth brush). But I am guessing that the dentist also suggested other oral hygiene reccomendations which contributed to the relief of her sypmtoms.

But really the biggest thing I got out of it is that for us oral thrush sufferers an Oral Medicine Specialist would have the best advice.


Changed her toothbrush! I bet that's all she did! I'm absolutely laughing at that one!


I agree. All of us here know better than that.


If anyone is still aware of this thread, Sarah do what you can to send a to the Dr. Phil show. I don't like him, but people think he is great. For some silly reason I have always thought that Oprah would go for the topic especially the tie with hormones and the personal nature of the stories. It is all an underdog story! Who wouldn't go for that?? All of us poor soul wandering around desperate for help not being able to fathom all the crap we have been diagnoses with over the years! After three relapses (not diet related) and what is guessed to be half of my life full of yeasties, I agree that this topic is in desperate need of attention! It is ridiculous how much you see it connected to AIDS!


Hi Re-lapser,

Oprah used to get ALOT of email from several on this board (especially a woman who used to post here: Jenade). Oprah's response was "We covered all that back in the 80's (with Dr. Crook)"

I do think Oprah would be the right venue to draw more attention gut guess she doesn't cover "old news" Also, I think she is very careful with controversial subjects since the beef industry sued her.

We can always ask again, though, and hope!

Ah, yes, and we have come so far since Dr. Crook! Thanks for your perspective. At least I am not the only one who does think she'd be good, but I was thinking that she is more likely to go with the personal story approach than a format where personal story is just one piece of a subject-driven discussion... It sure as hell wouldn't be my personal story on there! Hey, at this point, anything is worth a try! THANKS PACE!