Yeast infection from partner taking abx?

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crying moo

crying moo

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A man came to pick up Levaquin for himself and asked me if it would cause a yeast infection in his wife. I reassured him that it wouldn't. His wife calls after he gets home and asked me again, and I told her if HE was taking the abx, then she should not get a yeast infection. She was annoyed and told me that she had gotten yeast infections from him in the past while he was taking different abx but he hasn't taken Levaquin before.

She said her gynecologist said it was "fairly common". I told her I had no data to support that, and I haven't heard of any cases of that happenning. She got mad at me and said "how could you not have heard of this? well it happens to me!" and her doctor said that the antibiotic can get into the semen.

Aside from all the other questions racing in my mind (like "wtf?") I'd like to know if anybody's ever heard of this before. I supposed its possible- anything's possible, and I can imagine up some farfetched pathyphysiology behind it. I suppose I'll do a medline search tomorrow.

Or as the pharmacist I was working with proposed: It's eliminated in the urine and they're doing something really kinky.
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From what I know, most antibiotics CAN cause a yeast infection. Levaquin and most other floraquiones are like nuclear bombs. They wipe out a good percent of your normal flora due to their amazing coverage. This allows fungal species to have more resources to grow, and hence a possible fungal infection. Remember, antibiotics are not anti fungal.
 
Aznfarmerboi said:
From what I know, most antibiotics CAN cause a yeast infection. Levaquin and most other floraquiones are like nuclear bombs. They wipe out a good percent of your normal flora due to their amazing coverage. This allows fungal species to have more resources to grow, and hence a possible fungal infection. Remember, antibiotics are not anti fungal.
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Your not understanding what to op is asking. She is wondering if she can get a yeast infection from him being on abx. To me that sound pretty far fetched. However, intercourse by itself can disrupt normal flora and cause yeast infections and I bet that the last time she got a yeast infection he happened to be on abx.
 
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That's really pretty cool. Not someone getting a yeast infection, just the science behind it. No offense to any ladies because I think you rule the world, but I'm glad I'm not a female.
 
sorry. In any case, yeast infections are one of the warnings listed in levaquins package insert.
 
Aznfarmerboi said:
sorry. In any case, yeast infections are one of the warnings listed in levaquins package insert.
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right. most of us know that if the woman herself is taking an antibiotic she may get a yeast infection. however, in this case the woman is claiming that she gets a yeast infection when her husband is taking the antibiotic.
 
The only way I can "picture" the pathophysiology of this occurring is if levofloxacin is transmitted from the semen, sort of like how some drugs are transmitted through breast milk. During intercourse, the levofloxacin gets deposited with the semen into the vaginal tract eventually causing a change in the natural flora of the vaginal tract leading to VVC. :laugh:
 
Sosumi said:
The only way I can "picture" the pathophysiology of this occurring is if levofloxacin is transmitted from the semen, sort of like how some drugs are transmitted through breast milk. During intercourse, the levofloxacin gets deposited with the semen into the vaginal tract eventually causing a change in the natural flora of the vaginal tract leading to VVC. :laugh:
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It seems to fall under the "possible but not likely" heading to me.
 
I hope you all forgive me......last week was my week/holiday to work & I still have holiday houseguests 😛 ...but my opinion (as small as it is) is that this is possible, but not for reasons which have been proposed. I highly doubt that the concentration within the amount of semen & the length of time it is in contact with the vaginal vault is enough to provide an MIC which would affect the vaginal flora.....but - I'm old - other folks live different from me; - and even from when I was younger😛 !)!

First, vaginitis, which many women confuse with candidal vaginitis, can have many causes (C. glabrata, C.parapsilosis, C.krusei, Saccrharomyces or the many different bacteria associated with vaginitis). Also, vulvovaginal candidiasis can be classified as sporadic or recurrent. The pathophysiology is complex & poorly understood, but we do know that noninfectious vulvovaginitis can be caused by a variety of inflammatory, hypersensitvity & collagen vascular disorders. If actually cultured, it can be compromised by comorbid diseases involving precipitating or causal factors. One of the primary factors is immune compromise in addition to other diseases which change the normal flora, vaginal cellular structure & hormonal regulation of secretions.

I'd propose the possibility exists that the sexual partner being treated for a bacterial infection with Levaquin could cause a disruption in the vaginal mucosa or flora which could result in a vaginal yeast infection....or perhaps, a vaginitis - which can be interpreted by the patient as a yeast infection through a couple of mechanisms.

One could be the simple fact that the Levaquin changes the pH of the seminal fluids. Some women have a particular mucosal sensitivity to changes in the pH of the vaginal fluid when it exceeds 3.8-4.2 on either end. The presence of Levaquin within the fluids can change the pH enough to cause sensitivity.

The second & more complicated explanation could lie in new research which suggests that fluoroquinolones can cause mitogen activated protein kinase activation & synthesis of cytokines which can be causative in inflammation.

The suggestion that noninfectious vulvovaginitis can be caused by a variety of immunosuppressive reasons & one of which might be a change in the normal mechanisms of inflammatory responses could give rise to a reason we don't yet understand when a non-treated patient is exposed to low levels of drug at the mucosal surface.

Now, pratically, had she been my patient....my response to her would have been "sure...it is entirely possible your husband's antibiotic usage might have changed your vaginal environment which might have made you vulnurable to an abnormal response" - notice - I did not say a vaginal yeast infection. I'd not get involved in the complicated immunosuppresive explanations. I'd keep it simple & just mention the possible changes in pH.

The reality is that very few women actually get cultured for vaginal yeast infections now that otc medications are available. Even when they do, often the culture is negative. That does not mean they don't have a yeast infection - it is just not cultured. That, likewise, does not mean they do. However....the beauty of the vaginal otc antifungals is that not only do they provide an antifungal (which is too bad for resistance patterns), but they also provide a pH "proper" product.

I might have recommended a post-coital Vagisil rather than a prophylactic...however, some couples choose to use a barrier product or abstinence. But...sometimes, just changing the pH might be enough to re-regulate the environment.

However...I would acknowledge the possibility & provide her with solutions which might help her forstall her anxiety of a possible uncomfortable & already anxiety producing situation.

Again, I apologize for not responding to these threads......I think I've missed many with my holiday & family responsibilities. If you'd like me to comment...please bump them back up. I should be getting caught up in a few days.....Caverject - I apologize for my long-windedness😀 .

Happy New Year to all - see how late I am????🙂
 
If I may put in my 2cents worth? from personal experience...if my hubby takes antibiotics, we either abstain or use a condom, or I get diflucan (no, I can't spell, sorry). In the past, I have been diagnosed with yeast infections after unprotected intercourse when he is on antibiotics. The family practice doctor said that it was common...of course, this was with the "miacins" family of antibiotics...which are probably different than the new stuff!
 
I'm gonna go there. even though I shouldn't.

what sort of antibiotic concentrations might one find in saliva?
 
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njac said:
I'm gonna go there. even though I shouldn't.

what sort of antibiotic concentrations might one find in saliva?
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:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I'm guessing your question was rhetorical (or...."tongue-in-...cheek"😉 )

But, seriously...similar to concentrations in blood. It concentrates in urine.

Not to put too fine a point on this "esoteric" mechanism....it is not the concentration - it is the concentration/time/volume of fluid which might exist within the vaginal canal to cause an MIC which might affect flora. There is just not enough saliva or semen which stays within the vaginal vault to cause this flora change to occur.

Good idea - for reasons other than antimicrobial therapy though!
 
sdn1977 said:
Keep dreamin'😉

But....I can get you a pic of levofloxacin - want that???😛
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contract of choice for quinolones for us are Avelox/Cipro.
 
Ok.. so we're headed to the Tuolumne medows this summer.... in our RV👍
 
wow SDN1977 u sound so smart. LOL i dont even understand anything u typed. ur the reason why i promised myself today im gonna read 10/hrs a day from now on lol.
 
ZpackSux said:
Ok.. so we're headed to the Tuolumne medows this summer.... in our RV👍
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Beautiful place!!!! But...that whole trip thru Texas, AZ, up 395 & across the Tioga pass....well - it will be an experience.

We did a similar trip one summer from here to Yellowstone & back. The country is gorgeous (but Nevada does get monotonous - sorry!!!!) and we still have experiences we laugh about.

Got a good camera???
 
Da Alchemist said:
wow SDN1977 u sound so smart. LOL i dont even understand anything u typed. ur the reason why i promised myself today im gonna read 10/hrs a day from now on lol.
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Alchemist, my friend - I do hope you are NOT serious!!!! If you spend that many hours reading every day you'll miss out on some important information......didn't you read the part about the saliva concentrations??😉

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
 
sdn1977 said:
Beautiful place!!!! But...that whole trip thru Texas, AZ, up 395 & across the Tioga pass....well - it will be an experience.

We did a similar trip one summer from here to Yellowstone & back. The country is gorgeous (but Nevada does get monotonous - sorry!!!!) and we still have experiences we laugh about.

Got a good camera???
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Woman who knows her geography... impressive. That's right...we have to get on 120 - Tioga pass from 395... we'll pass Bishop, Tom's Place, and Lake Crowley on the way up... Tioga pass is one of the most beautiful drives I've taken..

I'm all about good camera..
 
ZpackSux said:
Woman who knows her geography... impressive. That's right...we have to get on 120 - Tioga pass from 395... we'll pass Bishop, Tom's Place, and Lake Crowley on the way up... Tioga pass is one of the most beautiful drives I've taken..

I'm all about good camera..
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Watch the weather! The Tioga pass didn't open up until after July 4 last year. Your big rig will fit right in with the big buses.

Oh....try to stop by Mono Lake if you can - its really changed in 15 years & will even more now the Owens River has been reopened. Its actually an interesting geologic site for kids to learn about.
 
sdn1977 said:
Watch the weather! The Tioga pass didn't open up until after July 4 last year. Your big rig will fit right in with the big buses.

Oh....try to stop by Mono Lake if you can - its really changed in 15 years & will even more now the Owens River has been reopened. Its actually an interesting geologic site for kids to learn about.
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Wow..you really know the area!

I didn't know Owens river was closed!!! I used to catch some serious Brown Trout there... You're right... Tuolumne doesn't open till July... There was snow when I was there in Aug of 1991, the last time I was there.
 
sdn1977 said:
Alchemist, my friend - I do hope you are NOT serious!!!! If you spend that many hours reading every day you'll miss out on some important information......didn't you read the part about the saliva concentrations??😉

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Click to expand...

LOL whats a saliva concentrations? u know too many slangs (slangs lol jk)
 
ZpackSux said:
Wow..you really know the area!

I didn't know Owens river was closed!!! I used to catch some serious Brown Trout there... You're right... Tuolumne doesn't open till July... There was snow when I was there in Aug of 1991, the last time I was there.
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Yeah......its been "diverted" for decades.....like the 50's when the California Aquaduct was built for water for LA - do you remember the controversy when you were there?

Well...at the time....nobody was much on the eastern side of the Sierras nor did they care too much about what might happen if the water was diverted. So...they diverted the Owens River...which slowly started to ruin Mono Lake. It took about 20 years before the public (the biologists & the Sierra Club folks knew this first) knew that some permanent & irreversible damage was going to be done unless they changed it.

So....in 2006 (the court order actually came in 1998 I think) they finally reopened the river. It feeds back down to the aquaduct farther south before going over the Grapevine. But...it will bring back the normal fish & has already started to add more water to Mono Lake which is bringing back the birds which use it as they migrate. It really is a very interesting story. Mono Lake is an easy walk (not a hike - no ups & downs....just hot in the summer) with absolutely spectacular scenery - almost like a science fiction movie set. Your daughter will love it & learn lots about the Indians who lived on that side of the mountains.

Sadly, you won't be able to fish it this year - its only 2 feet deep at first, but will be allowed to rise slowly.

If you go to Bowdie - a ghost town near Bridgeport - not too far from the turnoff (a bit north) from 395 to the Tioga...you can learn about the very first power plant in the state & how far the lines ran over that rough eastern Sierra....they brought electricity, using Owens River water (I think😳 ) all the way out to nowhere (which is where Bowdie is) so the miners could use power......another interesting story. (They've also got an old apothecary shop with actual old & dusty Eli Lily bottles & boxes - looks like someone just walked out & left. You can't go in, but you can take a tour up to the mine.

You'll love it - the eastern Sierras are some of the most beautiful places in the state - so different from the western side - which is pretty too, don't get me wrong.

Be sure to get your campground reservation - they fill up FAST in Yosemite!

If you need other places to stay...let me know - I've camped there lots!
 
njac said:
right. most of us know that if the woman herself is taking an antibiotic she may get a yeast infection. however, in this case the woman is claiming that she gets a yeast infection when her husband is taking the antibiotic.
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This has happened to me on several occasions when my husband took antibiotics and we did not have sex while he was on them, because I didn't want to chance a yeast infection, but it happened anyway. Also, during a time he had a problem with his Prostate he was put on Cipro for three weeks. I ended up having headaches, intestinal problems and then two months later a Pelvic Prolapse. It required surgery to remedy the problem. Ten months later our daughter contracted Shingles in her inner ear requiring her taking Cipro. Again, within 2 months I suffered another Pelvic Prolapse, again, I had to have surgery to repair the damage. In the past, when I was caring for my mother, following her open heart surgery I had to dispense her meds. Coming in contact with her Warfarin caused me to develop a nasty sore on my back, leg pains, headaches. It was only when my fingertips and fingernails began to split that I recognize the same symptoms I had when I had my hip replaced and was on Warfarin for a week. There are weird things going on out there that have not been addressed with testing. I assure you there are those of us who are highly reactive to Pharmaceuticals and we don't even have to be taking the stuff ourselves. I would hope that someone of a medical status or researcher, of some kind, would have some answers.
 
CATRYNA49 said:
This has happened to me on several occasions when my husband took antibiotics and we did not have sex while he was on them, because I didn't want to chance a yeast infection, but it happened anyway. Also, during a time he had a problem with his Prostate he was put on Cipro for three weeks. I ended up having headaches, intestinal problems and then two months later a Pelvic Prolapse. It required surgery to remedy the problem. Ten months later our daughter contracted Shingles in her inner ear requiring her taking Cipro. Again, within 2 months I suffered another Pelvic Prolapse, again, I had to have surgery to repair the damage. In the past, when I was caring for my mother, following her open heart surgery I had to dispense her meds. Coming in contact with her Warfarin caused me to develop a nasty sore on my back, leg pains, headaches. It was only when my fingertips and fingernails began to split that I recognize the same symptoms I had when I had my hip replaced and was on Warfarin for a week. There are weird things going on out there that have not been addressed with testing. I assure you there are those of us who are highly reactive to Pharmaceuticals and we don't even have to be taking the stuff ourselves. I would hope that someone of a medical status or researcher, of some kind, would have some answers.
Click to expand...
Truth.
 
CATRYNA49 said:
This has happened to me on several occasions when my husband took antibiotics and we did not have sex while he was on them, because I didn't want to chance a yeast infection, but it happened anyway. Also, during a time he had a problem with his Prostate he was put on Cipro for three weeks. I ended up having headaches, intestinal problems and then two months later a Pelvic Prolapse. It required surgery to remedy the problem. Ten months later our daughter contracted Shingles in her inner ear requiring her taking Cipro. Again, within 2 months I suffered another Pelvic Prolapse, again, I had to have surgery to repair the damage. In the past, when I was caring for my mother, following her open heart surgery I had to dispense her meds. Coming in contact with her Warfarin caused me to develop a nasty sore on my back, leg pains, headaches. It was only when my fingertips and fingernails began to split that I recognize the same symptoms I had when I had my hip replaced and was on Warfarin for a week. There are weird things going on out there that have not been addressed with testing. I assure you there are those of us who are highly reactive to Pharmaceuticals and we don't even have to be taking the stuff ourselves. I would hope that someone of a medical status or researcher, of some kind, would have some answers.
Click to expand...

Is this a serious post? I have never heard of someone simply getting a back sore from touching warfarin. Nor have I heard of someone getting a yeast infection without having sex, from someone else who is taking an antibiotic. You got yeast infection just by being near someone who's on antibiotic? There's got to be other reasons or logical, scientific explanation. I'm sorry but no science can back up your claims.
 
aznhomieboi1689 said:
Is this a serious post? I have never heard of someone simply getting a back sore from touching warfarin. Nor have I heard of someone getting a yeast infection without having sex, from someone else who is taking an antibiotic. You got yeast infection just by being near someone who's on antibiotic? There's got to be other reasons or logical, scientific explanation. I'm sorry but no science can back up your claims.
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Well, now you have. Q. E. D.
 
Ask why she continues doing it if there's such a strong correlation of it occurring in the past.

She sounds like a fool.
 
On a serious note, it's possible that a man could contract a yeast infection while taking antibiotics if he's uncircumcised, and pass it on to his wife (or other partner). I realize this is a zombie thread, but if they're that concerned, he should use a condom if they do have sex.
 
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