What are the medications available to treat my friend's vaginal candidiasis?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have a 38-year-old female friend who has been smoking methamphetamine every day for the past seven years. A couple of years ago, she felt an odor from her vagina. She went to the doctor and had a pap smear done, checked for UTI, and the results were negative. Is it related to methamphetamine smoking?

She is a very hygienic person, takes showers, and is not sexually active. But the odor never goes away, even after a shower. She has mild itching occasionally. What should she do now? She lost her self-confidence. Could it be a symptom of cancer? She thinks that she is undergoing menopause. She uses an inhaler for asthma and a nebulizer with Albuterol.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for writing, and I understand your concern.

Usually, smoking does not lead to such a smell from the vagina; it has no direct link with the vaginal odor, nor does cancer cause any smell, so do not think about these conditions. The smell and itching are due to infections like gonorrhoeae, chlamydia, and candida. Do not worry, it can be treated.

Ask her to apply Clotrimazole ointment over the vagina once a day before sleeping for five days (consult with a specialist doctor, talk with him or her, and take medicines with their consent). Does she have any rashes or discharges from the vagina? What type of odor does she have? Is it sweet or fishy?

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Yes, without sexual contact, there are chances of getting candida. Foul smell and whitish discharge is seen in candida. So ask her to apply the ointment and observe for five days. If it does not help, then ask her to choose antibiotics, but most probably the ointment will give relief.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.