“Every time I got that burning sensation, I just had this sinking feeling… Am I going to have this forever?”
Enid shares her honest story of living with chronic thrush, from relentless symptoms to suffering in silence and the one thing that finally gave her relief.
“I would describe it like a toothache – just constantly there, you can’t escape it.”
For Enid, recurrent thrush wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was all-consuming. Over time, it chipped away at her confidence, her relationships and her trust in the doctors who were supposed to help her. Here, she shares what it’s really like to live with constant symptoms, and how she had to look beyond the medical system to finally find relief.
Thrush (also known as a yeast infection or Vulvovaginal candidiasis) is a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of Candida in the vaginal microbiome. Whilst this sounds like a straightforward problem, getting things back in balance can be a long and difficult journey.
Enid knew something wasn’t right. It started with vaginal discharge that felt unusual and excessive, then came the irritation and burning. A few over-the-counter treatments seemed to help, but only briefly. The symptoms kept coming back again and again for over 18 months, sometimes every 10 days.
“Every time I got that burning sensation, I just had this sinking feeling… Am I going to have this forever?”
She describes thrush the way others might describe chronic pain: constant, nagging, always in the background. Without a real solution, day-to-day life only seemed to make things worse.
“You’re always sitting down, always aggravating it in some way. It’s relentless.”
“It’s just not a socially acceptable thing to talk about. You can’t really share with people, not even your close friends. And I would never have told my boss, even though she was a woman.”
Anyone who has dealt with recurrent infections will recognise the frustration of suffering in silence; the inability to share what you’re really going through, even with those you trust. It’s not just about feeling embarrassed. It’s about the way vaginal health is still so taboo in our society; something to hide, or worse – blame yourself for.
“You just end up not talking to anybody about it, which doesn’t help.”
While periods are starting to be spoken about more openly, vaginal infections are still kept quiet. And that silence only fuels the shame.
“It would tend to flare up after sex. It just makes you lose confidence in yourself… like you’re just waiting for the next one to happen.”
Vaginal infections don’t just trigger physical symptoms, they wear you down mentally and emotionally. When your body feels unpredictable (or even hostile), your relationship with yourself and those around you can change. This has a powerful ripple effect across intimacy, trust and connection.
“It affected me mentally as well as physically because it’s just so f*cking draining.”
Enid did what she was supposed to do. She saw her GP, got a vaginal swab, and waited for answers. But after multiple appointments, she found herself facing judgment rather than solutions.
“By the third or fourth appointment, the doctor (who was male) genuinely asked if I was wiping properly. Even after confirming it was thrush, he implied I was causing it. I couldn’t believe it.”
Instead of investigating why the infection had become chronic or whether something deeper was going on, the doctor’s response was to place the blame on the patient and repeat the same generic advice. This dismissive approach is frustrating yet all too common.
Even when Enid was eventually referred to a specialist, she wasn’t offered any further testing, alternative options or clinical trials. Just more of the same dismissal.
She wasn’t asking for a miracle, just for someone to take her seriously.
Like many others let down by the medical system, Enid started looking for answers elsewhere. Feeling at a complete loss, she decided to invest in an at-home microbiome test from America.
“I was worried it was something nastier. So even though the results didn’t show anything new, it was reassuring.”
The ability to test at home, on her own terms, was a small but important step towards regaining a sense of control over the situation and easing her mind. Yet, she recognises it’s a privileged option not all women have.
“Being able to afford at-home testing and knowing there are other options out there, that felt empowering.”
From late-night Google searches to the depths of Reddit, Enid started piecing together information, trying to connect the dots. While traditional medical websites only offered generic advice, open forums gave her something else: raw, unfiltered lived experiences from other women.
“Reddit is your bestie. Don’t bother with traditional medical websites if it’s recurring. You won’t find what you need.”
Eventually, she stumbled across boric acid, a treatment that came up repeatedly in community threads. But it had never once been mentioned by a doctor.
“I had to buy it off eBay. It was in bright pink packaging with no label. It could have been anything or nothing. But I was so desperate.”
Boric acid is an antiseptic compound that’s gained popularity as a solution for vaginal infections. Many people on forums say it helped them when nothing else did. However, it’s not licensed for medical use in many countries, including the UK. Without clinical trials or regulations, doctors can’t guarantee its safety.
When used vaginally, boric acid can cause side effects like burning, discharge and redness. It’s also highly toxic if swallowed and can trigger serious health issues, making it crucial to handle boric acid with care.
When Enid mentioned boric acid during a medical appointment, her doctor was dismissive.
“There was no discussion, she just said she wouldn’t use that. But I don’t think she even knew what it was.”
Despite the lack of medical support and the potential risks, for Enid, boric acid worked. After months of relentless symptoms and repeat prescriptions, she finally had some relief.
“It was the only thing that helped.”
Enid’s experience highlights a wider issue: when healthcare falls short, women are forced to turn to unregulated alternatives out of desperation. It’s not just frustrating, it’s potentially dangerous.
“Something I wish I’d learned earlier? That it’s literally an imbalance. And it can happen to anyone – men, women, children. It’s not ‘just a vaginal thing.’”
Understanding that thrush is simply a microbial imbalance could’ve saved Enid a huge amount of stress and helped ease the shame that continues to surround vaginal infections.
At UVISA, real stories from our community are shaping our solution. If you’ve struggled with recurring infections or felt let down by the current system, we want to hear from you. Share your experience to help shape the future of vaginal health.
