HumcoBoric Acid Powder, 6 oz.

A few years back I developed a yeast infection. My case is a bit unique because I'm a man, and the candida variety that infected me seems to be one of the 7-10% described as "resistant" to the usual "azole" medications (miconazole, clotrimazole, several prescription medications in the same family) that serve as the first line of defense against candida. Yes, men can and do get yeast infections -- search "phimosis" and get ready for some rather cringe-y pictures.My GP immediately gave me the usual treatments, but it soon became clear it was a resistant variety, so he sent me to a urologist. They gave me some stronger prescriptions meds: nystatin, diflucan, a few others I don't remember, and we finally did beat it back, but I wasn't at all confident we'd completely gotten rid of it. Sure enough, a few times since, it's flared back up, and I went through more or less the same routine in more or less the same order.When it flared up again a couple of months ago, I had a hard time getting an appt with my GP (with the lockdown and all), so I started using some of the OTC meds, but I decided to do my own research and see if I couldn't do better. Most of the websites just want to sell you their own homeopathic snake oil that promises to have you fresh as a daisy in mere days, but there are some reputable medical websites like WebMD, and even the Mayo Clinic has their own website. I think it was the Mayo Clinic that said something along the lines of "resistant varieties are generally treated with boric acid". I was flabbergasted to discover that not only is boric acid available OTC, it was cheaper than even just the co-pays I'd been paying for the prescriptions that worked poorly if at all. I was reluctant to apply an acid to...well, you know where...but it dawned on me that the women giving this product rave reviews were applying it INTERNALLY, and saying it not only worked, it felt great.It comes as a powder, so you need to mix it with something to make a cream or paste that will stick where you apply it. Someone mentioned coconut oil, which seemed like a pretty good idea since coconut oil has antifungal properties of its own, but I went with hydrocortisone cream instead. Even if the boric acid killed the bacteria, the skin would have to heal from the lesions, and helping things along with hydrocortisone seemed like a good idea.Today is the fourth day of my routine, and the results have been amazing. It's clear the infection is almost gone -- the discharge and odor are completely gone. There's still some pain and itching, but it's improving, for the first time in months. I'll continue with the boric acid for at least a couple more weeks (there doesn't seem to be a downside to its use), and maybe, just maybe, be rid of this thing for good!

Okay, so, if you consider all things ladyparts-related to be TMI - I suggest you stop now. If you're a woman troubled by how your downstairs is treating you, then please read on, for this product is a MIRACLE....well. Yeast infections. Yeah, that's right. This review is going to be about the lack of yeast infections because this works so amazingly. Here's the deal: DO NOT INGEST THIS OR PUT IT ON OPEN WOUNDS. Otherwise, this stuff is great. It kills roaches and pests (and yeast)!After reading about boric acid and yeast infections online, I decided to try this as I was pretty desperate. My hormone imbalances in addition to my IUD was giving me that inevitable itch every month. You know, *that* tickle at the beginning of my monthly cycle. I was spending too much time and money to have the discomfort of OTC yeast infection treatments bothering me when I was trying to treat something that's already ming-bogglingly discomforting in its own right.The Monistat would help, sure, but then I had to wear pads, couldn't get intimate with my boyfriend, and it was just a hassle. A hassle that I was willing to go through for relief, until I finally decided to take the plunge and put this powder in size 00 vegetable capsules with a bit of coconut oil and stick it up there. (I don't use a capsule maker. I sat down one night with gloves and made 30 and put them in a Ziploc and I keep them in a cool, dry place. I also have the bag labeled appropriately - saying "DO NOT INGEST" - this is especially important if you have kids or keep it in a place that someone else might see it and think it's something else.)For real, though, I've been using these for over six months, and the affordable price and convenience and actual, legitimate results are insane. This stuff just kills yeast FAST. If I start to feel that tickle down there, I insert one capsule before bed, and I feel at LEAST 98% better by morning, if not 100%. Sometimes there is some discharge during the day that has a very clear and watery consistency, and if this bugs you, you can wear a panty liner, but if you only insert one (and by all means if you're having a raging infection, insert two) you should not have much of anything happening the next day. I was apprehensive initially because of what the warnings on the bottle say, but as long as the bottle says "NF," I'm under the impression that it's fine as a suppository. Again, do NOT take it orally.This was a godsend. It was so cheap and it will last me forever, and it doesn't hurt me at all. I know OTC Monistat gives a lot of women burning sensations, and nobody should have to go through that for relief.