# I can't gentian violet anywhere! arg!



## luckydogcafe (Sep 25, 2004)

I live in Indiana. (not a bf friendly state.) maybe that's why I'm having no luck with getting gentian violet. my local health food shoppe can't even order it. another pharmacy that does a lot of compounding gave me a bunch of crap and said he wouldn't order it because it stains! hello! i'll throw out every bra I own if it means aleviating this pain!

someone said they got theirs at walmart, but i'm not sure i'm even going to waste my time to call. if i can't get it at a health shoppe, what are my chances. i did search on their web site and it came up with nothing.

can it be ordered on the web? should i just keep using the nystatin and see if it helps?

i'm already discouraged and I just found out i have thrush yesterday!


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## smirlynwittles (Aug 29, 2005)

Based on my experience with thrush, I'd start begging for diflucan...

Both of my kids ended up getting it. My daughter got it after I took antibiotics for a sinus infections. With my daughter we did the nystatin one week at a time until I gave up and it went away on it's own. She kept getting ear infections and at 18 mo my ped tested her for yeast. She still had it in her system!! And she had developed food sensitivites...

I called to warn my cousin who had twins at the time and they both got it. They went through nystatin, then gentian violet, and it kept coming back if they stopped treatment. It finally went away with diflucan. (Note that the Dr. Sears site mentioned that an Australian study showed gentian violet may be linked to cancer of the mouth.)

My son got it and I never even took antibiotics. My ped prescribed me 4 month of Nystatin (this is how much you'll need if you go this route). I begged my midwife for diflucan, explaining that I thought it must have been festering for years. She gave me a 14 day course of diflucan. I felt hung over for the first three days, but it killed it. So far my son seems healthier than my daughter.

For more info on diflucan, go to www.kellymom.com or look for articles by Jack Newman. Diflucan is the only thing that is supposed to clear thrush from the milk ducts.

Good Luck!!! I've been there...


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## sarahwebb (Feb 12, 2002)

Gentian violet is not a "natural food" product, and you won't find it at a health food store. They won't even have suppliers that stock it. You should be able to get it from most any mainstream pharmacy. They usually keep it behind the counter in the pharmacy. If they don't have it, most can order it for you and get it in a day. I've had good luck getting it at Wal-Mart as well. I'd call first though because not all pharmacies carry it.

I've been battling yeast under my breasts ever since my first summer as a nursing mom three years ago. A loading dose plus two weeks of diflucan didn't kill it. I've had better luck using gentian violet. I keep it at bay with Earth Theraputics tea tree oil liquid foot powder, changing bras frequently and straight tea tree oil, then when it gets out of hand, I use GV. It's been the most effective for me.

Good luck,
Sarah


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## Maltagirl (Dec 21, 2003)

no promises here, but try greentaramamma.com


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## lilsishomemade (Feb 12, 2005)

When I was a nurse, we used genetian violet for bad nail fungal infections (toenails, mainly), so I'd look where they keep the athlete's foot stuff. If it's not on the shelves, you can always tell the pharmacist a friend recomended using it for toenail infection or something like that.....Good Luck!


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## Debstmomy (Jun 1, 2004)

Try your local Rite-Aid or Walgreens. Call ahead, they may not keep it in stock & only special order it. good Luck.


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## calicokatt (Mar 14, 2005)

Check the feed store, just make sure it's not mixed with anything weird.


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## its_me_mona (Feb 2, 2005)

I have seen it on the shelf at Walmart here in Utah. It was with the rest of the antifungals. But like others said, try calling around to the pharmacies in your town first. It's usually kept behind the counter in the pharmacy. Try Walmart, Target, Walgreen's, Rite Aide...all of the bigger chain stores.

You can also try using an antifungal cream on your nipples too. Or you could also try Grapefruit Seed Extract diluted with water. I diluted 30 drops of GSE in 1 ounce of water.

BTDT experience: I have used both diflucan and gentian violet. Start with the GV first - it's pretty powerful stuff! Diflucan is usually only RX'ed when mom has a resistant strain of thrush that she just cannot get rid of after trying for a period of months. The GV was too harsh for my nipples but I used it in baby's mouth while I used the GSE solution on my nipples.

Good luck!


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## orangebird (Jun 30, 2002)

Out of curiosity, how do you pronounce it? I've seen it in writing and heard it said a couple different ways. If I ever want to talk about it IRL I want to know how to say it.

I've heard:

Jen-TEA-un
JEN-shun


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## its_me_mona (Feb 2, 2005)

I've always pronounced it "jen-shun" and have heard it pronounced that way only.


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

My stepmom (a nurse) looked at the bottle and said "it's triple dye". It's like iodine, but not iodine. So no, it's not so much healthfood-store-purchasable.









My hubby found it at a compounding pharmacy.

As for it staining? It sure did SEEM like it was going to stain! I wore white tank tops to sleep in, and they sure were purple! But then a few normal washes later, all white again. No purple. It didn't permanently stain a thing.









And it worked best for DS's thrush. My yeast, however, ugh.


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## wendy1221 (Feb 9, 2004)

It's a petroleum by-product used mainly as an industrial dye, so no natural store would carry it. You should be able to get it at any pharmacy. I asked a tiny local one to order it and they had it the next day for like $1.75.

Where in IN do you live? I'm in Lafayette and have found it very bf friendly. Old people come up to me all the time to say how nice it is to see a young nursing mother. That never happened to me back in W. PA where I'm from.


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## orangebird (Jun 30, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *its_me_mona*
I've always pronounced it "jen-shun" and have heard it pronounced that way only.









Thanks!


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## Sherra (Jun 27, 2005)

I saw it in our local walmart on the shelf..not near the pharmacy. I remember thinking..wow..how odd.

Sherra


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## PGTlatte (Mar 7, 2004)

I found it at WalMart. I had to ask for it...it was in the back. Our WM was discontinuing it because it didn't sell but had a bottle left. I'm pretty sure if you did a search you could find a place to order it online though.


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## True Blue (May 9, 2003)

CVS got it for me. But I never used it. I found Grapefruit Seed Extract to work very well -- check out DR Jay Gordon's site.


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## starlein26 (Apr 28, 2004)

we found our gentian violet at a local food store (safeway.) i think most pharmacies should have it. it's an otc product but it's not actually on the counter. the pharmacist will give it to you! gentian is wonderful i highly recommend it!


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## chel (Jul 24, 2004)

I found it at Wal-Mart in the first-aid section. Also found tea tree oil there as well.


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## luckydogcafe (Sep 25, 2004)

thanks for all the replies. i will definitely call around tomorrow. I'm feeling much better today. not wanting to shoot myself anymore!

the health food shop recommended to make a paste with the live probiotic powder I had purchased for the baby and mix it with olive oil. I've been putting that on the breasts and his diaper area, and I think that may be helping. The probiotic basically kills yeast, so it makes sense.

thanks again, and hopefully i'll get rid of it for good.....


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## its_me_mona (Feb 2, 2005)

I battled thrush off and on for about a year with DS2. I think the main reason why we battled it for so long was because I was not persistent enough in treating it so it just always returned. Treat yourself and baby for 2 weeks past the disappearance of symptoms. Trust me!!! LOL


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## termasan (Jul 1, 2005)

Probiotics is something you should do regardless of other yeast treatments, but I would suggest using gentian violet for sure (in addition to the probiotics that both you and baby should take) especially if the Nystatin isn't immediately helping the pain. GV worked when Nystatin didn't, but since it was in my ducts so deep for so long, I had to do Diflucan, and that helped immensely. I have heard great things about grapefruit seed extract, just never tried it.

GV is so cheap, and should be easy enough to get because any pharmacy can order it for you and have it for you the next day.

Good luck!
Teresa
Marcos 11-3-04


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