Turned out the reason it persisted for so long is I had thyroid and adrenal problems; I had a lot of other symptoms as well, because the hormone imbalance was screwing up my whole metabolism. So check for that if you have persistent issues. (My two other most major symptoms were severe fatigue — which I initially chalked up to the yeast — and uncharacteristic, uncontrollable rage popping up over the smallest things. Once I got on an adrenal medication, my normally sunny personality returned.)

Anyway, my point: I finally did find a “cure.” One big thing, of course, is to watch sugar, alcohol, and caffeine intake (all things that can also screw up your adrenal glands, especially if they’re already stressed). Another is the suppository-style miconazole you can get at the drug store. But the biggest thing for me was, I bought a Fleet enema and first used it to clear out any stuff up there that might be harboring yeast. Then I used the container to make my own version: Mix a little salt and the powder from one capsule of Vitamin Shoppe’s Ultimate 10 probiotic in it with water. (Put the powders in first, then add a little water and shake it up, then add the rest of the water; otherwise the powders don’t dissolve.) I do this before bed on nights when I can feel it thinking about coming back (for example in the days before my period, or if I end up having too much sugar for a few days in a row), and by morning there’s no problem. The probiotics really seem the best way to fight the stuff, and this costs almost nothing. (The Ultimate 10 is like $44 for 300, I think, but you can take them orally, which will also help, and they last a long time.)

Good luck; it’s a horrible problem!