[YEA]  03/01/2009: Collene from Detroit, MI writes: "I have been experiencing BV for several years now and have continuously gone thru the CONSTANT cycle of taking the prescribed meds for it. Its just one big cycle. I swear I think the doctors arent concerned and don't care about prescribing a permanent solution because it keeps you spending money with them and keeps the drug companies' pockets fat! To boot, My doctor would say things to make me feel like a filthy whore because I kept coming back with same symptons. I felt judged every time I had to make an appointment and dreaded it. I didn't have multiple partners and I used condoms and would still get it. I was fine as long as I didn't have sex after taking the meds. As soon as I would have sex, it would come back. In 2007 I simply stopped having sex. In 2008 I couldn't deal w/that anymore either and the BV cycle started all over again. That is the most embarrassing smell in the world for a woman. It makes me feel extremely filthy! I am determined to find something that works permanently. I have been taking 50B Lactobacillus for a week and am going to try the suggestions on this site. I felt I was the only one dealing with this. Here goes!"

02/25/2009: Betty from Orlando, Fl replies: "Try using extra virgin coconut oil as your lubricant."

02/26/2009: Marlee from Los Angeles, CA USA replies: "Jessica,

I understand if you don't want to go to the doctor but #1 You should be sure what it is first. Bacterial Vaginosis smells like fish or strong cheese, there can be discharge ranging from clear, white, yellow, green-grayish, the more color the more bacteria. The smell definitely is from the bacteria, the normal "friendly flora" we have does not smell. If you have researched this from the many online sources you may be correct that you have BV, it could be Trichomonas though.

What most of the articles, although informative, DO not TELL you is THAT MEN CARRY and spread these unfriendly bacteria. YOUR husband needs to be checked by direct urethral swab. IT is possible that you can get this unbalanced bacterial situation from bad hygiene, but you would have to run around pretty sweaty, damp and with tight clothes, unnatural fabrics that don't breathe or a wet bathing suit or tampon for way to long, then have sex so the bacteria from out side gets pushed inside. Unless you are a real slob then you probably got it from a man. I got a terrible case from my boyfriend. Here is my experience and what I learned from this experience:

I noticed that my new boyfriend smelled bad 'down there". It was summer so I thought , sweaty, don't worry and I didn't want to embarrass him or ruin the moment by telling him to wash. With in a few weeks of this I started to smell bad and I NEVER have had any bad smell at all in all my 47 years. I knew of Gardnerella, the former name for BV, so I smelled his semen too to make sure that it came from him, it reeked so I told the BF that we had to get checked out, and he did test positive as did I. We took the antibiotics and assumed it was gone as we didn't smell. Then a few weeks later his semen smelled again, then 4 days later I smelled again. he took the antibiotics again and I did Hydrogen Peroxide, I don't like to take drugs. No smell again for a few weeks but it came back again so we did the antibiotics again and I INSISTED on a re check to make sure it was gone this time, the nurse on duty that day thought I was crazy but I wasn't taking a chance again, I checked out clear, NO BV in me. The clinic that my BF went to did a urine test only on him (may not be enough bacteria coming out in urine to show), not the swab and said he was clear but he had a yeast infection from taking the antibiotics (yes men do get this too and can pass it to you) So I was clear and I hoped he was clear (but used condoms just in case, didn't work see below on condoms) he didn't want that swab up there again, not fun for guys, well boo hoo because he was not clear and gave it to me yet again. At this point "my" nurse told me that HE must have a resistant case and has probably had it a long time. I questioned my BF, "Did you smell this when you were with your ex before you were with me ? YES he did AND he said his pee smelled also ! I asked him if he knew that smell was not normal and he didn't know, thought it was nothing to be concerned about and like many uninformed guys think that women smell like fish anyway, you know those awful "Tuna" jokes. MEN can get this from a woman who has it because, not to be crass, but by rubbing his dick against bacteria laden vaginal walls the bacteria gets inside his urethra and STICKS to the skin cells in there and also sheds into his semen and possibly urine, though more in the semen with force of ejaculation, follow ? Then he gets a new girl and gives it to her. He did have it for a long time before we got together so he had to take antibiotics 4 times to clear it.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS, We have a natural balance of good and bad bacteria, usually if we are healthy and clean, eat a good diet (preferably with out acid forming foods such as meats, cheese, eggs, dairy, SUGAR, white flour products and refined/junk foods that promote bacterial growth) then we can maintain proper pH balance and have enough good bacteria in our system to kill off any invaders and not be overtaken by bad bacteria. HOWEVER IF your partner is infected with too MANY bad bacteria (or you happen to get them on/in you otherwise) and passes them to you, these "bad" bacteria will kill off your "good" bacteria, move in, raise your pH (normal vaginal pH is acid to kill bacteria) to their liking (they produce amines, that smell and change the pH to alkaline) and live in you and you two will both have this back and forth forever. Note some people can have this at a level where they don't smell but still have enough bad bacteria to upset your particular balance and infect you, so if it smells stay away but know that it can be there w/o smell too. You can test your pH with litmus paper, a little roll with a pH chart on it, (normal vag. fluid shows yellow on the paper-acid,good. If it's turning green or blue it's bacteria- alkaline, not good). get at health food store or recently some kind of vaginal pH test has been advertised on TV, if you can find that in the drug store ?

SO what you must do is get clear, take the antibiotics if you must, no alcohol or vinegar while on them !!! may not work and can make you sick. DO NOT have sex, (even with a condom as some pre ejaculate can leak out with movement or be on him before he puts it on and it gets on his hand then on the condom, I got it this way also) until you are both certified clear. Also, you can get it from uncircumcised men easier as they can get bacterial growth under the foreskin. Regardless both partners should wash and dry thoroughly before and after sex anyway so any potentially infection causing bacteria will be washed away and not have the chance to get up in side either of you. Also AFTER taking the antibiotics and probably yeast medication, as the antibiotics kill of your good bacteria too and allow yeast to over grow, YOU both NEED to take PROBIOTICS, a good multi, OPTIMA,or MEGAFLORA that have many types of healthy flora including the acidolphilis etc. This will restore the healthy flora that the antibiotics kill in your system. Rhamnosis and Rueteri are supposedly good for vaginal health, you can pop these capsules directly up there to stop yeast and restore your flora after you clear the infection.

Last word, Good luck and about that ovary problem, I had enlarged left ovary for years, doctor said it was normal, lots of women have that, bullshit, NOT normal !! I resolved it by changing to a balanced Macrobiotic diet, way of eating naturally and this ovary has been fine since as well as several other health issues that are no more, in fact I have not been sick in 17 years since changing to this Macrobiotic lifestyle, except for the lovely infusion of nasty BV that my dear BF gave me which upset my own balance for a while but it is over and I'm healthy w/o smell and normal vaginal pH. I encourage you to study and try macrobiotics, GOMF.org is a good place to start, you can get healthy, feel great and resolve the ovarian problem, get your balance back and your periods. i hope this is helpful for you as i got this BV and didn't know how, if I was so healthy and I was never ill, how I got it, why it "got me" so it made me do lots of research to find out more than "you got this from your underwear or tampons" which was not the case as I found out, the gift of too many bad bacteria that over rode my own balance and led me to learn much more about this than is known even by doctors, mostly men who don't think "they" have anything to do with it. I dug deep found many studies showing it in men and found a lecture by a doctor in Texas who explained that it is a more serious thing than most MD's think, and he explained the facts of how the bacteria overtakes us and causes the imbalance, so don't necessarily believe those articles that say it's your fault that you are unbalanced or you have this due to bad hygiene or washing with soap or douching, although douching can upset your balance, If you are healthy you don't need to do this, the natural, normal clear, non smelly vaginal fluid discharge is there for self cleaning purpose.

Reply back to this thread if you want anymore info.

Salud,

Marlee"

04/23/2009: windjroby from Twin Cities, MN replies: "I do still have the same issues I have been having this prblem for about a year since sleeping with my husband afer we broke up and I went to several doctors and I still have this problem I tried the boric acid suppositories and the folic acid and the probiotics and I had my period and it came back Help Please write me."

09/30/2009: Samonica44 from Miami, Fl replies: "Okay Marlee I am writing you because I am a little confused about your post regarding BV on earth clinic. My questions are about the treatment of males with this virus. Please e-mail me back so that we can be in communication with one another. I am literally at wits end with this thing and would really appreciate any and all advice you can offer. Thank you so much Sam-I-am"

10/01/2009: Kathy from Dubois, Pa replies: "This is a great response to the whole subject of BV because it is the first time I've ever seen anyone address the idea that an infected man can be the cause of a woman's BV problem. Usually the doctors assume poor hygine on the woman's part...you know, they assume the woman "wiped" back-to-front instead of front-to-back, or doesn't wash her hands, or because, as "everyone knows", women are just plain "DIRTY down there"...and their unconcious misogyny blocks their thinking, so that they can never get to the "root" of the problem (pardon the pun), which might be a man!

As for the men's health, surely it cannot be good for the poor dears to be harboring such a bacterial load! I wouldn't be surprized if a carrier of "BV germs" is that way because he has prostatitis (whether accute or cronic), which could lead to prostate cancer in later life."

[QUESTION]  02/15/2009: Lady Jaine from Auckland, New Zealand writes: "Wow... very informative sight!!! Looking back I think I may have had this BV for longer than I thought. Only because when it did appear, it only ever used to be light symptons, hence wasn't easily recognisable. Couple of questions: Has anyone experianced a 'bowt' of excessive 'trapped wind' with this BV? I tend to belch like you don't know what. Often with a wee bit of an upset stomach? Just wondering if there is any connection. Also, I've heard of stories where consumption of beer sets off BV? Any thoughts??? I'm going to try the acidopholus and see how that goes.Yay for this sight!!!"

02/16/2009: Rosy from Orlando, Fl replies: "Excessive flavorful belching can be a sign that you are not properly digesting and absorbing your food. I have noticed acidophilus for BV working, and this could be that some people's BV is a symptom of leaky gut."

02/03/2009: Elaine from New York, New York writes: "Yea I too have been suffering with BV for 5 years now it is so nasty! what is this? I have been takin the acidophilus 40 million and the folic acid, I didnt do the douche but I am, I smell this right through my clothes and after sex two years ago it was stronger, I cant be intimate with a man and smell like The Gortans fisher man! I miss my clean vag, this has thrown me through a loop, I have a confession to make I also have a STD Herpes 2 down there that happened with some creep I went out with 5 years ago, he infected me on purpose, I dont know if the disease through my body out of whack, though I have no symptoms of the disease this Bv has got to go Ladies trust no one I was always careful and let my guard down,I was too ashamed to have him locked up, he had it in his mouth, be safe and careful ok? I love yall! Lets find a cure for BV I will write again!"

01/22/2009: Jessa from Milwaukee, WI writes: "Please ladies hear me out. I may be wrong in some of your cases, but for others? For 7 years I had infections of and on every couple months or so. It was so embarassing. The odor mostly, and when my boyfriend of those 7 years would make comments it would hurt me so bad because I didn't understand why it was happening to me. So when we finally split up because I found out he was cheating on me every other week with god knows who. And guess what? The BV stopped too!=) Then my best friend whose boyfriend of 6 years started acting funny and staying out all night etc... also started getting them left and right. When I told her I had suspision about his infidelity she didn't want to hear me. But guess what? He was cheating they broke up and no more BV for her either. I totally chalk it up to foreign ph of another entering you. Oh and douching is only a temporary fix. Just my thoughts take it or leave it. Good luck."

05/28/2009: Jenna from Los Angeles, CA replies: "Even when I was single, the BV always came back. Particularly right after my period. I think you're lucky, you got rid of the source of your problem. My problem may be a little more stubborn, I attribute it to my poor health."

[QUESTION]  01/16/2009: TM from los angeles, ca writes: "Hello, What a great website! I am yet another who is trying to figure out BV. I have done a round of colonics and wasn't so great about taking the acidophilus EVERY day. I noticed that after the 2nd one, I experienced some vaginal discharge and that it smelled 'off'. My colonic therapist said it was my body detoxing. I'm thinking that the acidophilus is a balancing agent? I'm not completely sure I understand how all that flora stuff works, but if i start taking my acidophilus every day, will this go away? I have no itching, just an odor and a milky discharge. Thanks."

      

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