Top Natural Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies

I decided to try EVERYTHING; coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, inserting acidophilus, inserting vitamin c, the only thing that got rid of the smell was apple cider vinegar but it hurt too much to have sex because of it and vitamin c worked temporarily. I luckily, knock on wood, am not experiencing severe itching, burning and pain, so maybe my case isn't as severe but if I... tmi... swab my v, there is a fishy odor. I went out and bought all the pills all the vitamins and heres what I am doing.

in the morning

-2 acidophilus pills

-3 vitamin d 1000 iu

-1 folic acid 800 mcg

-1 vitamin c rosehips 500 mg

pm

-1 acidophilus

-3 vitamin d 1000 iu

-1 folic acid 800 mg

-1 vitamin c rosehips 500

Its only been 2 and a half days, im praying, hoping, everything this works. Its hard to tell because most people experienced the relief of itching and burning but I dont have that. I'm hoping this knocks out the smell. I'll let ya know, pray for me!

so I went out and bought folic acid 400 mg, vitamin C with rose hips 1000 mg, and some organic ACV..

Thursday I took my normal 3 acidophilus a day, one multi-strain probiotic, three folic acid, one vitamin C pill..I then added 1 tbsp of ACV to my water bottle drank the entire thing and soaked a tampon in half ACV half water and put it in for an hour..

I repeated this for three days..

it is now Saturday there is no smell and to make things even more exciting I had sex with my boyfriend this afternoon and there was no smell just normal..idk if it's the folic acid or all these things combined but it really worked..I'm gunna keep doing the pills everyday along with ACV in my water bottle and try to lay off on the ACV soaked tampon until my period comes back, I will then do the soaked tampon a few days after it ends to make sure things are all in tact down there..keep trying to find what works best for you ladies this bv crap is no joke!

• Drink LOTS OF WATER
• drink water with tons of lemon in it-- it makes your body more alkaline which helps you get back to normal
• drink cranberry juice
• drink Kefir I buy strawberry flavor from Publix
• drink danactive probiotic EVERY DAY; they are yummy so no biggy
• take acidophillus pills
• take a daily vitamin
• take vitamin C
• EAT HEALTHY, STAY AWAY FROM SODA, SUGARS ECT., eat veggies, try to cut carbs
• ALWAYS WASH AND PEE AFTER SEX
• HAVE YOUR PARTNER START EATING BETTER TOO, LIKE HAVING ONE DANACTIVE SHOT IN THE MORNING. He will become less acidic.
• I also clean my vagina out with hydrogen peroxide which gets rid of smell and infection temporarily. Really hydrogen peroxide gets rid of ALL bacteria, but we still need the good bacteria in there so the trick, is to clean yourself out and then start eating and drinking right to get the good bacteria back in there. BV is basically a side effect of a weak immunity. If you don't take care of your body properly, it doesn't stand a chance against infections. BV is no fun, and staying healthy isnt always easy. If you are looking for an immediate cure, you're just not going to find one. Hydrogen peroxide is the closest thing to that but it's temporary. For me, I try to get my body in order the healthy way first, if it doesn't work, last case scenario I'll go to the doc for metro gel.

My Intro:

I've been dealing with this "BV" for about 6 months now. I didn't even know what "BV" was until I stumbled across a blog by MaskCara, about 6 months ago, discussing the topic and the "cure" that she outlined as a simple hydrogen peroxide douche. After reading her post on BV, I started realizing that this might be a diagnosis for the very minor "issue" I was having, and barely noticed. The only symptom I was having at that time was very slight odor during/after sex. I guess I shouldn't say "only, " since in my opinion, this is the WORST part of it. So anyway, after reading her post, I did a ton of research online, as I always do when I'm curious about something, and the more I read, the more I was convinced that I had either BV or a simple yeast infection. So, I went to the OBGYN, (Planned Parenthood since I am currently without coverage), and they diagnosed me right away with BV. Of course, they gave me antibiotics, the Metra or Metro-whatever pills. But I didn't take them, since pretty much EVERYTHING I read on the topic says they do not work, and I don't want to put my body through that for nothing. (However, the longer I put up with this crap, the more I think I should just give it a try. We'll see. I'm getting desperate, but I'm really trying to do this the natural way).

My Symptoms:

1. ODOR - this is the most annoying symptom I have. Everything else is not so noticeable. The odor for me is mostly noticeable after sex and exercise. It's not totally "fishy" though, as I read so much about. For me, it seems more sour - which makes me wonder about a yeast infection. However, I do get the "fishy" smell when I wash with Dial soap, as I'm washing, I'll notice it. I actually just read today that I should be using a more mild soap, so I'll switch to Dove, or possibly Johnson & Johnson Baby Soap, but my point is, the fishy smell comes up with Dial.

2. Discharge - white, thick, gross. Mostly noticeable after exercise.

3. Discomfort - mostly just a slight itch, not constant, but pretty consistent and annoying.

My Medical History:

I'm 30 years old. I've always been very healthy. I don't get sick, and have always had a very strong immune system. I have never had any serious illness besides the flu, once in my life. No chicken pox, no measles, no nothing. I can't understand WHAT is causing this. My diet has pretty much always been the same. The only difference is that I've actually been eating more healthy foods as I get older.

I keep thinking back to when this started, and I try to think of the things that could have caused this.

1. I ran a half marathon in June, (6 months ago), and had only been running for 6 months. Never ran before that. Sometimes, I think, maybe this could be the reason for my pH imbalance. The extreme training, out of nowhere. Maybe?

2. I never had this issue before having sex with my boyfriend. NEVER. I've had one yeast infection in my whole life, and that was maybe 14 years ago. My boyfriend and I started dating a year ago, and 6 months later, maybe sooner - I don't know, I come down with BV. I know this isn't supposed to be a sexually transmitted disease, but I can't help but wonder how that's possible. If you have sex, I would imagine that bacteria could go from penis to vagina and back again. This leaves me wondering if A) My boyfriend gave it to me, and continues to do so. Or B) It is simply his pH messing with mine, as I've also read. Side note: We have engaged in anal sex. I'm not a fan of this, so it's only happened a small handful of times, but it did happen. Maybe this somehow caused the infection? There was no cross over, though. Who knows. I just wanted to throw it out there just in case there's a connection.

So, I keep reading forum after forum after forum, searching for ANYTHING that might help me, or might clue me in on how to treat this more effectively. There's got to be some kind of connection. But it's all the same thing: contradicting information. "This works great! " "This didn't work at all! " I'm honestly hopeless, but I obviously can't give up.

My Personal Vent:

I don't like the way I look at sex anymore. Anytime I think of sex, or think about my sex life in any way, I'm embarrassed, ashamed, and I try to avoid it. It's not fair to my boyfriend. He's sexy. I am not. I feel gross, so I haven't even told him that I have BV. What is the use? I don't want him to look at me like the gross person I see myself as. I just tell him that I'm dealing with a pH imbalance, and I tell him about the things I'm trying to do to correct it, but I haven't actually said BV. It's embarrassing. I'm always worried about him wanting to have sex, and me being "unprepared."

In addition to the obvious symptoms, I'm also very irritable sometimes. I'm obsessed with finding a cure for this. I'm always reading up on it, then deleting browser history. It's embarrassing. My vagina straight grosses me out, and that right there makes me want to cry my eyes out. I'm a sexual person...I enjoy sex, and foreplay, and being passionate and intimate. Now I'm to a point where I just want to get it over with as quickly as possible so my boyfriend doesn't notice the smell. Most of the time, he doesn't seem to notice anything, meanwhile, I do. I literally CRIED during sex the other day, not because of pain, but because I was so embarrassed at the slightest whiff of that “odor” that came up. I wasn't facing him, he didn't notice, but I still felt so gross, and even worse for crying silently during sex. This is RUINING my sex life and the way I look at my body. It's a nightmare, and I PRAY to God every day that it will just...go away. I can't understand WHY this is such an epidemic. How is there no cure?

By the way, I find it somewhat annoying that some/most women post their "cures" as something they're just now trying, with a "Wish me luck! " at the end. And no follow up. I can't stand that. It's useless info. I feel that we should be trying what we think will work, without using the word "cure, " and reporting back. REPORTING BACK, people, please!

My Treatments:

Once "diagnosed" with BV, I immediately tried the hydrogen peroxide douche that MaskCara had written about, since she said it was her cure. And yes, it did/does help a LOT, but did not cure. It went away for about a week, or at least, was not noticeable, but sure enough, it came right back...and it seems worse.

It's all been kind of a whirlwind of things that I've tried, but here's my list...

1. Hydrogen Peroxide flush for 7-10 days. (I haven't actually done the HP Flush for that long, though. Maybe that's my problem. But MaskCara had written that she only did it for 3 days. So I did a 3-day treatment. Then I did it for 5 or 6 days, still nothing. Just temporary relief. I am currently on day 2 of a new 10 day HP treatment, because I figure I might as well try one last time, and go for broke. Note: If nothing else, this has been an EXCELLENT, and I mean EXCELLENT temporary cure. I find that I can at least get rid of the odor, discharge and feel FRESH for a day, if I do this. I can have sex without feeling completely disgusting. But it doesn't last, and I don't want this to be an ongoing thing. It's a pain in the ass.

2. Goldenseal – (2) 400mg capsules daily, orally. (I'm only on day 2 of this treatment)

3. Probiotics, 90 billion CPU – (1) daily, orally. (Honestly doesn't do anything, but I take them anyway, since I paid $40 for the suckers).

4. Cranberry & probiotic supplement– (2) daily, orally.

5. Acidophilus – (2) daily, orally. (Same with the probiotics above…no noticeable difference whatsoever).

6. Folic acid – (1) daily, orally.

7. Vitamin D – (2) daily, orally.

8. Epsom salt bath - I discovered this on my own, then confirmed the info online. I went on a vacation and found myself taking several baths because we had access to a jet tub, and I just felt like taking some baths. I used the bath salts provided in the bathroom, and soaked for 20-30 minutes, and didn't think anything of it. Looking back on that vacation, I realized I was BV-free for the entire time: 10 days.

Other things that I was doing while on this vacation:

A. Not drinking AS much, but still drinking alcohol daily. Not so much wine, as I usually do, but I was drinking scotch whiskey. Also, it might be helpful to note that I normally drink Gallo wine…which is basically crap, but I'm on a budget. On vacation, we were drinking GOOD wine, and not as much of it. Maybe this helped?

B. Salt baths

C. COLD and DRY weather - maybe this helped?

D. No smoking whatsoever, (I am a marijuana smoker - not cigarettes, what can I say), but I didn't smoke ANYTHING for 10 days.

E. Very limited sugar. I ate a lot of carbs and dairy, though. But not nearly the amount of sugar I normally eat. Not NEARLY.

Back to the Epsom salt bath: I find this works just as good as the HP Flush, above, only it seems more conventional which makes me feel more normal. I just mix some Epsom salt in a warm bath and soak, allowing the salt water access to the affected area. It really seems to bring some relief, and it's just like taking a relaxing bath. I don't feel like a grosser having to douche all the time, so I like this best. Sometimes, I even put a little Epsom salt IN my panties, (cotton, of course! Blah blah blah), to alleviate the itch. It works for me, but is in no way a cure. Last night, I actually did the HP Flush and then soaked in a salt bath and I came out feeling amazing. This morning, though, I'm back slightly noticeable BV.

Moving right along with the treatments I've tried...

9. Cotton panties, of course.

10. Loose clothing

11. No undies to bed

12. Drink lemon water

Things I will be trying, going forward:

1. Cut sugar

2. Alkaline diet – this sounds like crap. I'm supposed to stop drinking coffee? Eew. Sure!!! No problem! WHAT! NO! I will most likely continue to drink coffee, because after all, I was drinking a TON of it while on that vacation, mentioned above. But, I will make an effort to watch my diet.

3. Drink alkaline water – I heard good things about this.

4. ACV bath

5. ACV orally

6. Monistat 3 – because maybe this will help, who knows. I hear things from all over the spectrum.

7. Antibiotics – I will take these in a month, if nothing else works.

The treatment course that I have found works best for me, without having to go to the GYN & taking meds that have side effects is:

First: do not have sex-if you suspect BV and or while treating, it will only take longer to get it cleared up and you could be passing it to your partner-which means, he's just giving it back to you! Watch what you eat! Sugar is terrible for bringing this on, as well as breads & cheeses. Drink plenty of water, take vitamins, like acidodipilus, multi emzymines, vitamins A, B-100/150, C, D, E, COq10, eat yogurt with live cultures(greek) and get the proper amount of rest.

At first onset of the symptoms-ie> the dryish goo/brownish paste, possible no smell, very little smell or slight stinch to foul smell, for some a fish(especially after sex) or bready smell (mine comes after my period, so it seems like a continued period but its not) start the course of inserting "BORIC ACID" immediatly (yes thats "roach away" powder-can be purchased very cheap & goes along way-plus can be used in the household for pest) capsules (get the gelatin capsules from a vitamin store or a medical supply store or possibly from a pharmacy), do this twice a day for at least 5 to 7 days (if really bad up to 10 days). You will want to wear a pad and it is normal to wipe & it be gritty/thats the crystals in the boric coming out, thats what is breaking down the bateria & getting it out of there!

Optional: not neccessary everytime but I've also used the "medicated douche" once in that course (use it at the end of the course of treatment to flush out the rest of the bacteria) but don't over douche-can make things worse.

If you find itching included, you can also add in the course of treatment, insert a capsule of tea tree oil/vitamin E oil (note: put the tea tree oil in the small portion of the capsule & the vitamin E oil in the bigger part) you will want to insert it as far as you can & recline or lay flat for about 15 mins at least, so it don't just run out right away, it will relieve the itching, for some, it might burn/sting for a second, if you've been scratching and have broken the skin but for the most part it is a cooling/methol relieving sesation and both have skin healing properties and are antispetics, which help heal the skin irratations & kill bateria.

How I came about this treatment course: I have had BV off & on now since 2009, I was sexually assaulted and contracted this horrible afflection-I took the medications to only have it come back & it gets expensive having to see a GYN but with this method of treatment, it is getting better & less prominent each time I have it, its inexpensive & best of all-natural without side effects of harmful chemical drugs and the change in diet helps. I also have an unknown auto immune disorder, that makes me more subseptical to these type problems, make life changes & take natural approaches to allow your body to heal itself, take care & God Bless you all!

In the morning I douched with half hydrogen peroxide half water. I take 14 billion acidophilus pills, a probiotic for womens health down there, B, 3000 IU of vitamin D3, 500 mg vitamin c and 800 mg folic acid.

At night, I douched with apple cider vinegar half and half, 14 billion more acidophilus( make sure they are the refrigerated kind) a multi vitamin with 2000 IU vitamin D3, 400 mg folic acid and another vitamin c. I also opened about 4 acidophilus capsules and added water to make a small ball and inserted in into my vajay. On day 4 I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend but he pulled out. Semen is the enemy! So far no symptoms and it has been a week. I plan on continuing the vitamins and probiotics. Ladies, google it vitamin D3 and folic acid deficient are linked to BV.

Things you will need:

Probiotic plain yogurt, rubber exam gloves (powder free), a clove of garlic (peeled and with a string sewn through like a tampon), hydrogen peroxide (HP), 2 non-stick guaze pads (3"x3"), tea tree oil.

I've been itching and burning terribly to the point where it keeps me up at night. Today I took some plain yogurt with live cultures and filled the fingers of powder free disposable rubber exam gloves half way. I tied the fingers off and froze them. Once frozen, they resemble the Monistat "ovules" or eggs. Then I did the following:

Took non-stick guaze pads (the kind that are shiny) and soaked it in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. The mix depends on what you can stand, I did 1/3 HP and 2/3 water. I cleaned really well with this. Toss the guaze.

Next I took my frozen yogurt eggs I made and cut off the rubber. I stuck it up my vagina as far as it would go. I followed this with the clove of garlic. Depending on how severe your infection is you should pierce a few slits in the garlic with your finger nail. I just slice off the sides since the inside is what fights infection, it may burn some people to slice it but the cold yogurt will soothe it. Then I soaked another non-stick guaze with the HP solution and added about 5 drops of Tea Tree oil directly on the pad. I folded this pad within the folds of my skin directly over my crotch. Put on cotton panties.

The relief is INSTANT! The tea tree may sting a bit at first since your skin may be raw, I've never experienced this but some may. Anyway, this has worked for me before and seems to be working right now. Hope this helps.

P.S. You may be able to taste the garlic in your mouth. If this bothers you, then just keep the garlic for night time use. I repeat the treatment every 12 hours using the string to pull out the old clove.

November 30, 2009 I started a change in my diet, reducing my sugar intake and carbs, making sure I don't eat anything with yeast in it, with high amounts of sugar, and gluten-free. I eat more veggies, lean meats and proteins, and 6-8oz of plain, non fat yogurt every morning. I have cut out breads, pastas, starches, rice unless it's whole grain pasta or brown rice. I don't eat much fruit as this contains sugar as well, but i drink the no sugar added cranberry juice.

December 10, 2009 I started incorporating Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Garlic, and Echinacea/Goldenseal Supplements supplements with my diet.

12/10 - 12/15 I took the following per day:

1 Folic Acid 800mcg
1 Vitamin C 500mg
4 Echinacea/Goldenseal Herb Supp. 1800mg
4 Garlic Softgels 4000mg

12/16 to present I took the following per day

2 Folic Acid 1600mcg
2 Vitamin C 1000mg
4 Echinacea/Goldenseal Herb Suppl 1800mg
4 Garlic Softgels 4000mg

I've been doing more research and I'm going to change up a few things. I am looking to incorporate Acidophilus/probiotic supplements, Vitamins A,D, and B12(to take with folic acid to prevent deficiency), and grapefruit seed extract supplements. I am also going to change from garlic softgels to ones with enteric coating because I read that enteric coating allows the capsules/tablets to break down where it is needed(in the gut) where as softgels break down in the stomach(because of our acid) not reaching the infected area. Garlic, Echinacea/Goldenseal, Grapefruit Seed Extract are natural herbs that act as natural antibitiocs with antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

I am really determined to beat this just as you ladies are and hope we can continue to help and educate each other with this problem as the doctors seem to not really care of offer up natural approaches. We all know this is because of money of course. Like I said before my issue I am still having is the discharge and the swelling and I would like to know any recommendations you ladies have with that and what all have you been doing to get rid of BV. Any tips are helpful.

Thanks!

Antibiotics, both oral and gel, worked for me the first couple times, but now I am suffering constantly. There is a constant discharge and burning sensation when I urinate, almost like a UTI, but not quite. I have had cultures done for everything from a yeast infection to chlamydia with negative results to all of them. This means without a doubt that this "infection" I have had for the past FEW MONTHS has been BV.

I have been on this website almost everyday since I discovered it a couple weeks ago. I have tried a couple things with positive results to everything. I have been taking 2-6 400 mcg Folic Acid tablets a day in congunction with a popular wellness company's multivitamin (because you must take a vitamin b complex with the folic acid in order for it to work effectively) along with 28 million units of probiotics a day. All of this worked very well, but did not cure the BV completely.

I found that any time I ate something with added sugar the BV flared up. Also, not taking the above mentioned supplements regularly is useless-- it will just come right back. I have to say though, it DID help a lot. However, I want it GONE!

I just went to the local pharmacy and purchased Boric Acid and double zero gel capsules to try. I will let everyone know how it goes in a couple of days.

BV is seriously a curse and I don't wish it upon my worst enemies. I was about to give up and continue with the antibiotics but I searched the internet for hours looking for a natural remedy and I found this website. I am so grateful for this website and all of the people that have contributed their stories... especially the women being so open and honest about their vajayjays, that takes some guts! It is great to know I'm not alone.

I haven't tried the folic acid/B vitamin yet, but that is on the top of my shopping list. I wonder if Vitamin A would help, I've read that they recommend that for helping with genital warts...

Your immune system needs your help to fight this off! Weren't antibiotics just invented in the 20th century? How did they cure everything before then? Antibiotics just seem to keep the cycle going by killing off your good bacteria and fighter cells, leaving one infection just to start up another infection.

Medicinal Douching (with herbs) is recommended, but the influx of that much water just seems to make it worse for me, so I apply small amounts with a Q-tip.

Here are things that made drastic differences for me for both bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections:

BEST ONE SO FAR FOR YEAST: Candida Cleanse-type pills, taken first thing in the morning EVERY DAY to ensure best absorption on an empty stomach

***All of the following are diluted w/purified water and applied internally to the vagina with a Q-tip***

I keep the diluted mixes in the fridge in new/clean jars or glass bottles with lids.
-Apple cider vinegar (diluted)
and/or
-Tea Tree oil (one drop is strong enough when diluted w/water)
and/or
-Colloidal Silver Tinctures
- Hydrogen peroxide (diluted or full strength).

Hydrogen peroxide is naturally produced in the vagina as part of the cleaning process, and acidophilus is a naturally present health helper in the vagina, but overuse of peroxide is no fun for your vagina

-Acupuncture has helped a great deal in combination with the all of the above

I ALWAYS ALTERNATE THE ABOVE METHODS WITH Applying acidophillus powder mixed with water

Emotional stress makes my symptoms worse. Cut back on sugar, as this taxes the immune system and also feeds yeast cells. Bulk up your immune system on a regular basis with Vitamin C, Folic acid, and a good brand of Acidophilus