Top Natural Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies

I am now on day 3 of the H202 and water douche combo, alongside taking Acidophilus, Folic Acid, Vitamins B6/12, and Vitamin D3. Things seem to be working. For the first time of not having to take the embarrassing prescription from my GP, the smell is gone. But I'm having one question...

Im currently on Nuvaring. I have not taken it out when doing the douches. Does anyone know if the Hydrogen Peroxide will damage the Nuvaring. And will it lesson the Pregnance protection (less effective)? Has anyone ever had this question or shares in the same experience with the Nuvaring?

Thank you for saving my sanity! Kate

I have been w/o pantyliners and my underwear has remained dry from discharge (I still experience discharge as far as seeing it with my handheld mirror, but the feeling of it coming down I dont experience it at the momemt (knock on wood literally and figuratively speaking).

my first regime of just 2 probiotics 2 vitamins in the day and one/one at night and h202 vagina flushes didnt yield results like the above. I really hope that my take on things helps someone because this BV thing has plagued me since 13. The first antibotic treatment helped (early 2000s I was happy, but it came back) thought I was doomed. Next treatment feb 2011 (while pregnant nothing) last doctor I mentioned it to said it was in my head (I could have slapped her. Im just glad that I can read and was able to find Earthclinic and other little blogs that shared their insight

1. PROBIOTIC ACIDOPHILUS (digestive health) 2 billion active cultures

2. PROBIOTIC MULTI-ENZYME DIGESTIVE FORMULA (containing active acidophilus cultures) 1 billion active Lactobacillus acidophilus organisms - bascially same as above, I don't know why I got 2, but right now I just want to get rid of it ASAP because its so emabarassing going to the restroom and people can smell you (I don't know if they can, but if I can smell myself, pretty sure someone next stall can also).

3. PRO-B by RepHresh (probiotic feminine supplement - balances yeast and bacteria to maintain feminine health) I don't know what this one was, I am just trying all for now.

4. LAST BUT NOT LEAST = HOMEOPATHIC BV TREATMENT AND CAPSULES by VH essentials. I got this one at Walmart, well I got all of them at Walmart. One of them is the treatment, you insert a tablet in your vagina, and the other one is a 60 day capsule that you take regularly to reduce recurring symptoms of BV.

Has anyone tried the HOMEOPATHIC BV TREATMENT?

I will update you girls on my HOMEOPATHIC BV TREATMENT - I think I like this one because of the title hehe :)

There is a dosage recommendation via a midwife farther down in this boric acid thread that is consistent with recommendations I have read by 'BV specialists' - Ask the pharmacist at a drug store for boric acid powder and self-fill veggie or gelatin capsules. Only fill the larger side of the capsule for 600 mg & cap with small side. Google for specifics, it's easy.

We are all different so it may take some time to figure out which products you need to use and realizing not all products are equal or that not all probiotics have the same strains. It can get expensive but I tried a few probiotics until I could tell/feel it was working. Find what works for you.

I felt like my BV was close to stable for the last month by using HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, FOLIC ACID, ACIDOPHILUS until I added Boric Acid to my mix because of an itchy yeast infection. Adding in the BA was like an ahhhh FINALLY! A DIFFERENCE!!! It sounds weird but it's like I feel differently throughout my body. I actually feel HAPPY and not depressed. I feel like my whole vagina region is clean, fresh and will remain so because I have the right defenses.

At the beginning of the year I got serious about beating this BV, I was super depressed AND I felt miserable with itching, burning and internal PAIN. I started a 10 day treatment & added a multivitamin with folic acid and a good probiotic with acidophilus both orally and vaginally, daily. I had to try different versions until I found the right ones for me. Orally I take Probiotic CD caplets (not good for inserting): it also contains strains: L. Plantarum, L. Rhamnosus, L. Salivarius, L casei & S. Thermophilus which were found to help correct BV in a study with Tori Hudson, ND. Her version femecology has some of these strains which I now use vaginally b/c the caplets form I take orally causes a messy discharge hours after inserting.

I have been monitoring my hooch and odor constantly for months. Hormones, blood and another's DNA/skin each change the pH of my vagina. I thought I had cleared my BV after 1 month of treatment but it came back ever so slightly after my period. That is when I read initial treatment should last 4 months & that menses wrecks pH if you are weak. I also felt like from time to time the probiotics were causing slight but unpleasant yeast imbalances. After my last period ended I did 2 nights H2O2 vag-washes followed by pro-b in the V. I could smell the slightest hint of BV at the tip of my finger. 4 days after switching off femdolphilus any faint smell of BV seemed to clear but my outer area started itching like MAD = yeast!!! When this imbalance occurred I was going insane after 5 minutes. I decided to give the boric acid method a whirl.

NEW ADDITION: Boric Acid capsules. Boric acid has been known to correct both BV and yeast infections. I am dealing with both. Read up about medicinal uses of boric acid and what boric acid is before you freak out about the word acid. Lemon juice and vinegar are both citric acids. Vitamin C is ascorbic acid.

In the afternoon I went to a local pharmacy and asked for boric acid powder and also purchased 00 empty capsules. My case is currently mild and on the mend IMO. As soon as I walked in the door I filled two capsules and popped em' in my hooch with a little bit of coconut oil & an all cotton organic tampon. I felt better almost immediately but for sure almost amazing in 1 hour. I then mixed grapeseed oil as my base and then added a few drops of calendula, tea tree, clove and oregano oils. I then added in boric acid to make a paste, then filled 3 capsules. I removed the tampon (the stuff leaks at this dose) & took a shower then unexpectedly had sex. No smell at all, no pain. There was a teeny amt. Grit on his willy but he didn't seem to notice (hopefully this will help him too!!! ????)) After sex I popped 1 of my oil & BA mix capsules & a femecology pro-b into my V. Within minutes I instantly felt FRESH. Like the freshest I have felt in 5 months. For the next hour I felt clean and normal for the first time in MONTHS and the feeling lasted until I fell asleep. I felt amazed. I wore a pad to bed, some discharge, this morning, no smell, no itches. I inserted another cap and again I feel so fresh and normal again it is amazing.

I finally feel like I have the upper hand. I finally feel clean. I finally feel normal. I finally feel like I have a way to reestablish balance.

My intention is 3 nights of my mixed caps in the V for the yeast itches & then stop. You are not suppose to use it continually for long periods and I want to use it during menses in a week. I make fresh caps with my oil mixture and will do one at night during my period for the next 4 cycles. I will more than likely also insert my new mix caps with a pro-b after sex. I may make a mix of all three.

The way boric acid kills roaches and other soft skeleton bugs is it ultimately dehydrates them which causes death - that is different than death by poisoning, however do not ingest BA with the hopes of better results. Keep out of reach for children and pets.

Some women complained that the straight homemade BA caps caused burning after 3 days. This was my reasoning for cutting my dose by adding good medicinal oils that may also help fight the fight and prevent this inflammation. I also feel my case is very mild now after 2 months of working on correcting the situation. I must say though, the BA feels like my biggest breakthrough with BV yet.

A few weeks ago I was at work and I noticed a putrid smell. After sniffing around my desk, I was mortified to discover it was coming from my crotch. I haven't been sexually active in months and I hadn't changed laundry detergents or soaps. I also haven't been sick or changed my diet. I don't even take pain relievers when I have headaches. The only changes I experienced in the prior two months was excessive watery discharge, but my body does things like that from time to time (excessive discharge, occasional spotting) and I just wear pantyliners - no big deal. It usually goes away after a couple of cycles. I figured my body is just doing it's thing since I am in my mid-thirities and I've read that in midlife hormone levels change as a natural process of aging.

Anyway, I noticed the odor would penetrate everything - it was absolutely disgusting. I decided to go onto the internet and self-diagnose. I don't normally recommend this, but I've always been an information hound and I research EVERYTHING and the earliest I could see my gynecologist was a few weeks out.

Based on the symptoms and what I've read, I'm pretty sure I have a mild form of BV.

I researched the postive/negative effects of Acidophilus, Folic Acid, vitamin B-Complex, effects of excess sugar (I realized my soda consumption had increased significantly the last two months due to free drinks offered at work, etc. ). I read up on whether or not too much is good or bad for you, etc. Do your research and I'm sure you will come to some of my same conclusions.

From everything I read, I decided my diet was the first place to start. The first day I took 1 multivitamin that I had onhand. It's the brand that starts with C and I took it because it had 400mg of Folic Acid in it. Within an hour or two I noticed the smell had significantly gone away. I was super excited to see these results, so the next day I decided to go out and purchase Acidophilus and a bottle of just 400mg Folic Acid. I started a regimen and I am happy to say there is no smell and no excessive discharge.

This is what worked for me:

Day 1: 1 multivitamin that has 400mg Folic Acid plus B-vitamins (taken at noon)

Day 2: 1 multivitamin, 1 400mg tablet of Folic Acid 1 Acidophilus 25 Billion CFUs inserted vaginally (taken/inserted right before bed). I wore a pantyliner since some people had posted there might be discharge from the capsule. Also, be sure your Acidophilus has multiple strains in it. I read somewhere that not all Acidophilus products are the same.

Day 3: 1 multivitamin 400 mg tablet of Folic Acid 1 Acidiophilus tablet taken orally (I took these at noon on an empty stomach and waited about 20 minutes before eating lunch. My research concluded it was better to take the probiotic on an empty stomach since food can affect the absorption and potency). I also had no discharge or smell this day.

Day 4: 1 multivitamin 1 400 mg Folic Acid. I skipped the Acidophilus altogether. Today my vagina discharged what was left of the capsule I had inserted. It was no big deal - just some granules (the mucous was kind of gritty), but it was noticeable when I wiped after going to the bathroom.

During this time I also cut back on soda and drank more water and soy milk. I can't exactly go cold turkey with the diet, you know? Baby steps and small changes!

I'm not sure if I will continue taking all of these pills daily, but I'm certainly paying more attention to my diet and what it's doing to my vagina. I'll probably continue with the multivitamin every few days and maybe throw in the additional Folic Acid from time to time and take an Acidophilus occasionally too, for maintenance purposes.

Thank you all for posting your stories. I'm a firm believer in natural remedies and that knowledge is power.

Good luck!

I was prescribed: 600 mg of Boric Acid Vaginal Suppositories, one inserted at bedtime for 7-14 days; a vaginal-only Lactobacillus capsule, to be taken orally for 30 days; an external antifungal and steroid combination ointment to be used twice a day for 14 days. I am vastly improved after one week.

This regimen was prescribed by my doctor based on the following:

The antibiotic, oral or vaginal will cause a yeast infection in most women, setting up a vicious cycle. The cure rate of the antibiotic is not 100%, therefore, what returns not a new infection, it's the same one, usually plus yeast.

This is generally caused by an overall imbalance in the ph of the vaginal vault. The only clinically proven, and studied way to correct that is via 600mg of boric acid administered once per day, vaginally for 7-14 days. Many women need to administer one capsule monthly as well just before or after their period ends. This creates the ideal acidic environment and serves as an antiseptic for the bacterial overgrowth. Initial treatment does not work in only three days, unfortunately, and must be continued for 7-14 days--and should be administered at night right before laying down or it will pop out! No more than one capsule is required. Overkill is bad. Douching with an acidic solution may "seem" like a good alternative, but it also washes out the fluids that are trying to regrow and ahere to the walls. Boric acid does not do that, but it does take a while. I admit that.

Because with both BV and yeast, the vagina is in an alkaline state and there is an undergrowth of Lactobacillus, the beneficial flora that migrates from the intestinal tract (yes, that is how it gets there) to the vagina. It is not just any Lactobacilli however--the majority of the supplements, yogurts, kefirs, etc. Are designed to adhere to the gut. Therefore they do not ever migrate to the vagina. Inserting capsules or yogurt directly into the vagina has been studied and shown no effect as the bacteria do not adhere to the vagina. Neither does soaking a tampon in yogurt, although the coolness of the yogurt may provide some temporary comfort. They are foreign bacteria to the vagina and will cause inflammation. In fact, there is actually another vaginosis caused by an overgrowth of Lactobacillus, which mimics many of the symptoms described here. I just wanted to point that out.

There are two strains that have been clinically isolated as naturally occuring in the vagina, and should be taken orally. Within 7 days, these strains will be present in your vagina and doing their job: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri, RC-14. The are available under a brand name, mentioned in the BV forum quite frequently and are available internationally.

Douching: I occasionally douched with a mild vinegar and water douche (not scent of May or anything like that) and seriously got yelled at by my gyn. I am talking about 4 times a year at most. Anyway, I did my research on the hydrogen peroxide and the apple cider and the baking soda, etc. Since it was recommended here. What I found was that: baking soda neutralizes acid--think about it! You can drink it as an antiacid so imagine what it does if you are trying to build an acidic environment? It neutralizes it--it's actually used in the case of an overgrowth of Lactobacillus!!! Hydrogen Perioxide is a natural byproduct of Lactobacillus, so why tamper with that? I have seen a quite a bit on the Internet though that both it and Apple Cider Vinegar are successful--I personally don't plan to try them myself since the Boric Acid and vaginal-specific Lactobacillus worked, but if they are not harming you and work for you, I didn't see anything wrong with them, provided they aren't overused. I do know that too much Hydrogen Peroxide can be damaging to skin, and if you have bleeding or fissures in your vagina, I would skip that myself.

Feminine hygiene: I was lectured on this too! I use tampons during my mentrual period and was told that was preferred (I used a VERY common cotton brand). What I was told to immediately stop using was another VERY common brand of super absorbant pads and panty liners or any pad or panty liner that use anything such as dry-weave technology. Apparently those are breeding grounds for bacteria. Who knew? So I switched to an all natural brand, made with cotton, ph balanced, not as thin and comfy--but goodness, it was hard to find anything that was not scented, doused with baking soda, or made from some dry weave type fabric.

Washing: This was crazy. I have always used a special feminine wash, unscented, thinking that it was better than shower gel or soap. I don't shave (I wax) and I keep myself very clean. My doctor actually said to me, "It's you clean ones I have the most problems with. " I have now been instructed to wash my labia with only water and my clean fingertips in the shower. I've been doing that, but really, I don't feel clean. I'm so scared of this coming back though that I am following her instructions to the T.

Vitamins: I was not given any special diet rules. I eat healthy and am fit anyway. I do normally take folic acid, biotin, vitamin c, vitamin d, but added B12 based on what I read here. We'll see if that helps my immune system rebuild.

Anyway, thank you all so much for sharing your stories. It was so helpful to not feel alone in this, and I hope that some or any of what I shared is helpful to you. I feel so badly that so many are suffering, that I just wanted to put out some of what I found, was told, and researched. Best wishes for us all to have happy, healthy vaginas!!!

I hope that anyone suffering with BV will research the many posts on this site and give some of these remedies a try. I would also say that it was really helpful for me to make a list of what I wanted to try, then enlist someone knowledgeable at the health food/natural store to help me score the right products. Don't be shy... Tell them what you're trying to treat. The woman I spoke with was a treasure trove of knowledge. Along with all of the posters on this site, I found her advice really valuable.

P.S. The Fem-dophilus might not have worked as well as I have hoped probably because my BF has been ejaculating in me which messes up the PH... We have stopped doing that about a week ago so hopefully that helps too!!!!

After years of trying Flagyl, acidophilus, douches, potions, and spells.. I tried Gy-Na-Tren( You can get it at Whole Foods, GNC, or the Vitamin Shoppe if you're in NYC). It took away the smell right away, however, I still had discharge and violent itching when it was finished ( I think it might have been thrush). I decided to try Gy-Na-Tren again and also take 1 Acidopilus (PR8 brand), 1 Rainbow Light Candida Cleanse (Also at the same places I found the Gy-Na-Tren), 1 Multivitamin, and Sublingual b12 which contains folic acid. I take these every morning. I have been BV free for a long time with no discharge or smell!