Multiple Remedies
★★★★☆
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.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★☆
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
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
I bought vinegar/water douche and a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I poured half (1/2) of the ready made douche into a clean cup and then filled the douche bottle with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). I laid down on my back and used the douche as instructed. I held the mixture inside of my vagina for about 5 mins and then released the mixture into the toilet. Then I rinsed the outside of my vagina with the remaining douche mixture I poured into the cup. I did this once daily for a week. I had no irritation from this.
I also took one garlic supplement and one folic acid approx 400mcg daily for a week.
There is no smell or discharge coming from my vagina. I also continued to have sex. If necessary I douched afterward. I personally recommend that if you can avoid sex please do during the process.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
Thank you, ladies, for your input. God bless us all. Thank you, Earth Clinic.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
Another thing that I was told was told by my doctor is if your on the extended-delay period birth control like Seasonale for example (where your period only comes once every 3 months), that it was better to just switch to once a month birth control and flush out your system naturally. This seemed to help too. I don't know how the folic acid and lactobacillus works together like this, and i'm sure it wont work for everyone...but it really does seem to work to a very good degree in prevention...and some good properties alongside treatment.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
I began dating a new guy about a year later and noticed the strong fish smell during/after sex. This happened with or without condoms. Immediately, I went to see my doctor. She prescribed the metrogel and I thought I'd be cured. Wrong. I went back to see my doctor and she prescribed the metrogel for the second time. I thought I would be cured. Wrong.
I asked my doctor for flagyl, but she refused to give it to me. She said it doesn't work and women often get sick. I immediately started to panic right there and then in her office. I was anxious, embarrassed, and depressed, to be honest.
I started douching with part hydrogen peroxide/part distilled water. The smell was gone! I thought I had my sex life back again, but after the fourth day of douching, my vagina was on fire.
Since my doctor was of no help, I went to one of the best hospitals in the city and they prescribed flagyl. I didn't get sick and the infection went away. For maintenance, I've been taking a probiotic, acidophilus, garlic, and folic acid. (once or twice a day) I believe I had a folic acid deficiency caused by years of smoking and tanning beds.
Anyway, I've been checking my ph balance with the screening kits and I've been registering at 4.5. (normal) Also, I had sex with my boyfriend last night and there was no smell in the room. Not to get too personal, but he said I tasted, "sweet."
I pray the infection doesn't return and I wish you all the best. My thoughts are with you.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
Multiple Remedies
★★★☆☆
WORKED TEMPORARILY
(Austin, Tx)
02/07/2009
i used to get this often before i was diagnosed with diabetes. have you ever had your blood sugar checked? apple cider vinegar both ingested - 1 - 2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water and a douche with about 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of water helps mine. also do not use soap on the area. do not bathe in bubble bath. quit using clorox if it bothers you. you can clean the toilet very well with white vinegar and baking soda. you might also try a baking soda douche - 1 tablespoon to 8 ounces water. wearing tight pants would make mine worse too - when i had the problem i often wore loose skirts w/o underwear so the area could breathe.
good luck
djh
Multiple Remedies
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
(If Town, Idaho)
02/15/2010
hello to other women with bv. i am 32 yrs old and i am a chronic bv. sufferer. i read this site and all the remedies others have suggested. i would like to add that the lady at the health food store told me to take colloidal silver instead of b-12. it comes in a small bottle with a dropper. you take one teaspoon full under the tongue once per day for maintenance. it was also suggested from another healthfood professional that colloidal silver is safe to douche with since peroxide seemed a little scary to me. i fill the dropper, lie on my back in the tub, insert, and let sit for 1-3 minutes. along with the garlic and acidopholis plus a ton of water the stench is gone. im not seeing any discharge either. what a great feeling. you can get silver in any healthfood store. the only other ingredient it has is pure water. whether the bv is gone or not i plan to maintain this regimin.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★☆
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
Multiple Remedies
★☆☆☆☆
(Bx, NY)
12/14/2008
sorry you have been having all of these problems, however let me tell you and everyone else what works. listen up girls. what u have to do is first think about how often you move your bowels. this should be everyday at least twice, if not u need more fiber. the problem is or could be a candida inflammation or problems with digestion. what i did was got a colonic for one, maybe you dont have to, maybe it helped me im not sure. but i decided to write back becuz i see no one came back to these sites with any info saying things actually work for sure. all this to say, get natures way primodophilus l. reuteri from the health food store, it works like a charm. i have been taking it for a month and after the first week of taking them, i have never felt better. every now and a again i pop 2 folic acids and im good, actually im great.i take one in the morning and one at night. i have been having sex and i havent had a problem. im almost scared to stop taking them. trust me it has been working. ive tried every thing else and had no results as long as this., the smell is gone, the discharge is very minimal. i thank God everyday because this was really effecting my life, to the point that everytime i use the toilet, i was smelling the tissues i used to wipe with. in all seriousness get this stuff. i tried the h2o wash, the acidophilus, the garlic, the tea tree oil, oh gosh everything. you just have to find the right probiotic for you, and i think this one has the one that actually transfers to your intestines into the vaginal tract.holla if u need me girls. bye
Multiple Remedies
★☆☆☆☆
(Clinton Twp., MI)
11/09/2008
This is in response to your blog, Rene...I know you are frustrated and just want to have a healthy sex life! BV is horrible! I have been suffering from it for over a year, and i have done countless experiments with several at home remedies. Let me tell you i'm almost better, not 100% yet, but almost! Here is why your bv comes back after sex...(this may be a bit long, but it will help you) This was confirmed by my new GYN just a couple weeks ago:
BV is caused by a change in the ph of your vagina. Your vagina should be in the ph range of 4.0-4.5, an acidic environment. If the ph goes higher than that range, this causes an overgrowth of the bad bacteria that exist in our vagina, and a depletion of the good bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus). If the vagina is in the proper ph range, the lactobacilli should outnumber the bad bacteria and keep your vag. in the correct ph range. these good bacteria produce an acidic environment, and the acidic environment keep the good bacteria (this is a constant circle, so it is important to keep tabs on your ph). The reason the semen is causing your bv is likely because semen has a ph of about 7.0-8.0 (don't quote me on that, i don't know the exact number, but i know that semen has a significantly higher ph than the vagina calls for). When you have unprotected sex, the semen (ph of 7.0) interrupts the normal state of the vagina (ph of 4.0), thus causing a depletion of the lactobacilli and overgrowth of bad bacteria, causing bv.
This to me is BS, because our bodies were made to procreate, and how do you do that without semen, right? If I were you, I would keep tabs on your vaginal ph on a regular basis with one of those kits you can buy at the store (about $16, but VERY worth it and better than doctors bills!!). Also, after sex, you may want to douche with half organic apple cider vinegar/half distilled or previously boiled water. ACV has a ph level of 3.0-4.0, which is perfect for restoring the ph of the vagina. Be sure to take Lactobacillus Acidophilus supplements every day. You can do this orally, and if that is not enough, you can apply vaginally with plain yogurt or just putting a pill up there. The most important ingredient in the vagina is the lactobacilli, so if you have to pick one thing, i would choose that. I really hope this helps. You sound frustrated, and i don't blame you! And, remember that the doctors arent telling you the whole story most of the time, so you may want to continue doing some research on your own and experimenting with different home remdies. Everyone's body reacts differently so be sure to choose the correct remedy for your body.
Good luck!
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
I DO encourage anyone suffering from this to do as much research as they can, but if you are not good at research or do not have the time, I think this post will be helpful to you.
First,my story/symptoms- i am 40 and have had yeast infections from time to time during my adulthood. Have always treated them with OTC treatment that has worked well for me. A few weeks ago I felt that unmistakable itch that has always, for me, signaled a yeast infection. I tried the usual OTC. Didn't work...hmmmmmmmm. tried it again, didn't work again. That's when I realized I'm dealing with something else this time. Begin with the research and reading- I'm 99.9% sure I have BV. Looked at the "official" info websites on the subject. They give great info on the causes but all treatment suggestions send you to your Dr, where they promptly give you a pelvic and a dose of antibiotics. After reading hundreds of posts from ladies that followed that course-went to Dr, got antibiotics, got temporary relief and BV keeps coming back; I decided to try and treat myself from the get-go. If you make that choice also, please do it carefully. I am NOT one of those folks who doesn't believe in going to the Dr. But after all I've read, it is my strong opinion that the general medical community has really dropped the ball on this problem. All they seem to do is throw antibiotics at you; which at best gives you temporary relief only to have BV return. At worst, temp relief of BV, but a lovely yeast infection in it's place.
OK, Off the soapbox and on with the info....
First I'm going to talk about the WHY. If you've been to other sites you may know this already, so skip it. If not read on.
The vagina is an interesting little ecosystem. Basically you have "good" bacteria that live there and keep everything happy. The environment of the vagina needs to be acidic (3.5-4.5) Just a little primer on the PH scale...0-14, 0 is extreme acidic, 14 is extreme alkaline. If your PH gets off and moves toward the higher end, your Good bacteria die and bad bacteria take over-thus BV. Or a yeast infection. Either one lives at the more alkaline. The acidity/good bacteria is a circle. The good bacteria help keep the acid right and the acid keeps the good bacteria alive. If you need more info on whether you have a bacterial infection or a yeast infection, that is pretty easy to find here and all over the web. My info is designed for gals that pretty much know they have BV.
OK...what now??? Another gal put the treatment process very succinctly and I'm basically repeating her thoughts.
1. Kill bad bacteria
2. Make environment in vagina more acidic.
3. Re-introduce good bacteria.
4. Find out what is causing yours and prevent. This is a mystery, I think there may be more to BV than what we currently know. There are Soooooo many ways your ph can become unbalanced and cause this. Educate yourself as much as possible and try to figure out your why.
The tools I have found that seem to work the best for the most people are these:
(I will tell you how to use each) You can find all of this at a health food store.
1.Hydrogen Peroxide
2.Folic Acid
3.Tea Tree Oil
4.Apple Cider Vinegar
5.Probiotics
1.Peroxide-Good all around cleasing agent. The bad bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they thrive in the absence of oxygen. The good bacteria are aerobic, the opposite. Peroxide floods the vagina with an environment that the bad stuff hates.
2.Folic Acid-I don't know why or really if this actually works, but a LOT of women swear by it and it can't hurt you-so why not.If anyone has more info on why Folic acid works please let me know.
3.Tea Tree Oil- This is a great natural TOPICAL antibiotic. There are others also, but Tea Tree is easy to come by and inexpensive and goes a long way.
4.Apple Cider Vinegar-This is a natural, inexpensive acid. Some gals insist on getting the kind with the "mother". You can find this at natural food stores.
5.Probiotics- I cannot (because this would be unbearibly long) go into all the details of the various strains of bacteria that should be living in your vagina. There is soooo much info out there to read on this(and I suggest you do)So I'm going to be VERY basic. Lactobacillus Acidolphis is one of the strains you need and can be easliy bought and administered.
OK, now for actual treatment. Other tools you will need other than the ones listed above are-
1. A small syringe. Get the type that has a bulb on the end. Designed for giving children medicine. Looks like a large eye dropper or a tiny turkey baster. Found mine at Wallgreens.
2. Tampons- get the kind that have different sizes. You will use the small tampon in the large applicator.
How to use these tools for treatment:
Take 800 mg of Folic Acid in the morning and 400mg at night.
You can rinse with the Peroxide first or anytime the discharge is bad. I found no problem with using it full strength. You can dilute if it bothers you. Draw it up into the syringe, insert as you would a tampon and squeeze it out while the syringe is inside. You can repeat this a couple of times.
Tea Tree Oil. This is where you use the tampons. Take out a small one and a large one, remove both tampons from their applicators. Throw out the small applicator and the large tampon. The reason you are doing this is(duh) a tampon swells when it is wet, so you have to get it saturated with oil THEN insert. Use the syringe to draw up some of the oil. saturate the small tampon with the oil. place the tampon in the large applicator and insert. leave in for up to 3 hrs. This is the A-Bomb for the bad bacteria! Take out and wait a few hours before the vinegar.
Vinegar. I found that the vinegar will burn if you do not dilute heavily. Find a level that is comfortable for you. You can either use your diluted mixture to rinse inside as you did with the peroxide or can saturate a tampon as you did with the oil. This will bring your Ph over to the acid side and make it a nice place for the good stuff to grow.
Acidophilus. This one has the most latitude. Probiotics come in capsules, tablets, "liquid", and in various foods. Most strains cannot migrate from your digestive tract to your vagina. Sooooo, the best way to adminiser these babies is to put them right where they need to be. i found that the capsules didn't disolve in the vagina as they would in the stomach, so I found an Acidophilus that is in a kind of liquid form. It actually looks like a runny yogurt. This is an easy method to get the little guys where they need to be. Use the syringe and insert a couple of teaspoons inside.
I found it best to use the Peroxide, Oil, and Vinegar during the day and the acidophilus in the evening before bed. That way it's not so messy (put on a pair of COTTON undies) also allows the whole night for them to multiply.
As for taking probiotics orally, certianly can't hurt and may help a lot. So take them orally in conjuction with vaginally.
I had results from this treatment plan in one day. I hope to get some feedback with others experiences. Sorry this was so long, but I hope it helps. This is such an awful problem and there aren't that many real answers out there.
(Woodbridge, Va)
02/07/2011
