★★★★★
I don't know if this info is important or not - but I'm 20 yrs old and I had my first spell of BV when I was about 16, though I wasn't sexually active so I didn't really notice it. It went away by itself. I never went to the gyn and I never diagnosed it as anything other than 'sweaty vag'. I got another case of it about two weeks ago, I recognized the symptoms but I didn't know what they meant so I googled it and I put the pieces together and diagnosed myself with BV.
I've heard good things about acidophilus probiotics. They're not too expensive either so I'm going to try them as well. I also regularly take Azo pills for urinary tract support, it has probiotics in it. I'm prone to UTIs so this is just preventative. I recommend it if your BV is giving you a burning sensation when you pee. It helps with the pain. I wish you luck with your BV and advise you stay away from ACV, it's not the 'fix all home remedy' that the internet makes it out to be!
Tea Tree Oil
Vitamin D
Coconut Oil
Garlic
Baking Soda in Water
★★★★☆
I've decided to focus on how to gain more weight so I bought potencee an ascorbic acid I gain weight because I started to eat more and eat more healthy food then I search again to internet and found out some BAKING SODA can kill also a yeast infection so I started drinking a 1 glass of cold water with half a teaspoon of baking soda. I'm already in my 1 week and its make the smell go away not definely but Im working on it. I smell but its not like before. Have a try of baking soda. Its help me a lot.
Alkalize
★★★★★
"I know this is an old post but hoping someone sees this comment and has an answer. I don't understand how alkalizing the body works for BV. BV happens when your vaginal pH is more alkaline. Normal is 3.4 - 4.5 and once it goes over 4.5, then you start to see bacteria taking hold and developing BV. So if you alkalize yourself even more, how does that stop the BV? My pH is currently 6.5 and was told it's due to menopause (3.5 yrs post menopause now) which can lead to BV (which I seem to have right now based on symptoms). Menopause dryness can lead to a higher pH. Just wondering how this works."
BV occurs when the body becomes acidic and reduces the oxygen needed for the necessary concentrations of the good bacteria lactobacillus and facilitates the the growth and increase on concentrations of the anaerobic bacteria, that is responsible for causing BV. The increased intake of alkaline increases oxygen production, which in turn increases the growth the lactobacillus bacteria that keeps the vaginal ph balance in check. Therefore, the alkalized water works on the same premise as nutrients, antibiotics, medications, supplements, etc. The alkaline in the water enters one's blood stream, system, and tissues, like anything a person consumes will do, reduces its acidity which regulates the ph balance, returning it to normal.
I hope this helps you understand how it works. It is pretty simple really if you know the difference between acidity (acidosis) and alkalinity (alkalosis) and the role each plays in maintaining and/or damaging the health of the human body.
★★★★★
Garlic
Garlic
★☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
Just three times a day I drank a cap full of ACV well shaken with mother and followed with a glass of distilled water after the second day the smell was completely gone its a must that you wear panty liners daily sweat, moist, hot and dark areas are a breeding ground for bacteria and once you get the smelly discharge on your panties you know it's going to be a stinky situation for the rest of the day ACV will balance your ph from the inside so there is no need irritating your irritated vagina any further but be sure its BV this is not a STD Cure so if symptoms dont subside you may need to see you gyn thanks hopes this work for you I use it everyday now for its wonderful health benefits....
Baking Soda Douche
Personal Care Products
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Coconut Oil
Hydrogen Peroxide and Probiotic Douche
★★★★★
For the entire summer, I had a very bad case of BV. I went to the doctor, he gave me a strong antibiotic which I never used, treated it myself and here's how I did it.
At first I tried ACV soaked tampon as its my favorite natural remedy....did not work. I tried soaking a tampon in Hydrogen peroxide and that whole method, did not work. When I was at the doctor I told him of some of the natural remedies I was reading about and he suggested never wearing a tampon for any reason as every time you take out a tampon, it strips your vaginal canal of all the good bacteria in there!
Although I never douched it my life, I decided to give the hydrogen peroxide douche remedy a shot. I bought 4 generic douches (not scented, just the regular), emptied a bottle, filled it halfway with hydrogen peroxide, and cracked open a good women's probiotic, poured it right in the bottle. Topped it off with filtered water. I then used the douche in the shower, making sure to hold in the mixture as long as I could, then letting it flow out naturally. Morning and night I did this douche for several days even if the smell seemed to have faded, finally cleared it up after about 2 weeks and I mean this BV was bad for a while....every time I'd squat or open my legs I could smell it...metallic, fishy odor. Doc also recommended using condoms and having my husband "pull out" during sex as to not affect the pH balance even more.
Due to reading many posts, I was also taking folate (not folic acid, folate) and popping garlic pills. Do NOT know if this helped as I take meds/vitamins/pills very sporadically, I can't help it I'm just bad at it (its why the birth control pill never really worked for me HAHA! ).
Here I am months later and now have my husband on a good men's probiotic as I realized since the first case of BV, whenever he doesn't "pull out"....smell starts coming back. If it does, I douche once with the hydrogen peroxide/probiotic/water mix and its all cleared up.
If you are hesitant about using the hydrogen peroxide, start with filtered water + probiotic to at least help get good bacteria up there to do it's job! Douches are Not what our mothers used. The part that gets inserted has holes on the side not the top, nothing is getting pushed up further towards the cervix. Using common sense and being in tune with your body to figure out dosages. Obviously if you've never used a douche before, do not go 100% hydrogen peroxide. Dilute it and work up to higher quantities until you are at about 50/50% water/hydrogen peroxide.
My favorite probiotic, that incidentally has cleared up uti's and helped with yeast infections can be purchased online and at most organic food stores. The brand I like has 24 strains with 100 Billion CFU and prebiotic inulin.
Hope this helps someone out there! And worry not ladies....as much as we notice the smell, many times our men don't. My husband did not and I had to point it out...still he didn't care ;)
Tea Tree Oil
Alkalize
Vitamin C, Alkalizing
★★★★★
I kept reading and researching and came across the suggestion to alkalize the body. I again researched on the process and came across apple cider vinegar and baking soda combo to make alkaline water. At the same time, I read about the benefits of inserting vitamin C tablet with rose hips. I have used both the vitamin C with rose hips and made alkaline water by mixing water with a dash of apple cider vinegar and half a teaspoon of baking soda. I add sweetener for taste. The recommended dosage for the vitamin C is 250mg tablet. I bought the 1000mg tablet and even though it has been three days and the odor seems to have subsided, I got an irritation around the vulva. I obviously did not push the vitamin C tablet far enough or the strength was too high. It is recommended to use a tampon once you insert the vitamin C tablet to prevent irritation to the vulva and also to ensure that it stays in place and does what it is supposed to do.
Fingers crossed that these two remedies work. I will continue using the alkaline water and take a break from the vitamin C regimen. I used the Vitamin C for 3 days, inserted at night. Most people experienced relief from using the Vitamin C alone and only after three days of use.
I hope this information helps someone. BV sucks.
Coconut Oil
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Dietary Changes
Dietary Changes
Probiotics Plus
Oregano Oil
★★★★★
I got another BV infection. Once I felt it come on I immediately started using a tea tree oil tampon. My boss had told me she's used that before and it worked wonders and it was much easier than the more messy suppositories. I used that for 3 days, per her instruction. After that I still didn't feel ok so I went to the Dr to get an actual diagnosis to make sure it wasn't yeast. The Dr confirmed it was BV and sent it to the lab. I went home and did the tea tree for 7 days thinking maybe it wasn't long enough the first time. I just dropped about 10-20 drops on a light tampon and inserted it and changed it out every 8 hrs. While I was doing that the lab confirmed it was a mild infection. After the 7 days of tea tree tampons I did my 14 days of the boric acid, coconut oil and probiotic suppositories just to be on the safe side. When that was done I was sure it must be gone but 48 hrs later I started getting symptoms again and feeling a little feverish. Back to the dr I went. She confirmed the infection was still there and still mild. I told her I was not taking an antibiotic and she was totally supportive. She suggested 3 wks of straight boric acid at night. I got capsules and filled them with boric acid and inserted one in the morning and at night for 3 wks. I felt better for a bit and then didn't toward the end of the 3 wks which was also my period. I was also drinking ACV at 2 tbsp 2x a day and that didn't seem to be helping either.
My diet is already very clean. I am on a modified GAPS diet where I drink homemade bone broths, only organic/grass fed meats, organic eggs, organic veggies, no sugar, no chemicals, no preservatives, no grains. So there is not much I could attribute or change in my diet.
I came back onto earth clinic and found the posts for Oregano Oil. I've heard it's awesome as an antibiotic and have other friends that have used it for other kinds of infections. I did some more research and decided to give it a shot. I decided to attack it from a couple angles this time. I got some Wild Oil of Oregano Oreganol. You can find it at Whole Foods or Amazon. Amazon is cheaper. Get the regular strength NOT the super strength. Not all oregano oils are the same so research them well, there needs to be a high level of carvacrol.
I started taking it at 6 drops a day 3x a day in water. AND I created suppositories using organic coconut oil, 4 drops Oreganol and 4 drops DoTerra tea tree oil. To make the suppositories I took a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon and solid coconut oil. Filled the spoon and made a little well in the center with my finger. I put the 8 drops in the well and covered it with more solid coconut oil, wrapped it in plastic wrap (or put in a sandwich baggie) and put it into the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Inserted it in the morning and at night. You must wear a pad when you do this. During the day you can change it to a panty liner once you're sure all the stuff has leaked out. You will smell like oregano oil but not so much that people with notice, just when you go to the bathroom you can smell it.
I did this for 4 wks just to be on the safe side. I definitely felt better after the first 2 wks but I didn't want to risk it coming back. I did it from one period straight through to the next one. This time when I period hit my symptoms didn't get worse. That was encouraging.
I went to the Dr again yesterday and he said my swab looked completely normal. I am a little irritated on the outside and he prescribed a cream to help with that. Not sure if that is from the oregano oil or just from 3 months of BV. Either way I was so relieved it was gone I almost cried.
2 months ago I also started oil pulling again so I am not sure how much that helped. If you don't know what that is you should research it. It's an ancient healing practice, keeps your gums super healthy (even if you don't floss) and helps to remove toxins, bacteria, yeast and all bad stuff from your body without removing the good stuff.
Alkalize
Alkalize
I don't understand how alkalizing the body works for BV. BV happens when your vaginal pH is more alkaline. Normal is 3.4 - 4.5 and once it goes over 4.5, then you start to see bacteria taking hold and developing BV. So if you alkalize yourself even more, how does that stop the BV?
My pH is currently 6.5 and was told it's due to menopause (3.5 yrs post menopause now) which can lead to BV (which I seem to have right now based on symptoms). Menopause dryness can lead to a higher pH.
Just wondering how this works.
Dietary Changes
Multiple Remedies
Oregano Oil
Latest Research
Please read this article to have a greater understanding on why BV and candida are so difficult to treat.
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/61/4/601/330070/Biofilms-An-Underappreciated-Mechanism-of
It angers me to no end that women are on the low end of the spectrum when it comes to research. We have plenty of options for male sexual dysfunction on the market but ask big pharm how the research into biofilms for vaginal health is coming along and you will hear crickets.
Discuss these ideas with your doctors and midwives, some of them are researchers and perhaps you will the plant the seed in their mind. They may not agree at first but the more we talk about this the more chance we have of finding a cure.
Coconut Oil
Lifestyle Changes
★★★★★
Really take care of your body on every level. Don't just drink ACV for a day or so and stop because it didn't fix it. Continue. It's healthy for you. Don't just take Folic Acid for a week and stop because it didn't work. Your body needs it. Continue. Build the immune system. Take probiotics because your body needs it. There are cheap ways...fermented veggies, kefir and homemade yogurt are all less expensive ways to get lots of probiotics into your system. we live in a world of info and youtube is a great reference to learn how to make all these things. Youtube is also a great reference for self healing mediation and to watch videos on emotionally healing the self.
Dr's don't have all the answers. They know the body technically and are told by the drug companies what to give their patients. Not that they don't care but they have very limited knowledge. We've become a very "band-aid" society where we fail to find the root cause and just mask it with medication. This goes for most ailments.
I think we need a full body, mind and soul attitude to heal ANYTHING. It takes time and practice and is a huge commitment and a big lifestyle change. To me it's totally worth it.
Apple Cider Vinegar Variations
The grapefruit oil you put in water and than drank? Do you drink this everyday, how many times a day?
Thank You
Kefir
★★★★★
The box of Bv cream from the store came with reusable applicator tubes that can be used for applying yogurt or kefir, etc. rather than a syringe if you don't find one.
If the Bv returns during your period you could try treating rectally those days. For example, mince fresh garlic, let stand 10 minutes to activate, add to olive oil and apply as retention enema.
Thank you for the wonderful website!
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
For 3 years, It seemed like every month I was on boric acid, metro gel, flagyl oral, tried vinegar, vitamin C with rose hips-- it would go away and then come right back. Sometimes after sex, or my period, or too much stress...I could never pinpoint what was causing it. I'm not sure if I anyone recommend cutting out sugar or if I just immediately dismissed them because if you asked me beforehand I would have told you I don't eat that much sugar. After being in a study for women who suffer with chronic BV and getting to the end of the list of treatment options, my dr suggested I try cutting out sugar.
Through experimentation, I've found that anytime I start eating more than 30g of sugar/day, my ph starts to get off. And that terrible smell (like trash! ) starts to show up again. I use metrogel one of two nights and it's gone. Then I got back to my strict low/no sugar diet. I've tested it several times and my experiments result in the same conclusion- sugar causes my BV.
This was one of the blogs I went to to when I was looking for a cure, so I wanted to share my experience. I hope it helps someone out there.
