The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Jai (Atlanta, Ga) on 05/04/2009
Let me just start off by saying I'm sooo glad I found this site. I've been suffering with BV since I got my IUD put in Nov 07'. I had my period one day and it was an unusually stronger oder then normal. After my period was over the oder remaind. I figured it wasn't an STD, I hadn't been with anyone for a while, so I did some research and found out it was BV. I went to the clinic and paid like 80bucks to take those nasty metronidazole (Flagyl) pills! Since then I've had it 3more times and had to pay everytime for those nasty pills! And it seems to be getting worse!! Well, I went out and bought the FOLIC ACID pills (800mcg) and ACIDOPHILUS (1million). I'll start taking them today and follow up in a week to post my results. I'm alil weary of the H202 douching so I hope this works. Crossing my fingers... I can't take this anymore!
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Barbie (NYC, NY) on 05/03/2009
What a relief it has been since I have found this webiste! I have been suffering with BV on and off for 1 year...my story is similar to a lot of women on this site. A week and a half ago I decided to buy probiotic acidophilus capsules and folic acid tablets. I went home and started on them right away. I read somewhere that it was safe to take 1-3 acidophilus capsules daily....so I took 3 and as far as the folic acid (each 400mcg-microgram) I took 2, along with a regular multivitamin which carries 400 mcg of folic acid as well...I only noticed that afterwards. I have been doing this regimen daily since then and I promise you it has gone away, ok I know I am not cured but acidophilus and folic acid are good for the women to take anyway and it beats going to the OBGYN and being given countless amounts of meds that just cover up the issue...a very good friend of mine was also suffering with BV for a while and I told her about this(after a week of me testing it out) and since then she has told me the same thing...she was always in the OBGYN offc and constantly complaining how nothing was working for her...GOOD LUCK everyone!
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Iztaca (Brooklyn, NY) on 05/01/2009
★★★★★
Acidophilus and Folic Acid cured my BV:
I'm in my mid-20s and finally started having sex (with someone I love). Shorty afterwards, I experienced a strong odor and slight burning. We had both been tested so I knew it wasn't an STD. I initially thought the smell was a result of my recent vitamin B-12 intake. I explained the symptoms to my mom, a medically-licensed healthcare professional, who suggested BV, something that she herself has suffered from but had eventually went away. I came upon this site, and what a relief! I couldn't find EarthClinics dosage page, but after reading some detailed posts, I took 1600mcg of Folic Acid and two Acidophilus capsules orally the first night (the idea of putting the capsule in my vagina made me nervous - especially since no one wrote if they put it in like tampon insertion length or just in the entrance of the vajayjay). Honest to blog, the smell was gone by morning. The next night, I took only 1200mcg of Folic Acid (I learned my Vitamin B supplements held 400mcg anyway) and continued with the two Acidophilus pills. I've kept up this regimen for the last week and I have little-to-no-discharge and absolutely no fishy smell. A miracle! It's a huge comfort to know that other women have suffered through BV and are open talking about it. I will likely keep up this regimen for another week and then taper off the Folic Acid dosage or take the vitamins every other day. Acidophilus is safe to take everyday.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Kazz (Tauranga, New Zealand) on 04/17/2009
wow, ive speant the last two days reading the advice and tips and stoires of women all over the world just like me. I find it amazing how this problem makes you feel so lonely, dirty and embarassed, and yet there are so many of us out there all suffering together. The last few days have been amazing, ive cried till i thought i couldnt cry anymore. There IS light at the end of the tunnel. Ive gone out and bought some folic acid (800mcg) and some acidophilus (25 million live cultures) and ill be sure to keep you all posted. Thank you so much to everyone on here, this is the first time in many many years that i feel i CAN beat this.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Teresa (Chicago, IL) on 04/15/2009
★★★★★
I was at school when I'm like, "What is that God awful smell?" I went to the bathroom I had started my period. I never smelled bad at all when I had it any other month. After my period was over, the smell stuck around. I realized I had BV again. I was frustrated because the smell is so gross. I don't have health insurance so I always go to a free clinic. Due to school and work, its hard for me to schedule and appointment because the clinic closes at 3:30 p.m. Once I got home, I went online for a home remedy then I ran into this site. I tried something a few people mentioned. I took [1 pill of Acidophilus 1Billion & 1 pill of Folic Acid 400mcg in the MORNING] & [1 pill of Acidophilus 1Billion & 1 pill of Folic Acid 400mcg in the EVENING] starting on April 10th. After the 2nd day, the smell was completely gone. I'm still taking the pills because I don't want it to come back! I'm still going to go schedule an appointment to see if everything is okay down there as soon as I have time. I just took the pills to see if it actually worked (thank God it did!) & so I wont be embarrassed about smelling in class. Whoever has this problem should definately try it. I was pretty skeptical....but now I'm convinced.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by A (Sherwood, OR) on 04/15/2009
★★★★★
I followed the directions....took Folic Acid and the Acidophilus and within 24 hours it was gone!! I am sooo amazed...I've had it for 18 years...no doctor ever found anything that works and I come here and poof! it is gone.
Thank you all and thank you so much for this website.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Livee (Brooklyn, New York) on 04/08/2009
★★★★★
I remember the first time that I got diagnosed with a yeast infection, I was 17 years old, and that's when it all started. Now I am 25 and BV has been in my life like an ex-boyfriend you can't get rid of. Even though I make frequent visits to the doctor, they prescribe me the same things over and over again, things like metro-gel, which works temporarily. But as soon as I become sexually active again, it comes right back. I even had a doctor tell me to douche with Iodine and water, and that didn't do anything but make matters worse.
So my sis e-mailed a link to this website, and I read through every single comment and review that every person wrote about BV, and to my amazement, I went to the nearest Vitamin Store and literally bought some Folic Acid 400 mcg and L. acidophilus ____. I took two capsules of each, and literally had sex the same night with my boyfriend, and the smell was gone! I almost couldn't believe it! I told my boyfriend, and he noticed that the smell was gone too. Luckily, he was very understanding of the situation, and was willing to help in anyway that he could. But we were both ecstatic that the nasty fishy scent was gone after we had sex. No one wants to deal with something like that, of course when you want to make love to your man, and then cuddle after, who wants to cuddle in a room smelled like something died in your vagina?
Well I must say this website, and everyone on it answered my prayers. Thank you for allowing me to live my life again!
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Tayler (Toronto, ON, Canada) on 04/07/2009
★★★★★
I have suffered from BV for about 6 years unknowingly (meaning the doctors failed to diagnose correctly). After doing a self diagnosis I tried this approach. I received instant results. Within 2 hours my symptoms cleared up completely. Suffering from this horrible disease since the age of 14 and now I am 21 and finally freed. I am eternally grateful to all who have shared their knowledge. It saddens me that there is so little research or concern amongst the health industry to tackle with issue with affordable and accessible probiotics. It makes me wonder why us women must silently suffer. Hopefully this will be knowledge that we all will pass down to other young women who secretly may be suffering as we all have. Thank You Earth Clinic.
My measurements: 2 folic acid & B12 chew tab (400 mcg) and 3 Acidophilus with Bifidus & FOS (6 billion cells)
Questions: While suffering from BV (unknowingly) I gave birth to a healthy child. My question is, is there any risk to him. What steps should I take for him, if any?
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Tired of BV (New York, USA) on 04/01/2009
DO NOT INGEST NOR DOUCH WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR...ACV has a pH of about 7+ its not healthy to your vagina,your vagina essentially has to be a pH of about 3-4. Douching on the whole is not healthy to vagina's. Here are some great pointers that help:
1. Don't douch with ACV, insert Acidophilus this helps
2. Don't use scented soaps only wash once per day,don't use antibacterial soaps with triclosan.
2. Keep a daily regime of acidophilus and folic acid.
3. If u get urine tract problems, simple cranberry juice will clear it up.I personally drink cran juice everynight before bed.
4. Metronidazole is a suspected carcinogen,its not healthy constantly taking it epeciallyif your BV keeps returning.
Im currently taking acidophilus and folic acid and it works,women have to be very careful and treat their BV because i did not bother with it after sometime and I landed in the hospital with bacterial kidney infection.It was not told to me how bacteria got there but i believe its due to BV.Because there is such a high level of the bacteria slowly but surely the bacteria works its way up to your kidney and makes u very sick (fever,vomiting, aches and pains).so keep up with your Folic Acid and Acidophilus it will help...we have nothing to lose but the darn BV.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Amy (Nags Head, North Carolina) on 03/29/2009
★★★★★
take 800mcg Folic acid daily and two lactobaciliphus capsules before each meal three times a day until overt symptoms subside. then once you have eliminated the discharge and the smell....(possibly the first day) continue to take daily recommended dose of folic acid. usually 400mcg if not pregnant and 800-1000mcg if expecting. and decrease the lactobaciliphus capsules to just one three times a day. if your stool becomes too soft decrease lactobaciliphus capsules to just one capsule twice a day. it is a digestive aide as well. the thought process is that the live cultures will colonize in your rectum and will travel to your vagina to recolonize and balance your ph. (completely safe) avoid ANYTHING perfumed including lotion, detergent, soap, and body sprays. avoid semen in your vagina. NO SUGARY DRINKS NO SMOKING!!!! use only warm water on your vagina....hot water can soften the already irritaed skin causing it to tear. ouch!!! don't insert anything into your vagina! if you do decide to go to the doctor and they prescribe metrondiazole, use the above reccomendations to keep BV free. the smell is you vagina's way of telling you that your PH level is off. things like sperm, which is alkaline, can change your ph completely. if you must use soap around your vagina use something for a sensitive skinned baby. but water truly is all you need because as my nanny would say a healthy vagina will clean itself. discuss this with your partner as he may think of you as "dirty" i guess i lucked out because my partner is just as understanding as he can be and we all know that stress makes everything worse. i am a registered nurse and trust me.....this helps. good luck. xoxo
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Anne (Cambria County, PA) on 03/18/2009
★★★★★
I have been sufferning with BV off and on since I can remember. I have tryed the meds the OBGYN gives u all the time. U might just want to go to your local Pharmacy and buy Acidophilus ____. Ingredients: Lactobacillus Acidophilus 100mg. I thought i had bought the Natural kind but it is not. The nasty smell is so bad I took one by mouth and inserted one capsule useing my middle finger.I took three 400mgs of Folic Acid also because I really don't think I have one good cell left down there! I'm running on empty! I also have my period now witch will help. I just did not want to waite another minute It wasn't long after I inserted the Acidophilus I felt releif from the smell,the itching and my urine was looking really good too. That nasty smell is not kicking like it was. I was going to try Boric Acid in a capsule but I figured It might B quicker and safer 2 insert a capsules up in me. I am going to insert another capsule up in there around 10 10:30 tonight. I am really amazed how fast it started to work! I am very surprized this stuff is working already. I'll also keep taking 3 400mgs of Folic Acid 2x's a day and one vitamin B-12 1,000mgs a day. When the nasty odor is gone and the rest of my sytems r gone too i will write back to tell you how long it took and if i changed anything. I was really uncertain about doing all this. I'm sooooo thankfull i did! I thank Earthclinic and U all for shareing.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Miss D (Seattle, WA) on 03/17/2009
★★★★★
I've been suffering from bacterial vaginosis for approximately 1 1/2 years. I had heavy discharge and the room smelled like a dead fish after sex. The foul odor happened whether or not I used condoms. I've been treated with the metro gel twice and flagyl twice. I'm currently on long term therapy and use the metro gel twice a week. I also take 1200 micrograms of folic acid, 4 billion acidophilus, and 48 billion probiotics. I also take 1000 milligrams vitamin c and 1 garlic pill. This has seemed to do the trick. I've been testing myself (on the days I can) and I have maintained a 4.5 ph balance even after sex. I use dove soap and my gynecologist told me not to douche with anything.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Laura (Honolulu, Hawaii) on 03/17/2009
★★★★★
Woes of BV:
Folic Acid and acidophilus have helped my bacterial vaginosis. I've had reoccuring yeast infections since I was 17. It was definitely my diet at that time.. Onto the BV- I got it after having my IUD put in and had sex with my boyfriend. I thought it was a yeast infection (again) and treated it, but nothing helped. I finally consulted a student in my school (I'm in chinese medicine school) and she put me on a 10 day cleanse. It was no food for 8 days (just fruit for the first two), and salt water for cleaning the colon, and a special tea of cayenne, lemon, and maple syrup. That got rid of it within 2 days. However, I seemed to have it again and this time (unwilling to do the cleanse again) I was looking for something easier and less time consuming. I did the peroxide douche but this didn't seem to help. I ended up going out and buying folic acid and acidophilus. I am taking 4-6 folic acids a day at 400mg (I'm thinking it's a little too much and am going to lessen it) and 4 acidophilus pills at 500 million live cultures a day. I also inserted 2 acidophilus tabs inside my vajayjay today. So far so good! I'm not itchy or burning or having discharge (after the acidophilus pills made their way out of my body, that is). I feel good! So to anyone who is scared to try the peroxide douche, try this instead! I hope this helps!
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Inez (East Patchogue, NY) on 03/16/2009
Back in the 80's I had a problem with my kidneys(still don't know what it was all about). The Urologist I was seeing couldn't figure it out so he had me taking antibiotics for three months. The antibiotics killed the bad bacteria, but they also killed my good bacteria. In those days who knew you shouldn't take antibiotics for more that 10 days. You would think the doctor would know. Anyway, my stomach constantly felt like there was a war going on inside, my joints hurt, I was constipated and very depressed. One morning I woke up with a terrible taste in my mouth. When I looked inside my mouth it was totally covered with black mold. (I later found out that my whole system, from mouth to rectum was coated with this mold, even my stool was black). When I got to work I immediately went to the nurse's office. She told me it was called "Black Hairy Tongue" and was the result of too many antibiotics. My doctor was no help, so I went to the health food store and asked about this condition. I was told to take acidophilus to put good bacteria back into my system. I took it in powder form every morning and started feeling better than I had in months. After a few months I switched to capsules and took 4 to 6 pills a day. When I finally had it under control and felt 100% better, I decreased dose to 1 to 2 pills a day. To this day I continue to take 1 pill a day, as does my husband, children and grandchildren (they have chewables for kids). My family rarely gets sick and I would say it really gives us a feeling of well being. It is now know that Probiotics build up the immune system and I know that my family and I have benefited by taking acidophilus these years. FOLIC ACID: Four years ago I started taking folic acid for hair loss and found that not only did I get new hair growth and stronger nails, but all my aches and pains were gone.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Malinda (Houston, TX) on 03/15/2009
I have been suffering through a horrible cycle of discomfort and medical expenses for almost two years now because of BV. Every month it's the same: my monthly would start and last five days. I'd have sex with my husband a couple of days after it was over, and no less than two days after that the typical BV symptoms would surface. After months of mistakenly treating it like a yeast infection, a doctor visit and a prescription for clindamycin cleared things up, but after another round of sex the symptoms were back. And before I knew it, it was time for my cycle again. My husband and i were hardly able to have sex and because of the gross symptoms that go with BV i pulled away from him subconciously, too embarrassed to explain. I never suffered from the very strong odor that others have described, but the yellowish discharge, irritated skin and pain during intercourse were all present. My doctor got so confident in my ability to self diagnose each month that she called in 9 refills on the clindamycin for me, to save me the cost of paying her office a copay every time it happened. I felt really dirty, and worried about the lack of intimacy between my husband and I. My mother advised douching with an iodine solution, but this dried me out and BURNED! I was at my wit's end when i found this site. After reading the posts, I literally hopped in my car and drove up the street to a grocery store. It had the folic acid (800mcg) and the acidophilus capsules on sale, buy one get one free! I bought them and a box of my favorite yogurt. I'm going to take one of each supplement tonite before bed, and again in the morning. My husband is away on business for the next few days...it would be fantastic to have this situation in check before he returns. Will also be great to be intimate again without fearing that my body is in any way offensive. I pray this works, and I'll keep folks posted. Thanks to all of you who shared your remedies, regrets and SOLUTIONS!!!!
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Laverne (Beautiful City, New Jersey) on 03/14/2009
Oh my goodness!!! I CAN NOT believe how many women are going through this problem. God bless all of you women for posting your advice and experiences. I would like to first say thank you to each and everyone of you. Although I am not happy the BV exists, I am so happy that I am not the only one going through this. It is so embarressing for me at work. I can smell the odor right through my pants. I feel like I have no control over my life anymore. I have been suffering from BV off and on for the past 5 years. For awhile I was doing very good. I would get it maybe once a year, if that, because I was taking Acidophilus once a day by mouth and I eat yogurt daily. But recently, I smelled a disturbing odor that I can almost say is worse than the BV odor. I went to the doctor and he told me that I didn't have any infection. I really don't know what to do, it is so bad I just want to go in the closet and never come out. I went and bought more acidophilus yesterday and I am going to buy the folic acid today. I will let you know in about a week if this work. Thank you so much to everyone.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Marie (Cleveland, Ohio) on 03/13/2009
★★★★★
I had been suffering with BV for about 6 years and it was only getting worse. I was in a longterm and exclusive relationship but, yet I couldn't really get comfortable with him because of the BV. I tried metro gel and scent free, dye free soaps, diflucan, OTC creams and pills but nothing worked. Then only thing that gave me any relef was Rephresh but it didn't even last the three days it was supposed to and it was getting expensive at $19 for a box of 4, three days treatments. I finally went to GNC and bought super acidophlus (10 billion CFU). I tried it and I was better after 3 days. However, I still had minimal symptoms. Then I had a toohtache and a subsequent root canal and my dentist prescribed oral clindamycin. I took this for 10 days while I was taking the super acidophlus and they must have complemented one another because I haven't had issues since and I don't even take my acidophilus or my multi-vitamin with folic acid every day. Before and after my periods and after intercourse I get a bit of extra discharge which scare me straight to the fridge for my acidophilus. I take a about 3 a day for about 3 days straight and I don't have any problems. Probiotics are my friend!!!!!!!!
Please note : I take folic acid in the form of a mulit-vitamin - but I wasn't even aware the folic acid was in the vitamin or that it was a possible treatment for bv but now I know. However, when I was only taking the multivitamin my bv was horrible. It may have been that I wasn't taking a therapeutic dose. I'm not sure with the folic acid but, it was the super acidophilus that had an immediate effect.
Folic Acid and Acidophilus
Posted by Lynne (Los Angeles, CA) on 03/11/2009
Has the ACV made your BV return? I want to try taking ACV daily but I am worried that it might cause BV to reoccur given the warning at the top of this topic.
