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.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Brigitte (Evanston, IL) on 06/16/2009
★★★★★
Hello, ladies! The apple cider vinegar does work better than or at least as well as over the counter remedies. I was taking antibiotics and became itchy and irritated in the vulva area. My external vagina was extremely sensitive and was so raw in between the folds of skin that rubbing it with a cotton swab actually produced a bit of blood! I was mortified at the sight of that and instantly had the creeps. I'd already been reading about acv and it's health benefits so I decided to give it a try. I just dipped the tip of a cotton swab into the vinegar and dabbed it directly on the irritated skin. It burned like crazy for a few moments but then quickly subsided, within a few minutes I felt relief! Less itching and irritation. Later on that evening I did it again after my shower. The next morning when I wiped myself I was 95 percent better! No itching, no discomfort NO drops of blood. I decided to do it one more time just to be certain that it was gone and walla! I only used the Q-tip dipped in apple cider vinegar with no dilution! That may be a bit too harsh for most women so I recommend that they dilute with a bit of water. I'm sure that it will still have the same benefits in a weaker version. Thanks to all the people who took time to post result and testimonies! That is always appreciated by those that are indecisive about trying home remedies. I'm totally satisfied with my results and have now encouraged my daughter to try it. If it works for her then I will post again. Here's to a happy and healthy vagina!
Don't Douche
Posted by Mary (Annapolis, Maryland USA) on 06/14/2009
I agree -- DO NOT DOUCHE! ACV gave me slight, temporary relief from my vaginal yeast. However, the douching flushed out the productive bacteria and set me up for a RAGING vaginal bacterial infection, which required an antibiotic cream. That remedy caused a yeast infection to recur. I am now committed to an anti-yeast diet, probiotics, and anti-fungal herbal regime. I work with an experienced herbal practitioner and am 2 months into my program. I urge all with yeast issues to research systemic candida. It's a growing problem.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jamie (Dallas, Texas) on 06/04/2009
★★★★★
hey girls. Yeah so yeast infections must be the worst thing ever, I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life. Mine have always been medication induced after being on prescriptions. This last one I have had for over a month. I got it right after my period, and it took me a few days to realize what it was for sure partly because I had just shaved down there and thought maybe it was just irritated. Anyway I got on a prescription, which last time took over 8 pills to make go away. This time I felt little change on the 2 pills I took. I hate the over the counter creams so I didnt even go that route after my past experiences with them ( not working, burning worse than the actual infection). So after suffering for weeks, I have been online for hours a day, on every website. I tried yogart, both eating and inserting. I actually found it made it feel worse, when I inserted it. However I didnt have as much burning as I have with past infections if I did I think it would of been great. But eating the yogart I could really tell a difference I would eat 4 a day and after I would eat them I felt a lil better. I was nervous about trying garlic, I mean what if I couldnt get it out. So I ate two cloves of garlic instead, till I could get to the store to buy whole garlic pills. After reading on here I decided to try ACV. I was worried because it was midnight and all the natural stores are closed. Luckily the supermarket by my house is 24 hours and has a natural section in it. I found all natural ACV. It was like 5 bucks! I came home and made a bath with warm water, and a cup of ACV. I soaked in it for 20 mins. Then I took 1/2 cup of ACV and 1/2 cup water and poured it on a washcloth, I applied it to the infected area and left it there for two mins. It did burn a lil bit, which made me kinda feel like it was working. I felt a big difference. Even just after the bath I felt a big difference. I went to bed and did it again in the morning. My plan is to keep doing this twice a day till I feel completely back to normal, the only problem is I should be starting my period any day now so that will likely make this all way way worse. Im hoping for the best, and I am thankful for all of you who shared your stories, they were very helpful to people like me. I never write on these things, but I figured if it will help one suffering women I will do it. Thanks girls~
Garlic, ACV, Acidophilus, Coconut Oil
Posted by Tamara (Fort Collins, Colorado) on 05/24/2009
★★★★★
I am quite prone to bacterial infections and when I got the last one in October, I went to my obgyn clinic to get antibiotics, which before becoming a regular on Earth Clinic, had been my go-to for UTIs. But this time they couldn't confirm it, so they gave me a lesser, short course antibiotic that, by the time the tests confirmed that the infection I had would be resistant to it, had already run out. So they gave me a longer, more potent antibiotic (I have no recollection of the name) that, of course, gave me a yeast infection. I had never had a yeast infection before (miraculously) and it was agonizing but I did not want to take diflucan or any other prescribed, traditional medication. Instead, I read up on Earth Clinic and tried a few of the therapies. Unfortunately, it was several months ago that it happened, but I do remember a few things that definitely worked. I took a few baths with about 2 cups of organic ACV in the water and applied organic coconut oil to the external parts that immediately reduced, but did not eliminate, the itching and burning. But I believe the most potent remedy was garlic. I chewed one or two raw cloves of garlic twice a day and at night I placed a raw, peeled garlic clove internally as a suppository. Amazingly, it worked. As a word of caution, I don't recommend leaving it too long (take it out after you wake up), try to find a smooth, rounded clove so that it won't poke or scratch the vagina, and to tie some yarn or string around the clove to pull it out easily (wouldn't want to get it lost inside!). I noticed that the garlic worked fast and I would use it internally whenever it started to itch but the oil from the garlic would burn if I didn't have an infection. I also started taking acidophilus in the yogurt-like form and eating coconut oil, which I think helped as well. I only had the infection for three days and started these remedies on the second day, so it could've been even shorter! I had been skeptical of home remedies until this infection and subsequent "cure" and have since used Earth Clinic for mounds of ailments. In fact, I was quite prone to every cold and flu and got a lot of cold sores (once every one to two weeks) and haven't had anything in over 7 months. I guess it took me awhile to realize what a healthy lifestyle and natural remedies can do for me. Thank you Earth Clinic!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kimberly (Lewisville, Texas) on 05/04/2009
★★★★★
acv cured my insane yeast infection. i am 37 years old and i have never had a yeast infection, until this month. after taking some antobiotics i developed a yeast infection. WOW! i tried monastat 7 and a yeast cleanse from my local health store. well, the yeast cleanse seemed to worked for a while , so i stopped. 2 days later my vaginal area was a deep red, itching , discharge , and unbearable. i could barely function. i found this acv cure on this web site and tried it. i read through a few posts to see what worked for others. so,i did a couple of things. i combined 12 to 16 oz of water with 2 tablespoons of acv and drank it 3 times a day. for immediate relief on my extrenal vaginal area i took a damp wash rag and put about 2 tablespoons of acv on it and held it on my vaginal area for a few minutes. it burned like no other for about 2 or 3 minutes , but i had IMMEDIATE RELIEF. you could actually see the color of my skin go back to normal. thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! my extreme pain is now a extreme relief. thank you to this site for your awesome information
Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent
Posted by Maria (Phoenix, AZ) on 04/24/2009
★★★★★
I agree with your post. UTI's are a direct result of soaps and toilet paper. Once I change the products to more natural or organic, and stopped using harsh liquid soaps, my UTI's are staying gone. I've had over 50 UTIs in over 10 years.
Yogurt
Posted by Jane (Glendale, Arizona) on 04/12/2009
★★★★★
Update: I continued to use the yogurt for three days, once in the morning and once before bed. I dipped a small tampon in the plain organic yogurt-covering it to almost dripping- and left it in for about an hour. I usually left one in over night. Each day the symptoms were less and less. It has been two months now and no yeast has returned. I do eat yogurt everyday to ensure it does not return. Amazing and cheap remedy that truly works!
Povidone Iodine Douche
Posted by Linda (Langhorne, PA) on 03/29/2009
★★★★★
I write to help others with distress in their feminine and colon parts that involves itching and painfulness (when these parts do or do not show visible redness) when yeast medicines like monistat are not completely effective to remove the symptoms. I douche with provodone iodine and find relief almost immediately but must continue with daily douches (yes up both body parts) for one week (7 days). I have never found an m.d. who recommends this -- i have been recommended metranizole but that is taken orally and can have yukky side effects.
Good luck ladies--feel better. You should.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Marly (Chambersburg, PA) on 03/26/2009
★★★★★
I agree with what others have said. I tried ACV on a cloth and applied it directly. The stinging was painful, but short lived. I appreciate the suggestion as yeast infections can be quite troublesome and difficult to cure. I had one when I was pregnant and did not want to use drugs, but finally could not stand it anymore.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Veronica (New York, NY) on 03/21/2009
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar for a yeast infection. I've read a lot about home remedies for cures and been worried to try them from all the mixed reviews. However, for the past couple of months, I have been having a very unfamiliar smell and itching sensation in my downstairs area. So I thought that maybe it could be normal since I just started having intercourse considering I got myself a PAP test and it came back clean. But after weeks of my vagina constantly being itching and uncomfortably smelling, I decided that I needed to take action. So I put about 3 tablespoons of ACV in a little dispenser bottle filling the rest with warm water. I put it directly on my outer labia lips and put some on a cloth and held it on for around a minute or so. After taking off the cloth, it stung a little bit for myself but very minimal. I did this twice and right after I felt a relieving sensation. It feels clean and able to breathe but just slightly itchy.With the other comments I would also like to say that no "cottage cheese" discharge came out my vagina and nothing of this at all. I'm going to keep continuing with this for at least 3-4 days, twice a day to make sure it is completely gone.
Yogurt
Posted by Alex (Bethesda, Md) on 03/17/2009
★★★★★
Using yogurt has treated my yeast infection. The trick is once you've inserted about a tablespoon with an applicator put your legs up over your head to ensure the yogurt gets all the way up there! I feel like my self again. Thanks everyone!
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by K.Lynn (Mt. Healthy, Ohio) on 03/15/2009
★★★★★
i just tried a suggestion from this site, but I wanted to give measurements used because that is as important as the remedy. I 've been using acv and boiled water ( can't afford to buy water) to wipe the vaginal area. It helped at first, but the pain and itching returned. so I made a solution of 16oz. boiled water w/ 1 TBSP of hydrogen peroxide ( cvs brand ok for external wash) and THANK GOD IT WORKED!!! I always keep boiled water refridgerated. using really cold water for this really helps. When I did the acv I used 2TBS per 16 oz, of cold boiled water. hope this helps someone else suffering w/ vaginal problems, it's miserable.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Andrea (Clinton Twp., MI) on 03/15/2009
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
For those of you using Hydrogen Peroxide for yeast infections, i just wanted to let you know that if it worked, it is highly likely that it wasn't a yeast infection in the first place, but bacterial vaginosis. I have been through it all over the past 8 years. I have had yeast infections, and recurrent bacterial vaginosis, and the symptoms are very similar. The only difference is, with a yeast infection, you really truly have to see the "cottage cheese" discharge. With bacterial vaginosis, you will get itching, burning, inflammation, redness, and a milky-white discharge...if it is severe, you will get a clumpy yellow-ish discharge that may be mistaken for the cottage cheese discharge of a yeast infection. If you want to find out more about the differences between the two, do some research online or ask your doctor. I'm glad the hydrogen peroxide worked for you, that is great! But i just wanted to make you aware that hydrogen peroxide is a natural antibiotic and only kills off bad bacteria, not yeast, so you may have had bacterial vaginosis without knowing it, and cured it without knowing it! Hope this helps someone out there who may be having recurrent vaginal health issues.
Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent
Posted by Debra (Shawnee, Kansas) on 03/14/2009
★★★★★
When I turned 19 I started developing awful UTI's which of course were followed by yeast infections because of the antibiotics. I was averaging a UTI every other month. After every UTI I had another yeast infection. I'm 31 and this cycle is starting to end. I'll post more about my end to the UTI's on the other page, but as for the yeast. It became absolutely resistant to over the counter creams and diflucan.. I have the same pattern as most, little irritation all month, period then major symptoms. I went to the doctor and had it tested (in the past we just assumed and he would dole me out the diflucan)... test came back negative. I had the fish odor, the itching and the discharge.. did not make a bit of sense to me. So I did what I'd been told to do years and years ago, but rejected because of price.. I switched my laundry detergent to a fragrance free, dye free brand. I switched my dryer sheets to the same.. I feel so stupid now.. I haven't itched since. I guess I didn't believe it since I didn't feel that my clothes were getting clean enough.. FYI.. first try.. had a pair of my sons peed in training pants.. and the entire load smelled.. I almost gave up.. I always wash in cold water.. I (as reluctant as I still am about this) switched it up to HOT.. and no smell.. everything comes out clean.. makes me almost wonder if you really need that much detergant.. hot water helps kill and such... I also (again, not cost effective, but so worth it).. use either ONLY cetaphil to wash that area.. or I bought Neutrogena fragrance and dye free face wash.. gentle.. (not for acne).. and again.. my uti's and yeast problems have disappeared.. My husband accidentally brought home the new charmin with aloe.. I didn't realize it till I took one wipe and it burned.. I started itching.. realized the problem and threw the junk out.. I bucked this for years.. figuring if I had detergant allergy it would show on my skin.. boy was I wrong..
Ted's Remedies Feedback
Posted by Jessica (Toronto, Ontario Canada) on 03/06/2009
Hi Ted: I've had reoccurring yeast and bladder infections for years after reading you post on Vit B3 deficiency and yeast overgrowth I began taking it 2 days ago when I take it my neck ears face and arms break out in a rash a few hours after taking. Is this normal should I still be taking it?
EC: B3, aka Niacin:
"Most people taking niacin experience skin flushing and a warm sensation, especially of the face, neck, and ears when they begin treatment or increase dose. This reaction is usually mild, but has been intolerable enough to cause up to half of participants in studies to stop therapy. Dry skin and itching is also commonly experienced."
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ellie (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) on 02/22/2009
★★★★★
Latley I've been suffering from an on coming yeast infection. I came here to look for something and after reading about all the yeas for acv I decided to try it. I put about two tablespoons of acv and the rest warm water in a perri bottle and rinsed myself with it (alittle bit inside but mostly out). Anyway I did that about 35 minutes ago and as of right now I feel a lot better!
Garlic
Posted by Nicole (Portland, Oregon) on 02/20/2009
If you are hesitant to use a clove of garlic, please do try softgels of garlic extract. I have had success with these, as I did not have garlic cloves at home when I first tried this cure. Although I prefer to use supplements in their most natural form, in this case these were more comfortable (I imagine) and simpler to use. Either way it works!
Athlete's Foot Fungus Cream
Posted by Barbara (Dallas, TX) on 02/14/2009
★★★★★
Relief from vaginal itching: Believe it or not you will expience relief from itching overnight with a simple cream for athlete's foot fungus. I even used it on diaper rash on my kids--cleared it up overnight!
Garlic
Posted by Keri (Mississauga, Canada) on 02/11/2009
★★★★★
Hi guys, I thought I always had yeast infections and accepted it as a part of life but one day I decided to go to the doctor.I found out I had a combination of excess yeast and bacterial vaginosis. The doctor prescibed me diflucan and flagil, and like a dummy; I took both. For the first few days, sex was fine, but then after my period, it was like all hell broke loose.
I found out that garlic kills yeast, so I inserted garlic vaginally overnight, and the yeast was gone!, it was painful, but well worth it. The only problem was that the fishy smell persisted. I came across this website and started taking 1mg of folic acid daily, 3 acidoliphus (however you spell it) pills, and tons of activia yogurt daily. Now, my vagina is healthy and I am happy!
My message here is...garlic kills yeast and folic acid with probiotics kills bacteria, oh yeah, and easy on the sugar ladies.
Yogurt
Posted by Jane (Glendale, Arizona) on 02/11/2009
This is my first yeast infection in 20 years! I had to take a high dosage antibiotic and four days later, wham! Yeast infection! I did not want to take another synthetic drug and upset my system even more. I too looked up natural cures and stumbled upon this site. I had heard about yogurt from a girlfriend and she said it was amazing. I bought plain organic yougurt and inserted it with a tampon for an hour. The itching went away instantly! It felt cool and soothing. I did apply some yogurt to the outside of my vulva to help soothe. This is only my first day,but will try it again tonight before I go to bed. My v-jay is irritated, but not how it was earlier. I can at least sit down without cringing. I expect that to subside after another application. Thank you!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Katrina (DC, DC/USA) on 02/11/2009
Take a piece of garlic, tear off the skin, wrap it in gauze, tie some tooth floss around it, and make sure you are using a long piece of floss since you are making a garlic tampon. Insert this tampon into your vagina and sleep with it overnight. Remove it in the morning, and do this for 3-4 days until your yeast infection is gone. If the infection is real serious, ask your doctor to prescripe the yeast infection pill, I think it's called diflucan, and take that in addition to the garlic tampon treatment. Note, if your period is coming up, this might help get rid of the yeast infection as well. And also, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you not consume products that have sugar (or minimize sugar as much as possible) since this is food to the yeast. It might not hurt to take yougurt pills and garlic pills as welll, though make sure you eat before you take the garlic pills or they might hurt your stomach. Goldenseal and echinacia pills might help your imune system too. I'm not a doctor, but this method has worked for me.
