WHAT A REFRESHING RELIEF reading all your posts!!

I too have been suffering BV, and it concerns me that there had got to be some kind of link to BV and hysterectomy / miscarriage / surgery...as i had a miscarriage and from then on have had BV. Im assumming that the surgery etc upsets the bacterial levels within the vagina??

Thank you especially to those that have provided natural remedies, as its quite obvious that antibiotics do not work!! They help, but dont cure.

Best wishes to all, hopefully one day there will be a one tablet cure, as it is such a common occurance.

I really think that there is a connection between this and surgery. mine didnt start until after a partial hysterectomy. but i dont understand, why no one can really get answers from doctors.

My final update, it's week 13 and Thank God I am still free of BV. I have not even missed a day where I have not taken the tablets though I stopped taking cranberry juice a few weeks ago. Im on my 3rd bottle of femdophilus and have dropped from 2 tablets a day to 1 as reccomended. I have to be honest I was scared to drop to one tablet but its been a few days and i still feel normal. If i get the odd itch or discomfort i use biofem gel too. though i have not had to use it for over 5 weeks now, God-willing I have got rid of this monster. This is first time in 10 years in the last 3 months I have felt and smelt normal. I have lost too much because of this awful condition. I hope I stay that normal now and I hope you all find relief.

to Marsha11: yes you are right the L acidophillus taken orally does not inhabit your vagina, you need a strain that can cross the intestinal tract to your gynea regions and this is available.

Hi ladies - firstly may i thank you all for such informative and helpful posts on BV.

A brief history ...age 39, never taken contraceptive pill, using condoms for most of the time i have been in sexual relationship. My problems began in Jan 2005 when i was with my now ex boyfriend ...developed what i thought was bad UTI it was treated constantly with antibiotics up to Dec 2007/2008 when i was hospitalized for PID, in all i had BV, Chlamydia plus of course PID (which of course would have been caused by the untreated STI) although throughout that time leading up to my hospitalization i was taking antibiotics i was not given doxycycline which would have delt with the chlamydia. After my treatment for PID i had several months approx 8 of severe thrush or yeast infection to cope with i took many courses of oral fluconazole some months it would alternate between the yeast infection to BV which was treated and cleared with Dalacin 2% cream . I was in extreme pain as you could imagine swollen very sore and my vagina was ulcerated the PID medication did help that clear up ...

Focusing now on BV which i have had approx three or four time SINCE my problems began back in Jan 05 (ive never suffered with this problem before in my life or even a simple yeast infection since 05).. along the way to getting back to the general good health im in now amazing really considering how ill i was im still having regular periods exactly every 28 days and seems to be generally near the dot of ten thirty in the evening. Pelvic pain free - considering some of the information given about long term effects of PID and i didnt have to have a laperoscopy (even though i had an overian cyst at the same time as all the other things ) i say this because im still hoping i can concieve naturally. After speaking to many drs - consultants private hospital appointments and NHS and at PAP test appointments reagrding BV ! in some of the posts i read its mentioning the benefits of douching ...while im certainly not disputing the fact that some ladies who have douched regularly have said that it has helped them and indeed seemed to of cleared the BV along with sother things medication ect. I realize that different drs consultants have different advice ect and it seems to be conflicting as in the UK its advised as far as im aware but definately so from drs and nurses in A and E department , urologists, obsgye , surgeons, ect not to douche why i say this is because before being admitted to hospital i had many visits to accident and emergency with this terible vaginal pain discharge/odour ect that was where i i given my treatment for PID (ofloxacin and metronidazole) and they found BV i questioned on the douching issue and was told dfefinately not to as it was dangerous and can actually cause problems and BV and that it disturbing the balance and washing away the natural lubrication of the vagina upsetting the balance and can push bacteria upwards causing problems ect . in general as far as im aware just from questioning female friends without vaginal problems BV ect and some with (general simple yeast infections) they dont douche as without me telling them the advice i was given ect thier opinion was it was "dangerous" or they thought it could lead to problems. Please im not in any way disputing the fact it has not helped any ladies who has and does do this regularly but the thing im concerned about its the possiblity for anyone who does douche that it could be contributing to BV or could be putting any ladies reading at risk of infection such as PID ect ...i would be interested to know how anyone feels about this ...agin im just passing the information of UK drs a and e staff ect ...what they told me ect perhaps i should of had the subject header "to douche or not to douche...that is the question !"
To get back to what id really lke to mention and would be so interested to know if any ladies have experienced the same thing im also a BIO-FEM fan at the beginning of my problems i was advised to use aci-jel which is now not available so i switched to this i use two products from the range Bio-fem instant moisturizer and bio-fem instant active gel intavaginally . *IF* i was going to get BV i have found it happens at the end of my period towards or immediately after my period which im at that stage now as i type ...im not noticing symptoms of BV ever since i have had these problems back in 05 i seem to get a swelling of the vaginal tissues a burning sensation around the outer lips labia and across the urethra it is painful and swollen as though its just on the very verge or the edge of tipping over the balance if you take my meaning looking very red and angry (not itchy) but painful also sore on the inside its almost as though your expecting to see yeast infection discharge or get the familar symptom odour of BV. this is where fiofem helps i was very sore 24 hours ago an application of active gel i just inserted an index finger amount not with the applicater as i thought my cervix would still be open just more of a lubrication factor and i also applied the instant moisturizer to the outer lips over the urethra ect ...fantastic relief redness soreness gone !!! what can i say . But the ONLY drawback or problem i notice with just the instant moisurizer for the outside is afterwashing with lactacyd which is very good and applying this several hours later and ONLY on the area wher i have appled the instant moisturizer which if you notice seems to set a little like eggwhite or a sort of clear film (not white or powdery) it seems to REACT with vaginal tissue thus causing a fishy odour which in turn could seem or be mimicing the symptoms of BV itself !!! i have tested this out at variousd stages of the months over a number of months when im positive without any application of bio-fem either inside or on the external vaginal tissue inside labia ect) positive there is no BV present i have applied just the moisturizer and a couple of hours later there is a strong fishy odour ONLY where i have applied this not coming from inside of vagina upon washing away this film of biofem this odour has gone the next day withoutany application of biofem moisturizer NO ODOUR or smell mimicking BV... my point is ladies ...is it possible that anyone using particularly th vaginal moisturizer it dosent seem to happen with the instant relief stuff think that they have BV when in actual fact it could be the reaction that the moisturizer has with vaginal skin contact causing a similar odour ??? i have used the moisturizer tonight whilst giving relief of the burning which could be a comination of chaffing from a sanitary towel or hormonal changes afer period. it is doing the job but as i say there is that odour which developes with it . Forthat reason i would not use the moisturizer if i was leaving the house only at home as it is definately mimicking symptoms of BV ... I would be really interested to know of any ladies who think that the same thing has occured .
Sorry for such a long winded post but just one or two more things i know for some ladies posting it seems to be a constant never ending battle with this BV and i really do sympathize im sure that now ive had it a few times i will get it again and it seems to be something we have to live with . For those worried about partners/husbands reactions , feelings as we are highly aware of what wesmell like when we have this and have the natural worry of partners thinking does it smell offensive to them as we THINK we are finding ourselves to smell offensive !! i onece read a rather blunt but sensible comment on a problem page years ago ...i recall it to this day ...a lady worried she had BV and worried about her sex life she wanted to constantly bathe the angony aunt replied ..."the vagina is a reproductive organ !...not a rose garden !! i thought thats was a harsh comment to a the lady concerned but then agin i thought ..thats correct ...after all if we think to aourselves imagine smelling of "nothing" in the vaginal area it is normal to have that slight fishy odour and its that odour and has been since the beginning of time that men find so arousing about the female body !

thank you for reading my post and thankyou all for such informative advice . Katty x

i am 34 have been dealing w/ bv for 6 1/2 yrs. it started 1/2 way tru my last pregnancy, i've tried everything from clindamycin pills,creams,flagyl, boric acid vaginal inserts and the list goes on i recently this past jan. had surgery to burn off the lining to my uteris in hopes it would stop my periods and ultimately stop the bv NOT it did not work ,my periods went from 7 days of HARD bleeding to 3days, 2 spotting ,1 hard day of bleeding (thats a plus). i am dealing w/ this again have to go back to dr. thurs. and he already said if the surgery didnt work he has no idea where to go from here. i deal w/ this atleast 2-3 times a mnth and it seems to be getting worse, this is the worst bout i've ever had burnimg,itching swelling,it has gotten so bad i'm starting to crack/bleed. i've been tessted for every std known to man all negative.PLEASE HELP any suggestion are appreciated,i'm at my wits end. thanks iizygirl

As many of you here, I have suffered from chronic BV for years, four years actually. It's amazing to me how I can go to a doctor, who will tell me first that it’s just a “nuisance” problem, and when I go back he’ll tell me he's never had anyone who didn't respond to this ____ treatment. Yet if you do a search for chronic BV on line you come up with thousands of hits like this forum of women saying the same thing & having had doctors who said this same thing. How can both be true? If men had pain, itch, and a smelly discharge from their penis for years, it would be a national health emergency. I’ll try to stay off my soapbox though.

What I want! I don't just want to be symptom free. I want to be able to live like a normal woman, who is in love with her husband, & who would like to express that love sexually! For the last four years the cycle has pretty much been this: 1. Can't have sex with my husband because of my symptoms or paranoia about smell or symptoms returning. 2. Can't have sex with my husband because I have a vagina full of goop. This is not living.

Here are my symptoms:

• pain & itching, especially around the vulva & urethra
• discharge, sometimes foul but not always
• increased pain & itching after orgasm - whether or not from intercourse
• sharp shooting pains in my vagina, like being stuck with needles, especially when the infection has gotten really bad. (I’ve read that some other women have this, & people act like they’ve never heard of it. It does exist in some women, just like some women can have BV & be asymptomatic.)
• I frequently just feel sick – like I am running a fever, though I’m not. I feel like I have a cold/flu virus, but without the respiratory symptoms. No doctor has been able to find a cause using blood tests or throat swabs. I think it’s the BV.

First of all, if you are here, you already know to "wipe front to back" & "keep yourself clean." If I hear one more person tell me that, I'm going to choke him/her.

Secondly, I, just like the rest of you, have been through the regular & some not so regular attempts at a cure:

• Metrogel (no relief at all & gave me big time cheesy discharge, as the gel adheres to the epithelial cells & causes them to coagulate)
• Flagyl (minimal results), including treating my husband
• Cleocin (gave me the best results at the time, but of course it came back)
• Long term oral Levaquin. Helped while I was on it.
• A Cleocin/hydrocortizone compound for 28 days. Relief for 2 months after I finished.

I have also used:

• betadine douches (mixed 1/2 & 1/2). It gave me the longest lasting relief, but I started worrying about douching so much, & after a while its seemed to start making my insides tender
• rePHresh gave me some relief, but it didn't help once symptoms were very pronounced. It also started being much less effective over time. It also gives me the discharge from the gel adhering to the epithelial cells.

I have done much MUCH research trying to solve my problem, & I want to put it all in one place so that it might help someone else.

• Normal pH is <4.6. You can buy a vaginal screening kit from Vagisil now to test. Also, this site has them for sale, plus an additional screening tool, & it's cheaper than what Vagisil sells. http://www.vaginosis.com/
• When the pH is normal, there is an abundance of the Lactobacillus bacteria. When it gets higher (or more alkyline) the Gardnella bacteria (and the yeast) can proliferate.
• Now, it's the chicken or the egg. Does the pH getting imbalanced cause the bacteria upset, or visa versa? I don’t know. Will introducing Lactobacillus solve the problem, or will high pH kill them off? Or will changing the pH cause the Lactobacillus to thrive? I think this is a key question.
• The prescriptions used to kill Gardnella also kill Lactobacillus. So it creates a cycle.
• Lactobacillus is an aerobic bacteria (needs oxygen). Gardnella is anaerobic (no oxygen). That’s one reason that wearing cotton underwear & keeping yourself aerated is important.
• The Lactobacillus put out hydrogen peroxide.

Here are some suggestions that I have gathered, & my response to them based on what I’ve figured out:

• Soaps & laundry detergent with no perfumes or dyes. I’ve just recently switched to this kind of laundry detergent, so I don’t know, but it makes sense.
• Tea tree suppositories/oil – this kills bacteria, so it seems that it would cause the same problem as the antibiotics
• Garlic pill/clove used vaginally -- see above. Additionally, it seems that the pills taken orally would have the same effect.
• Colloidal silver – see above.
• Peroxide douche or wash – since it mimics the Lactobacillus, this would seem to help the situation. Does the HO keep Gardnella at bay? I don’t know. I’d like to find that out.

Probiotics – this deserves bullet points all on its own.

• There are probiotics that occur naturally in the vaginal & urinary tract. Originally it was identified as Lactobacillus fermentum. Eventually, this was broken down as two different strains: Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Lactobacillus Reuteri.
• Lactobacillus Acidophilus appears to have positive results when used topically & inter-vaginally. This probiotic occurs in certain yogurts. Very limited to no success has been found when it is taken orally.
• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Lactobacillus Reuteri are the only probiotics that have shown the ability to cross the intestinal tract to the vaginal/urinary tract. There is some evidence that these probiotics are helpful when used orally.
• Dannon Activia drink has verified amounts of Lactobacillus Acidophilus. There is an unflavored version that could be used as a douche.
• The only probiotics that contain the Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Lactobacillus Reuteri strains are:
  • Nature’s Way Primodophilus Reuteri
  • Jarrow’s Femdophilus
  • And now, and I find this the most exciting because it is mainstream, RepHresh Pro-B. See the article just published 4/15 http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news_releases/story.html?id=447433.

I was already scheduled for a follow-up appointment with my gyn tomorrow. I did the screening kit yesterday, & I was at 5.5, having significant but not severe symptoms. Yesterday afternoon, I began taking the Nature’s Way Primodophilus Reuteri. I took three yesterday & will take three today. I also drank about a gallon (actually a full quart) of Kefir organic active culture yogurt drink. I also ate some Dannon activia yogurt. I do not want to use anything vaginally until after I see my doctor tomorrow. I will be curious what my pH is when I go.

Articles I have used to gather my information. I leaned toward the scientific studies because I plan to take these to my doctor tomorrow. Some of them were only available in abstracts, but I plan to give them to my gyn because I’m sure she can access the full version of the study/article.

http://www.gutflora.org/hs-news.php?id=117
http://www.florajen.com/vaginal.html
http://clinicaltrials/ct2/show/NCT00635622?recr=open&cond="Vaginal+Diseases"&rank =6
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01412.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=bjo
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W9T-4KPX92G-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view =c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_user id=10&md5=d43157c17dd8c12e8fe9227f992f3590

This guy has a good chart for suggested treatments. http://www.vaginosis.com/ Also, if anyone having this problem is living in the Maryland area, it sounds like this would be the guy to see.

My plan when I visit my doctor tomorrow:

• Find out how much she knows about probiotics & how open she is to the ideas presented &/or learning more about them. That answer will determine much.
• Ask her if there is a more regulated form of Lactobacilli Reuteri & Rhamnosus, as well as Lactobacillus Acidophilus that she has access to as a doctor. I have read some things that indicate that homeopathic doctors can get stronger/more reliable homeopathic drugs than what we can get OTC at the health store.
• I am supposed to be going to China/Japan for the month of June. I do not want this to ruin my trip. I need to discuss with her what I can take with me in case of an unbearable outbreak.

As of right now, this is my plan:

• Take three of the Primodophilus Reuteri pills orally a day.
• Use one pill with yogurt vaginally every other day.
• Do a hydrogen peroxide douche or wash on days in between.
• Take zinc to boost my immune system & set up healthy environment for friendly bacteria.
• Wash all of my underwear in hot hot water with perfume/dye free detergent. Same with sheets and towels.
• Switch from Ivory soap to Nutragena fragrance free soap.
• Use condoms on those rare occasions I actually feel well enough to have intercourse.

I realize this is long. I tried to put it in as organized a fashion as possible. I will document my progress. I hope someone finds this helpful.

One more thing. I've found this Naure's Way Primodophilus Reuteri Powder Primadophilus Reuteri Powder Nature's Way - 5 oz. (141.75g). I'm wondering if this could be mixed up as a douche & used vaginally. It would seem like this would work to directly introduce Lactobacillus Reuteri to the vaginal tract.

It's in this very technical article http://www.biomedcentral.com/content...1-2334-4-5.pdf. I will try to sum up.

1. Atopobium vaginae (Atv) is a particular anaerobic bacteria that has only recently been identified in patients with BV.
2. Atv can not be identified using the regular gram stain, as it looks just like Lactobacillus (the good ones) in a gram stain. It had to be identified using a much more complicated test.
3. Atv is resistant to both oral & vaginal metronidazole. (Anyone else here saying "aha!"?)
4. Atv does respond to clindamycin (i.e. Cleocin & Clindesse)

Unfortunately, Clindamycin kills good Lactobacillus bacteria as well. I hypothesize that most of us that have chronic BV have this Atv strain. Metro does nothing for us. Clindamycin helps, but then it comes back because it's also killing the Lactobacillus. This Atv does respond to several other antibiotics listed in the article. If one of those could target the Atv without killing the aerobic bacteria, we might have a real cure.

God, I hope my doctor listens to all this tomorrow.