Thread: chronic bacterial vaginosis

Originally Posted by ErIya

Sarah whats the rest of the results, did any of the gels do well?? if so i really hope i can get it in the US! I had my period last week and now guess what I wake up feeling wet and there it is that same bv discharge! ugh first time in 6 months too I tested my pH and it couldve been 5 Im hoping maybe there is something i can try before i make an appointment

The gels tested were Balance Activ, RepHresh, Gynofit and Multi-Gyn Actigel (BioFem Active Gel in the UK). The only one that did well was the Multi-Gyn Actigel/BioFem, in the sense of not destroying beneficial bacteria, and not allowing candida to grow. Here is the write-up for the ActiGel:

Multi-Gyn Actigel is the only one of the four tested vaginal gels that does not quickly destroy the lactobacilli flora, although some decrease is noticeable over time. It is thought that the absence of nutrients in the vagina explains the slow decrease of lactobacilli in these in vitro test results. The claim of Multi-Gyn ActiGel to prevent and treate Bacterial Vaginosis whilst maintaining a healthy vaginal flora is substantiated by this test. It also has a limited (positive) effect directly on killing candida albicans over time. This indicates that the gel is not acting as a disinfectant, but that the candida spores are suppressed by another mode of activity. The manufacter's claim 'counters yeast' is therefore substantiated.

The only disclaimer that that the National Candida Society point out is that the research was undertaken by BioClin, the manufacturers of Multi-Gyn ActiGel.

I've stopped the RepHresh since reading all this, since I had a suspicion it was giving me problems anyway, and it came out terrible in the tests - it acts as a disinfectant and doesn't just kill good bacteria but encourages candida growth! I have tried the one that came out well in the testing previously, but maybe I'll give it another go...

Hope this helps!

I live in the Uk and have used Balance Activ and found it to be effective. I would however like to use the Rephresh Pro B tablets and cannot obtain them here in the UK. I would be willing to do a 'swap' if anyone is interested.

Ok ladies you have to try the vinegar. It's been three weeks since I started drinking the Bragg apple cidar vinegar. 2 teaspoons one time daily. Since the bv started 3 months ago I tried several different things, nothing worked very well, this works like no other. After I drank the first glass of vinegar water three weeks ago within two hours the smell was gone. At first I drank the water three times a day, now just once a day and sometimes not at all. I can't understand why my ph is so off, I can only attribute it to all the antibiotics that threw me off. I am truely thankfull for the vinegar advise, hope it works for you all as well.

I am 64 years old and have just had my very first problem with Bacterial Vaginosis. No discharge - just the fishy smell. I am a widow and have not been in a sexual relationship for over 15 years so it certainly is not related to sex in my case. It just came out of the blue. A swab showed BV. I was put on Metronidazole orally but after three doses I had to stop as I was so nauseous. Next I was given Metronidazole Gel for 5 nights - had no side effects but have just finished the last dose and the problem smell is still there.
Is there anyone from the UK who can tell me where I go from here. I am devastated that this is happening as it is such a personal problem and like the rest of you I want it gone. Is there another drug that they can give me that might be more effective. I dont want to be stuck with this..

Originally Posted by x.st.angel.x

Im in need of assistance, any at all! i dont know if i have bv i dont know if i have anything at all i do know i cant afford to go to the doctor right now so im hoping someone can help me. Ive posted in a few threads but havent gotten responses.

I've been getting this strange discharge, sometimes white sometimes clear... i can smell the odour only sometimes when i go to the bathroom most of the time i cant its the discharge itself smells bad i wouldnt describe it as 'fishy' though its so hard to explain what it smells like i wish i could find the words...Any suggestions, ideas??

Its soo embarrassing, im too embarrassed to have sex with my boyfriend and wish it would go away so i dont have to put this off any longer...

It's difficult to know really. A yeast infection usually has a thick creamy coloured discharge, a bit like cottage cheese. It can smell a bit, but it's not a strong smell. It sounds more like BV, but it's impossible to diagnose over the internet (plus we're none of us doctors, I don't think - I'm definitely not anyway! )

As regards the smell associated with BV, it's a difficult one to describe. I don't think I'd describe it as fishy either. It's just very unpleasant. When I get it, I can only smell it when I'm going to the loo, not the rest of the time.

Originally Posted by maggiedee

I am 64 years old and have just had my very first problem with Bacterial Vaginosis. No discharge - just the fishy smell. I am a widow and have not been in a sexual relationship for over 15 years so it certainly is not related to sex in my case. It just came out of the blue. A swab showed BV. I was put on Metronidazole orally but after three doses I had to stop as I was so nauseous. Next I was given Metronidazole Gel for 5 nights - had no side effects but have just finished the last dose and the problem smell is still there.
Is there anyone from the UK who can tell me where I go from here. I am devastated that this is happening as it is such a personal problem and like the rest of you I want it gone. Is there another drug that they can give me that might be more effective. I dont want to be stuck with this..

Hi from someone else in the UK. I'm struggling to find a decent remedy currently. I was using RePHresh gel, which was brilliant for the BV, but gives me thrush. I wrote the other day about a study which actually vindicates this - ie that it acts as a disinfectant and allows candida to flourish. If this isn't likely to be a problem for you, you could try that. The other one is Balance Activ, which is similar. I quite like the Femmesil cream (Google it - you have to buy online), which I use out of desperation around my period, but it is very messy (dark grey cream!)

Some people on this thread have had good results with inserting whey/lactose. Personally I bought some lactose tablets especially designed for this sort of thing, only to have it emerge whole the following day! Others are finding that sorting out their PH internally is helping. Other things mentioned throughout thread are things like folic acid supplementation.

Hope this helps a little.