chronic bacterial vaginosis

[lilirishgrl71]

Ya know... I've been battling bv for a couple of years now too. It's frustrating as a woman to have this continual issue and not really be able to get to the root of the cause. I generally get a combo of yeast infection and bv... or one then the other. Yeast infections for me have even become difficult... taking an oral treatment and vaginal treatment to kick them. BV generally responds to clindesse but comes back. I didn't have these issues until I started taking the birth control pill. I'm in a catch 22 though because aside from the fact that I'm now seperated and finding myself... somewhat... sexually active, but I also need the hormonal control that they provide. I was off the pill for 2 months due to an non gynecological surgery and during those 2 months I had no bv or yeast... but I felt like I was crawling out of my skin with hormonal surges. After 7 children, my body just doesn't not have enough of a grip on my hormones to control them on its own.

Anyway... I've been reading all of the posts here and looking into some herbal/natural deterrents to bv. I currently take a product called AZO yeast and that has done a fabulous job in fending off the yeast... I also eat yogurt frequently and take other supplements. Let's hope this works.... there's nothing more demeaning to our womanhood than having a smelly vag... seriously! Oh, and one thing I have noticed, because someone said they didn't have bv after splitting with a particular person but then had it again when they got back... it does seem to make a difference who you're with. Some sperm maybe is too acidic... maybe it doesn't agree with our ph balance?? My stbxhusband was the culprit in a lot of my bv episodes... so we started using condoms and I didn't have that problem for a long time.

Anyway, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in here. I wish there was an easy explanation/answer... but until there is, it's nice to know I'm now the only one!

Mary

[DawnPC]

Well, I've tried yogurt, garlic, and then tea tree oil - nothing. So I tried this website : www.arcadiaherbs.com, go to "herbal support for chronic bacterial vaginosis". I ordered the herbs and take two a day. I also went the website that someone mentioned about bv in a virgin. They talk about using hydrogen peroxide as a vaginal wash, not douche, for 7 days (to correct the ph balance), then right after your period and maybe even after intercourse if you want. After three days - no sypmtoms, after sex - no symptoms, and since my period just ended - still no symptoms. I also take a multi vitamin w/zinc, flax seed oil, garlic & vitamin C. I hope this will rid me of this horrible curse. None of it costs too much and it's a fairly simple routine to get into. My step mother is an RN and she agrees that the peroxide should not be detrimental to my body in any way. I don't know which of the above has been the real help, but I'll stick to all of it for now. If anyone tries this routine - good luck. I've been bv free for about 2 1/2 weeks - and it has been wonderful.

[sharmon]

I was diagnosed with lupus. The doctor said my liver enzymes were extremely high. I had to take steroids for a total of six months. I gained a lot of weight, which I cannot lose, and I have had bv ever since. I am taking flagyl now. I get a little better, but it never goes away. Intercourse is extremely painful. I am always sore and very red. I never had any kind of problem until I took the steroids. If anyone has any advise, I would appreciate it.

[jadoremoi]

i have the same problems as you ladies...i just want to know if there is something that triggers it...because i didnt even start having bv until a few months ago...and now it seems it's here to stay. It is really becoming a burden on my behalf and im gettig hopeless....i recently got some acidophilus pills and i eat lots of yogurt each day, drink cranberry juice and water all the time and im cutting down on sugar...i need this to go away....Is it possible to have bv and a yeast infection at the same time?

[puritycontrol]

Hello,
BV is sooo frustrating! I've been with my boyfriend for almost 3 years now and it seems every time we have sex, I get BV. We decided to have a baby and I am now 23 weeks pregnant with a little girl but I know I have BV again. My boyfriend and I are not having sex as frequently as we did before I got pregnant but we did last week and now I have the discharge and that awful smell. I can't get in to see my doctor until this Friday but I was wondering if I should wait until then to see my dr. or could something happen to my baby? I'm really worried as I read all these horror stories online about what BV can do to you when your pregnant eg: premature labour, infection of the placenta, low birth weight...etc. Would I be safe to wait until Friday to see my doctor?

[lutinlady]

I posted on here a while ago, and didn't get much response, but I have some new questions...

What is the difference between a vaginal douche and a vaginal wash? If someone knows...could she or he please describe in detail?

Second...what do you do about your sex life when you have bv? Do you...just stop having sex? Do you never have oral sex again? Or...what? I really don't want to give up sex for the next however long. I've had BV for three months now and the 4 or 5 courses of meds I've been given have not made the slightest impact whatsoever. It looks like I'm stuck with a battle on my hands, and I'm getting a bit depressed about not being able to have sex with my boyfriend.

Shouldn't my symptopms clear up at least a little after medication? I find that there's really no change, but I've had two medical opinions and they both said it was BV, and the symptoms fit, and I don't have any STDs (I've been checked for everything, most things twice). I bought all cotton underwear, have been taking acidophalus, tried metrogel, clinesse, and flagyll...even went off birth control to see if that would help.

Grrr....I really want some good news.

How do you deal with this in your relationships? What do you tell your partner? How do you deal with the depression?

[GSHfrustrated]

I am so happy to find this Forum and find that I am not the only one going thru this horror. I have been married for 15 years, I am 40 years old, same and only sex partner for almost 20 years...and for the last year I have had almost constant BV. Same story as most of you - it gets better for maybe a few days after taking Flagyl, always comes back a the end of my period and within about 24 hours after having sex. My symptoms include lots of swelling - my pee comes out really slowly I get so swollen. And it seems to make my bladder hurt - I have to get up and go to the bathroom 2 or 3 times in the night. I have been tested for bladder infections - it is never that, it is always BV. And of course the pain, irritation, and smell. As for the emotional side - at times it is very depressing, as it has impacted our sex life, which is an important part of our marriage. I tell him just the basics, but I know it is so "un romantic" - I try to avoid the subject. He has been treated too but that didn't fix the problem. We used condoms for a couple of months which helped but didn't fix the problem. Now for the good news...my doctor has had me try using Boric Acid suppositories. You have to find a pharmacy that does compounding - it requires a prescription but insurance won't pay for it and it is expensive!. They are messy which I hated at first, but they work! You have to keep using them pretty constantly though. They provide a mild antiseptic which prohibits the bacteria from growing. I use them two or three nights in a row right after my period and I feel great. I also use them after sex and this usually does the trick. Whenever I feel the telltale signs I use one. Most of the time I am pretty symptom free - but I still manage to somehow end up with one by not staying on top of it, and when I do I get really depressed. Oh and I found some boric acid suppositories on the internet and tried them - but they have added herbs to them which feels like gritty sand in your vagina - OUCH - can't do those. Ask your doctor about boric acid suppositories!

[DawnPC]

This is in response to "what exactly is a vaginal wash". Take a 30 cc syringe, draw up that amount of what ever you decide to use, insert into vagina about an inch and slowly push the plunger. This allows the fluid to coat the vaginal wall without forcing anything farther up. I have read that the "good bacteria" that we have in there produces h2o2 (hydrogen peroxide), and we (with this problem) don't have enough "good bacteria" up there, so I have been using h2o2 as a vaginal wash.
I have tried so many things - nothing seems to totally cure it - except for a divorce/no sex. I use this wash for a few days after my period, and after sex. It has helped greatly and my step mother who is a nurse believes that this will not harm me in any way. So I have come to realization that I may be doing this for the rest of my life - but it's so easy and cheap. It's just another part of my "beauty routine", just like brushing my teeth and putting makeup on!
Good luck

[carolyn5555]

I am trying a small dose of colloidal silver, which I had heard may be beneficial to treat this condition, although not to be used long term. Just wanted to let anyone know that may want to try an alternative approach.
I am on my second tube of clinesse for the first bout with this disorder so I figured I would try an additional approach. I am also trying some flax oil along with acidopholus and a good multi vitamin

[sue3]

The best advice I found was in "The V Book" everything was explained and many suggestions