[amelillo13]

amelillo did you ever try the mild vinegar douche you were wondering about? Sorry if I've asked that before but I can't remember if you tried it or just bought one.

Hey Sarah, yes I tried the extra mild vinegar douche on two occasions. Even though the box said 'extra mild' it still burned a lot for some reason, so I couldn't do it. I am still wanting to do the hydrogen peroxide douche, but I see my doctor on either the 2nd or 3rd of September, so I want to wait until after that to give it a try. I want to see if he will do a couple of other tests before referring me to someone and then I should have a few uninterrupted months where I can try some natural remedies.

[Sarah001]

I agree, even a mild vinegar and water mix can burn, I recently tried it again and it really stung so I've had to abandon that one for now too. It kind of implies we have tissue damage doesn't it? I've been to the doctors today and persuaded my GP to prescribe me a short course of oestrogen pessaries so I collect them next week and we'll see what they do. I'm pleased about this, I've been wanting to give this route a try right from the start of my problems. I'm still tryng to relax my super tight pelvic floor too and have recently increased my dose of Amitriptyline so I can't feel the soreness as much now either which is a relief. If I could just heal my sore inflamed skin I'd feel great....

[ItsASecret]

It's A Secret - do you have BV or have you ever had BV? Sorry, I don't remember seeing that in your posts. I apologize in advance if you did write something about it. If so, for how long and how did you get rid of it?

No I have never had BV. I study the science of things like this with my degree so I am familiar with the lab techniques, some medical procedures, the microbiology and physiology of this material. When I can I just throw what I know regarding the science of things into conversation to see if it helps with some explanations.

[amelillo13]

Oh my goodness. Let this nightmare-ish cycle continue! So I've been doing the Clindamycin cream once a week as my doctor told me. I am getting 0 relief, as I expected. I go back to the doctor sometime within the next 2 weeks to discuss other treatment options/get referred to someone else.

However, today, I forgot to take my acidophilus pill after breakfast. I then played tennis, came back and decided to have a glass of chocolate milk. Big mistake. Within an hour, I felt like I had a yeast infection from the friggin sugar in the chocolate milk mix. I took my acidophilus pill once I felt this coming on. My discharge has been non-stop since and I am in pain. The discharge doesn't look clumpy, it is a little thicker than the discharge with this "BV", not really any smell, but it burns! Pretty sure it's a yeast infection now along with this BV ...again.

Why does this keep happening? There was a time when I wasn't taking acidophilus for the first like 7 months I had this "BV" infection while on tons of antibiotics and I was fine. Now, within the past year, every time I have the smallest bit of sugar and don't take an acidophilus pill, I immediately get a yeast infection.

I've been tested for yeast in the past and cultured for it, and nothing ever showed up either, but does anyone know if a yeast infection can mimic that of a bacterial one? I mean, clue cells are indicative of bacterial things from what I've read, but it just doesn't make sense to me that I get yeast infections so soon after eating/drinking the smallest bit of sugar. I avoid most sugar, aside from fruits, on a very regular basis.

Also, I used the clindamycin cream a couple of nights ago, and of course I am out of Diflucan, so I don't know what to do about this yeast infection that has started. I wouldn't be able to see anyone until monday and I don't want it to get out of hand. I could go buy a cream from the store, but part of the clindamycin cream is still up there, so it doesn't seem like a good idea to mix the two.

What should I do?!

[Sarah001]

Could it be dairy rather than sugar? I'm just wondering because I seem to recall you debated that before. You could insert some live yoghurt for a day or so and see if it helps and also give your body a chance to get all the cream out? If it is sugar have you ever followed the candida diet? It's supposed to eliminate yeast from the entire body and if yeast is the problem it might help you. I have heard it's very strict though so not easy to follow. These things always happen during a bank holiday don't they? (Well it's bank holiday here anyhow!) I know there's a theory that yeast can burrow under the skin of the vagina/vulva and not show up on cultures but cause problems, I don't know if it's anything other than a theory though but they recommend the candida diet and boric acid pessaries for that. And of course if a problem exists a tiny bit of extra yeast might cause dramatic symptoms to already irritated skin.

[amelillo13]

Could it be dairy rather than sugar? I'm just wondering because I seem to recall you debated that before. You could insert some live yoghurt for a day or so and see if it helps and also give your body a chance to get all the cream out? If it is sugar have you ever followed the candida diet? It's supposed to eliminate yeast from the entire body and if yeast is the problem it might help you. I have heard it's very strict though so not easy to follow. These things always happen during a bank holiday don't they? (Well it's bank holiday here anyhow!) I know there's a theory that yeast can burrow under the skin of the vagina/vulva and not show up on cultures but cause problems, I don't know if it's anything other than a theory though but they recommend the candida diet and boric acid pessaries for that. And of course if a problem exists a tiny bit of extra yeast might cause dramatic symptoms to already irritated skin.

I guess it could have been the dairy, but it seems to happen whenever I have a little bit of sugar. The last time I got an instant yeast infection I drank like 1/4 of a can of soda, and I very seldom drink soda. I took an extra acidophilus pill and ate some yogurt before going to bed, and plan on doing the same today. Hopefully it'll knock it out and I won't need a prescription. If it doesn't, at least the doctor's office is open tomorrow. It's not burning quite so much today, so maybe it isn't so bad *knock on wood*

As far as the candida diet goes, I am already allergic to gluten, so I don't eat any wheat and none of my wheat products even have any yeast as far as I know. I try to eat/drink very little sugar too. So many lists online seem to contradict each other as far as what is allowed, so I wouldn't even know which one to go by and it seems like I'm inadvertently following it anyway.

I don't remember what it is like to have a normal vagina. So sad.

[lafemelle]

Just want to add in my two cents here on the candida diet, in case ANYONE in our shoes decides to try it: it is very, very tough and you have to do it carefully. I did it for three weeks (cheated a couple of times), and then several months later tried again for about a month and a half (this time I was VERY strict, absolutely no sugar, as few carbs as I could possibly consume, no dairy, no wheat--mostly eggs, chicken, and low-sugar veggies). The second time I did the diet I lost 10 pounds over the course of a week (and I'm already teetering on the edge of an unhealthily low weight) and I was tired, nauseated, and actually had a night of vomiting from it. And the worst part is, it didn't change my symptoms whatsoever! But unlike amelillo, I don't notice any kind of a connection between what I eat and the severity of my symptoms. So in case you were considering the candida diet, I just wanted to throw in there for you and anyone else that you should definitely see a dietitian prior to doing it. It caused me a great deal of stress and sickness, not to mention it was about 4 times as expensive to buy groceries while I was on it. =/

Sorry to hear about your symptoms, amelillo. Every time I see one of you ladies have posted on here, I keep hoping I'll read something positive and encouraging...we've all been through enough already.

[r3dh3ad]

I tried douching with Hibiclens for about a week because I had read a post about it. I seemed to lessen the discharge but I was still red and puffy. I'm not that comfortable douching that often anyway. I worry that I will alter my ph and I will end up with BV ( which I've been treated for even though my ph has always been normal)! So if and when I got back to the doctor I will inquire about vitamin deficiencies and also hormone levels, again! I had my cortisol checked once and it was normal. I mean I understand that estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout the cycle but surely there could be and extreme high or low, right?
Sarah- glad to hear that your trying the estrogen- I hope It works for you.

[Sarah001]

Thanks r3dh3ad I plan to start the pessaries at the weekend. I think doctors don't pay attention to the individual and spend far too much time saying things are "within normal range" without knowing what's normal for each person and their personal tolerances. Did you have no luck with the premarin cream?

lafemelle I had heard the candida diet was strict but that sounds like there's nothing you can actually eat on it! I'd never be able to follow that without passing out on a regular basis (low blood sugar problems)! I'm sure yeast isn't my issue so I'm not planning on doing the diet anyway. (Phew!)

I actually tested my ph a few times recently and it's a bit on the alkaline side (5.5) but I still don't have discharge or BV symptoms just this incredible soreness so I don't really know what to make of that. Each time I tested it the reading was the same despite it being at different times in my cycle so I'm not sure what's going on there. I'm considering some vaginal moisturiser if the pessaries don't help, that will at least get my ph back to normal levels. But pessaries first, I'm getting ahead of myself but if I don't have a plan I feel utterly helpless and depressed.

[amelillo13]

Hello Ladies,
So, I saw my doctor today. We have determined that I am a walking paradox. The past week or so, my discharge has been the worst it has been in the year and a half I've had this infection. The discharge has been burning, so I thought it was yeast, but didn't medicate, I just ate a bunch of yogurt and took extra acidophilus. Anyway, the doctor did an exam today (still burns), and is sending out a culture for yeast. However, under the microscope, he said he didn't see any in the discharge which he swabbed, just clue cells/bacterial overgrowth. We'll see if anything grows out, but I doubt it the way things have been going. Also, per usual, my pH is normal. The biggest change however, is that the doctor saw 0 white blood cells under the microscope this time. When this infection started, and up until a couple of months ago, I had sheets and sheets of WBC. Every single doctor told me that. Then, when I saw this doc in July, he said there was a lot less. Now, he says there are 0. I have no idea what is going on, but it appears that I am making some improvement according to him. Sooooo, as much as I don't like it, he is telling me to continue doing the Clindamycin cream once a week and I'll see him again in January, when it will have been 6 months. Also, all these times I have complained about how painful the exams were and how it hurts to insert the applicators of medication at night and the doctor has finally listened to me. He poked around and said I probably have some nerve damage around the opening of the vagina. He prescribed me some Lidocaine to use for a couple of weeks, to desensitize the area so it's not so painful to insert the medication. I know several of you have mentioned using this, so I hope it helps. It has been taking me 15 minutes to insert the darn thing at night and that's just ridiculous.

Unfortunately, no real revelations were made, but hopefully this problem has been so bad lately because it is finally getting better. Guess I'll know in a few months. Until then, I'll try not to be so depressed about it >.>