[CVSTINKS]

Symptoms: Discharge, itching, burning, red, swollen, discomfort, slight pain with insertion, discomfort was worse around period, slight burn with urination. What I did not have: no pelvic pain or severe cramping periods like endo.

1. Over the past 3 years, whenever I've had my pH tested it's been "normal." Since CV seems to be an imbalance, is it possible for someone to still have it if they have a perfectly pH-balanced vagina? I think the ph matters but a specialist should do the testing, there are other factors involved.

2. If CV involves too many lactobacilli, then wouldn't all these antibiotics we've been prescribed be killing them off and ending the problem? And wouldn't we all be yeast-infection free? I guess I'm trying to understand WHAT the condition actually is and why it's possibly affected by all these medications/creams we've been on. They really don't know to be honest with you. But its believed that these treatments encourage the imbalance of the normal vaginal bacteria leading to the overgrowth. The overgrowth started when I used Cipro over 10 years ago and built up with each treatment as the years progressed.

r3dh3ad- a couple sitz baths is not the answer for this condition unless your one of the ones that hasnt had this problem long and can do one sitz and its gone, for some women its a long term imbalance and that requires a long term sitz bath treatment, there isnt a miracle cure for all women. I would be one of them it's a long term condition for me due to the years of imbalanced ph and cream/drug usage, I will be sitzing my vagina once every week or every other week. You can't over do it then you push the ph to far. You also have to be off all drugs and creams and give the body time to adjust before all the sitz. I waited a month before starting. The only medication I am on is birth control to help with hormonal imbalance, and a multivitamin for my self.

If I were you guys don't make the mistake I did and continue all these drugs and creams without a proper diagnosis. USE NOTHING until you find out what's wrong because you make the condition worse. More likely if none of these drugs are working you may have a condition that is long term and have to manage it in some form of treatment.

[CVSTINKS]

I was flipping back through the post if you go back a few you will find what the wet mount would show if you have CV.

[CVSTINKS]

I want to raise another issue you could have:

Have you been tested for non-albican yeast? You may have non-infectious vaginitis

Do you realize that all these antibiotics cause more yeast and more growth? Even my sister when she takes antibiotics she ends up with yeast and growth, so imagine if your taking all these drugs and cream how much growth has been caused. So what if your allowing it all to grow on top of each other to the point now its way out of control and nothing wants to work.

[Sarah001]

lafemelle I was thinking the same thing about antibiotics last night, as they kill good bacteria as well as bad bacteria symptoms should drastically improve until the bacteria grows back surely? I seem to recall reading an article about a woman with CV who did get alot better when she had to take antibiotics for something totally unrelated and that's how they figured it out so I'd have thought the antibiotics all of us have been on should have made a huge, even if it's only temporary, improvement and I know for me personally they haven't. Nor have any antibiotics I've taken for other problems had an impact either.

I know the doctor I saw for swabs was very good and knew CV existed and looked at the balance of bacteria very carefully so I'm confident it's not my problem. I seem to recall it's very unusual and not a common occurrence but I suppose any of you ladies who think it might apply to your symptoms could ask about it. I'm guessing if CV is the problem taking acidophilus would make things worse as it adds more lactobacillus to the situation?

[CVSTINKS]

lafemelle I was thinking the same thing about antibiotics last night, as they kill good bacteria as well as bad bacteria symptoms should drastically improve until the bacteria grows back surely? I seem to recall reading an article about a woman with CV who did get alot better when she had to take antibiotics for something totally unrelated and that's how they figured it out so I'd have thought the antibiotics all of us have been on should have made a huge, even if it's only temporary, improvement and I know for me personally they haven't. Nor have any antibiotics I've taken for other problems had an impact either.

I know the doctor I saw for swabs was very good and knew CV existed and looked at the balance of bacteria very carefully so I'm confident it's not my problem. I seem to recall it's very unusual and not a common occurrence but I suppose any of you ladies who think it might apply to your symptoms could ask about it. I'm guessing if CV is the problem taking acidophilus would make things worse as it adds more lactobacillus to the situation?

I read a story of a woman who had CV for 15 years and nothing worked for her. I read another story of a woman who had CV for 1 year and antibiotic worked for her, and others one sitz bath worked, in my case I am so out of whack down there it will take a lot to long term treatment to manage. The fact is still the creams and such do promote the growth in CV per my doctor and everything I have read. It's just based on you and your own body if you can heal from CV or not, and being tested would be priority before you make any assumption you have it. It is called uncommon and rare condition, but I believe thats only because many doctors don't look for it and so many women are not diagnoised it properly they are told yeast or some other condition when its not. You could have something else so get a good specialist to figure out your problem!

[ItsASecret]

lafemelle I was thinking the same thing about antibiotics last night, as they kill good bacteria as well as bad bacteria symptoms should drastically improve until the bacteria grows back surely?

Maybe a slight improvement. If you remove "all the bacteria" your immune system will go hay wire because those good bacteria are there for the body to benefit off of. As soon as the environment changes (ie. removing the beneficial bacteria your body is used to seeing) your body will respond by looking for a reason, even if it means attacking your own healthy cells causing inflammation, irritation, discharge etc. If you remove bacteria in general you may see an improvement for maybe a day, if that, because the culprits may be gone but bacteria multiply very quickly so the symptoms will be back quite quickly. Antibiotics work in a way to prevent whatever bacteria have the characteristic that the antibiotic was designed to attack. Both good and bad bacteria share many common things so they are both attacked, once those are gone it opens the door for a different pathogen who may not be affected at all by the antibiotic and it makes it's home inside which is why you see infections often come back with a vengeance after antibiotic use. Taking an antibiotic does not mean with pure certainty that you are going to create a new infection, it just means there is greater risk.

[amelillo13]

I just read something that gave me a glimmer of hope. I was doing searches on CV since the whole uti, cipro, and all the symptoms that resulted for Cvstinks is exactly how it started for me, and an article I came across said "False clue cells may be present resulting from the large number of lactobacilli adhering to the cell edges."

I'm definitely bringing the possibility of CV up to my doctor when I see him on the 20th now because I've always been told I had a lot of WBC, then they started to decrease and there were "clue cells" but NOTHING ever grew out and I had lots and lots of cultures sent for growth. Plus my pH has always been normal and it said that can happen too. In the event that it is not a bacteria that needs special conditions or more time to grow out, maybe this is what is going on with me? One can hope.

[CVSTINKS]

Good Luck you never know! I have went back to read some of the previous post and it just seems to me that for most you this is not an infection or anything that is growing out.. seems like its just as amelillo13 stated that it is not a bacteria that needs special conditions or more time to grow out. What if its one of the good guy group that is over powering. I heard there are millions of strains of lactobacilli and other good guy strains out there. And I did throw out all my probiotics the good guys are not going to do my CV any good. I am wishing you luck with the doctor!

[CVSTINKS]

I'm also thinking that is why my CV is so bad based on strain and severity of the lactobacilli. Maybe if your strain is not that bad sure one sitz or something will work but I'm talking about severe overpowering or possible a odd ball strain more treatment and mgmt has to be there.

[CVSTINKS]

One more I think the box timed out on me lol.

My doctor put this in light for me when I got CV he said.. you were like this for 10 years do you know how much lactobacilli growth you have, we could be looking at billions! So fast treatment not likely they have overpowered my system.