[lafemelle]

Amelillo, I also took folic acid for about 2 months--but I took 1200-1600 mg per day. It sadly didn't change a thing...all it did was make my hair and nails grow extremely fast.

[depressed10]

Just curious

Has anyone been tested for any other kind of bacterial infection other than just BV? It seems to me that if those BV test keep coming up negative, then maybe we need to be tested for something else...like a more specific bacteria. Has anyone been tested for any other bacteria and what was prescribed for you?

[amelillo13]

Has anyone been tested for any other kind of bacterial infection other than just BV? It seems to me that if those BV test keep coming up negative, then maybe we need to be tested for something else...like a more specific bacteria. Has anyone been tested for any other bacteria and what was prescribed for you?

I've had both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures sent out and neither yielded a result. I would think that pretty much covers everything possible, but who knows. I see my doc in another week and a half or so and I'm going to insist he do a PCR test, so we can figure out what bacteria it is. PCR tests supposedly look at the DNA of the pathogen.

I've also had my urine checked which from my understand would show if it was just a bladder/kidney infection that's out of hand, but they can't find anything in that either; just some trace blood and WBCs.

[ItsASecret]

I'm going to insist he do a PCR test, so we can figure out what bacteria it is. PCR tests supposedly look at the DNA of the pathogen.

PCR tests could identify the bacteria by the specific DNA sequencing however if there is some found then the treatment is likely going to be the same broad spectrum antibiotic that was created to kill off those exact bacteria. Its like, yeah we know its X species of bacterium but you still get Flagyl type deal.

[depressed10]

DNA test

I actually had the DNA test and it showed Negative Gardnerella, Trich and Candida. I got a copy of the test result. When I questioned my doctor about the the bacteria they tested for, she said that they test for 7 or 8 different types. I don't think they did. I think they only tested for the 3 above. I am going to go back and get another one and I am going to take her all the other bacteria that I've read about and ask her to test for as many of them as they can. So make sure if you get that test that they look for more than just the usual offenders. Since my test was negative, I'm sure they should have checked for something else.

[amelillo13]

while it's true that most of the bacteria that cause these sorts of infections are treated with flagyl,clindamycin, erythromycin/azithromycin and other things like that, from what I've read, group B strep is actually treated with penicillin, and if it is a viral thing, I forgot the name of it, but there's a go-to medication for that too which is entirely different. not to mention, everyone responds to different things, so if some bacteria is figured out by the DNA that's at least a place for most of us to start.....

[amelillo13]

also, I've never tried this, but some people claim that receiving the antibiotics intravenously is the way to go

[ItsASecret]

I actually had the DNA test and it showed Negative Gardnerella, Trich and Candida. I got a copy of the test result. When I questioned my doctor about the the bacteria they tested for, she said that they test for 7 or 8 different types. I don't think they did. I think they only tested for the 3 above. I am going to go back and get another one and I am going to take her all the other bacteria that I've read about and ask her to test for as many of them as they can. So make sure if you get that test that they look for more than just the usual offenders. Since my test was negative, I'm sure they should have checked for something else.

Countless numbers of bacteria are very easy to culture which makes these procedures so very common in a lab setting. The reason they choose those 7 or 8 you mention is because they are again very common strains and if they show up then they show up. If they do not show it does not mean they simply did not do the test it just means it was not found in the culture. More than one staining of the bacteria or virus is done to identify as many microbes as possible so it is not necessarily difficult for a lab tech to notice the bugs if they are there as well.

while it's true that most of the bacteria that cause these sorts of infections are treated with flagyl,clindamycin, erythromycin/azithromycin and other things like that, from what I've read, group B strep is actually treated with penicillin, and if it is a viral thing, I forgot the name of it, but there's a go-to medication for that too which is entirely different. not to mention, everyone responds to different things, so if some bacteria is figured out by the DNA that's at least a place for most of us to start.....

Penicillin works under broad spectrum meaning it will kill everything and anything it was designed to kill. Medically it is a perfect fit because it will destroy the bacteria in question even if you do not 100% know what exact strain is causing all the troubles. Same applies to viral infections like you mention. Patients can know the name of the bacteria, have no idea what the word even means, and will still receive the same medication as someone who does not have the answer to the exact microbe that is causing the underlying problem. However if there is still problems and the lab discovers a different bacteria that only dies when given X antibiotic then it will be noted. That is not all that common though since a huge amount of results are from the common 'garden variety' bacteria that are the culprits of the average BV/Yeast/UTI infection.

also, I've never tried this, but some people claim that receiving the antibiotics intravenously is the way to go

Oral or intravenous it is still the same medication, the only difference will be in release time.

[depressed10]

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?

[Sarah001]

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.