[mingli]

Hi i am a 20 year old student who has been suffering from bv since i got my period at age 13. At that young age i didnt know wut was wrong with me, all i knew was that i smelled funny and had a thick discharge. I was too embarrassed to tell my own mother what the problem was but just begged her to take me to the dr. After the doc prescribed me with the meds, i came to find out that they were very expensive and never worked. Here i am now searching desperately for the answer to this problem because i have a bf of 3 years who is soo unsatisfied with our sex life because i am not adventurous. I very rarely have sex nowadays in desperation that if i have sex while trying the home remedies they wont work. Although i dont have the thick discharge anymore i have this musty odor to me, and my bf and i both want to have oral sex but im too scared that hes going to find out that i am not normal down there so i just stray away. I have tested just to see what i taste like and it tastes just like it smells musty. Lately i have been searching this website for answers and i keep coming across the folic acid, and acidopholus pills. I have been taking 3 of the folic acid (400mcg) and 3 of what i think is acidopholus although it says primadopholus on the package (1 billion cfu each) in the morning and at night. Yet i wake up every morning to find that MUSTY smell from my vagina and i do not know wut to do. My bf's unhappiness is making me unhappy because i want to do more and become more adventurous in bed but my problem is prohibiting me from feeling comfortable enough to do that. I am trying so hard to "stay mad at him" because i use that as the excuse that we arent having sex. I dont kno if the somewhat generic brand of folic acid is why i havent seen results or if its because i cant be cured... I kno many women have found relief but i havent had that victory with fighting this battle and i come to tears when i think about me constantly hitting this brick wall when trying to find a cure....If you have any advice, any other remedies, just any opinions at all are welcome....i desperately need this not just for the sex issue, but just to feel normal and more confident.

[LucidEnigma]

DO you remember what meds you were on? sometimes when one doesent work, you may have to try another. As a student myself, I'm on a pretty tight budget, but I found a low cost clinic that has a sliding scale program, so dr. visits are like $25 plus the cost of meds, which is generally pretty low (generic).

Anyways, they put me on Flagyl which is an antibiotic for bacterial infections, I took it for 10 days and finally the discharge and odor is gone, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will stay that way because I heard that it comes back a lot of times.

I also started taking a probiotic by the name of Accuflora, which has 1 billion CFU per 2 capsules, but I take 4 a day (in the morning and evening), it helps to replenish healthy bacteria thats killed off by the antibiotic and controls the unhealthy bacteria.

Something else you should try is make sure not to use drying soaps/body washes. Use a natural vegetable soap without any added fragrances or chemicals that will dry you out and cause more issues. I found some nice soaps at local health food store thats made with honey/oatmeal.

Also, make sure you use clean, and most importantly dry towel when you get out of the shower, because with moist towel, you risk spreading the bacteria all over. You can also use a paper towel to wipe down there to remove excess water.

Only wear cotton underwear, you want to keep it dry and airy down there as much as possible.


I have yet to try this myself, but from personal research, the most effective herb used to combat yeast/bacterial infections is Pau D' Arco, you can get it in tea form, its also sold as loose bark at health food stores.

Its an antibiotic, antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal. The best way to use it is make a tea, keep it in thermos and sip on it throughout the day, or drink a cup twice a day, in the morning and evening. It also helps to strengthen the immune system which is the most important thing to ward off future onset of infections.

Another herb thats a natural antibiotic is Goldenseal (leaves), you can use it as a douche or drink a cup couple times a week (make sure to read more about it because you can overdose on it, so only small amount is required for maintenance).

Hope this helps.

[laulau]

Have you tried tea tree oil? It works very well for me? I just hate BV! HATE HATE HATE! Don't worry I am married and I hate when I get it (like you I have been getting it since I was about the same age) i still feel embarrassed a little!

[mingli]

so do you still get bv even after using the tea tree oil?
and have you used the folic acid and acidupholis pills?...and did they work?