Cytolytic Vaginosis sufferers, try preseed alkaline lubricant

[mamacita]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 23 year old virgin who has been suffering with chronic vaginosis for about a year and a half (thick white discharge, internal burning, external itching). Although I have the symptoms all month, things always get worse the last 2 weeks before my period. Doctors told me it looked like yeast, but all my cultures and STD tests would come up negative. I have tried everything you could imagine: hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, yogurt, femdophilus, vitamin C, colloidal silver, apple cider vinegar, etc).

A few months ago, I went to a doctor who specializes in complicated vaginitis and i was finally diagnosed with Cytolytic Vaginosis (too much "good" bacteria making the vagina too acidic. for more info, read here *Removed outbound link*). But although the treatment is baking soda, I was douching everyday and things only improved slightly. The discharge cleared up, but I still had a persistent itch, burn, and irritation. I tried to put baking soda up there overnight with a suppository but the burn was unbearable. I also tried antibiotics that my doctor gave me to try to reset my flora, but that didn't work either.

Recently, i had a breakthrough and i think i finally found something that's made me almost 100% better. There is a lubricant called Pre-seed; it's actually for women who have vaginal dryness when trying to conceive. The idea is that most lubes are acidic and kill sperm. This lube has a PH of 7 to 7.5 (very alkaline) so it doesnt kill the sperm. However, its safe for use with condoms and is also used for a variety of medical purposes by gynecologists. You can buy a tube online or at drugstores like CVS for about $20. their website has more info, its supposed to be helpful for ladies with vulvodynia as well.*Removed outbound link*

I used a little bit of this (about 1/2 an applicator full) 4 nights ago. It burned only slightly, but the next morning i immediately felt better. So i kept doing it overnight, each night; it never burned again and each day i felt better and better. Also, if i feel any irritation during the day, i dab a little bit on my finger and put it up there and/or rub a little on myself externally. It's the 4th day that I've been using it, and I feel great! No itching, no burning, no discharge... no symptoms. I havent been doing baking soda sitz baths or douching at all, just using this. I think leaving it in is resetting my PH and stopping the overgrowth of lactobaccili. I'll keep reporting back on my results, but i have about 5 days until my period and i feel pretty normal. Usually my symptoms are unbearable at this point. I havent felt this good since this whole ordeal started.

Ladies, I was literally at a hopeless point. I had stopped dating and given up all hope of ever having a normal sex life. I had become depressed, and was crying almost every night. I can't explain the relief to finally find something that helps. I was told by my doctor that Cytolytic Vaginosis is sometimes a chronic condition, and I'd have to just manage the symptoms. I really thought i'd be itchy and irritated for the rest of my life.

Please, if you suffer from CV or think you suffer from it, give this a try!

[Bandie]

Hi Mamacita-

How is it going? I believe I suffer from CV as well and have been dealing with it for almost a year now. The baking soda and use of pads instead of tampons helps only a little, and I am looking for something else to try. Please follow up and let us know how the Pre-Seed is working out for you.

[mamacita]

Hi Bandie,

im still using the preseed nightly, just a little bit (about 1/5 of an applicator full before i go to bed). i had a setback when my period came; i know blood is supposed to be alkaline but my symptoms returned a day or 2 after my cycle ended (i wasn't using preseed during my period). but right now, using preseed nightly is definitely improving my symptoms each day.

douching with baking soda, doing sitz baths, and using pads instead of tampons didnt help me much either. it got rid of the discharge most of the time, but i was itchy all month. and if i became aroused, the itch would intensify. im sure u know what i mean; it feels like youre allergic to your own fluids.

right now, im not sure if the preseed is permanently rebalancing me or just helping me keep the symptoms away, but either way it's helping. im also trying to alkalize my body by doing the following things:

*taking 2 calcium supplements (600mg) and 1 iron supplement a day, along with my usual vitamin C
*drink lots of water with fresh lemon in it (lemons are acidic but your body metabolizes them as alkaline)
*eat alkaline foods everyday like kale greens, fresh fruit and veggies, etc.
*avoid acidic things like soda, dark tea, coffee, caffeine, etc. i do still drink alcohol when i go out though.

some other things that im looking into are advice on sites/message boards for women who are TTC (trying to conceive), especially sites for women trying to have a boy. these sites all have info on how to alkalize your vagina. thats how i found out about the preseed. some of the sites recommend mixing in a little baking soda with the preseed, or even using egg whites instead (which are very alkaline. preseed is 7-7.5, egg whites are 8-10). i havent tried it yet, but im planning on it.

the way im thinking, douching with baking soda doesnt do much because it just temporarily clears things out. once i do it, the good bacteria quickly regrows and im back to square one. i think to really rebalance things, im going to have to do overnight alkalizing treatments for a while, to gradually adjust my ph back to normal.

hope this helps, let me know if u make any progress

[Carol Ramirez]

Hi mamacita. In first place, sorry about my english, I'm from Chile, South America. I wan to to tell you a little part of my life on the latest ten years. I'm 35 yeras old. When I'm 24, I started to have symptoms like yours, itch, burn, pain, white discharche, etc. No one doctor could tell me what happen to me, because all my studies were negative to any malignant bacteria or yeast infection. I was trated with fluconazol (yeast infection that it wasn't), metronidazol, clindamicin, etc, without good results. I had become crazy, but 3 years ago, one doctor told me about this disease, and then, started my fight toward lacobacilli. I tried backing soda douches, antibiotics (that are decribe) amoxicilina, Clindamicina. My symptoms improve a little, but in a few days it was the same or worse situation. I found your case in this web site, and I have hope again, I started to use pressed last night an already feel better!!! I want too tell you only a few tips:
don´t drink alcohol, don't eat sugar, lactobacilli loves sugar!, don't eat irritant foods.
I'want to ask you if you have tried to use peseed internaly twice a day, and if you can give me more tips. I want to really thank you, beacause now I have hope to live a normal life again. Carol.

[Annie Dillard]

Wow, I've only been online for a few hours searching what's wrong with me and I've found cytolytic vaginosis and I've diagnosed myself with it (I am going to go to my gyno when I can get an appointment. Hopefully today). I'm young and scared because this is a chronic condition but so many women who have it either don't know or are getting treatment so that makes me feel a little bit better. Sorry if I'm all over the place I'm just flustered about this complete life style change I might have to make. I'm so glad I can get almost anything I need at CVS because it's in biking distance. When I was really young I used to get a shooting stabbing pain in my crotch area and I and I had no idea what it was. Those symptoms have subsided, sometimes I do get that shooting pain though but at most once a year. I can't believe that's

[Annie Dillard]

-c a part of what I have because I've basically forgotten about it. Thank you for your input! It's really given me hope.

[mamacita]

update

Hi Ladies,

I'm going to post this update on all the CV threads i was on. I apologize for going so long without posting. I graduated from my masters program, and had to find a summer job… been a little overwhelmed but things turned out well.

I just wanted to update everyone that I am basically back to normal. Here’s my progress.

About 5 months ago: I was continuing to use the preseed, but even though it improved things somewhat, I was still experiencing external itching and internal burning. I assumed this was the CV and I was very frustrated/sad that it would never go away.

But when I went back to Dr. Marvel, his exam revealed that my PH was normal and there was no more cytolysis of the cells. Meaning, I no longer had CV! So the preseed worked . He did note, however, that I was very inflamed internally. His diagnosis was some sort of vaginal dermatitis (aka vaginal eczema or a similar dermatological condition, and NOT any sort of infection/imbalance). He prescribed me a specially compounded cream to use internally every night for 2 weeks, then as needed after that (5% hydrocortisone and 2% Clindamycin, made for me by a compounding pharmacy). He also prescribed a steroid cream to be used externally daily for a week then every 3 days.

I was really skeptical that any of this was going to work, and felt like I lacked a specific diagnosis. What do you mean I’m inflamed and it’s a dermatological issue? What exactly is wrong with me???

But after doing as he instructed, I noticed significant improvement. A month later, I went for a check up, and he said I wasn’t inflamed at all anymore. After the check up, things kept getting better and better. My symptoms reduced and i felt more normal everyday. Where I’m at right now is I use the internal medicine overnight once a week to keep things in check. I rarely use anything externally, although he said a little cortisone 10 anti-itch cream is fine (I use that, as needed, because too much steroid cream can thin the skin). I go through most days feeling totally normal. If I start to feel a slight itch, I put a little medicine on externally and it calms the flare up before it starts. If I feel a slight burn internally or notice thicker discharge than normal, I use the internal medicine overnight to calm things down. It seems like this is some sort of vaginal dermatitis, and as long as I respond when it flares up, everything stays normal and in check. I believe that CV was something I acquired by being treated by doctors for yeast and BV that I never tested positive for and probably never had. It seems like this was a mistreated dermatological condition all along. Ive done some reading, and apparently this is common. Vaginal skin issues, especially internal ones, are often misdiagnosed as infections.

I’m also happy to report that I’m dating someone and have a normal sex life again. I haven’t even told him about my previous vaginal problems, because everything down there looks and feels normal. I’m enjoying being in an intimate relationship, and haven’t had any problems. If you had told me last year that this is where I would be today, I wouldn’t have believed you. So keep up hope. I used to think my vagina was “broken” forever, but there’s no such thing. Good luck ladies!

[mamacita]

i also want to say to Carol, that the fact this thread is helping people all over the world really gives me hope. it's terrible we have to go through this; I had my condition for almost 2 years before i found the right doctor and saw improvement. But it's really good to know that at least my experience helped someone else. and I'm sure all the ladies on this board can say the same. I hope the preseed helps, and if not, explore the dermatological side too. It's possible that there can be more than 1 thing causing your symptoms, like there was for me.

[KAT7]

mamacita,

Thank you SO MUCH for posting your story and sharing your experience. I was just diagnosed with c.v. and am at the end of my patience with the chronic itching and burning. My boyfriend is understanding and supportive, but I'm starting to feel guilty and depressed that sex has turned into something that I get nervous about rather than fully enjoy. I just ordered pre-seed and can not wait to try it. I just hope I have as much success as you!

[pennylane68]

mama-how did you know what you had was Cytolytic Vaginosis? I have had a chronic burning vagina for 2 yrs now and it started after I took a round of flagyl for a bacterial infection. I have been assuming my problem is candida, although doctors could never diagnose that. They have no idea. Did your start out of the blue? Or after taking any specific medication?