[WomansWays]

Has anyone ended up with an infection cause by antibiotics? Then after treatment with Flagyl, and a clear swab....still have the irritation and itchiness??? What is going on?

[Ashlee T.]

How many flagyl did you take? If the infection was caused by the antibiotics, then it would be a yeast infection and typically you'd take two courses of the med to treat it.

But the clear swab is a bit baffling. Are you saying you did a swab test after taking the Flagyl? How many days after?

Has the irritation cleared up at all?

I have had various times in life where I had itching and irritation that eventually went away, and I never knew what caused it. But generally, with that area of the body, something is causing it that needs to be treated.

[WomansWays]

Yes I have had several swabs that show everything is normal. Skin is still irritated. Doctors and dermatologist think make dermatitis/Ezcema but treatment for those cause it be inflamed. I am now wondering on hormones and maybe an imbalance of some sort.

[Ashlee T.]

Interesting. I suppose it could be some sort of allergic reaction, but if taking a round of antibiotics is what prompted it I would guess not. I'd probably ask to take a couple of rounds of Diflucan and that way if there is any yeast at all, it should take care of it.

Have you considered taking a probiotic daily for a while and see if that helps? It could be that your PH balance is just off.

I would also switch to a hypoallergenic soap and perfume/fragrance-free laundry soap and dryer sheets.

[WomansWays]

All I have done. I am on a very strong probiotic. I have noticed it changes from day to day and is never irritated in the same spot. I did take antihistamines for several weeks too, and nothing came of it. One doctor gave me 6 months of diflucan and I took that for 3 months. My gyno said to stop it, cause it wasn’t changing anything. She also has been testing my ph level and it’s been normal every single time! So, honestly this has to be hormones. I am 35 so it’s not impossible

[jns]

Flagyl (metronidazole) is a strong antibiotic. I was prescribed it a month ago for diarrhea. It caused me to lose some of my appetite but it did it's job and I have recovered since. Strong antibiotics can cause major changes in your gut bacteria by killing a lot of it. It may cause a change in the types and ratios of various gut bacteria. In turn, that can cause various changes in your body. I would not be surprised if skin irritation could be a side effect for some. Strictly speaking, strong antibiotics don't directly cause an infection. What they do is that they kill off beneficial, symbiotic bacteria which allows harmful bacteria an environment to grow in. Normally beneficial bacteria keep harmful bacteria in check.

[Ashlee T.]

All I have done. I am on a very strong probiotic. I have noticed it changes from day to day and is never irritated in the same spot. I did take antihistamines for several weeks too, and nothing came of it. One doctor gave me 6 months of diflucan and I took that for 3 months. My gyno said to stop it, cause it wasn’t changing anything. She also has been testing my ph level and it’s been normal every single time! So, honestly this has to be hormones. I am 35 so it’s not impossible

It definitely sounds like you've checked everything else but the hormone levels. I'm not aware of wonky hormone levels causing that kind of irritation, but our bodies can sure do some weird things!

jns - that sounds dreadful. I believe I was on that antibiotic for BV. Thankfully, I didn't get those side effects but now that I think about it, I was taking a daily probiotic then.

[jns]

jns - that sounds dreadful. I believe I was on that antibiotic for BV. Thankfully, I didn't get those side effects but now that I think about it, I was taking a daily probiotic then.

I think different people with different gut bacteria react to strong antibiotics differently, possible due to the specific bacteria they carry in their gut. I don't calorie count but I know approximately how much I consume. I have had a worse reaction to another strong antibiotic in the past so I recognized the situation. I have had antibiotics leave me weak for a month. The actual action may be due to the killing of gut bacteria so what is left does not allow for the absorption of nutrients at a high level.

[Ronit Raj]

It's possible that after clearing a yeast infection, the irritation and itchiness persist due to a disrupted vaginal pH or lingering inflammation. Antibiotics can sometimes cause bacterial imbalance. Consider probiotics or consulting your doctor for alternative treatments if symptoms continue.

[Guest]

One of the biggest mistakes we all make is using outside cleaners to clean the vagina. As we all know that vagina cleans itself and throws all the vaginal waste in the form of water or thick fluids. In my lifetime, I have never used any type of outside cleaner to clean my vagina, and to be honest my vagina is healthy and never faced any problems.
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