[neverending]

I also had Group B strep and I was wondering if this could be part of it. If so I'm in trouble because I don't have a spleen and that is what fights the strep types of bacteria. I am confident that it is BV because the Wet prep test showed the "clue" cells. So, I'm going to focus on getting the lactobacillis back in my body.

I had the bypass just about 10 years ago when they were doing the radical one. They cut my stomach into about 1/4th of its size and moved the "tubing" that leads out of it. Because of this I don't absorb B-12 at all through the stomach. I had pretty much every complication there is possible. The first surgery failed before I even got out of the hospital and was leaking from one side to the other. I got a life threatening pnuemonia and they couldn't fix it. I was so full of antibiotics that I probably had more of them in my system than I did blood!

I was then horribly anemic because they didn't tell me at first that I needed B-12 shots. I had 2 hernia repair surgeries, one with a tummy tuck. I also had a breast reduction and lift, and a thigh and butt lift where they removed a ton of skin. I went from a size 34W to a size 8. My health, and trying to reclaim it has been a mission for the last 10 years and now I have to deal with this and I can't help but feel like the bypass and lack of nutrition has led to this. There is nothing I can do to reverse it and am not sure I would want to, but at least I can do the best I can do to educate myself.

Oh, and to answer the question about meals.. I do purposeful grazing...LOL.. I don't eat very big meals and snack through out the day.

As for the men..yes, I think they can pass it on to us. If they have it in their prostate then they have it in the seminal fluid. Even if they ejaculate outside of us they still "leak". If their systems are weakend then their bacterial balance can be off as well. They don't have the hormonal cycles to magnify the situation, but they can still have an over growth. My now ex husband had problems with his prostate years ago. He went to the urologist who told him he had an infection and the best thing for him was more sex. Oh..great... go fill your wife with bacteria that she can't fight off as easily!! Idiots.

I also don't have a spleen. Hmmm.......

[newlife69]

Khalia...thanks for the welcome. I'm not sure about ferritin levels. I will ask and check around to see what I can find out. I do know that it is known to mask B12 deficiencies, so it is recommended to get enough B12 also with increased folic acid amounts. No, it doesn't hurt my stomache. Thanks for the Zinc tip. My teenage son has acne too.

The brand of acidophilus I picked up is YourLife Acidophilus Plus with a half billion live cells per capsule. It has lactic acid bacteria complex and bifidobacteria. It needs no refridgeration.

[Khalia]

Does Folic acid effect ferritin levels?

[Khalia]

Newlife.. Welcome!! I'm new here too and also very thankful for this board. I am taking acidophilus tablets now. What strength are you taking? The one that I have is 20 billion and has to be refrigerated. My doc said I only needed to take one, but I think they killed every lactobacillis thingy in my body at some point so I'm impatient to get it back..lol. Does the folic acid bother your stomache at all? I've also heard that Zinc is a BIG help with BV. So, I'm taking that and my teenage son started taking it as well for his acne and he is looking the best he has in years and that is the only thing we did differently.

Precious.... are you saying your hubby doesn't know about the BV? Read my post below about men and BV. It may be that he is reinfecting you and needs to be treated as well. I have been reading more on the bacteria that causes BV and its involvement in the male "system". There are some urologists that are looking at chronic infections with this bug as being a trigger for prostate cancer. It starts out with inflamation and moves on to other nasty things.

For your support, I hope your hubby is understanding. I would be upset if he didn't respect my wishes for privacy and I'm very sorry that this is affecting your life as much as it is. The ladies here seem to be very knowledgable and I'm glad you peeked in. *HUGS*

[newlife69]

Ladies:

I am new to this forum and have actually never posted or chatted before. However, while researching this topic I stumbled onto your blog. I too have been suffering from BV for all of my adult life. Yes, really, since puberty set in. To make a long story short, through earnest prayer, I recently found another site, www.earthclinic.com. On there I learned that folic acid and acidophilus tablets have been used to cure BV with excellent results. I have been taking three 400 mcg tablets of folic acid a day for the past two days along with two acidophilus tablets. I purchased these supplements at the local grocery store. This morning was day three and I smelled and felt so much better I cried and thanked God before showering. I feel that this is it. In the spirit of trying everything, I strongly encourage you to try this too.

I was so inspired by your posts to continue looking for natural remedies. I was at my wits end and considering metro-gel again. My doctor has given me refill prescriptions because this has been such an ongoing saga for me. I knew I would just be stepping on the BV-yeast merry-go-round once again. I was also put on Yasmin birth control which made my PMS and infections worse. I stopped taking them.

Thanks for your courage. I hope this suggestion helps someone.

[precious83]

to all the ladies: is it possible b.v. can be smelled by other people? I am very self conscious and worried people can smell b.v. from me. What are some products you guys can recommend that I use to keep things in control. I used today restore vitamin c tablets for two days and it was a living hell. Do not waste your money on that garbage. it gave me a yeast infection and made the smell ten times worse. I hate when i try to keep things in control then all of a sudden I try something new and it just makes things worse. Now i have to use tercazol for the yeast and acidic gel for the smell. This is tearing apart my relationship with my husband. I dont like him creeping up on me when im using the restroom. he makes a big deal about it. am I wrong? Another thing is that i hate going out. If i do i tend to want to leave quickly. should i tell him about bv? I feel like he will not have pitty on me if i do tell him. he'll tell me to get over it since i let it control me.

Thanks in advance everyone

[Khalia]

Thanks Kahlia, I had forgotten what all functions the spleen does serve to in our bodies, I still have mine. thank goodness. What I am missing are my adenoids. (I know that they are part of our lymphatic tissue, but other than that...no clue of what they do. Do they even know?

I know exactly what you mean. In my case I had a VERY rare disorder of the pancreas. Less than 15 people in the world had been diagnosed with it at the time, but they suspected it was caused by the gastric bypass surgery. I am actually one of 6 people in the last Mayo Clinic research paper on the disorder. Guess we all would like a little fame, but I would prefer it be for something fun, like winning the lottery tomorrow!!! LOL....

Anyway, with me, my blood sugars were so messed up that I was going so low they were surprised I hadn't died or at least gone into a coma. One day I woke up from a nap and my blood sugar was a 24. My doc said it was a miracle I woke up at all. Through out all of that I kept getting sick and they kept putting me on antibiotics. Then I would get what we thought was a yeast infection and I would be treated for that. Heck, it could have been BV because it appears that that little lactobacillis bacteria isn't that resiliant in my body at least.

I was also so anemic and not absorbing iron that I had to have IV iron, which I would have an allergic reaction to and they would have to give me steroids to counter. I am still really low on ferritin, but they don't want to do the IV Iron unless they absolutely have to. So, I need to find a way to get more ferritin.

Then, following the surgery they had to go back in the next day to save my life because I was bleeding internally. I crashed in the recovery room and ended up with them running down the hall with my bed while the resident yelled into her phone, "We're headed to ICU, she's crashing". I survived that and returned 5 days after discharge with an infected cyst pocket in my chest cavity. They had to put in a drain tube (they DON'T put you out for that) and the only thing it cultured was Candida. Yep, Candida was growing its own little city not too far from my heart. My doc said that I was very lucky that it was enclosed because if it had gotten into my blood stream I would have had about a 1% chance of surviving. They said that a blood infection with Candida is much more fatal than a bacterial infection. My doc told me that I was the most amazing patient he had ever had. Considering he was the head of surgery at Mayo I took that as a compliment.

I've been through the wringer over the last few years and I am bound and determined to get this damn BV thing solved. I figure that I am a tougher bitch than that damn BV anyday. I survived the pneumonia that almost killed me, several other things I haven't even mentioned, almost bleeding to death at the best hosiptal in the world, and my battle with the internal candida. As far as I'm concerned, this BV is annoying and frustrating, but it is a challenge that I fully intend to meet and win. BV...be afraid... be VERY afraid... this bitch is pissed and not going to take it anymore!

[arj75]

Thanks Kahlia, I had forgotten what all functions the spleen does serve to in our bodies, I still have mine. thank goodness. What I am missing are my adenoids. (I know that they are part of our lymphatic tissue, but other than that...no clue of what they do. Do they even know?

This crap just bothers me. I realize that in some cases organs were removed because surgeons had no other options, but a lot of times...there are taken out for the hell of it. Like tonsils for instance. The doctors wanted to remove my son's at one point, and well, I had a problem with that. They don't know what all they do in our body to maintain hemeostatis, so they go ahead and remove them? There are still glands in our bodies, that researchers know they produce hormones, but aren't sure what hormones, or what they are used for.

If our science is advanced enough now to clone sheep, skin, WHO KNOWS whatever else, I don't understand why stem-cell research is not passed. I would only save lives. This Country has lost all other morals and values, so why is this such a big deal?

[Khalia]

I also had Group B strep and I was wondering if this could be part of it. If so I'm in trouble because I don't have a spleen and that is what fights the strep types of bacteria. I am confident that it is BV because the Wet prep test showed the "clue" cells. So, I'm going to focus on getting the lactobacillis back in my body.

I had the bypass just about 10 years ago when they were doing the radical one. They cut my stomach into about 1/4th of its size and moved the "tubing" that leads out of it. Because of this I don't absorb B-12 at all through the stomach. I had pretty much every complication there is possible. The first surgery failed before I even got out of the hospital and was leaking from one side to the other. I got a life threatening pnuemonia and they couldn't fix it. I was so full of antibiotics that I probably had more of them in my system than I did blood!

I was then horribly anemic because they didn't tell me at first that I needed B-12 shots. I had 2 hernia repair surgeries, one with a tummy tuck. I also had a breast reduction and lift, and a thigh and butt lift where they removed a ton of skin. I went from a size 34W to a size 8. My health, and trying to reclaim it has been a mission for the last 10 years and now I have to deal with this and I can't help but feel like the bypass and lack of nutrition has led to this. There is nothing I can do to reverse it and am not sure I would want to, but at least I can do the best I can do to educate myself.

Oh, and to answer the question about meals.. I do purposeful grazing...LOL.. I don't eat very big meals and snack through out the day.

As for the men..yes, I think they can pass it on to us. If they have it in their prostate then they have it in the seminal fluid. Even if they ejaculate outside of us they still "leak". If their systems are weakend then their bacterial balance can be off as well. They don't have the hormonal cycles to magnify the situation, but they can still have an over growth. My now ex husband had problems with his prostate years ago. He went to the urologist who told him he had an infection and the best thing for him was more sex. Oh..great... go fill your wife with bacteria that she can't fight off as easily!! Idiots.

[i'vehadenough]

Oh it's ok
I am just happy I found this forum. I have learned SO MUCH!
I am going to try the entire treatment process with the Dr and see what happens. For now I am going to stop with all of the B vits and see what happens.

I just figure if I do too much at the same time I won't know what is working and what is not. I am just SOOOOO sick of this problem.

[arj75]

Ive'hadenough,

Sorry we didn't respond to you. we weren't ignoring you. We've discovered that most of us in here are hormonal, we get bitchy at times, had a few cat fights, and well, we get busy...it takes a lot of time to be constantly swallowing vitamins, shoving shit up our snatches, and trying to find doctors who know there ass's from the whole in the ground. I have yet to succeed with that task. lol

That tindamax...from the research we found..said only 38% percent effective ( i think that was the number) ..but hey...if it's free it's free. What worries me with all these antibotics is they will kill some bacteria..but cause overgrowths of others..such as strep D, or molunbucis (don't remember how that is spelled. And it is often misdiagnosed as yeast and BV infection instead. (its caused from too many doses of metro-gel) My last doctor hadn't even heard of it, then I went back and he acted like he looked into it...but told me it doesnt have odor which we have already learned otherwise.

Then we have to worry about bactria resistance...and being on the same thing time after time after time will do this. Whenever I take my kid (who is always sick ) to doctor they rotate serveral to avoid this. so why we get the same antibotics time after time bothers me. (they don't even know what bacteria they are messing with...ummm hello 17 new species discovered.

I think some women are cursed with all three whammies..the men who can carry it..as we have discovered...hormonal problems..or other health issues.

I'm a carrier of strep b, but doctors don't seem to be concerned with this. But it causes infection in some women and it is also more than challenging to get rid of it.

I also think some men may just be carriers and never be bothered by it, and then there are some who do become infected (if there immune system is down?...they will get an infection?..

I still have to wonder this..is it haboring in their urinary tract and then spreads to their prostate? Or vice versa?
I know the first time I had unprotected sex with my ex he got a UTI.

He was also on steriod shots for his knee problems..which can weaken immune system, and cause yeast infections.

My PMS...has improved A LOT by just taking vitamins...but I know how bad PMS can get.. I try not to blame anyone for what choices they make in trying to feel better or get rid of this crap. Gastric bypass? I admire your courage Khalia, that seems scary as hell to me. Do you have to eat several times a day? Or just 3 meals a day? So your stomach is smaller..is that all they did during the surgery?

Something else I thought of today...umm my baby couldn't wait to take a dump until he was delievered, so yeah he shit in my uterus. There were 5 specialists awaiting his arrival because of this, and other problems, but what about poor ole' mom..they never gave me any antibotics for this. I guess they assume that my uterus will wash itself out..but what if it didn't???

[i'vehadenough]

i'vehadenough: Glad you got into the study? So, let me get this right, you have a husband and girlfriend?

Well kinda lol. She is my best friend. I know it sounds crazy and probably is.
My husband and I have been involved sexually with her for about 2 years and that is when my problems really started. I had one case of BV about 7 years ago and then nothing until 2 years ago. I didn't really put 2 and 2 together until about 3 months ago. She has never had any symptoms of BV but the Dr I met with today said it is very likely that she has it and just doesn't have symptoms.

[neverending]

So, do men carry BV? Doctors say no but it seems research says YES. What should men do to treat themselves? and what about oral sex? can you get bacteria of the throat like HPV of the throat? I hope that makes sense.

i'vehadenough: Glad you got into the study? So, let me get this right, you have a husband and girlfriend?

[i'vehadenough]

No one ever seems to respond to my posts/questions, but I still figured that I would give my update. I had an appointment with a BV specialist this morning. I had made this appointment back in Feb (the waist is that long), so I was very excited about it. I mentioned to him that I thought the BV was being passed back and forth between myself and a female sexual partner through my husband. I also mentioned that I thought my IUD, that I have since had removed, was also part of the problem. He agreed with both. He ran same tests and said that right now I have a mild case of BV, but as we all know, it will just get worse. Because of my "not normal" sexual patterns, he wants to have me be part of a study he is conducting that is funded by Johnson and Johnson. The best part is that all of the treatment will be FREE!! He asked that I bring my female partner in with me next visit to have her be tests so they can compare her vaginal fluid to mine. He said if she has BV, she will be treated also. So for now, I have to take 500mg of Tindamax for 7 days. After I finish that, I will go in and he will take more samples. I will then do a 21 day treatment of BA and then go see in again after the 21 days. There is another course of treatment at that point but I can not remember what it is. If everything is clear after that he said I will remain on some type of maintenance program. He also said that my husband has to wear a condom for the next 3 months. He believes that treating men does not help but that the BV is store on the urethra and can reinfect.

I am very excited to see the results!!!

[Khalia]

Ok, we have all been told that men don’t get BV. Well, of course they don’t. They don’t have the “V” part of the equation. They CAN however, carry the bacteria that is the major factor in BV, Gardnerella Vaginalis. Because of this, I do think it is important for the men in our lives to also be treated when we are. If they aren’t we will end up getting it back again.

It appears that urologists at least know this even if the family practitioners don’t. I couldn’t find the link, but one article I read said that men can harbor this in their prostate and it is a big factor in inflammation of the prostate. We all know what is produced in the prostate!

Hmmmm….. so, are we just getting it because of pH imbalances, poor nutrition, hormones, or can we possibly be getting it from our partners?


http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_bactvagi_crs.htm
The bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis are sometimes found in the tips of men's penises. However, men do not usually have any symptoms


http://www.kcom.edu/faculty/chamberlain/We...lecture/vag.htm

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/431453
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/431453_4
http://www.mjbovo.com/Contracept/STD-Gard.htm (men can be carriers)
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlere...gi?artid=265332


Gardnerella vaginalis Infections in Men

The prevalence of G vaginalis in the male population is not completely known. In symptomatic patients, the rate has been estimated to range from 0.2% to 38%, depending on the method of isolation used for detection.[6-9] The highest reported rate was by Ison and Easmon,[10] who found that when semen was specifically cultured for G vaginalis in asymptomatic men, the rate of isolation was 38%. In addition, in men with partners who have G vaginalis vaginitis, the organism can be isolated from a urethral swab in 50% to 90% of cases.[11,12] For this reason, it is recommended that both partners be treated with oral metronidazole, 500 mg bid for 7 days, to reduce the rate of reinfection. Although G vaginalis most commonly causes asymptomatic infection, serious pathology has been attributed to it in some men. Significant clinical infections that have been reported are in Table 1.[13,14]

http://www.infeksiyon.org/en/Detail_en.asp...amp;Article=618

[Khalia]

Honestly, I'm not sure when the problem initially started. I'm sure that hormones have a lot to do with it, but I'm serious when I say that I am the raging bitch from hell if I'm not on them. It isn't just simple PMS. It is the mother of all PMS. Premenstral Dysmorphic Disorder , which means I Morph into this screaming beast from the depths of Hades with hair on my teeth. So, going off of them isn't an option unless I want to kill someone or have them kill me.

One thing that probably has contributed to it is that I have been on some MAJOR antibiotics over the last 10 years. After my gastric bypass I had a hospital based pneumonia and was on 23 days of IV antibiotics. I have to say that it got much worse from there. Come to think of it, most of the time I wasn't even on birth control because I had my tubes tied. I only went back on them when I couldn't stand myself for 20 days a month. I would almost think that some birth control would be helpful if it means that your levels stay even. Personally I would love to be able to get off of the birth control, but I can't even handle that at the moment.

I'll try the B-6 and I've also heard that Zinc is VERY helpful. (I'll try to find the link)

As for my sore throat, one doc did say it was yeast. I don't have it all of the time and they aren't very big or that visible. I have been tested for other things as well and it wasn't that, but they never tested for the bacteria that causes BV. Another thing it could be is from all the diet coke I drink (I know..get off of that..I haven't had any today) or it could be from the fact that my tummy is messed up and they had to remove more than half of my pancreas due to a rare disorder and my digestive enzymes are off. Maybe my kitty is just REALLY pissed off..LOL.

So, this is what I'm going to do. Finish my Flagyl, increase the probiotics I'm taking, add in the B-6 and continue with the zinc. I have a feeling that my poor kitty is Lactobacillis-free..lol. This would make sense because the lack of that can cause the overgrowth of both yeast and the BV bacterias.

[neverending]

Hello all. I’m a newbie here, but have a feeling I’m NOT new to BV. This may be a bit long so please forgive me.

I have been having what I THOUGHT were yeast infections that usually followed a bladder infection from hell. This would usually occur after I had some serious sex or about 4 weeks after I started being intimate with someone new I was dating.

I have been dating a man now for almost 2 months. Again, about 4 weeks after we were intimate I got a bladder infection, followed by a yeast infection from the antibiotics. I did Monistat and Boric Acid suppositories and it seemed as if the yeast went away. Well, then my bf started having itching and irritation on his dick and got very concerned that I gave him something (I didn’t do the Boric Acid until after he got the irritation). So, I went to the Dr because he wasn’t able to go that day and he would just go after me. The doc did a pelvic and said I didn’t look “yeasty” to her, but that she would check me. I guess I was worried about Chlamydia (sp?). She said that it didn’t look like that.

She came back in the room and said I had a bacterial infection and showed me the lab slip that showed the “clue cells” and little “rods”. I did some surfing and found that is how they know it is BV. She put me on 7 days of Flagyl and she also gave me a prescription for my bf. I am on day 4 and I’m not really sure if there is a big difference, but I’m having some white, clumpy discharge (like you would with yeast), My vagina and labial area feels a little raw, but I have had chronic issues with that.

My concern is brought out by my bf concern that it is more than just BV. My Dr tested for yeast and Chlamydia and it doesn’t appear to be anything else. I did find on the net that men CAN get infected from a woman with BV and it shows up as a UTI, inflamed prostate, and can cause skin irritation. I feel like my kitty is poisonous!!!

I am wondering if all these years I have actually had more problems with BV than with yeast. I just haven’t had the smell. Thank God for small miracles.

I have had chronic issues with lack of vaginal moisture, even when very excited. It is pretty embarrassing actually. My partner thinks that I’m not excited when I really am. I also get small vaginal and labial tears and have labial acne at my menses (dr said it is normal and called sebatious hyperplasia). I love sex and I love oral sex and don’t want to give it up, but I’m feeling very lost and confused.

My doc also had me start taking lactobacillus every day and said to keep taking it all of the time.

As of this morning I don’t know if my bf is feeling any better. We were going through a rough spot just before this and were on the mend and then this comes up. I think he feels like I gave him some horrible STD and his dick is going to fall off. On just the second day of taking the medicine he was talking about going to the doc because it wasn’t getting any better. I told him to go then, but he decided to wait the 3-4 days that the doc said to. This whole thing has thrown a huge wrench in our relationship and I’m very sad about this. I don’t want to give up sex or oral sex.

I have a lot of questions so I hope that some of you may have some answers for me. I guess I’m kind of thinking out loud here, but maybe it will trigger something for someone else.

When I was pg with my first child I had Group B strep, anyone here have that before and could that be what I’m having problems with? (I don’t think so since there was the “clue” cells present, but thought I would ask)

From what I have read it sounds like if your vagina has too high of a ph (alkaline?) then the lactobacillus bacteria doesn’t thrive the way it should. If there aren’t enough of them then it makes your vagina a giant Petri dish and you can grow yeast and the bacteria in the BV. I also read that you usually don’t have a yeast overgrowth with BV. It seems to me that there is some sort of connection, but maybe it is just the lack of the lactobacillus since that keeps both yeast and BV in check.

I am on BC pills, but for massive PMS and not birth control. The doc said that aggravates both yeast and BV, but I would be living in a nightmare from hell if I didn’t take them and no one would want to be around me at all. So, I’m kind of stuck there.

I sometimes wonder if my whole freaking body is just off balance and I need to follow some strange diet for awhile to get back in balance, if that is even possible.

I have issues at times with sore throats and small sores on the back of my throat. Dr said it was nothing, but I think it is either yeast or BV related since it happens when my vagina isn’t happy with me. Also, can this be because of the oral sex? I am assuming so. I saw in the thread here that you shouldn’t have oral sex if you have this issue. Why is that exactly and is there anything you can do to prevent problems so that you can still have oral sex?

I just want to have pain free, well lubricated, sex that doesn’t cause my bf to think his dick is going to fall off.

I’m not really sure where to go from here. My medication will be finished on Sunday and I’m going to continue taking the probiotic, but I don’t want to go overboard with stuff because I don’t want to throw my balance off the other way.

Am I correct that we want our pH levels in the vagina to be lower, or more acidic? I was thinking that made for more yeast.

Can a man have too high of a pH in his sperm and that triggers this? I joked with my bf that maybe he is allergic to me and maybe it is kind of the other way around.

OK, enough for now. I’m sure I’ll have more questions when you all answer. Thanks!

Did your problems start after you started birth control? We have a guy named Jason come to the board and I think I remember him saying that BV (MOST IF NOT ALL) Is hormone related. Try B-6 100mg once or twice daily with lots of water to see if that will help you. I've heard a lot of girls on this board has had great results doing this THANKS TO JASON

Questions:
1. You want your vajayjay to be more acidic.lol
2.I also had and still sometimes have dry vagina. Sometimes if I get a little worked up before the hubby gets home it's ok but if i'm caught off guard then it's takes a lot longer to get wet and like you it's not because i'm not excited it just takes longer sometimes and I refuse to take more estrogen. If you want to, ask the doctor for vagifem (sp?). I heard from another lady that it helped her but be very careful if you take it.
3.As far as your throat, Do you get white balls that you sometimes cough up? Have you ever heard of tonsillitis? It might be that or hpv of the mouth but most don't turn into cancer.

[Khalia]

Sorry, I have some more thoughts....

I'm trying to read through all of the posts, but there are so many pages. Anyway, it appears that nutritional deficiency can be a trigger for this as well. I had gastric bypass almost 10 years ago and I know I should be taking more supplements. This just really enforces that. I already give myself B-12 shots every two weeks, but I was being a slacker and I won't do that anymore!!

[Khalia]

Hello all. I’m a newbie here, but have a feeling I’m NOT new to BV. This may be a bit long so please forgive me.

I have been having what I THOUGHT were yeast infections that usually followed a bladder infection from hell. This would usually occur after I had some serious sex or about 4 weeks after I started being intimate with someone new I was dating.

I have been dating a man now for almost 2 months. Again, about 4 weeks after we were intimate I got a bladder infection, followed by a yeast infection from the antibiotics. I did Monistat and Boric Acid suppositories and it seemed as if the yeast went away. Well, then my bf started having itching and irritation on his dick and got very concerned that I gave him something (I didn’t do the Boric Acid until after he got the irritation). So, I went to the Dr because he wasn’t able to go that day and he would just go after me. The doc did a pelvic and said I didn’t look “yeasty” to her, but that she would check me. I guess I was worried about Chlamydia (sp?). She said that it didn’t look like that.

She came back in the room and said I had a bacterial infection and showed me the lab slip that showed the “clue cells” and little “rods”. I did some surfing and found that is how they know it is BV. She put me on 7 days of Flagyl and she also gave me a prescription for my bf. I am on day 4 and I’m not really sure if there is a big difference, but I’m having some white, clumpy discharge (like you would with yeast), My vagina and labial area feels a little raw, but I have had chronic issues with that.

My concern is brought out by my bf concern that it is more than just BV. My Dr tested for yeast and Chlamydia and it doesn’t appear to be anything else. I did find on the net that men CAN get infected from a woman with BV and it shows up as a UTI, inflamed prostate, and can cause skin irritation. I feel like my kitty is poisonous!!!

I am wondering if all these years I have actually had more problems with BV than with yeast. I just haven’t had the smell. Thank God for small miracles.

I have had chronic issues with lack of vaginal moisture, even when very excited. It is pretty embarrassing actually. My partner thinks that I’m not excited when I really am. I also get small vaginal and labial tears and have labial acne at my menses (dr said it is normal and called sebatious hyperplasia). I love sex and I love oral sex and don’t want to give it up, but I’m feeling very lost and confused.

My doc also had me start taking lactobacillus every day and said to keep taking it all of the time.

As of this morning I don’t know if my bf is feeling any better. We were going through a rough spot just before this and were on the mend and then this comes up. I think he feels like I gave him some horrible STD and his dick is going to fall off. On just the second day of taking the medicine he was talking about going to the doc because it wasn’t getting any better. I told him to go then, but he decided to wait the 3-4 days that the doc said to. This whole thing has thrown a huge wrench in our relationship and I’m very sad about this. I don’t want to give up sex or oral sex.

I have a lot of questions so I hope that some of you may have some answers for me. I guess I’m kind of thinking out loud here, but maybe it will trigger something for someone else.

When I was pg with my first child I had Group B strep, anyone here have that before and could that be what I’m having problems with? (I don’t think so since there was the “clue” cells present, but thought I would ask)

From what I have read it sounds like if your vagina has too high of a ph (alkaline?) then the lactobacillus bacteria doesn’t thrive the way it should. If there aren’t enough of them then it makes your vagina a giant Petri dish and you can grow yeast and the bacteria in the BV. I also read that you usually don’t have a yeast overgrowth with BV. It seems to me that there is some sort of connection, but maybe it is just the lack of the lactobacillus since that keeps both yeast and BV in check.

I am on BC pills, but for massive PMS and not birth control. The doc said that aggravates both yeast and BV, but I would be living in a nightmare from hell if I didn’t take them and no one would want to be around me at all. So, I’m kind of stuck there.

I sometimes wonder if my whole freaking body is just off balance and I need to follow some strange diet for awhile to get back in balance, if that is even possible.

I have issues at times with sore throats and small sores on the back of my throat. Dr said it was nothing, but I think it is either yeast or BV related since it happens when my vagina isn’t happy with me. Also, can this be because of the oral sex? I am assuming so. I saw in the thread here that you shouldn’t have oral sex if you have this issue. Why is that exactly and is there anything you can do to prevent problems so that you can still have oral sex?

I just want to have pain free, well lubricated, sex that doesn’t cause my bf to think his dick is going to fall off.

I’m not really sure where to go from here. My medication will be finished on Sunday and I’m going to continue taking the probiotic, but I don’t want to go overboard with stuff because I don’t want to throw my balance off the other way.

Am I correct that we want our pH levels in the vagina to be lower, or more acidic? I was thinking that made for more yeast.

Can a man have too high of a pH in his sperm and that triggers this? I joked with my bf that maybe he is allergic to me and maybe it is kind of the other way around.

OK, enough for now. I’m sure I’ll have more questions when you all answer. Thanks!

[neverending]

Oh Gawd! I know trhe pill started this horrible crap for me. I'm just glad It's gone "knock on wood".