[Morphia]

MORPHIA: Like I've posted once before...it is normal to have that discharge after getting a cervical biopsy. I had discharge from mine for 2 weeks and that is normal. CALM DOWN!

Ummm, excuse me. But did I show any indication whatsoever of freaking out? Did you see a shit load of exclamation points in my post? I'm sick and tired of every body taking what I say out of context and attacking me. The yahoo group may be slow, but at least they're more understanding and slow to judge. I think its time I left this board. Good luck tearing each other's throats out.

[Morphia]

double post

[sassy]

MORPHIA: Like I've posted once before...it is normal to have that discharge after getting a cervical biopsy. I had discharge from mine for 2 weeks and that is normal. CALM DOWN!

[jenniferg]

Morphia: Have you ever tried a colon cleanser? I used one in November and December and it was a miracle! I was so glad that I found it. I also have IBS and since I used it I have been much more regular and feel great. I just ordered another 1 month supply because it is recommended to do it every 6 months. It comes with a fiber mix, pills to rid your body of parasites and a tea. I was afraid that after using the product that I would just go back to always having bathroom problems but it wasn't the case. May be good for you too cancan as you had mentioned having IBS.

www.drnatura.com

[Morphia]

I was told a few years ago that I have IBS too. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. But I don't think the IBS was caused by BV, but the other way around (Lori mentioned this as well). I think IBS can give you BV. However, for some reason, when I got my BV, I had a flare-up of IBS! Cramping, bloated belly; I can't explain it. Or maybe my IBS got worse because of the antibiotic that I took. The die-off of any microbes in your intestines would give you gas.

I would be curious to know how many of us here have digestive issues?

I've been having bowel issues since I got sick a year and a half ago (still don't know what the hell is wrong with me). I was able to get a colonoscopy in October. My results were inflammation indicative of IBS...OR...infection. Nothing else was done about it. You'd think after those findings that they would have taken a stool sample. I still wonder if I might have some type of parasitic infection in there and I keep hoping that maybe this 14 days of Flagyl will get rid of it if I do.

I went to see my doctor today and to my dismay he said that my cervix looked fine and that the discharge was normal?? I'm sorry, but no discharge 6 days after a colpo is normal. Plus I'm still in pain. HOWEVER...he is MUCH better than my primary doc. As I thought, because he is younger he has actually heard of the resistant strains of yeast and other bacterias that can live in the vagina. I didn't have to bring them up at all! I complained that I was having trouble with yeast too and he just started talking about them. And when I asked him if he could do a culture for any yeast or bacteria we might be missing he said that he couldn't do one due to the lack of supplies he had in his office but that he did feel that I needed one and that he would look into finding someone that could do one for me. He did have the supplies to check for group B strep so he took a culture for that. While he said some things that were inaccurate (such as my pH of 5.0 is too low and should be around 7 ) I can still say that I've found my new doc from now on. At least for a good while.

Another unfortunately, he said that if I keep having the recurring bv he wants to put me on the metrogel regimen I've heard people talk about. I think he said metrogel for 7 days instead of five, then once a week for a month, then once a month indefinitely. He says he's had good results with that but from what I've read most women don't seem to have much luck with it. Plus, wouldn't that just give me constant yeast problems?

For my current yeast problem he gave me Gynazole (By the same makers of Clindesse). I'm worried about that since its the one dose type that stays in you for 7 days. What if there really is an infection in there? He says it shouldn't irritate my biopsies but I'm afraid it will.

[CanCan]

I recently had an intense and painful reaction to Bacterial Vaginosis and was ill for about three weeks. I've had recurring BV since my early 20's. I'm now in my 40's. While the BV has been ever present over the last 20 years, it has never caused severe stomach pain until recently. In the past I've taken antibiotics which has resolved the symptoms, albeit temporarily. Symptoms usually returned after an antibiotic course within 2 months. My most recent experience with BV caused severe stomach pain, cramping, and constipation. The BV triggered Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symtoms. After a trip to the doctor, and several tests to rule out other disorders, the doctor concluded the same -- that BV had triggered IBS-like symtoms. I was given Flagyl which helped to relieve symptoms, including the stomach pain and constipation, and recovered two weeks later. However, much to my dismay, the BV returned during the third week of my recovery and the symptoms, to include stomach pain, began to return. I've held it in check and have overcome the symptoms using probiotics and this approach has been more effective for me than antibiotic treatment. ...

I was told a few years ago that I have IBS too. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. But I don't think the IBS was caused by BV, but the other way around (Lori mentioned this as well). I think IBS can give you BV. However, for some reason, when I got my BV, I had a flare-up of IBS! Cramping, bloated belly; I can't explain it. Or maybe my IBS got worse because of the antibiotic that I took. The die-off of any microbes in your intestines would give you gas.

I would be curious to know how many of us here have digestive issues? I know a few do. With IBS, your intestines get thinner, and more porous, so particles of undigested food can be pushed through the intestinal lining undigested. These particles now have a higher chance of getting into your bloodstream. Causing problems like food allergies/food intolerance, sinusitis, general malaise, etc. But if food particles can be pushed through the porous lining into the bloodstream - then I wouldn't be surprised if bacteria can as well.

Well, whether or not you have IBS or some other digestive issue, keeping your intestines healthy is very important while you have a Bacterial Vaginosis infection. I bought something at the healthfood store called L-Glutamine. The salesman there called it 'gut glue', and told me that I should be taking it if I have IBS. It's a protein amino acid. It repairs your intestines. If you have Bacterial Vaginosis because of adrenal exhaustion or some other hormonal imbalance, then you can benefit from L-glutamine as well. Because hormone imbalance causes the vaginal lining and intestinal linings to become thin and less moist. Which can lead to both BV or IBS. What I do first thing in the morning now, even before I have my probiotics, is take one level teaspoon of L-glutamine added to some water (4 oz of purified water approximately), put the cap on the bottle, and shake up well to disolve. (I use an empty plastic drink bottle.) Then drink it right away. I do this on an empty stomach. Then within the next ten minutes or so, I do my probiotic mixture with distilled water and drink that right away. Whenever you do this, it should be one hour before a meal or an hour and a half after a meal. Just so the suppliments have a chance to get into your intestines unimpeded. I have been taking for the past two weeks, and I notice that I'm not as bloated as I was before. It seems to be working for me so far.

[ http://www.vegatest.info/irritable_bowel_syndrome.html ]
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamine ]

[jenniferg]

Jennifer, I'm sorry I can't remember if you already said this. But do you smoke? Just curious. I quit when I was treating my yeast before I knew I had bv. But I started back up when I started treating the bv. I'm hoping that with the 14 days of flagyl minus the smoking I can get rid of this stuff.

I'm pretty sure I've got an infection brewing in there. Not only do I have that watery, brown discharge, but I have a thick discharge that's yellow with a slight cast of green. My pain is getting worse. Hopefully I don't have to go to the emergency room. My appointment is at 9:30 tomorrow morning. I should be able to make it until then.

No I don't smoke. That kind of discharge does sound like an infection. Keep me updated on the results. I have never had anything like that after a colpo.

[mfc10]

hey ladies. we're almost at 2,000 replies on here! haha... anyway, i've been using the yeast arrest for 3 days now and i am starting to get vaginal dryness. and it kinda itches sometimes too. not enough to make me stop using it though. mfc10 suggested estrogen cream for that so i think i will buy some. do you need a prescription for that? and where can you get it???

My estrogen cream was prescription: Estrace (estradiol). But I know there are some non-prescription estrogens based on estriol out there.

Blessings,
Maggie C.

[anitsirhc]

hey ladies. we're almost at 2,000 replies on here! haha... anyway, i've been using the yeast arrest for 3 days now and i am starting to get vaginal dryness. and it kinda itches sometimes too. not enough to make me stop using it though. mfc10 suggested estrogen cream for that so i think i will buy some. do you need a prescription for that? and where can you get it???

[arj75]

Morphia,
I was just wondering how you were feeling? If your symtoms are getting any better. What kind of cultures did your doctor do. Did you thank him for not giving you any information of how to care for yourself after the colpo?

ilovehim, Don't give up....this all will get sorted out one day. I get depressed about it to, it's hard not to sometimes.

There are things much worse than bv though..(I tell myself that a lot). I am gonna keep my "fuck it" attitude about what people think of me, and focus on more important things in life such as my children, and my future.

I do remember the high school days, and I wouldn't want to go back for nothing. I wouldn't want to be a teenager again either. As a matter of fact if I had the choice of going back to high school and being a teenager again and being cured of bv, or battling bv now. I would choose the bv fight.

Have a good day you all!

[lori]

Has anyone tried the Today pH Balance Restore vitamin C tablets that you insert inside your vagina? They say it is used to treat BV.

Thanks.

I ordered the product (from drugstore.com) but I haven't used it yet. I've been feeling good and BV-free for a while, so I'm not sure I'm going to.

I was initially excited about the product, but after thinking about it, I'm not sure that simply acidifying the vagina is useful (which is what this product does). A lot of members in here have focused on that (someone even mentioned battery acid - only as a joke but you get the idea), and I used to think it was a good idea, but I'm not sure it works that way anymore.

Not to mention, this stuff is expensive. Do I think this product will help? Maaaaaybe. I don't think it will hurt. I think it's worth a try if you're willing to pay for it.

Sorry I don't have a better answer than that.

[Morphia]

Jennifer, I'm sorry I can't remember if you already said this. But do you smoke? Just curious. I quit when I was treating my yeast before I knew I had bv. But I started back up when I started treating the bv. I'm hoping that with the 14 days of flagyl minus the smoking I can get rid of this stuff.

I'm pretty sure I've got an infection brewing in there. Not only do I have that watery, brown discharge, but I have a thick discharge that's yellow with a slight cast of green. My pain is getting worse. Hopefully I don't have to go to the emergency room. My appointment is at 9:30 tomorrow morning. I should be able to make it until then.

[kmfkmb]

Has anyone tried the Today pH Balance Restore vitamin C tablets that you insert inside your vagina? They say it is used to treat BV.

Thanks.

[jenniferg]

I thought about that too. I also think about the fact that there is blood too and blood has a higher ph.

I also just noticed that I really am having a watery brown discharge. This time I know for sure that its not blood. I'm soaking my undies yet again and I don't know if its from the colpo, the bv, the yeast or everything. I can still FEEL it. Every now and then I'll get little jabs of pain and from what I understand I'm not supposed to be feeling anything this long after a colpo.

I just took a diflucan and can only hope it helps. But I doubt that it will since I tested positive for yeast just 4 days after I took one. I'm also about to start my period. (How is my pH supposed to stabilize with all of this bleeding I'm doing?!).I'm sorry girls but I just don't see a light at the end of this tunnel. I have an appointment to have a lump in my breast checked out tomorrow, and I'm going to have him check my cervix for infection while I'm in there. I'm terrified to have something stuck in there again because of all the burning I experienced last time. This is also a different doctor. He's younger, so I'm going to ask him if he knows anything about culturing discharge and sending it to a lab. If he says he too doesn't do cultures I'm going to be crushed. I really hope my biopsies aren't infected because that would mean more broad spectrum antibiotics. I can't deal with that.

I never have much discharge come out, only a little bit right after it's done but the doctor always puts this coffee ground-like stuff in there after that gets really hard and comes out in a couple days. It is suppose to prevent infection I guess. Does you doctor put that stuff in after your colpos? I still get little jabs of pain every now and then ever since I had my leep procedure. Don't know if it's normal or not.

[Morphia]

I think the colposcopys have alot to do with bv because they put all that vinegar stuff in you so they can see the abnormal cells which in a way is like douching isn't it? And we know that douching is a cause of bv.

I thought about that too. I also think about the fact that there is blood too and blood has a higher ph.

I also just noticed that I really am having a watery brown discharge. This time I know for sure that its not blood. I'm soaking my undies yet again and I don't know if its from the colpo, the bv, the yeast or everything. I can still FEEL it. Every now and then I'll get little jabs of pain and from what I understand I'm not supposed to be feeling anything this long after a colpo.

I just took a diflucan and can only hope it helps. But I doubt that it will since I tested positive for yeast just 4 days after I took one. I'm also about to start my period. (How is my pH supposed to stabilize with all of this bleeding I'm doing?!).I'm sorry girls but I just don't see a light at the end of this tunnel. I have an appointment to have a lump in my breast checked out tomorrow, and I'm going to have him check my cervix for infection while I'm in there. I'm terrified to have something stuck in there again because of all the burning I experienced last time. This is also a different doctor. He's younger, so I'm going to ask him if he knows anything about culturing discharge and sending it to a lab. If he says he too doesn't do cultures I'm going to be crushed. I really hope my biopsies aren't infected because that would mean more broad spectrum antibiotics. I can't deal with that.

[jenniferg]

Its official...I now smell. I've actually read about women getting recurring bv following their first colpo. I should have known that it was only going to make mine worse. I used to be one of the lucky ones (in the not smelling aspect, very unlucky in the burning aspect) and now I can smell myself just sitting here. Fuck.

Sometimes I get a little smell after colpo. I will be getting my fourth one next Wed. to see if hpv is back and possibly a need for another leep procedure. : ( I think the colposcopys have alot to do with bv because they put all that vinegar stuff in you so they can see the abnormal cells which in a way is like douching isn't it? And we know that douching is a cause of bv.

[anitsirhc]

does anyone know if you can or can't have sex while you have a UTI and you're on antibiotics for it??

[lori]

If the Flagyl works to get rid of the BV, great, but be prepared to feel some depression. Taken orally, Flagyl wipes out good bacteria in your intestines, not just the bad.

[...]

On the basis of current data, we suggest that oral doses of both folic acid (800 microg daily) and vitamin B12 (1 mg daily) should be tried to improve treatment outcome in depression.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...t_uids=15671130 ]

Sounds like a good recommendation to me! Certainly couldn't hurt.

[CanCan]

Luckily I have no side effects from the flagyl except for one. Depression. Its not documented but I found a board with hundreds of patient reviews on Flagyl and a lot of people were claiming that they got very depressed on it. I even found a couple of articles that said depression could be a side effect. I had been wondering why I was getting so damn depressed when I was nearing the end of my 7 day course. I can only imagine what this 14 day might do to me.

That sounds just like me...I was wondering why whenever I take it I start getting really depressed. It must be the Flagyl.

If the Flagyl works to get rid of the BV, great, but be prepared to feel some depression. Taken orally, Flagyl wipes out good bacteria in your intestines, not just the bad. And good bacteria in our intestines is called 'beneficial bacteria' for a reason. These microbes in your intestines produce Biotin, Vitamin K, Vitamin B-12, Folic Acid (B-9), Thiamin (B-1), and Riboflavin (B-2), etc. Having a B vitamin deficiency, one is more likely to experience depression and cognitive disfunction. These vitamins lower high homocysteine levels, which is a good thing, because raised levels have been linked to depression.



[ E H Reynolds. Folic acid, ageing, depression, and dementia. British Medical Journal. June 22, 2002;324:1512-1515.

Researchers believe folic acid works in the same way as SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine). Both folic acid and SAMe affect methylation in the brain, a process linked to mood and cognitive function. Methylation also plays a role in the metabolism of homocysteine, the amino acid linked to heart conditions and other diseases. Folic acid and SAMe also both influence monoamine metabolism, a process linked to depression. In numerous studies, low levels of folate in serum, red cells, and cerebrospinal fluid and high levels of plasma homocysteine are linked to depression and dementia.

http://intelegen.com/nutrients/folic_acids..._depression.htm ]

--------------------------------------

[ 1: J Psychopharmacol. 2005 Jan;19(1):59-65.
Treatment of depression: time to consider folic acid and vitamin B12.

Coppen A, Bolander-Gouaille C.

MRC Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory, Epsom, Surrey, UK. acoppen@globalnet.co.uk

We review the findings in major depression of a low plasma and particularly red cell folate, but also of low vitamin B12 status. Both low folate and low vitamin B12 status have been found in studies of depressive patients, and an association between depression and low levels of the two vitamins is found in studies of the general population. Low plasma or serum folate has also been found in patients with recurrent mood disorders treated by lithium. A link between depression and low folate has similarly been found in patients with alcoholism. It is interesting to note that Hong Kong and Taiwan populations with traditional Chinese diets (rich in folate), including patients with major depression, have high serum folate concentrations. However, these countries have very low life time rates of major depression. Low folate levels are furthermore linked to a poor response to antidepressants, and treatment with folic acid is shown to improve response to antidepressants. A recent study also suggests that high vitamin B12 status may be associated with better treatment outcome. Folate and vitamin B12 are major determinants of one-carbon metabolism, in which S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is formed. SAM donates methyl groups that are crucial for neurological function. Increased plasma homocysteine is a functional marker of both folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. Increased homocysteine levels are found in depressive patients. In a large population study from Norway increased plasma homocysteine was associated with increased risk of depression but not anxiety. There is now substantial evidence of a common decrease in serum/red blood cell folate, serum vitamin B12 and an increase in plasma homocysteine in depression. Furthermore, the MTHFR C677T polymorphism that impairs the homocysteine metabolism is shown to be overrepresented among depressive patients, which strengthens the association. On the basis of current data, we suggest that oral doses of both folic acid (800 microg daily) and vitamin B12 (1 mg daily) should be tried to improve treatment outcome in depression.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...t_uids=15671130 ]

[Morphia]

Its official...I now smell. I've actually read about women getting recurring bv following their first colpo. I should have known that it was only going to make mine worse. I used to be one of the lucky ones (in the not smelling aspect, very unlucky in the burning aspect) and now I can smell myself just sitting here. Fuck.