[kristen]

jessica80... i did order some femanol back at the start of all this a year ago. i did see results and i saw them very quickly i was truly amazed at how fast it was working. i would say in like 4 days or maybe 5 my issues had gone away. i was feeling so great that i had found the answer. then i had sex and all the symptoms came back and they were really yucky. i kept taking the femanol twice a day, alot of times even three times thinking it would clear up, but it never did. i was never able the get the same results that i did righ at first. plus i dont remember how much i spent but i want to say it was like 70 with shipping. i really liked the idea of the femanol that is was probiotics and the theory of how it worked made perfect sense. i would also much rather take something orally and fix the problem from the inside than put stuff in places it doesn't belong. so back to the point all that i read about femanol before i took it sounded great. but it didn't work. there is another probiotic out there called fem dophilus all the ladies talk about it here. it is supossed to do the same thing except i think it works better. i have not used it yet my self but it is in fact in the mail. i think the main difference is the strains of bacteria in it are different. i think in famanol its like the same as yogurt or the same as should be in you intestines. fem d is specifically the strains found in the vag. aparenty that makes a big difference in the sucess rate. plus it is a ton cheaper. again i can't speak for fem d for my self just yet but if you like the idea of how femanol is supossed to work you should at least do some research on the fem d.

[neverending]

Hello everyone.
Im new to this whole blog thing.
Im not really sure how to post a comment so hopefully im doing it right...
I just bought Femanol a week ago and have seen no results yet, does anyone have any comments or advise?

Thank you!!!

-Jess

Hey Jessica80! I don't think a week is enough time to see results. I say give it another week or two, then tell us if it helped or not. I know you want results now but these things take time hun. When I did the estroil, I didn't think it helped and I wanted to give up after the first week, but I stuck with it and I have not had BV in a loooooonnnnnngggggg time. Hope this helps! Oh, and welcome to the board.

[Jessica80]

Hello everyone.
Im new to this whole blog thing.
Im not really sure how to post a comment so hopefully im doing it right...
I just bought Femanol a week ago and have seen no results yet, does anyone have any comments or advise?

Thank you!!!

-Jess

[CarrieBradshaw]

A lil BV humor I was thinking of yesterday when I discovered my beast had returned.

If we could create our own commercials every time we had a flare up, what would they be like??

Mine, I was thinking: Introducing Eau de BV - with an array of scents like - turpen~fish (a light TTO turpentine, with fish extract ), buttermilk, wild onion, poo-poolicious, garlic, boric blues and super funk! Get your sampler pack today. For a limited time only, we're also including flagyl samples at no cost. Dissatisfaction guaranteed!

[JJ27]

OMG I just got back from Whole Food since I'm down to one pill and it's $7.00 more!!!!!!! If anyone plans to buy the Fem D please go to iHerb!!!! It's worth the three day wait. I forgot who referred them but THANKS!!!

Not sure but I think I'm ok, not a 100% but I think I need more time. I would like to use something vaginally too any suggestions?

[kristen]

ok i ordered it. i'm tired of running around town. i will let ya'll know what happens. i really have high hopes and i dont know what i will do next it this doesn't work. again i dont have really extreme symptoms just annoying stubborn ones. i think if it could help anyone i'm it.

[JJ27]

Hi Kristen,

I would call first but I too had no luck and ordered the Fem D from Iherb and received it within three days. The Fem D should be in the refrigerated section. Hope this helps.

i just got back from whole foods. no fem d!!! i found where it should be there were alot of other jarrow probiotics but no fem d. there was an empty spot that said temporarily out of stock but there was no label there saying what the product was. so i drove 20 minutes to get there and wasted 6 bucks on toll booths and no fem d. i'm so mad i can't seem to find the stuff anywhere. i found on the internet that the vitamin shoppe has it so i went there the other day since its right by my house and none there either i'm so frustrated. i dont know why i dont want to order it i just dont. and yes hell is already breaking loose with my vag after lasts nights little romp.

[CanCan]

Hi all

I had read on here about taking Vit B6 if your BV was hormone related. Took it for 2 weeks with no results. Such a let down. Anyways, decided to give the Fem D a try. Been taking 2 tablets per day now for the last two weeks. My BV hasn't gone away but it's not as bad as it was before, specifically the discharge. Although great, I was hoping for the thing to go away completely. Anyone know how long after taking the fem D am I suppose to see my desired result, ie no more BV?

Hi Lisabon, I felt the same way when I took the V-B6. When it helped, but didn't work all the way. And felt a bit disapointed when I started taking the Goldenseal, and it helped but not that fantastic. But seems like your BV is not as bad, which is a good thing! What I am doing now to help with my frustrated feelings about all this BV stuff is looking at it a different way. Because so far looks like there isn't a 100% magic bullet cure out there. But if you add up all the little things that we do to help get rid of the BV, it may eventually add up to 100%. (Hopefully.) For example, take the v-b6 may help our condition by 10%. Which seems like nothing. But then add folic acid to your diet. That may help a little, like only 10% too. But then add in the vitamin B Complex, drink more water, get some physical activity, get more rest, take Femdophilus, don't drink as much coffee, drink camomile tea at night... etc. etc. do whatever you need to do to relax and feel more healthy. For all of us it is a bit different. But it all eventually adds up to a much larger number.

[RN with BV]

Hi all

I had read on here about taking Vit B6 if your BV was hormone related. Took it for 2 weeks with no results. Such a let down. Anyways, decided to give the Fem D a try. Been taking 2 tablets per day now for the last two weeks. My BV hasn't gone away but it's not as bad as it was before, specifically the discharge. Although great, I was hoping for the thing to go away completely. Anyone know how long after taking the fem D am I suppose to see my desired result, ie no more BV?

I ordered a container of 'yeast arrest'. It states on the container that it has 600mg boric acid. I felt more comfortable with the already made suppositories so that's why I got this. If I took this with the fem D, would that help or just make it worse? Someone had mentioned to try taking the Fem D with the oral flagyl but I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to it or something. I took it previously when my gyn prescribed it and the thing made me sick. I pretty much got all the side effect symptoms. The severe cramps (it was HELL), that wierd taste in your mouth, the dizziness, the nausea...etc

Lisa

I have taken the fem d for over a year it has helped but I have had to use other things as well, I also use the Yeast arrest and it has helped CONTROL the symptoms. However the only side effect is that for about 24 hours after using the yeast arrest I have this weird yellow brown mixed with oregeno discharge. The discharge is from the herbs in the yeast arrest so it isn't a bad thing that you see that but I was glad I had a heads up about it before I started using it. I have not found anything that actually cures the BV only helps control the symptoms. I use the yeast arrest everyday to everyother day and I have no smell and no discharge. I have also stayed on folic acid and a B complex even though that alone didn't help me, I went through several rounds of flagyl and clindamycin and within a week after taking them symptoms were back I started the fem d and antibiotics when the MD first told me I had BV I am tired of taking the antibiotics and that is when I found this site my MD had already told me about boric acid I now have everything to make the caps but am finishing up the yeast arrest first I am hoping the boric acid has the same effect without the herb discharge

[lisabon]

Hi all

I had read on here about taking Vit B6 if your BV was hormone related. Took it for 2 weeks with no results. Such a let down. Anyways, decided to give the Fem D a try. Been taking 2 tablets per day now for the last two weeks. My BV hasn't gone away but it's not as bad as it was before, specifically the discharge. Although great, I was hoping for the thing to go away completely. Anyone know how long after taking the fem D am I suppose to see my desired result, ie no more BV?

I ordered a container of 'yeast arrest'. It states on the container that it has 600mg boric acid. I felt more comfortable with the already made suppositories so that's why I got this. If I took this with the fem D, would that help or just make it worse? Someone had mentioned to try taking the Fem D with the oral flagyl but I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to it or something. I took it previously when my gyn prescribed it and the thing made me sick. I pretty much got all the side effect symptoms. The severe cramps (it was HELL), that wierd taste in your mouth, the dizziness, the nausea...etc

[RN with BV]

So I've read through what I could...difficult to devote a lot of time with a 6 month old in the house...and I have a couple questions I guess. It sounds like lori agrees that douching could actually make the condition worse by causing PID. In her blog she notes some suggestions in how to apply HP wihtout douching, but overall doesn't recommend using the treatment. If I only use this for a single 1 week treatment as suggested in the link/study on lori's blog, would it really be problematic? If this is the route that I would take, what is the best application if I choose not to douche?

I like the description of the tea tree oil - an Altoid for the vagina! LOL! That's so true! But after that initial tingle, the benefits seem to be gone...except that it might cover the odor if you have one (I luckily don't). I understand that you want to use this treatment for up to 6 weeks. If it's a treatment that will work for you,...when would you start to experience the benefits? As I posted before, it's only been 2 days and things seem to be worse. I hate to continue if it's a bust.

I'm still unsure which direction to pursue at this point. I don't want to continue with TTO if it's not effective. I'm concerned that allowing the infection to get worse without effective treatment could cause permanent damage.

Again, I don't want to take the Metronidazole because I am breastfeeding and it is a Class C drug. I don't want to expose my son to unnecessary antibiotics.

Last, (I think) Fem D is mentioned often. It appears to be an expensive version of lactobacillus acidolphilus. I currently take Udo's Choice Probiotics which includes LA along with other probiotics. Is FemD really super special or more beneficial for ridding BV?

there was a book that was like the go to book for OB's and Lactation consultants I cannot remember exactly the name but something like ....Dr Hale's Book of Medicines and the Nursing Mother I am pretty sure that is what it is called (sorry it has been about 8-9 years since I worked OB but I know that is what they still use) it is updated ever year and Lactation consultants ALWAYS have it handy it will tell you for sure what you can take while you are nursing if you do not want to invest in the book call local OB floor at hospital and ask to speak with a lactation consultant she will look up whatever drug or herb you are looking for. I am a nurse I have dozens of different drug books but I NEVER let a nursing mommy leave with a script until it is cleared with lactation. The other drug books are not as accurate or do not have enough info about lactation.

[konphusion26]

A lil BV humor I was thinking of yesterday when I discovered my beast had returned.

If we could create our own commercials every time we had a flare up, what would they be like??

Mine, I was thinking: Introducing Eau de BV - with an array of scents like - turpen~fish (a light TTO turpentine, with fish extract ), buttermilk, wild onion, poo-poolicious, garlic, boric blues and super funk! Get your sampler pack today. For a limited time only, we're also including flagyl samples at no cost. Dissatisfaction guaranteed!

[shyedna]

www.accessrx.com they sell metro gel for 99.00 dollar's

Hi everyone this is my first post, so HELLO. Just wanted to respond to honey.


Honey,

I buy metro from accessrx and have never had a problem, my husband found them on a site he uses www.edguider.com or guiders or something. Anyway they have online doctors and are top notch

[kristen]

i just got back from whole foods. no fem d!!! i found where it should be there were alot of other jarrow probiotics but no fem d. there was an empty spot that said temporarily out of stock but there was no label there saying what the product was. so i drove 20 minutes to get there and wasted 6 bucks on toll booths and no fem d. i'm so mad i can't seem to find the stuff anywhere. i found on the internet that the vitamin shoppe has it so i went there the other day since its right by my house and none there either i'm so frustrated. i dont know why i dont want to order it i just dont. and yes hell is already breaking loose with my vag after lasts nights little romp.

[kristen]

i finally am going to whole foods to get the fem d everyone has been raving about... no i have really wanted to try it for a long time but could not find a whole foods store. it is a long way from my house but i still think it is better then ordering it. i have hope that it will work for me alone, my problem has been almost non existant with no maintanence at all. just the slightest discharge maybe even normal but hard to tell. but i have also not been having any sex. my boyfriend and i had sex last night so i bet all hell will break lose. anyway i'm very excited to get the fem d and i will be taking only it so i will tell ya'll how it goes. its actually very inexspensive i dont know what some of the ladies are talking about. look at all the rest of the things you spend money on for your vag. 15 bucks a month is great. anyway i'm off to whole foods and i have never been there so maybe i will find something else cool.

[shashasha]

Hi everyone,

I have had recurring BV for months now and I wanted to share what has worked best for me.

What I do when it flares up is I do a scorched-earth boric acid treatment that includes a douche (mixing the powder with water--i use a capsule's worth of powder with a couple ounces of water) and then ALSO applying some of the powder to my labia and under the hood, just to get everything. THEN I wait maybe half a day and rinse myself out really good (in the bathtub under the faucet) with water to remove all the boric acid. THEN i douche with a mixture of warm (not too warm--body temp) water mixed with the contents of two acidophilus capsules (you could also use live-culture yogurt). The reason for this is the "good" bacteria (found in the acidophilus) is what keeps your vaginal balance healthy enough to ward off the "bad" bacteria that causes BV. When you do a boric acid treatment you kill ALL the bacteria off, so there's nothing to keep the bad bacteria from growing back. Taking acidophilus orally helps but I don't think it is fast enough to repopulate you after a boric acid treatment--so I just put the good bacteria right up in there.

I didn't know until I found this thread that tea tree oil only kills the bad bacteria, so maybe I will start using those capsules for maintenance. I'll report if I learn anything else.

Thanks everyone for the support, I have read this thread often but only now felt like I had something to contribute.

[lori]

3. They prescribed vaginal Metronidazole...I think the thought was that less would get into my blood stream that way, but it is a 5 day prescription, as compared to a single 2 gram dose that I have now been reading online is recommended if you have to take Flagyl while nursing. I would then have to pump and dump for 12-24 hours though. But I have a stash and would have no problems doing that for a day...couldn't for 5 days, although it wasn't suggested by the doc that I needed to do that.

Sorry, wildflower. I didn't take into account that you are nursing.

Don't interpret this as medical advice, but since you're nursing, I agree that you should probably avoid flagyl or metrogel altogether.

So my suggestion is: take Fem-D (2/day) and hope for the best. There are some ladies in here who just took Fem-D (no prescription) and it solved their BV problem.

[wildflower]

1. go get a GYN exam, if you haven't (make sure you don't have an STD, instead of, or with the BV)

2. ask for a Trich exam, especially if you get recurrences after unprotected sex (wet mounts and pap smears are only 60% effective at diagnosing Trich)

3. if you are diagnosed with BV, take oral Flagyl (I explain in my blog why I think oral Flagyl is the best choice)

4. begin taking Fem-dophilus along with the Flagyl (start with 2/day)

So that's my recommended plan of action in a nutshell. If you want to know the reasoning behind my suggestions, I provide them in the blog.

1. DONE. That's how I got diagnosed to begin with. I often have difficulty telling if it's yeast or BV so I now always go to the doc to get an official diagnosis!

2. Haven't done this. I can't remember the last time I had sex with DH and I know I got this infection from Diflucan that I took to treat a yeast infection.

3. They prescribed vaginal Metronidazole...I think the thought was that less would get into my blood stream that way, but it is a 5 day prescription, as compared to a single 2 gram dose that I have now been reading online is recommended if you have to take Flagyl while nursing. I would then have to pump and dump for 12-24 hours though. But I have a stash and would have no problems doing that for a day...couldn't for 5 days, although it wasn't suggested by the doc that I needed to do that.

4. Actually, now that I look at the price the FemD isn't any more expensive (although this depends on how many pills there are per bottle) than the Udo's Choice that I've been taking. I will place an order as I'm almost out of my probiotics anyway. We'll see if it makes a difference.

I found this website related to breastfeeding while on Metronidazole. http://www.druginformation.co.nz/pdfs/metronidazole_milk.pdf
I'm pretty sure that I subjected my child to this drug in the 1st or 2nd month of life already, but now I'm a bit wiser (and have a little more time to research rather than just trust my doctor). I just don't want to continue to subject him to drugs where the effects are unknown.

[lori]

Last, (I think) Fem D is mentioned often. It appears to be an expensive version of lactobacillus acidolphilus. I currently take Udo's Choice Probiotics which includes LA along with other probiotics. Is FemD really super special or more beneficial for ridding BV?

Yes, it's specifically targeted for BV (also yeast and UTI). I know Fem-D is expensive (I really wish it was cheaper!), but you need to take the right drug for the right problem. A lot of probiotics (incl. acidophilus) are geared towards intestinal health or overall immunity. We've all taken tons of them, but they really haven't helped the BV.

Here's my blog's section on Fem-D:

Fem-Dophilus (Jarrow)

• Description: Oral capsules (30 caps)
• Where to Buy / Cost: $24 at Whole Foods (refrigerated); $14.37 at iHerb.com (refrigerated); $16.59 at N101.com (refrigerated); $14.25 at VitaCost.com (not refrigerated)
• Pros: designed specifically for healthy vaginal flora; the research on it is very promising
  1. Top Medical Breakthroughs of 2007 (Prevention Magazine)
  2. Europe's Best-Kept Health Secret (Prevention Magazine)
  3. Study Shows the Effectiveness of Oral Probiotic L. Rhamnosus GR-1™ and L. Reuteri RC-14™ In Treating Bacterial Vaginosis
  4. Specific probiotic strains are effective for genitourinary infections

• Cons: expensive
• Conclusion: several members have reported good results; buy it refrigerated (iHerb.com looks like the best online source)

WELCOME WILDFLOWER!!!!

I suggest you go through the board and read up on some different suggestions that the girls have come up with. It's worth the time to read, or go to BLOGS and check out Lori's Blog. She has hours and hours of information that she's done on what works, what doesn't, and so on.

Welcome to the board.. Hope you find help soon!!

Thanks Jewels. My blog is a compendium of all the BV-related information I collected. I think it's useful as a reference, but I don't think it's necessary to read every word. My suggestions (based on my research) is fairly simple:

1. go get a GYN exam, if you haven't (make sure you don't have an STD, instead of, or with the BV)

2. ask for a Trich exam, especially if you get recurrences after unprotected sex (wet mounts and pap smears are only 60% effective at diagnosing Trich)

3. if you are diagnosed with BV, take oral Flagyl (I explain in my blog why I think oral Flagyl is the best choice)

4. begin taking Fem-dophilus along with the Flagyl (start with 2/day)

So that's my recommended plan of action in a nutshell. If you want to know the reasoning behind my suggestions, I provide them in the blog.

[SpRiNkLeS]

Hi Wildflower!! My former doctor (the asswipe who delivered my son) wrote me out my very first prescription for Metrogel while I was breastfeeding. Now this guy turned out to be a complete dumbshit so I’m not saying it is safe, of course I believed him so I thought it was safe at the time I was breastfeeding but who knows. Ok so I should stop typing, this isn’t really helping much. Anyway it is nice to see a new mommy on the board! I was so happy when I finished breastfeeding because that meant I could take any pill I wanted without worrying about it hurting my son, anyway I know how you feel about pill popping while breastfeeding. My baby is now a toddler……..but geez doesn’t it suck to have to deal with BV WHILE experiencing being a new mommy? Doesn’t matter if it’s your first time or not. Some days it totally took away the joy my child brought me. I hope to kill this crap before my son gets old enough for outbursts in public like, “Mommy, you stink!!!!” or “Mom you smell like POOP!” but then again you said you don’t really have the BV odors? I am quite jealous!

CanCan & CarrieBradshaw: Thanks for the posts about TTO! I hope this doesn’t mean my old fav Metrogel won’t be effective on me anymore. I am trying to wait a little longer before I use it again.

Mg86: Yes I agree, most days I feel like I take an abnormal amount of pills. I feel like a bratty kid most the time, I have inward fights with myself like….”NO! I don’t wanna take my pills!” while stomping as if in a tantrum………yes I know it is immature but I’m sick of taking health pills!