[Morphia]

Bubba, if you haven't had your bv free status confirmed by a doctor I would. My bv had/has no smell and had/has a thick white dishcarge. Go get a test done to be sure if you already haven't. About the Clindesse....I know that things have not been the same down there since either. I'm dry. Very dry... Also, some studies that I've read about Clindamycin say recurrences tend to happen after 4 weeks.

I also wanted to add a question for all of you...Does anyone else notice a drop of white liquid in the toilet when you go pee? Everytime...EVERYTIME I go to the restroom, right as I'm finishing, a drop of something hits the water and I can see it dissipating through out. It looks as if someone has put a drop of chalky water in the toilet water. But when I look in my vagina with a mirror I see NOTHING. What is this? Where is it coming from? Anyone else experience this? I've had this for a looooooooong time now. Since before my first bv diagnosis. I hope its not a bv symptom. If it is...tell me true. Be honest. I can handle it. lol.

[BubbaLove]

I have a question.. about how long after using the one dosage Clindesse does the BV come back? It has been almost 7 weeks and I am still BV free.
However, I have been getting this thick gloopy (kind of like the slime kids play with) dischagre in like... HUGE globs. It has no smell or weird color... but is this normal?

[Morphia]

Well, I still have until Monday before I can see the doctor and the burning is only getting worse. And guess fucking what??!! I can feel my period coming on! Wooooohoooo! I may not be able to go on the 30th after all! I'm pretty sure this is another bv and yeast coinfection. Just in milder form. It doesn't burn near as bad as my last one but its still there and its still annoying. I'm still praying that this is just a yeast infection from the Clindesse, but I don't see myself being that lucky. Some of the lymph nodes in my groin are starting to hurt a little. I don't even know if I believe in God. I'm agnostic (not atheist-big difference) but I still pray that this is just an easy-to-cure yeasty and I need your prayers too. I'm also praying that he checks my hormones and that if I really do have a hormone problem, it will show up in the labs. These next 4 days are going to be the longest of my life! :'(

[anitsirhc]

hello. i haven't tried the yeast arrest yet. right now i feel fine. i finished the 3 day monistat for my yeast infection and i'm pretty sure that's gone. after that i used rephresh. that was the night before last night. i haven't had any discharge since then, a little odor but not bv oder just sweaty odor. so maybe the flagyl vaginally did work i just needed to clear everything out and give it a few weeks, who knows? i'm going to keep using the rephresh and see how that goes. of course i'll keep everyone updated.

hang in there, morphia. i've felt that way before too. like it's never going to go away so what's the point? but like everyone else is saying you just have to keep trying different things and see what keeps the bv away for you. it's not easy but it's definitely worth it. good luck. let us know what happens at the doctor.

[neverending]

HELLO LADIES! I'm just checking in to see what is going on. How is everyone doing? Has anyone else tried the esroil? love ya all and stay strong. xoxoxoxox

[jewelscando]

Morphia, I found this online:

Since not everyone gets the discharge, the easiest way for a woman to tell that she has a yeast infection is that she itches in and around her vagina. A lot. The itchiness may be accompanied by a burning sensation, and her vulvar area can be red and swollen. It may also burn or be generally painful for her to urinate, and sex may become painful as well. A good way to distinguish the burning on urination that is due to a yeast infection vs. a urinary tract infection is to pay close attention to exactly when the burning starts and stops. With yeast, the burning is due to acidic urine hitting the irritated skin of the vulva, so the burning starts when the urine reaches the outside. With urinary tract infection, the burning is felt as the urine passes down the tube on its way out.

So, how can a woman tell that she has a yeast infection? Most women associate a thick discharge that looks like cottage cheese with the Candida bug, although only about 20% experience it. If it is present, the discharge may either have a starchy odor to it, or perhaps none at all, and its color can vary from white to a more yellowish tinge.

While these are the general symptoms of a yeast infection, every woman may experience one differently. She may identify an infection by the smell and consistency of the discharge, which can be unique to her. However, certain symptoms definitely do not go along with a simple yeast infection, and they may indicate that something more serious is going on. For example, if she is feverish or is experiencing pelvic pain, these are definitely indications that she ought to see her doctor in order to receive a proper diagnosis and medical care.

OK...Now, for me, when I get a yeast infection, it starts with like you said, a "Twinge" feeling in there. THEN AN ITCH. And the itch is so bad, it makes you want to take a baby bottle cleaning brush and shove it up there and scratch the shit out of it!! lol. I also get burning, and alot of white discharge. If you look up there with a mirror, and you have yeast, you can usually see the "Cottage Cheese" like discharge up there, because it sticks to the walls of your vagina.

HOWEVER... I did have a friend years and years ago, that had a yeast infection so bad, she had to have surgery, literally, to get it out. This was before the days of oral antibiotics for yeast, and the monistat wasn't getting up there high enough to reach it.

Do you eat alot of bread?? You might want to invest in some really good yogurt that contains the bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus.

EITHER WAY....Your doctor needs to take a closer look. Be very SPECIFIC about your pain. And as far as the Vaginal Dryness, I found this....

Vaginal dryness is often due to deficiency of the female hormone estrogen. Sometimes vaginal dryness is a result of skin conditions of the genital area. Often no specific cause of vaginal dryness can be identified. OR THIS...

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00550.html THIS IS GOOD INFORMATION!!

Good luck Sweety!!! We will all be here for you, even if we are hundreds of miles away!!

[Morphia]

Thanks so much for all of your caring and support. It means so much to me at such a hard time. I was wondering. What symptoms do you all have when you get yeast infections? Right now I'm just so dry. And honestly, today, I haven't really felt any "twinges" in there. Is it possible to have a yeast infection in which the symptoms only show up during/after sex? Anyway, I did a google search to see if vaginal dryness was a symptom and apparently it isn't. At least not a common one. But its hard for me to tell if I have an infection or not. As I said, I'm so dry right now that there's no way for a discharge of any kind to show itself.

[mfc10]

For my first diagnosis ever with bv I was given a prescription for Clindesse and 2 Diflucan (take one then take the other 5 days later.) I'm thinking that it might be a yeast infection too.

Hi, Morphia: Hang in there, OK? Just a note on Diflucan...it can help prevent/treat SOME species of yeast (Candida) but not all species. You could very well still have a yeast infection caused by one of the more-resistant strains, like Candida glabrata or Candida tropicalis. Thats what I think happened to me, causing lots of burning & pain vaginally. Over-the-counter yeast infection treatments won't help with these species. What helped me was boric acid, even though I was afraid to add anything that was acidic to an already-burny vagina. But it didn't make the burning worse--it helped. Other things that can knock out the hard-to-treat species of yeast are tea tree oil suppositories, and the old-fashioned prescription drug Nystatin, in the vaginal suppository form. (The prescription vaginal cream Gynazole-1 is SUPPOSED to work, but I found it very irritating & most of it came out, even though it was supposed to be formulated to "adhere to the vaginal walls for 3 days.")

Take care & saying a prayer for you.
Maggie

[bvgirl]

Bvgirl, I'm seriously so depressed that I've reached the point of being suicidal. I can't stop thinking about this. The fear that I may never be intimate without pain is enough to take my will to go on. I'm so afraid that I'll lose my bf to this and be alone the rest of my life because of this. I just don't want to live this way. And its not just during sex. I feel a twinge of discomfort at all times. Its as if its just there to haunt me and remind me of this hell. Plus I can't get in to see my doctor until the 30th (5 more days) when he does my colpo....I'm just so upset. I choke up at least every 30 minutes and I actually cry at least every couple of hours. I also don't know what's worse...having the smell and no pain, or just having the pain and no smell (which I have.) Its just that...after reading about women who have been battling this for 10 or more years and reading about the women who have damage from all the creams...I can't help but lose hope. I know this probably all seems so melodramatic to you all. And I'm sure it is. But I just can't shake these feelings of deep pain and fear. I feel as if someone has died...

Hello Morphia..
Sweetie, I have to say that it sounds like you are really strugglling with the emotional and physical effects of bv. Let me tell you seriously, that you are not alone although I truly understand that you feel alone and or like the only sufferer especially when you want to be intimate with your boyfriend. Believe us when we say we all know how insecure and overwhelmed with feeling dirty about the odor and discharge. If it were not for me coming across this board and all the nice people with their helpful comments, I would have been constantly pulling my hair out. This board represents many sufferers who have come together to help one another to get some relief whether it be emotional,informational and or just bonding. Take it from me and all the many people here, this is a process and it takes time to find the right product. I can say this that reading and asking questions will keep you informed on how to go about dealing with this bv. Are bodies are different and yes we may have to use a million products in order to find relief but so be it..right..I ask you to do this, try to relax, focus on the positive. That positive would be that you will eventually find something that will work for you. At the same time I really suggest you always follow up with your doctor and ask questions and let him know how very very much concerned you are with the pain and irritation and the bv. Sometimes (with me many times) doctors do not take time to actually ask you and inform you of all that can be done. You may have to be somewhat forceful to get what you want and need in order to have the relief. But like many of the cases here on this board we have taken matters into our own hands because of the lack of information doctors have regarding this bv. The more research you do and also reading what works well for someone may just work well for you too. Just do not give up. No need for you to come totally apart over this just focus on researching and finding relief.But seriously, anytime you have symptoms you say like now that are unbearable please see your doctor. While you are waiting to see him in 5 days just make it a point to set aside some time during the day to strictly find out what may work well for you.
For now, at least the smell as gone but since you are experiencing pain never ignor that. Let us know how it goes after your appointment until then just stay here on this board and continue to go online and also absorb all the information around you... Hang in there..
I will be around..

[Morphia]

Hey, Jewels. I just wanted to give you a little more info on me. This last time I was diagnosed with BV was the first time in my life. But I'm almost 100% sure I had an ongoing infection for over a year. I kept getting visual diagnoses of yeast because I had a thick white discharge and no odor...but the yeast treatments didn't work. Then I really did get a yeast infection (confirmed by wet mount). Took something for it and the symptoms subsided significantly save for the same old thick, white discharge and some mild intravaginal burning/burning on urination (same symptoms I'd been having for over a year). So the doc did another swab. The bv did not show up on a wet mount. It took a highly sensitive DNA test of some type to pick it up. For my first diagnosis ever with bv I was given a prescription for Clindesse and 2 Diflucan (take one then take the other 5 days later.) I'm thinking that it might be a yeast infection too. The only problem is, I'm so dry that I wouldn't know if I had a discharge or not. I look in there and I see dry vagina. I'm 21 by the way, but I suspect I might have a hormone problem regardless. I am not on the pill. Haven't been since I was 16 and even then that was short lived. I do know that my testosterone level is high but that's about it. He wouldn't test any other hormones. I'm going to beg him to this Friday.

[jewelscando]

Morphia:

First and for most, you need to get off of everything you are on, and give your Vagina a break. With those of us who have been dealing with b.v. for years, that is the one thing we can all say is, you need to give each item you choose to use, a chance to do it's job. I too, have been in your place, and I feel for you. It wasn't until 2 months ago that I finally found some relief.

My advice....Don't use anything else, until you go and see your doctor. I have been dealing with B.V. for over 5yrs now, and I have never experienced the Pain you are talking about. So....Find out what the pain is first, before you use anything else!!

Second...Have you tried the Flagyl Vaginally yet?? If not DON'T!!! Wait until you go to the doctor, and find out what is going on. It sounds to me like you have a yeast infection from hell, that is causing problems way up there. I would first get treated for that, then wait a week, and then try the Flagyl Vaginally. DO NOT HAVE SEX, while doing this!!! As a precaution, I would buy a 3 day Monistat "Just in Case", being that Flagyl ORALLY, can give you a yeast infection.

Here is one thing, that I have read, OVER AND OVER again, and although I don't agree with it 100%, I have to face it.... Once you have B.V. like we do, there isn't a cure for it yet. The ONLY thing we can do, is find a SOLUTION. Stress #1, can make matters worse. So, clear your mind, and take control of this. B.V. can become "Reoccuring", which means, once you get it, you can't get rid of it. Therefore, you have to start a PREVENTATIVE routine, so that you can try to keep it at bay.

Here is what's worked for us...

1. Estroil - (Helps balance your hormones)
2. Yeast Arrest (But, can be irratating to the Vagina)
3. Boric Acid Vaginally
4. Flagyl Vaginally.

I don't know your age, so you might want to discuss with your doctor about your hormone level. I know that some women's vagina's can become irratated, and painfull, when there's hormone issues...atleast that's what my mom goes through and she's in her 60's.

HOWEVER....If you choose to use some of these remedies....REMEMBER...you MUST give each one a chance. Mixing and matching...will only cause you more problems!!!

GOOD LUCK!! And You will be in my thoughts today!!!

[Morphia]

Bvgirl, I'm seriously so depressed that I've reached the point of being suicidal. I can't stop thinking about this. The fear that I may never be intimate without pain is enough to take my will to go on. I'm so afraid that I'll lose my bf to this and be alone the rest of my life because of this. I just don't want to live this way. And its not just during sex. I feel a twinge of discomfort at all times. Its as if its just there to haunt me and remind me of this hell. Plus I can't get in to see my doctor until the 30th (5 more days) when he does my colpo....I'm just so upset. I choke up at least every 30 minutes and I actually cry at least every couple of hours. I also don't know what's worse...having the smell and no pain, or just having the pain and no smell (which I have.) Its just that...after reading about women who have been battling this for 10 or more years and reading about the women who have damage from all the creams...I can't help but lose hope. I know this probably all seems so melodramatic to you all. And I'm sure it is. But I just can't shake these feelings of deep pain and fear. I feel as if someone has died...

[bvgirl]

bvgirl, i wanted to ask you also can you have sex while you're on the yeast arrest or no?

Well, my honey pie is overseas in Iraq until October so I have not been sexually active. I can say this that because of the discharge (actually it is the leftovers that come down from each use) it may be wise not to have sex while you are actively taking the yeast arrest because of the discharge and also it may irritate your partner if it were to get on him. If I were you I would wait a couple of days or more until the discharge is over(and if you feel confident to do so because you may feel like you need more treatment and or you may choose to stop the yeast arrest for a few days or so then have sex and then start back on the yeast arrest. It really depends on how you are progressing with your treatment do you feel like you can stop using it because your symptoms have cleared up, wait a few days then have sex or maybe you feel like you need more treatment for now and continue on with it and or complete it and then wait a few days to have sex. I believe yeast arrest can be classified with the rest of the vaginal products meaning you should refrain from having sex while you are actively taking the product. Again, the possibility of irritating your partner and or the fact that the discharge will be present would create a messy and I think an uncomfortable situation with or without a condom. That is what I feel.

[anitsirhc]

bvgirl, i wanted to ask you also can you have sex while you're on the yeast arrest or no?

[bvgirl]

Speaking as a chemistry professor--No! It won't give your vaginal environment the acidic pH it requires for optimal health. The most baking soda will do, with its pH of around 8.0, is act as a buffer; it may drive the pH to neutral (7.0 or so) but it will definitely NOT give you help in getting to the pH range of around 4.0-4.5 that you want. For that, you need things like Aci-jel, RepHresh, Replens, etc. that are specially formulated with the acidic pH. Some Websites advocate using a baking soda douch if your vaginal secretions are "too acidic." I have read (in "The V Book" by Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, a well-respected Ob-Gyn) that it is virtually impossible to have a "too-acidic" vagina.

maggie

I agree with you,like I stated before I started douching at around age 16 and ever since then I have had this bv and ph problems. I have read where they say douching causes more problems and I have also read where if you douch with a product that contains boric acid that it "may" be effective but since I am uneasy with that I just cannot agree wholeheartedly about douching.

[bvgirl]

Here's an update for you. And its not good. [Recap] Over a month ago I was put on Gynazole (one dose treatment that stays in for 7 days) for a yeast infection. On the 10th of this month I was given Clindesse (one dose treatment that stays in for 7 days) for BV and some diflucan as a preventative. Today, the 21st, was day five after I finished the Clindesse. Well, I tried to have sex with my bf for the first time in over a month tonight and it was too painful. Even though I was dripping wet it felt dry and it burned (on the inside). It felt as if he had cotton wrapped around his dick... We went for probably less than five minutes, at an extremely slow pace, and we had to stop...What is going on here? I haven't been to the doctor since I finished the Clindesse so I don't know if I still had the BV (the bv never burned like THIS during sex) or if I have a mild yeast infection. Could the Clindesse have caused some type of dryness or damage to the area??? What could this be? I'm afraid that sex will always be painful. I spent the rest of the evening crying my eyes out on my bf's shoulder. I'm so depressed and hopeless. I'm just so afraid now.

[Edit] I also wanted to add that I started taking grapefruit seed extract internally (about 10 drops in a glass of water 2-3 times per day). Just wanted to let you know incase someone might know if its related or not.

Hello Morphia..

Well to me it sounds like you may just be irritated from using the various products you mentioned. I truly, truly do not believe that you will have to endure this irritation for long. You say that you waited 5 days after completing the products before you had sex maybe you may need to wait a little longer just because of the fact that you have used three different products that just may have irritated you enough that you need to wait longer before you have sex again. As you know irritation is normal and happens to many of us. Try calling the doctors nurse and asking her about how long should you wait since you have been experiencing this inflammation and irritation. I noticed that when I use yeast arrest that I sometimes get irritated and inflammed at times but nothing too bad. Also, I suggest that you schedule an appointment to see your doctor to see if the bv is gone because as you say you do not know if it has or not. For me on the other hand since I have been dealing with bv and the smell off and on for years I know when my bv (as far as the smell and discharge) is gone.

[mfc10]

Hi Ladies,

I am wondering if anyone has tried douching with water and baking soda? (http://www.bsu.edu/students/cpsc/article/0,1384,22917-3997-43274,00.html ) I just heard of this and I can't find any other information on it. They say it works to restore the pH. I am using repHresh right now but I am on my first try with it.

Thanks.

Speaking as a chemistry professor--No! It won't give your vaginal environment the acidic pH it requires for optimal health. The most baking soda will do, with its pH of around 8.0, is act as a buffer; it may drive the pH to neutral (7.0 or so) but it will definitely NOT give you help in getting to the pH range of around 4.0-4.5 that you want. For that, you need things like Aci-jel, RepHresh, Replens, etc. that are specially formulated with the acidic pH. Some Websites advocate using a baking soda douch if your vaginal secretions are "too acidic." I have read (in "The V Book" by Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, a well-respected Ob-Gyn) that it is virtually impossible to have a "too-acidic" vagina.

maggie

[Morphia]

Here's an update for you. And its not good. [Recap] Over a month ago I was put on Gynazole (one dose treatment that stays in for 7 days) for a yeast infection. On the 10th of this month I was given Clindesse (one dose treatment that stays in for 7 days) for BV and some diflucan as a preventative. Today, the 21st, was day five after I finished the Clindesse. Well, I tried to have sex with my bf for the first time in over a month tonight and it was too painful. Even though I was dripping wet it felt dry and it burned (on the inside). It felt as if he had cotton wrapped around his dick... We went for probably less than five minutes, at an extremely slow pace, and we had to stop...What is going on here? I haven't been to the doctor since I finished the Clindesse so I don't know if I still had the BV (the bv never burned like THIS during sex) or if I have a mild yeast infection. Could the Clindesse have caused some type of dryness or damage to the area??? What could this be? I'm afraid that sex will always be painful. I spent the rest of the evening crying my eyes out on my bf's shoulder. I'm so depressed and hopeless. I'm just so afraid now.

[Edit] I also wanted to add that I started taking grapefruit seed extract internally (about 10 drops in a glass of water 2-3 times per day). Just wanted to let you know incase someone might know if its related or not.

[kmfkmb]

Hi Ladies,

I am wondering if anyone has tried douching with water and baking soda? (http://www.bsu.edu/students/cpsc/article/0,1384,22917-3997-43274,00.html ) I just heard of this and I can't find any other information on it. They say it works to restore the pH. I am using repHresh right now but I am on my first try with it.

Thanks.

[bvgirl]

I am still having major success with the Flagyl Vaginally. Since the Yeast Arrest has Boric Acid in it, I would not be able to use it. I developed a major Rash both on my forehead and arms from the Boric Acid. The rash took approx. 6 months to go away, and has left serious scars on my arms. I had several tests done to find out what was wrong, and they finally said, I had an internal reaction to something. I showed my doctor the Boric, and they couldn't say for sure if it was the boric or not, so I tested it. And when I'm not using it, I have no rash. As soon as I use it again, it comes right back.

So, just wanted to give you all a heads up. The rash wasn't life threatening, just annoying and itchy as crap. So, keep that in mind if you decide to use it.

I'm so happy that we are having such "Good" luck with what we are trying. I can remember all of us a year ago, and how frustrated we all were.

Keep the faith girls!! Without the help of doctors, we are finding our own "Cures"!!

Well, with boric acid some may be allergic to it just like with any other product. If you were you using the boric acid in pure form I believe that may have been the problem. The boric acid you buy from the store may be too strong because it is not mixed with anything. Yeast arrest contains a mixture of boric acid,berberis aquifolium and calendula officinalis,vegetable cellulose and water and so it does not pose a threat like the pure boric acid off the shelf. I have not read anywhere on the directions with yeast arrest where you may develop a major skin rash. There is some irritation
at times but the is from within the vagina nothing major. We all have different reactions to some products. As far as the yeast arrest it is not as potent as the pure form of boric acid so to me there is no need to worry. But if you develop a rash of some sort you should always go to your doctor. It is better to be safe and find another product that will best fit your need.