[sooo sad]

Aren't there any affects of using Boric Acid over a long period of time?

i don't know about that. i've tried to do research about it but nothing came up. i've read some blogs where women have used it for years. not continuously but on and off, only when needed. i've came to the conclusion that if this is what i need to do to feel normal...... it's just what i have to do. i've tried everything and nothing seems to help but the boric acid.......i'm gonna add tto to my routine soon too. i wish i didn't have to shove shit up there all the time but it does help with the symptoms of itching, burning, and gross discharge.

sooo sad

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

lovelyladyluck

hey hon............

yes, i'm getting relief from my routine but i think i'm gonna start doing boric acid every other day now and tto in between. i wanna fit in femd vaginally too, but i don't know how yet. i think i've been doing boric acid too much cause i'm kinda getting irritated down there now, but not too bad. my period started and i didn't do the boric acid and the irritation has died down now......thank GOD!!!! always one thing right after another!!! how are you coming along? what are you doing to cope with this darn thing? hopefully we will all get rid of this horid devil!!!!

sooo sad

Aren't there any affects of using Boric Acid over a long period of time?

[sooo sad]

damsel: i did the hydro wash, too. but i ran out. it definitely was working though. i got my femd today, and im going to cvs to get some more HP tomorrow. so those ph test kits work? maybe i should get one of those too. ill keep you ladies posted on my progress! and thanks for responding so quickly!

soooosad: girl im right there with ya. if i gotta do this every day to keep my vag healthy, then so be it. im sick of not having a normal sex life, its affected my relationships and my self esteem. i just wanna be normal! i know you had smell probs like i did, are you getting any relief from your routine? you must be since you are having sex. im officially jealous. and youre right about those condoms! when i was younger and didnt know better i would continue to use them and my bv would come right back.... luckily i wasnt that sexually active so there would be long periods of relief in between treatment and sex. i feel bad for younger sexually active females who have this problem, we all know how mean teenage guys can be. i had a friend who had the meanest things said about her in this regard, and now im sure that she was suffering from chronic BV for all those years. its so unfair for any female to have to deal with the stigma of being "dirty" because of her BV when it has nothing to do with that!

lovelyladyluck

hey hon............

yes, i'm getting relief from my routine but i think i'm gonna start doing boric acid every other day now and tto in between. i wanna fit in femd vaginally too, but i don't know how yet. i think i've been doing boric acid too much cause i'm kinda getting irritated down there now, but not too bad. my period started and i didn't do the boric acid and the irritation has died down now......thank GOD!!!! always one thing right after another!!! how are you coming along? what are you doing to cope with this darn thing? hopefully we will all get rid of this horid devil!!!!

sooo sad

[sciongal]

Those PH test kits DO work, but they're expensive (the ones made specifically for testing VAGINAL PH). On Lori's blog, there's a link to buy a dispenser with tear-off strips. It's SO much cheaper to do it that way. Unfortunately, the strips only check for 5.0 and above. I believe 5.0 and ABOVE can signify BV. I figure if my PH checks in at 5, the lowest, it's probably yeast, not BV. I was so sick of going to the doctor unsure which infection I had. This way, I can see if my discharge is normal right at home and it's great. I just tear off a little strip, stick it on my finger and put right inside my vagina for a second like it says, coats the strip and then read it according to the color guide on the dispenser. The hydrogen peroxide is cheap, distilled water is cheap and I got a cheap 30CC syringe online too (link on gentlebirth to buy it). I feel so clean after I do that. I don't put it up there too far, don't want to use it like a douche, but a "wash" like the instructions say. With the wash, I think I'm not pushing all that air up there like you do with a douche. I hope it's okay to do, but so far, I'm golden. Yeah. Good luck everybody. I'm crossing my fingers!

Hi. Try pH ion pH stix. they go as low as 4.5 pH. you can order them online. www.pH-ion.com or amazon

[Lolasaurus]

Thanks, Maggie.

I shoulda figured that an INSECTICIDE would be much more of a killer than an acidifier

[mfc10]

Hey, ladies...

Does anyone out there know what, exactly, boric acid does to the vagina? Meaning, does it actually KILL bacteria, or just acidify things? Google's not helping me out.

I'm about to guinea pig a combination of BA and probiotic, and am wondering if it'll be a waste (BA killing the good bacteria, etc), or a good idea (bringing the vag to a Ph in which they will be more likely to flourish).

In any case, I'll let you guys know what happens.

To the best of my knowledge, it kills both good and bad bacteria, plus Candida species.
I would use the probiotic after finishing a course of boric acid.

Maggie C.

[Lolasaurus]

Hey, ladies...

Does anyone out there know what, exactly, boric acid does to the vagina? Meaning, does it actually KILL bacteria, or just acidify things? Google's not helping me out.

I'm about to guinea pig a combination of BA and probiotic, and am wondering if it'll be a waste (BA killing the good bacteria, etc), or a good idea (bringing the vag to a Ph in which they will be more likely to flourish).

In any case, I'll let you guys know what happens.

[mtg]

Hi, I am a newbie here, and I was wondering if anyone has used relagard? I dont know if i have BV or if my ph is just out of balance, my gyno gave me refillable rx's for relagard and told me that sometimes the ph gets out of balance and that there is nothing I can do to prevent it but I could use relagard when it happens. Is this the same thing as BV?

I was also wondering if you can still have sex while using relagard?

and also how does having oral sex affect the ph balance and what are some things you can do to prevent it from happening? The smell is of course is affecting my sex life, my husband is very understanding but he loves to give me oral so how can i have a healthy and happy sex life? Any tips would be helpful.

[damselindistress]

damsel: I use the boric acid too so I can have a normal sex life. No, it's not a cure, but it helps me stay normal.

LovelyLady: I've been having BV issues since I was about 14. Though my smell has never been really bad, I have had boyfriends comment on it and it's humiliating. I once had a roommate in college who had never even had a yeast infection and she had a lot of sexual partners. Whereas I have only had 3 sexual partners ever (I'm married now) and I have all these vagina issues. It doesn't seem fair.

Those PH test kits DO work, but they're expensive (the ones made specifically for testing VAGINAL PH). On Lori's blog, there's a link to buy a dispenser with tear-off strips. It's SO much cheaper to do it that way. Unfortunately, the strips only check for 5.0 and above. I believe 5.0 and ABOVE can signify BV. I figure if my PH checks in at 5, the lowest, it's probably yeast, not BV. I was so sick of going to the doctor unsure which infection I had. This way, I can see if my discharge is normal right at home and it's great. I just tear off a little strip, stick it on my finger and put right inside my vagina for a second like it says, coats the strip and then read it according to the color guide on the dispenser. The hydrogen peroxide is cheap, distilled water is cheap and I got a cheap 30CC syringe online too (link on gentlebirth to buy it). I feel so clean after I do that. I don't put it up there too far, don't want to use it like a douche, but a "wash" like the instructions say. With the wash, I think I'm not pushing all that air up there like you do with a douche. I hope it's okay to do, but so far, I'm golden. Yeah. Good luck everybody. I'm crossing my fingers!

[sassy]

damsel: I use the boric acid too so I can have a normal sex life. No, it's not a cure, but it helps me stay normal.

LovelyLady: I've been having BV issues since I was about 14. Though my smell has never been really bad, I have had boyfriends comment on it and it's humiliating. I once had a roommate in college who had never even had a yeast infection and she had a lot of sexual partners. Whereas I have only had 3 sexual partners ever (I'm married now) and I have all these vagina issues. It doesn't seem fair.

[LovelyLadyLuck]

damsel: i did the hydro wash, too. but i ran out. it definitely was working though. i got my femd today, and im going to cvs to get some more HP tomorrow. so those ph test kits work? maybe i should get one of those too. ill keep you ladies posted on my progress! and thanks for responding so quickly!

soooosad: girl im right there with ya. if i gotta do this every day to keep my vag healthy, then so be it. im sick of not having a normal sex life, its affected my relationships and my self esteem. i just wanna be normal! i know you had smell probs like i did, are you getting any relief from your routine? you must be since you are having sex. im officially jealous. and youre right about those condoms! when i was younger and didnt know better i would continue to use them and my bv would come right back.... luckily i wasnt that sexually active so there would be long periods of relief in between treatment and sex. i feel bad for younger sexually active females who have this problem, we all know how mean teenage guys can be. i had a friend who had the meanest things said about her in this regard, and now im sure that she was suffering from chronic BV for all those years. its so unfair for any female to have to deal with the stigma of being "dirty" because of her BV when it has nothing to do with that!

[sooo sad]

Well.....
I was told I had a mild case of BV, mild yeast issues, Group B, etc. I never had a smell, just yellow or thick or clumpy discharge and sometimes it would itch. I made up my own TTO suppositories and those worked, but it would come back. I've used garlic up there - also worked, but would come back. Finally, I started making up a hydrogen peroxide wash like was recommended on the gentlebirth website (there's a link on here by the way). I did this the day after I finished up my period, then started inserting the FemD vaginally and all has been well, no itch, no discharge, all good. Sometimes a little fluid/residue comes out of me, only once in a while, but I think it's just from the capsule b/c it's white and not at all itchy. I came to the conclusion that the yeast was causing most of my issues b/c I bought the PH test strips and my vagina was testing very low, like 5.0, meaning it WAS acidic, so probably not BV. I think I'm going to do the peroxide rinse after sex and after my period as a precaution and use a FemD capsule after the wash, just one and see what happens. So far, though, I'm thrilled!

wow!! i'm soo happy for you! i'm kinda doing something like you but instead of peroxide rinse, i'm doing boric acid. i might switch if need be. keep us posted! YAY for you again!!!!!

btw.....i'm thinking that maybe if us ladies have tried everything and nothing works, this is probably the best thing to do so we can have a somewhat normal life. it takes time and effort but it's worth it to keep the symtoms away. maybe if we keep up with the routine then eventually the bad bacterial will die off for good and the good bacterial will stay around and flourish so we will have a normal vagina again!!!!

what i'm doing.....boric acid-1 capsule in the a.m. and one capsule at night to kill the bacteria, for about 4-5 days, then femd vaginally(2) at night for about 3-4 days and then repeat again. when my period comes i just do boric acid when the flow is lighter and i will do it for about 6-8 days instead of the normal 4-5 days. when i do the femd vaginally no discharge at all except for a little whitsh discharge in the middle of the next day but it's just for a little while and i believe that it's the capsule b/c it doesn't dissolve in the vagina ....of course. i also take femd orally in a.m. and p.m. and in the middle of the day i take nature's reuteri... this femd is espensive for real. hopefully i can go down after i feel like i'm totally bv free. i also use sylk and trojan ultra thin condoms when having sex.....don't use condoms with spermicide b/c it is not good for our sensative vaginas!!!!

[damselindistress]

so you didnt use flagyl or anything like that to kill the infection first? im asking because i did the same thing you seem to be doing up until i ran out of femd. so of course my symptoms came back. if you have only been using femd to treat thats really great that you have no symptoms. im correct in assuming your symptoms are completely gone right?.. i mean your discharge, smell, everything is totally back to normal, yes?

Well.....
I was told I had a mild case of BV, mild yeast issues, Group B, etc. I never had a smell, just yellow or thick or clumpy discharge and sometimes it would itch. I made up my own TTO suppositories and those worked, but it would come back. I've used garlic up there - also worked, but would come back. Finally, I started making up a hydrogen peroxide wash like was recommended on the gentlebirth website (there's a link on here by the way). I did this the day after I finished up my period, then started inserting the FemD vaginally and all has been well, no itch, no discharge, all good. Sometimes a little fluid/residue comes out of me, only once in a while, but I think it's just from the capsule b/c it's white and not at all itchy. I came to the conclusion that the yeast was causing most of my issues b/c I bought the PH test strips and my vagina was testing very low, like 5.0, meaning it WAS acidic, so probably not BV. I think I'm going to do the peroxide rinse after sex and after my period as a precaution and use a FemD capsule after the wash, just one and see what happens. So far, though, I'm thrilled!

[LovelyLadyLuck]

I've only used it through two periods now with success, but we'll see. I'm hoping to get down to using a pill vaginally for a few days after my menses and a pill after sex. Otherwise, I'll continue with my daily yogurt diet and perhaps a cheaper probiotic orally. The FemD once a day is an expensive habit! I'll let ya know if that regimen will be good enough or if it comes back!! Good luck!

so you didnt use flagyl or anything like that to kill the infection first? im asking because i did the same thing you seem to be doing up until i ran out of femd. so of course my symptoms came back. if you have only been using femd to treat thats really great that you have no symptoms. im correct in assuming your symptoms are completely gone right?.. i mean your discharge, smell, everything is totally back to normal, yes?

[damselindistress]

So the Femodophilus worked for your vaginally? How long did it take for you to actually get results?

I've only used it through two periods now with success, but we'll see. I'm hoping to get down to using a pill vaginally for a few days after my menses and a pill after sex. Otherwise, I'll continue with my daily yogurt diet and perhaps a cheaper probiotic orally. The FemD once a day is an expensive habit! I'll let ya know if that regimen will be good enough or if it comes back!! Good luck!

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

HELLO LADIES!!!!

TTO worked for me!!!! It's been a life saver for me!

Also, I was at Whole Foods the other day, and they have TTO suppositories!!! So, you dont have to make them yourself!!! I bought a box, just to have in case of an emergency!!

But, just wanted to stop in real quick and tell you that yes, TTO works.. but as with everything, what works for me, may not work for you!!

Bye for now!

How long did it take for you to actually get results with the Tea Tree Oil Suppositories? What do the suppositories look like?

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

Hey, Horror, have you tried inserting the FemD capsule vaginally? I have been using one a day, vaginally, and it seems to be keeping the problems away. I admit, sometimes it is a little bit messy, so wear a liner, maybe, or do it at night. Taking them orally wasn't working for me either, but this does....at least so far, it's been 3 weeks problem-free.

So the Femodophilus worked for your vaginally? How long did it take for you to actually get results?

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

I read the waterworks website, but won't that wash out all of your good bacteria as well???

It definitely would. The best advice I can give to anyone that has Bacterial Vaginosis is to not douche. Douching is bad for you when you don't have an infection, imagine how bad it could be when you have a live infection. That can cause the infection to spread even higher into the pelvis and cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

[neverending]

I read the waterworks website, but won't that wash out all of your good bacteria as well???

I've read up on it. The product does not seem promising. Just seems like a high priced Douche.

[sciongal]

I hate to burst your bubble and all but from what I read about Waterworks it's only something that helps with vaginal odor. It's not actually going to rid you of Bacterial Vaginosis. It seems like something that helps with a minor vaginal odor, not really an infection. What have you tried to get rid of your BV? I want to help you out somehow, knowing that you've been dealing with this for almost 8 years. I've been compiling research on what can actually treat BV naturally without medications that build resistance against the infection.
SiSS

I read the waterworks website, but won't that wash out all of your good bacteria as well???