[sweetsong]

Don't forget to be very specific about your symptoms during your appointment. You might want to bring a small notepad that has any notes or questions you want to mention too.

so i just got home from my appointment. it is indeed BV once again. she prescribed me two weeks worth of flagyl, which i don't feel great about, but hopefully i can take it and balance it with some probiotics and knock it out for good.

[britt8705]

CORRECTION the Metrogel and flagyl was for 5 days not 7. I forgot to add after the May 5th check up the doctor gave me Terconazole Vaginal Cream to use for 7 days. To prevent infections and to help me build more good bacteria. Its been a full week since I have finished my dose of Terconazole Vaginal Cream still no BV no smell and no discharge. I check constantly. I have not had sex in 9months lol this may also be a contributing factor. I continue to take 2 acidophilus pills at bed time, I drink alots of water (I do sneak in some orange juice or I make my own fruit juice w/o sugar). I eat lotssss and lotss of fruit and veggies daily. I admit I do sneak in a few pieces of candy once in a while but not to often because I do not want to disturb my bed of roses! lol

I really hope this continues for me and I hope my post helps some/ALL of you ladies!

Don't forget to be very specific about your symptoms during your appointment. You might want to bring a small notepad that has any notes or questions you want to mention too.


I've heard holding in urine can cause urinary tract infections because holding in the urine can cause a bacterial build up (source). It makes sense that the bacteria after urination could migrate to the vagina by wiping the area.

I didn't know bacterial vaginosis is often associated with urinary tract infections ...

(NIH) Association of Urinary Tract Infection in Women with Bacterial Vaginosis

I like that she didn't suggest cranberry juice. It's usually loaded with sugar which makes things worse.

[swt simplicity]

i'm calling today to make an appointment. i can't afford this under any means, but i'd rather be in debt forever than live my life like this.

Don't forget to be very specific about your symptoms during your appointment. You might want to bring a small notepad that has any notes or questions you want to mention too.

HI Everyone,

I haven't not been on here much but I felt I needed to tell what has been going on down there lol. On March 31st I had my annual checkup with my GYN. The normal GYN was not in so I was examined by someone new. I told her my history with BV and she gave me a look. Because my discharge was so bad she was not about to get a clear pap smear done. She told me she wanted to put me on the good old Metro Gel and Flagyl I told her no I have been on it many times and I did not feel like giving it a try for the fifth time.

To make a long story short she begged and insisted this would work time this time around. So I gave in. She subscribed Metro Gel vaginally for 7 days and flagyl orally for 7 days at bed time, only water and too urinate 8-10times a day (never holding my bladder) lastly she told me to come back in a month to get a complete pap smear. A month later (May 5th) I went back and NO BV, clean, clear and smell free pap!! I am sooo happy.

I didn’t know that if you hold your bladder the bacteria in your bladder could spill over into the vagina (not literally but so so)
**Side not during that month I changed my eating habits as well, I take 2 tablets of Acidophilus I have also cut down my meat intake to once a week (strictly chicken or seafood), no candy, 5 or more fruits a day, lots of veggies and water ONLY)

I've heard holding in urine can cause urinary tract infections because holding in the urine can cause a bacterial build up (source). It makes sense that the bacteria after urination could migrate to the vagina by wiping the area.

I didn't know bacterial vaginosis is often associated with urinary tract infections ...

(NIH) Association of Urinary Tract Infection in Women with Bacterial Vaginosis

I like that she didn't suggest cranberry juice. It's usually loaded with sugar which makes things worse.

[britt8705]

HI Everyone,

I haven't not been on here much but I felt I needed to tell what has been going on down there lol. On March 31st I had my annual checkup with my GYN. The normal GYN was not in so I was examined by someone new. I told her my history with BV and she gave me a look. Because my discharge was so bad she was not about to get a clear pap smear done. She told me she wanted to put me on the good old Metro Gel and Flagyl I told her no I have been on it many times and I did not feel like giving it a try for the fifth time.

To make a long story short she begged and insisted this would work time this time around. So I gave in. She subscribed Metro Gel vaginally for 7 days and flagyl orally for 7 days at bed time, only water and too urinate 8-10times a day (never holding my bladder) lastly she told me to come back in a month to get a complete pap smear. A month later (May 5th) I went back and NO BV, clean, clear and smell free pap!! I am sooo happy.

I didn’t know that if you hold your bladder the bacteria in your bladder could spill over into the vagina (not literally but so so)
**Side not during that month I changed my eating habits as well, I take 2 tablets of Acidophilus I have also cut down my meat intake to once a week (strictly chicken or seafood), no candy, 5 or more fruits a day, lots of veggies and water ONLY)

[sweetsong]

Don't scare yourself doing internet diagnosis'. Sometimes you could have something completely different. I did an internet diagnosis (while I was suffering from my on-albican yeast infection) and thought for the longest time that I had bacterial vaginosis when I had something else entirely.

You don't have insurance? I'm really sorry to hear that. If it is something like an ovarian cyst or a disorder of some form, there's only so much you can do without medical intervention.

i'm calling today to make an appointment. i can't afford this under any means, but i'd rather be in debt forever than live my life like this.

[swt simplicity]

after i read your reply, i did more research on my symptoms and found a few things about cysts, dysplasia, and other things i know nothing about. now i am worried. i don't have health care though, so a trip to the doctor isn't a feasible option right now. shoot.

Don't scare yourself doing internet diagnosis'. Sometimes you could have something completely different. I did an internet diagnosis (while I was suffering from my on-albican yeast infection) and thought for the longest time that I had bacterial vaginosis when I had something else entirely.

You don't have insurance? I'm really sorry to hear that. If it is something like an ovarian cyst or a disorder of some form, there's only so much you can do without medical intervention.

[sweetsong]

I'm pretty sure many women on this forum can relate to you: humiliating vaginal odor, embarrassment, discomfort, and the like. Talking about it is the best thing you can do, especially since stress more often than not intensifies your symptoms.

You say that the discharge is "brown and changes daily", that's really unusual. And it smells like "crap", which is also uncommon. I'd like to think the brown discharge is due to your menstrual cycle, if it's not, then you should really see a gynecologist. The smell could be due to blood that is decomposing. Your symptoms don't sound typical of bacterial vaginosis.

NatureMade is a GMP certified (high quality, standardized, frequently tested ...) supplement brand that is sold at most drugstores, Walmart, Kmart, and places in between). It's the brand that usually has a bright yellow cap on their vitamins. I suggest you try one of their vitamin D supplements, I know one is for 1,000 mg (roughly $8.00 maybe) and another is as high as 5,000 mg (almost $18.00), maybe there is a few in between. They offer coupons on their website too. Depending on how low you are in vitamin D or how much you think you need, you can choose what's best for you. If you do plan on taking the one that contains 5,000mg, only take it as long as neccessary.

after i read your reply, i did more research on my symptoms and found a few things about cysts, dysplasia, and other things i know nothing about. now i am worried. i don't have health care though, so a trip to the doctor isn't a feasible option right now. shoot.

[swt simplicity]

the odor continually smells like crap, literally. that's the best way i know how to describe it without going into detail or telling one of my many humiliating stories. (i hate even admitting that, but i guess this isn't really the place to feel embarrassed..) the consistency is really thin. the color changes daily, it seems. yesterday it was darker brown, today it's really light brown. and today's been a worse day, so i'm not sure if that means something or not.

also thanks to swt simplicity, your responses are always incredibly thorough, and encouraging. i'm going to get a good vitamin d supplement tomorrow.

my spirits are low. just when i start to think i'm getting better, i have a day like today.

I'm pretty sure many women on this forum can relate to you: humiliating vaginal odor, embarrassment, discomfort, and the like. Talking about it is the best thing you can do, especially since stress more often than not intensifies your symptoms.

You say that the discharge is "brown and changes daily", that's really unusual. And it smells like "crap", which is also uncommon. I'd like to think the brown discharge is due to your menstrual cycle, if it's not, then you should really see a gynecologist. The smell could be due to blood that is decomposing. Your symptoms don't sound typical of bacterial vaginosis.

NatureMade is a GMP certified (high quality, standardized, frequently tested ...) supplement brand that is sold at most drugstores, Walmart, Kmart, and places in between). It's the brand that usually has a bright yellow cap on their vitamins. I suggest you try one of their vitamin D supplements, I know one is for 1,000 mg (roughly $8.00 maybe) and another is as high as 5,000 mg (almost $18.00), maybe there is a few in between. They offer coupons on their website too. Depending on how low you are in vitamin D or how much you think you need, you can choose what's best for you. If you do plan on taking the one that contains 5,000mg, only take it as long as neccessary.

[sweetsong]

Can you describe the odor and the color/consistency of the discharge? It could be something else. You really need a wet mount to get a diagnosis.

the odor continually smells like crap, literally. that's the best way i know how to describe it without going into detail or telling one of my many humiliating stories. (i hate even admitting that, but i guess this isn't really the place to feel embarrassed..) the consistency is really thin. the color changes daily, it seems. yesterday it was darker brown, today it's really light brown. and today's been a worse day, so i'm not sure if that means something or not.

also thanks to swt simplicity, your responses are always incredibly thorough, and encouraging. i'm going to get a good vitamin d supplement tomorrow.

my spirits are low. just when i start to think i'm getting better, i have a day like today.

[swt simplicity]

So Im sure Im fine. =)

That's good news then I was beginning to think a lot of harm could be done in terms of your progress if you stayed on the diflucan for a long time.

hey everyone, i haven't posted here in a while. when i described my experience with BV a few months ago, i got a couple really helpful responses. someone suggested that i try fem-d, so i took it daily for a few days and noticed no change at all. occasionally i felt like my symptoms got worse after i took it..

something i'm wondering about: i'm beginning to think that there's a chance i don't have BV, that it's something else? when i first got diagnosed with BV back in high school and again in college, my symptoms were much different. the smell is much worse now, not fishy like i often see it described, and the color is peculiar and changes almost daily. no itching, discomfort, pain of any sort. it's literally just discharge and odor. (sometimes i feel like i'd rather have itching and pain than this horrid smell..) do any of you have any ideas of something else it could be, if not BV?

i'm moving in three weeks to live and work on a farm. i'm so excited, but i can't imagine going there in my current condition. i'm really worried. any advice, vitamin or pill suggestions, or encouragement that i'm not the only one going through this would be so appreciated.

<3

A vaginal odor and discharge [usually] signifies an infection or an STD. I don't want to name things and lead you in the wrong direction because, it's not wise to give diagnoses over the internet since those suggestions are more often than not very misleading.

I would suggest not trying to irrigate or "flush out" the vagina, since that isn't healthy in any way, shape, or form, and if you were to get examined by a gynecologist, you definitely want the condition of your flora to stay as is, in order to get an accurate diagnosis. Don't do any suppositories, douching, or insertions 72 hours prior to your visit. And don't forget, the vagina is self cleaning Even though you might feel unclean sometimes, it's just because there is something wrong, not because your not clean [enough].

If you haven't read The V Book yet, I highly suggest that you do. It covers a lot of topics pertaining to the vulva and vagina. And best of all, it consistently provides lots of accurate information.

As far as supplement suggestions go, you can't go wrong taking a high quality vitamin D supplement, since women that are low in vitamin D are very suspectible to developing bacterial vaginosis. I'll provide links here:

1. Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Bacterial Vaginosis
2. Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis in the First Trimester of Pregnancy
3. Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked To Bacterial Vaginosis In Pregnant Women

*All three links are from very credible sources. The Medscape one might not open since it sometimes prompts viewers to sign in. You should sign up, since it's an excellent source for the most updated health information.

Based on the three links above, you can see there is a nutritional factor that affects how susceptible a woman is to developing bacterial vaginosis, which leads me to my other link, from the National Institutes of Health, Journal of Nutrition.

1. Dietary Intake of Selected Nutrients Affects Bacterial Vaginosis in Women

I did a blog post on this a while back (click here). I basically highlighted the article in a nutshell.

It's okay to take vitamins and supplements, but the bigger picture is that it's a lot more than taking the right supplements, you actually need to eat a balanced diet. Vitamins and supplements are really expensive, especially the high quality ones that don't contain any fillers (keep in mind vitamins and supplements are not regulated; it's a self regulated industry).

So, I suggest that you get your vitamin D levels checked. If they are low, your doctor will probably suggest that you take an over the counter supplement. There are two varieties of vitamin D that I can think of, D2 and D3. You need to make sure you pick the right form. You need to pick a dosage of 1,000 mg or higher; those are now the new standards (according to the Harvard School of Public Health). The Harvard School of Public Health actually recommends some people need as high as 2,000 mg of vitamin D. You should read the article to get the full scoop.

I'll keep you posted if I can recommend anything else!

[melinda7]

hey everyone, i haven't posted here in a while. when i described my experience with BV a few months ago, i got a couple really helpful responses. someone suggested that i try fem-d, so i took it daily for a few days and noticed no change at all. occasionally i felt like my symptoms got worse after i took it..

something i'm wondering about: i'm beginning to think that there's a chance i don't have BV, that it's something else? when i first got diagnosed with BV back in high school and again in college, my symptoms were much different. the smell is much worse now, not fishy like i often see it described, and the color is peculiar and changes almost daily. no itching, discomfort, pain of any sort. it's literally just discharge and odor. (sometimes i feel like i'd rather have itching and pain than this horrid smell..) do any of you have any ideas of something else it could be, if not BV?

i'm moving in three weeks to live and work on a farm. i'm so excited, but i can't imagine going there in my current condition. i'm really worried. any advice, vitamin or pill suggestions, or encouragement that i'm not the only one going through this would be so appreciated.

<3

Can you describe the odor and the color/consistency of the discharge? It could be something else. You really need a wet mount to get a diagnosis.

[ikatcure]

hey everyone, i haven't posted here in a while. when i described my experience with BV a few months ago, i got a couple really helpful responses. someone suggested that i try fem-d, so i took it daily for a few days and noticed no change at all. occasionally i felt like my symptoms got worse after i took it..

something i'm wondering about: i'm beginning to think that there's a chance i don't have BV, that it's something else? when i first got diagnosed with BV back in high school and again in college, my symptoms were much different. the smell is much worse now, not fishy like i often see it described, and the color is peculiar and changes almost daily. no itching, discomfort, pain of any sort. it's literally just discharge and odor. (sometimes i feel like i'd rather have itching and pain than this horrid smell..) do any of you have any ideas of something else it could be, if not BV?

i'm moving in three weeks to live and work on a farm. i'm so excited, but i can't imagine going there in my current condition. i'm really worried. any advice, vitamin or pill suggestions, or encouragement that i'm not the only one going through this would be so appreciated.

<3

Hey there,

I'm new to the board so I don't know if this has been suggested already but I'm a big fan of earthclinic.com. It's a site devoted to homeopathic cures and they have dozens of user suggestions for bv. the top cures are hydrogen peroxide douche and probiotics with folio acid. but if you scroll through the cures their are other suggestions like supplements and essential oils that have worked for some. it's a good reference for any ailment.

[sweetsong]

hey everyone, i haven't posted here in a while. when i described my experience with BV a few months ago, i got a couple really helpful responses. someone suggested that i try fem-d, so i took it daily for a few days and noticed no change at all. occasionally i felt like my symptoms got worse after i took it..

something i'm wondering about: i'm beginning to think that there's a chance i don't have BV, that it's something else? when i first got diagnosed with BV back in high school and again in college, my symptoms were much different. the smell is much worse now, not fishy like i often see it described, and the color is peculiar and changes almost daily. no itching, discomfort, pain of any sort. it's literally just discharge and odor. (sometimes i feel like i'd rather have itching and pain than this horrid smell..) do any of you have any ideas of something else it could be, if not BV?

i'm moving in three weeks to live and work on a farm. i'm so excited, but i can't imagine going there in my current condition. i'm really worried. any advice, vitamin or pill suggestions, or encouragement that i'm not the only one going through this would be so appreciated.

<3

[melis19750]

No it wasnt a high dosage
it was 200 mg per day. It was supposed to be for a month. But I only did a weeks worth. My dermatologist said she is GLAD I did the diflucan because if it was yeast in my skin- its dead now.

She also said 200 mg is a mild dosage. Usually for someone with systemic candida they give 400 mg a day for at least 2 weeks.

Yeah I don't know I think DR Crandall is great- knows her stuff- but she automatically assumes its this form of yeast.

My doctor said diflucan probably caused me no harm- she sees more liver damagae- etc; when people use Tylenol or advil daily.

So Im sure Im fine. =)

[swt simplicity]

Hi sweet
you know what I think I let Dr. Crandall get to my head- as I was miserable with this discomfort. She diagnosed me from talking to me, but not by SEEING my vulva. So much so I convinced my doctor I had this. I took 6 days worth of diflucan and my tongue because extremely PALE- (not coated) and, not only that no relief in symptoms. If it were "red yeast" after about a week of diflucan i should have had some relief in symptoms. SO- went to my internal med doctor- she looked at me (tongue and vulva)
she said my tongue was pale because the diflucan was affecting my organs...
and my vagina was irritated more from 2 days worth of those nystatin inserts
as well as past boric acid usage- etc;

so she had me go off everything and sent my to a dermatologist

the dermatologist said "If you had yeast- you killed it by now with the diflucan",
and she thinks its honestly that I have more of an irritation on my vulvar thats just going to take some time to heal- its most likely due to all the meds and boric acid....
to just be patient. it will go away.

so I think I just panicked when I consulted with dr crandall. word of advice- never let anyone diagnose you without actually seeing what they are diagnosing!

I do not have any infection-
and im hoping i didnt do any internal damage with taking diflucan for a week.
oh- some of us just go to extremes when we panic -obviously that was me!

dr crandall is intelligent and knows her stuff- but nobody should be diagnosed without being seen

although my derm said "Im glad you did the diflucan for a week- now we can rule out YEAST as a cause"

It's strange to think Dr. Crandall would prescribe you medication without even diagnosing you first. Someone with her expertise should know better. I would expect that kind of scenario to occur if someone was dealing with an amateur gynecologist. I've been in the situation where I was given a prescription without getting diagnosed, but that happened with my general practitioner and she wasn't a specialist in the area of gynecology. Nothing happened to me though. I'm a firm believer in a diagnose then moving onto treatment, rather than taking random treatments and hoping that one of them works. It's not good for the body. Were you taking a high dose of diflucan? Well, regardless of how much diflucan you took for however long, only time will tell whether it has done any damage to your body.

Hi Chicas

I've been taking Oil of Oregano/ Oreganol p73. They have a website oreganol.com I've been using a lot and I'm only about 1/3 into the bottle. So far I haven't seen any side bad effects (besides some intense stinging/burning on contact only lasts 2 minutes, it's also pretty strong tasting some people hate it apparently but I don't think it's too bad) I've read that it also is supposed to help with candida which is a bonus! I read there's dozens of reviews on amazon from people using it for everything from fungal infections/psoriasis/acne to the flu and sinus infections both topically and internally(ingesting). I plan on sticking with it until I finish the bottle.

I think everyone needs to try different things because we all might be dealing with different kinds of pathogens that are causing our symptoms. That was another reason why I decided to try the oregano oil because it's supposed to be pretty broad spectrum. I suspect that I may have been dealing with a strep or other kind of infection because my last bv test about 2 months ago came back negative (although all of my symptoms were still there).

It's fascinating to hear essential oils like grape seed extract, garlic oil, and beyond help with bacterial vaginosis. I don't doubt it, because I've tried encapsulated Echinacea (eck-in-a-sha) for a short period of time and I noticed a difference. It was a random supplement, and I don't remember what brand or strength it was. My mother would always make me drink a clove tea when I was sick. I always thought, why does she bother? Funny thing is, I did some research the other day on clove oil, and clove oil is supposedly one of the most potent natural antimicrobial natural oils; cinnamon oil is said to be the best in most categories, in terms of anti-fungal, antibacterial, and so on. She would just boil water, and pop some cloves into the cup, and pour the water over it. I always thought it was silly and preferred to take a traditional cold medicine.

Now I'm also wondering if these essential oils, which supposedly target both gram positive and negative bacteria, yeasts, pathogens [and beyond] also target the good bacteria too ...

I'll take the time to sort this out and share the news with you.

[melis19750]

Did Dr. Crandall diagnose you yet? Or are you getting treated under the impression that there is a red yeast growing inside of the skin?
I've read various scientific articles that state oregano oil has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [depending heavily on the concentration levels]. Many of the studies provided very broad and general results though. What brand of oregano oil have you been taking?

Hi sweet
you know what I think I let Dr. Crandall get to my head- as I was miserable with this discomfort. She diagnosed me from talking to me, but not by SEEING my vulva. So much so I convinced my doctor I had this. I took 6 days worth of diflucan and my tongue because extremely PALE- (not coated) and, not only that no relief in symptoms. If it were "red yeast" after about a week of diflucan i should have had some relief in symptoms. SO- went to my internal med doctor- she looked at me (tongue and vulva)
she said my tongue was pale because the diflucan was affecting my organs...
and my vagina was irritated more from 2 days worth of those nystatin inserts
as well as past boric acid usage- etc;

so she had me go off everything and sent my to a dermatologist

the dermatologist said "If you had yeast- you killed it by now with the diflucan",
and she thinks its honestly that I have more of an irritation on my vulvar thats just going to take some time to heal- its most likely due to all the meds and boric acid....
to just be patient. it will go away.

so I think I just panicked when I consulted with dr crandall. word of advice- never let anyone diagnose you without actually seeing what they are diagnosing!

I do not have any infection-
and im hoping i didnt do any internal damage with taking diflucan for a week.
oh- some of us just go to extremes when we panic -obviously that was me!

dr crandall is intelligent and knows her stuff- but nobody should be diagnosed without being seen

although my derm said "Im glad you did the diflucan for a week- now we can rule out YEAST as a cause"

[ikatcure]

Hi Chicas

I've been taking Oil of Oregano/ Oreganol p73. They have a website oreganol.com I've been using a lot and I'm only about 1/3 into the bottle. So far I haven't seen any side bad effects (besides some intense stinging/burning on contact only lasts 2 minutes, it's also pretty strong tasting some people hate it apparently but I don't think it's too bad) I've read that it also is supposed to help with candida which is a bonus! I read there's dozens of reviews on amazon from people using it for everything from fungal infections/psoriasis/acne to the flu and sinus infections both topically and internally(ingesting). I plan on sticking with it until I finish the bottle.

I think everyone needs to try different things because we all might be dealing with different kinds of pathogens that are causing our symptoms. That was another reason why I decided to try the oregano oil because it's supposed to be pretty broad spectrum. I suspect that I may have been dealing with a strep or other kind of infection because my last bv test about 2 months ago came back negative (although all of my symptoms were still there).

[swt simplicity]

well you would have to read her packet to understand it. its too much to explain. Basically if i start feeling better- even in a week. What i would do is continue for a remaining 2 weeks
and than one a month for a while

this is also mentioned briefly in the V book- this method... under yeast infections

I guess Dr Stewart kind of does the same approach.

I cant use yeast creams right now- i seem to be allergic to the base.

idk- it seems boric acid suppositories really took a tole on me. =(

Did Dr. Crandall diagnose you yet? Or are you getting treated under the impression that there is a red yeast growing inside of the skin?

Hey ladies

I've been reading all the forums I could find about bv over the past 3 years since I was diagnosed and I figured it's time to join the discussion. Some history - I tired hydrogen peroxide along with the probiotics and foilc acid to no avail. I was just completely dried out and the symptoms came back with a vengence even after 3 weeks of treatment. I've also tried: anti biotics metrogel flagyl clindesse, aci-jell, enzara, anti candida diet and exercise, boric acid capsules (all while abstaining from sex)

This is the only thing that worked for me - I used oregano oil orally and topically(although it says on the bottle not to use it vaginally).

After 2 weeks of a couple of drops a day orally a few times a day and 1 drop vaginally twice a day for 7 days then once a day for another 7 days I'm bv free for the first time in 3 years. I know it's probably inadvisable to use this oil vagininally because it does sting a lot! It was the only thing that worked for me. I used plain yogurt vaginally to help reestablish the lactobacillis in the area although I read online that oregano oil does not kill the lactobacialls but I don't know if this is true.

You can buy this at healthfood stores or online if you want to try. smile.gif

I've read various scientific articles that state oregano oil has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [depending heavily on the concentration levels]. Many of the studies provided very broad and general results though. What brand of oregano oil have you been taking?

[ikatcure]

Hey ladies

I've been reading all the forums I could find about bv over the past 3 years since I was diagnosed and I figured it's time to join the discussion. Some history - I tired hydrogen peroxide along with the probiotics and foilc acid to no avail. I was just completely dried out and the symptoms came back with a vengence even after 3 weeks of treatment. I've also tried: anti biotics metrogel flagyl clindesse, aci-jell, enzara, anti candida diet and exercise, boric acid capsules (all while abstaining from sex)

This is the only thing that worked for me - I used oregano oil orally and topically(although it says on the bottle not to use it vaginally).

After 2 weeks of a couple of drops a day orally a few times a day and 1 drop vaginally twice a day for 7 days then once a day for another 7 days I'm bv free for the first time in 3 years. I know it's probably inadvisable to use this oil vagininally because it does sting a lot! It was the only thing that worked for me. I used plain yogurt vaginally to help reestablish the lactobacillis in the area although I read online that oregano oil does not kill the lactobacialls but I don't know if this is true.

You can buy this at healthfood stores or online if you want to try.

[melis19750]

Yikes
Dr. Crandall's approach sounds really intense. I'd like to know what is her plan if the yeast becomes resistant to the medications over a period of time.

well you would have to read her packet to understand it. its too much to explain. Basically if i start feeling better- even in a week. What i would do is continue for a remaining 2 weeks
and than one a month for a while

this is also mentioned briefly in the V book- this method... under yeast infections

I guess Dr Stewart kind of does the same approach.

I cant use yeast creams right now- i seem to be allergic to the base.

idk- it seems boric acid suppositories really took a tole on me. =(