[melis19750]

gotcha thanks!!! I still believe Fem d is a better deal- its less expensive and you get more

You read the label wrong. It lists:

L. Rhamnosus GR-1 Pro-B Feminine Probiotic Strains 2.5 Billion CFU

L. Reuteri RC-14 Pro-B Feminine Probiotic Strains 2.5 Billion CFU

If you add those two separate bacteria counts together, it amounts to 5 billion.

[swt simplicity]

ladies something else to keep in mind

and fem dophilus has 5 billion MO's per cap

while rephresh pro b only has 2.5 billion

You read the label wrong. It lists:

L. Rhamnosus GR-1 Pro-B Feminine Probiotic Strains 2.5 Billion CFU

L. Reuteri RC-14 Pro-B Feminine Probiotic Strains 2.5 Billion CFU

If you add those two separate bacteria counts together, it amounts to 5 billion.

[melis19750]

coupon

here is a coupon for fem dophilus
$2 off
http://www.jarrow.com/eMarketing/fem.php

here is a coupon for $2 off any jarrow pro biotic
fem dophilus counts
=)
http://www.jarrow.com/eMarketing/Jarrow-Fo...EPS-11-2010.pdf

[melis19750]

ladies something else to keep in mind

rephresh pro b is more expensive than fem dophilus
you can buy a bottle of 60 fem dophilus pills at only $28.49 or bottle of 30 for 19.99
at the vitaminshoppe.com

and fem dophilus has 5 billion MO's per cap

while rephresh pro b only has 2.5 billion
and rephresh pro b is about $28.00 for a bottle of only 30 capsules

the only GOOD thing about rephresh pro b is that it does not need to be refrigerated- therefor making it ideal if you travel...

and femdophilus has to be in the fridge

however. i think fem d is far superior and a better value
you get more bang for your buck all around

i like using them vaginally
i empty the contents into a gelatin capsule and insert at bedtime
did so last night and im feeling better today!!!


=) just my 2 cents

[melis19750]

hey ladies
so good news/ bad news at my follow up today

went in to see my gyn- she did not see anymore candida glabrata or any form of candida under the microscope

bad news- due to the boric acid being used for a month
it wiped out my good bacteria...... so i now have clue cells
shes not sure if its BV because no odor, no discharge
only some irritation and clue cells

so it could be a dif bacteria that over grew

well- im happy no more yeast
so the BA def works on non albican yeast

but i do have to say beware, BA is not a standard treatment for BV- simply because it kills off the good and bad bacteria (sweet simplicity also mentioned this)

so were waiting for culture results

my gyn also gave me a number for a specialist just incase the culture grows any non albican yeast
but she does not think it will since she saw nothing but some clue cells

oh booo
this vaginal imbalance is a pain in my azz
ha ha

[swt simplicity]

hi everyone, i'm new here. i've been following some different forums about BV for a long time, but now i need to speak up. i've had BV nonstop for the past 2 years, and i can honestly say it is wrecking my life. i want my freedom back. freedom to walk and move and socialize like a normal 20-something woman. it's destroyed my confidence, my social life, my joy, and my faith in God. i've tried different antibiotics, vitamins, and nothing works. i'm unable to insert anything (a whole different story), so the yogurt/pill insertion miracle isn't something i can try. are there any OTC pills i can take strictly orally that you have found affective? i've tried folic, acidopholus, and b-12.

one question - does the BV get worse for you when you're on your period? for me it's literally unbearable.. the discharge and smell is 10 times worse, but then i also get pain, burning and a feeling of pressure. i've never seen anyone discuss this so i was just wondering.

thanks everyone.

You can try Fem-Dophilus (which can be found online shipped cold packed at iHerb; which is pretty cheap) or you can try RepHresh Pro-B which is more accessible (freeze-dried so it doesn't need to be refrigerated) although more expensive (I pay close to $31 after tax including a $2.00 off manufacturers coupon). Vitamin D is something that you need enough of to prevent bacterial vaginosis. A study done not too long ago suggests a lack of folate, vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium, and vitamin E predisposes a woman to bacterial vaginosis (linked here), and increased amounts of saturated fats and monounsaturated fats usually makes the condition worse. This is something that is often overlooked yet when you think about it, the food your eating everyday tremendously impacts your general health. Each nutrient your body needs has a specific job to do, if your not getting enough nutrients, it's only natural that your body won't function properly.

The acidophilus you've been taking may not help so much since most of the studies I've read on acidophilus and vaginitis has been really hit or miss. Most researchers say it doesn't specifically help with vaginitis, or at least not nearly as effective as something that is clinically proven to work like Fem-Dophilus/RepHresh Pro-B. And acidophilus doesn't adhere to the vaginal epithelium so it won't make a difference. It's good for digestive health though. In my personal experience, acidophilus never helped me even when I took high doses of it religiously for many months.

In my experience, when I had a vaginal infection, accompanied with a very unpleasant odor, the odor would always intensify when I was menstruating. The discharge was unusual, but it wasn't troublesome in my case. I didn't experience burning or pelvic pains though. Has your gynecologist looked into this? What popped in my mind when I associated your burning, pain, and pressure with your bacterial vaginosis is pelvic inflammatory disease.

There could be a number of reasons why your bacterial vaginosis could be reoccurring. You may need to kind of evaluate your lifestyle and figure what risk factors you fall into. The cleanser your using could be too alkaline, thus lowering your vaginal pH, maybe if you have a significant other and your sexually active-- that's also a huge risk factor, clothing could possibly lack enough circulation to the vulva, it could be something hormonal ... maybe you don't have enough good bacteria in your digestive tract.

Not too long ago, I created a post on bacterial vaginosis, showing a comprehensive overview of the major risk factors (that I know of) pertaining to bacterial vaginosis.

Bacterial Vaginosis - A Comprehensive Overview

You may just want to skim through it and see if it helps. I'm pretty sure there are things that will generally help you. Even though you feel like you've tried everything, sometimes it's the little things that help the most. I have hope that with the right method, even without the help of prescription medication, you can get some form of relief however mild to moderate it may be.

Even though you mention you have trouble inserting things, a vaginal gel such as RepHresh Vaginal Gel could really help since it is being directly placed in the problem area and can work directly on contact.

I hope I helped!

[sweetsong]

sweet i know how you feel
while i dont think i have bv- so far so good
i have been dealing with a yeast/irritation issue

have you tried fem-dophilus? thats awesome for BV- I love that stuff

i haven't tried that yet. i just got my tax refund (woooo!) so i think i might go and get that after work.

[melis19750]

sweet i know how you feel
while i dont think i have bv- so far so good
i have been dealing with a yeast/irritation issue

have you tried fem-dophilus? thats awesome for BV- I love that stuff

hi everyone, i'm new here. i've been following some different forums about BV for a long time, but now i need to speak up. i've had BV nonstop for the past 2 years, and i can honestly say it is wrecking my life. i want my freedom back. freedom to walk and move and socialize like a normal 20-something woman. it's destroyed my confidence, my social life, my joy, and my faith in God. i've tried different antibiotics, vitamins, and nothing works. i'm unable to insert anything (a whole different story), so the yogurt/pill insertion miracle isn't something i can try. are there any OTC pills i can take strictly orally that you have found affective? i've tried folic, acidopholus, and b-12.

one question - does the BV get worse for you when you're on your period? for me it's literally unbearable.. the discharge and smell is 10 times worse, but then i also get pain, burning and a feeling of pressure. i've never seen anyone discuss this so i was just wondering.

thanks everyone.

[sweetsong]

hi everyone, i'm new here. i've been following some different forums about BV for a long time, but now i need to speak up. i've had BV nonstop for the past 2 years, and i can honestly say it is wrecking my life. i want my freedom back. freedom to walk and move and socialize like a normal 20-something woman. it's destroyed my confidence, my social life, my joy, and my faith in God. i've tried different antibiotics, vitamins, and nothing works. i'm unable to insert anything (a whole different story), so the yogurt/pill insertion miracle isn't something i can try. are there any OTC pills i can take strictly orally that you have found affective? i've tried folic, acidopholus, and b-12.

one question - does the BV get worse for you when you're on your period? for me it's literally unbearable.. the discharge and smell is 10 times worse, but then i also get pain, burning and a feeling of pressure. i've never seen anyone discuss this so i was just wondering.

thanks everyone.

[melinda7]

Melinda,
sometimes MD don't always tell us as much info as we should know. I found out by doing my own research on dosage
and also on another msg board a member who had irritation due to making her own BA capsules found out from her doctor that it was because she filled it to 900 mg instead of 600
those 00 capsules can fit up to 900

Maybe they assumed I knew to only fill the one side. The 900 was fine for me. I think I'll stick with it, maybe. I don't do it every night or anything.

[melis19750]

Melinda,
sometimes MD don't always tell us as much info as we should know. I found out by doing my own research on dosage
and also on another msg board a member who had irritation due to making her own BA capsules found out from her doctor that it was because she filled it to 900 mg instead of 600
those 00 capsules can fit up to 900

Rite Aid sells the powder too. Make sure you don't vegetable capsules or they won't dissolve. You need the gelatin.

I filled both sides! I wasn't told just to fill the one side. It didn't cause any issues....weird the md didn't tell me that.

[melis19750]

wow thanks
i greatly appreciate this
the more we know, the more we become educated on this and the more we can educate others
=)

Im a nurse BTW- so its great for me to learn this

FYI- My oral fungal culture which took 30 days to grow is completely negative
so i di not have any oral candida issues, just a pale tongue
=)
yay for that

Update

So I just got a response from the doctors office about the three species of yeast I was colonized with and they were:

1. Candida parapsilosis
2. Candida albicans
3. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

[swt simplicity]

Update

So I just got a response from the doctors office about the three species of yeast I was colonized with and they were:

1. Candida parapsilosis
2. Candida albicans
3. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

[melinda7]

Rite Aid sells the powder too. Make sure you don't vegetable capsules or they won't dissolve. You need the gelatin.

I filled both sides! I wasn't told just to fill the one side. It didn't cause any issues....weird the md didn't tell me that.

[swt simplicity]

how long did it take you to cure your yeast?
you mentioned you had 3 strains? do you know what 3 or just the main tropicalis one?

The first time I was cultured and diagnosed, a nurse working in the clinic called me on my phone and said I had three species of yeast. She actually named them off to me, but they slipped my mind. Then a few weeks after I received the call, the date of my appointment was up and during the visit I asked my vulvovaginal specialist what yeasts I was colonized with and she just said c. parapsilosis. She didn't name the other two (I don't know why and I didn't bother to persist either since it wouldn't make a difference).

I'll call and have whoever is working there go through and look at the culture results. And I'll post an update.

As far as how long it took for my non-albican yeast infection to get cured, I don't have an exact time frame since everything was scattered over a period of months. But I know it took longer than a couple of months, if not six.

[melis19750]

i am using boric acid but for non albican yeast not for BV
I do know its alleviating my symptoms... they are less severe now... but
i am not positive yet on the success...
ill find out this friday at my follow up

Thank you so much.

Are you still using Boric? How was the success if any for you?

[britt8705]

Thank you so much.

Are you still using Boric? How was the success if any for you?

hey brtt
you can get the ba powder at amazon . com
as well as the 00 gelatin capsules

when you fill them make sure to take these steps

1) wash genital area with water and if you use a cleanser use something like unscented sliquid or dove unscented for sensitive skin
2)lightly coat the exterior of the vulva with either vitamin e oil or coconut oil nile Nutiva unrefined organic coconut oil
3) fill a 00 size capsule -not all the way leave 1/3 or the smaller half (aka the female half) empty and just fill the larger side (the male side) otherwise if you fill the whole thing it will be 900mg instead of 600
some people use only 300mg depending on whom prescribes it

use 1 per day for about 14 days
or for more sever 1 in the am and 1 in the pm
but be careful
sometimes BA can irritate your skin, so my suggestion start slow

enter the capsule high into the vagina as high as you can, and go to sleep
when you wake up- youll have watery discharge from the capsule

also- make sure to wash hands well before and after insertion

[melis19750]

hey brtt
you can get the ba powder at amazon . com
as well as the 00 gelatin capsules

when you fill them make sure to take these steps

1) wash genital area with water and if you use a cleanser use something like unscented sliquid or dove unscented for sensitive skin
2)lightly coat the exterior of the vulva with either vitamin e oil or coconut oil nile Nutiva unrefined organic coconut oil
3) fill a 00 size capsule -not all the way leave 1/3 or the smaller half (aka the female half) empty and just fill the larger side (the male side) otherwise if you fill the whole thing it will be 900mg instead of 600
some people use only 300mg depending on whom prescribes it

use 1 per day for about 14 days
or for more sever 1 in the am and 1 in the pm
but be careful
sometimes BA can irritate your skin, so my suggestion start slow

enter the capsule high into the vagina as high as you can, and go to sleep
when you wake up- youll have watery discharge from the capsule

also- make sure to wash hands well before and after insertion

[britt8705]

I am soooo fed up. I woke up this morning with the worst smell. I have made up my mind I am going to really give Boric Acid a try. Where is the best place to purchase the power and capsules?

[melis19750]

hey there again sweet

well for abstinence I chose to wait now because Im Christian. So Im trying to "walk"
so-to-speak.

I didnt wait do to vaginal stuff
because I was completely fine before all this started in September

well lets see how all this begin

in September (the middle of it)
I was stressed out to no avail- not eating right- barely sleeping
developed a normal case of candida albicans
treated it with OTC yeast med and diflucan
but i wasnt sure it went away so tried garlic clove
yeast went away- doc thinks maybe over doing it with first OTC yeast cream then garlic clove caused BV

then- developed BV I guess
doc gave me an anti biotic for it
it went away
took diflucan- doc gave me diflucan to take every 3 days to avoid another YI (bad idea being i didnt have a YI- this prob caused the yeast to mutate into glabrata)

started feeling better
christmas came
at BAD- lots of goodies
than in January (the middle of it)
developed soreness... never had that before
including some anal itching/ soreness

went to my OBGYN
she swabbed me looked under the micro scope some some glabrata yeast
cultured it- culture came back negative
we decided to try boric acid for 2 weeks
seemed to be working
but as soon as i stopped the BA- the Sx came right back
so its possible it just never completely went away and like you, i might need to do it longer

I do know there are good suppliments that help with yeast over growth. But I believe it should be taken with the care of a health care provider. Which is what im doing
here in southern cali we have a pletheral of Naturopathic doctors
and I am lucky enough to find one here whom deals with candida
and hes also a Medical Doctor
whom practices out of 2 offices, a natural type of practice, and regular MD practice

he basically is telling me i need good fats to clean up the yeast problem
and also some suppliments
and stronger pro biotics

he also is willing to admit if he is not as familiar with some strains of candida...I like that, he is willing to learn with me.

so he really has me doing citric seed extract (which has GSE in it)
fish oil (omega)
digestive enzymes (which is what syntol is)
coconut milk/ oil
2 different types of pro biotics along with Fem D
capric acid (found in coconut oil)
and my basic suppliments of vit d, c, etc:


this is the first time ever in my life ive had to deal with yeast.

so its a bit alarming and depressing


several years ago i delt with group b strep over growth....
but that finally went away after discovering fem-d
i think i just really needed to balance my bacteria

hopefully the BA works for me
and im able to get back to normal

i will say having my period lessons the symptoms of this yeast- and makes the BA easier to use
but right before my period is when it seems the symptoms start
and it happened when i took a break from BA

yeah my tongue looked a little like those pics- still does
but my doctor said what yours did that when its thrush its usually patches, and/ or hairy looking
as well as the fact my oral culture is literally growing for a month and would have grown something by now. and the preliminary at 1-2-3 weeks were all negative
usually the preliminary is the same as the final result...as my doc said
so were just waiting for week 4

he also said there are symptoms of oral thrush like sore throat/ tongue/ a feeling of dry mouth
and i have none of those

Im pretty sure my yeast is prob some intestinal due to the anti biotics
and vaginal
and hoping vaginally its just decreasing

oh yeah i was also on anti biotics in June- Keflex for strep throat (well possible strep that is, never really was tested for it- i was exposed and had a mild fever so doc put me on it, and also diflucan to take after)<<see the pattern
antibiotic>diflucan for preventative> antibiotic> diflucan

i think im just over medicated... which obviously prob contributed to this..
=(

well im back on track taking my health back in my hands- yay
i do feel healthier all around, with the exception of my vaginal symptoms
and sometimes anal...
but im positive im gonna heal and get this sucker under control!!!

yay

how long did it take you to cure your yeast?
you mentioned you had 3 strains? do you know what 3 or just the main tropicalis one?

The organic meat your eating is fine. I doubt it has any harmful by-products in it. It sure beats eating the standard processed meat.

Vaginitis has the opportunity to get worse during that short window of time when the vaginal flora depletes as a result of menstruation. It's kind of unavoidable unfortunately. Some women are unfortunately more susceptible to infection during that time, and if an infection is already present, then it gets worse. Is this something that happens normally for you, or do you think it is a result of the infection?

My general practitioner also told me my tongue coating didn't look like thrush. Thrush usually looks like white patches of fungus in the mouth, but mine was just a thick white coating of something on my tongue. It kind of looked like the tongue in this picture: http://tinyurl.com/47npevc But varied in intensity depending on what foods I ate. You can probably tell from the picture there's some texture going on. If I'm right, the tongue coating may not have anything to do with thrush, but the foods that I was eating. This is an even more obvious case: http://tinyurl.com/24o3yas

Cost was one of the main reasons I gave up on taking herbs. I just felt it was unrealistic to spend close to $60 every month or every other month to keep my symptoms at bay unless I knew for sure what I was taking really worked. I was tired of doing the trial and error method. But, if the Syntol was working for you, then you should buy it again. I've gone back and forth about trying different herbs like Grape Seed Extract, but in the end, I probably won't stay consistent with it, and I won't repurchase.

Most gynecologists are pretty familiar with the different forms of vaginitis. I'd like to think they diagnosed you properly about the bacterial vaginosis since that is the most common vaginal infection there is. Unless you may have had a mixed infection that didn't show up in the cultures, which could happen. Then again, it all depends on the cultures and the opinion of the doctor.

Have you gone down the abstinence path because of your vaginal symptoms? I chose to wait until marriage simply because I'm a prude. I also love the idea of waiting for the right guy too.