[sooo sad]

Thanks for posting the links to the vids.

Can't wait to see how you get on with it! Like I said, my concern is that it's only working for me because my BV is at such a low level at the moment that it doesn't always show up on tests (although I have a very heavy discharge and slight odour which it takes care of temporarily) so I'll be really interested to hear of other people's experiences.

I still take my folic acid probiotics orally though. I'm too scared to stop taking them.

what website do you go to to order balance activ? i tried to search it but it says only available in uk. please help!?!

sooo sad

[neptune]

Hey all

Just did a bit of research into Balance Activ and I'm really encouraged to see it's endorsed by two repsected TV health doctors here in the UK:

BA on youtube
BA on youtube again

Seems like (if it works) it'll be cheaper and faster than taking FemD which I thought was my only hope until now. I'm going to order the BA now, will let you know how it goes when I've used it.

All in all it's just a really good sign that BV is being talked about openly in those vids, and that this is a new product so it means someone somewhere is researching our little condition...
Hope you're all lovely
Grace x

Thanks for posting the links to the vids.

Can't wait to see how you get on with it! Like I said, my concern is that it's only working for me because my BV is at such a low level at the moment that it doesn't always show up on tests (although I have a very heavy discharge and slight odour which it takes care of temporarily) so I'll be really interested to hear of other people's experiences.

I still take my folic acid probiotics orally though. I'm too scared to stop taking them.

[Grace08]

Hey all

Just did a bit of research into Balance Activ and I'm really encouraged to see it's endorsed by two repsected TV health doctors here in the UK:

BA on youtube
BA on youtube again

Seems like (if it works) it'll be cheaper and faster than taking FemD which I thought was my only hope until now. I'm going to order the BA now, will let you know how it goes when I've used it.

All in all it's just a really good sign that BV is being talked about openly in those vids, and that this is a new product so it means someone somewhere is researching our little condition...


Hope you're all lovely
Grace x

[neptune]

right off the bat, in my pov, BA sounds way better. lactic acid is the first ingredient, which i read is good for the good bacteria down there. Represh contains all of those nasty parabens which aren't supposed to be good for you anyway. in addtion, it contains glycerin, which sometimes causes yeast infections in women. glycerin is also found in many lubes, be careful ladies. i don't know if the glycogen and glycol in the BA does the same thing.

Thanks.

I'm having success with BA at the moment. I use it once or twice a week and the onion smell disappears COMPLETELY for a few days, sometimes up to about 5 days. (I was even confident enough to let my ex go down on me.) It also reduces my discharge to a normal amount, which is amazing, so I can walk around the supermarket without liquid seeping out of my underwear

Don't know whether it would've helped me when my bv was really bad though, cause recently it's been more of a ph imbalance I think, rather than full blown bv. Perhaps that's why it helps me? It almost seems too good to be true at the moment, so I'm suspicious.

[ladylustlove]

I had a look online and it seems that Rephresh contains Purified Water USP, Glycerin, Polycarbophil, Carbopol 974P, Ethylparaben Sodium, Methylparaben Sodium, Propylparaben Sodium, Sodium Hydroxide.
Balance Active contains Lactic acid, glycogen, propylene glycol, methylhydroxypropyl cellulose, sodium lactate, water, pH3.8

The ingredients may be different, but I suspect the results are the same.

Anyone out there tried both?

right off the bat, in my pov, BA sounds way better. lactic acid is the first ingredient, which i read is good for the good bacteria down there. Represh contains all of those nasty parabens which aren't supposed to be good for you anyway. in addtion, it contains glycerin, which sometimes causes yeast infections in women. glycerin is also found in many lubes, be careful ladies. i don't know if the glycogen and glycol in the BA does the same thing.


and italian wife, that is such a good question. i myself have wondered the same thing.


As for a personal update, all was good until a week or so ago, when the bf said it started
smelling a little wayward down there. And then i noticed i did indeed have an
increase in white discharge. after a couple of days the discharge went away however, and
my bf said i smelled normal again.

so, wtf.

i thought up of a few reasons why this relapse may have happened:

I started doing one probiotic a day instead of 2. since the incident, i have upped my doasge back to normal.

My bf ate me out for like an hour. I doubt this may be the sole reason, but maybe a contributor??

I drank heavily for a couple of nights. first it was nye, then i had a party to go to. on top of that, my diet
was not so great. i wasn't following the alkaline diet for those few days and then BAM the bv hit.

after a few days of normal probiotic use and alkaline diet....it seems ok again. but it still freaked me out.

[tosha]

Hi Tosha,

Thanks for your comments on my blog. I'm glad you found it helpful.

"Sweaty" and Lori (me) are different people. It's not clear who you're speaking to. FYI.

Sorry about that! It was you. Both you and she have blog siggies and I got confused.

[Italianwife88]

Sorry I haven't written in a while guys. I've been trying to reevaluate whats going on with me down there, and it struck me that ive never had this strong fishy odor smell that alot of you talk about. I've been diagnosed with BV but not a certain strain or anything. ive also tried flagyl and metro gel for it. ive tried fem d, i've tried taking probiotics and changing my diet and it just seems to never leave. When i read what joan had written about it being hormonal that really made sense to me because it really only happens when my hormones change to start my period. like currently i have a chunky white discharge, no smell, no itching. If it wasnt for the discharge, id be golden. could Birth control change the hormones that might trigger this?

[lori]

Sweaty-love your blog, left you some comments.

Hi Tosha,

Thanks for your comments on my blog. I'm glad you found it helpful.

"Sweaty" and Lori (me) are different people. It's not clear who you're speaking to. FYI.

[tosha]

Hello Ladies,
I am new here. After 4 years I decided to start trying to do more research on BV. I have read and read and read until I can read no more!
Glad to have found you.
My BV went undiagnosed for 4 years....had so many drs tell me this was just something I would have to deal with, one even told me "this is part of your beauty."
Ladies, if this was happening to a man, I betchya they would be a lot more concerned about it!!
ok, off my soapbox.
well I finally got diagnosed last august and did the metro pills. wow I felt like a real woman again, for about 3 weeks. then guess who? yep, back again. not so bad though, thought I could deal...up until about 3 weeks ago, when i went on the 1000 calorie diet. (stupid i know-you don't have to tell me) obviously i was not getting the vitamins i needed because the BV got HORRIBLE.
Ladies, I have kept this secret from my husband all these years...and finally told him 3 days ago. poor guy-i should have done that a long time ago. i guess I am one of the lucky ones because the only symptom i have is discharge, and the smell after sex. no everyday fishy odor. since my husband was a virgin when we met (2 weeks after i first realized something was amiss down there), he never questioned the smell after sex. well he has been so understanding about this situation and that is great.
I started my second round of metro pills 2 days ago, i am also taking 2 fem-D a day along wih the metro. i really hope this helps. i am thinking about also getting the rephresh to use after sex.

Sweaty-love your blog, left you some comments.

Ladies, my heart goes out to you..it makes me so sad what some of you are having to deal with with the odor. the comments people have made to you, it is not right, I am so sorry. My cousin had the odor for about a year with her bv, and she said she was absolutely miserable and cried daily. couldn't get help from drs either. she said she finally found something that helped her. i will find out what it was and post it.

Nice to "meet" you all. I'm Tosha, 26, married to my soul mate, and have a 7 year old boy who loves thumb wrestling and legos, and a 15 month old girl who is a spoiled little queen. currently studying for my masters degree and staying home wih the kids. live in mobile, al.....would love to move back out west to arizona one day!
So glad to know I am not alone in BV hell and that this is not "just part of my beauty" lmao

[lori]

Have you tried Rephresh? Does it work?

It doesn't work.

It doesn't hurt, and if you need a pH-balanced lubricant, it's fine. But it's pretty expensive, and it doesn't really do anything.

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

I haven't written in SUCH a long time, I was researching and came across Balance Activ, and was coming to the only reliable source for BV that I know of (BUST) to inquire and the first thing I see is Neptune asking a question about it...

WOW!

We can't get it in the US though

I really think my issue is hormones and PH balance...Can you guys please start posting information and sources on how to get these two things in order?

I just ordered more FemD as someone went in my fridge and threw my last ones away.

I was also reading that antibiotics aren't necessarily necessary to rid the body of BV, yeast, or trich...Can someone please elaborate.

I always know when my vaginal condition is worsening because I get CHRONIC, CHRONIC unshakable fatigue.

Someone please chime in about hormones and PH balance.

Thanks!

Ps. This site: http://womenshealth.com/shop/catalog/produ...roducts_id/2179 has the PH testing kit for really cheap. I ordered 2...To test before and after, I also ordered the yeast suppositories.

If you suspect your hormones are off balance, you should schedule an appointment with an Endocrinologist and get properly evaluated so you know for sure that this is a hormonal problem and not something else. As far as balancing vaginal PH, what I know for sure is the vagina has to maintain it's acidity. Various probiotics help a lot because they contain the live cultures that a normal healthy vagina would typically have. A few people claim probiotics don't help at all and swear by other remedies that have helped. Other than probiotics, there are certain herbs that you can experiment with. Afterall it doesn't hurt to try something new.

[neptune]

I haven't written in SUCH a long time, I was researching and came across Balance Activ, and was coming to the only reliable source for BV that I know of (BUST) to inquire and the first thing I see is Neptune asking a question about it...

WOW!

Have you tried Rephresh? Does it work? I haven't tried it, but I'm not sure that Balance Activ would be any more effective. BA reduces my discharge for a couple of days, but I can't pass comment on how well it helps odour because my odour isn't particularly strong at the moment, and is more rotton or oniony than fishy atm.

I had a look online and it seems that Rephresh contains Purified Water USP, Glycerin, Polycarbophil, Carbopol 974P, Ethylparaben Sodium, Methylparaben Sodium, Propylparaben Sodium, Sodium Hydroxide.
Balance Active contains Lactic acid, glycogen, propylene glycol, methylhydroxypropyl cellulose, sodium lactate, water, pH3.8

The ingredients may be different, but I suspect the results are the same.

Anyone out there tried both?

[JoanClayton]

I haven't written in SUCH a long time, I was researching and came across Balance Activ, and was coming to the only reliable source for BV that I know of (BUST) to inquire and the first thing I see is Neptune asking a question about it...

WOW!

We can't get it in the US though

I really think my issue is hormones and PH balance...Can you guys please start posting information and sources on how to get these two things in order?

I just ordered more FemD as someone went in my fridge and threw my last ones away.

I was also reading that antibiotics aren't necessarily necessary to rid the body of BV, yeast, or trich...Can someone please elaborate.

I always know when my vaginal condition is worsening because I get CHRONIC, CHRONIC unshakable fatigue.

Someone please chime in about hormones and PH balance.

Thanks!

Ps. This site: http://womenshealth.com/shop/catalog/produ...roducts_id/2179 has the PH testing kit for really cheap. I ordered 2...To test before and after, I also ordered the yeast suppositories.

[neptune]

Is there a difference between Balance Activ (which contains lactic acid) and Rephresh? I've been using Balance Activ every few days to keep my discharge under control. Obviously it's just a temporary fix. Not having too much of a problem with odour at the moment, but have a heavy green discharge when I don't use the BA.

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

OH YEAH REPHRESH I USE IT ONCE AND THE SAME DAY I SMELL LIKE STRONG FISH I GUESS IT CAN'T BLOCK THE BV ODOR. I WASH UP WITH LIME SOMETIMES WITH TEASPOON OF VINGEAR NOTHING CAN STOP THE SMELL. I TRYING NOT TO LET THIS AFFECT MY LIFE BUT THE SMELL!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

I understand where your coming from. Vaginal odor can be very annoying and stressful. I can see why you would use vinegar and lime juice to self treat. Lime and vinegar is very acidic. Lime is about 2.3 on the ph scale and vinegar is about 2.9 (article), a normal healthy vagina has a PH that ranges from 3.8 to 4.5 (article). And if the vaginal acidity goes down it can make room for infections. Although many people use vinegar/lime douches regularly or use it to get rid of an infection, there really is no proof that using either will actually cure anything. Douching clears out the vaginal coating which is composed of bacteria both good and bad. If most of the good bacteria is cleared out then the bad bacetria takes over and causes infection. That's what most people don't realize when they douche. The goal with maintaining a healthy vagina is to keep the vaginal acidity up and have more good bacteria than bad bacteria. Depending on the bacteria that takes over, it can cause an odor.

(Click Here) It's a great article on Bacterial Vaginosis and it explains the cause and reason for the vaginal odor in the 1st paragraph.

What medications have you taken to treat your BV? I'll try to give you advice or help you in what-ever way I can.

[horror_movie]

OH YEAH REPHRESH I USE IT ONCE AND THE SAME DAY I SMELL LIKE STRONG FISH I GUESS IT CAN'T BLOCK THE BV ODOR. I WASH UP WITH LIME SOMETIMES WITH TEASPOON OF VINGEAR NOTHING CAN STOP THE SMELL. I TRYING NOT TO LET THIS AFFECT MY LIFE BUT THE SMELL!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

[horror_movie]

There are plenty of foods that are high in fiber (link). Foods that contain fiber would be fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. Or you can take a fiber supplement like Benefiber, although I highly recommend that you eat foods containing fiber which your body will absorb properly. VitaminWater is actually pretty bad (label). I was just reading the table of contents and it contains chrystalline-fructose, which is just as bad as high fructose corn syrup, and a bunch of other foreign additives that I'm not familiar with. I myself try to avoid sport drinks, sodas and juices. They're always so high in sugar and other fluff. You should lean more towards water. It's crisp, light, refreshing and doesn't leave a bad after taste in your mouth. And it's really good for your overall health. But I have to ask ... why are you trying to "detoxify" your body?

Thanks for the advice!!! i been so occupied with work that i didn't take the time to take care of my situation. This time im gOING HANDLE IT!!

[Sweaty in Social Studies]

IS THERE ANY PILLS THAT HAVE FIBER IN THEM THAT I HAVE TO TAKE? I HAVE TO EAT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD? I DON'T DRINK ANY JUICE OR SODA ONLY VITAMIN WATER IS THAT OK?

There are plenty of foods that are high in fiber (link). Foods that contain fiber would be fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. Or you can take a fiber supplement like Benefiber, although I highly recommend that you eat foods containing fiber which your body will absorb properly. VitaminWater is actually pretty bad (label). I was just reading the table of contents and it contains chrystalline-fructose, which is just as bad as high fructose corn syrup, and a bunch of other foreign additives that I'm not familiar with. I myself try to avoid sport drinks, sodas and juices. They're always so high in sugar and other fluff. You should lean more towards water. It's crisp, light, refreshing and doesn't leave a bad after taste in your mouth. And it's really good for your overall health. But I have to ask ... why are you trying to "detoxify" your body?

[neptune]

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with vaginal bleeding after intercourse, it's been two or three days since and when i wake up in the morning i have quite a bit of blood in my discharge? I have read the both bv and yeast infections can cause there to be bleeding after intercourse. all of my tests back in October - apart from BV - were otherwise clear, my pap was clear, so i'm thinking it has to be the bv?

I had this for a while, when my bv was at its worst. Any penetration, even a finger, would cause bleeding. It seemed to be from the walls of the vagina as opposed to (or as well as) from deeper inside.
I asked my doctor about it and she just dismissed it and said it was due to the pill. She didn't even examine me Anyway, I'm sure she was wrong because as soon as the bv cleared that time, the bleeding stopped immediately, and I'm still on the same pill. So yes, I think bv can definitely cause bleeding after penetration.

[horror_movie]

IS THERE ANY PILLS THAT HAVE FIBER IN THEM THAT I HAVE TO TAKE? I HAVE TO EAT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD? I DON'T DRINK ANY JUICE OR SODA ONLY VITAMIN WATER IS THAT OK?