[melis19750]

my OBGYN is really good, she actually told me this "just because you have clue cells and an odor, don't assume its BV until the test results come back for either Haemophilus vaginitis, or Gardnerella vaginitis." Than she said "this is just a way physicians conclude or suspect what you have before test results come in." Like I mentioned other bacterial overgrowth can also cause weird odors. As well as inflammation, itching, etc;
it took me forever to find a great doctor- and she is sooo hard to get a dang appointment with because everyone wants to see her..I also love that
he is also into natural medicine/holistic
so..... like I said before, unless you were cultured and specifically Haemophilus vaginitis, or Gardnerella vaginitis. came back on your culture/ the bacteria that is the cause of BV, it may be a different bacteria- so hopefully you can get the right treatment..keep us posted Im really curious to know what your culture says

you may have a yeast infection from the flagyl-keep taking the pro-biotics to help combat yeast

hopefully you dont have a YI- they suck!!!

[melinda7]

[quote name='melis19750' date='Sep 30 2010, 04:36 PM' post='263584']
and im curious to know exactly what bacteria you have thats causing your issues. It would be great to know your flagyl is doing its job working on the right bacteria. I hope you have'nt spent all this time on flagyl with a bacteria it wont work on... let alone a misdiagnosis...
[/quote

It wasn't a misdiagnosis. I definitely had BV with the discharge and odor I had -- they were both textbook. I wonder if I have a lot of yeast too and maybe some strep b. The odor is gone, but I still have discharge and a salty/musty smell that I am not crazy about, but no characteristic BV odor.

[melis19750]

and im curious to know exactly what bacteria you have thats causing your issues. It would be great to know your flagyl is doing its job working on the right bacteria. I hope you have'nt spent all this time on flagyl with a bacteria it wont work on... let alone a misdiagnosis...

So, I have an appt. coming up with the gyno. I am going to ask them to do a culture and a PH test on me. I'll pay extra for it, if I have to...So curious to see if I have clue cells while on flagyl.

[melinda7]

So, I have an appt. coming up with the gyno. I am going to ask them to do a culture and a PH test on me. I'll pay extra for it, if I have to...So curious to see if I have clue cells while on flagyl.

[melis19750]

just a thought; i kinda dislike how this folder is called "our bodies our hells". I don't find my body a hell... i just find it an imbalance sometimes
maybe a folder should be renamed? lol
I believe if you think more positive, positive things will become/happen

[melis19750]

You know, the symptoms of BV vary.

And after doing a LOT of research every site says something a lil different. WSome say thick, some say thin

but yes what i have is BV not yeast.
i was cultured and it came back positive only for gardernella )BV)

a KOH test can come back pos with other bacteria as well.. thats why its important to have a culture done to determine what kind of infection you have

BTW- when I have had yeast infections in the past, they were thing discharge with cottage cheese clumps- NO SMELL

so this def has been BV- although since im back on fem-d it seems as though the symptoms are going away... smell is not as noticeable...

I don't remember the brand off the top of my head, but I got it at Whole Foods in the same section as Fem-D.

I don't use Rephresh pro's. I only use refrigerated ones.

I am definitely getting a culture next appt.

I think, for me, the clue cells could be for BV, because as soon as I go off Flagyl, it comes back -- within a week.

Your discharge sounds more like yeast. BV is thin, milky, whitish-gray, not thick. Clue cells are always present, afaik. Did they do the KOH test on you? Whenever BV is diagnosed, there is at least clue cells or a positive KOH, and a PH higher than 4.5. Those are the dx criteria.

[melinda7]

I don't remember the brand off the top of my head, but I got it at Whole Foods in the same section as Fem-D.

I don't use Rephresh pro's. I only use refrigerated ones.

I am definitely getting a culture next appt.

I think, for me, the clue cells could be for BV, because as soon as I go off Flagyl, it comes back -- within a week.

Your discharge sounds more like yeast. BV is thin, milky, whitish-gray, not thick. Clue cells are always present, afaik. Did they do the KOH test on you? Whenever BV is diagnosed, there is at least clue cells or a positive KOH, and a PH higher than 4.5. Those are the dx criteria.

[melis19750]

which pro-biotic did you buy for $9? Im curious because Fem D is expensive

although the vitamin shop sells it for $29 for 60 capsules

and i looked into repHresh Pro-B and it has the exact same ingredients as Fem-D but its actually more expensive
its sold here at CVS for $29.99 for only 30 capsules and it has dextrose and potato starch in it.

=(

BTW- even though you have
"clue cells" please please please make sure they culture you to know exactly which bacteria is causing the clue cells.

Clue cells don't automatically mean gardernella bacteria.

Like I mentioned a while ago... when I had clue cells in the past- it was always groub b strep overgrowth
never the bacteria that cause BV

and this time-when I was Dx with Gardernella for the first time ever...i didnt even have "clue cells"
just simply a slight odor and thick white discharge

Oh, I DID do the whole natural approach for years. Years. I took tons of probiotics, ate tons of yogurt, cut sugar out of my diet completely -- not as easy as you think because it's in everything. No improvement. I've only recently, aside from a few courses of flagyl here and there a long time ago, gone to conventional meds and it's better than it's ever been, but not perfect. I still have clue cells.
So, I went to get fem-d again, but then I figured: Why can't I get another good probiotic that has the same strains of probiotics, but is more reasonably priced. I found one that is the exact same strains and amounts of probiotics as Fem-D on sale for $9. And it's enterically coated (so it survives the stomach acids) and doesn't contain dextrose and potato starch and all the other fillers they use, so I can insert it too. I was hesitant to use their brand internally with all that other junk in it. 1/3 of the price! Worth a shot. Fem-D didn't work for me anyway, so let's see if this does. At least I got three for under the price of one measly bottle of theirs, if it does or doesn't. It also contains acidopholus, which is good for insertion, which fem-d doesn't have.

Rant over

Oh, re the rephresh articles, yeah, maybe, but same goes for Fem-D. Those articles were med studies from independent MD's (I think. I'll have to recheck). But every med article I've read independent of rephresh stresses the importance of low PH. It's even one of the qualifiers for a diagnosis of BV (Greater than 4.5 PH).

[melinda7]

Oh, I DID do the whole natural approach for years. Years. I took tons of probiotics, ate tons of yogurt, cut sugar out of my diet completely -- not as easy as you think because it's in everything. No improvement. I've only recently, aside from a few courses of flagyl here and there a long time ago, gone to conventional meds and it's better than it's ever been, but not perfect. I still have clue cells.


So, I went to get fem-d again, but then I figured: Why can't I get another good probiotic that has the same strains of probiotics, but is more reasonably priced. I found one that is the exact same strains and amounts of probiotics as Fem-D on sale for $9. And it's enterically coated (so it survives the stomach acids) and doesn't contain dextrose and potato starch and all the other fillers they use, so I can insert it too. I was hesitant to use their brand internally with all that other junk in it. 1/3 of the price! Worth a shot. Fem-D didn't work for me anyway, so let's see if this does. At least I got three for under the price of one measly bottle of theirs, if it does or doesn't. It also contains acidopholus, which is good for insertion, which fem-d doesn't have.

Rant over

Oh, re the rephresh articles, yeah, maybe, but same goes for Fem-D. Those articles were med studies from independent MD's (I think. I'll have to recheck). But every med article I've read independent of rephresh stresses the importance of low PH. It's even one of the qualifiers for a diagnosis of BV (Greater than 4.5 PH).

keep using the pro biotics, im sure eventually they will colonize
but it could also be because you have been using a lot of other things??

If you are on and off with medications-vaginal creams- etc...it will only not help the vagina

what i pretty much did was leave everything alone and rely ONLY on my fem-dophilus
it took a few weeks for me to notice a real difference... but it worked

I read the article, and to be honest, I think its RepHresh companies way of convincing us to use their products

their products are great but for some people cause some issues like weird discharge, temporary relief of BV, and someone even stated it gave her a yeast infection

go to jarrows website and listen to the video on the doctor who formulated fem-dophilus
you might start to understand how it works

he did a study using fem-d vaginally 2 times a day for 5 days and how it cured BV
but they can't market it vaginally in america because its not FDA approved

[melis19750]

keep using the pro biotics, im sure eventually they will colonize
but it could also be because you have been using a lot of other things??

If you are on and off with medications-vaginal creams- etc...it will only not help the vagina

what i pretty much did was leave everything alone and rely ONLY on my fem-dophilus
it took a few weeks for me to notice a real difference... but it worked

I read the article, and to be honest, I think its RepHresh companies way of convincing us to use their products

their products are great but for some people cause some issues like weird discharge, temporary relief of BV, and someone even stated it gave her a yeast infection

go to jarrows website and listen to the video on the doctor who formulated fem-dophilus
you might start to understand how it works

he did a study using fem-d vaginally 2 times a day for 5 days and how it cured BV
but they can't market it vaginally in america because its not FDA approved

Well...I've tried them all, including fem-d and they did nothing. I get good brands too, not cheap stuff. That article says the more acidic ph allows the good bacteria to take hold more and it makes sense to me.

[melinda7]

i don't quite agree you have to have the right pH level to colonize the good bacteria.

The good bacteria actually help restore your vaginal pH.

It may be your using a pro-biotic thats not working for you? or you may need to take them a certain way...

all i can tell you is fem-d is what normalized my pH and its why im finally back on it
i should have never stopped taking it

Well...I've tried them all, including fem-d and they did nothing. I get good brands too, not cheap stuff. That article says the more acidic ph allows the good bacteria to take hold more and it makes sense to me.

[melis19750]

interesting- but no
although im taking a digestive enzyme from trader joe's thats made my pineapple and Papya

This may seem like a silly question, but has anyone on here ever tried eating pineapples to improve the way their vaginal secretions taste and smell. It's one of those old wives tales that people swear by: eating pineapples improves the vaginal scent and taste. Some say it makes the vaginal secretions taste sweeter and smell good. I actually like eating pineapples. I plan on doing some research on this.

[swt simplicity]

This may seem like a silly question, but has anyone on here ever tried eating pineapples to improve the way their vaginal secretions taste and smell. It's one of those old wives tales that people swear by: eating pineapples improves the vaginal scent and taste. Some say it makes the vaginal secretions taste sweeter and smell good. I actually like eating pineapples. I plan on doing some research on this.

[melis19750]

i don't quite agree you have to have the right pH level to colonize the good bacteria.

The good bacteria actually help restore your vaginal pH.

It may be your using a pro-biotic thats not working for you? or you may need to take them a certain way...

all i can tell you is fem-d is what normalized my pH and its why im finally back on it
i should have never stopped taking it

Read this article. The 2nd one is better. It is on reducing vaginal PH. I am going to try this. I think it's why probiotics don't help me. You have to have the right PH to colonize probiotics.

http://www.rephresh.com/Content/Clinical_Studies.aspx

[melinda7]

Read this article. The 2nd one is better. It is on reducing vaginal PH. I am going to try this. I think it's why probiotics don't help me. You have to have the right PH to colonize probiotics.

http://www.rephresh.com/Content/Clinical_Studies.aspx

[melinda7]

Those tampons sound great -- if they work.

[melis19750]

welcome =)
by the way has anyone tried the new RePhresh Brilliant tampons that are supposed to keep your vaginal pH at a 3.5-4.5 while your on your menstrual cycle? I just received my $1 off coupon today and plan on trying them. =)

[melinda7]

boric doesn't work for me.

[sassy]

Also, Maggie, or anyone else who has had success with Fem-D...how does sex affect it? Do you find yourself staying normal even after sex? Or do you need to take an extra probiotic afterwards. Just curious. Haven't tested the waters on that yet.

[sassy]

Amen, Sassy. I've taken at least one Fem-dophilus orally per day (and periodically use one vaginally, as the patent-holder for this probiotic affirms is fine to do) for about 4 years now. No more BV-yeast cycles! Amazing product!
maggie

I'm so glad to hear that it worked for you too! And it doesn't worry me about doing harm to my body (i.e. constant boric acid use). I'm so excited to have found this.