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

I worry about this too, but if I didn't use boric acid, I wouldn't have any relief. I've tried everything else and this is the only thing that has helped me at all.

My gynecologist said the main thing to watch for, side-effectwise, when using boric acid long-term is vaginal dryness. He recommended using estrogen cream when not "on" boric acid. Also, since boric acid kills off at least some of the good bacteria as well as bad, it's a good idea to take/use probiotics, such as FemDophilus. (I took it orally when using boric acid. I think if using it vaginally, I'd do it 24 hours away from using the boric acid. Just my idea.)

Hugs,
Maggie

This is why I heart busties, because you gals always find the information I'm looking for but can't find. I've been trying to find info on the prolonged boric acid use, and couldn't seem to get anything on it. NO wonder I'm having dryness problems. I chalked it up to my hormones being jacked. But maybe it IS the boric acid. However, I'm like Sassy, it is the only thing that keeps my issues check (even if it's just temporarily). I don't have the money to run to the drug store or gyn every time I get a hint of an infection.

Wow. That's all I can say. I just came back from the GYN and was told I have trich. I've been in the same relationship for 3 and a half years and I am sure we've both been faithful. I've been having these discharge and itch symptoms for too long now and have been tested over and over and over. I've got the labwork in my hands all saying negative for trich. Do you know that the PA said that if the samples she's taken in the past were not samples carrying the virus it wouldn't have shown up? On one hand, I'm disgusted and embarassed. On the other, I'm glad she found it and hoping maybe the oral flagyl (first time my man and I'll be taking it) will do the trick and end this madness. Ladies, keep getting tested, you never know.

There's no need to be disgusted and embarassed. Now that you know what the problem is, you're better off. I'm really glad for you.

BUT LADIES! This is something that I've brought up in this thread many times, and have detailed in my blog. Ladies need a Trich-specific test!

A quick rundown:
- Trich has similar symptoms as BV
- Trich is cured by oral flagyl; but if your partner has it, too, you will be re-infected
- pap smears & wet preps only detect Trich 60% of the time
- So? You need to get a Trich-specific test! (list of types and their accuracy rates are in my blog)

This occurred to me during my research and when I brought it up in here, some people treated me like it was stupid. Because they knew everything there was to know about BV or something. Well, guess what? You were fucking wrong, weren't you? Think about how such ignorance is hurting people and keeping them from getting helpful, even essential information.

God, this thread used to be so full of ignorance and retarded advice, it's not even funny. Sorry about the morning bitterness, but I think about all the time I've wasted in this cesspool fighting with some of you fucking thick-headed morons just to make sure my theories are not dumped on, and it pisses me off.

Have you tried fem-dophilus?

I recall you said that you wouldn't take it because you were vegetarian/vegan. I respect that decision, by the way. But if you haven't tried it, then you can't know if it works for you or not.

Woah! Somebody needs a stiff drink and a hug
Scary thing is, my guy was tested too - his urine and semen both and the doc said all clean. He has symptoms of prostatitis and the infection has caused his "tubes" to be blocked, no sperm int he samples whatsoever. He may be infertile from carrying this infection untreated for so long. Sad, huh? Seriously, I was specifically tested for trich multiple times and always negative. I KNOW he's been faithful; he's a wonderful wonderful man. In my desperation, I've been trying to cure myself instead of the doctor's visits. Just so happens this time I thought I had PID and she said come in. Glad I did, I guess. I know it's annoying, but I guess my advice is KEEP GETTING THOSE TESTS DONE and maybe one of them will finally give you some answers. Wow, still cannot believe it.

Yeah, like I said, sorry for the bitterness. But maybe you don't know the absolute FUCKING SHIT I've been through in here. The self-appointed "ruling class" of this thread who've decided that they know everything would blast any new or useful information, getting people to believe that all doctors were useless and all prescription drugs didn't work (unless directly shoved into vaginas). The rampant ignorance was rather pathetic.

And no, I didn't enjoy having to fight to make every single point, until people finally started to see reason. But people do not respond to politeness in here, so I've had to break out the yelling and the cussing to get people to fucking listen to facts. So yes, I'm a little prickly and bitter. But I do think it was worth it, because obviously, this stuff is important for people to know. Too bad it took so much fighting and bitching to get people to finally know it.

But ... *deep breath* ... let's focus on getting the information out there. DON'T DISMISS TRICH, PEOPLE! Ages ago, a bustie who now works in an STD clinic proved my theory that Trich is definitely falling through the cracks.


Well, again, glad you finally caught it. Let's hope it's finally out of your (and his) systems forever.

(Wow - I sort of feel scared of actually posting... I've been reading this forum for so long... but c'mon Grace, pull yourself together. And maybe stop talking to yourself, it'll give an odd first impression...)

Big Hello and THANK YOU to every lady who has gone before me on this thread. I really have been reading and taking advice from this forum for a long time, maybe 2 years. It's been such an ally and comfort to know I'm not abnormal, because you know the hardest thing about having BV is not feeling like a 'whole/normal' woman, isn't it? You guys have helped ease that, and given me hope. Okay, I'll just give you a rundown of my situation -

I'm 27, have had BV (not diagnosed - more of that in a bit) since I was 18. I'd just come off the pill when I first noticed it, so thought it might be my body rebalancing - but it just never got round to doing that.

My symptoms are a watery clear discharge with a strong smell, sometimes fishy, sometimes more like amonia. No itching or burning. Often I have a clear gloopy discharge more at the 'front' part of my vagina, only really notice that when I wipe after urinating. (Twice in the past month I've noticed brown specks in that gloopy discharge - and that's worrying me.)

It took me almost 2 years from noticing it at 18 to plucking up the courage to go to the doctors. I'd never had full penetrative sex and worried about the process/pain of examination.

So I was 20 years old then, and my (female) doctor tried to do a smear, but I kind of closed up and screamed - she was not amused, and said 'It's no bigger than any penis' - referring to the cold metal instrument in her hand. I couldn't complete the test.

I didn't go back to the doc for another year, so I 21 this time - luckily had a very understanding GYN this time and she used a smaller instrument and lots of reassurance. Results came back positive for Chlamydia - a total shock - I'd only had one boyf and after him a couple of 'foreplay' type encounters - not promiscuous at all - so not fair - but I actually felt relieved because I thought I knew what was causing the discharge.

Took the antibiotics, but the discharge didn't ease up. Everything was the same. Got re-tested after 2 weeks - Chlamydia had disappeared - and everything else was negative too. Felt deflated because I'd expected my discharge to be a symptom of chlamydia and if that had gone, why was I left with the discharge still? Went back for another test 3 weeks later because I just couldn't understand how everything was exactly the same as before - wet pants, fishy odour, you know the drill. Tests came back negative for everything again.

Doc said maybe that was just my natural state - but I found that hard to believe because I wasn't like this before I was 18, I was, well - normal. I soooo miss that dryness!

I haven't been tested for anything since that time, 6 years ago now. I have tried, been in the stirrups all ready to be examined, but I've just freaked out again. I've built the whole process up in my head so much that even though I managed it at 21, it terrifies me now.

I have an amazing boyfriend of almost 7 years. He's supportive and kind and actually doesn't think I smell - but I know I shy away fron being intimate when I know things are worse down there. Still haven't had full penetrative sex, but we make our own fun.

In every other way I feel my life is perfect. But this discharge and odour is always there, even at my happiest I think 'Oh but I'm not entirely happy because...'

That's why I love this place - the research, the ideas, the support eveyone gives - helps make me feel like I can find a way of getting rid of this. I've tried quite a few vitamin/supplements orally because I'm obviously hesitant about putting stuff in me... Nothing I've tried so far has made a difference - but here they are-

Folic Acid
Vit C
Garlic
Vit B complex
Vit B7
Acidopholus

I live in the UK and we can't get FemD but I discovered to my absolute joy you can buy it on Ebay and have it shipped over. I doubt it'll be refridgerated - do you think it's still worth a try? I might have to wait til after Xmas when funds aren't so low anyway.

But I just read on another thread that a lady got rid of her smelly discharge by going on a high-alkaline diet - so I'm seriously thinking I might do that. In case anyone's interested in it, here's a chart which guides you on what foods are what: PH Food list

It'll take a bit of planning but it's all healthy stuff and could be worth a go. Has anyone else tried it?

Right, I'll stop there - didn't expect to write so much, must've been cathartic!

Will update any progress I make with the Alkaline diet. I think it's a 80% 20% thing - mainly need to give up the good stuff, coffee, cake, chocolate... and it's nearly Christmas!?

Cheers guys,
lots of love and luck
Grace.

Do you know if that "clear gloopy" discharge is ovulation discharge? The brown specks could be the small amount of blood involved when your ovary releases an egg.

(This is just pure speculation - clear it with your doctor, of course.)

Welcome to the group, Grace.

Thanks, Lori. I'm hoping it's that, and as I've only seen it twice and def the first time would have been in sync with when I was "releasing", egg-wise.

I stupidly googled 'spotting' and got links to all these cervical cancer sites, scared myself. As it's contained within the mucasy stuff, I don't think I need to worry. It was a miniscule amount. You know how it is when you analyse every thing that happens down there... Which is a good thing really.

I appreciate all the effort and gusto you've put into your posts and blog. You're the reason I want FemD asap! I know you recommend it should be refridgerated, but as I said before being here in the UK where it's not available in stores means I'll have to have it shipped, un-chilled stylee. I need to try it though. The acidophulus on sale here doesn't contain the two all-important strains found in FemD.

I just wondered if in your research (and anyone else's) you've heard of anyone trying the high alkaline diet? I'm pretty sure no one's mentionned it on this forum.

Cheers,
Grace.

Grace---Before FemDophilus was available in the US, I obtained it in Austria. It goes by the brand name OMBE. Perhaps it is also available in other European countries under that name?

Take care,
Maggie C.

Thanks, Maggie.

I've Googled OMBE but nothing related came up. Do you mind me asking how long ago you purchased it?

Yeah, I really know what you mean.


My first two bottles of Fem-D were not stored/shipped refrigerated. But they still helped me. So I would say - it's ideal if it's refrigerated. But not useless if it's not. (After you get them, you should probably store them in the fridge anyway.)

I don't know much about high-alkaline, but it is all the rage in some health circles. A friend of mine even bought an expensive machine that infuses water with alkaline. She insists that I drink a glass everytime I'm over - but I haven't noticed any changes.

So yeah ... not a lot of info. there. But that's all I know about it.

It was a couple of years ago. I had a friend in Austria buy it at a local drugstore & ship it to me. Chr Hansen, a company in Denmark, manufactures it. That's all I recall. If I run across anything else, I'll post it.

Maggie c.

Hi everyone. I went to the doc a couple of days ago and she gave me a script for Clindesse which is a one dose treatment to get rid of BV. I am so nervous. I am so tired of smelling so bad. I tried everything. Even the metro pills with the femdolphis(which by the way put a big hole in my pocket) Anyway anyone had success with the one dose treatment for Clindesse. Thanks, Bye

i've done the clindesse like 3 or 4 times last year with no success. i've had this damn thing for over about 1.5 years and i've tried everything. i don't want to do antibiotics anymore because it doesn't even help and it's making me resistant to the medication...just in case i need to take it later for a different kind of infection. so i had to go natural.....boric acid. i did that for about 2 months. one in the morning and at night, while doing that i would also take femd and nature's reuteri in the middle of the day. to tell you the truth this is the only thing that relieved me of the symptoms of itching and burning and gross discharge. now i'm doing femd vaginally....one at night and i've it's helped alot more vaginally than orally but i still take it by mouth, it wouldn't hurt, i guess. my burning and itching is like 98% gone. every once in awhile i feel a "twitch" but not too bad. the discharge is alot better too, and the smell....well, i smell like femd b/c it does have a certain smell. i'm having sex again too . with a condom though...trojan ultra thin ....so thin i love it and you can't even tell you're using one.

sooo sad

I would NOT use the Clindesse. I'm pretty sure they are pulling it off the market because it can cause strep to grow in your vagina.

Adding to the chorus, here, but the only success I've had with Clindesse was... a different, harder-to-diagnose BV (Strep B overgrowth), which is supposedly treated by a more broad-range (Amoxicillin, aka, Free Trip to Yeast City) antibiotic.

Good luck, and be careful.

Thanks to everyone for replying. So yesterday I took the one therapy dose of Clindesss and....................I still have discharge and a funky odor too. How long before I can feel confident about my hygiene again. I pray every night thats all I can do is just wait, I want my life back.

Again, I would be really careful with that RX. It can do more harm than good. Lori wrote this in June 2007:

"I was doing some further research on strep vaginitis, and on pp.240-241 (click on "Search Inside" and type in "strep" - I can't provide a direct link) of this book it says that Clindamycin causes the overgrowth! The previous link by CanCan said it can be caused by flagyl and clindamycin cream (e.g., clindesse), but not Clindamycin oral."

hmmmmm...... and can strep b overgrowth give you a abad smell? ive researched it before on medical websites but never found anything clear on that part...

I am getting ready to start taking boric acid pills. I have 14 to take one a week and she also gave me three refills. I'm beginning to do the math and it looks like that might be a long time without sex. Is it okay or safe to have sex while on the boric acid?

when you say "take" i hope you mean insert vaginally, taking it by mouth is very poisonous and you can die....only vaginally please. when i do boric acid i don't have sex until 24hrs later because you have to wait for it to come back out and it's kinda grainy like sand...irritating i would assume if it hasn't all came out. also use a pantiliner because it leaks out during the day. i would use a condom also until you know you are 100% bv free because it can be passed back and forth. good luck

sooo sad

ha. yes i do. Thank you. I have been searching for almost an hour for an answer

It's not as strong as normal BV smell, but it was definitely bad enough for me to 1) notice it and seek treatment, and 2) not invite my darling boyfriend anywhere near that region.

Also, a lot a lot of thin, sticky discharge.

Its disgusting because the test showed that I did have Bacterial Vaginosis I called her again to confirm it and she said the one dose treatment takes about 5 days and if I dont get better by monday she will write me a new script

I had a combo of yeast and bv for years so I know its not strep or an STD, trust me on this. I hate this its getting tired and I am about ready to live the rest of my life being a stinky person, but I still pray for a cure.

I've been suffering for over 18 months now. Last year was BAD. Metronidazole would sort it and it would be back within a week. I was on antidepressants at the time and when I came off them (about september 07 I think) NO MORE BV. But my vaginal health was never the same again and has been gradually getting worse since January of this year.
Sometimes I test positive for bv but usually the test comes back clear. I have a very heavy greenish/white discharge which smells of... onions and strangely, sometimes extremely strongly of vanilla, which isn't a bad thing I suppose. It's usually an onion smell though. And I have constant stinging. Sex is out of the question because of the smell, but also because it's now very painful for me.

Reading through these posts I'm wondering whether it's Strep. BUT it responds to metrogel, it just always comes back. I've had numerous std tests which always come back clear.

Does anyone know whether they include strep testing in a general std check?

Also, do many of you suffer with the onion smell with bv? (It seems to be with lurking bv - when it's full on it's fishy.)

Hi girlies! Time for a new update!
So I went to the doc a month ago to get tested for bv again( had a yellowish discharge, no itching, no fishy smell) and it came back negative! No more bv for me! So I asked the doctor what was this yellowish discharge and he said that a woma 's discharge may vary all through her life, and that it's normal, it changes through the cycle too. That's it! I've noticed that yes, that yellowish discharge seems to come out in a bigger quantity when I'm about to get my period and it disapears after I'm done with it. Still no itch nor pain nor fishy or bad smell. The only smell it has is a very metallic smell(it gets strong near my period). Does this metallic smell could indicate that I have something else? Or is it just normal??

I read that a couple of people in this forum have been using Boric Acid as a way of maintaining the vaginal flora and keeping it acidic. What I found out was some really disturbing effects of using Boric Acid over a long period of time. Results of using Boric Acid over a long period of time would be:

• * Blisters
• * Collapse
• * Coma
• * Convulsions
• * Drowsiness
• * Fever
• * Lack of desire to do anything
• * Low blood pressure
• * Significantly decreased urine output (or none)
• * Sloughing of skin
• * Twitching of facial muscles, arms, hands, legs, and feet

Source:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002485.htm

So, to anyone that has been using Boric Acid as a way of self treating needs to be careful.

SweatyinSocialStudies: That list of symptoms is primarily if you ingest boric acid or use it as a topical. Boric acid is safe for vaginal use and it is in many over-the-counter natural yeast products, such as Yeast Away (or something like that...some ladies were using it before. They're basically a pre-packaged boric acid capsule with some extra herbs added.) Quite a few doctors of the ladies on here have even prescribed boric acid as a treatment to help control chronic BV. That said, if anyone has adverse reactions to any drug/substance, you should stop using it immediately and go to the doctor.

Hello all!

I also struggle with re-occuring bv. Scouring the websites to help find a cure I came across a board were a member tried something that I hope will help all of us. She found that if she used cheese whey; with 75% or more lactose sugars..it cuts down on both smell and itching. No word on wether it does anything for discharge. She does this by putting some powder in her hand...adding water to it and making dough balls and sticking it up her vag as far as it will go; especially after sex. She keeps the other balls in a container with loose powder. Since not from the U.S....another member tried this and had similar results. I think she found it under the brand name NOW. If you do a google search for it; a lot of results come up for using to bodybuild...i think? But these have most of the lactose sugar removed so make sure you read the label.

ON a persona note: Wether you've had one partner or a zillion; it doesn't need to be boasted about or judged. This isn't something ANY of us chose...so we shouldn't dwell on when and who we think it happened with , right?

Hi everyone

I have not been posting in a while. I guess I have developed less of an interest as I have managed my BV. I am not cured but I have maanged to maintain it. Guys please try to take lots of probiotics in your diet. reduce sugars and for me I found out I am lactose intolerant. So I dont do milk anyomore but i take vitamin C supplements. I have a very very faint smell when my immune is low-lack of sleep and not eating well that has happened twice (only lasted a day each) in the past 5 months. But for me, taking enough flora supplements has done the trick after 9 whole years!

Vaginal use IS topical use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topical

But, keep in mind, anything that you apply to your skin gets absorbed into your body. I'm sure long-term use of Boric Acid may come with side effects. For example, lets say you get a rash, you'll probably use something along the lines of calamine lotion to ease the rash. The lotion will absorb into the skin and it's anti-inflammatory properties will work against the rash. I'm sure the same can be said for Boric Acid.

That WAS my point.

I was visiting your blog when I noticed that you said something like Tea Tree Oil suppositories don't have any activity against B.V or Yeast. I find that to be very interesting, especially since a lot of people on this forum have been saying that T.T.O suppositories have rid them of B.V. Not only that, but many homeopathic links say T.T.O suppositories are a quick & natural way of healing vaginal infections. Why do you say Tea Tree Oil suppositories don't work against B.V?

#1 - You didn't address my point - why are you confronting me when all I did was point out that vaginal use = topical use, which doesn't contradict anything you said? Please learn to read more carefully.

#2 - Your question is already answered, right in my blog. I cited my source, and the info. about TTO is from The V Book. Once again, basic reading comprehension would have saved both of us a lot of time.

#3 - There is only one bustie who claims to have been cured by TTO. But she also got rid of her cheating boyfriend at the same time.

I never said TTO doesn't work. I just don't have any reliable info. that it does work. If anyone wants to know more, they can research it on their own or try it themselves.

I think you're so eager to try and pick a fight with me and confront me in whatever way you can, that you can't even tell that I'm agreeing with you this time. And when I respond by pointing out your poor reading comprehension, you respond with pointless nitpicking about my blog. I CITED MY SOURCE, SO YOU CAN VERIFY IT YOURSELF.

You need to get a life, and stop harassing people in this thread. (You don't even have BV. I mean, what the hell?)

Hello All,

I'm new, and I thought I'd share some things that I've found helpful for managing the sx (no cure, I'm afraid).

But first, some background. I've had BV for about 20 years. Even though I'd been complaining to my gyn, I only figured out what my problem was about 4 years ago (and then got a new gyn). It got so bad 4 years ago that I could put on clean underwear, and it would be soaked and stained black within an hour from the discharge (not to mention the stench). In addition, I started sweating smelly, sticky, clothing-staining stuff everywhere (particularly between my breasts and under my arms). I've tried every antibiotic, garlic, voodoo spell, suppository known to humanity - no luck. The only thing to help has been allergy reduction (see below).

I also have a lifelong hx of UTIs, have had a sinus infection (more on than off) for about 15 years, and just figured out 3 years ago that I have some pervasive and severe allergies. I add these last bits in because everything works together to make the BV worse. For example, if I eat a bad food, within 20 minutes it's a BV discharge fiesta. Or if I am hit with a UTI/sinus worsening, same thing. So some of the things below that I've found helpful may not have been helpful for the BV, per se, but rather reduced allergies or something else to free up the immune system to go after the BV.

But here they are, and I hope they help someone:

1) To deodorize: Take a couple of thumbs of fresh ginger and peel them. Put them in cheese cloth, smash them with a hammer to get the juice out and soaking through the cloth. Then swab affected areas (pubic area, under arms, etc).

2) The homeopathic remedy arsenicum album 30C. Although the problem with homeopathic remedies is you have to get the right dose and there are many remedies for the same thing (and you need to find the right one for your particularly body type).

3) Fertility drugs. They did a wonderful job. So, going with the assumption that I am either deficient in hormones (actually, testing revealed that I am estrogen dominant) or unstable in hormone levels, progesterone cream has helped enormously. I use Bio-Entopic.

4) Coconut oil, about 1.5 Tlb/day, taken internally (I use it instead of butter when I make rice). If you search on the net, you'll find that cocount oil confers many benefits (thyroid, cholesterol, systemic infections, etc.), so I'm not exactly sure how this is helping. I use Herbs of Light - organic, cold pressed, etc.

5) A product called Herbal-C is a naturopathic, anti-inflammatory, vaginal suppository. It's messy, but it can relieve sx for awhile.

6) Lastly, Quantum's Anti-Fungal tincture.

HI All
I am also new, have had a problem w/ bv for years n years, ive also tried every antiboitic an magic genie go away trick possible w no results.....9 mo preggers so insurance runs out in a mo.....i also have group strep b and am lactose intolerant.......could these problems be from some kind of fungal infection, my basement is very very moist and i used to smoke mary j and am wondering if mayb some kind of fungus got in it......got those over the counter strips that supposidly check to see if u have the bv and they alwys come up negative, idk y, the symtoms r def there...all the bv signs r there but dr said its so reoccuring cus of some other factor,....also i dealt w bullemia for awhile so mayb some correlation, idk

Hey,

Welcome to the board! 20yrs. is a long time hun to have or have had this. Ouch! I think hormones plays a very important role in all of this and yes, progesterone is great and it makes you feel great too. I love the stuff but you have to be very careful with it because it makes you fertile. Have you tried Zinc for your sweating? Zinc is very good also if you have not tried it. Also, what does the ginger do if you don't mind me asking? Does it keep you from sweating? Anyway, I hope things go well for you.

Hi Neverending,

Thank you for the welcome. It's lovely to find a place like this.

Alas, zinc did zilch for me. (Non-sequitor: I forgot to put in my original - for me, probiotics actually make things much much much worse - but that could be due to allergies).

For me, the ginger removed all odor altogether. It also reduced sweating to practically nothing, prevented the stickiness under my arms (I would need to twitch every now and then to unstick my cloths throughout the day), and prevented the brown staining. The last is a bit iffy, because I did have a faint yellow staining. But I suspected that that staining was from the ginger juice rather than the BV, per se. But I could be wrong.

Itanium

Way too much negativity in here. This should be a place of support. If something works for you, share it. Not everyone has to go that route. I know some people don't like boric acid, but I do. Jewels used TTO, but other people may not get any results with it. Neverending found a hormonal way to treat her BV. To each her own.

I had no idea that you would perceive my question the wrong way. You know what's weird, you always seem to know the right time to throw the most snide comments at me when you feel backed into a corner. But of course, I have to apologize though. I'm sorry that I don't spend all of my time reading everyone's posts and taking the time to type long absurd replies to people that question me. Hmmm ... between you and me, it looks like your the one that needs to get a life. The V Book, that seems to be your only source to anything. Your so narrow minded, you only take the opinion of a gynecologist that nobody has heard of. And the fact that I've never had Bacterial Vaginosis doesn't mean I can't contribute to this forum.

Hi Juliaks2007,

It's all possible. I'm not sure that there is one cause for us all. But I do know that all of the things that you mentioned, even if they didn't cause the BV, can make BV worse. All physical and psychosocial stressors can always operate to either trigger a pathology or make a pre-existing condition worse.

Itanium

I thought you said Dr. Stewart (author of The V Book) was your gynecologist?

I happen to think it's a good book. If we all read it, it wouldn't solve every problem, but it would answer more than 1/2 the questions that are asked in here. I think it provides a good foundation of knowledge.

For the record, I've cited many other sources in my blog, not just The V Book.

If you question anything I've written, or any other posts in this thread, please feel free to perform, and rely on, your own research.

What do you mean by "negativity?"


So, by "negativity," do you mean pointing out potential problems with these suggestions?

Let's face facts. Apparently, these are all bad suggestions.

1. BORIC ACID - According to the site Sweaty linked (National Inst. of Health, not a crackpot site), long-term topical (which incl. vaginal) use of boric acid can cause convulsions, coma, twitchy muscles, and all sorts of other symptoms.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002485.htm

That is some scary shit. People need to know this. You shouldn't take this personally.

2. TEA TREE OIL - This isn't a really bad suggestion, because as far as we know, it won't make you fall into a coma. But I do have research that says it doesn't work.

And Jewels did dump her cheating boyfriend. Let's face it - cheating boyfriend means the "test sample" is tainted with germs from sluts. As a result, we can't conclude anything.

I never said TTO doesn't work. I just don't have any research that it does. It doesn't seem to hurt anyone, so people should try it if they want. But they should have realistic expectations.

3. HORMONES - This is another bad suggestion, because messing with your hormones without doctor supervision is just really stupid and you can permanently fuck up your body. As a result - people should see an endocrinologist if they suspect that hormones are the cause. I think this is a better suggestion than telling people to mail-order hormone products. (Wow, how many fucking times have I said this?)


--

SO, IN MY OPINION:

- I think it's good to share research that says that some of the suggestions in here can lead to comas, convulsions, and other permanent fuck-ups. Is that "negativity?"

- I don't know what you mean by "support." But I think sharing all this knowledge is the best "support" there is. I think it's better for people to know all the facts, instead of high-fiving each other and sticking with potentially harmful suggestions because someone's feelings might be hurt.

- I understand that you might be upset because boric acid was the only thing that worked for you, and you thought it was safe. Apparently, it's not safe. It's probably better to acknowledge that than be in denial about it.

--

SO, TO SUM UP, FOR ALL Y'ALL:

BORIC ACID - This is poison. It turns out it's probably not good for you to stick poison up your peesh for a long time.
MY SUGGESTION - If you use it, ask your doctor to prescribe this, and have him/her monitor your use.

TTO - It probably doesn't hurt. But the bustie who this worked for, did also dump her cheating boyfriend, and therefore eliminated her exposure to skank juice. And a Harvard doctor says it doesn't work.
MY SUGGESTION - Try it if you want. But dumping your cheating boyfriend probably works better.

HORMONES - If you think hormones are the problem, go see an endocrinologist.
MY SUGGESTION - If you order hormones off the internet instead, then ... you're pretty stupid. BV is the least of your problems.

Does this sound rude and bitchy? Good. I hope that means you were listening. I've been in this group for over a year, and nice and polite doesn't seem to get through. So bitchy bitchy bitchy! La la la ...

Once again:

BORIC ACID = COMA
TTO = ALTOID FOR YOUR VAGINA
HORMONES = STUPID

Alrighty then. Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

I agree with you 100%

Hi Everyone! I'm new here. My name is Sarah Miller, I'm 30 Years old, and I've been having problems with BV for a REALLY long time. First I want to say that I am SO happy I have found a forum where I can talk about this, and look for solutions. Here's my story,

I started having these problems 10 years ago. I was constantly going to the Dr. office thinking i had yeast and/or UTI's. I was continuasly given meds for both of those problems, and somtimes it would help, sometimes it wouldn't. Recently, about 2 years ago, I was told I had BV, the doctor explained to me that it looks like a yeast infection sometimes. I was given something to insert for a week, and it was gone, for a few months. Well, a couple years went by, and I was ok. Then in July of 2007 I found out my husband and I were pregnant! YAY! So, a few months into the pregnancy, I begin to have the BV symptoms, but it came with ALOT of pain. Being pregnant, I couldn't take the medice required to get rid of it, so I began doing research for natural options. I found some vitmain A and E inserts that helped with the pain. I also started taking probiotcs. Well, it's been 8 months sice I had my baby boy, and I now can't take antibiotics for the BV because I am now seriously allergic to them. OH BOY! Soooo, I'm now once again taking the probiotcss, and inserts. I don't think this will ever go away! I haven't had sex with my husband since JULY 2007 because of the pain!

Now, I was reading on here about Trich. I have been tested, and came out neg. but I've never asked for a trich specific. test. What are they called so I can ask for one? I want so bad to be able to have sex again! I know my hubby would appriciate it!

Ok, soooo, thats my story, sorry so long!

~Sarah