Melis,

I'm sorry to hear you are going through that, but it's good that you're feeling a bit better.

I know how desperate you feel, and alone; i've been there... What Swt said it quite right "one day at a time" Hopefully you'll find one day that you feel much better. My issue with the skin was so bad too, I battled almost three months with that. My skin now is completely heal, i think, but it came oversensitived. I hope when time goes by, that oversensitivity goes away and everything comes back to normal.

I'm located in Singapore at the moment. In my opinion, GYN here are awful. It seems like this speciality is not very important here, and I'm having a hard time trying to find a good doctor if I ever find one good here

I wish you luck with that, I hope the new doctor have helped you. Keep us updated

hey Gigle and Sweet
so Tues had my derm appointment- confirmed its dermatitis.... she told me just simple common sense things to do
1) Use a natural Diaper Cream in my anal area- which is irritated...got one by Little Twig, so far so good- soothing

*Tried Calendula Oil for a while... and while it helps with inflammation, it also caused some skin irritation after a while in me due to sensitivity

2) take only 1 shower a day (hard for me, because I like to do 2)
so- than she said- if you need an am and pm shower- simply rinse the vagina and anal area with water- dont use any soap or cleanser until your skin heals, than use unscented sensitive skin DOVE

3) Keep taking Fem Dophilus

and basically treat my skin as if I was a "baby"

now- second opinion with new GYN- he was super nice, he only looked at my area- inside vagina- no cultures or looking under the microscope because I just had cultures repeated from other GYN on Friday April 8th- and everything again was negative. He told me pretty much the exact same thing as the dermatologist
that this may take a month or so longer for this to go away

but to STOP using the cortisone and hydrocortisone ovules because A) can lead to bacterial/fungal infections
can cause thinning of the skin, and C) can cause more dermatitis. Instead, simply try and let everything resolve on its own.

OH yeah, Im getting a red-light laser therapy on my skin down there once a week- which will help skin cells turn over faster and provider faster healing time supposedly.
Its a new laser from Sweden

skin is def feeling better- but my vestibule on the left side still hurts-

so im just gonna be patient. Although my nurse practitioner at my former (female) GYN wants me to come in and get recultured one last time to be sure... so im considering that. Im just kind of tired of being cultured every 3 weeks.... but i suppose one last time wont hurt. its most likely gonna grow NOTHING and be normal again.

Im pretty sure this is just a derm issue from all the boric acid usage - some of us are just a little more sensitive than others.

Gigle Im glad your feeling better. any luck with the GBS?
There is a midwife/ RN online who does treatments with garlic cloves in the vagina to get rid of GBS
but- I did that for my yeast infection back in September- and ended up getting BV from it probably imbalancing my flora.

Honestly the ONLY thing that helped my GBS over growth was ampicillin and fem-dophilus.

i do remember it taking about 2-3 months after the ampicillin of using Fem_d to feel better

I used the fem d this way
vaginally- every 2 days (about 2-3 times a week only- just at bed time) I opened up the capsule and stuck it in 1/2 of a gelatin capsule...

and taking it orally 2 times a day (once in AM and once in PM)

you all are awesome. thanks for the support. Hopefully soon ill be back to the old me

=)

so just an update...

so I did keep my appointment with the RN/ Nurse pract at my GYn's office being my GYN was unavail this week. Anyhow so she did an examination on me, swabbed me, looked under the scope, as well as sent off for yet another culture - exactly 2 weeks after my last culture.

anyhow she saw NOTHING unusual under the microscope. Everything looks normal.... all my lactobacilli are back - yay

however- her opinion
she stated that i had a severe allergic reaction to the boric acid. And while she said the treatment obviously worked for the non albican yeast.... it was pretty intense on my skin.

She said she has seen this before where after boric acid usage the skin can strongly react.

however- its finally healing. THANK GOD... and what worked the fastest honestly was leaving it alone...
and using some alcohol free witch hazel on a cotton pad once a day just to sooth the area. as well as taking quercetin 500 MG ( a natural anti histamine that also has some anti fungal and anti viral properties)

however, i do still have more discharge than im used to- its clear and stringy (looks normal) but dries yellow/ pasty- Im assuming from my B vitamin complex supplement.

sometimes I have itching- but my RN/ Nurse practitioner stated that most likely its due to the skin healing- when skin heals it can cause itching.

I also decided to do the candida diet as well as the MCCOMBS candida plan. I STOPPED SYNTOL- as after reading a lot of literature- it states that the bacillis subtilis in it has been shown to cause dermatitis as well as act as an anti-biotic and even though it can work on candida- it can also cause candida overgrowth.

Jeff Mccombs has been treating patients for candida for many years, and its a mild detox program that instead of focusing on KILLING candida- the plan focuses on BALANCING our digestive tract and reverting the fungal form of yeast back to its normal yeast state in the body.

So far I seem to be doing quite well on his plan and I LOVE the diet.
Ive lost about 15 pounds so far... =)
the diet allowes for brown rice and some fruit- mainly berries and pears when you first start... eventually allowing other foods at week 9 and than more later on. It is a 16 week plan. But overall im feeling healthier.
It does involve sweating for part of the detox.

Ill let you all know how that goes.

=)
Melissa

Since your familiar with the Jeff McCombs diet, how does sweating help detoxify? I've heard a lot of information on how sweating helps the body release toxins, but I haven't actually looked into it, aside from the fact that the liver and kidneys are organs in the body that filter out toxins in the body (among other things). I do know that sweating does help secrete apocrine (a substance that contributes to body odor). Aprocrine builds up in the aprocrine glands and sweating releases that substance. Other than that, sweating is a liquid similar to urea. I've read various articles that state sweating releases trace amounts of toxins, but it's not going to aid in this massive detoxification, and the focus should be on the kidneys and liver etc.

Aside from your irritation, it sounds like your on the right track to recovery. And the part about the discharge that your experiencing, your right, it could be from the supplement that your taking. Some vitamins do affect the secretory system, thus affecting the vaginal discharge; Dr. Stewart mentions this in a part of her book. I think it's near towards the end of the chapter on Vaginal Odors.

I was under the assumption that you were still on the "Yeast-Free Diet". Did you take a break from it somewhere in between?

Hi sweet

so some news- yes im still doing the yeast free diet. I actually have too..
I had allergy testing done for foods/ herbs..and turns out im allergic to brewers yeast/baking yeast

wow!!! as well as tuna and cinnamon (which i love =(....)

however I am following the mccombs plan
but doing very little fruit. Im mainly eating a few berries -raspberries, black berries, strawberries. A few red grapes, a few apple slices... but only granny smith variety.

and Im allowed brown rice- HOT brown rice cereal (YUM), and brown rice cakes.
I have now lost 18 pounds on just this diet alone- so physically i look better. I did need to lose some weight.

Vaginally- I had a bad setback easter Sunday- BUT i think I may now know part of the problem.... I may have HSV-
because i developed a burning, tingling, stabbing sensation- needed ice packs
and i had a lot of excessive normal looking discharge

and later on a small bump formed. I did see my GYN on THURSDAY (this week) and she said she sees the bump but too late to culture for herpes as you have to test for it within 48 hours of an active outbreak.
but im taking valtrex- seems to be helping


although, who knows whats going on down there- she also re cultured me for everything- YEAST, BV, bacterial, etc
and BTW everytime I have tested for HSV it comes back negative...

But Im hoping eventually things get back to normal. I did have to put some of the cortisone ointment on last night on one area of my perineum as it got a little inflamed. I hope after im done with the mccombs plan my body just starts going back to normal.

as far as sweating. I just turn my bathroom into a sauna for about 20 min. put my shower on hot, and sit with my clothes on - on the toilet or bathroom floor and do my nails...
or facial
I dont know much about sweating, but its part of the plan...so i figure i need to do it the 6 times a week required or DR MCCOMBS states the program wont work as well.

But I wonder if i really have a yeast issue

I know you say Cytolytic vaginosis(CV) does not exist as in the V Book also states
but Im definitly wondering if this is possibly my cause of vaginitis as i have the symptoms off and on, and the only thing on my cultures is growth of NORMAL BACTERIA.

Im pretty sure if I had yeast- it would have grown at some point
Ive literally had one culture a week in the last 2 months
all negative for yeast

even a new special DNA culture for yeast with yeast sensitivity from a completely different lab just to be sure

but i decided to let my doctor do one last round of cultures this thursday
and if its all negative again
im def wondering about the over growth of normal bacteria.

especially since I have in the past used femdophilus vaginally. I have since stopped doing that to see if anything helps.

but we will see


ill keep you posted

You should opt for a good cardiovascular exercise if you want to effectively work up a sweat. On top of that, you would be saving money by not using so much hot water. It's more environmentally and economically friendly

I can understand why you would think your experiencing an overgrowth of good bacteria, but it has to be something else that is causing your symptoms. Apparently it's not possible for the good bacteria to overgrow since they would "keep each other in check". The CV theory has been debunked, so it's not even a real issue. With that said, I guess you have to keep your options open as to what is the real problem. Most women that are experiencing CV-like symptoms usually have a form of non-specific vaginitis, basically a vaginitis that isn't caused by an infection, but the symptoms are basically the same, i.e. inflammation, discharge, burning, itching etc. The symptoms are usually brought on by sensitivities. For example, I was on boric acid for a long time, and I experienced inflammation as a result of it, which came as a form of non-specific vaginitis. There was no infection, since the boric acid clearly killed it (along with everything else).

Did you insert the Fem-Dophilus in a gelatin capsule? I think you told me about this before at some point.

Hi there
yeah I know the myth has been debunked... however Marjorie Crandall (whom Dr Stewart cited in her book about a few things such as yeast allergies) states that lactobacillus overgrowth is real. The only real treatment for that she said is to do sitz baths with baking soda... (im not doing that though because i dont know if this is my cause)

I def think the boric acid caused major inflammation- some finally gone with me- some still here. But Im trying to let things resolve naturally without using anymore steroids. I do use my desonide 0.05% ointment once a week in one area that seems to flair.

But I dont want to thin my skin... or cause something else that cortisones are known to do- ie: fungal infections, bacterial infections of skin...


yeah i really dont know whats going on with me. Every culture is completely negative with "normal growth of vaginal flora"....

but I do see my vulvar specialist -Dr. Willems in CA soon- May 15th...

he wants me using estrogen cream to thicken up my skin near the entrance of the vagina... but you know I tried it twice and it causes an allergic reaction- must be something in the base of the cream im allergic too

all i know is ive never been sensitive or had allergies before and now i do- frustrating
I do wish I had money to come and see Dr Stewart. But unfortunately I dont. Although southern CA supposed to have a lot of good doctors.. i just seem to get the same answer from everyone-
its just inflammation
but its been quite depressing dealing with this

so Im trying alternative treatments
acupuncture- DR MCCOMBs plan (being its gentle- non toxic) for 16 weeks- im on week 4 now

as far as exercise.... DR MCCOMBS states that exercise is great but not for releasing toxins.... because your using MUSCLE while exercising

you need to be relaxed and release toxins naturally. I know waisting water not a great thing... but I end up doing stuff with the water like watering my plants, cleaning the bathroom... etc;
so at least i feel im making use of it

OH when i used fem d- i just took it out of the capsule and put it in with my finger
it would desolve easily.

i dont really like those gelatin capsules, they left me all sticky

i only stuck with those while on the boric acid treatment... which hopefully i never have to do again
cuz it literally made things worse

I wasnt as irritated with the yeast as I was with the inflammation caused by the BA
but thankfully its finally starting to subside
I only pray things get way better before i see dr willems

oh yeah btw the only other thing i can think of is possibly intracellular yeast (red yeast/ aka inside the skin and cant be detected) if thats the case i unfortunantly will have to go on long term diflucan or other anti fungal like sporonax. I did do a phone consultation with marjorie crandall (mentioned in the v book) shes a microbiologist with pHd in Candida/fungal infections

she believes i have red yeast
and need diflucan either 100mg or 200mg daily for at least a month and nystatin insert inside the vagina
not too thrilled how i feel about that. but i do want to get better

so im talking to my MD and my GYN about this
and seeing an allergist to test me for candida and yeast allergies
if positive will get injections for that


so far every damn culture is negative
but im sure it would be
my vaginal discharge is in fact normal looking/ smelling

im just irritated
more so after the cortisone
=(

Having another round of suppositories doesn't sound fun. Hopefully it doesn't affect your pH negatively, or cause this ping pong of bacteria and yeast overgrowth.

I've gotten tested for food sensitivities and everything came back negative too. My general practitioner even told me that the allergy tests aren't the most reliable or accurate. She said the best way to pinpoint food sensitivities or allergies is to pay attention to your body and it's reaction to what ever your exposed to. After I found that out, I was a little irritated. I haven't actually gone to an allergist yet. Maybe they have better tests available.

What kind of allergy testing did you get done? Was it a blood test, or something else? I only got the blood test done and I heard that method is probably the least reliable

By "red yeast", do you mean something from the rhodotorula species? And you think this yeast is inside the skin where exactly, the perineum, near the vulva, or somewhere else?

RED YEAST
simply means - yeast inside your skin aka: intracellular yeast. it can be any strain. If you happen to have irritation or itching or burning, etc; one or more of the following vaginally- but all cultures are negative
many times my doc said its yeast in the skin.

NO MORE suppositories for me

here is what my doctor actually has me doing
diflucan 200mg a day for 3-6 weeks
i need something systemic to get to this

also- he is MAD that my GYN put me on topical steroids when i already prob had that non albican yeast

any topcial steroid applied where yeast may be will only make it grow.

so topically he wants me to do extra virgin unrefined coconut oil on my skin- which feels great by the way- MUCH better than any topical steroid ive used including those dang hydrocortisone ovules.

also i dont have any irregular discharge- cultures again for bacteria/yeast are negative so he said not to use those nystatin tablets vaginally

simply try diflucan first- after all dr. stewart in her book also recommended to do diflucan daily for a while if you cant resolve your issue.

so im confident this will work. although this means i permanently will have to stay on this candida diet for a LONG TIME

and tomorrow im seeing my allergist and getting the skin testing done (intradermal)

as for the vaginal yeast infection- i dont have it internally- it is most likely in the skin if indeed this is what it is.

to be sure, you would need a Biopsy or skin scrapping, but i opted out. Im already irritated there
i want to leave well enough alone and try and get this sucker systemically
my vaginal pH is all back to normal
my vaginal secretions all look normal
no more color on the discharge.

no odor
simply most likely yeast in the skin (aka; red yeast)

DR Crandall is great but she has an EXTREME approach of treating this with topical steroids, topical antifungal, and oral antifungal for at least 1 month if not many months


so were taking a little lighter side of this. although diflucan daily isnt what i wanted to do.... but it seems needed =(

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. =(

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.

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 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).

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.

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.

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. =)

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.

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.

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.


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!

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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!

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.

Remember to take the probiotic two to three hours after you take your antibiotic. You want to avoid the chance that your killing the beneficial bacteria of the probiotic by taking the antibiotic and probiotic within the same time frame. Did you get your vitamin D levels checked?

well surprise surprise, flagyl didn't work at all. i'm going to call and request another prescription. any recommendations? i know anti-biotics are shunned for bv, but i am absolutely desperate, and i think i know how to counteract them with probiotics by now so i'm not a complete dummy.

It could be that the bacteria have now become resistant to some of the previous antibiotics you've taken. You should request something you haven't tried before. A suppressive course of antibiotics is one of the last resorts if nothing works, which does help some.

Sorry if I offended you with the probiotic comment. I just wanted to make sure that you knew. Sometimes it's the little things that matter the most.

I came across some great news about a product called VivaGel that is more effective than any other treatment for bacterial vaginosis. In the clinical trials 89% of the patients treated were clinically cured of bacterial vaginosis. VivaGel is expected to avoid any of the shortcomings of the other treatments for bacterial vaginosis, like resistancy and side effects since it doesn't absorb into the body. It can be used in the long term for prevention and in Japan, there is already a license agreement for VivaGel coated condoms. This is nice, since bacterial vaginosis can flare up during and after sex. VivaGel can be used to prevent the transmission of the herpes virus, HPV, and HIV too. Sometimes these sexually transmitted diseases can be passed with the use of a condom, so this is also amazing news.

I just knew there would be a product in the future that would be safer and more effective than antibiotics for the treatment of BV. All it took was a little bit of time, well, a long time. It takes such a long time for medications to be tested, effective, and safe to use for the general public. Some clinical trials actually last years, as high as eight possibly even longer. I'd love to know how the results are coming for those l.crispatus suppositories since l.crispatus is one of the most abundant good vaginal lactobacilli, if it even made it far enough?

Here are some links to more information about VivaGel, they're absolute must reads:

1. VivaGel Demonstrates Efficacy in Bacterial Vaginosis
2. VivaGel Coated Condom
3. VivaGel for STI Prevention
4. VivaGel for Bacterial Vaginosis

Since VivaGel is going through the third phase of clinical trials, it is not yet available. Sounds like it will be available soon with all of the licensing and buzz about it.

Yay for more options! I can't get over how promising these results !

Okay, so I am new here but I will give it a go. I had BV issues in the past and I haven't really had any flare ups in a very long time. I just recently had one and went to the GYN and she gave me the Metro Gel for 5 days. I finished that but now I am just having the sensation of vag dryness without the dry part. Something just doesn't feel right. Also, there is a discharge that is clumpy and white; I am wondering if that is due to the gel? I have been using some of the products made by VH Essentials. I am crossing my fingers that if I continue to do their "upkeep" advice that I can avoid future reocurrences.

On another note, I am thinking about starting birthcontrol and I read up on the positive effects of bc on bv. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with that?

Thanks!

If you just started experiencing these symptoms, it could just be that your vaginal flora is recalibrating and balancing itself. If a week goes by and your still dealing with the same symptoms, then you should call your doctor and tell him/her about it. Yes, I think the clumpy white discharge you've been having is because of the gel. I used RepHresh's vaginal gel for three days, and I had this gross, thick, lumpy, white discharge, and apparently that is normal. Even though that isn't the same as Metro-Gel, it's still along the same idea.

What have you been using by VH Essentials?

People have said going on birth control has prevented bacterial vaginosis, basically because birth control normalizes the hormones, and keeps everything constant. Women with BV have a significantly less amount of estrogen in their vaginal flora compared to women that have a healthy vaginal flora (source). I also did a summarized post about it on my blog (here). In your case, I don't know if taking birth control would be neccessary since it sounds like you experience a bacterial vaginosis flare up once in a while. But, the decision is yours, and be sure to choose the right kind if you decide to take it. Taking birth control has one of those things that makes you more prone to yeast infections though (source). That could be due to the extra hormones in the birth control pills. More estrogen = more food for the yeast.

Hi everyone!
so update on my progress (BTW this is Melis19750- I had to make a new sign in because i could not remember my password!)
anyhow
so its been a long struggle.
So far much better. I have a small area now that is still red and a little inflammed. near the opening of vagina. Went for check up- the nurse pract- who i LOVE and actually like better than my GYN- saw NO YEAST and NO abnormal bacterial overgrowth. although sent in for cultures just to be sure.
she did notice some white-ish discharge but thinks its just from ovulation. I do also have "normal looking" clear stringy discharge. NO Odor.

as for what my condition was in April- I was severly inflammed and irritated. lots of redness... almost all of that is now gone!

Although now my only symptoms are once and a while a little itch or slight burn- goes away... comes back...
and a small red spot near entroitus (sp?) I wonder if thats just from all the past boric acid usage. Nobody knows.

But I no longer feel dry.

also I do NOT use anything vaginally- except to wash externally dove unscented sensitive skin... or just simple plain water.

I am eating back to normal- and gained a few pounds... so Im considering sticking to the yeast free diet because I do like the weight loss effect from it.

but I dont notice any differance in my symptoms with or without the diet.
so Im almost pos this is not a yeast issue.

also- I moved... my newer GYN/Specialist thinks I might have been misdiagnosed with a yeast infection back in Jan. Because as stated in the past my former gyn stated "I see some glabrata yeast under the micro scope".
However all yeast cultures and gen pap came back normal many times...even that time

my GYN/vulvar specialist said "It could have been cotton from the swab used on the smear that made her think it was non albican yeast- this newer DNA yeast test is very sensitive to yeasts..and yours came back negative every month." Not only that he said: "You cant tell under the microscope which strain it is- you need a culture for that- you can only tell if its non albican or albican"

so- Im really posting this to warn you all that may be confused- really rely on testing being done, because you can over treat something minor like simple dermatitis or a pH imbalance and make things worse.

Im finally able to sit for long periods of time without being in pain and wear a tampon!

I only hope and pray I continue to recover.

oh yeah and BTW- I was on diflucan for 2 weeks (16 days) at 100 mg a day from my former doctor... who thought and agreed with a microbiologist that it was yeast in the skin. My new doctor does not believe in this theory and he said "if you had yeast- you killed it by now".

sometimes I think we panic... I know I did

anyhow I am off to a full recovery- gotta train my brain to believe I will completely heal.

Im doing acupunture and NAET (natural version of allergy treatments)
so I feel both are helping
and also- my allergies seem to be improving yeah

BTW- I love the pro biotic by renew life the vaginal support one
I take it daily with fem-dophilus
and also lactoferrin which helps the probiotic grow

oh- and i will no longer insert probiotics vaginally- can lead to more harm then good!!!

take care
and God Bless
Melissa

hey im new here..
anw.i have been reading every where bout BV..ITS KILLING ME..M STRESSED OUT.

please help

i found out that i had bv 3 months ago..but i didnt realize that its serius
i stop the antibiotics as soon as the symptomes went
i didnt finish the course
n it came back
and then i went twice to the doctor and had two rounds of antibiotics
but it jus came back
so i used boric acid with coconut oil for a week n it came back
so i used it again for two weeks and during that time i had my period too.
and then now m back with the BV

please help.i dont know what to do anymore..exept suiside

Julie,

BV is caused by an imbalance between "good" bacteria and "bad" bacteria in the vagina.
Whenever a woman sees a doctor and is diagnosed with BV, the doctor always prescribes antibiotics. And it is essential that if you start the antibiotics you finish all of them. Otherwise your BV will return and it will take stronger antibiotics to fight off the infection. But the challenge with antibiotics is that they can't tell the difference between "good" bacteria and "bad" bacteria and it kills it all.

BV is the most common vaginal infection in women 15-44 and many women have recurring bouts of BV so I prefer using natural remedies to combat the disruptive irritation. Visit http://vaginosisnaturalcure.com/ to read about natural remedies and home remedies. Much safer than taking antibiotics when you don't have to.

Hi!

If you don't mind me asking, what remedies have you used that work for you? Does what you do work in the short term (as in temporary relief), or long term (your BV clears up completely)?

Hi everybody, I'm a newbie on here just looking for some advice and a place to vent. I have been suffering from chronic BV off and on since I was 13. I was picked on in middle school because of this and also by men as an adult. It appears that now that I am in my "child bearing" years (30) the situation has gotten much worse. When I was younger I was able to take the antibiotic and be BV free for years at a time. Over the past two years I have probably had BV about 10-12 times, maybe more. I am always prescribed an antibiotic and then subjected to STD testing when it comes back because the Dr. can't explain it otherwise. I have tried RePhresh, didn't work and very messy. I have tried VH Essentials suppositories, worked unti the dose was over and then symptoms came right back. I have tried the hydrogen peroxide douche, helps with the smell immediately but eventually stopped working and I hate douching. I was treated with Flagyl in April 2011, came back in August 2011. The last time I was treated with Flagyl was on August 28, 2011. That same day I started taking Fem-Dophilus, one capsule per day. I have been on the probiotic since August 28th. As I sit here typing this, I now have BV again. I have had it so many times that I immediately know when I have it. Starts with a horrible odor and dishcharge, sometimes it escalates to burning and sometimes it doesn't. I don't understand how there can be so much watery discharge but yet I feel so dry and itchy/burny. I don't even go the Gyn anymore for it, I just go to Centra Care and they give me a prescription with refills without an exam because they trust that I know my symptoms. I just finished filling my last flagyl refill online which I will pick up tomorrow. My question is, am I not taking enough Fem-dophilus? Should I be taking two capsules a day? Should I take one capsule twice a day or two capsules once a day? I live in a big city and Fem-dophilus is easy to find so I'd really love for this stuff to work! I really don't know what else to do anymore. I don't douche and I don't use scented soaps. Sex is not even fun anymore. This always seems to come back a few days after my period ends. I am not on birth control because I don't have sex often and my periods are very regular. I have even thought about getting on the birth control that stops your period for months at a time to see if that keeps it at bay but I don't like the side effects of birth control pills either! I really hate taking medication and would love to be done with Flagyl forever! Help!

It sounds like your BV has a hormonal trigger, especially since you've been dealing with it since you were 13 (assuming this is about the same time you've started menstruating), and it comes back a few days after your period ends (also a time when women are more prone to vaginitis). I actually did a short post on hormones and bacterial vaginosis (here). But still I haven't been able find what exactly is the cause. I've come to the conclusion that there probably isn't an exact cause since hormones are pretty complex and vary from person to person. The research was based on the levels of estrogen in the vaginal flora of women who have a normal flora compared to those who have bacterial vaginosis, and those with bacterial vaginosis had considerably less estrogen in their flora than those with a normal flora. That basically sums up the results. It did mention the flora of women who smoked; their vaginal flora had less estrogen than those who didn't smoke, but still had much more estrogen than those with bacterial vaginosis. Unfortunately, there isn't much else (as far as I know) about the cause of this hormonal imbalance. There are several things you can do in order to get your hormones in check. I actually have links to great sources about balancing hormones from Dr. Oz, The Doctors, and CNBC. Since everyone's body functions differently, it can be difficult to pin point an exact cause. It's very important to keep this in mind.

For the Fem-Dophilus, you should start off taking it twice a day for a week. After that first week is over, you take it once a day. But this rule isn't written in stone. If you respond better to taking it twice a day, then you should do that, even if it is a less cost effective method. Since you have chronic and reoccurring BV taking Fem-D twice a day would be a good idea in my opinion (or until you feel comfortable taking it once a day).

When you are taking the antibiotics, try to take them at least two hours to four hours before you take the Fem-Dophilus. If you take the antibiotic right after you take the Fem-Dophilus, it will kill the good bacteria. If you take the antibiotic first and it has worked it's way through your system and then a couple of hours later you take the probiotic, the probiotic can replenish the lost bacteria.

Taking birth control to control bacterial vaginosis can be kind of "ify". Studies have said taking birth control does help bacterial vaginosis to a certain degree, as in preventing reoccurrences and the chances of developing it, but the percentage isn't high enough for me to really suggest you go for it. So in other words, if you really want to try that for sake of knowing for yourself, then go for it. But don't be surprised if it doesn't help at all.

If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. You can also email me or send me a message.

Thank you so much for the information. It sounds like you have done your research and have put a lot of time and thought into this! I haven't really started to look for other alternatives in the past because the antibiotics always helped for an extended period of time. Now it just seems like things are getting worse. I will definitely be checking into the whole hormone thing. Thanks again!

I hope everything works out for you.

Hello all! I haven't been to this thread in forever, so I thought I would give a quick little update.

I've been BV free for almost 6 months now. I think I owe it all to the probiotics I started taking for my stomach problems. They're called Dr. Ohhira's Professional Plus. They're pretty expensive but if this is my cure, then I'll continue to take them forever! lol

I also started using plain ol' Ivory soap for my ladybits. So far everything is great. Even after condomless sex there's no smell! I'm still so paranoid and cautious that it'll return..I constantly do "whiff" checks and have my SO (who has been super supportive and understanding thru this ordeal) be truthful if he smells anything as well.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Good luck to you all.

Hey everyone,

Well after 3+ years of being all clear down there, I'm back having problems I just got married 6 months ago, too, so it's not the greatest timing (is it ever though??)

The thing that kept me well for 3 years was FemD. Well, I went off it and thought I was good. I was ... for awhile. I decided to try something really dumb this year -- the DIVA CUP. Apparently not a good thing for women dealing with feminine infections!! I also tried the cup right around the same time as going off the pill. I think it was just too many changes for my body.

Well, here we are 2 months laters, and I'm still in daily agony. This infection is a bit differen't. I'm mostly itchy/burning around the major labias -- and mostly when I sweat. How strange?? I did have some discharge, but it comes and goes. And ... I'm now having a smell (something I never had with my original bouts of BV three years ago).

Went to the gyno last week. She said it's Group B Strep. WTF? I'm on Amoxicillian (plus FemD) and see no relief in sight. I just don't know what to do -- the outer part of my girly bits are just so irrititated and uncomfortable! There is not much info on the Internet about Group B Strep, so I'm not sure what to do about it.

All I know is that when I DO get back to normal again (whenever that is!), I will NEVER stop taking FemD ever again. It is a miracle pill! The 3 years when I was "clean" were amazing!!!!

Hi jularee,

did you take antibiotics when you started the treatment that ultimately worked, or did it go away on its own? How long did you have bv before then? sorry Im just trying to get an idea of what I should do next...

I got bv for the first time this past summer, I took metrogel for 5 days and it cleared up, since then i have had some of the same discharge and some odor but most of the time I have no symptoms. I frequently have unprotected sex, but I always be sure to wash myself well in the shower with soap immediately afterwards. I want to know what else I should know before going back to the doctor, because at this point it kinda looks like I need to :/

Thanks

I apologize in advance for the longwinded post but I feel its important to give my history with this infection.

So I will get right to the point. I am writing this because I finally feel like I have fixed my problem with recurrent bacterial vaginosis. First a bit of history of my situation... I am 26, one child, began sexua| activity at 13. I first experienced symptoms of bv at 14 years old, I noticed a terrible odor coming from my vagina. I wasnt being sexually active at the time so I knew it wasnt an STD. I thought maybe I just wasnt being hygenic enough but the more antibacterial soap I used, the worse it seemed to get. I told my mother and she made an appointment with the gyno, who incorrectly diagnosed me with a yeast infection. Eventually the bv symptoms went away on their own and I would only experience the odor every now and then. I still didnt know the name for it.

ANTIBIOTICS
When I was 16 it came back FULL FORCE. I was absolutely miserable and could not figure out why I felt so dirty down there. This infection was really hurting my self confidence and esteem. So I made an appointment at Planned Parenthood and the doctor immediately diagnosed me with BV and gave me an Rx for oral Flagyl. I was thrilled with the results, finally a little relief! But it didnt last long. Soon enough I was back with the odor and absolutely miserable. So I went back for more Flagyl. Between the ages of 16-25 I probably used oral Flagyl and the vaginal version(metrogel)50 times. I would feel better for a week at the most then it would be back with a vengeance. My doctor just kept telling me not to wipe from front to back(what female does this anyway??) and not to take bubble baths (but im a shower girl!). She even started telling me I had no odor and tried to insinuate that the problem was in my head. Like its normal for a healthy vagina to smell like cat urine. I wanted to slap her.

PROBIOTICS
The BUST forum was the first place I heard about Femdophilus. So I bought some and started to insert them vaginally and actually DID notice a positive change, but I still had so much bad bacteria in me that taking the probiotics alone just wasnt getting it. So I got yet another Rx for metrogel and started the probiotics AFTER my medication was finished, still had the odor. I did this several times and it never worked. I refused to resign myself to the fact that I would spend the rest of my life smelling like garbage even though I could barely remember a time when I didnt. I cried about it, prayed, and did countless internet searches. My doctor had stopped prescribing the metrogel and started giving me Clindamycin, my symtptoms would be nonexistent during treatment so I knew that bacteria was the issue, but they'd come right back after I was finished and the more I used it the more my body became immune to it. I did countless internet searches on bv and read hundreds of stories from other women who had my same issues, and it seemed like the answer for most had been probiotics. So I decided to give them another try.

RELIEF
I began inserting one Femdophilus capsule in my vagina in the morning, then taking the oral Clindamycin 4 hours after. Then inserting another Femdophilus at bedtime. Symptoms cleared up immediately then two days later I realized that I was only taking one Clindamycin a day when I was supposed to be taking TWO! On top of that I had a raging yeast infection, my vagina was really swollen and irritated so I stopped inserting the Femdophilus vaginally and began taking two orally in the morning with water then using my Clindamycin as prescribed, one pill twice a day for the next 5 days. My symptoms definitely werent as severe, but I still had a discharge and it still had a smell to it that wasnt pleasant. But my research assured me that I was on the right track and I just needed to keep taking the FemD as I had been. Im still taking it every morning and I am happy to report that for the last two weeks (apprx two days after finishing my antibiotics) I have had a normal discharge and absolutely NO odor!!!! NONE. I have to keep checking to make sure I'm not dreaming. I am ecstatic!! I continue to take two FemD every morning and will continue to take it until I feel its safe to go down to one a day.

What I Learned
The more antibiotics you take, the more you deplete your healthy bacterium and the vicious cycle continues. But for me antibiotics WERE a crucial component in my treatment, I just didnt realize that I needed to be using them in conjunction with a probiotic. For me that means both in the same day. Taking the probiotic at the same time with the antibiotic is obviously not helpful. In studies they typically instruct the women to take the probiotics in the morning so I made sure to take mine first thing then waited 5 hours before taking my antibiotic. That way the antibiotic had all day and night to work in my system then I could replenish the good bacterium in the morning. If you decide to switch the order make sure you find out the half life of your oral antibiotic(thats the amt of hours it stays active in your system), that way you arent wasting your probiotics because taking them too soon after the antibiotic will kill the good bacteria. Make sure you are taking two probiotics as well. I know that it is popular to insert them vaginally, but I personally believe this can cause irritation and is unnecessary. To each his own though. Here is a great study done on the benfits of probiotics to cure bacterial vaginosis when used in conjunction with an antibiotic(in this case tinidazole)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&a...967J2jFJxycvtXA


My condolences to everyone who is suffering with this, I know firshand how hopeless it can feel at times but please DONT EVER GIVE UP!!! I will continue to update you guys on my status, I see the doc on Tuesday and I am going to have her run tests to see if the mobiluncus(the name of the nasty bacteria that was taking over my vagina) is still running rampant. Good luck Ladies!!! (((HUGS)))

-Mombi