★★★★☆
I found out I had genital warts when I was pregnant with my second child. They just seemed to appear out of nowhere one day. I have no idea who/when. The doctor told me I could have had HPV for years and the pregnancy was the reason they decided to make their appearance. That was about 5 years ago. Ever since, I've done countless hours of research learning about it and trying to find a way to get rid of them without breaking the bank. I read numerous times that they most often just go away on their own, or that peolple have "outbreaks" as they would with herpes. I am not one of those people. From the day they appeared they have never left. I only have them on the inner lips of my vagina. They start small closer to my anus with the biggest at the top only about half way up. On the left side I have 3 small ones and one larger cluster, slightly flat but with the telltale cauliflour shape to it. On the right I have about 6 small-ish ones going in a straight line upwards. Also with this I tend to have a large amount of discharge most of the time. (sorry for the TMI)
Since I don't really have the funds to go the doctor to get them removed, I started researching home remedies. Like so many others I came across the apple cider vinegar remedy. Since my life is more often than not extremely hectic, I've tried it many times but never kept up with it.
Finally I'm trying to keep on top of it this time so this is what I'm doing:
Vitamins: (because immune system is key to kicking this things butt)
Vitamin E, Vitamin C, L-Lysine, Odorless Garlic Pills, Vitamin D... Also a TON of water and green tea everyday. I'm really trying to quit smoking also, but still working on it.
ACV and tea tree oil combo: Before doing anything, first clean the area - I use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. DO NOT do this if you have any open wounds or highly irritated skin because it WILL HURT!! To avoid irritating the surrounding skin, I cover the other areas in diaper rash cream or vitamin e oil. First, I take a cotton ball and make sure to cover all the warts in tea tree oil. (it irritates some peoples skin, so you can dilute it with a bit water if you need to. ) Next, I soak a cotton ball in ACV and stretch it out to the size I need in order to cover the entire area. Then I tape it down with medical tape (you can use band aids or something else like that - but be careful in that area because it'll hurt coming off! ) I personally leave mine on for large blocks of time, changing it when I go to the bathroom, take a shower or after keeping it on overnight. The important thing to remember is to keep the area as clean as possible and do not let the dressings get wet. The warts thrive on moisture. Usually after the first full day, the warts start to turn back in spots and eventually the whole thing will. They also tend to get hard. The tiny ones seem to shrink in size and eventually disappear. Im at the turning back and hard phase right now so I'll check back soon when I get some substantial results and let everyone know how it goes.
Disclaimer: ACV has a tendency to sting especially if you have any warts that are irritated at all. I personally don't have a low pain tolerance so it really wasn't that bad for me. Everyone is different. Its proabably wise to take a break for a couple days every other week especially if you are experiencing a lot of irritation or burning. Diaper rash cream with zinc oxide in it is a great thing to put on whole area, warts and all, in the meantime during breaks.
I'll check back soon with a report and good luck to everyone else! Have patience.
