Top Natural Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies

I hope this reaches all of the women out there who seem to now be struggling with this "disease". I discovered I was having issues with "infections" after the birth of my first child. First of all, my OBGYN gave me a horrible episiotomy, which is what I believe really triggered all of this. I will never know what is the true cause of it. I believe that later doctors will find that this is happening more and more with women now. Until they really put forth their energy into paying attention to this "disease", will they ever really find a cure for it. After my horrible epesiotomy I began having cramping issues. My OBGYN gave me pain medicine. He said that it was nothing. I then proceeded to have horrible cramping for the next several months. I then had what felt like a horrible Urinary Tract infection. He gave me an antibiotic I was prescribed to take every day for the rest of my life. Shortly after this, I had what seemed to be the most horrible yeast infection. He gave me Terazol Cream. After this, I felt a little better, but I went through horrible days of cramping and in the mean time was having terrible discharge after intercourse with my husband. After countless trips and surgery, my doctor told me I had post partum adenomyosis. He said this was the cause of everything. Believing in my doctor and trusting him, I dealt with countless days of pain. Until, another symptom came along. I started having horrible dryness in the vaginal area. I felt terrible. I went to the doctor again and he said that I had no good bacteria and I needed estrogen. He gave me Estradiol inserts and Tindamax. I took the Tindamax but not the Estrogen. I was very skeptical of him at this time. Finally I went to another doctor and discovered that I indeed did not need any estrogen, my hormones were fine by the way, that I had Bacterial Veginosis. He was a very open and understanding doctor and immediately gave me Metrogel and Tindamax. This went on for months and months and now almost a year later, here I am still battling with this God aweful whatever. My doctor actually just took me off of the metrogel and started me on Boric Acid and Acidophulis inserts. The doctors where I live are not about using "non-traditional" medicine. However, I grew up eating healthy and organic, thank you mom. So, I have been researching and trying everything. I have changed my diet, no so sugar and no bread of any kind. I try to eat as organic as possible. I take garlic pills 6, 600 mg, vitamin c 1000 mg, folic acid 1600mg and a probiotic. I also drink Kefir everyday. I am currently trying the Boric acid twice a day for seven days with 2 to 3 acidopholis pills inserted vaginally. My doctor is willing to try anything and everything with me for this BV but carefully monitors what I do, which is very good. He said whatever I am doing seems to be working because every time he checks me, I have a little more Lactobacillus down there then before. I don't know what has caused this or why it doesn't seem to go away, but ladies, it is my advice to keep going. I know you are out there and you have to speak up to your doctors and let them know. If you just do what they tell you to do, you will never get better. I am never going to give up and someday will find a way to get rid of this once and for all. Don't give up! I just thought I would let you know you are not alone, because heaven knows I feel that way a lot. I used to cry constantly because it truly does affect whatever you do, especially if you are a woman. If anyone has any advice, I would be happy to accept it. Good luck everyone!

I too hadn't experienced the nightmare of BV until my latest boyfriend. I noticed the smell right after sex and was horrified. If we weren't together, it seemed to go away, but would come back immediately after sex. I consulted this site and started taking probiotics which didn't seem to help. I also went to the doc who prescribed something ( I forgot what) which didn't work either. So now months later it flared up again and I was desperate. I decided to go another route and tried the tampon in yogurt (non-fat, plain, organic) and low and behold after a few hours, the smell was gone! I had put it in at night and woke up and took it out after a few hours. Just to be sure, I did it a second night and nothing! I also as a backup bought some acidophilus capsules to take. I didn't want to post until a few days had passed, but now I feel confident about the yogurt remedy. A caveat: when you put the tampon in the yogurt it starts to swell making it harder to insert. I just put it in a small bowl and made sure it was saturated. I would recommend this approach for all of you who have had no luck so far.

So I have tried everything that you guys have suggested and they worked great temporally. But I started reading about olive leaf extract and olive oil and WOW I AM CURED. Its been 7 days and counting. No burning or irritation. So what I did was took a tbl sp of the extract then I douched with straight 3% Hydrogen Peroxide on the toilet, then I took extra virgin olive oil in a regular dropper and placed it in my vajay jay. Got a towel and let it soak out all night covering every part down there. I still take a tbl sp of the extract everyday and all is well... Good luck I know how u feel.. Let me know if this works for u!

Bacterial Vaginosis is ruining my life!

I have been suffering from BV for about one year. I went to the doctor and was prescribed antibiotics, that didn't work, then was prescribed the 5 day cream, that worked, but once I had sex with my boyfriend it came right back. Can men carry this and we are passing it back and forth? At this point, I have been to the doctor so many times, and been on so many creams and it still haunts me. I am so embarrassed by this, my sex life is not the same, I don't even want my boyfriend to touch me because I am horrified! I can smell it so I worry everyone around is wondering what that awful fishy smell is. I don't even want to stand up after sitting at my desk all day if someone is near me because the odor is out of control. I need help. I have tried the peroxide and water solution, I think it made it worse, I have douched, I have tried so many things, and nothing. I can't live like this anymore. I need this to go away and fast. I just bought Femenol, which I found online. I have only been taking it for 3 days, and nothing yet, but I am going to stick it out and finish the bottle to see if that helps. I need some more suggestions and something that will really do the job! Can anyone help?

I have had BV for about 3-4 years now. Tried every conventional medicine there is out there: Flagyl, Metrogel, Clindimycyn..it all makes it worse. Then my doc told me to make a home made douche with 1/3 cup of water..1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide and 5 drops of tea tree oil..an hour later break up 2 pills of acidphilus with 10 cc of water and insert into vag. Next night insert an odorless gel cap of garlic. Then on a daily basis take folic acid, one multi vitamin, vitamin c, vitamin b12 and a probiotic daily. I have been doing this for about a week now and the smell AND the itching and burning is still there. Plus I have horrible heartburn. Friends recommend me go on a no sugar, no carb diet..I use to get yeast infections really bad but now its only BV. I am so miserable and my doctor wants to test me now to vulvodynia..I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO?! Please help..

Hi everyone! I hope all of you are feeling better if you are currently suffering and great if you have found your solution. I have a history of BV in various forms (I have formed my own belief that they are all intertwined) - these include Trich, Vaginosis, Vaginitis, and Yeast. I feel there are just different names b/c of different symptoms and viral and bacterial characteristics. Plus, most docs will not admit that they do not know very much about any of them. I never had a Yeast infection until about 2 years ago. I have had 2 since that one. The 2nd one was violent and involved severe cramps (most docs will tell you that Yeast will not cause cramping - BS! Think about what Candida does to the gut), followed by a 3 day bout w/ extreme pain and one day of hemorrhaging following a failed PAP (the practitioner stated that my cervix was tilted). I took Diflucan and rested and it resolved. I have done gel and pill of Metro for BV before. I have not done those recently, thank goodness. The last Yeast brought on a case of BV. I used regular drugstore 3% hydrogen peroxide on a tampon for about 3 days. I found this remedy here. Worked like a charm! Then here we are about a month later, and I smelled that damn smell again. My partner and I are very sexually active, and we use toys. We are always very clean with them before and after. She knows about my issues (please note - I began suffering from BV when I was very active w/ men. However, there are also cases of BV in virgins-maybe points to diet and environment). So, I tried the tampon thing again. It worked, but then I became extremely irritated and decided to douche. I bought food grade hydrogen peroxide for the douche (please read directions and use caution as it is different than 3%. The 3% usually contains stabilizers which can be irritating and make it less effective. Got that info here! ) I use a child's medicine syringe and douche about half of it then use the rest on the outer parts. I do this morning, midday, night, and after sex (yes, I know you should abstain. I jumped the gun - pun?- when I thought I was better). Apple cider vinegar and baking soda in the bath provides brief comfort. I have not been consistent about ingesting it yet. We also went to Trader Joe's and are completely revamping our diet and health habits. This was not that hard as I went vegetarian 2 years ago (fell off the wagon and intend to go back soon) and know what to look for and where to find it. We are both taking their super charged Women's Multi and Goldenseal w/ Echinacea. I am taking their Acidophilus (2 billion active cultures), St Johns Wort (depression), Vitamin C, B12, and Aloe Vera juice. I have been double dosing on all of these for the past 4 days and will level off to the regular doses over the next 3. There is an odd odor at random times of day, but it is better, and I have been craving sugar and starch - which is not normal for me. So, we are eating the better forms of it that we bought and I am trying to drink lots of water with lemon and lime. I alternate between die-off symptoms and a sort of energy buzz. The BV is definitely being relieved. I am interested in the Estriol. I keep reading good things about it; I am not sure if I am premenopausal or not. I have Fibromyalgia, so sometimes menopausal type symptoms will manifest from that. If you know anything about Fibro, you know it is utterly unpredictable in its symptoms and bouts. Would an Estriol cream or oil help me, premenopausal or not? I do suffer minor itching and sometimes severe irritation when I have BV. When I am not infected, occasionally dryness is an issue. Sorry for the rant; wanted to share what seems to be working for me and get any feedback or stories. Also, simply being newly conscientious about our diet and habits is a great thing regardless!

Try to google oak galls.

"Oak galls" (manjakani in the Malay language) come from oak trees indigenous to Asia Minor and Persia. They are produced when the leaves of the oak tree (scientifically known as Quercus infectoria) are penetrated by stinging wasps. The spontaneous chemical reaction caused by the penetration stimulates the leaves to produce a roundish hard ball called an oak gall.

Rich in tannins, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, tannic and gallic acids, fibre, protein and carbohydrates, oak galls possess a unique kind of astringency which acts to restore health, tone and vigor in the vagina. Well-known since ancient times, Arabs, Persians, Indians, Chinese and Malays have traditionally used oak galls after childbirth, and to treat vaginal discharge and related infections.

How long did you take this before you noticed it had disappeared?

OLIVE LEAF EXTRACT! ... TRY IT! A MIRACLE LADIES!!!!! It speaks for itself, it is definitely the answer to my prayer...

Just thought I would recommend something that has worked for a few different ailments for me and may be very sucessful for BV as well. It's worth a try- probiotics - I aften have trouble when I take too many of the capsules - so I just eat 1/4 or 1/2 of one.

I think it was the vitamin D that worked for her, Dr. OZ was talking about bacterial vaginosis and he said to take vitamin D, I bought some yesterday, I do not smell as bad, too early to tell, but I will let you guys know, also I bought those gelcaps natures made multi for her, I will post on Friday to let you know how Im doing, so far I smell nothing, keeping my fingers crosses.

B vitamins definitely help. Especially if you are vegetarian you may fnd they make a huge difference.

Hydrogen peroxide only works temperarily. It like cleans the vaginal walls out of the acidic discharge, but wait a day and it will come right back.

Dong Quai Herb twice a day, and a good, (atleast $30 bottle of acidophilus is important too) The pearls are good. I use "Femdophilus" Jarrow brand.

Goldenseal Herb and Echinacea for no more than a month, is good. 350mg pills, three capsule, three times a day, and Goldenseal ticture, filled in an empty "00" gel caps, 2 to 3 times a day everyday along with the echinacea. Its an infection!! The bacteria must be killed off

Well when I first thought this was a yeast infection, I tried all the eliminating carbs, sugars, anything that could feed bacteria and was eating more veggies and lean protein meats. I know this is BV now and I did that for a whole month. Now yes this did help me get rid of the crazy itching and burning, but til this day i still have nasty icky discharge and swelling in the vaginal area. I've tried several herbs garlic, grapefruit seed extract, echinacea/goldenseal, olive leaf extract, probiotic acidophilus, more vitamin supplements. And i still have discharge. I have now starting eating regular again incorporated carbs and sugars but i eat them more moderately and i still dont have the itching and burning. So I don't know what is the problem, but i'm going back to the doctor soon anyway. I can't take this anymore.

Hi Cici, Actually, you were on the right track! And the progress is that you are no longer burning and itching but there is still more progress to be had to rid yourself of the BV and going to the dr. will not help unless it is a naturopath who will help through diet. The dr. will most likely give you antibiotics or some other allopathic medication which may cover up the syptoms(MAYBE)but in the end will only exacerbate the problem. The "nasty, icky discharge" is most likely some of the die-off of the candida and yes, this is not a fun place to be but the candida must die in order to restore harmony in your vagina and most likely throughout your whole body. As women, our bodies have an especially delicate balance because of our female organs so candida becomes quite apparent in us as opposed to men. This is both a blessing and a curse because it brings the problem to our awareness pretty quickly and gets our attention whereas, a man with candida can go very far until it is extreme and harming many of his organs.

Do not go back to sugar and carbs- you were on the right track! If you go to bodyecology.com you will find a protocol and answers to BV there. Just do a search when you're there and Donna Gates will give a very good explanation in an article she has written. Don't give up!

Sincerely, Lisa

Cici....that's a bummer on the no carb thing. I've been smell and discharge free for over a week now and the only thing I've changed is what I eat....only meat, cheese, and green veggies. I was hoping that this would work for others like it has for me. I'll let you all know if I'm still BV free in a month or so.

I love all the posts and everyone helping eachother.
Thanks!

Thanks Jennifer and Lisa for your replies. Yes i've really been struggling with this since October 2009. I know i've done something right because of losing two symptoms itching and burning. I guess I need to find the right combo of things for my body. I realize all of our bodies are different and react differently to certain things. I also realize when doing things naturally it's not always a quick fix. I've been patient this long so i might as well keep going. I will check out the bodyecology.com site you posted. Have you all heard of any homeopathic remedies that help. I've been doing more research and read up on Sepia, Pulsatilla, Sulfur, and Kali. I am thinking of adding these to try. Thanks again. We must continue to support each other in this fight.

Hi Cici, Good for you for continuing in a holistic manner! I am certain you can bring your body back to a balanced state through diet. You can make your own kefir (I make young coconut water kefir) which helps to re-populate your body with the good bacteria that keeps our body healthy. Wishing you the best on your journey, Lisa

I tried this for about 8 months. I think it's a great thing to do and it definitely helped me lose weight and I felt very healthy. Without the carbs in meals and snacks to make me feel full easily I worked harder at planning meals and eating more fruits and vegetables. There were plenty of good things that happened and my discharge and smell were greatly reduced. However, that kinda slimy "wet" look that my labia had while sick with bv never fully went away and I could just tell that I still had an active infection. This helped alleviate symptoms but when I started eating simple healthy carbs, not junk food, my symptoms came back with a vengence. This was a nay as a cure but a good thing for my general health.

I tried the peroxide douche a couple of times and have been taking folic acid & acidophilus daily (I forget sometimes tho). It improved my BV but not cured. i still had a slight odor and odd discharge, although so much better than before. anyway, I was fed up and decided to pay the $16 my health food store charges for goldenseal.

i inserted one capsule at night, using a pantyliner the next day. Just in case, I did the same the night after. I'm on day 3 and the odor is completely gone. The jury is still out on discharge because I am still leaking the golden seal. The goldenseal leakage is slight, nowhere near as bad as BV discharge. I will definitely update a week from now. Thank you once again Earth Clinic!!

Update!

So after trying goldenseal for 2 nights, everything was back to normal. Then about a week later, I got my period. After it was done, I noticed that the consistency of my natural discharge was thickening and something was not right. The smell was extremely faint but present so I decided to try goldenseal again to prevent a full blown reoccurrence. I've read that menstruation, like semen, can cause BV because it changes the PH in your vagina. Sooo, going to try goldenseal again now that period is over. I was so very pleased with the results the 1st time around and feeling hopeful about this time too. I just might have to insert goldenseal after each period, which i'm OK with since it cleared up the smell and discharge.

For yeast or BV - try the following herbs 1) Oregon Grape root 2) Usnea 3) Neem.

virgin organic Coconut oil.

Greek yogurt or plain yogurt.

A good digestive enzyme will too.

Okay ladies so here is my update since my last post. I've been doing research for weeks about yeast infections and BV because I believe I have one or the other. I was already prescribed diflucan and used monistat cream for a yeast infection, but neither of those helped. I'm convinced that this is BV and not a yeast infection. I've had symptoms such as mild to severe itching, excessive yellowish discharge with a slight odor, burning sensation when urinating, and swelling of the vaginal area. In the beginning when I thought this was a yeast infection, I started taking the acidophilus and was doing the warm sitz baths with apple cider vinegar. Those helped with the itching temporarily and didn't really have complete relief. I then started doing more research and found that I had to change my eating habits, restore the good bacteria in my gut, and build my immune system. As of right now, the burning has gone away completely; the itching has subsided tremendously; I can sleep at night comfortably now. The only thing I still have is this nasty excessive yellowish discharge, but the odor is not as bad and I still have this off and on swelling. This is what I have been doing based on continuous weeks of research and reading posts from other women sufferers of this issue.

November 30, 2009 I started a change in my diet, reducing my sugar intake and carbs, making sure I don't eat anything with yeast in it, with high amounts of sugar, and gluten-free. I eat more veggies, lean meats and proteins, and 6-8oz of plain, non fat yogurt every morning. I have cut out breads, pastas, starches, rice unless it's whole grain pasta or brown rice. I don't eat much fruit as this contains sugar as well, but i drink the no sugar added cranberry juice.

December 10, 2009 I started incorporating Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Garlic, and Echinacea/Goldenseal Supplements supplements with my diet.

12/10 - 12/15 I took the following per day:

1 Folic Acid 800mcg
1 Vitamin C 500mg
4 Echinacea/Goldenseal Herb Supp. 1800mg
4 Garlic Softgels 4000mg

12/16 to present I took the following per day

2 Folic Acid 1600mcg
2 Vitamin C 1000mg
4 Echinacea/Goldenseal Herb Suppl 1800mg
4 Garlic Softgels 4000mg

I've been doing more research and I'm going to change up a few things. I am looking to incorporate Acidophilus/probiotic supplements, Vitamins A,D, and B12(to take with folic acid to prevent deficiency), and grapefruit seed extract supplements. I am also going to change from garlic softgels to ones with enteric coating because I read that enteric coating allows the capsules/tablets to break down where it is needed(in the gut) where as softgels break down in the stomach(because of our acid) not reaching the infected area. Garlic, Echinacea/Goldenseal, Grapefruit Seed Extract are natural herbs that act as natural antibitiocs with antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

I am really determined to beat this just as you ladies are and hope we can continue to help and educate each other with this problem as the doctors seem to not really care of offer up natural approaches. We all know this is because of money of course. Like I said before my issue I am still having is the discharge and the swelling and I would like to know any recommendations you ladies have with that and what all have you been doing to get rid of BV. Any tips are helpful.

Thanks!

Hello to all who have this unwanted bv,

Just wondering aloud here, but have any of you tried a
1:1 hydrogen peroxide (H202) daily douche for 3 or 4 days to see what it does?

Another possibility would be a SSKI or lugols solution
(maybe 20 or 25 drops/3 ounces warm water).

Both of these should be more beneficial reclining in your bathtub and retaining as long as possible.

Both of these are also known to kill off lots of pathogens.

This reply on bv and the H202 douche should read (H202)/water (meaning equal parts of H202 and tap water).

I am so grateful for this web site and the recomendations which helped me to cure my BV (bacterial vaginitis). I am 60 years old and have not had any symptoms for the past 10 years. My BV symptoms consisted of a sudden appearance of an abundant discharge on DAY 1 (Nov 7th). After 7 days of treatment for a yeast infection there was no improvement. Finally I found your site on DAY 20 and immediately bought 2 products at the pharmacy:

- multivitamin pills (which included 0.4 mg floric acid)
- 50 capsules of a probiotic mixture which caught my attention as I was looking in the store for acidophilus. Each capsule contains:
300 million bifidobacterium bifidum
300 million bifidobacterium longum
300 million lactobacillus acidophilus
5.1 billion lactobacillus rhamnosus

For 5 days I used the following remedy:
1 multivitamin
2 capsules of probiotic taken orally (morning and evening)
1 capsule of probiotic inserted in vag. (at bedtime)

On the 3rd day I observed a slight improvement
On the 4th day, I observed considerable improvement
On the 6th day I stopped inserting the capsule in the vigina. (and the discharge was negligeable the next morning)
I have had no discharge since then!!
On the 9th day I stopped taking the multivitamins
Very soon, I will reduce the probiotics to one a day orally (and replace with probiotic yougurt in my diet)

I hope this information can help others. I also switched to 100% cotton and only white underwear.
I had tried the diluted H2O2 wash twice a day, but soon gave it up, because I had a better cleaner feeling from using very mild unscented soap.

Hi Simi,

I have been suffering from yeast then BV for almost a week now. I think it started as yeast but turned into BV now. (I had to take some antibiotic a week before for urinary tract infection and then I started to have white chunky discharge). I also follow the remedies which suggested by many people on this site but it has not cleared (it has been 5 days now).

I am taking 1 garlic supplement, 2 L. Acidophilus capsules and 1 multivitamin (I use Folic Acid on the first 2 days but then slow down since my mutivatamin has folic acid). I also inserted 1 L. Acidophilus capsule two nights ago. The first morning after I tried the L. Acidophilus in vagina, I felt a lot better. I then insert another one few hours after I woke up and one later in the afternoon. I then started to have itchiness and irritation on my vagina. The white chunky discharge seems almost gone but I started to have light ivory color discharge. The discharge is more liquid form with a light smell. The smell is not fish at all, not like most people with BV. It is a very light smell. I think I may insert too frequanly. Did you have the similar discharge after you use the probiotic capsule in vag?

I stop insert it in my vag since I am not sure if I am actually making my condition worst by insert more bacteria. Please let me know if you also have discharge and how you feel during the treatment. Maybe I just need to limit to one at night. Thank you!

Hello Dameimei,

I suspect that 1 capsule a day would do the job (at bedtime). The discharge I had seemed to be similar to yours (no smell, transluscent witish-grey color). It was all gone after 5 days of treatment with the probiotic capsules. You are probably not using the same type of capsules that I used (my bottle specified that they were for restoring vaginal flora).

Anyway, you're on the right track. Don't give up!

Hi Simi,

Thank you for replying. You are right, I use the same capsule as the one I take orally. That must be the problem.. My condition was better for a day but then started to get worse.. Good thing I stop after one day. My vag is now swollen a bit and irritated. I need to find the right type for inserting. Once again, thank you!

Hi Simi,

I searched the web but I am not sure which product to get.. Does the capsule you use for vaginal insert has a vaginal use label on it? or is the same type you use orally? I can't find a probiotic for vaginal use contains as much as the one you use. I was at our local healthy food store for a hour today but I didn't find anything close to your neither (the contains of the probiotic). I know this site does not allow member to mention about the brand name so I know it's a bit tough to describe but I really need help. Thank you for all your advise, I really appreciate it!

Hi Dameimei,

I should clarify that the product I used specified ORAL use. I used 2 capsules a day orally, but added a third capsule in vag based on recommendations from others on this web site and from similar recommendations found on another site. I strongly suspect that the main factor responsible for my 5-day cure was the capsule inserted in vag. (a nurse I had consulted early on had recommended to use yoghurt in vag but I thought that was a messy solution...glad I found the capsules instead). If you don't find the product I used, I found an alternative product on the internet and it seems very promising: each capsule contains 5 billion live organisms, a mixture of:
lactobacillus rhamnosus and lactobacillus reteri.

In this case also the bottle specifies ORAL use but the web site hints that using in vag would produce faster results. Good luck!

Yay for tea tree oil! Like many other people, I have suffered from BV for a year and was on several different antibiotics. As soon as I stopped treatment, the infection returned. Frustrated, I began to explore alternative treatments. I tried just about everything under the sun: hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, folic acid, acidophilus, garlic; nothing worked. Having read that everyone's body is different I kept at it, but it was a difficult process to find my miracle cure. Tea tree oil changed everything. I douche with it every couple days or as soon as symptoms start appearing. After one treatment the symptoms are gone. I use 15-20 mL of water and 12 drops of tea tree oil, but start with much less oil (1 or 2 drops) and see what you can handle, because it will burn, especially if the vagina is inflamed and sore.

I don't understand why doctors don't tell you the truth about problems with your ph levels. All you have to do is drink 2 liters of lemon water (1 lemon a liter) a day and your ph levels will go back to where they are supposed to be. If you do have an infection douche with peroxide and water, and drink your lemon water and you will no longer have any problems.

In response to "All you have to do is drink 2 liters of lemon water (1 lemon a liter) a day and your ph levels will go back to where they are supposed to be."

Unfortunately this is not always the cure-all case. Citrus fruits such as lemons seem acidic but they are actually alkaline forming, and candida, for instance, thrives on them. So depending on the individual problem, drinking lots of lemon juice can actually exacerbate the problem.

I love drinking a whole lemon in water every morning but had to give it up because it was contributing to an overgrowth of yeast in my vagina.

I don't think you need to wash your vagina with soap even if it is unscented. Washing with regular water works fine for me. Putting soap down there might even cause you a new infection. Most gynacologists recommend not to use any kind of soap.

I have been suffering with BV on and off for about a year now. I am in my early twenties and newly married, so as you know this is very frustrating!

Antibiotics, both oral and gel, worked for me the first couple times, but now I am suffering constantly. There is a constant discharge and burning sensation when I urinate, almost like a UTI, but not quite. I have had cultures done for everything from a yeast infection to chlamydia with negative results to all of them. This means without a doubt that this "infection" I have had for the past FEW MONTHS has been BV.

I have been on this website almost everyday since I discovered it a couple weeks ago. I have tried a couple things with positive results to everything. I have been taking 2-6 400 mcg Folic Acid tablets a day in congunction with a popular wellness company's multivitamin (because you must take a vitamin b complex with the folic acid in order for it to work effectively) along with 28 million units of probiotics a day. All of this worked very well, but did not cure the BV completely.

I found that any time I ate something with added sugar the BV flared up. Also, not taking the above mentioned supplements regularly is useless-- it will just come right back. I have to say though, it DID help a lot. However, I want it GONE!

I just went to the local pharmacy and purchased Boric Acid and double zero gel capsules to try. I will let everyone know how it goes in a couple of days.

BV is seriously a curse and I don't wish it upon my worst enemies. I was about to give up and continue with the antibiotics but I searched the internet for hours looking for a natural remedy and I found this website. I am so grateful for this website and all of the people that have contributed their stories... especially the women being so open and honest about their vajayjays, that takes some guts! It is great to know I'm not alone.

Saywhat from Chandler. Sounds like a BV to me, I was in the same boat as you they thought it was a yeast infection. The Diflucan will giving abdominal cramping, especially if you take more than one does, plus it can give you a headache. I only have the slight discharge and burning from the BV. I do the hydrogen perioxide mix and a small syringe (no needle on it) and insert it slightly up in the va-ja area, then I also squirt a little around the outside area. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now and am now only doing it about 4 times a week. Plus I take a folic acid and an acidophylius in the a.m. in the pill form with the rest of my vitamins.

Good luck with your BV and your other serious illness :)

I wrote to you about olive leaf extract a few weeks ago. The relief was short-lived and a day after taking it, I started my period and got BV again. I continue to take it for other benefits, but I am writing to say that I was reading a site today and a guy was telling about his wife suffering from BV for about seven years. He researched and was desperate to find a cure for her and claims he found one! He linked alot of BV problems seemed to be hormonal problems and had her to take 100mg of vitamin B6 a day along with her multivitamin and she has been BV free for some time. I hope this is the answer I started taking the B6 this evening. Only time will tell. Thank you for your posts!

I was using Apple Cider Vinegar that I read about on this site for YI. I had both YI and BV. I was in terrible pain. I got so desperite I went on a no carb diet. I even fasted when I could to starve the yeast. Eventually the yeast was gone and the Apple Cider Vinegar was aggravating the BV. I went back up here and read about B6. I immediately went to the store and bought some. I took one pill and swallowed a tbsp of H2O2. I did feel a little sick at first but it wasn't long before I felt a soothing sensation in my well you know. Now only the outside itches and I have a feeling that with one more dose I will be good to go. Now here's some advise from my mistakes. When I used H2O2 vaginally it caused the YI. Take by mouth in low quantities only. Be carefull with the Apple Cider Vinegar as it can cause BV by screwing up your ph. Don't drink the Apple Cider Vinegar take it vaginally dilluted in distilled water. I was taking it by mouth and it was fermenting in my gut making it worse. Including doctor's perscriptions and otc drugs ( which I would not recommend to anyone) and starting looking for homeopathic remedies it has taken over 2 months and finally relief.

I have been dealing with yeast and bacterial vaginosis every month for over 4 years. I am finally getting relief. I have tried soooo many different things from natural remedies to antibiotic pills, cremes, and gels.

I haven't tried the folic acid/B vitamin yet, but that is on the top of my shopping list. I wonder if Vitamin A would help, I've read that they recommend that for helping with genital warts...

Your immune system needs your help to fight this off! Weren't antibiotics just invented in the 20th century? How did they cure everything before then? Antibiotics just seem to keep the cycle going by killing off your good bacteria and fighter cells, leaving one infection just to start up another infection.

Medicinal Douching (with herbs) is recommended, but the influx of that much water just seems to make it worse for me, so I apply small amounts with a Q-tip.

Here are things that made drastic differences for me for both bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections:

BEST ONE SO FAR FOR YEAST: Candida Cleanse-type pills, taken first thing in the morning EVERY DAY to ensure best absorption on an empty stomach

***All of the following are diluted w/purified water and applied internally to the vagina with a Q-tip***

I keep the diluted mixes in the fridge in new/clean jars or glass bottles with lids.
-Apple cider vinegar (diluted)
and/or
-Tea Tree oil (one drop is strong enough when diluted w/water)
and/or
-Colloidal Silver Tinctures
- Hydrogen peroxide (diluted or full strength).

Hydrogen peroxide is naturally produced in the vagina as part of the cleaning process, and acidophilus is a naturally present health helper in the vagina, but overuse of peroxide is no fun for your vagina

-Acupuncture has helped a great deal in combination with the all of the above

I ALWAYS ALTERNATE THE ABOVE METHODS WITH Applying acidophillus powder mixed with water

Emotional stress makes my symptoms worse. Cut back on sugar, as this taxes the immune system and also feeds yeast cells. Bulk up your immune system on a regular basis with Vitamin C, Folic acid, and a good brand of Acidophilus

I've been suffering from bacterial vaginosis for more than five years. I've been trying everything suggested by everyone such as acidophillus pills, yogurt, folic acid, hydrogen peroxide... you name it. I recently went to a health food store and the lady working there suggested I use Olive leaf extract because it killed viruses and bacteria. I only started taking it yesterday but haven't seen any discharge or smell today. I pray this is the answer for me and anyone else the other remedies haven't worked for. I bought a bottle of 60 capsules and it says to take 3 times a day after a meal. I hope this helps someone!