Bacterial Vaginosis
Natural Remedies

Top Natural Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies

Personal Care Products

8 User Reviews
5 star (8) 
  100%

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 08/12/2008 495 posts
★★★★★

To Sandy from Henderson: Yes, Sandy, applying ACV to itchy areas usually relieves the itching. My suggestion is to put a cup of ACV in his bath water (to relieve the itching & also protect from bug bites) and then try leaving off any soap, bubble baths, etc. because it may be the soap that is drying his skin and causing the itching. In most cases, the soap isn't really needed. All you really need for cleanliness is just some good old water and a washcloth. If he doesn't itch while you are omitting soap, you will know that you have found the cause. You will also find that you like the way he smells without the soap better than with the soap. I learned this from a little lady in her 60's about 30 years ago. She told me "My daddy was a chemist and he always told us that if you didn't use soap, you won't need deoderants because soap makes you stink. I stopped using soap (except for handwashing) in l982 and I found her daddy was right. Your sweat doesn't smell either, and you don't have that fishy odor all the EC users who complain of BV. Also decreases most of the foot odors too.


Pineapple Juice

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Shaun (, Nashville, Tn,) on 01/14/2014
★★★★★

I'm 21 and I've had BV twice within 6 months. It might've been because me and boyfriend was having a lot of unprotected sex. I went to the Dr.I thought It would be cured the first time with flagyl and I was also drinking nothing but pineapple juice and water while I was on the medication. The smell of my vag actually smelled like pineapples and tasted like them too. But it was a very faint smell. It wasn't that odor you usually smell with BV. Soo after my meds we started using condoms for about 2, 3 months. After that we stopped using condoms and I got BV again but this time while I was meds I only drank water and I had a horrible yeast infection which was my first one. Yikes! So she put me on diflucan and it cleared up nicely. Until this day I drink about 3 little cans of organic pineapple juice and water. I've been BV free for 5 months.


Povidone Iodine

4 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  75%
4 star (1) 
  25%

Posted by Linda (Salt Lake City, Utah) on 02/03/2013
★★★★★

Beatadine is fabulous and YES, I too will have this for life.

Research taking beta carotene supplements. You can take up to 75,000 IUS everyday. Some women claim to have gotten a cure that way. I do that along with probiotics, EVERYDAY, and a table spoon atleast of coconut oil everyday with orange juice.


Povidone Iodine
Posted by Veronica (New York) on 02/01/2013
★★★★★

Hey, I have problems with seriously CHRONIC yeast and BV, and Betadine douches work great! I use them alongside my essential oil suppositories, but betadine is so healing, its just Iodine, which is extremely healing itself. I fine the betadine douches more effective and gentler on the tissues than peroxide douching, as I have made things worse, dry and inflamed using the peroxode douches. You can buy a large bottle of Betadine for $20 at the drug store.

You can use a Betadine douche twice daily for up to 14 days, (Ive done it myself and extensively researched on the internet the safety of this). Once in the morning for 1 to 2 weeks should be enough for most people though.

Also I make the solution pretty dark (like a dark red). I add quite a few drops in a little bit (maybe a half cup of water) and hold it in for a bit. Its wonderful. I read it stimulates the vagina to produce more lactobacilli, its very healing and very gentle. Ive nipped beginning yeast infections in the bud before.


Povidone Iodine
Posted by Barrelmaniac (Summersville, West Virginia, Usa) on 05/21/2010
★★★★☆

Betadine for BV

Ladies,

I have suffered with this for years. Unfortunately I have never really been cured. The longest I have went is probably 6 months with no symptoms. I started a forum on a health board regarding peroxide for treatment 4 or 5 years ago that had 100's of posts to my surprise. That's when I discovered I wasn't alone.

If your BV is mild, don't do anything! Take your supplements and wait until after a period and see what happens. The more you mess around with changing the flora in your vagina the more you are going to get things totally out of whack. I learned the hard way. Peroxide worked for me, temporarily but always came back with a vengeance. The more you do, the worse it comes back. You are killing all the bacteria in your vagina and some things allow the good bacteria to bounce back quickly while keeping the bad at bay.

If you must treat it, add some Betadine to good distilled water (pH 7, city water with chlorine has a very high pH) douche with betadine for 7 days, You can even use the swabs to clean the vaginal walls. Do this in the morning because it takes 120 minutes for the flora to begin to bounce back. Lactobacillus first! At night use a good quality yogurt and a syringe and then insert a tampon to hold it in. Continue yogurt treatment for a few days. Take a good quality probiotic daily.

Also Vinegar seems to allow the Lactobacillus to survive douching while killing the bad bacteria. If your BV isn't too bad try the vinegar and the yogurt treatment, watch what you eat and try to boost your immune system. Wait it out, it takes time.


Povidone Iodine
Posted by Michelle (Salt Lake City, UT) on 05/24/2009
★★★★★

Please add this remedy in the Vaginosis section :)

I have tried so many things for this terrible, frustrating, humiliating and irritating condition - including the Hydrogen peroxide, folic acid, and acidophilus cures. What *has* worked for me is the combination of povidone-iodine swabsticks & high doses of vitamin c. A few years ago, I saw a MD who also did alternative care (when I had a wicked case of candida). He suggested that I swab vaginally with 50% povidone-iodine and 50% water. This was a tremendous pain until I discovered povidone-iodine swabsticks (google them for retail sources). After months of an unrelenting vaginosis (complete with fishy smell), I decided to try the povidone-iodine swabsticks on that. It works!! The wicked smell and discharge is washed away immediately!! I think it's important to do this 2-3 times/day for the first few days, but after that, once seems adequate. Note that I am doing this once or twice a day now - and am unsure of how long I'll need to do it, but it's ridiculously easy so I'm totally cool with that! Also, it doesn't sting - *at all* even immediately after sex, which I definitely can't say about the hydrogen peroxide douche (ouch!).

Also - I have been diagnosed with cevical dysplasia and was looking for a treatment for that. In the Doctor Yourself website, this quote is made: "Dysplasia is a study in scurvy. In vitamin C deficiency disease, there is insufficient production of collagen, the strong, healthy glue that holds your cells together. Whether dysplasia is triggered by a virus, physical irritation or other cause, the fundamental problem is weak intercellular ground substance due to inadequate ascorbic acid." So - I decided to start taking 3-6 grams vitamin c daily. (If you're concerned about this check out the vitamin c foundation web pages & know that Linus Pauling took 6-18 grams daily!)

Since adding the vitamin c, the smell vanished! I'm playing it safe and not going more than a day without one swabbing, but it really doesn't seem necessary so.. I don't know - it's just so easy that I figure it's worth doing!

Best wishes to you all :)

Replied by Sarah
(USA)
09/07/2012

In lieu of povidine-iodine swabsticks, you can make your own povidine-iodine douches or purchase betadine(povidine iodine) feminine washes premade. It's an easy search online to find the studies showing this simple solution cured a majority of BV cases. The iodine is supposed to encourage the regrowth of lactobilli.


Prescription Medications

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Anon (Arkansas) on 06/21/2015
★★★★★

I am telling my story because I swore if I ever got rid of BV I would share what my cure was. I had this condition for over a year. Saw a doctor, what he prescribed did not work. I couldnt afford to keep going back, no insurance. I tried anything and every home remedy, including the boric acid. Did not work. Very frusrating. Cried many nights. Was feeling like I would just have to live with it the rest of my life. Finally I did go back to the doctor, a different one, and he prescribed me: Fluconazole AND Metronidazole. THESE PRESCRIPTIONS WORKED. I have been healthy since February. The end.


Prescription Medications
Posted by Chrissy (LA) on 11/12/2006
★★★★★

i have BV and i have been suffering with this for almost five years and i have tried everything their is to tried garlic, vinegar, and yogurt. i went to the doctor and he gave me flagyl 500mg for seven days and on the six day it finally started to work so i went back and got it for seven more days and now i feel great. But while taking these tablets, do not take a bath take a shower and use dove soap. i got three more days on the meds but the smell is gone and i am happy to share this to the world.


Probiotics Plus

9 User Reviews
5 star (7) 
  78%
4 star (1) 
  11%
3 star (1) 
  11%

Posted by Penny (Kingsport, Tn) on 01/06/2017
★★★★★

Eat yogurt that contains probiotics including bifidus regularis 1 daily and drink water with lemon juice about 1 tsp added to 8 oz of water daily, I was better quickly. Try. I kept bacterial vaginosis for 2 years and this worked for me.


Probiotics Plus
Posted by Christina (Queensland) on 01/12/2014
★★★★★

I have had BV for about 5 months. About 12 visits to 3 different doctors and 3 lots of Antibiotic Vaginal cream. I thought I was ok until each time after having sex with my partner the burning pain would begin again. Went to another doctor and got prescribed more anti biotic cream, this is after she told me I had no good bacteria in my vagina at all. This time I refused to take it and decided to do something different. I knew that by having more anti biotics was not going to help just make things worse. I did heaps of research over the 5 months and finally went for a natural remedy. I started inserting natural yoghurt and a probiotic specifically for vaginal health. Mixing the contents of the capsule with the yoghurt and using a plasic syringe inserting it at night. I also took one of the capsules in the morning as well. Had instant results, the burn stopped immediately. I have also been drinking Apple cider vinegar once a day in the morning, 1 desertspoon in a cup of hot water and eating a clove of raw garlic with one of meals. If you know for sure that you have BV

If you have been diagnosed with BV try the natural remedies, it will save lots of money and trips to the Doctors. The anti biotics are just killing off any good bacteia you have to help you fight it.

Try 2 teaspoons of Natural yoghurt the one with live culture in it, mix the contents of I capsule of probiotic. I use a plastic syringe ( no needle attatched ) to insert the mixture into my vagina at night. In the morning I take a probiotic orally, and repeat the yoghurt again at night. I got instant relief from this as I was recolonizing my vagina of good bacteria that all the anti biotics had killed.

You can apparently insert the capsules directly into the Vagina if you dont want to do the yoghurt thing. I found the yoghurt very soothing. I will also be trying folic acid as well. I have also been eating one clove of raw garlic with my main meal each day and drinking a dessertspoon of Apple Cider vinegar in a cup of hot water in the morning as well.

Good Health and happy sex life once again.


Probiotics Plus
Posted by It Works! (Lethbridge, Alberta) on 04/22/2013
★★★★★

I had reoccurent BV infections. Drove me nutsss!!! Was sick docs useless antibiotics. I went and got a probiotic, some potent garlic capsules (aged or dried contains no allicin and won't do anything), and some good colloidal silver (must be colourless otherwise it's no good and high ppm doesn't necessarily mean good) in rubbed a little right down there doesn't sting irritate or burn jus some instant relief, and a flax seed capsule. Usually it always returned after my period but period has come and gone and I feel great no infection. Give it a shot ladies. I know how embarrassing this can be.


Probiotics Plus
Posted by Steph Suffering For 13 Years (Sacramento, Ca) on 01/23/2013
★★★★☆

Hi ladies I almost cried last week coming across this website. I've had the horrible BV since I was 17 years old and I'm turning 30 in a few months. I woke up one day with the horrible smell out of no where with no idea what it was. I went to my gyno and did the anti biotics with the outer cream & thought it would be gone. I was saddened to find out the smell was not leaving. I went through years & years of embarrassment and humiliation. I thought I was going to be a single mom forever as I had my daughter at 23 by myself. I'm now married with 4 children & my husbands great. I tried talking to him about it as I've never discussed it with anyone God forbid that humiliation right. His response was what smell you talking bout babe. Gotta love him. It bothered me so bad to wake up & have my entire bedroom reek of raw fish & BO. I decided to look online again since I haven't in years. 13 years ago there were no helpful remedies or forums. I read every post on here & was in tears knowing there were other people who could relate.

Here's where my mission starts. I have done the peroxide water mix & inserted it for 5 minutes a day first thing in the morning for the past 4 days. I have been on the probiotics with rueteri for the last 3 days & started one alkaline water a day. Reading everything on here made me realize this is def. harbored in my gut. This makes sense because I had my gallbladder removed at 19 & the doctor said I'd been suffering from it not knowing for a couple years. It got much worse after it was removed & I suffer from horrible acid reflux. I'm not a doctor but it makes sence all of a sudden there's this horrible bacteria in my gut causing the bv to flare up daily & the acid almost daily.

Today is the first day without the peroxide in the morning. I drank the alkaline water as well as taking the probiotic. The other suggestion on here was coconut oil. I was gonna try to eat it then chickened out seeing what it looks like. So I put a table spoon in a pan and made 2 eggs vtastes fine. It's about an hour past the normal time I do the peroxide and no over whelming smell. Yet. Hopefully this works because this has ruined my self esteem & emotionally caused seriouse insecurities and depression. Thank you everyone for there input. It's a support system so neede that only another woman suffering would understand. Good luck ladies & I will give feedback if it continues to work

Replied by Star
(Spartanburg)
06/21/2015

I have the same problem and I just started using it also plus the pills and also another cure that will help is tea tree oil mixed with Oliv oil put small amounts on a pantie liner wear for 3 hours it made me smell so good and no burning really does help.


Probiotics Plus
Posted by Jessica (St.croix, Usvi) on 11/25/2011
★★★★★

I have 2 say what works for one person may not work for another, but u just have 2 keep looking for what works for u. I have been diagnosed with bv about 3 months ago & was givin antibiotics for the bv it whent but then came back about a month and a half after the treatment. I said I wasn't going 2 continue 2 use the antibiotics cause that also destroys the good bacteria in the vagina. So I googled & found many natural remedies for bv & the one that caught my eye was the probiotics & the organic plain yogurt & I started using the probiotics capsules 2 times a day & eating the yogurt I cup a day & inserting the yogurt vaginally once a day & I gotta say about a week in 2 the home treatment, NOTHING!!!! The fishy smell & the vaginal discharge was Gone!!! I knew that it was helping & I got rid of it with probiotics & organic plain yougurt Thank God & the home remedies. You just have 2 b patient when using home remedies, remember that it dosn't work the same way for everyone. For some it worked in just 3 days but for me it took a week in 2 b gone but hey it beats using anitiotics witch just helps for a while but dosn't treat it from the root. So try it & c what works for u. I just keep eating the yougurt daily & keep drinking the probiotics just 2 keep it from coming back. Good luck 2 you hope it works keep the faith :0)

Replied by Shane
(Ontario)
12/06/2017

Yes, there is no "one size fits all" cure for this. Probiotics and peroxide douches did nothing for me. Only the Vitamin C works. So I have upped the amount since it got much worse. But, since it's natural, and I'm not getting burning and it's going away I'm going to say that it's starting to work.


Probiotics Plus
Posted by Alley (Sydney, Australia) on 10/18/2011
★★★★★

WHY did it take me this long to learn about this???

Get yourself a vaginal ph test to test the acidity of your vagina. It should be slightly acidic (3.8 to 4.5). If it is higher than 4.5 this means your issues are most likely caused by bacteria (aka, BV), if it is in the normal range it is probably yeast. For a year I have been misdiagnosing myself as having a yeast infection! Even the doctor and pharmacists let me diagnose myself without doing any tests or asking more questions. The symptoms can be very similar. Although, it is possible to have both issues at the same time.

Then the next question is, how do I get my vagina back to being acidic again?

WELL, I ALSO found a product at the drug store that is nothing more than ascorbic acid inserts, that's right, Vitamin C! Now I'm not sure what kind of vit c you can insert up there but it might be best to get the specially made stuff with a slow release unless you won't to a bit more research on it. The stuff I got is called Vagicare in Australia.

When your ph is more alkaline (>4.5), the good bugs, Lactobacillus can't thrive, but the bad bugs can. This is why taking probiotics works for so many people. (note, I've also researched that L. Reuteri and L. Rhamnosus are the best Lactobacillus for down there). Make sure you get a good quality enteric coated acidophilus, so that it doesn't dissolve until it gets to your intestines. eg. Femdophillus or Nature's Way Reuteri Pearl.

And this is also why everyone goes on about not washing with soap or douching, because these products are more alkaline and create an environment more hospitable to bad bacteria.

I don't know why it took my SO long to learn this but I'm so glad I did! Tell everyone about ph tests and ascorbic acid inserts and L. Reuteri and Rhamnosus!


Probiotics Plus
Posted by Grateful Dane (Allen, Texas) on 10/04/2011
★★★★★

To all the ladies that posted their solutions to relieve symptoms of BV!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I've been suffering from bv for a couple of years thinking the only cure was antibiotics. I was tired of using clindamycin inserts. It would relieve the bv but turn into a yeast infection. Then I would have to take 2 diflucan to relieve yeast infection symptoms. It was getting to be a tiring cycle of antibiotics. I was at my wits with the odor and discharge. Once I read all of your postings I was soo happy to find some kind of solution. I went out and brought medicated douche, walgreens homeopathic bv treatment time release vaginal insert, went to whole foods store and brought pearls probiotics 1billion, kefir yogurt smoothie, and 1 plain Greek yogurt. I used the medicated douche, then rolled a tampon in the plain yogurt and inserted for 30 mins. Took 2 pearls by mouth that morning and at bedtime, drank 1 cup of yogurt smoothie and insert 1/2 of walgreens vaginal insert as instructed for 1st time users. Woke up this morning smell is gone discharge is not smell. I'm clean as a whistle. I will continue this regimen for a while.



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