The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Garlic
Posted by Rachel (Philadelphia, Pa) on 07/29/2017
★★★★★
I've had problems with bacterial infections and have felt the same way at the doctors office. No new sexual partner, yes I wash my towels regularly, yes I wipe front to back lol... (Its embarrassing to go and deal with the idiot doctors. It really is.) I have found that eating RAW garlic will kill all the bacteria in your body. That means good AND bad bacteria... So, in order to compensate for the loss of the good bacteria you are to also consume yogart. I'm not a huge fan of consuming either but I will tell you... Eating raw garlic (as disgusting as it is... ) WILL absolutely solve the problem!!! Please try. I dont have any on hand and have tried tea tree oil this evening. I will see how that goes... But mince it up and swallow with water. One clove for like three days and its gone. You'll notice almost immediate results. Guarenteed!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Ri (New Orleans) on 06/07/2017
★★★★★
I have tried antibiotics, tea tree oil, probiotics, vitamins coconut oil (refined), acv, yogurt and nothing helped my BV. I logged on this site and saw people talking about virgin coconut oil. This stuff has changed my life. I take about 1 1/2 teaspoons out, put it in a cup and microwave it for about 9 secs. I then use a medicine syringe to get it out and stick the syringe inside of me after my nightly shower, place a pad on and go to sleep. First time I tried this i woke up with no smell! I also take probiotics with prebiotics & cranberry and drink plenty of water.
D-Mannose
Posted by Liz3333 (Macclenny, Fl) on 03/30/2017
★★★★★
I tried the doctor-prescribed medication to no avail. I tried the boric acid up my hoo-ha. The only thing that worked was D-Mannose, a natural supplement. I used it for 5 days straight, took 1 by mouth every 2 hours. It cleared up. Wanted to post this to help others who may not have had success using different routes. I plan to continue to take it as directed, once in the morning and once in the evening as a preventative measure.
Garlic
Posted by Gina (Nebraska) on 03/29/2017
★★★★★
For BV, wrap a whole peeled clove of garlic in gauze, insert at bedtime, and remove in the morning. Depending on how bad my case is one night will usually do the trick. If it's bad I will put a slit in the garlic and repeat for several days til better.
Spring Water
Posted by Baby Girl's Mom (Seoul, South Korea) on 02/19/2017
★★★★★
Actually, I was looking for a natural cure for acid reflux that also happened to address issues with women's infections. I had suspected that chlorine in drinking water was the culprit and went online to find information to support my theory. It seemed I hit the jackpot when I found an article written by Robert Reiling, who's knowledge of chemistry and experience working in the water treatment industry led him to conclude that because it is difficult to extract gaseous chlorine (used in water treatment facilities), even filtered or purified water consumed over long periods can lead to certain health problems. Heeding his advice of drinking only SPRING water (not bottled drinking water or "purified" water) my problem with acid reflux seemed to vanish after just one month. Fast forward a year and I have a new health issue with infection. I tried many of the suggestions here but wanted to tackle the root problem. I realized that while traveling I was drinking filtered water and my troubles started about the same time.
So I went back to bottled SPRING water and after about 2 weeks I am happy to report the infection is gone. Sadly I don't live near a spring and I don't feel good about buying plastic bottles, so I make sure to recycle the bottles religiously. I am thrilled that I have found a cure dealing with the root problem and the cost is extremely low compared to the alternatives. One has nothing to lose by trying out bottled SPRING water for a good few months to see how many ailments can miraculously vanish :)
Oregano Oil
Posted by Hina (Eastvale, Ca) on 11/04/2016
★★★★★
I have been to this website several times to find a cure for BV and I want to share how I finally fixed mine. I had been suffering from Bacterial Vaginosis or BV for almost last three years. Obviously, the first thing I did was seek medical advice. I was prescribed oral antibiotics, antibiotic suppositories and boric acid suppositories multiple times. Every time the BV came back within days of stopping the treatment. After that I tried every home remedy I read about including, hydrogen peroxide douches, tea tree oil suppositories, oral and vaginal probiotics, garlic suppositories, yogurt, etc. Nothing worked and BV always came back within a day or two of stopping the treatment. I finally read about oil of oregano a month ago and gave it a try.
I took a teaspoon of olive oil in a medicine dosage cup and mixed 4 drops of oil of oregano in it and drank it every day for two weeks. I also took half a teaspoon of olive oil in a small syringe, no needle attached, and mixed 4 drops of oil of oregano and put it inside my vagina at night and tried to keep it in there for as long as I could. It burned a lot on the first day for almost 5 to 10 minutes but then it wasn't that bad from the second day. I used it for 6 days in a row and used some yogurt on the 7th day at the bedtime. I slept with a thin pad on so the oil wouldn't go to other areas and burn me there. I repeated the same on the second week. At the beginning of the third week I got my periods. I didn't drink or put the oil inside me during my periods. Also, this time I used pads instead of tampons. It's been 3 days since my periods ended and I didn't see any BV symptoms, otherwise I used to start smelling the fishy odor towards the 4th or the 5th day of my periods.
Another thing I did is I completely abstained from having sex during the treatment. Yesterday I had sex with my hubby the first time in over three weeks and I still feel okay. I think his semen is way too alkaline to mess up my pH level. I think I will go back to drinking the oil but not put anything inside me anymore unless I see the symptoms again. Please feel free to ask any questions you have. I understand what a nuisance this disease is and how it affects us physically and emotionally.
Good luck!
Apple Cider Vinegar Variations
Posted by Suzy (Indiana) on 10/23/2016
Hi Sj. I'm glad you are getting some relief from your BV. I went round and round with this for what seemed forever. It is not only the physical but mental as you think it will never go away. I found that sex aggravated the symptoms. I'm married, one partner. My concern for you is all the douching. I fear that changes the ph and set things off. What finally worked for me is grapefruit seed extract. 10 drops in water once a day, everyday, though I do miss now and then. I have honestly been cured of this miserable thing. Seriously. I was miserable. It has been a long, long time since I've had any symptoms. I have started taking vitamin e as it is good for skin. I've found it to work wonders along with the GSE and it does help with my sex drive and ease for a woman in her sixties. I'm not knocking what works for you, I'm glad you are feeling better. This is just what worked for me. Take care.
Hydrogen Peroxide, Probiotics
Posted by Naturalcat (San Francisco, Ca) on 09/05/2016
★★★★★
Here are the things I tried for BV and for yeast infection, and what I think worked best for me for each:
boric acid, probiotics, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar.
I feel like the hydrogen peroxide (washing with and douching with) and probiotics (taken both orally and vaginally) work the best for BV, and now I have my natural (and I think actually quite nice) personal smell/taste back down there. I have to say it did take some time, it wasnt instant. I tried boric acid first and thought it would help more than it did, because I do think it along with ACV rinses works great for yeast, but I think boric acid and ACV wasn't so great for BV.
What I did was douche with 50/50 (approx) clean, filtered water and regular H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) frequently at first (about 2-3xs per week) and opened an acidophilous capsule and scooped a tiny bit of that out with a clean cotton swab dipped in coconut oil and inserted it and swirled it around as far as I could go inside my vagina. I did this for about 2-3 weeks while also trying to alkalize my diet more, taking a multivitamin AND ingesting a lot of probiotics in different forms, for the sake of getting a variety of different beneficial bacteria populating into my gut and system. The probiotics I used were Good Belly beverage, Yakult beverage, expensive femme combo probiotic blend (Refrigerated type) and the cheap grocery store dry shelf acidophious capsules. I also took a few cranberry concentrate capsules orally for good measure because it contains properties which are purported to loosen and cleanse away the harmful bacteria that can adhere to the urinary tract. I made sure to take these many times a day at first and slowly ramped down as the symptoms receded.
I slowly backed down the frequency of H2O2 douching, however I still cleanse externally with a 50/50 H2O2/filtered water blend frequently, because I like the idea that is kills bad bacteria but also is a by product of (and therefore not removing) the good bacteria.
One of the keys to my regimes' success that I should also share is that I was sure to keep my hands and everything else I used very, very clean before ever putting it near my vagina. and I washed all my panties and pants with borax to help kill the bacteria that could be living in my clothes. In total it took about 3-6 weeks to completely eliminate all traces of BV in my system, however I have noticed after periods I catch a hint of it in my smell so I did one undiluted H2O2 douche after my period, each period and it seems to keep it from returning. I think one of the important things to keep in mind with douching is to know when to do it, and when not to. I think it is really important to let the vagina balance out and that can be a delicate balance between taking actions (like douching, inserting coconut oil and/or acidophilous) and just gently cleaning the outside but letting it rest and re-balance itself (herself? :)
Coconut Oil
Posted by Vanessa (Malibu, Ca) on 08/09/2015
★★★★★
Hi Ladies,
A bit of history into my condition: I've been having weird discharges only after drinking beer. Discharge is brownish and smells like vinegar. This started occurring after I had been vaccinated with gardasil and also having unprotected sex for the first time with my boyfriend. Been to the gyno. They say nothing is wrong with me and I have no infection, STD or otherwise. Everything is fine with me, no problems with my vagina, ovaries. However, still have weird discharge. Been on vaginal metronizole several times which got rid of the discharge. However, would come back if I started drinking beer.
Now you might think, why don't I give up beer? However, I really like organic beer, and I'm not an alcoholic, but beer is a nice way for me to release stress and plus it makes it happy.
Then I was reading earthclinic and someone recommended making coconut oil vaginal suppositories by shaping it into a bullet via clingfilm and then putting it into the freezer.
I did just once, and now the odd vinegar smelling discharge is gone and I do not smell like anything at all (I smell my panties everyday to check) I used to have a slightly stinky smell (my boyfriend told me I didn't smell like anything however) and my gyno told me I smelled normal, but now, I have ZERO smell after the coconut oil suppositories and ZERO discharge, even after drinking beer. For safety measures, I've been doing it for the last two days.
In addition, I had been suffering from low sex drive for the last two years. My vagina would literally clamp close if I thought about having sex with anyone and had problems with tampon insertion. However, now my sex drive has suddenly returned and I feel horny all the time LOL.
I still have no idea what I was suffering from, but thanks to the contributor who suggested coconut oil suppositories. Not only did my sex drive return, but I do not have that weird vinegar smelling discharge problem after drinking beer.
V.
Chlorophyll
Posted by Shenequa (Texas) on 06/28/2015
★★★★★
I have tried Chlorophyll concentrate for BV and it has cured me and I have been dealing with this since I was 16.
Borax
Posted by Rs (Ca) on 12/18/2015
BORIC ACID!!!! Not borax. I make and use boric acid capsules once a week for the maintenance of BV. There is no cure for BV and every woman is different when it comes to keeping this under control......and that is all you can do. Diet and keeping your body alkaline is a key factor. NO sugar, no caffeine, no dairy.......I however cant be that strict with my diet and I rely on boric acid capsules and they are a LIFE SAVER. You can by boric acid on Amazon.....it is a pesticide and roach killer, but not harmful to humans when inserted into the vagina, only if consumed orally. It basically suffocates the bacteria in your vagina and kills it. I would be at the end of my proverbial rope by now if it were not for this miracle. ALSO, a little known fact is that your doctor can give you a prescription for this to take to your pharmacy....yep....true story. It is a prescription medication for BV but no one wants anyone to know about it because then the pharmaceutical companies would lose money. I have worked in the medical field my entire life and know a thing or two about pharmaceutical companies. Anyway, there is no cure so you have to manage the symptoms until it subsides and then maintain a regimen.
Borax
Posted by Tammy (Ohio) on 12/14/2016
★★★★★
Borax...20 mule team...is a wonderful help for bv... diluted in water and inserted via douche.it is the only thing that has helped me....and I researched it highly....and also take it internally....
Oregano Oil
Posted by Shannon (Sanantonio, Tx) on 08/27/2012
★★★★★
Ok girls! I think I finally found the solution for bacterial vaginosis. It came to me after desperately searching for a solution to solve the horrible vaginal smell I got after my csection. Whatever caused it is unknown. All I know is that it wasn't normal. I tried hydrogen peroxide but I only got temporary relief, then the smell would come back. So what I did is I added 15 drops of oregano oil to 1 tablespoon coconut oil. I then mixed the whole thing and applied it internally and externally using a tampon. I applied generously and left the tampon in overnight. It stung for about 30 minutes then went away. The next day voila, problem solved. I had no more smell! If anyone tries this, I recommend doing the treatment for 3 nights just to be sure. You should see an improvement in the first night. This remedy also works with vaginal yeast infections. Don't ever take liver toxic diflucan again!!! I'm interested to know if anyone else has success with this. I'm sure it has multiple uses. Please give me your feedback! Parkerchic1[at] yahoo[dot] com
Dietary Changes
Posted by Orangetulips (Newark, De) on 05/26/2012
★★★★★
I've been trying to beat my BV for the past nine months. I recently started 'juicing' and I always include a 1/2 lemon. I've only been doing it for a week now, but after my period the BV discharge has not returned. My juice is 50% veggies and 50% fruits. I drink my juice instead of lunch and the micro-nutrients are doing wonders. I've had zero side-effects. Go buy a juicer! I love juicing 6 kale leaves, 1/2 cucumber, zucchini, 15 baby carrots, 55 green grapes, 2 green apples, 1/2 lemon, ginger, a dash of coconut water and a dash of pomagranite juice. It's delicious! I've also lost 5 lbs. Let's get healthy!
Alkalize
Posted by Kknic (Honolulu, Hawaii) on 05/14/2012
★★★★★
I found my cure for recurring BV!!!!!! I'm sure we all know that bv means our ph balance is more acidic. I read a posting and this person mentioned our bodies need to be on an alkaline diet. Well I went to a health food store and bought a gallon of alkaline water and within two days my symptoms cleared and its now been a month and my symptoms are completely gone!!! Drink alkaline water.
Alkalize
Posted by Reuben (Nashville, Tn) on 02/02/2011
I was researching bacterial vaginosis to help my daughter. Whatever method you use to clear up the problem, it will return if you don't get your whole body into a slightly alkaline state. That means no colas, no sugar, plenty of alkaline water (not bottled water from the store) lots of fresh veggies and fruits. You have to take care of the whole person and not just the symptoms.
Reuben Clark
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Cmelo (Boston, Ma, Usa) on 01/02/2011
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH THIS CURE. I got my first yeast infection about 4 days into a 7 day regimen of intense antibiotics. I have had bacterial vaginosis several times, so I figured I could cure it with yogurt as usual. When new year's eve came and I still had my infection, I got desperate and logged on here to see what I could find. I wasn't sure if it was BV or yeast at this point but I saw the raves for ACV and went ahead and tried it. I began with straight ACV on a cotton ball--It burned SO BAD. I can't even describe how bad it hurt--I was hyperventaliting. I decided to dilute it to about 50/50 but even that was awful. Awful. The burning didn't last too long but the infection went on to get worse quickly... I began getting tons of discharge and itching and pain. If you try this DILUTE ALOT. If it works then work your way up but it did not work for me at all!! I ended up taking fluconaze and now it is 90% cleared up.. I am afraid to put anything down there as even yogurt seems to irritate it. I'm glad if this works for people but be careful!!
Garlic
Posted by Ms.911 (Baltimore, Md, Usa) on 10/05/2010
I was looking on here and a few women said they used garlic up there VJ and it made there bv go away. So I went and got me some garlic capsule 546mg. I put 2 capsules up n my VJ and went to bed the night morning I had no sign of BV. The garlic I could smell alil got to me I was like ugh @ work lol. But when I got home I took a hot/ warm bath opened up took my clean finger and let clean water go up n there by that night the garlic smell was bout gone and I didnt smell any Bv or have anymore discharge :)
