Top Natural Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies

I am a 32-year-old woman dealing with bv for about a year, even since I needed a 3-week course of antibiotics. I finally realized I had a problem that wasn't going to go away on its own. I didn't want to ruin my entire body's flora in the process of healing this, so I decided to go the natural route. First, I used hydrogen peroxide douches, which worked only temporarily--at first. I think I left them in too long and irritated my vagina! Then I started to take folic acid (800 mg) and a vaginal probiotic with about 10 strains of bacteria in it each day. Still no change. I tried a garlic bulb, and that made it worse. It had been 2 weeks since my initial efforts.

Finally... I did one final douche with the peroxide, this time diluted to 1.5% strength, and let it go back out right away. I also bought 8 pairs of brand new underwear, and have been wearing those exclusively. Continuing folic and probiotics, I never douched again, but everything smells great, no weird discharge, and no burning or irritation! SO HAPPY!

I share this with emphasis on the new underwear since I haven't really seen that up on the site yet. Here's why I think it's important: I accidentally poured a little peroxide on my panties once. They were fresh out of the laundry, yet the spot where my discharge goes--and ONLY that spot--bubbled up furiously. In other words, my washing machine can't get rid of all the bacteria residue! I wash on cold with natural soap, as many of you undoubtedly do as well. The disappearance of bv happened right after I started wearing the new underwear. I'm not saying you need to buy new underwear--just washing it REALLY HARD might be enough--but consider testing you undies by pouring some peroxide on the crotch to see what you think. I look forward to responses to see in anyone else agrees.

After searching the internet I decided that whole organic garlic cloves was the answer for BV and boy was I right! Of course I discovered the cure right in the middle of a raging yeast infection so I took drastic measures....insertion! I took a clove of organic garlic (the fresher the better you want it to be firm not rubbery) cut it in half and inserted it vaginally . Within minutes I noticed a strong garlic taste in my mouth but expected that from what I had read. Within hours I was noticing relief, the itching wasn't nearly as bad...but it did burn a little. Then when I went pee, I noticed a lot of white stuff floating in the water, like the yeast was draining out of me. I did this for two days and was completely cured...for a few months.

This cycle went on for about a year until it dawned on me that I wasn't being proactive! I started taking organic garlic capsules every day an have been yeast free for years now :) I have a friend that says she doesn't think the garlic capsules work so she just eats a clove or two every day and it works for her too! Hope this helps someone.

I have been getting BV after repeatedly for the last year. I did try douching but it didn't keep the BV away for long. But I did mix lemon and Apple cider vinegar together in a spray bottle and spray my lower region every time I use the washroom (and before I go to bed). I have cured myself (Thank you Jesus). I don't smell or itch after my period or after sex.

I have been an avid reader of EC for years, and have tried many of the cures suggested for various ailments. I have been battling Bacterial Vaginosis for two yrs., tried almost all natural remedies that I could find out about, some worked some didn't and the ones that did only lasted for a couple of days, then right back to the old drawing board...I was at my wits end with this smelly, frustrating and embarrassing ailment..so a few days ago before taking my shower I decided that I was going to use straight white vinegar inside the vagina, but not douching but soaking a washcloth in the vinegar and ringing the vinegar in the vagina from the back..it burned like heck, but I guess that is from the irritation that goes along with having BV.... it has been 5 days and NO scent nor discharge. I even had a couple of glasses of wine last night and today still no discharge nor smell at all! Normally if I have a drink it would have a bad effect on the BV and I would discharge more than normal, but not this time....White Vinegar has always been used for Centuries as cures, and as we women know, it is used in most store bought douches, but it doesn't always receive credit for ailments of the vagina. I just wanted to share my relief story, and hopefully it will help someone else out there...and if for some reason my bv comes back I will most definitely applying the same treatment as before....also up your water intake to at least 64oz per day and if over 140lbs drink enough ounces of water to equal half of your body weight, water is very important in this fight against BV. Make sure you are well hydrated everyday, I think that dehydration has alot to do with this and so many other ailments. I drink tons of water per day, I eat a piece of garlic everyday or night, I use an antibacterial soap to bathe, and I take probiotics also...but it wasn't until I inserted the white vinegar directly, that any great results are being achieved....I will post again in a couple of weeks with an update...God Bless.

i just would like to point out.... DO NOT put vanilla yogurt in your vagina. use PLAIN YOGURT. yeast feeds off the sugar in yogurt and can possibly make you situation worse.

Hello ladies, I have been suffering from BV for years off and on. I am now 35. I have tried everything but nothing has worked. My doctor even gave me on- going prescriptions of antibiotics to try and assist me with my constant complaints of odor and discharge. Some months I have had to wear a pad everyday to help keep myself dry. The winter months are not as terrible as the summer months. I have limited my activities, and started not to attend gatherings, or wear dresses, tights, or do anything that might expose my problem. In the summer months it is quite unbearable. I just found out about this site from my drs nurse. I'm so glad to know that I am not alone. After researching, I decided to use the Apple Cider Vinegar. I've been using it for three days now and my smell is completely gone. First day: mixed 2 tablespoons of ACV with a full glass of water and drank. That night mixed 10 ml of ACV with distilled water in a douche bottle and used. almost immediately I could tell a difference. The second day I did the same. Today, I drank the same mixture, but I increased my ACV in the douche mixture to 15mL and also soaked in a tub half way full of water and added two cups of ACV for 20 mins. ( just enough to cover my vaginal area) .The smell is completely gone. I plan on continuing this regimen for seven days. The 2nd week decreasing to four days and then every other day For the third week. The last week just once Or twice. I'll sit in the tub with the ACV twice a week from now on.

Please mix the ACV with water always And gradually increase in your douch mixture slowly. Because it can have a burning sensation.

In addition to doing this new regimen, I also take acidophilus 4 billion live cultures, zinc, folic, acid, and vit B12 every night. so far, I feel great and my confidence is coming back. Thanks so much for this site. I'll keep you posted.

Hello, I could not help but feel empathy for you as I have also experienced extreme bv for several years. It was so pervasive that I thought I had to live with it for the rest of my life. I also became very drepressed bc it negatively affected my marriage, my self confidence and tested my sanity, at times. I was desperate for help. I tried both prescriptions and natural oral acidophilus remedies to no avail. However, one night in desperation, I began to research natural antibacterial agents. I found that lemon essential oil was a natural antibacterial, antiviral and antidepressant. So, I bought a bottle of organic liquid acidophilus culture, and put about a teaspoon in a small dish. Then, I added 5 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 drop of lavender essential oil and 1 drop of tea tree oil. I mixed it all up and just rubbed it directly onto my entire vulva and inside my vagina with a finger. I did this for 3 nights strait and the idor was gone aftet the first application. Now, I do it 2 to 3 nights per week just to help nurture my good flora down there. Please give this a try. You will not be disappointed and it is possible to love your vag again.

What is borax? I have suffered with bv for years and antibiotics doesn't take it away for long.

Hi, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading about your struggle with BV and I hope you have found a "cure". I struggle with an irritable vagina as well and I do hate it! Currently only had BV once but I think I just contracted it again. I think my problems are linked to ejaculation ie. His sperm, but who knows. Again, best of luck to you and thanks for being so honest!

As many of you, I have been on site after site looking for all kinds of information that could have anything to do with my constant bv. This has been going on for a good 3 years now, on and off. I did go to doctors sooooo many times.. did all the antibiotics, creams, gels.. also was treated for UTI and yeast infection. No idea why, or how this is happening to me. I don't have sex, and if I did the only person was with my ex.. so insucure at this point.. theres no possible way I'd feel comfortable! For those that are against a more homeopathic cure, think twice. Doctor's cannot help you with this sitution. But I can :) I'm so excited to be able to share with everyone what I have collected from 100's of others stories and cures! Okay I'm going to skip all the steps, everyone should know what bv is by now and if not there is a ton of info you can look up.. most likely if you're reading this, you assume you have it. Along with the vaginal issues, I constantly feel gassy, bloated, always sore.. muscles, joints, sometimes have diarrhea, sometimes constipated beyond measure.. never really had that issue before. Also, Chronic Fatigue, Anal Itching, constant dry skin, and acne. All these same symptoms of mine led me to believe, after massive research, that I have candida. Which technically candida is also a PARASITE, Not exactly sure what PARASITE I have, but I know thats what it is!

So What now...? Figure out how to get these nasty little creatures out of our system. They are feeding off you, they live off the host.. the longer you allow them to live in your body the sicker you will get.. neglecting parasites in your body can lead to many different health conditions. My regimen daily has a few PARASITE detoxing agents along with a few things they would use for candida, and everyday daily supplements. I started off slow and progressed to all the stuff I'm taking now, which you wouldn't even have to take them all. It's only for a matter of time anyways, and for a good cause might I add. Vitamin C Coral Calcium (Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Calcium) 2,2x a day B-12 Complex 3 a day Acidophilus, 2,2x a day Ginko Biloba (for Brain function and circulation, Memory) 1,2x a day Folic Acid 800mg 2xday Chlorella Green Super Food/Broken Cell Wall 1000mg Vegan supplement (VERY IMPORTANT! Read more about Chlorella below) Help with Parasite Detox. Caprylic Acid (Candida Support - Good Fats for colon) Flax Oil Biotin (is believed to help to control ingested sugars and carbs) Fresh Green Black Walnut Wormword Complex (Herbal Supplement, Liquid, Parasite detox! ) Nasty tasting, but well worth it. 1 dropper full 1x a day before bed and I wake up to a healthy bowel movement.. I know this does the trick. Going to start 2x a day today. IT WORKS GREENS DETOX (Includes black walnut, wormwood, and alllllll kinds of other detox and healthy supplements, it's all greens and healthy healthy fruits.) 2 scoops in 8oz water or juice 1x a day. I have Orange flavor. Diatomaceous Earth Powdered Form (Removes parasites like razor-blades, also good to treat any animals you may have) VERY IMPORTANT FOR PARASITE REMOVAL! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! No taste to mixture. 1 TBSP to 8OZ water I do it once a day right now. Like I said, it's better to start off slow. For Hygiene a lot of people suggest a 50/50 HP(hydrogen Peroxide)+ Spring Water Douche... this is good however, you must add a little ACV (apple cider vinegar), not to much or it may burn. Why you do this is because the Spring water is neutral on the PH scale verses Tap and distilled is only sometimes.. the HP kills bad bacteria, fixing the Power of Hydrogen (PH), and the ACV replaces all the good bacteria that the parasites are causing you to loose! I did this wash prob. 4 days in a row... very drastic changes! ACV EXTREMELY GOOD WITH ACNE! I also Purchased a homemade TEA TREE OIL GLYCERIN SOAP. I have noticed a drastic decrease in my armpit odor. And I only wash my Vaginal area with my ACV+HP+SPRING WATER. Even if I don't do the douche I still wash the outside with it. Absolutely no smells of any kind coming from down there anymore! I have not gotten the opportunity to try it myself but, COCONUT OIL, very good anti-inflammatory. For your skin specifically or even to include in your diet! Learn benefits by looking it up, add some keywords like bv, vaginal discharge, yeast infections, parasites, ect. You can learn a lot by adding choice words to your search! Also, one evening I did a Suppository of Vitamin C 500MG, woke up the next day.. had a little discharge later not much. Same with Folic acid, I did this the next night, for one night only each though. This took the smell right away and I have been able to keep it away so far 2 weeks later. Another recommended product is "Pearls YB" it's a yeast balancing probiotic, high reviews. I have a few family members that take this and have recommended it to me. They use it on a daily basis. I have also read about it being used a suppository. I feel better everyday though, flushing these PARASITES out of my body is so refreshing. I cannot wait! Most people don't fix the underlying problem to their bv, just continuously cover it up for the rest of their life. NO THANKS! I will remain healthy after all is said and done, but I want to feel comfortable in my own skin again! OTHER SUGGESTIONS I HAVE COME ACROSS: *100% Cranberry Juice *Borax *Aqueous Cream (use as Shower Vaginal Wash) *Mooncup (for periods, tampons and pads are toxic, using tampons could cause you some serious setbacks because it *allows the bad bacteria to sit in your vagina for long periods of time, not good. *Goldenseal (detox- pill form or could be drank as tea, known to be bitter) *GY-NA-TREN (Found at GNC) *Multi-Vitamin should be in your daily regimen as well *COLON HYDROTHERAPY (I want/need to do this, locally it will cost me $70, this will flush EVERYTHING including *PARASITES from my body! Candida as well if it is present. *Liquid Chlorophyll (Taste like minty sweet tea, do not get Liquid Chlorophyll ES, this is EXTRA SWEET, NO GOOD! *Chlorella has a much more potent form of the Chlorophyll which is top ingredient and has more to offer). *FLAX OIL 3 2x a day is recommended, I started out that now down to 2 or 3 a day. XYLITOL toothpaste could also be your downfall-known to cause disruptive issues in candida cleanses. I feel like I am forgetting something! But if anyone has any questions or information just ask.. just in case I forget about checking this site, I will be posting to many others as well! Thank You for reading, and I wish you all Happy Healing! The better mode you're in, and the lower your stress levels are, the better the chance you have and being healthy again. Try to stay healthy and keep a regimen so it doesn't come back.. you have to make sure it's completely gone! Most of these supplements are very good for everyday health!

I saw the same video. Hope it works. I found something that gets rid of the smell -- mustard oil. You can get it at an Indian store. Works fast.

I want to share my experience with Bacterial Vaginosis.

I fought the symptoms of BV for six months using the best probiotics available (50 billion organisms) at my local health store. I applied coconut oil with tea tree oil mixed in to the outside and inside of my vagina. I reduced the smell but still experienced constant discharge and varying degrees of odor.

I finally visited Planned Parenthood and they tested me on the spot for Bacterial Vaginosis. I tested positive. they gave me antibiotics which temporarily got rid of the infection. I took exactly as directed but the infection crept back in that same month. So this is when I went into serious research mode and found some information on the internet about a Borax treatment.

Now this is the amazing part I want to share with you: I put a quarter teaspoon of borax into a rubber douche bag filled with warm water. I took it into the shower with me and rinsed my vagina out thoroughly with this simple solution. I could smell foul water coming out of me and it felt very cleansing but I had little expectation that one application would make much difference, however that one application, in conjunction with those awesome probiotics completely resolved my issue. Three months later I sensed another flare-up so I immediately made myself the borax/warm water douche and I have never experienced another symptom again. This treatment had ZERO side-effects. It's been almost a year since that last treatment.

What an embarrassing and lengthy struggle with such a simple, cheap and easy solution!!!

Considering you are a menstruating female who is a marathon runner you likely have low ferritin levels. Iron definecy is a predicament for BV in pregnant women. Google iron depletion in female runners for more info.

To Mmsg;

Re your question to Kathleen ... I'm pretty sure she is referring to MMS, a Jim Humble chloride product.

Google "MMS how to order" and you'll find sites that will explain and give info on the mixing method...one has to add citric acid to the base substance. MMS has gotten rave reviews and some severe critics.

I've never tried it but may...my research on it continues. I'm ALWAYS on the hunt for anti viral/fungal and bacterial agents. My favorite is colloidal silver.

Kathleen, isn't Sodium Chlorite bleach?

Kathleen, thankyou for your informative post there seems like a lot of ailments this could cure.

I really felt for "keeping it real" California when she detailed her illness and lack of success in treating it. So I would like to share what I can only describe as a miracle cure all! I was searching for a cure for my grandson, who has Autism, when I came across a book by Kerri Rivera (Healing the symptons known as Autism - Amazon ) who is reclaiming children with Autism with an amazing solution called Sodium Chlorite. This solution kills every bacteria, fungus, pathogen etc known to man. I purchased it and tried it out for myself. I broke my little finger over 20 years ago, but wasn't aware it was broken. It was bent at an angle & throbbed constantly, after just one day of taking one drop of this solution every hour for eight hours my finger is almost straight & the pain has disappeared! My husband was sceptical but after I sprayed the solution on his toenail (which was black after a forklift truck ran over it almost thirty years ago)he was amazed at how it has began to heal & regain its normal colour! I take this every day and have noticed a big difference in my skin, nails & my eyes are so much brighter. I also lost six pounds without trying, probably due to the detox reaction. This is the stuff of miracles, I hope you give it a try and let me hear your success stories. We aim to start our grandson on the full protocol to cure Autism at the start of his summer holidays. I bought online from Miracle Mineral Solutions. I hope this is of some help to those of you fighting disease & illness. Any questions please post & I will try & answer. Kind regards, Kathleen x

Running a marathon will bring down your immune system.

Anal sex may have infected your BF. Infection can be locally on the skin or it could be spreading down towards his testicles/ blader -so every time you have sex it will reinfect you.

The HP douche may have killed most of your beneficial bacteria allowing opportunistic bacteria to take over. You need to recolonize your vagina with proper bacteria ( I wonder if you could use a vaginal secretion from a healthy woman for this and after that apply plain yogurt to support the bacteria development)

A sitz bath with Horse tail or Yarrow will help you and also your BF.

Please try plain yogurt with live cultures. Get some tampons, take the tampon out of the plastic covering, dip the cotton portion in the yogurt, insert in vagina. This works! Change the tampon every hour. You may have to do it for 3-4 days. Good luck!

To: Keeping It Real from San Diego;

You are being re infected by the boyfriend. And likely now have the bacteria throughout your system.

You seem to be taking many things, but I notice you are not taking Colloidal Silver. You need a lot of that.... and make the boyfriend be protected. Again, that is the source.

You need direct topical application of CS and 50 drops of CS orally three times daily. Maybe for six months.

The boyfriend will only marginally notice his own infection, unlike a yeast infection, that he would certainly notice...if he had yeast.

Time to come clean with the BF...if he's worth a flip, he'll help you with this. If he won't ... drop him.

Hi! First of all, sorry this is a lot to read, but I wanted to include EVERYTHING specific to my case. I find that many of the longer posts on this topic are more informative, which I personally appreciate. Short posts are usually useless. No offense to short posters out there. I tried to organize the info as best I could, for ease of reading…

My Intro:

I've been dealing with this "BV" for about 6 months now. I didn't even know what "BV" was until I stumbled across a blog by MaskCara, about 6 months ago, discussing the topic and the "cure" that she outlined as a simple hydrogen peroxide douche. After reading her post on BV, I started realizing that this might be a diagnosis for the very minor "issue" I was having, and barely noticed. The only symptom I was having at that time was very slight odor during/after sex. I guess I shouldn't say "only, " since in my opinion, this is the WORST part of it. So anyway, after reading her post, I did a ton of research online, as I always do when I'm curious about something, and the more I read, the more I was convinced that I had either BV or a simple yeast infection. So, I went to the OBGYN, (Planned Parenthood since I am currently without coverage), and they diagnosed me right away with BV. Of course, they gave me antibiotics, the Metra or Metro-whatever pills. But I didn't take them, since pretty much EVERYTHING I read on the topic says they do not work, and I don't want to put my body through that for nothing. (However, the longer I put up with this crap, the more I think I should just give it a try. We'll see. I'm getting desperate, but I'm really trying to do this the natural way).

My Symptoms:

1. ODOR - this is the most annoying symptom I have. Everything else is not so noticeable. The odor for me is mostly noticeable after sex and exercise. It's not totally "fishy" though, as I read so much about. For me, it seems more sour - which makes me wonder about a yeast infection. However, I do get the "fishy" smell when I wash with Dial soap, as I'm washing, I'll notice it. I actually just read today that I should be using a more mild soap, so I'll switch to Dove, or possibly Johnson & Johnson Baby Soap, but my point is, the fishy smell comes up with Dial.

2. Discharge - white, thick, gross. Mostly noticeable after exercise.

3. Discomfort - mostly just a slight itch, not constant, but pretty consistent and annoying.

My Medical History:

I'm 30 years old. I've always been very healthy. I don't get sick, and have always had a very strong immune system. I have never had any serious illness besides the flu, once in my life. No chicken pox, no measles, no nothing. I can't understand WHAT is causing this. My diet has pretty much always been the same. The only difference is that I've actually been eating more healthy foods as I get older.

I keep thinking back to when this started, and I try to think of the things that could have caused this.

1. I ran a half marathon in June, (6 months ago), and had only been running for 6 months. Never ran before that. Sometimes, I think, maybe this could be the reason for my pH imbalance. The extreme training, out of nowhere. Maybe?

2. I never had this issue before having sex with my boyfriend. NEVER. I've had one yeast infection in my whole life, and that was maybe 14 years ago. My boyfriend and I started dating a year ago, and 6 months later, maybe sooner - I don't know, I come down with BV. I know this isn't supposed to be a sexually transmitted disease, but I can't help but wonder how that's possible. If you have sex, I would imagine that bacteria could go from penis to vagina and back again. This leaves me wondering if A) My boyfriend gave it to me, and continues to do so. Or B) It is simply his pH messing with mine, as I've also read. Side note: We have engaged in anal sex. I'm not a fan of this, so it's only happened a small handful of times, but it did happen. Maybe this somehow caused the infection? There was no cross over, though. Who knows. I just wanted to throw it out there just in case there's a connection.

So, I keep reading forum after forum after forum, searching for ANYTHING that might help me, or might clue me in on how to treat this more effectively. There's got to be some kind of connection. But it's all the same thing: contradicting information. "This works great! " "This didn't work at all! " I'm honestly hopeless, but I obviously can't give up.

My Personal Vent:

I don't like the way I look at sex anymore. Anytime I think of sex, or think about my sex life in any way, I'm embarrassed, ashamed, and I try to avoid it. It's not fair to my boyfriend. He's sexy. I am not. I feel gross, so I haven't even told him that I have BV. What is the use? I don't want him to look at me like the gross person I see myself as. I just tell him that I'm dealing with a pH imbalance, and I tell him about the things I'm trying to do to correct it, but I haven't actually said BV. It's embarrassing. I'm always worried about him wanting to have sex, and me being "unprepared."

In addition to the obvious symptoms, I'm also very irritable sometimes. I'm obsessed with finding a cure for this. I'm always reading up on it, then deleting browser history. It's embarrassing. My vagina straight grosses me out, and that right there makes me want to cry my eyes out. I'm a sexual person...I enjoy sex, and foreplay, and being passionate and intimate. Now I'm to a point where I just want to get it over with as quickly as possible so my boyfriend doesn't notice the smell. Most of the time, he doesn't seem to notice anything, meanwhile, I do. I literally CRIED during sex the other day, not because of pain, but because I was so embarrassed at the slightest whiff of that “odor” that came up. I wasn't facing him, he didn't notice, but I still felt so gross, and even worse for crying silently during sex. This is RUINING my sex life and the way I look at my body. It's a nightmare, and I PRAY to God every day that it will just...go away. I can't understand WHY this is such an epidemic. How is there no cure?

By the way, I find it somewhat annoying that some/most women post their "cures" as something they're just now trying, with a "Wish me luck! " at the end. And no follow up. I can't stand that. It's useless info. I feel that we should be trying what we think will work, without using the word "cure, " and reporting back. REPORTING BACK, people, please!

My Treatments:

Once "diagnosed" with BV, I immediately tried the hydrogen peroxide douche that MaskCara had written about, since she said it was her cure. And yes, it did/does help a LOT, but did not cure. It went away for about a week, or at least, was not noticeable, but sure enough, it came right back...and it seems worse.

It's all been kind of a whirlwind of things that I've tried, but here's my list...

1. Hydrogen Peroxide flush for 7-10 days. (I haven't actually done the HP Flush for that long, though. Maybe that's my problem. But MaskCara had written that she only did it for 3 days. So I did a 3-day treatment. Then I did it for 5 or 6 days, still nothing. Just temporary relief. I am currently on day 2 of a new 10 day HP treatment, because I figure I might as well try one last time, and go for broke. Note: If nothing else, this has been an EXCELLENT, and I mean EXCELLENT temporary cure. I find that I can at least get rid of the odor, discharge and feel FRESH for a day, if I do this. I can have sex without feeling completely disgusting. But it doesn't last, and I don't want this to be an ongoing thing. It's a pain in the ass.

2. Goldenseal – (2) 400mg capsules daily, orally. (I'm only on day 2 of this treatment)

3. Probiotics, 90 billion CPU – (1) daily, orally. (Honestly doesn't do anything, but I take them anyway, since I paid $40 for the suckers).

4. Cranberry & probiotic supplement– (2) daily, orally.

5. Acidophilus – (2) daily, orally. (Same with the probiotics above…no noticeable difference whatsoever).

6. Folic acid – (1) daily, orally.

7. Vitamin D – (2) daily, orally.

8. Epsom salt bath - I discovered this on my own, then confirmed the info online. I went on a vacation and found myself taking several baths because we had access to a jet tub, and I just felt like taking some baths. I used the bath salts provided in the bathroom, and soaked for 20-30 minutes, and didn't think anything of it. Looking back on that vacation, I realized I was BV-free for the entire time: 10 days.

Other things that I was doing while on this vacation:

A. Not drinking AS much, but still drinking alcohol daily. Not so much wine, as I usually do, but I was drinking scotch whiskey. Also, it might be helpful to note that I normally drink Gallo wine…which is basically crap, but I'm on a budget. On vacation, we were drinking GOOD wine, and not as much of it. Maybe this helped?

B. Salt baths

C. COLD and DRY weather - maybe this helped?

D. No smoking whatsoever, (I am a marijuana smoker - not cigarettes, what can I say), but I didn't smoke ANYTHING for 10 days.

E. Very limited sugar. I ate a lot of carbs and dairy, though. But not nearly the amount of sugar I normally eat. Not NEARLY.

Back to the Epsom salt bath: I find this works just as good as the HP Flush, above, only it seems more conventional which makes me feel more normal. I just mix some Epsom salt in a warm bath and soak, allowing the salt water access to the affected area. It really seems to bring some relief, and it's just like taking a relaxing bath. I don't feel like a grosser having to douche all the time, so I like this best. Sometimes, I even put a little Epsom salt IN my panties, (cotton, of course! Blah blah blah), to alleviate the itch. It works for me, but is in no way a cure. Last night, I actually did the HP Flush and then soaked in a salt bath and I came out feeling amazing. This morning, though, I'm back slightly noticeable BV.

Moving right along with the treatments I've tried...

9. Cotton panties, of course.

10. Loose clothing

11. No undies to bed

12. Drink lemon water

Things I will be trying, going forward:

1. Cut sugar

2. Alkaline diet – this sounds like crap. I'm supposed to stop drinking coffee? Eew. Sure!!! No problem! WHAT! NO! I will most likely continue to drink coffee, because after all, I was drinking a TON of it while on that vacation, mentioned above. But, I will make an effort to watch my diet.

3. Drink alkaline water – I heard good things about this.

4. ACV bath

5. ACV orally

6. Monistat 3 – because maybe this will help, who knows. I hear things from all over the spectrum.

7. Antibiotics – I will take these in a month, if nothing else works.

I too have suffered from this for 2 years, At one point had just given up because I couldnt afford to go to the doctors so regularly. However the last time I went to the doctor I got a 2 week break from the bv but then only to get a yeast infection note that my partner was also treated as well. After getting the yeast infection my period came and so did the bv, I was determined to find a home remedy, I tried inserting the acidophilus pills vaginally and I also took them orally, it did reduce the odor a bit but it was still there. I came across a video online of a young lady that cured herself and its been three years since she had any signs of the bv. She made a mixture of seven cups of warm water to one cup of pure sea salt and sat in it for ten minutes, change the water and sit another ten minutes, both morning and night for five days. I followed these directions exactly and on the third day the odor and discharge were completely gone!!!!!!! I continued for the remainder of days its been 2 weeks and so far so good, I'm expecting my period soon and that will the real test to see if it is completely cured but even if it isn't and I have to sit in salt water a couple days after every period I think its a small price to pay.

Have you found a cure? I could use comfort in talking with someone with this, would you be interested in emailing?

This helped me, and I came across it almost by accident. I have had bv for about 3 years, but never really understood it. Took antibiotics and assumed I was better. I consider myself lucky because I do not get a fishy smell...a somewhat unpleasant smell yes, but not fishy nor do I get copious amounts of milky white discharge...just some yellowish discharge that tends to be thick. I also get itchy. And it has caused me some pretty bad depression. I have also done the at home ph tests that have all said that my ph is normal down there. So I kept assuming it was a yeast problem. Until recently I went to the dr because I was very itchy down there, and also mentioned the unpleasant smell.

I was tested for bv, and lo and behold, yep I have it again. I was given Flagyl oral, which worked, but after a few weeks I felt that I was creeping back to bv again. So I did some research. Loaded up on information. Did the hydrogen peroxide douche and probiotics, vaginally and orally. This helped. I went back to my dr to see if I still had bv or if I had cleared it.

My results were inconclusive. What?! I was told I might have it...I might not. That there was nothing really specific on my culture. I was beyond frustrated, in tears. Where do I go from here? Am I starting to clear the infection or am I heading back to bv? I was told if I started having symptoms again to come back and get more antibiotics.

I was due for my period so I decided to wait until that was over and see how I felt. In the meantime, I decided to take charge of my health. I ate very poorly...sugars and breads were what I lived on. I was feeding the bacteria! I cut those out of my diet. Stopped drinking coffee. Drank lots of water. I was determined to get my body back in balance. I decided to do a natural herbal parasite detox. The first day of the detox, just hours after my first dose...I had little to no discharge, no odor, no itching! I have always had discharge, even when I was younger and did not have bv. The second day...little to no discharge, no odor, no itching! I was flabbergasted. But I got my period and thought that maybe it was just hopeful thinking. I continued the detox for the 10 days...and when my period was over...little to no discharge, no odor, no itching. I had not expected this to happen!

Some of the key ingredients to this detox were herbal remedies that I had read about that were supposed to help bv, but didn't know where to start with them...garlic, cranberry, black walnut, goldenseal, and Echinacea. All in one capsule. Just go online and search for natural parasite cleanse.

I am still taking a women's probiotic daily. I take vitamin D3, vitamin c, and folic acid along with a regular multivitamin daily. I have started to take several of the detox ingredients as supplements. I wash my vaginal area daily with white vinegar and water. So far, I do not feel I have any symptoms.

I don't know if this is a long term solution or not. I hope it is. I hope this might help someone else out there who is plagued by this awful condition. I think everybody responds differently to different treatments, but this one is worth a try!

I want to know how do you put the tampon inside of you with the yogurt without it being uncomfortable. I tried using a tampon for the first time and just dipped it in yogurt but once I felt like it was all the way in me it felt uncomfortable so I had to remove it. Im thinking it could be because I'm not wet down there since I'm not on period and I didnt have a whole lot of discharge but it was some. I took it out right away since it was uncomfortable and I had a hard time getting it out, I had to pull the strings a little harder and the actual tampon part..When you soak the tampon in yogurt arent u supposed to soak it with the applicator part on or do u remove it? Am I doing something wrong can someone please help me? Has anyone had this same problem?

Hi, try taking MSM as a supplement. It's great for many things but balancing the PH in the body is one of them. I also just read about Silica gel. It works for vaginal discharge. The folic acid and Vitamin D work for the smell. Hope this helps.

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.

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.

Dear Channel,

I am sorry you have dealt with this for so long with no permanent cure!

I would try what Timh suggests for dealing with underlying causes.

One thing I have not seen mentioned yet on the BV page is activated charcoal. I know it has been used successfully for uterine infection. You could get some charcoal tablets and insert a couple at bedtime daily (which may end up being messy by morning--you would want to use pantyliners until the charcoal has all passed.) Alternately, you could soak a tampon in a charcoal water solution. Maybe 1 teaspoon of charcoal in a couple of ounces of water and use this over night. Either thing you try, I would try for at least a week.

Perhaps it will take multiple remedies for your cure, and perhaps it will be necessary to continue treatment long after symptoms improve.

I hope you find a permanent solution. Let us know what you find out!

~Mama to Many~

Channel: If you have such poor response to treatments as you posted, this suggest an "underlying issue". Ultimately your body detox & immune systems are heavily taxed.

Try improving the quality of your diet; purify your air & water. Maybe do a gallbladder cleanse fallowed by a colon cleanse, fallowed by a parasite cleanse. Milk Thistle Seed and NAC will greatly improve your liver/detox. Zinc & vit-A will improve your immune. Sweat room or sauna will detox the skin as well as most of the body.

I have been suffering with B.V. for about 5 years now. I have been to OBGYN's and speacialist, but no one can cure my problem. I have tried all the remedies out there, peroxide, apple vinegar cider, antibotcs, probiotics.......... Nothing works, it will take the smell and discharge away for a couple of days and then it's back. It's a very emotional touchy topic and I don't know what to do..... Can anyone help?

Hi Tina...You mustn't give up!! You definitely have options.

The mistake that many women make is to believe that they can get rid of their serious bacterial vaginosis(BV) or vaginitis issues using just topical meds. If you research bacterial vaginosis, as I have done, you will see that BV is almost always assciated with candida problems in women. Furthermore, your problem seems to confirm that your BV is a symptom of an internal systemic candida infection because, no matter what regular meds or remedies you have tried topically, you cannot get rid of it.

Your ongoing problems and attending confusion will also further be increased and compounded because doctors -- the so called experts -- are not really very good at diagnosing candida. So it is more than possible that your candida problem has gone entirely unrecognized. My simple advice to you is to go to a competent naturopath with a good rep and get a second opinion. Naturopaths and alternative healers are much more compassionate and adept at both diagnosing and treating serious BV/candida problems.

Dr Orian Truss was a candida expert who wrote the first definitive book on candida called The Missing Diagnosis in the 1980s, who also recognized that the majority of doctors were fairly incompetent at both diagnosing and treating candida. Here's a quote from his book:

“The most common manifestations [of candida], in addition to anxiety and inappropriate depression, may include: bloating, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, vaginitis (aggravated by antibiotics and birth control pills), urethritis, cystitis and other skin problems (acne, hives, diaper rash, oral thrush, athlete's foot, jock itch, nail infections), chronic fatigue, chemical intolerance to food and inhaled chemicals, headaches (migraine and sinus), nasal, sinus, and bronchial allergies, menstrual disorders, decreased libido and impotence, premenstrual tension, and impairment of short term memory and concentration as well."

Therefore it should now have become apparent to you that vaginitis or BV is often associated with serious candida issues, to the extent that BV should, in many cases, be regarded as a candida symptom.

So your greater, unrecognized but ongoing problem is probably systemic(not uterine) candida. What you should therefore do is make up your own mind about this, one way or another, and then act on your own decisions and instincts.

Here is a link to an anti-candida protocol on EC that I've been using with some success. The Anti-Candida Protocol.

Tina: She put raw honey up there at bedtime and left it there overnight. She got relief untill 4 a.m. The infection came back not as much as before. Get the water kefir grains and info on line. Watch how to make water kefir in two minutes or less video. There are two kinds, fully awake, and dormant. The dormant ones take 3 to 4 days to awaken. Taste the water periodically. The water changes from sour to tart. When tart they are fully awake. Use 4 oz. from previous batch to make next batch. You can see bubbles rising to the surface. Put 30g sprouted flour and 30g organic whole cane sugar in 1 quart spring water. Let brew at room temp away from direct sunlight. Do not use any metal. I let mine brew from 12 to 24 hours before it gets too tart. I make 1 gallon per day.

No, no lichen sclerosis and I don't have HIV. Boric acid was from 2 different pharmacies. How do you make the brewed kefir? And that's honey?

Quick update.... My infection was worse than expected... I was told to leave the Garlic in for a total of 7 - 8 hours then the yogurt for 7 days.. Last night was my second night of yogurt and I woke up with no smell. FINALLY. I'm continuing the supplements and the vitamin d. I will continue to update.

Tina: A while back a lady complained of the same problem and got immediate relief douching with raw honey. Maybe the infection is in the digestive tract and keeps coming back. For that make home brewed water kefir. Drink some and douche with some. I take a gallon per day. Make green smoothies from organic baby leaves and watch raw food videos.

Find a new source for your boric acid maybe, maybe you are being given a bad batch? Or you are inadvertently reinfecting yourself with your clothing? Maybe it is another problem, like lichen sclerosis? Recurrent vaginal infections may be a sign of another illness, such as HIV.

Hi, I am desperate for an answer! For over a year, I have had constant vaginal burning, irritation, discharge and prickling. It feels like yeast but all cultures come back normal, except for 1 in Dec 2012, that came back as yeast. Treatment did not relieve symptoms at all! I've been treated with tons of things over the past year, including a few Diflucan, multiple courses of boric acid, Terazol, baking soda soaks, vaginal probiotics, oral probiotics, gentian violet tampons. And also treatment with antibiotics for possible ureaplasma. Nothing has helped except...when this first started, I thought it was yeast and I just got my period, so before it got really heavy I thought I would use 1 boric acid suppository to try and get some relief, and then use the full course once the period was over. Well, the 1 suppository DID bring relief, all pain went away only for a day or so! I then used the full course after my period to try and get rid of it and it did nothing! So, therefore, it can NOT be vulvodynia and has to be some type of infection/imbalance! I am beside myself and feel out of options! Doctors are clueless! I've spent tons of money on doctors out of network, meds, etc and still no answers! I don't want to live like this forever, the thought is unbearable and I ask for death to come almost daily. Sounds horrible, I know, but it's that bad! I can't have sex or exercise because of it. I am only 42! I've even thought about going across the country to these vaginal "specialists" but they have some bad reviews! Please, if anyone can come up with anything at all, doctors to suggest, etc or any ideas on what this could be would be awesome! Getting a diagnosis is half the battle! If we could just find out what it is! I have only had yeast problems in my life. Thank you for reading!

Hi there, I too have battled BV infections for years. Countless times to the doctor's office. Only to have my symptoms back a few months later. I came across this website a few years ago.. I've tried everything listed here and still my symptoms came back.. So I did my own research and found out the reasons these home remedies only worked for a short time is because I didn't have the proper knowledge of how and why these home remedies work... The 1st thing I learned is too much Acidophilus is also bad. Too much good bacteria causes a condition known as Cyclotic Vaniitis, an over growth of too much good bacteria. The symptoms are EXACTLY the same as BV. 2nd Acidophilus produces Hydrogen Peroxide naturally. Too much naturally produced Peroxide = too much antiseptic, killing off the bad bacteria also. 3rd douching with Peroxide adds more antiseptic killing bad bacteria and creating good bacteria. So Douching and using Acidophilus together creates twice as much antiseptic.. When I read this I was at a loss. All the money I spent. All the knowledge I thought I had wasn't enough. So I decided to talk to someone who has the knowledge of Herbal and Natural remedies an Acupuncturist who also sells Chinese Medical Herbs and Homeopathic treatments... She told me the research I did was correct and that I needed to reboot my flora. Basically start from scratch. Insert 1 garlic clove 1-2 hours for 2 nights then 7 days of inserting Yogurt. We also went over my diet.. You need a good foundation in order to cure BV.. I'm on a fruit and vegetable powder supplement as well as an anti oxidant and enzyme supplement and I'm taking vitamin D. A vitamin deficiency will also cause BV infections. I was told to drink lemon water before drinking coffee. This will balance the Alkaline vs. Acidity imbalance that coffee can create. I will check back in 6 months and let you know if this works.

Have you tried oregano oil? About 4 months ago I had never even heard of bv, I went to the obgyn because I was having irregular periods out of nowhere (I'm 23 and I've never been more than 2 days late/early since I started at 14 & have never been on BC) along with pain in my hip & painful intercourse. I thought I had picked something up somehow at first but after the doc ran a few tests the only thing she could find wrong was that I had a "mild" case of bv. The antibiotics she gave me took care of the smell after a few days, but the pain while having sex lasted until after I took the last dose. A few months later I noticed the smell would come back temporarily after intercourse (my husband and I are trying to get pregnant so using a condom is kind of out of the question at the moment). The last month it had gotten progressively worse. I didn't want to go back to the doc again because I didn't feel that the antibiotics had worked very well to begin with & it would have been a waste of money didn't have. I had read about tea tree oil, which I've used before for other things (mostly as an antiseptic & for acne) but it's such a strong oil I was afraid to try using it in such a sensitive area. I noticed you had said it didn't work for you. Anyway, sorry this is taking so long, a few weeks back I had had an unrelated problem with atheletes foot and had tried using the tea tree oil (which would usually have worked for me) with no success. My mother had a small bottle of oregano oil she told me to try (one of the natural med docs she sees gave it to her as an anti-fungal/bacterial). I was surprised when it actually worked for my feet when the tea tree oil wouldn't. Anyway, I saw oregano oil mentioned on another forum for bv & decided to try it. I've been using it only few days (just a few drops on my fingers & well... A couple times a day) and the smell has already gone away, my CM is still a little too cloudy but I'm hoping that clears up ad well. Just forewarning if you try this, I did experience a mild burning sensation around the outside folds when applying the oil, I think this may be because I shave though not an adverse reaction since warm water stopped any burning within a minute or two. Good luck finding something that works for you hope this helps!

Here's a follow-up on my health. The baking soda douche worked temporarily on me and the BV came back after a few days. I have tried the warm salt bath and inserting yogurt with acidophilus vaginally with a medicine dropper but was also not successful. The method I used above might be effective with some other women but not in my case.

So I tried the 50:50 Hydrogen Peroxide & Water douche every night for 7 consecutive days then inserted yogurt with acidohilus (half of the capsule's content) vaginally for 3 consecutive days. During the H2O2+water douching I felt relief but after the insertion of yogurt with acidophilus powder it became worse. So I thought maybe I should just use the H2O2+water douche and not the yogurt anymore. So after 2 or 3 days I douched again for 3 consecutive days. I felt relief and after about 3 days from my menstruation I douched 2 consecutive days again to have a follow up. It has been a week now since my last douche after my menstruation and I still feel good. The discharge is back to normal, no more itch but there's a little more yeast that I can notice on the side of my labia at night when I wash. I think I am better now compared before. I will just follow up with a once or twice a week douching of H2O2+water to keep the BV at bay.

Again the measurement I used to be clear is as follows:

For 7 consecutive days (before going to bed)

50:50 Hydrogen Peroxide + Water douche (use 3% strength for the H2O2 - I used the 6% but reduced it to 3% by adding more water. So it was actualy like 1/2 cup H2O2 to 1 cup of distilled water)

After the menstruation, douche once or twice a week.

Througout the treatment, I've been orally taking 1 acidophilus 2 x day, 2 folic acid 2 x a day and also 2 olive leaf extract 2 x a day. I've been eating yogurt with 2 tbsp of coconut oil in the morning for breakfast and I also try to avoid sweets and alcohol as much as I can.

For the supplements above, it depends on you if you also want to take it. But so far for me it helps. I will let keep you guys posted if ever I feel anything bad after this treatment. As of now it works and I hope this would help someone out there too.

I would also like to thank all the ladies here who shared their experiences to help one another. It really meant a lot and makes you feel you're not alone.

I suffered for years before I found an herb called Kacip Fatimah. My sister and I both suffered from BV for so long that the clinic that we went to refused to keep treating us. Can you believe that! ?! ? Well I don't remember how I came upon the herb Kacip Fatimah and it's kind of hard to get (I order mine from another country). But that one bottle is literally a life saver! Anytime I feel a little strange down south I take a pill. It's also good for urinary prolapse which I think is what led me to the herb in the first place after giving birth to my daughter. It was then that I realized that I hadnt had BV in a while. I should've come to this site to tell you guys about these cures. I've used Earth Clinic for years and I just feel compelled to share my cures. I hope they work for you like they did for me.