Pvianna18 (Ftl, Fl) on 07/29/2014

• Drink LOTS OF WATER
• drink water with tons of lemon in it-- it makes your body more alkaline which helps you get back to normal
• drink cranberry juice
• drink Kefir I buy strawberry flavor from Publix
• drink danactive probiotic EVERY DAY; they are yummy so no biggy
• take acidophillus pills
• take a daily vitamin
• take vitamin C
• EAT HEALTHY, STAY AWAY FROM SODA, SUGARS ECT., eat veggies, try to cut carbs
• ALWAYS WASH AND PEE AFTER SEX
• HAVE YOUR PARTNER START EATING BETTER TOO, LIKE HAVING ONE DANACTIVE SHOT IN THE MORNING. He will become less acidic.
• I also clean my vagina out with hydrogen peroxide which gets rid of smell and infection temporarily. Really hydrogen peroxide gets rid of ALL bacteria, but we still need the good bacteria in there so the trick, is to clean yourself out and then start eating and drinking right to get the good bacteria back in there. BV is basically a side effect of a weak immunity. If you don't take care of your body properly, it doesn't stand a chance against infections. BV is no fun, and staying healthy isnt always easy. If you are looking for an immediate cure, you're just not going to find one. Hydrogen peroxide is the closest thing to that but it's temporary. For me, I try to get my body in order the healthy way first, if it doesn't work, last case scenario I'll go to the doc for metro gel.
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Keeping.it.real (San Diego) on 02/11/2014


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.


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Ng (Florida, Florida) on 10/09/2013


Bacterial Vaginosis:

The treatment course that I have found works best for me, without having to go to the GYN & taking meds that have side effects is:

First: do not have sex-if you suspect BV and or while treating, it will only take longer to get it cleared up and you could be passing it to your partner-which means, he's just giving it back to you! Watch what you eat! Sugar is terrible for bringing this on, as well as breads & cheeses. Drink plenty of water, take vitamins, like acidodipilus, multi emzymines, vitamins A, B-100/150, C, D, E, COq10, eat yogurt with live cultures(greek) and get the proper amount of rest.

At first onset of the symptoms-ie> the dryish goo/brownish paste, possible no smell, very little smell or slight stinch to foul smell, for some a fish(especially after sex) or bready smell (mine comes after my period, so it seems like a continued period but its not) start the course of inserting "BORIC ACID" immediatly (yes thats "roach away" powder-can be purchased very cheap & goes along way-plus can be used in the household for pest) capsules (get the gelatin capsules from a vitamin store or a medical supply store or possibly from a pharmacy), do this twice a day for at least 5 to 7 days (if really bad up to 10 days). You will want to wear a pad and it is normal to wipe & it be gritty/thats the crystals in the boric coming out, thats what is breaking down the bateria & getting it out of there!

Optional: not neccessary everytime but I've also used the "medicated douche" once in that course (use it at the end of the course of treatment to flush out the rest of the bacteria) but don't over douche-can make things worse.

If you find itching included, you can also add in the course of treatment, insert a capsule of tea tree oil/vitamin E oil (note: put the tea tree oil in the small portion of the capsule & the vitamin E oil in the bigger part) you will want to insert it as far as you can & recline or lay flat for about 15 mins at least, so it don't just run out right away, it will relieve the itching, for some, it might burn/sting for a second, if you've been scratching and have broken the skin but for the most part it is a cooling/methol relieving sesation and both have skin healing properties and are antispetics, which help heal the skin irratations & kill bateria.

How I came about this treatment course: I have had BV off & on now since 2009, I was sexually assaulted and contracted this horrible afflection-I took the medications to only have it come back & it gets expensive having to see a GYN but with this method of treatment, it is getting better & less prominent each time I have it, its inexpensive & best of all-natural without side effects of harmful chemical drugs and the change in diet helps. I also have an unknown auto immune disorder, that makes me more subseptical to these type problems, make life changes & take natural approaches to allow your body to heal itself, take care & God Bless you all!


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Miss X (Sacramento, Ca) on 05/28/2013


After years of fighting a battle against BV, and now thanks to some antibiotics, yeast too. I decided to tackle this from all angles.

Things you will need:

Probiotic plain yogurt, rubber exam gloves (powder free), a clove of garlic (peeled and with a string sewn through like a tampon), hydrogen peroxide (HP), 2 non-stick guaze pads (3"x3"), tea tree oil.

I've been itching and burning terribly to the point where it keeps me up at night. Today I took some plain yogurt with live cultures and filled the fingers of powder free disposable rubber exam gloves half way. I tied the fingers off and froze them. Once frozen, they resemble the Monistat "ovules" or eggs. Then I did the following:

Took non-stick guaze pads (the kind that are shiny) and soaked it in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. The mix depends on what you can stand, I did 1/3 HP and 2/3 water. I cleaned really well with this. Toss the guaze.

Next I took my frozen yogurt eggs I made and cut off the rubber. I stuck it up my vagina as far as it would go. I followed this with the clove of garlic. Depending on how severe your infection is you should pierce a few slits in the garlic with your finger nail. I just slice off the sides since the inside is what fights infection, it may burn some people to slice it but the cold yogurt will soothe it. Then I soaked another non-stick guaze with the HP solution and added about 5 drops of Tea Tree oil directly on the pad. I folded this pad within the folds of my skin directly over my crotch. Put on cotton panties.

The relief is INSTANT! The tea tree may sting a bit at first since your skin may be raw, I've never experienced this but some may. Anyway, this has worked for me before and seems to be working right now. Hope this helps.

P.S. You may be able to taste the garlic in your mouth. If this bothers you, then just keep the garlic for night time use. I repeat the treatment every 12 hours using the string to pull out the old clove.


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Susi (Austin, Tx) on 05/28/2013


Hi Ladies, I too have suffered with chronic BV my entire life. I'm 47. Too many rounds of flagyl, metro that did not work and gave me yeast infections. so heres what I did.

In the morning I douched with half hydrogen peroxide half water. I take 14 billion acidophilus pills, a probiotic for womens health down there, B, 3000 IU of vitamin D3, 500 mg vitamin c and 800 mg folic acid.

At night, I douched with apple cider vinegar half and half, 14 billion more acidophilus( make sure they are the refrigerated kind) a multi vitamin with 2000 IU vitamin D3, 400 mg folic acid and another vitamin c. I also opened about 4 acidophilus capsules and added water to make a small ball and inserted in into my vajay. On day 4 I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend but he pulled out. Semen is the enemy! So far no symptoms and it has been a week. I plan on continuing the vitamins and probiotics. Ladies, google it vitamin D3 and folic acid deficient are linked to BV.


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Annie (Brooklyn, Ny) on 02/05/2012


I wanted to share my wonderful experience with earth clinic and all the great posts. I had been suffering for about 2 years. And intially the problem was not too bad so I ignored it. However, as time went on it progressed and got worse. That horribe smell and soaking through all my undergarments even at time my pants. So I finally made the trip to the GYN, she confirmed that there was no sexually transmitted disease (which I knew, because I wasnt active). All she could offer was to wear cotton panties and use hypo allergenic soaps and detergents. Yeah!! This was only part of the solution. I began a regimen of folic acid, acidophilus and washing with the hydrogen perixode. At first, I saw no results and was disappointed. But I came back to earth clinic and read more and more posts and learned to be patient and give it time. Also I worked on my diet, as I learned this was a factor as well in changing things. I began to eat more ruffage, yourgurt regularly and decreased my sugar intake. The information was so helpful and encouraged me not to give up. So I didnt, and it took about 3 months before I saw results. And I am so proud to say that I have it under control. The symptoms will reappear if I forgot to take the acidolphilus or dont eat the ruffage that my body so needs. So now, no more foul odor or wet undergarments. Why dont the doctors tell us about this ideas? Thank you so much to all the wonderful ladies of earth clinic for sharing your stories and information!!!!

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Desperate In The United States (Anderson, South Carolina, United States) on 10/01/2010


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

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J (Charlotte, Nc, United States) on 08/10/2010


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

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