Bacterial Vaginosis CURE

BD is right - please don't drink alcohol if you get the prescription med - I did at the end (we had some friends visiting from out of state) and I got deathly ill - not worth the risk.

Good luck - no solutions... :-(

This is dinner table talk at my house, I educate physicians on laboratory testing and this is one that comes up A LOT.

Did your physician actually swab and test to see what organisms are causing this or is he guessing? Guessing or going by experience is fine for the FIRST time but you need a diagnosis of the organisms and to determine the balance of vaginal flora because you have a persistent infection. This is way too long!!

There is a test that is done using a vaginal swab for persistent vaginosis/vaginitis that tests for eleven different organisms as well as the balance of Lactobacillus (good thing). If you were a patient at a client of mine, I would recommend this testing and would bring him the specialized swabs if he didn't have them.

Call on Monday (or today, I have many offices open on Saturdays) and explain (demand) that you need to be tested. Hopefully this doc doesn't use some awful local laboratory without a lot of experience. Good luck!! Let me know if you need specifics, I always avoid talking about the specific name of a test or lab but I feel really bad for you and would be pretty darn upset if this were my physician.

You need to try an oral prescription. Home remedies can't really cure it, but there are some things you can do that may help prevent it, but even that isn't guaranteed. I would also change Dr.s... they may not be diagnosing it or medicating it correctly.

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/tc/bacterial-vagin...

Also, this isn't a pee in the cup test or go by your symptoms, they need to do an actual swab. I only ever get it when I am pregnant. The meds make me very, very sick. There is a cream, but pregnant women can't take it, they have to take the oral antibiotic, which is typically 2 times a day for 7 days. It is one nasty pill.

Maybe try going to a Naturopath Doctor, and try that route.
Your body may be imbalanced, and continual meds, are not working.

And yes, get a 2nd opinion from a different Doc, as Momma L. said.

I once had an infection that lasted several months - I self treated for yeast over the counter cream, then saw a primary care who prescribed that single dose pill you take, came back still itching and she prescribed a second dose of the single pill, and then she sent me to a gynecologist, who used a paper ph strip and immediately knew it was NOT yeast but bacterial. She prescribed some kind of cream and I felt relief the next day.
Insist on seeing a real gynecologist who will can start with a simple ph test to see if it is an overgrowth in the yeast direction or the bacterial direction. Both are present in the vagina at all times but when one overgrows and the balance is off that is when you will feel itching and irritation. I fully agree with Christine - do not go to back to your primary care but to a good gyn who can do the right tests. You should not have to suffer for as long as you have.
One other thing that came to mind: perhaps your sexual partner is passing it back to you, and may need to be tested as well. It is possible that your partner is not sensitive and you are.
Hang in there, it really can be cured, but seek a good gyn (ask your girl friends who they use and whether they like the person). In the mean time, cold compresses can help with the itching and swelling. I wrapped a soft gel compress in saran wrap and wore it in my underwear around the house.

Yes, I've had it and been cured. It's caused by bacteria so you need to take antibiotics, orally. It only took one prescription to cure mine. Now, the antibiotics can cause a yeast infection and that takes the medication that you insert.

I wonder if you've had different vaginal infections or irritations and it just seems like it's a constant BV. When I was younger I had some sort of vaginal infections fairly often. Most often they were yeast. Have you had a culture taken several times so that you're sure it's BV?

Taking probiotics would help strengthen your immune system.

Antibiotics can help and hurt. You don't say if they prescribed this, but usually a bacterial imbalance can complicate infections like this. One natural remedy that can do wonders is a supplement called "Acidophilius" or a "Pro-biotic." They are the same thing, but can be labled either way at the vitamin store or pharmacy.

This is good bacteria that is in our stomach and other important openings :P This good bacteria fights infection (bad bacteria) and when it is out of balance, the bad bacteria can take over. This can happen if you've been on a powerful antibiotic for a long time.

To rebuild your body's supply of good bacteria, besides taking a probiotic supplement (acidophilis) you can get some of the same benefits from yogurt. Wear only 100 percent cotton under clothing, avoid powders, chemicals and perfumey and harsh soaps as they can make things worse down there. When you get cleaned up, just plain water in that area right now might be a better option than soaping up.

Keep it dry down there by changing undies regularly, and when possible avoid constricting clothes like stretch pants, avoid anything with nylon, lycra or spandex (create too much moist heat and can rub too), skirts are much better for air circulation and keeping cooler and dryer.

Avoid intimacy for a while. They can give you germs if they're not meticulously clean themselves...not to mention everyone carries germs to some extent, so if your immune system is shot and your good bacteria levels are low, you might be just prolonging your symptoms..

And keep on top of the doctor. I've never had this issue, but a friend of mine did, and the doctor dragged his heels about getting on this. She wound up going to someone different after things got way out of control. She trusted him too much. If you think this is really bad and out of the ordinary, find someone else if necessary.

A year and a half???? That is crazy!! Are you sure it is BV? What did the doctor give you? Was it a vaginal cream like Cleocyin? That should have worked if you did it for the full 7 days. Maybe you need a second opinion and ask for them to do a "Wet Prep". This will tell all. If it does come back to be BV, then they need to run sensetivity cultures and find out what antibiotics the bacteria is resistant to as well as what would work for it. Does it have an odor? A vaginal Cleocyin that inserts using an applicator in addition to an external vulva cream, done at night when you are in the bed for the night, should do the trick.

A round of the oral antibiotic Flagyl should clear it right up.

Did your gyn actually take a sample and look at it under the microscope? I believe BV is nothing more than an overgrowth of bacteria. Oral antibiotics should clear it up.

Now I believe that some people are just more prone to it. If you are one of those people than your gyn should give you a prescription so that when it pops back up you can get it filled and clear it up.

Although I must tell you that I've been told that you can not drink any alcohol while taking the prescription. I'm not sure why but the pharmacist is admant about it.

I agree you should find out exactly what you are dealing with, because that will make a big difference in how you treat yourself. But I wanted to chime in that in my experience sometimes your partner can be helping to "reinfect" you. I had troubles with flare-ups after sex and also around my period, when my flora just seemed to go off balance. Good probiotics can be very helpful in getting your body back to normal, especially if you end up taking more antibiotics. I had success in the past with using a mix of betadine solution and water as a rinse, I think it was 2 Tbs per quart of water. Betadine actually makes a feminine rinse now. See: http://www.livestrong.com/article/270150-over-the-counter...

Hmm... I had BV when I was pregnant and I was still given oral prescription(something that's safe to take during pregnancy). I know vaginal medications for yeast infections but not sure if it works for BV(I might be wrong, but if BV could be cured with vaginal inserts I am sure all pregnant women would be prescribed that instead of oral medication). Also, you need to take probiotics.

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if we are talking yeast............. then as you may know, it builds in the gut.. therefore, try Capryl... take a tablet and drink LOTS I mean lots of water.. it kills off the yeast but as it does, you ll want to flush it from your system.. you can purchase it in the vitamin section.. I had problems with yeast for a long time and when I take one of these , within a day or two it's gone.. this stuff works better than anything.......... but as mentioned, do drink that water... drink it anyway to help cleanse your body of the excess yeast.. additionally, yeast L. sugar, alcohol, cured and fermented foods........ those things help it grow......... this also includes for example if you were to eat a pizza..... all that flour.. well yeast L. that as well.. While I still some of the foods above, before I go eat them without an onset a problem, I had to cleanse my body completely of the over-growth of yeast.. again, it starts in the gut... men can even have this problem.. and while it may not manifest itself in the form of a yeast infection, it can manifest itself as an allergy, bad breath , moodiness.. etc etc..

I wish you the best

If you have BV, you need antibiotics. If after a round of antibiotics, you still have it, seek a second opinion. My mother had something called DIV (no idea what it stands for) that presents a lot like BV, only it required a specialist and very extensive treatment to get it cured.