Recurring BV

[Anonymous]

I had "possible BV" last year and went on the metro gel. At this year's annual exam, I tested positive. Any experience with recurring BV? Anything I can do at home either health/hygiene wise or with diet? I no longer use tampons, and I often change my underwear twice a day. Do I need to... I don't know... air dry my privates after showing? Is that beneficial? Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Boric acid suppositories. Look them up on Amazon and read the reviews. I had BV on and off for a decade. I went to my OB so many times because of the symptoms (itching normally) and I couldn’t sleep well. I bought boric acid suppositories and by day 2 everything was gone. It was like magic. Now any time I feel it coming on, I take one at night and it never progresses further.

I have wondered why my OB never once mentioned them and instead would just prescribe antibiotics that never even worked.

[Anonymous]

Are you married or I’m a serious relationship? If so, it could be your spouse/bf is cheating and keeps reinfecting you.

[Anonymous]

Treat your partner too. Not necessarily cheating, but you could be passing it back and forth.

[Anonymous]

Are you taking birth control? It can be a side effect of certain pills. I had this problem several years ago while taking loestrin fe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Treat your partner too. Not necessarily cheating, but you could be passing it back and forth.

How do I get my partner treated? Would he need to see a doc?
I also tested positive at my regular for candida… I feel like my gut and micro biome is all out of balance right now. I had a colonoscopy, c section, was on several rounds of antibiotics and PPIs and suffer from chronic constipation, so I think it could all be related. I was hoping someone would say daily yogurt or a certain probiotic or a simple change in grooming or underwear brand helped!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Treat your partner too. Not necessarily cheating, but you could be passing it back and forth.

How do I get my partner treated? Would he need to see a doc?
I also tested positive at my regular for candida… I feel like my gut and micro biome is all out of balance right now. I had a colonoscopy, c section, was on several rounds of antibiotics and PPIs and suffer from chronic constipation, so I think it could all be related. I was hoping someone would say daily yogurt or a certain probiotic or a simple change in grooming or underwear brand helped!

Sorry I mean I tested for candida at my regular doctor. Gyno did not mention candida or yeast.

[Anonymous]

Start taking a STRONG feminine health probiotic -

I had Candida after 2 c-sections and IV antibiotics for GBS. I developed a weird, anaerobic BV, plus candida. Boric acid suppositories and a strong vaginal health probiotic helped kick the BV quickly.

For the probiotic, look for something with strains numbering in the billions. I used Garden of Life Raw Vaginal Health. You can find it at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section of the supplement aisle. Target has a boric acid suppository called The Killer in the tampon aisle. But don’t use if you are breastfeeding!

For the Candida I did have to clean up my diet a lot for a few months. Basically no sugar or gluten and minimal dairy. Avoid foods that are funguses- mushrooms, stinky cheese, cantaloupe (which I did not know!), almonds and grapes can also harbor mold.

Eat lots of PREbiotic-rich foods, too, to speed up the process! Raw onion and garlic are great for this.

[Anonymous]

If you have lactobacillus iners, good luck. It’s resistant to metronidazole and very hard to treat.

If anyone else has successfully treated it, let us know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boric acid suppositories. Look them up on Amazon and read the reviews. I had BV on and off for a decade. I went to my OB so many times because of the symptoms (itching normally) and I couldn’t sleep well. I bought boric acid suppositories and by day 2 everything was gone. It was like magic. Now any time I feel it coming on, I take one at night and it never progresses further.

I have wondered why my OB never once mentioned them and instead would just prescribe antibiotics that never even worked.

This. But my OB actually recommended them for recurring problems. At the time I had to make my own. I am so grateful you can now buy them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had "possible BV" last year and went on the metro gel. At this year's annual exam, I tested positive. Any experience with recurring BV? Anything I can do at home either health/hygiene wise or with diet? I no longer use tampons, and I often change my underwear twice a day. Do I need to... I don't know... air dry my privates after showing? Is that beneficial? Any advice?

do you have the same partner? if yes, they need to wear condoms. likely have it in/on them. second- support your vaginal health with vagina friendly foods. wear only cotton gussets and no underwear at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have lactobacillus iners, good luck. It’s resistant to metronidazole and very hard to treat.

If anyone else has successfully treated it, let us know.

I’m not sure if this is what I had, but I did have an anaerobic bacteria that gave me a nasty abscess. The antibiotics didn’t work. This sounds very woo, but I was desperate, and ended up applying manuka honey. The abscess was gone in a few days! I also did boric acid and probiotics, and continued to apply the honey whenever I felt itchy. I know it sounds strange, but there are actual studies on manuka honey and it’s ability to kill MRSA.

[Anonymous]

Don’t do the gel! Ask for oral flagyl. The gel didn’t help me the the oral antibiotic got rid of it.

Sorry you are dealing with this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t do the gel! Ask for oral flagyl. The gel didn’t help me the the oral antibiotic got rid of it.

Sorry you are dealing with this

Argh I just called the doc today and requested gel over the oral. I’m trying to minimize oral antibiotics given all my other issues.

[Anonymous]

I did read a couple studies suggesting that the topical was as effective or more effective than the oral.