Vaginal Atrophy

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Chanel Holt — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:32:08 GMT

I too have had frequent bouts of BV and have been treated with Flaggyl orally and as a vaginal cream. This usually causes a yeast infection and then that is treated with either Diflucan or with Monistat. When I finish the treatment for yeast the BV usually returns. This has been emotinally draining for me as well as my husband. I have going through this for the past two years and it doesn't seem to have an end in site. I am at my wits end. I like my doctor and I trust that she is giving me the best care but I need help!

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Lorraine Swanger — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 17:46:48 GMT

I too like Chanel Holt have frequent bouts of BV and have been treated with BV which also in turn give me a yeast infection and the cycle goes on and on. I was getting nowhere with my doctor. I started using Boric Acid suppositories that I got from my health good store. It has made a HUGE difference! I also take a supplement for yeast that I got from my health food store.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Melissa — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 15:13:34 GMT

I had a total hysterectomy in Feb. 2006 and have had a problem with BV ever since. My Dr. has perscribed antibiotic gel suppositories a couple of times, antibiotics pills and of course I then get a yeast infection and back to BV.
I am tired of having this, its uncomfortable and I'm afraid that it will cause other problems

What pharmaceutical products is boric acid found in? Do they get rid of the BV or just help with symptoms? What are the side effects?

Melissa

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Editor — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:33:50 GMT

Unfortunately recurrence is fairly common with BV. Although bacterial vaginosis is a condition that troubles many women, it’s not yet very well understood by the medical establishment. Antibiotic treatment is the most effective way to clear up BV, but there are things you can do to prevent the condition from recurring, and there are a few other treatment options that are being recommended by some doctors and holistic health practitioners, including boric acid suppositories. Of course, I’m not a doctor, so make sure you discuss the options with your health care professional before starting out on any new course of treatment.

Some of the things you can do to help prevent BV coming back include keeping the vulva dry and clean (but don’t overwash), avoid using douches, always wiping from front to back, staying away from harsh or perfumed hygiene products and soaps and wearing clothes that won’t trap moisture in the vaginal area. Limiting sexual intercourse or the number of sexual partners may also help, as can condom use.

A healthy diet (and lifestyle) can also help reduce your chance of getting BV again. Things like lots of water, flax seed oil or meal, fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains are good choices. Alcohol, caffeine, fast or processed foods, refined flour and sugar and saturated animal fats are all things to avoid, not to mention smoking.

Some people recommend yogurt or lactobacillus supplements although there is disagreement about whether taking lactobacillus orally will help. Vaginal capsules, tablets or suppositories – lactobacillus or boric adic – may be a more effective option for restoring the vagina's natural bacteria balance and relieving the symptoms of BV.

Boric acid is toxic, and although studies suggest there are no significant side effects from using it in suppository form it’s important not to take it internally, and you shouldn’t use boric acid if you’re pregnant or have any open cuts or wounds. Both boric acid and lactobacillus suppositories have been associated with irritation or burning in some women. Boric acid is an ingredient in various topical products, but the suppository capsules or tablets are the form recommended for treating yeast infections and BV. If your pharmacy doesn’t carry them you can ask your pharmacist to prepare the capsules for you.

Some nutritional product companies (Rockwell Nutrition, for example) have also devised treatment regimens for BV involving multi-step supplementation, but these kinds of treatment could get expensive and there's little information available on their effectiveness.

Although BV is not a sexually transmitted disease, if a woman experiences persistent BV the treatment program may include treating her sexual partner as well (essential if the partner is female), but this isn’t general practice. It’s best to discuss your condition and concerns with your doctor as well as the different treatment options so you can resolve your condition in the safest and most effective way possible.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

'BB — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:25:52 GMT

Same as her, only this has gone on for over 5 yrs now... BV, vaginal Cleosin treatment for 7 days, and in a short time it's back again! No yeast infections, thank goodness! I am about to do another round of Cleosin, and then I want to try vaginal probiotics to attempt to normalize the vaginal flora. Any tips on which ones are best?

re: Vaginal Atrophy

sandie — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:54:28 GMT

i had full hysterectomy 18 months ago and i suffer with b.v realy bad and its getting me down. i have a partner but am scared to have sex becouse the fishy smell nd he is getting impatiant now. please....what can i take or do to get rid of this with in the next 2 days ....antibiotics havnt helped

re: Vaginal Atrophy

carly — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:49:45 GMT

I have also been suffering from bacterial vaginosis (gardnerella) now for 8 months. I've been on flagyll, metro gel, some other new cream i just tried, i've changed my diet, havent had sex, and i've been taking acidophillus 3 times a day to help good bacteria' growth and nothing seems to work. I think I have become immune to the antibiotics now, and I seem to be completely resistant to any medication. My gynochologist doesnt know what else will help me, so she just repeats the treatments. I'm only 19 years old, and this is a bit of a shock for me. I feel like theres no hope for me, and all I read online is how women suffer with this condition for years. I dont want to be one of those women. I've been in a complete depression mode for months now, and it's getting worse. I dont know what to do, I think the next step might be to stop taking birth control, I am currently taking seasonale. Ugh, this is one of the most frusterating things I've gone through. Is there ANY hope ??

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Christine — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 22:23:19 GMT

I would like to know if there are any other women out there who have experienced this. Two years ago I was a runner and suffered from b.v. I was injured and had to stop running for a year and the b.v went away. I'm now running again and the b.v is BACK. This is very frustrating. Does anyone have any suggestions on treatment for this?? Please don't suggest "stop running"!!! Thanks to anyone who can help.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

nellie — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:13:57 GMT

In the past I've used a regular pill of lacto/bifidus 2billion live culture pill to insert into vagina and that has made BV go away. Taking 10-20 billon live cultures per day orally is the recommended dosage for people struggling with BV or Yeast (thats 10 or more caplets, depending on the dosage).
I've been on and off antibiotics all year. Last week was for a bronchial infection, then after intercourse, it caused BV. I didn't have fish odor as I had prior, so I thought it was yeast infection. Today the dr. said she saw "very little yeast" and more harmful bacteria. So she put me on yet another oral antibiotic.
My theory is that when I take the antibiotics for something else, it wipes out all the bacteria, then having sex introduces bad bacteria, then it flourishes quickly in the environment of the vagina.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

nellie — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:16:38 GMT

has anyone tried the acidiphiis/lacto/bifido pills (can't remember how to spell them) and just inserted them?I wanted to ask my dr if that was okay, but she probably would've reccommended against it because dr's only prescribe medication not homeopathic solutions. There must be a way to get the good bacteria in there faster than eating yogurt or pills. Can't I just put the probiotic pill directly into the vagina?

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Tiffany Cokely — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 05:47:33 GMT

I have been suffering with BV for about 7yrs now. I have used MetroGel twice after using I developed a yeast infection then I used Flagyl nothing has work. I want to try Boric Acid but I am very scared b/c of how toxic it is. I have heard that douching w/ hydrogen Peroxide is good but I don't know for sure. I need some help.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Editor — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:23:57 GMT

Always check with your doctor or a medical professional before using any treatment for BV. As mentioned in my above answer you can prevent reoccuring BV by keeping the vulva dry and clean- this means no douching! Also steer clear of perfumed soaps and tight clothes.

Keep your diet clean - avoid caffeine and smoking, as well as fast food and processed foods that are high in saturated and trans fats. Some women try yogurt or lactobacillus supplements to treat BV, or capsules inserted vaginally - such as lactobacillus or boric adic – to restore the vagina's natural bacterial balance.

Regardless of your method of treatment - always consult a doctor first!

re: Vaginal Atrophy

amie — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:56:26 GMT

i found that i get bv when i am ovulating and after my period. I have been on boric acid suppository therapy for a few years and it works perfect for me. Initially, I used one suppository at bedtime for 2 weeks, then i use them 3 times a week as prophylaxis. no more discharge and odor.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Sylvie — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:10:16 GMT

The reason the acidopholus doesn't work is because it doesn't create sufficient quantities of hydrogen peroxide to kill the BV or the yeast. The strain of lactobacillus that is the most effective is a strain called lactobacillus crispatus. Do a google search and you'll come up with articles from medical journals discussing the use of lactobacillus crispatus as an effective way to repopulate vaginal flora. Unfortunately this strain of lactobacillus is not available commercially.

I've had great success with boric acid. I bought some in powder form from a family pharmacy, inserted it into 00 size gelatin capsules that I bought from Whole Foods, and used it as a suppository twice a day (once before bed, once in the morning). It really works.

I also do a vinegar/salt bath for the vulva after I shower to bring the PH back up to around 4.5. It's really helped a lot. What you do is let the tub fill up just about to your pubic bone and then add 1/2 c. of vinegar and 1/2 c. of regular table salt. Stir the water until the salt dissolves and then sit in it for about 10 minutes. It relieves itching and burning for a few hours until the boric acid suppositories kick in.

That being said, I do not know if boric acid actually kills the bacteria that cause BV. I'm still researching that.

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Tee — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 07:31:15 GMT

I am to suffering from chronic bv and i can totally relate to these women. I to have went through the antibiotic therapy and tried changing my eating habits, but nothing seems to work. I would take the antibiotic and it would clear up , but eventually would return back. Yes it becomes frustrating , but what can I do?

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Cindy — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:10:40 GMT

I have been suffering from recurring bacterial vaginosis now for almost 5 years. I have been obsessed with trying to find the cause of this and come up with nothing but theories. I am an RN and like many women have had the cycle of BV, yeast then BV. Yes, intercourse definitely makes it flare up however, having said that I am now 30 weeks pregnant and because of this infection this has been such a stressful pregnancy. Also, I am aware that BV causes preterm labor. LIke many of you I have been through major depression because of this disease and have been to 3 gynecologists, an infection control doctor, numerous MD's, and 3 naturopaths. I feel like giving up however, that is not going to help me nor anyone else. The infection control doctor treated my husband and I together and were told to wear a condom to see if that would help; I still got the BV. When I got an internal exam from the doctor the insertion of the speculum would cause BV. It's like the BV just sits aroung the vulva and when something is inserted--BANG-- it returns. Our marriage has suffered because of this and I would like to form not only a support group, but I would also like to have detailed histories from women that are suffering from this recurrent infection. With my medical background and all the intensive research I have done on this subject, I am determined to fight this and not let this consume my or our lives anymore. One theory I have is the relationship between systemic yeast and BV. When I talked to my infection control doctor about this she said research doesn't support the correlation between yeast and BV since one is a fungus (candida) and one is bacteria (BV). I have to disagree that one is separate fromt the other. The explanation is too long and complicated. However, I do know that when I went on a candida diet for 6 months my symptoms of BV weren't as severe, but the diet was brutal and almost impossible. I am currently following the body ecology diet (in a modified way since I'm pregnant and it requires bowel cleanses that I can't do while pregnant). Her theory is the association between leaky gut (bowel problems) and vaginitis. Myself, I have suffered for years with irritable bowel (to say the least). I also have large bumps on my external labia it has been diagnosed as sebaceous cysts. Again, there is definately a correlation between these bumps and BV. I think the bacterial clogs the hair follicles causing these bumps.

Regardless, science and research is failing to help us with this problem and I hope to get to know many women's histories and experiences where we can take control of our health we all once had. I don't know about you, but I am fed up with hearing and reading precautions such as keep the area dry, wear cotton, wipe from front to back etc. Obviously, when you've exhausted all these things there is a bigger picture to all of this.

I hope that I can get your help in getting to the bottom of this. I will give out my e-mail address where you can personally e-mail me your story. Together we can fight this. Let's don't give up hope. Please title the subject BV.

cindster@shaw.ca

re: Vaginal Atrophy

Mo — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:50:11 GMT

Hey Christine,

I have the same problem! I started running back in November and ever since I have had BV/yeast infections that will not go away. I have never had a yeast or bacterial infection until I started running. I was off running for 3 weeks when I took my first dose of medication, and I was fine until I started running again. The more I train the worse my symptoms are. My gynecologist said it is most likely due to the intense training and amount of sweat causing the bacteria. But I don't want to stop running!

re: Vaginal Atrophy

gene121 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:14:54 GMT

I have been using this since menopause and it works for me.

gene121

re: Vaginal Atrophy

gene121 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:15:39 GMT

Sorry,

togetherwecandoit.com

gene121

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re: Vaginal Atrophy

Cate54 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:40:30 GMT

I have been diagnosed with severe vaginal atrophy...I use an Estri=ring and have returned to using HRT...as creams and other "cures 'did no good. Sex is excrutiatingly painful and I still bleed and actually feel the tears happening..could laser help repair the damaged, thin tissue and return my sex life? I feel like giving up sex forever but that is not fair to my husband...please give me some hope. What I have read on other forums is really disheartening. I have tried most creams and gels and suppositories...they help for really gentle short sex ..then a recovery time of at least a month of discomfort and pain.

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