- What a great Weekend! by #42412
19 y
5,023 7 Messages Shown
Blog: BV - Bacterial Vaginosis
I feel pretty good. The Vitamin C seems to have helped for the time being. I ate the best food all weekend and got good sleep, no tossing and turning. I don't know if my body is so out of whack that I've ended up in a state of constant "maintenance" or if one of these days I'll actually find a cure and feel normal again.
I decided Friday to do a Colon cleanse, I received some feedback that suggested that might help and since I'm open to any suggestions that might offer a healthful cure I decided to give it a try. I would prefer to use Dr. Natura Colonix but it's a bit on the expensive side. We have a GNC here that carries a colon cleansing system that is much cheaper but I'm a little scared to jump right in. I'm afraid of the harshness of some of those products and I can't afford to miss any work over something like that.
I might wait until I can afford the Dr. NAtura before I do it - my health is an investment - and I would like to make the best investment possible. I also like that one because it contains a parasite cleanser and if you're going to do it, do it right.
The other thing I'm afraid of is that I will get my hopes up for this to be the answer (again) and if it isn't I'll be very disappointed but, the truth is, I will be better off having done it either way.
I should view it as a purification process but I just have this vision of gut-wrenching cold sweats painful horror. I mean, who knows what kind of damage 12 years of smoking has done to my system, I'm sure I need a good cleansing. I wish there was a lung-cleansing process.
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- I know your pain! by woodlawn
19 y
1,685
I couldn't believe it when I read your posts--I have had constant problems with BV ever since my IUD was inserted two years ago, and it has been an unending source of horror for me.
I think you are absolutely on the right track with regard to the antibiotics being a cause rather than a cure--I was prescribed a round of "preventative" antibiotics to protect against the precursors for PID when my IUD was inserted and was immediately hit with:
A) the first yeast infection I have ever had
B) a never-ending case of BV
Since that time, I rarely go more than a few days without having symptoms of BV or a yeast infection, and let me reiterate--I had NEVER had either of these issues before the IUD was inserted. Never. Now they are my constant companions.
It is totally miserable! I have done virtually the same as you--gone through endless regimens of Flagyl, alternating with yeast infection regimens (my gyn's idea, since I had both). Nothing has worked. One Gyn suggested that the bacteria might be "hiding" in the IUD string, but I was skeptical. After months and months of paying money for useless treatments, I finally just gave up. I have a specially formulated Ph-balanced wash that I use (it has lactic acid in it, and I bought it in Europe), and it helps to alleviate some of the symptoms, especially the odor and burning. But like you, I have found no cure, only a moderately useful treatment.
I have noticed the same thing that you have--the problem is definitely cyclical, so it was interesting to read your insights as to why it is so much worse some parts of the month. I have also noticed that semen REALLY makes the odor a lot worse. In my case, I think that some of the odor I'm noticing is actually the semen itself (I discovered the "unique" smell of old semen when my dog found a used condom somewhere and dropped it in the living room--the smell was awful, and very similar to what I had noticed and attributed to BV). Since I often notice the strongest odor the day after intercourse (but not directly after intercourse), this theory seems to hold up a bit.
I wish I had some useful miracle to share! I am doing a colon cleanse as well and changing my diet, and I will certainly keep you posted if anything works. Most of all, though, I just wanted you to know that you're not the only one. Honestly, sometimes I feel mortified by this problem, and it is so frustrating not to have any workable solution. Never in my life have I been self-conscious about sex, but now I rarely enjoy oral sex because I am so preoccupied about the possible odor. It is really a terrible problem to have. Thanks so much for sharing--I feel much less alone. Here's hoping we can find a lasting cure.
PS---There is a cleanse for the lungs. I've never tried it, but here is the link....
http://ehow.com/how_12674_pineapple-fast-lungs.html
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woodlawn
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- Re: I know your pain! by #42412
19 y
1,647
Thank you sooo much for your response! It is comforting to know that I'm not the only one. I've gone through the same self conscious stuff in regards to oral sex (or any sex at all) mortified that my boyfriend is going to smell it. It's awful. I used to enjoy sex, now I just try to figure out when the symptoms are at their best and try to get him in the mood then. Doesn't always work out.
Anyway, I've been following your blog as well and I wanted to say thank you for some your insights also. The dynamic between you and your family was interesting and I was inspired by your wit and intelligence.
Keep up the good work too!
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- Re: I know your pain! by #42412
19 y
1,547
Another thought, I've had another post-er suggest that my problem us purely Candida. I really feel this is untrue. Of all the reading I've done on the Candida problem I think this qualifies as something else entirely. Especially taken with the fact that I don't have a yeast infection.
Any thoughts?
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- Re: I know your pain! by woodlawn
19 y
1,664
I totally agree. I don't think it is Candida. I do get yeast infections now, but I just feel pretty strongly that the factors that exacerbate the two are similar, yet the root causes are different. I have BV symptoms pretty much all the time, but yeast infections flare up only a couple times a year. My situation is complicated a bit by the fact that I (along with all of the women in my mom's lineage) have a lifetime of chronic urinary tract infections that do not respond to anything but antibiotics---at least once a month I have to take a short course of antibiotics for UTI's, and it's invariably around those times that I get a yeast infection (strangely, though, I took antibiotics for UTI's for more than a decade before I ever had a yeast infection--now I get them relatively frequently). I'm inspired by your Vitamin C success--I had tried the garlic as a suppository, but the smell was so outrageously strong that it was almost worse than the BV itself. I think I might give vitamin c a try, though.
The link to the power-point article you posted was incredible--t really helped me to understand the subtleties of BV. I was also interested by the fact that it noted the after-sex odor being particularly strong as a diagnostic factor. I was particularly intrigued by the comparison to the lab whiff test. Now I am more convinced that it is the BV, and not just the semen.
The stress connection seems pretty direct also. I'm in the process of moving and getting ready for vacation, and I've experienced a spike in my symptoms this week. Hopefully I'll be more dedicated to my treatment after this move is complete.
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woodlawn
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- Re: I know your pain! by andib
19 y
1,741
| We certainly sound similar. I also have a history of Chronic UTI's. They treated it with Sulfa until I developed an allergy. I was treated with Flagyl for that also I remember and several other antibiotics but continued to get them. I was eventually told by my doctor that as long as I was sexually active I would have to be on a maintenance dose of preventative antibiotics. They prescribed Macrodantin (Nitrofurantoin generic name) they said it would not cause yeast (I was also VERY prone to yeast infections after the countless rounds of antibiotics) so, they said it would not cause yeast as it only acted on the bladder not any other part of the body. I took those for about 6 months straight, it seemed to help - it gave my bladder an opportunity to strengthen itself and i don't have UTI's anymore - however, I don't know how that prolonged antibiotic use may have contributed to my current problem with BV.
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andib
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- Re: I know your pain! by andib
19 y
1,614
Also, to respond to your comments about the post-sex odor and "whiff" test similarities. That is true, also true as to why the odor is worse during and just after your period. Because all of these substances: menstrual blood, semen, and chemical used in lab test are alkaline - this shows the importance of vaginal pH in BV.
High acidity, Like a Vitamin C treatment or hydrogen peroxide, kill the bacteria - threfore improving the symptoms, added alkalinity makes the bacteria stronger, therefore, increased odor.
It is interesting to understand why certain treatments work and the causal factors of the odor, which is by far the worst symptom of BV.
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andib
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