- Effectiveness of Vitamin C treatment by #42412
19 y
38,865 13 Messages Shown
Blog: BV - Bacterial Vaginosis
| Well, it has been a little over a week since I used the vitamin C. That was the evening of the 19th and 20th, and then I stopped. Today, on the 29th, I still have improved symptoms and no odor. It has been a little over a week with no odor. Have to see how long that lasts. If it will last up to 2 - 3 weeks it would be worth a 2 day treatment once a month to treat the worst symptom. The rest is manageable. It will be hard to tell for sure because I am due to start my period soon and that will have an effect on my progress. Still, a week of freedom! I'm a little excited.
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- Seems to be working for me! by woodlawn
19 y
17,774
After a drastic flare-up of my symptoms (particularly odor) yesterday, I tried a Vitamin C suppository last night. It seems to be working very well, even after only four hours or so there is a very noticeable improvement. I had a bit of irritation upon insertion, but it passed. This morning I have no irritation and virtually no odor (a miracle after yesterday).
I hate to say it, but for the time being, I am not terribly hopeful about finding an actual cure. I think this is just the result of having endured a long fight with BV with no real solutions. I am optimistic that one key to the lasting cure could be in diet and total body cleansing (something I am working towards within the next few months). However, for the moment, I am thrilled to have a natural, non-damaging, and easy treatment that works on acute symptoms and potentially has some longer-term preventative effects. If a 2- or 3- day course of treatment with Vitamin C can prevent symptoms for a few weeks, that would be a wonderful place to start. I love the fact that it is simple, very affordable, and seems to have very few side effects. Also, for me, one of the benefits that can't be underestimated is the fact that Vitamin C tastes good. Since the main consequence of BV for me is self-consciousness about the odor/taste of the vaginal discharge within a sexua| context, it is wonderful to have something that not only combats the source of the problem, but also helps to assuage the odor/taste factor pretty much immediately. I have always been reluctant to try chemical or even some natural suppositories (like garlic) that only compound this element. I used to save these remedies for when the problem got so out of hand that I couldn't take it any more and was willing to give up the prospect of sex in order to get some relief. But so far, I think I would very comfortable using Vitamin C any time, as I think it only helps on all fronts. Thanks so much for this suggestion--I never would have thought of it.
As for the dosage, is there any particular milligram count that you've been using, or anything else you think I might need to know? I used one 500 mg tablet last night. I will probably take another dose tonight, one tomorrow night, and then stop to see how long the effects last. In your experience, does this seem reasonable? I didn't find the precise regimen you used (sorry if I missed it in one of the posts), so I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track. Thanks again for this suggestion!
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woodlawn
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- Re: Seems to be working for me! by andib
19 y
17,907
| I'm not sure what mg. dosage the tablets I have are. I got tablets though, as opposed to capsules. Something with as little outer coating as possible so nothing is left behind. I just inserted 1 tablet before bed and it dissolved overnight, then did it again the next night and then stopped. A day or so following treatment I had some discharge and then it improved and overall the discharge and odor were improved for a little over a week, then I started my period so I will likely have to do it again after it's over. Good luck to you, so glad it helped you out and thank you for sharing your experiences.
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andib
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- Re: Seems to be working for me! by andib
19 y
17,836
A couple of other things I wanted to mention to you...
If you have sex the effects of the vitamin C may not last as long. Anything (including semen) that alkalyzes your vaginal environment is going to bring back the BV symptoms. Keeping the environment acidic - as it is naturally - is what keeps the symptoms away. You may want to consider protected sex or have him 'pull out' because semen can make the vaginal environment alkaline and keep it that way for up to 8 hours allowing the sperm to get where they're going and also allowing the BV bacteria to proliferate again. Or you could try a Vitamin C insert right after sex to keep from having bad symptoms the next day.
Also, I have read some information here and there that parasites could also be a causal factor as they inhibit natural flora in the intestines which then passes to the vagina. You mentioned you were doing a body cleanse, are you including a parasite cleanse? I am considering it, and a colon cleanse also but have not yet purchased the stuff. I'd be curious to know if you've had any experience with this.
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andib
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- Re: Seems to be working for me! by woodlawn
19 y
17,548
Thanks for the additional info--to date I have actually been using the Vitamin C directly after sex, both intentionally (to restore acidity and prevent symptoms) and unintentionally (because it happened to be just before bed) and I've continued to have good results! So I think it is absolutely working to both keep and restore the balance. I am definitely with you on wanting an actual and lasting cure, but I have to say, this treatment is such a godsend for me. Not only does it work, but it is also so convenient and inexpensive. And natural to boot. I can't tell you how thankful I am! I had really given up on finding anything that would work, so this is an incredible improvement.
As for the colon cleansing, I am using Colonix, which comes with a parasite cleanse, but I haven't started the parasite cleanse part yet. I'll keep you posted as I continue.
It was enlightening for me to read about your UTI treatment, too--two years ago I was finally prescribed suppresive antibiotics (Macrodantin/Nitrofurantoin for me as well), but I was instructed to simply take a reduced dose as needed, rather than actually taking them continuously. Now I am encouraged to try them continuously--I can't even imagine a life without UTI's, so it's incredible to think that it could be possible. But it really makes sense that giving the bladder time to fully recover would help to quell outbreaks. I know the constant stress of infections leads to extreme scarring of the bladder tissues and potentially loss of bladder control later in life, so I'm particularly eager to get it under control--I had simply given up.
I was surprised to learn that Macrodantin only affects the bladder---I had no idea of this. My reluctance to take it continuously was in a large part due to my constant BV and frequent yeast infections--I certainly didn't want to exacerbate them. Once again, very helpful information. I am sure that diet changes will also help with UTI's. My grandmother, having grown up with the same physiology but no antibiotics, never eats sugar, and, even at 85, drinks two to three gallons of water daily in order to stave off infections. She and my mother both experienced a lessening of UTI frequency after giving birth, but I have yet to be pregnant, so I can't attest to this.
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woodlawn
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- Re: Seems to be working for me! by andib
19 y
17,564
| I am so glad that it is helping you, I know the feeling of utter relief you're talking about when you find something that seems to work and it's really not too horrible. I mean, if you're like me, popping all of that Flagyl was just as bad as all of the nasty creams and gels. That stuff would make me sick for a solid week. Anyway, I am happy that any information I shared has helped someone. This isn't a subject you can chat about with friends or anything and it's so hard to find resources because it's such a sensitive subject. You've helped me too, just knowing there is somebody else out there going through the same thing. Again, thank you for writing.
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andib
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- i have a question by sakurapina
19 y
17,442
| what should i do! should i take the vitamin by mouth or put in inside my vagina?
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sakurapina
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- Re: i have a question by #42412
19 y
17,673
Vitamin C? Use it as a vaginal insert. Find one without any coating - use a tablet rather than a capsule, maybe even a chewable tablet - You can also take them by mouth at the same time. That helps raise the acidity in your whole system. Use for just one or two nights (one tablet at a time to keep from irritation occurring) and then stop and wait a few days, see how things go, and do a couple more nights if necessary.
This has worked very well for me. I still have occasional episodes of odor, mostly after menstrual cycle, then I use a vitamin c tablet for a night or two and I'm ok for several weeks, usually until after then next cycle.
So far, this is really all I've found that offers long term treatment without nasty side effects.
Good luck
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- Re: i have a question by #47826
19 y
17,582
| hello can you please tell me what's the deal with vitamin c? I'm experiencing the same problem odor and constant embarrassment from my co-workers, please respond back and let me know what to do, will the insertion in the vagina cause more of a smelly discharge at first? thank you will appreciate any info.
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- Re: i have a question by #42412
19 y
18,025
Yes, the first time i used vitamin C it did cause some discharge that still had an unpleasant odor, though different than the BV odor.
I used a douche of diluted hydrogen peroxide for a time but felt that it may cause a yeast imbalance and so I stopped. It did take care of the odor immediately, and I mean immediately. I tried using it long term a couple times a day and after about 3 days experienced some irritation. However, I would recommend it for a short term (1 - 2 day) solution.
After using the hydrogen peroxide, you then might try the Vitamin C inserted overnight (maybe not one right after the other to avoid irritation).
Above all - don't do anything that burns stings or otherwise feels uncomfortable.
These things have worked for me but may not work for everyone, I don't know.
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- Re: i have a question by probe
11 y
17,110
hi girls,,, i tried the vitamin c suppository, inserted half of it at noon, by night time there was no odor but we have sex with my bf on that night too long well, but later on he notice a blood, so we stop. there are blood spots and when i tried to swab inside my vj i notice blood until the next morning night. The blood then was brownish in color and have something like a sloughed off skin. i think this is an irritation. i dont know if it is due to the vit. c that causes dryness inside and may irritate more during sex. or just the vitamin c that irritates it. do anyone of you have the same symptoms with mine? I think we should dilute the vit. since it is slightly acidic than vinegar and maybe can cause irritation. thanks a lot
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probe
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- Re: Effectiveness of Vitamin C treatment by BV_Cured
16 y
18,645
I am cured!! Just after two nights of using Vitamin C vaginally, I have no smell or any other symptoms. I actually feel a little better too. What I did was, I used Vitamin C vaginally for two nights then during the day with meals I would take Vitamin C orally twice a day. Hope it works for you, it worked for me.
:)
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BV_Cured
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