Re: Need some help regarding Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial Vaginosis is not a bacterial "infection". It is a bacterial imbalance... the doctors don't seem to know what causes it but one thing is for sure, they are trying to "kill" it like an infection with the Antibiotics rather than bring your bacterial levels back into balance. The Antibiotics are the first mistake because by killing the bacteria (including the good bacteria) they are only perpetuating the problem. The secret to keeping bv under control is to try to maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria in your system. The balance of the vagina depends a lot on vaginal ph. The reason you notice the smell is stronger after your period (and maybe after sex?) is because the vagina is naturally very acidic and menstrual blood and semen will both alkalize the vagina allowing the bad bacteria to flourish for a time. If your bacterial balance is already compromised by overuse of Antibiotics , poor diet, birth control pills, etc (those are my theories from my own experiences of what seems to make my symptoms worse) - then you are unable to recover the natural balance after sex or after your period and you end up at your doctor.

So, if you understand the "why" then you can form a way to fix it on your own. I will say that I have been succesful for the most part in managing the problem but I think I will always have to do some "maintenance". Here is what I've done and I have been fighting BV for about 15 years. The last 5 years I stopped going to the doctor and started treating mysself at home and have had more success than I ever had with antibiotics but it's been a long road and I've done a lot of reading and research...

The "good" bacteria in the vagina that helps protect against STD's and keeps the "bad" bacteria in balance is a type of lactobacillus that produces hydrogen peroxide. This seems to be the type of bacteria that is really necessary to keep a healthy vaginal environment and is also the most delicate. So, when I start to smell an odor after sex or after period I will flush or douche with a little hydrogen peroxide - I use the stuff straight off the shelf from the store and I use it without diluting it with water. If it is irritating to you or seems too strong, try diluting with water. If you have an overabundance of bad bacteria it will bubble like hydrogen peroxide does - if you don't then it will NOT bubble. I use this as an indicator to tell how bad the bacterial imbalance is. The longer I've been using this treatment the less often I have to do it. Sometimes I can go for weeks and months without rinsing depending on how often I have sex. and... when I do have to rinse it barely bubbles so I think the imbalance is mostly under control. Hydrogen Peroxide works to immediately eliminate the odor.

You also want to keep the ph balance of your vagina acidic. I have ussed a chewable vitamin C tablet for this purpose because that is another natural method your immune system uses to fight foreign invaders in the body. I deposit it into the vagina overnight and it dissolves. This is not something I would recommend if you are already burning or itching because it is a little harsh. There is an over the counter product called RePhresh Gel that is for maintaining vaginal ph and I would probably use that instead although it doesn't work as well or as fast as vitamin c in my experience.

the next step is to replace the good bacteria that is missing - this also involves your diet because the digestive tract is very prone to these same imbalances and if there is a vaginal imbalance then you probably have a digestive imbalance as well. I would look at including a "lacto" product in your diet every day - luckily there are a lot more on the market now as people are beginning to recognize the importance of proper bacterial balance in the body. Try whole yogurt (try to steer clear of too much Sugar because yeast feeds off of sugar) activa or danactive or some other lactobacillus containing product as long as there's not too much Sugar in it. There are also Lacto Acidophilus and Bifidus supplements you can find at health food stores or grocery stores with the vitamins.I would trust a health food store more because these are LIVE bacteria you're taking and some need to be kept refrigerated to be of benefit to you... that's why I suggested food first, it's hard to know if the supplements you're getting are really helping. Also, I use a chewable Lacto tablet - I get it from Nature's Sunshine products, it is a lemon flavored chewable tablet called L.Reuteri, it is good bacteria. I use one of these as a vaginal suppository occasionally, again the longer I've been doing this the less often I need to use it, but this is a really effective, safe and non-irritating way to replenish the bacteria balance. They dissolve easily and cause no irritation whatsoever.

So, those are my best suggestions to you and the sooner you stop taking all those antibiotics, the better.

Best of luck