I have been suffereing with recurrent BV for the past 6 months. I have had two separate treatments with the antibiotic metrodinazole (sp) - one treatment was for 1 week. The second treatment was for 2 full weeks. During treatment, the symptoms go away but they come right back within weeks of finishing the pills. I don't think that antibiotics are going to work for me and I've tried some natural remedies that seem to help for awhile, but the BV eventually returns.

Does anyone know of anything that actually works to get rid of BV for good? I'm not interested in a 'miracle cure' off the internet unless someone can actually recommend that it worked for her.

I know that so many women suffer from BV but it remains to be a topic that isn't commonly discussed. The first time I even heard of BV was when I was diagnosed! The symptoms (vaginal discharge and fishy odor) are embarrassing but I'd like to be open with other women and figure out what helps others!

Any chance you are having sex during/ after taking antibiotics? I kept getting it back after treatments. Come to find out they had to have my boyfriend take medication too. Finally got rid of it.. for awhile anyway, still comes back now and then.

I didn't have sex while taking the antibiotics. But I am married, and, of course, I did have sex after! I don't want to be celibate after all - ha ha!!

I know that the alkalinity of sperm can mess (no pun) with the acidity of your vagina and hence create a breeding ground for the anaerobic (bad) bacteria in your vagina. My husband and I use condoms - so this doesn't make sense in my situation. Somehow, the antibiotics just doesn't clear the bad bacteria or there just isn't enough 'good' bacteria to re-establish in my vagina after treatment.

Some of the 'natural' remedies I have tried include:

1. Douch for 3-7 nights with straight hydrogen peroxide. This takes care of the odor immediately. But the BV eventually returns.

2. Douch for 3-7 nights with strong vinegar solution. Same results as above.

Note on douching: I'm not an advocate for douching and have never done so before I was blessed with BV... so this is NOT what has caused BV for me. There's discussions in the medical field about putting the cart before the horse with all the negative claims of douching - so please don't bash me for trying this. I've read studies that have concluded that douching with Hydrogen Peroxide is equally effective in treating BV as a round of antibiotics!

3. Insert vitamin C tablet directly into vagina for a few nights. This advice was given from another woman on a chat site to increase acidity and hopefully give the good bacteria a chance to grow and the bad bacteria a 'less comfortable' home. This also works well for a while.

4. Took Nature's Way Probiotic Rheuteri twice/day orally. These bacteria are supposed to help re-establish the good bacteria in your vagina. I did this for about a month, and it did seem to help, but didn't cure BV. And the pills were too expensive for no real results.

5. Take good quality (root only) Goldenseal twice a day along with Folic Acid once or twice a day. Again... seemed to help... but BV returned. Also, you're not supposed to take Goldenseal for more than two weeks at a time, so I stopped. Goldenseal is supposed to enhance your immune system.

6. Eat lots of Danone probiotic yoghurt... I have no idea if this has done anything, but likely not seeing as the BV continues to come back.

I'm afraid to continue going back to antibiotics as some women claim that antibiotics are to blame for BV in the first place?! So, I'm just hoping to hear from more women and see if there's anything that I haven't tried yet that I should.

I'm a healthy woman, in my mid 30's, in really good shape, have a good diet. I don't know why this is happening to me?

Wow! So sorry! This really sucks for you. I have had it recurring in the past, antibiotics usually work after a yeast infection from them.
Good luck in finding a cure. If I come across anything else, ill be sure to pass it along.

First of all.. STOP DOUCHING. That is HORRIBLE for your body. You are killing all of the good stuff inside of your vagina and off setting the balance.

There could be a few things going on. The first thing that sprung to mind is a food allergy. I have a wheat intolerance and before I was diagnosed I had constant infections. My best friend was the same way she is allergic to corn and wheat and she had the same thing going on. I would get test for that first.

My other suggestions is for you to find a functional doctor. They look at the body as a whole and work from a place of wellness instead of illness. They work with supplements as well as medicine to help restore your bodies balance. Here is some information on functional medicine:

What is Functional Medicine

Thanks for the advice Oz. It is a good point to look into allergies and I will go and visit my doctor when my symptoms come back.

Concerning douching... I just wanted to include these articles so that people don't judge too quickly on this form of treatment:

IngentaConnect Recurrent bacterial vaginosis-an old approach to a new problem

Abstract:

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common cause of abnormal malodorous vaginal discharge and can be frustrating to manage in its recurrent form. Metronidazole is the standard treatment, but is unacceptable to many women when given repeatedly. Results of treating recurrent BV using a single vaginal washout with 3% hydrogen peroxide are analysed. A total of 30 symptomatic women with clinically confirmed recurrent BV in the absence of other genital infections were recruited after informed consent. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) was instilled into the vagina, left for 3 minutes and drained. Reassessment was at 3 weeks after treatment. A total of 23 women completed the study. Symptoms cleared completely in 78% (18/ 23), improved in 13% (3/23) and remained unchanged in 9% (2/23). All the 3 women with improved symptoms had a mild vaginal discharge, but only one of them was still able to perceive the malodour. The amine test was negative in all 23 women including the 2 (9%) who felt no change in their symptoms following treatment. Mixed anaerobes isolated in all women before treatment were not re-isolated, and microscopy did not show 'clue cells' in the vaginal discharge following treatment. Vaginal acidity was restored to normal in all but one (96%). No side-effects were observed in the treated women. Hydrogen peroxide (3%) used as a single vaginal wash was as effective as any other agent in current use in clearing the vaginal malodour of bacterial vaginosis at 3 weeks after treatment.

Also, from another source:

Vaginal Infections - from Ronnie Falcão's Midwife Archives

Vaginal Wash
As a midwife, I've become very enthusiastic about vaginal washes with hydrogen peroxide for yeast or anything pathogenic going on in the vagina, particularly because it's much safer than pharmaceuticals during pregnancy, even the over-the-counter kind. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is very safe, breaking down into water (H2O) very quickly; as it does so, an oxygen atom is liberated, which oxidizes organic matter it comes in contact with on the surface of the vaginal mucous lining. It literally washes out and kills pathogenic organisms, including yeast, group B strep, and a variety of other vaginal pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide is normally produced as a byproduct of acidophilus metabolism, which is why acidophilus is a "friendly" vaginal bacteria - it provides a continual bath of hydrogen peroxide to keep those yeasty beasties and other pathogens from developing an overgrowth.
If you have any kind of vaginal infection that's causing troublesome symptoms, it makes sense to start with a vaginal wash while you're doing other things to help re-establish a more healthful acidophilus presence, such as Gy-Na-Tren. Do the vaginal wash while you're in the shower, and then apply your other treatments at a later time, usually at bedtime. One approach is to do the vaginal wash every night for a week, while starting other treatments. Once your symptoms are relieved, you might start spacing out the acidophilus vaginal suppositories to every other night and then only as needed to relieve symptoms.
[NOTE - This treatment is generally considered safe during pregnancy, but you should check with your healthcare provider first, in case there's something unusual about your situation. If your provider doesn't know anything about this treatment, you can suggest they educate themselves and let you know when they have the answer. If they suggest that alternative remedies are worthless and you should use a pharmaceutical agent instead, they are what I would call a word that starts with an "F" and rhymes with "Cool", or else they just really enjoyed the last conference sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies, and they want to ensure continuing pharmaceutical profits and conferences.]

There was also another medical article I read that I can't find that questioned the belief that BV is caused by douching. Sorry, I can't find it.

Anyhow, I don't mean to come across defensive about douching as a treatment option... just wanted to list these articles just FYI. Thanks again for your advice.

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but in what form do you purchase the hydrogen peroxide.

I mean, if I go to the chemist, for example, and ask for it, will they know what I am looking for.

OK. First - are you sure you have/had bacterial vaginosis? Did your doctor to a wet prep and look at the slides. Bacterial vaginosis is diagnosed by the presence of "clue" cells on the slide, a positive "whiff" test, and a vaginal pH > 4.5. Another disorder to consider is Trichomonas. This would also cause a discharge and odor, but would likely cause a lot of itching. This is easily diagnosed by seeing the Trichomonas protozoa on a slide. Both infections can be treated with metronidazole.

Now, up to 30% of cases of bacterial vaginosis are recurrent. There have been some studies looking at the efficacy of treating the partner, but these haven't really been conclusive. However, treating the partner of someone with Trichomonas is essential. So, my advice would be to have your partner treated (same meds). And remember, don't drink alcohol when taking metronidazole - you'll regret it!

The above is for information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. You should always contact your personal physician with any questions or concerns.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MAHARANI

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but in what form do you purchase the hydrogen peroxide.

I mean, if I go to the chemist, for example, and ask for it, will they know what I am looking for.

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That doesn't sound dumb, HP is sold in 3%, 5% and 7% for medical purposes. You want the 3% for douching.
I have suffered from recurrent BV for years, and last time I had to go to my gyno four times to clear it up and take as many different doses of meds. That adds up because its $40 a pop to see my gyno.
Anyway, I read the medical claims that someone else quoted (read them on the original site) so I am going to give the douche a try.
Another site I read said to use 1/4 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) and 2 cups of lukewarm water to douche with. I am going to try once a night for seven days.
Hope it works!

This is an interesting question. I too am now dealing with recurrent BV. My husband and I have both been treated and it still keeps coming back. I have never had this problem in the past and it is extremely frustrating. I will try the 3% peroxide douche (I'll try anything at this point). PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE post if you ever discover a way to get rid of it (for longer than a week or two) I know others would love to know. I will return the favor if I can.

Ditto

midoriko,

Thank you for answering my question. I will be trying this .

So, I've been trying the Hydrogen Peroxide douche treatment for four days now, and it seemed to be working when I went to bed and then woke up for the first couple of days. But, now, the symptoms are still just as bad.
I'm not sure if its getting better or not, so I am going to visit the gyno just to make sure that's what I have. Maybe I just let the BV get too bad to get better in a week.
I go tomorrow, and if he prescribes flagyl or something, I am going to keep douching in conjunction with that.
Hope this works!

I have to say that it was a bit of an ordeal trying to get the HP. I went to the chemist and asked for it and she questioned what I wanted it for. I told her it was a friend as there was a queue of people behind me and I didn't want to say it was for BV. She then told me off for not asking my friend what she intended to use it for.

She did eventually give it to me, but anyone would have thought I had asked her for cocaine, the look she gave me.

Is HP such a bad thing, that I was questioned in such a manner...

Wow, that's really unusual. I live in the U.S. and HP is very common. I buy it all the time to use as a rinse for my mouth or as a rinse over a cut, etc. You can get it very easily, over the counter and don't have to talk to a pharmacist/ chemist.
I can't imagine why they would treat you that way. :confused:
I tried the HP treatment for BV for a week, and it worked but something still seemed to be wrong so I went to the gyno and turned out that I had developed a yeast infection instead! So I took a pill for that and everything is dandy now.
He agreed that the HP douche was good for treating BV, I told him about it.
Hope next time you go to buy HP that it isn't so traumatic!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MAHARANI

I have to say that it was a bit of an ordeal trying to get the HP. I went to the chemist and asked for it and she questioned what I wanted it for. I told her it was a friend as there was a queue of people behind me and I didn't want to say it was for BV. She then told me off for not asking my friend what she intended to use it for.

She did eventually give it to me, but anyone would have thought I had asked her for cocaine, the look she gave me.

Is HP such a bad thing, that I was questioned in such a manner.....

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Apparently my boyfriend just informed me that you can make a bomb with Hydrogen Peroxide.
WHO KNEW? :eek:
International terrorism strikes women's health! Lol!

Hi, I had the same problem. My Dr. told me not to use perfume soaps or femine washs use unscented dove soap and do not take baths, take showers. I do not have that problem anymore trust me you'll get rid of it hun. NO BATHS if you just really have to take a bath DO NOT let the soap sit in the water, but showers are better if you have problems with BV. Boy do I miss my baths. Try it for awhile you'll see the difference. Do not use femine sprays or perfume lotion in that area, I had a it bad using all kinds of perfumes around that area.

Hi, I had the same problem. My Dr. told me not to use perfume soaps or femanine washs use unscented dove soap and do not take baths, take showers. I do not have that problem anymore trust me you'll get rid of it hun. NO BATHS if you just really have to take a bath DO NOT let the soap sit in the water, but showers are better if you have problems with BV. Boy do I miss my baths. Try it for awhile you'll see the difference. Do not use femanine sprays or perfume lotion in that area, I had a it bad using all kinds of perfumes around that area.

2 things:
1) Cure for recurrent BV: I suffered from recurrent BV for 3 years with repeated antibiotic treatment that failed. Here is what finally cured me: Use a combination of Yeast Arrest (you can buy it online or in health food stores) boric acid suppositories and Natren's acidopolus (both vaginally and orally). Use the Yeast Arrest and Natren's during your period as this helps it distrubute in your vagina. I used the Yeast ARrest suppositories for 7 days starting when my period started--I did this for 2 subsequent menstrual periods. I started the Natren's both vaginally and orally on the same day as the Yeast Arrest, and used the Natren's for 2 months. Even though there was still some discharge for a while , I think it was my body getting rid of all the suppository materials because within a few months the BV was completely gone and has never come back. My doc also told me that my vaginal flora looked so much better after this.

2) What about recurrent Group B Strep vaginitis? I need a cure!!: Now however, 4 years later, I am having a problem with Group B Strep Vaginitis. I may try the hydrogen peroxide douche that someone recommended above. I have had one course of antibiotic treatment for it, but it has come back less than one month later. Suggestions welcome.