Bacterial vaginosis

[30hours]

Posting for traffic sorry.

I think I have BV. Gp has sent swabs off but I can’t get the results until Friday. Can anyone tell me their symptoms? I have very very watery discharge and it smells very fishy.

I’m married but scared my (very faithful) husband could have given me something! That he’s not quite so faithful! If it’s not BV I don’t know what it is. Please help.

[lennyisnuts]

BV is caused by an imbalance in the PH and natural flora of he vagina. Often douching or using any soap products (even those claiming to be vagina friendly!) can disrupt the healthy flora and allow room for unfriendly bacteria to develop causing BV. Your period can also do this with the introduction of blood or sanitary products. It is very common.
Often women start washing more because of the smell but actually this causes a cycle so my advice would be warm water only around the external labia once a day. It often clears up on its own but sometimes a short course of antibiotics can do the job quicker.

[Abitlost2015]

It’s not transmitted by your partner so has no bearing on his faithfulness. You can have BV without having had sex.

[lennyisnuts]

OP I should say that your symptoms are classic BV and do not sound like an STI.
I'm a sexual health nurse.

[RoboticSealpup]

I stopped using shower gel for a while when I had a lot of BV and thrush. I used aqueous cream instead. Not that I used shower gel on my vulva anyway, but the nurse told me that it runs down and can irritate if you're sensitive. Apparently thrush can also smell fishy sometimes - this helps with that too. I also used to eat a lot of sugar (was at university and ate sweets while revising) and that also made the yeast infections 'happy'. Haven't had either of these for years now. There's a gel you can buy for BV - you could buy that and start treating now. I'm sure it won't do you any harm even if it's not BV.

[30hours]

Thank you everyone.
It’s very embarssing. I’ve bought the gel and will start tonight.

It seems to clear up and then get massively worse after DH and i have sex. It’s basically stopped my sex life. I think I’ll have to stop having baths and stick to showers.

I was just so shocked when the doctor suggested testing for STIs

[onetimeposter]

Sperm causes the smell with bv, So perhaps use condoms? Trich also has thin watery discharge but sounds more like bv.

[lennyisnuts]

@30hours
As PP says sperm or any seminal fluid can cause an imbalance in the PH also.
Yes stop taking baths- a huge culprit of BV!
I'm sure it will settle soon.
It's sensible as a routine to test for STI even when the likelihood is low. Most STI are often symptomless so opportunistic screening for them is good practice

[RoboticSealpup]

Baths are evil.

[RedAntsBiteHard]

OP do you have a coil fitted by any chance, I had to have mine removed as I was constantly getting BV and I was told it was most likely my body's response to the coil. Once it was removed I've never had a reoccurrence .....

[Queenie8]

30hours Do you suffer with strep throat at times? Or even once? The two are linked.

So, say you and DH have been kissing and then DH performs oral on you, or you on him, you pass the 'strep' germs to your nether regions.

Strep can lay dormant without any symptoms for years in your throat/mouth. (sadly I'm a sufferer of strep/bv, it's horrendous, you have my sympathy)

[LolaLizzy35]

@30hours
I have just been diagnosed with this, I totally feel you, my doc has given me antibiotics x

[Noodella18]

@redants same here re the coil! Had copper coil for 7 years with no probs and then I got bv and couldn’t shift it for months. Had it taken out and cleared up immediately and never come back. Incidentally I had a new coil fitted a few years later and didn’t have any issues.

[Noodella18]

Btw, it gets worse after sex because sperm is alkaline and your vag likes to be acidic. Condoms might help whilst you knock it on the head, I also tried some fairly dubious home remedies involving tampons and diluted sprit vinegar to make things more acidic after sex.

[MsHopey]

I've had it a few times and it is so awful.
People at work were complaining about sitting next to me because of the smell and I was nearly sacked because of it.
It is so humiliating, I washed daily, clean everything on every day, body spray, nothing was enough.
I had a swab, got my treatment and it went away. It's flared up a few times since then but I get the over the counter treatment now I know how to spot the symptoms.
It's always worse after sex and if I've called asleep with sperm still inside IYSWIM.
Ladies, we have it rough.

[Tidygirldml]

Have you had an internal exam in by your doc? I had the worst smell ever once and it was because I'd forgotten to remove a tampon. We'd had sex and everything, hubby hadn't notice and I'd clearly just forgotten to remove last tampon and end of my period.

I was mega embarrassed at the docs when he found it there all squashed and ponging - but he said it happened all the time.

Give antibiotics just in case, tampon removed and job done. Just a thought? Xx

[Lilyhatesjaz]

It's a good idea to use unscented sanitary towels as the scented ones can set it off

[WatcherOfTheNight]

Hi everyone,this is one of many zombie threads bumped by a spammer advertising their "miracle cure" last night so please be aware of that .

Watcher

[MermaidUnicorn]

FYI Boots now sell a test that determines whether it's BV or Thrush. I managed to treat my BV sucessfully with two packs of the insertable gel.

[Cath0000]

@lennyisnuts Can BV sometimes not come up on swabs? Also can it have other smells outside of smelling like fish? Thank you!

[Neverender]

I had it and it was horrible, I didn't feel right and Erm, my bits felt...heavy?! Does that make any sense? I was about 20 and convinced myself it was something terrible. I'd never even heard of it then!

[Mum1009]

Hi, just looking for some advice, I can’t seem to be able to make a new thread.
I’ve had a home testing kit that’s come back as positive for BV. Noticed a strange smell and I’ve had a sharp shooting pain now and then up around my vagina wall? Is this normal when dealing with BV? I’m concerned about the pain more than anything, has anyone else had this pain? Like an electric shock not constant but now and then. I had a smear about 10 months ago and this was clear.
Thanks any advice would be great. I do suffer greatly with health anxiety which doesn’t help as I’m over sensitive.