Bacterial vaginosis??

[SWFARMER]

Does anyone suffer with this?

I'd never ever had it up until last year so got tested for the lot even though I'm in a long term relationship. Everything normal except bacterial vaginosis.

Was treated with antibiotics and it cleared up and went away for a while but it seems to now be reoccurring! I've been using activ bv from boots but it is starting to get expensive.

Does anyone know have this problem and what has your doctors recommended? I don't want to have to keep going on strong antibiotics if it can be helped

[ChilliAndMint]

Go see your GP again and if you have a partner they might need to be seen too.

I had this once in my teens.

Be thankful for modern medicine...yoghurt and bach flower remedies wont cure all ails.

[Hollyoaksfan]

When I seen my gp he said it doesn't effect men. My partner did get tested at the time also because I demanded him too(it was all new to me and was worried it was something underlying from maybe years ago!)

Gp also said I could be sensitive to my partners semen so we started using condoms and have done ever since, but depending on what brand we use it seems to flare up again! Or it could be a complete coincidence and it just flares up randomly.

I literally never want to have sex because of it. I'm at my wits end

[Hollyoaksfan]

Sorry chilli have NC since

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Would go back to the GP.

BV can affect any woman, including those who do not have (or who have never had) sex. However, BV is more common amongst sexually active women than amongst non-sexually active women. No germ (bacterium) is passed on between sexual partners to cause this condition. Sexual partners of women with BV do not need any treatment. However, some cases of BV seem to be sexually related. It may develop after a change in sexual partner. In these cases, the infection is not caught from anyone. But a change in sexual partner may affect the balance of normal germs (bacteria) in the vagina. BV is also more likely in women in same sex relationships who have had a change of partner.

A course of metronidazole tablets is the common treatment. Metronidazole is an antibiotic. It clears BV in most cases. Read the leaflet that comes with the tablets for a full list of possible side-effects and cautions. However, main points to note about metronidazole include:
•The usual dose is 400-500 mg twice a day for 5-7 days. A single dose of 2 grams is an alternative, although this may be less effective and may cause more side-effects. (Note: this single dose is not recommended if you are pregnant.) If you are taking the seven-day course, it is important to finish the course and not to miss any tablets.
•Some people feel sick or may be sick (vomit) when they take metronidazole. This is less likely to occur if you take the tablets straight after food. A metallic taste is also a common side-effect.
•Do not drink any alcohol while taking metronidazole, and for at least 48 hours after stopping treatment. The interaction with alcohol can cause vomiting and other problems such as flushing and an increased pulse rate.

[Hollyoaksfan]

I don't have a change I'm sequel partners and my OH is male.

It keeps reoccurring so surely antibiotics aren't good to take all the time for it? I just wondered if there was another method to clear it up :-(

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Metronidazole vaginal gel or clindamycin vaginal cream placed inside the vagina can be used if you prefer this type of treatment, or have unpleasant side-effects with metronidazole tablets. The ability of these treatments to clear BV is about the same as metronidazole taken by mouth.

As with metronidazole tablets, you should avoid alcohol while using metronidazole gel and for at least 48 hours after stopping treatment. Also, vaginal creams and gels can cause weakening of latex condoms and diaphragms. Therefore, during treatment and for five days after treatment with clindamycin vaginal cream, do not rely on condoms or diaphragms to protect against pregnancy and STIs.

Other antibiotic tablets taken by mouth are also sometimes used to treat BV. These are clindamycin tablets or tinidazole tablets.

Overall, there is no strong evidence at the moment that live yoghurt or Lactobacillus acidophilus (found in certain commercial probiotic products) is helpful in treating or preventing BV. Antiseptics and disinfectants do not help treat BV.

[Hollyoaksfan]

Thanks I've been using activ bv which is form boots which does help but as soon as I stop the symptoms come back. I'm calling doctors tomorrow for an appointment I think