Group b strep, please help :(

[Ansumpasty]

I’d appreciate any advice or positive stories as I’m so down and upset right now.

Almost 4 months ago, I was put on antibiotics and an antihistamine. Came on period and made the mistake of using scented sanitary towels, which immediately caused some itching. A few days after period, the itching was intense and I started with lots of yellowish discharge.
Presuming it was thrush, I went and bought canisten cream, which burned. Waited a week and saw gp, who presumed thrush and gave me oral anti fungal. Felt a little less itchy for a few days but discharge didn’t decrease.

Went to a gum clinic and did a swab and found nothing but group b strep.

This carried on mildly for over a month and then I started to burn and itch
more, so I went to a different gum clinic, with better testing facilities. They didn’t do another culture, but tested my ph, which was very alkaline and suggested BV. Gave me a weeks worth of metronizadole.

I’ve finished the metronizadole and don’t feel any better I’m not itching anymore, just a constant burning, like my discharge is burning me. Still lots of yellow ish discharge and my inner labia are a bit red and puffy.

I’m going back to the clinic tomorrow and feel so worried. I’ve spent hours googling and read horror stories and forums about women living with this all their lives.

I can’t have sex as it would be too painful but thankfully my husband is being very supportive. I just want to feel better- please help!

I'm a carrier of group b strep and only found out when I was pregnant. It can be dangerous to newborns so I needed antibiotics during labour.
However, I don't and never have he any symptoms with it so I'd be surprised if these symptoms were down to group b strep. I'm not an expert though so I would suggest another trip to the gp.

Thank you for the reply :)
Yes, two doctors and a nurse have told me that it doesn’t cause symptoms, yet they can’t tell me what’s wrong with me and there are forums online full of women with strep b who have symptoms. Obviously there’s a chance their symptoms are from something else but it’s worried me sick reading about it.

Try not to worry, I've never been given any reason to be concerned. They told me that if they tested 100 people, about half would test positive as lots of people carry it without knowing. Apparently it can come and go and they give you antibiotics but it wouldn't stop it coming back another time. I would mention your worries tomorrow. Hope it goes ok

You could ask GP for a dermatology referral.

Have you tried probiotics yet?

You poor thing! I spent years thinking I had thrush or BV on and off despite some negative tests and anti fungals not really working.I came across a thread on here with posters with similar symptoms that mentioned MI allergy a couple of years ago. Methylisothiazolinone (MI) is a preservative used in loads of bubble baths, shampoos, even some loo paper and apparently it’s a very common allergen. Since I started checking labels I haven’t had ‘thrush’ once, and my hand eczema is much better too. It’s being used in increasing numbers of products in larger and larger amounts so triggering more and more allergies. Worth checking anyway.

Thank you for the replies :)

Just to answer, I’ve started probiotics and removed all soaps, shampoos etc and even bought hypoallergenic toilet roll, so I dont think it can be that.

You need to go back to GUM and explain you are still symptomatic and ask for a full set of cultures again.

Group B strep is just like staphylococcus aureus - some people naturally carry it. You know how when you go into hospital they swab your skin to see if you carry staphylococcus aureus because if you have surgery etc it can give you an increase chance of getting MRSA.
Strep B is like this, occurs naturally in about 50% of the population and the only threat is in pregnancy with a vaginal delivery where it can affect the baby when it's born.
The other thing to remember it's that it's transient, so you may have it now but in 6 weeks it'll probably be gone and then it may come back again or it may not.

It usually doesn't have any symptoms at all. In fact most people never know they've got it unless it shows up on a vaginal swab during pregnancy.

Does anyone know if the gum or the gp is the best place to go for the cultures? Who does the most in depth, etc? Thanks!

Thank you, @emzw12. I just don’t get why it’s the only thing that shows positive on swab and I still have symptoms.

I was found to be a carrier of group B strep while pregnant. It hasn’t caused me any noticeable problems. Babies can need antiobiotics when born if their mother is a carrier (mine didn’t).

I have also been told by a GUM clinic that I have had BV. It has occasionally flared up but then died back down again. On the plus side I understand that getting it means you are less likely to get thrush! I don’t know if that is true but I don’t get thrush that I have noticed.

As you have just had another course of antibiotics make sure you are taking probiotics. You can get them in Holland and Barrett or just eat natural bioyoghurt

Ps also I agree, go back to the GUM clinic.

Will gum culture be more sensitive than gp?

It’s not (or very very very unlikely) to be an std as I’ve only had one sexual partner and we are married. He has sworn a million times over that it’s 100% not an std (ie, he hasn’t cheated) and that he wouldn’t risk my health by lying

Have you tried antihistamines again? If it's an allergy, that may help with the symptoms. Or at least help you to narrow down what's going on.

I wonder if a dermatology referral might be helpful, or a gynaecologist? The GP won't have any new tricks up their sleeves, I don't imagine. 🤐

Whatever is going on, you have a microbial imbalance. I would get dietary advice to help rebalance this. It will include excluding dairy, grains and sugar, eating lots of greens, fresh vegetables, raw oils and naturally fermented foods as well as possibly some herbal supplements to help reduce the colonisations of the harmful microbes and build the beneficial ones. As previous posters have pointed out, many of us carry these bacteria but it is when they are out of balance we have a problem. By eating the right foods, you can help fix this. Antibiotics are sometimes necessary to kill as much as possible but reestablishing a balance is difficult. You might find that by simply eliminating one food, you can make a huge difference. My 'thrush' used to appear if I ate sugar and dairy, had sex or used certain soaps etc but a more thorough elimination of the bacteria through diet and herbs stopped it coming back and now I can eat normally without reoccurrence.

Thank you!

I have started optibac for women probiotics that are meant to colonise the vagina and will begin eating healthier. I do drink a lot of kefir and have an actimel every day.

Nervous about going back to the GUM clinic. I have health anxiety so this sending me into a spiral of worry!

Has anyone mentioned vestibulitis or vulvodynia to you? This can cause itching/burning symptoms you describe.

Argh, I hope it’s not that, @teabag20048! My friend has it and has accepted that she will never be able to have sex.
I don’t think that would cause a yellowey discharge though?

No I don't know of it causing a discharge. Are you taking the contraceptive pill? This can sometimes upset your system.

I went to the GUM clinic. She said my skin was torn/cut in places on the outside and that on the inside, the walls of my vagina were also red, etc.
They did a quick analysis there and then (the clinic has testing facilities on site) and it tested negative for thrush, bv and gonorrhoea (sp). Swabs have been sent off.

I’m worried that this is going to be something serious or untreatable

Have they tested for TV, chlamydia?? X

I’m not sure what TV is but they’ve tested for chlamydia. I know I don’t have that though, it’s impossible.

How is it impossible? X