tmi alert apologies in advance - BV!!!

[jen85uk]

Hi,
sorry to come on here with such a lovely topic but after hours of trawling the net every site i find that i'm hopeful will help tells me for just $29.99 i too can have permanent relief and i'm getting tired of these...

anyway for the last 4/5 years i have suffered with recurring bacterial vaginosis... the doctor prescribes metronidazole which i take and it clears for all of a week or 2 and then its back. its so bad that i am constantly excusing myself to the bathroom to spray some bodyspray to disguise the smell.
it is causing real problems as i wont get close to my husband because of the embarrassment and he is getting annoyed but i just dont know what to do or what is causing it that i can possibly change or do i have to live a life of twice monthly calls to the doctors for a prescription?

any help would be grately appreciated... i had the mirena fitted in november as the doctor told me this could prevent the bv but i'm still getting it regularly.

Jenny
xxx

Have a read it says that IUD's can make it worse !!

Could you try the cream rather than the tablets?

I was prescribed an acid gel for this.
acigel- smells of lavender and makes you smell like an old woman! yuk! But boots now do a "balance activ gel" www.balanceactiv.com/uk.aspx

you could also try.

DON'T WASH the area with anything other than water- the vagina is self cleaning and using soaps, perfumes even body spray are probably making it worse.

Only wear cotton pants (no thongs to avoid anal bacteria being pushed into vagina) and avoid tight trousers and tights.

Are you very clear on what is BV and what is normal vaginal discharge (which may have some odour but shouldn't be foul!)? I know for years I thought I was getting regular BV attacks but when I started charting my cycle I realised that it was actually a normal part of my pattern and by medicating the "problem" which wasn't a problem it made the issue worse.

Apologies if this is all preaching to the converted- just some things i worked out- and once I stopped the cycle of metronidazole and diflucan (I was also getting thrush) then my vaginal flora/fauna (haha I dont know which- flora probably as fauna is animals right!) went back to normal!

Oh and my gynae told me that technically BV is just classed as an "overgrowth" of bacteria in the vagina but the vagina is supposed to have lots of different bacteria in it and the levels change dependent on monthly cycle and all sorts but if you keep wiping them all out with antibiotics then you will find it hard to get the balance back - so maybe something like the acigel would help you?

Hope it gets better soon.

thanks i'll make a trip to boots tomorrow i think.
no i know its definitely bv as the odour is foul... i dont like to move around cos i smell it more... disgusting i know.
when i say i spray body spray i dont mean down there i just mean generally so that the focus is on the pleasant aroma ha ha.
i know about the not washing down there so i dont but the shower is broken at the moment so i'm guessing baths arent helping... and now i realise i shouldnt bu using bubble bath... gutted!!
i'm going to see the doctor tomorrow too but i will definitely go to boots and buy what i can... its just getting really depressing and it puts me off going out.
difficult not to wear tights/jeans/leggins in this weather too
xxx

Yup defo no bubble baths, also be careful that your fanjo isn't taking in water from bath. Sounds daft but sometimes it can suck a bit up and i guess that doesn't help with balance! Another thing you might want to try is natural yoghurt as the natural bacteria in there may help recolonise! If you have a bad episode a few drops tea tree oil in bath may help a bit but will prolly also keep killing any good bacteria. Also has your dh been checked and erm if you use any sex toys make sure they have a good clean. May be worth considering getting the coil taken out while you get this sorted. Good luck

right so i need to get the shower up and running again number 1.
Gonna see doc tomorrow and ask if coil could be makin it worse? she said that bv is related to my cycle and if i have coil like last time i wont have a cycle so no bv!
Gonna go boots for some over the counter stuff if i need to.
gonna try and wear lose clothes or at least change into pj's or somethin when im just in the house.
no sex toys are used cos im soooo not into sex lately so nothing to worry about there.
n no thongs n only cotton knickers.
long list but god damn it if it helps i'll do anything!!
thanks for all your help and advice!

Have you seen a gynaecologist recently - it might be worth asking for a referral because of the repeated nature of the infections.

In any case it might be worth saying that it is probably much more noticeable to you than to anyone else. So you probably are not as much of a miss stinky pants as you think. : )

bath is ok - particularly if you put some salt in it

I was plagued with this for a few years. The BV smell is a kind of fishy smell, very distinctive. Have noticed I can get that smell after eating fish strangely, apparently it comes from the urine in that case though.

It's a pain but had to give up baths - if you really have to bath, keep it cool and NO smellies

Used the most basic of baby washes on rest of body in shower and tried to make sure it didn't get to the genital area. Never let shampoo get down there if washing hair in shower.

Washed all underwear, trousers, in totally unperfumed non bio washing powder

Never wore tights (stockings or hold ups instead), nor tight trousers and certainly not leggings.

Always showered off with cold water straight after sex (ah, I miss the bidet..) Used non-spermicidal condoms, sometimes there's a reaction against sperm apparently.

I haven't had it for years now. Still seem to get thrush too often but no nasty fishy smells.

guess i'll have to put my leggings away and embrace the cold haha.
dont use condoms as only had the 1 partner who is now my husband an i currently have the coil.
usually have roasting hot baths, so i guess i'll have to give them a miss too... god this really is a pain, never realised all this stuff could cause it x

funnily enough, the cold is very good to stop nasty bacteria breeding so worth embracing

Very hot baths also make breeding ground for bacteria. I love them and treat myself once in a while but just can't have them regularly.

On the sperm thing - seriously if DH will agree to withdrawl for a while, it is worth testing out if that makes a difference. I can't remember the balance of acid/alkaline but if the sperm is too much of one or the other it really can be an irritant.

Just to say, you are having swabs and proper tests for the BV aren't you? I imagined I still had it quite a few times after but my swabs were clear. Also found no thrush often on initial swabs but when "cultured" via GUM clinic, they did find it.

i havent had a swab for ages the doc normally just prescribes metranidazole for me and i dont need to see her but its gettin ridiculous now so i'm gonna ask for tests tomorrow when i go in and go from there.
i'm pretty sure thats what it is cos the odour is so distinct n it doesnt matter how many times a day i change its still there.
ok so cold pale legs it is from now on then ha ha oh i'll look a right sight!
and yeah i think the withdrawal thing is worth a try.. god knows it cant be helping anyway x

Definitely do get swabs..and some nice lacy hold-ups, no need for pale

Have never had BV but have suffered with thrush on and off for donkeys years. Euro its funny you should mention the smell after eating fish as I get this too

Good advice about limiting boiling hot baths and perfumed smellies.

I posted some advice on another thread about BV a few months back, here it is.

It's natural, so no nasty antibiotics and recurring cycles of thrush and BV, is easy and works quick.

HTH.

it sounds good. i'm willin to try anything at this point.
straight off to boots after the school run i'm thinking.
need this sorting!
because of the discharge i wear panty liners most days.. could this be adding to the problem? cos i know the more layers etc the warmer and worse it is

Well i went the school and wore bloody stockings and suspender belt... it was lashin down so i had to push a buggy, hold an umbrella, shout after my 5yr old and keep tuggin my dress down... not easy ... and to add to it one of the straps on the belt twanged and i had terrible visions of the rest of them following suit and me bein left with stockings round my ankles...
but thank god that didnt happen... home now and have an appt at 11:10 with the doctor so really hoping they can sort me out but i'm gonna pick some of those acid capsule things on my way back.
i love being a woman!!!!!

It probably isn't helping. Most panytliners are plastic backed so no air can circulate and it will get hotter and damper so a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

i thought as much so avoided wearing one today and just went for the good old fashioned full cotton knickers.. but i stress they are not granny pants ..

Hiya, hope you're surviving the suspenders!

Yes, definitely avoid the panty liners and stick to cotton knickers.