Chronic bv is ruining my life.

[Dededadada]

I have chronic bv, it comes back every month, nomatter if I treat it or not. I'm currently due my period and I'm getting symptoms again after treating after my last period!!

I've tried tablets,
Prescription creams you put in there
Lactic acid gels
Wearing cotton underwear washed in non bio
Using sanex 0% to wash my body

I've had a full sti test privately, including mycoplasma and ureaplasma but all that keeps coming back is gardenella.

My female gp has very unhelpfully said "it's just something il have to live with" but I'm concerned that it will eventually damage my fertility and pelvic organs!!!

If anyone else has dealt with this and can help me I'd be forever grateful.

Have you tried boric acid?

Can you pay private to go to a gynae

Ah mate. Absolutely utterly shit. I’m sorry. I’ve never had BV but had thrush every month without fail for 7 years. My period cleared it every month but never properly top notch and then by the time any irritation had cleared up it’s time for another pre-period bout of thrush (or in your case BV!). I had thrush every holiday, on my wedding day etc. I found my consultant very disinterested and in the end quite annoyed that I kept coming back. Tried everything (literally anything anyone suggests, I’ve done it). It’s so demoralising and upsetting, I’m really sorry you’re going through similar.

Having a baby seems to have done something to my hormones and I have barely had thrush for 9 years. So hopefully there is hope.

Do you use tampons? I found when I stopped using them I never had BV again. Menstrual cups were fine though.

Ah that is shit that your GP said it's just something you'll have to live . Why can't she face facts and refer you to a colleague who obviously can deal with the problem . Not a good GP.💐

Horrific op I’m sorry to hear this for you. I’ve had some vaginal health issues over the years but not quite as intense as you are experiencing. Boric acid pills and wash. Continue the cotton panties and special detergent…no “dryer sheets”. If you use dryer sheets at all stop them completely. I had an unfaithful DH and this really contributed to my problem. I’m hoping this is not your situation and I do not mean to be unkind. I had 5 yr BF had sex daily and no problems. Often wondered if we were somehow more chemically compatible. Menopausal now so very rarely have problems. Last thrush was January 2020. I would persist in seeing specialist. My female kinda earth mother type gyn said boric acid helps totally reset your vaginal ph. Post period use it abstain from sex and allow time for a reset. I also gave up nylon exercise clothes. That tight close to the crotch spandex with or without panties wreaked havoc.

This reddit thread talks about natural yogurt and probiotic pills having good success.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Healthyhooha/comments/hrkqbr/i_have_suffered_from_bv_for_seven_hellish_years/

I would also try cutting out sugar and eating as well as possible for a decent chunk of time - high bloods sugars can feed bacterial infections so may be of some use.

This happened to a good friend and she was so miserable and self-conscious. I'm very into gut health so suggested some things and it did work for her. Maybe it will for you?

• eat unpasteurised sauerkraut at least 3 times weekly

• kefir drink - dairy free version preferably

^ Waitrose sell both the above

• Take a NAC (N-acetylcysteine) supplement. It breaks down BV biofilm

• take a good probiotic tablet daily, and also a garlic capsule.

• eat less meat

If you have BV now use Boric Acid and start all the above straight away.

Hope it works for you

If not its really best to see a private GP, there are some that specialise in BV advice. Also, join a Reddit BV forum

(Sorry, dont know why there are such large gaps in my post!)

Similar prob except I can never rid of them. I'd drink vinegar, boric acid suppositories,probiotics with rhamus and the other R names bacteria, alkaline water.They'd all help but it would only be for 12 hrs and it's right bk. I've switched to dial soap. The yellow/orange bar...I don't have any symptoms thus far. Maybe this will help.

The vagina is self cleaning and generally in balance with good bacteria and acidic, alkali semen especially can upset the PH but also excess washes and wipes. Appreciate you maybe washing and wiping lots because of the BV but it it’s potentially causing further irritation and imbalance . No pants where you can, avoid the washes even ones like lactacyd can cause it to get worse. Use hypoallergenic condoms during sex or have partner ejaculate outside of your body if male. If you have a short perineum it could be bacteria from the anus causing issues when wiping so make sure front to back wiping of vulva and washing well after a bowel movement. The gut health and probiotics sounds like a good plan. I found once you get in a pickle with it you can end up with a ricochet between thrush and BV for a bit as treating one can cause overgrowth of the other so I found things like balance activ useful but appreciate you may have tried that.

hello I thought I would add to this post as for the past few months BV has been ruining my life too, and I finally got to the bottom of the issue after weeks of research. So I thought I could help others. I’m 29 and never had bv until recently, tried everything nothing helped, drs told me to buy my own over the counter stuff which I done the bv Cannesten capsules took away the smell that’s about it the min you stop taking its back. I was persistent with these but they were rubbish. I gave in and drs decided to give me antibiotics, these worked straight away and I was finally clear of bv! It was taking over my life. And this was over a few months which felt like a lifetime. I’m such a clean person I shower daily, and if you have BV you just know! There is nothing like it. Anyway once I was finally clear I was back to having sex with my partner that’s when things went downhill again the BV was back. But I noticed it was as soon as I slept with him. This is when I started to do research. There is currently a study I do not know the ins and outs so don’t quote me but they are researching as they have some sort of proof even though BV is not sexual transmitted, it can be passed back and fourth if your partner is also not treated. Men can carry bv as it’s bacterial but show no symptoms like us women. I called my GP to ask and they agreed that this is possible. But said they wouldn’t be able to give him antibiotics unless he went to a sexual health clinic and agreed to go on a trial as this is what they are currently researching in couples, wether it’s beneficial to treat both the female and male. So I asked my GP for another lot of antibiotics for the second time which they agreed to. I sat and thought how am I going to get my partner some antibiotics to solve this problem once and for all. I felt quite embarrassed to discuss this with my partner as I didn’t want him to think I had gave him something. In the end I gave In and explained about bv and I believe we was both passing it back and fourth. He done his own research and then agreed to take the antibiotics that I had been given. I called my gp the next day as I obviously needed some more antibiotics for my self so we were both treated. I had to tell the gp that the antibiotics were lost as I didn’t want to let them know I had given someone else my prescription! I know I should not give anyone else medication that is prescribed to me but this was a desperate time and I had no other choice and I knew for a fact he would of not gone to the sexual health clinic for this issue, he would of defo told me to do 1. We both took the antibiotics a day apart and Fast forward to now we both left it around a week before he had sex again and it’s been around two months and no symptoms of bv! So we was both passing it back and fourth. I finally got to the bottom of the problem. The threads I have read I feel so sorry for the girls that can’t figure it out or get to the bottom that’s why I thought to share my story and what I believe. I tried everything before the antibiotics must I add. I tried sitting in apple cider vinegar. I even swallowed a garlic clove (do not try it) the most vile thing. And I also inserted garlic inside my vagina on a string. I was so desperate it was Ruining my life and my mental health. I got some ph balance capsules for women as I’ve seen everyone rave about these on tik tok, again these done nothing. Only thing that worked was the antibiotics for both me and my partner. A lot of people aren’t realising that it’s been passed back and fourth as it’s not classed as sexual transmitted. Check with your gp if your not sure and do your own research, but if you are having on going sex with someone this is the reason you aren’t clearing it, as you are passing it back and fourth, you will get treated but the minute you have sex again with that same person they will pass it back to you.

Good luck girls !

BV is also ruining me....the only thing iv not tired with OH is antibiotics....i pressume you mean metronidazole?
I have just today been prescribed these but i know the last time they only worked for a few wks.

BV is also ruining me....the only thing iv not tired with OH is antibiotics....i pressume you mean metronidazole?
I have just today been prescribed these but i know the last time they only worked for a few wks

Zombie thread but new study: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lj7e0519xo yes your partner needs to be treated too

I just liked another article from BBC that has confirmed BV is an STI and both partners need treating, hopefully that helps you!
*Icelolly beat me to it with the article! 😊

Unfortunately I erm "sourced" metronidazole tablets for DH too and it STILL comes back 😕

Fluomizin followed by vagibiome to repopulate the right bacteria.

@Dededadada Whst about boric acid? My bv kept coming back and I never got rid of it until I started using boric acid pessaries.
My bv possibly started as an STD but it kept coming back even after repeated metronidazole and even when I wasn’t sexually active anymore.

I’ve been suffering with bv for years and years I had tried everything, metronidazole would work but it would come back a few days after finishing the course until a few weeks ago I read on another forum about something called an Isla wand which at first I thought it was a scam because it’s hardly spoken about and it’s quite expensive but I thought I’d give it a go cause I’d tried everything else at this point but I’ve used it twice now n the smell is completely gone, I’ll update you in a few weeks to see if the bv has returned but so far so good🤞🏼

Just make sure you are treating any sexual partners with it too - see links above - as it can be passed around by men.

Unfortunately Boric makes me bleed, I have a extremely sensitive cervix after having lletz surgery a while back 😢

You and your partner need to treated at the same time as you’ll be passing it back and forth. Research suggests that BV can be sexually transmitted. Both take antibiotics, get a 7 day course (or 3 a day for 4 days) but don’t have sex for 9 days in total as the antibiotic will stay in your system for 48 hours after taking the course.

We don't regularly have sex as I have a chronic pain condition, he's been treated with metronidazole, I actually haven't had sex with him since last year and it still comes back, I definitely think I'm the problem unfortunately.

@Dededadada Have you tried boric acid mixed with coconut oil? It makes me bleed if I use it alone. I started to fill the capsules with 2/3 boric acid and 1/3 coconut oil and it did the job for me without bleeding. It's probably worth a try.