Any bacterial vaginosis help?

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Hello. For two years now I've been suffering from bacterial vaginosis. I seriously wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. All throughout high school I've worried myself sick wondering if others could smell me. My symptoms consist of the awful fishy smell, and thick white discharge.

The doctors have put me on antibiotics so many times that they don't even work anymore. and It ALWAYS come back within a week. They even put me on metronidazole gel for 4 months and instead of getting better it got worse! 

As for home remedies I've tried, the main two were douching 50/50 with hydrogen peroxide and water. I did this twice a week and it kept the smell away, however after a few months it kept coming back quicker and my stomach started hurting everytime I douched so I stopped. I've also tried Femdophilus and various combinations of vitamins and minerals, all of which have done nothing. The next was boric acid capsules. I've been using them for the past six months and I can't go 5 days after using one without it coming back. I need to stop now because long term use can potentially cause kidney problems. I'm very scared now because I have exhausted all my options.

I'm only 16 and I can't even think about going back

 to school in a couple weeks smelling like a fish. My mom doesn't even believe me anymore when I tell her. I've also failed every BV test they've given me at the doctors, so they don't believe me anymore either. I've spent the past two years crying and depressed.

PLEASE if anyone can help me, please do. I'm going to start inserting vitamin c tablets tonight to try that out. Has it worked for anyone? Please help, I can't live like this anymore.

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  • Posted

    I have had a fishy or sometimes bad ammonia same smell for years and all tests from the Dr came back normal.  I stumbled on VH essentials Vaginal Odor Treatment.  It is a vaginal insert.  It comes in a pack of 6.  It says to use 1 daily, but I use a half one about every 5 days.   It gets rid of the smell completely.  Sometimes you may have to use a whole one, it just depends.  This has saved me from much embarrassment and I was always afraid of sex with my husband because of the smell.   Try it, you won't be disappointed.
  • Posted

    I was looking up something else and ran across this. I am not a medical professional. However, I might be able to give you some advice from my vast personal experience. For starters, you are not alone. The problem is much more common than you think; unfortunately it’s not usually talked about. I give you a lot of credit for posting it; hopefully it will help others too.

    I haven’t read everything, because I was there for way, way, way too long.  I didn’t have as many options and things were a bit different when I was a teen, (not too long ago, but longer than it seems). First and foremost, stop douching every day. Maximum twice a week. Yes… I know. Do your best to stay clean and dry, (even my doctors admitted that is near impossible), but to your best, it does help. Next, you have to find a different type of doctor, because a regular family practice or gyn or sometimes even an ob/gyn isn’t going to help. Your PH is off. Your PH is off, because your hormones are out of balance. You’re a teenager your hormones are supposed to be out of balance. Most doctors will not treat a teen with hormones to correct an imbalance, but every doctor I’ve had agrees there are limits and exceptions, (that would be my last recommendation too).

    Since I’m in the states and don’t know your medical programs and such, I do recommend that you find someone “reliable” in Oriental or Alternative medicine. They’ll go over a list of “everything” in your life, including what you’ve tried, but also things that might seem insignificant; but they come out with a working plan.  Depending on the doctor or practitioner and the individual issues sometimes it may take longer or shorter. If none of that works, you might be able to find a mid-wife who is comfortable with working at adjusting your hormones naturally.

    This is my advice and now I’m going to tell you why. It took years, well into my 20’s, for my hormones to fix themselves. As I aged, this issue seemed to get a little better, but still drove me half, in not completely neurotic. I became sexually active and found that using birth control and antibiotics can not only cause birth control to fail, but in my case I got a horrible yeast infection. Add my boyfriend’s misguided notion, that to become vegetarian you just replace meat with brewer’s yeast and I had the perfect storm. Yes, I was young and stupid, but thought I was in love. (My {unsolicited} advice on that… Everybody gets and deserves a chance to be young and stupid, just don’t make a habit of it.) Still some things I did back then have had their consequences. I now have a systemic yeast infection, which I’ve been battling just over twenty years. It’s like getting a bad haircut, every time you are finally ok that it’s grown out, the bad cut is back. Mine is like a heat rash and shows up when and where it wants. Why is all this important? Because you can read every article on vaginosis and yeast infections and rarely find them cross paths, but when the doctors see them cross paths in patients enough that they bring it up; then I’ve found there is usually something to it. Finally, some of the options I used caused permanent damage to my reproductive organs and has made having children much more difficult, (not something I considered back then).

    Just remember, there is help out there, but it will require patience. There is no overnight fix.

    PS: The reason you smell it so strongly is because the problem is in your system.

    Good Luck!

    • Posted

      Thank you so much! It's really helps reassure me that I am not alone.
  • Posted

    Hello Elise I'm 16 also and have also been suffering from Bv for 2 years now ... I had tried a few things I have also lived very sad for two years but I never really show it .. But after a while that can wear you out.. I've tried pills just 2 years ago I had gonorrhea that was cured but then along came bv I've been medicated for it I've tried pills .. But I never goes away and its hard yes but last night instead of drinking apple cider vinegar I soaked in itfor about an hour I havnt seen anything yet and I hope I don't .... So if you havt you should definetly try that.. 😥😒😷😳😜🌸🌼🌈 just remember to try to stay happy ..I would say more but I want to go back to sleep .. I have to work later ...hope I get a reply back ..

    P.s my name is elisha nice to meet you

  • Posted

    I had vaginitis for 4 months. The way that it was finally cured: I asked to be treated for mycoplasma genitalium. This bacteria causes a high pH and recurrent BV. And no one screens for it, and flagyl doesn't kill it. If you want to be tested: labcorp test 180089. Treatment is 5 day z-pack. Good luck!

  • Posted

    They told me i had Bacterial Vaginosis too (i didn't smell like fish though) but i didn't. After 9 months i went to a gynechologist and found out i had an STD. I was misdiognosed the first time (BV). You have been misdiognosed sweetie. You just need to find the right Doctor. Anyway they gave me a script for 4 pills to be taken all at once. It was gone in 2 days and hasn't returned. My advice is to go see another Dr. and tell him you think you've been misdiognosed.
  • Posted

    If you don't get treated this could cause more kidney damage .I use to get this alternating with utis,  when tested. Eventually asked for research and got it in 1969 UK .They found spina bifida occulta on IVP [ NB heart connection - arm felt as if falling off when doing ] abnormal EEG , fatty liver, scarred kidneys .Further investigation found neurogenic bladder and one ureter too many which was removed so no longer experience pain .

    Maybe a regular testing regime could assist?

  • Posted

    HUNNY IVE RECENTLY WENT TO THE URGENT CARE AND I LET THE DR. KNOW THAT I KEPT HAVING THE REOCCURRENCE OF BV AND IT WAS GETTING ANNOYING SO I FEEL YOUR PAIN AND NONE OF THESE HOME REMEDIES WERE WORKING SO I WAS PRESCRIBED A MEDICINE ( OVULES ) THAT YOU INSERT INTO YO VAGINA AND LAY RIGHT DOWN CUZ THEY ARE DISSOLVEABLE TABLETS TO ME THEY LOOK LIKE BULLETS N E WHO THEY COME IN A DOSE OF 3 AND I ONLY HAVE INSERTE 2 OF THEM AND I HAVENT HAD ANY PROBLEMS IN LIKE 3 WEEKS EVEN AFTER MY PERIOD IM SO HAPPY NOW MY MAN CAN TASTE ME N NOT FISH LOL IM BACK N I GOT MY CONFIDENCE AGAIN AND ITS A WATER TASTE N SMELL THANK GOD I ALMOST WANTED TO GIVE UP ON SEX ALL TOGETHER 
    • Posted

      What was the medication name ? The ovules ? I'm going to my gyno Tom
  • Posted

    Heeey Elise! I made this account to answer this question! I know it's been 10 months but if you're still having this problem you might want to hear this!

    It is normal to have bv as a woman. There may be other pungent smells that aren't as fishy but still make you say ewww. I too had this same problem when I was 17. I was a virgin as well and I had bv. I had gotten a prescription to get the smell to go away and surely it left me. I couldnt help but notice that even after I showered, there was a different smell... STILL!?.... I did my research and learned that I had a BO issue... I decided to buy Vagisil feminine wash deodorizer. I used this religiously in my shower every day. I never smelled that small again!!

    At the end of your shower grab the Vagisil, make sure you're using cool water as warm water promotes the smell. Massage the soap only on the outside of your vagina and on the anus too if you'd like. Rinse the suds off with the cool water. Make sure all of the suds are gone. Any soap that goes inside your vaginal opening may result in a yeast infection and that is definitely something you don't want. After this is all done dry it thoroughly. Make sure it is bone dry. I noticed if I didn't dry it properly there would appear a slight smell. No smell. Happy girl smile

    Go for it!!

  • Posted

    i know you posted this almost a year ago but i thought i would let you know the only thing that would help me if youre still having problems (or have em again). i had bv problems through most of high school, freshman-junior year and it was hell. at a certain point i couldnt just take the same drugs over again or try all the products so i went completely on the candida free diet. i mostly had bv, but i tried it anyways. i did it for over 6 months, and did not really have any improvement. so i went back to the doctor and got the same drugs and for once they worked. 6 months on the diet and then the drugs again and i was finally cured. i had lost about 45 pounds. i stayed on the diet for a couple months after being bv free, just to make sure, but had to start eating normally again after i noticed my hair thinning D: since the candida diet is for yeast infection, not bv, idk if it is actually the best option, and it is def hardcore. but i do know that sugar is your worst enemy, do not eat it in any form, no honey, syrups and i'd say even no fruit (until cured), as weird as that sounds. watch out for hidden sugars in all sorts of products, no not eat them. and best to not eat grains either. take many many probiotics (but research the useful ones), and dont dueche. dont wear underwear while sleeping. hope you are cured or soon to be :] 
  • Posted

    CONSIDER boric acid capsules IE: Boric Acid Suppositories.  I've been reading up on yeast "infections" and while BV isn't really mentioned in what I've read it would seem that the capsules inserted vaginally should help clear up some if not all of the symptoms.

     

    Something else to consider is sex with partners who SHAVE themselves as this causes irritation in the vagina(l) area.

  • Posted

    I'm having the same exact issue right now! did you find a solution? I really need help with this!!
  • Posted

    Hi Elise! I'm 16 and I'm currently going through what you went through. I just wanted to know did you ever get rid of it?? And how? Hopefully you see this. I'm tired of going to school and having people, even teachers, give me nasty looks because I smell horrible, and my mom won't take me to a gynecologist because she says I don't need to go. She won't even hear me out and let me discuss what I'm going through. Please help!!
    • Posted

      Hi Tori! Yup I'm still around. I'm 17 now and I still struggle with it. One thing I did (and occasionally still do) that gets rid of it (temporarily, at least for me) is boric acid. What I did was order boric acid from Amazon and some gel capsules. I fill a capsule with the boric powder and insert it, next day the smell is gone! I suggest this tentatively though, as it's only a short term solution (at least for me). Who knows! It might be the permanent cure to yours. But yeah, I still haven't found my permanent solution yet. However, before you do anything I think you should see a doctor. Often times antibiotics don't rid it completely, but sometimes it does. I've also read that boric combined with the antibiotics is very effective. The situation with your mom is tough. I went to my first gyno when I was 14 because I begged and cried to my mom to take me. I think that if your mom sees how truly desperate you are, she will take you. I would hope so. If she absolutely will not, maybe you could go to planned parenthood? You said you're 16, can you drive? I'm not really sure how planned parenthood works but i think you could at least go in there and explain your situation to them. I've read that they're quite helpful, especially if money is a problem.

      Anyways, I'm rambling. Back to boric, when I was 16 I had access to Amazon where I could order the necessities, but you may not. If you do get the chance to, please be careful when making the capsules. I looked up YouTube videos on how to make them correctly. Boric acid is used to kill cockroaches after all. I wouldn't let that deter you though, it's fairly safe for vaginal application. I reccomend reading up more on it, if you decide you want to try it.

      I am so sorry you're going through this, I truly am. I understand 100% what you're going through. Please get back to me on the situation with your mom, and your thoughts about boric acid and if it's accessible to you. I've also tried other stuff that at least relieved the symptoms temporarily, and I'm happy to share more. Take care, I'm here for you.

      Emis Moderator comment: I have removed product/company names as we do not allow repeated posting of these in the forums. If users wish to exchange these details please use the Private Message service.

      http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

    • Posted

      You replied!!! Omg I'm so glad to hear "I'm here for you" I needed that lol. Well my mom hasn't changed, I would be talking to her about it and then it will just turn to a screaminh match she believes that the gynecologist is only for women who have sex.... And she believes she's right, that's typical of her. She only likes to hear herself talk but won't ever listen to what someone has to say. So, I'm thinking of talking to my school nurse and hopefully try to get her to talk to my mom about this, maybe coming from an adult she might change her mind. I've also looked up natural remedies that could possibly help, and one caught my eye. Its the salt water treatment its a lot to explain, but you heat up hot water (not too hot) pour a cup of salt and sit in it for 10 mins then rinse it out heat up more water and just sit in it for 10 mins. do this 2 times a day every day for a week and the odor is gone. You should search it up, a lot of women say it really works compared to antibiotics so I'm thinking about it. And if you do do this please do more research I don't want to tell you the wrong thing..!
    • Posted

      Haha, I still get emails whenever someone replies to my original post so I was able to see your post right away! I'm so sorry about your mom. It sucks that she has that mentality. And yes, talking to your school nurse is an awesome idea. My school is too small to have a nurse so I would've never even thought of that. The sal treatment sounds good, I will definitely look it up.

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