Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Has anyone ever had one or is currently dealing with a bv infection that will just NOT go away AT ALL? As in one constant infection that is resistant to all antibiotics? I know this is only my second treatment (I tried Clindesse first and now I'm on Flagyl but I know its not working) but my intuition is telling me that this thing isn't going anywhere. I need some responses and encouragement. I lost hope a long time ago when I was first diagnosed. I knew what a monster this could be as far as RECURRENT infections were concernced. But I never knew that I wouldn't be able to kill it at all. :'(
Also, I've read here in the yeast thread that they can do cultures of the yeast that are sent off to a lab where the type and what it is sensitive to is specified. Can they do the same for BV?
Last edited by ebon_aurora; 05-09-2007 at 09:59 PM.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Hey Ebon: I feel bad for you. i was wondering how your doing. I just thought my year of BV was bad,I cant imagine longer than that!Did you try the paroxide/water douche? rePhesh?...I wish this would go away for you.I am here for ya. sorry I wasnt more help.~ Shannon
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
I read alot of these threads and there's not too much mention of whether your partner's been treated or if you are even having sex. I had BV 12 years ago- the Doctor said my partner should be treated- so I had him get soem flagyl too. Then i got a screaming yeast infection- month after month after month- I begged Dr's to treat my partner and every one of them said men don't need to be treated for a YI. So then finally a Dr said ok- prescribed him something and after about 9 months of hell I was back to normal...until now but that's a whole other story...
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
No, we are not having sex. We've tried having sex once in the last two months and it lasted about 3 minutes because it burned too much. So, I have a raging case of bv and I don't know why. I wish it was just sex. Then I'd just tell him to wear a condom until he could get treated
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Ebon, Have u tried the rePHesh? I cant remember.I was talking to my sister in law the other night, and in a conversation it came up shes been battleing with BV for over 2 years now too.she has been on everything too.It was still so nice to know someone else has them problems, that were not alone.I really feel for you hun.Im sorry. I can only imagine how this must be hurting your heart.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
could you possibly have a yeast infection now from the flagyl? I thought (don't quote me because everyone's different) but I thought that BV doesn't cause a burning during sex- but a YI does.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
No. I just started taking the flagyl a week ago. Today is my last day. I tried having sex 2 months ago about 5 days after I finished a round of Clindesse. It burned too much, I thought it might have been yeast, went to the doctor and it was bv. Apparently, I'm the only person in the world who experiences burning with BV...I feel at least a little bit of burn at all times. So, I'm always aware that its there.
Last edited by ebon_aurora; 05-13-2007 at 01:14 PM.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Candida albicans is a fungal organism that is present in every-one's intestinal tract. It is normally kept under control by the immune system and by beneficial intestinal bacteria. When these bacteria are destroyed, usually by antibiotics, or when our when our immune function is off, typically due to stress or illness, or when we develop environmental or food sensitivities, the Candida begins to proliferate and invade and colonize our body tissues. It most commonly makes it's self know as a vaginal yeast infection or as oral thrush. Candida albicans can also spread inside the body and become a systemic problem.
When that happens it changes from its simple, relatively harmless form to an invasive form, with long root-like structures that penetrate the intestinal lining. Penetration can break down the boundary between the intestinal tract and the circulatory system. This means it can enter into the bloodstream and cause us to be sensitive to allergens, poisons, or irritants. Partially digested proteins may enter the blood through the openings created by Candida. That's know as the leaky gut syndrome. That makes sense why individuals with Candida also often display a variety of food and environmental allergies.
It can cause problems such as yeast vaginitis, menstrual and premenstrual problems, bladder inflammation, chronic urinary tract infections, bladder inflammation, cystitis, PMS. Alot of times you may get the symptoms of the above BEFORE you have signs of a yeast infection.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Ebon,
you're not the only person that experiences burning from BV. A lot of people do. I have a "burning" right now- I don't know if it's from Yeast, the Terazol 7 cream or BV- I don't have any symptoms of BV- no odor- no discharge and I took one of those PH tests 4 times, so I can't figure out why this YI won't go away- but I have read tons of threads of girls who say bv "burns". reading these threads is making things worse for me and I have to stop because all it's doing is making me think I have something else.!
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Well, I finished my 7 day course of Flagyl and I feel that it HELPED but didn't eradicate it. I will be able to know for sure on Friday which is so far away. I have a colposcopy on Friday and will ask him to check then. Does anyone here know if a bv infection can cause complications for a colpo??? I'm kind of worried about that.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ebon_aurora
Has anyone ever had one or is currently dealing with a bv infection that will just NOT go away AT ALL? As in one constant infection that is resistant to all antibiotics? I know this is only my second treatment (I tried Clindesse first and now I'm on Flagyl but I know its not working) but my intuition is telling me that this thing isn't going anywhere. I need some responses and encouragement. I lost hope a long time ago when I was first diagnosed. I knew what a monster this could be as far as RECURRENT infections were concernced. But I never knew that I wouldn't be able to kill it at all. :'(
Also, I've read here in the yeast thread that they can do cultures of the yeast that are sent off to a lab where the type and what it is sensitive to is specified. Can they do the same for BV?
don't waste your time with home remedies. If they worked why would we go to the doctor for these things? I'd see another doctor for a second opinion. Tell the new doctor what you've been through. Also rememeber after the vagina is out of whack with an infection, even after its healed it can take weeks to get back to normal feeling.
good luck.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
You need to try one treatment at a time. After each treatment, go to your doctor and get checked and have a culture to make sure that you are clean. It will take some time for the BV to disappear. I was taking Cleocin for 2 weeks straight and then, I started incorporating yogurt and acidophilus w/ bifidus. Since then, I've been clean since November 2006.
The only battle I have now is with the rare yeast infection. No OTC drugs has effect on it. Diflucan doesn't work. My infection has grown resistant to all the treatments. I've tried terazol and the boric acid. Currently, I'm being treated with gentian violet. I go to my doctor for 12 days and have them administer the purple dye in my vagina. So, I'm hoping this will work. I was also told to do a douche of vinegar with water and salt, only to be sprayed on the outside and not inside like a "regular" douche and rub some cornstarch.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nasty1ne
You need to try one treatment at a time. After each treatment, go to your doctor and get checked and have a culture to make sure that you are clean. It will take some time for the BV to disappear. I was taking Cleocin for 2 weeks straight and then, I started incorporating yogurt and acidophilus w/ bifidus. Since then, I've been clean since November 2006.
The only battle I have now is with the rare yeast infection. No OTC drugs has effect on it. Diflucan doesn't work. My infection has grown resistant to all the treatments. I've tried terazol and the boric acid. Currently, I'm being treated with gentian violet. I go to my doctor for 12 days and have them administer the purple dye in my vagina. So, I'm hoping this will work. I was also told to do a douche of vinegar with water and salt, only to be sprayed on the outside and not inside like a "regular" douche and rub some cornstarch.
Cleocin is scary. It wipes out all good bacteria along with the bad. That will be my last choice. I think it was antibiotics that set me on my bv course in the first place. I've been trying to replenish my flora for a long time now and it doesn't seem to be working. Second, do you think that maybe it was all the antibiotics that helped to give you this rare yeast infection? Did you have it while you had the bv or did it develop after you got the bv cleared with the Cleocin? Its my theory that you don't have the bv anymore because the yeast has taken up residence. Have you tried long term treatments with Nystatin or have you tried Nizoral. I read another thread on this board where a woman was cured from a rare strain with Nizoral?
Here's an update for me. The Flagyl helped a great deal but I know it did not work. I finished it on Sunday and was able to have pleasurable sex with my bf last night. But I know it is not gone. I'm still "burny" and I still have the discharge and a mild smell. And yes, he used a condom. I know I still have it, I'll have it confirmed on Friday when my doc does my colpo.
Last edited by ebon_aurora; 05-16-2007 at 05:28 PM.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
hey nasty1ne,
just wondering if you have C glabrata or some other non albican. I've read alot about them online and it seems like it takes some pretty powerful drugs to knock them out. Have you considered taking one of those? Also- let me ask you- when you use diflucan, or OTC's- do they help at all or do absolutely nothing? I am trying to figure out if I have a resistant strain or just messed myself up with the monistat 1 day ovule- ugh what a nightmare the last month has been- just curious-please let me know how your "YI" responds to OTC's and Diflucan. Do your symptoms subside at all? Thanks
also- Ebon, do the condoms you use contain nonoxynol 9? Spermicide can cause YIs and BV. it's like a lose/lose situation! have sex with condom- get irritated- have sex without condom- get irritated. I have no idea what my problem is. I don't know if it's from the douche I did a month ago (I never douche- decided to like an idiot- emptied the douche and used plain tap water because I heard douching was bad for you and I thought well, water can't hurt, right???) or now I'm beginning to think it's a coincidence and I have Vag cancer or something!!! I have been with this guy for 6 months and no irritation or problems in the sex department before this. I feel like I ruined my life by douching or something!
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
To Ebon and Jupe,
Yes, since I've taken so many antibiotics to wipe out the BV, it may have caused the rare yeast infection. I may have had the yeast infection while I had the BV. Everytime, my gyn looked under the wet mount, he would only detect the BV. The last visit I had, everything looked fine. No more BV. Yippee!! But when he did the culture . . .that's when he found out that I had the rare yeast infection. No OTC and azole drugs can get rid of it. They've all become noneffective. My bug is resistant.
As for the particular strain I have, my obgyn didn't get that info. So, my choices were: Nystatin, gentian violet or taking diflucan tablets daily for 2 weeks or more. I decided to try something different this time. I chose the gentian violet. I have 2 more days of treatment. It's not really messy. I wear a thin mini pad everyday for the 12 days of treatment that I'm going thru. The last visit I had with my doctor, which was Tuesday, he said that from what he can see, there is not a lot of discharge. So, hopefully, it is getting most of the infection. If there is still remnants of the infection, we might have to go another week or 2 or I can try Nystatin. I'll keep you ladies posted.
Oh, a Nurse Practitioner told me to do the vinegar and water w/ 1 to 2 tsp of salt and spray it on the outside to control the yeast infection and relieve some of the symptoms. So, that may be something I might try once I've completed this gentian voilet treatment.
Also to populate the good bacteria or return my flora to normal, the NP and my obgyn have suggested, and I have been taking, Culturelle which has 10 billion organisms and the acidophilus w/ bifidus (which has 1.5 billion organisms) as well as doing the vinegar & water douche/spray. They've also suggested eating yogurt----- I think that's what helped w/ the BV.
For all the women that have been replying to the healthboards.com, I find it a relief as well as resource guide. I thought I was the only one having problems or I'm one of those rare cases, but it's comforting to know there are others experiencing these problems. I don't feel so alone. And the input I read from here, I do research and I have tried most of the treatments. At least I was able to get rid of the BV. Imagine 7 months BV- free.
As for the rare YI, I'll keep you updated with the results.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Hi girls. This is my story. Seven years ago I was under a horrible amount of stress and while i was dating this guy i got what was then diagnosed as a case of bv. i was given meds, and then my vagina started to smell funny. doctor decided it was Trichomonasis so i got more meds. My vagina changed even more after that, and the doctor said i had bv(i never did get the results of all these cultures) so i took more meds for that, Nystatin, i believe. My vagina started smelling like barbecue sauce, it was a nightmare!!! So then it was yeast, the doctors were telling me. Anyway, a pregnancy later as well as cryogenic treatment for pre-cancerous cells on my cervix, along with countless doses of Diflucan, and I still have this horrible yeast infection. (Thats what a specialist confirmed that it was) Terazol was what had always worked in the past, and only that, but Terazol now caused an allergic reaction inside me, or maybe that was just the yeast gettting stronger, i don't know, cause i was getting even more itchy.
Anyway to make a long story short, i started drinking massive amounts of water recently (massive compared to what i was drinking before that is) and my yeast symptoms actually dissappeared for two weeks!!!! But today, just as i am about to get my period, i have developed another horrible YI. I thought i was so close, and to lose at this point is absolutely crushing!! You see, i met someone recently, and now am even more desperate to get rid of this thing! its so humiliating and embarassing, i have kept it a secret, but this thing has got to go!!! I am so desperate i am thinking of trying Three-Lac even though the whole treatment will cost lots of money.
Anyway, its wonderful to know i am not alone in this, but at the same time i feel so much for you girls who are experiencing the same thing! Tell me, what effect does this have on your romantic relationships?
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Miria, my bf and I have noticed that I've developed an odor ever since I started treating the bv. But the last time I went in to see the doc there was no yeast, just bv....You have me worried now. I'm so scared that all of this bv treatment is going to give me one of those resistant strains of yeast! What if I already have one and just don't know it because I haven't had a culture yet? :'( I'm going to get one when I see my doc tomorrow.
Nasty1ne, do you feel that the gentian violet is working?
And, Miria, when you were diagnosed with the bv did he actually do some type of test or did he just diagnose you visually?
Last edited by ebon_aurora; 05-18-2007 at 10:56 AM.
Re: Bacterial Vaginosis. Please read. In dire need of help.
Ok Ebon,
Stop worrying- it makes it worse. listen I know it's easier said then done- I've been worrying and crying and not eating over this but I've gotten to the point where I've searched so much web I thought I had everything from BV to vulvodynia or whatever. Truth is everyone is different. I will give you some input- if you haven't already- get your man to the Dr. Dr's are so in denial about men having these infections- I lived through it- I know first hand for a fact 12 years ago I got BV- I had my boyfriend treated with flagyl. Then I got a really really really bad YI- worst ever- and I gave it to him (mind you- we had sex the night before I got it- so it's not like I had a full blown YI when we had sex-) and dr's all said no way- and for 9 months I got one every month- maybe even every 2 weeks- I can't remember now. It would go away with treatment- sometimes I'd have to double up (I'd do a 3 day twice in a row) I seem to remember the only thing that worked was Gyne-lotrimin- I don't know why- and I swore then I was developing an immunity to YI meds. In any case after about 9 months my BF said he was a little "itchy" I RUSHED him to his family dr who gave him some pills- and the problem went away. I don't know the original cause of the BV- at the time I thought it was from the condoms- but I just don't know- could have been from him (It's hard to remember but I think I noticed the BV after we stopped using condoms- I was on the pill) semen has a high PH- if your BF ejaculates in you- this may be why the BV is recurring. If you use condoms- maybe try switching to some other brand. I've used the lamb ones - they're a little weird but if you have a latex allergy- they're better. I have no idea what my problem is now because I haven't had sex since this began. I have read about the monistat 1 day ovule causing permanent "burning" which is like what I have. I have a strange discharge- on top of a white crusty discharge that I don't know if it's remnants of terazol 7 cream or beginnings of more yeast. I have a dr's appointment monday. On to the strange discharge- it's clear, it's odorless and it's got the consistancy of Jelly- or hair gel- but pliable- like stretchy- and no- it's not like when I ovulate. The body is a natural healer though- so I have to believe that I will eventually heal- once I know what's wrong- I have read everyone's horror stories and the more I read- the worse I feel- this is not a case of misery loves company- this is a case of I want to hear everyone has a happy ending and is cured. I think you and I both need to stop reading all the horror stories- before this is all over we're going to start thinking we have every disease imaginable and have been abducted by aliens! We also have no way of knowing how many of the horror stories don't go into "real" detail. I mean- we don't know if some of these women have several partners, have not finished the meds etc. (don't get upset ladies- I'm just saying if there's 1000 horror stories out there- maybe only 50 are legitimate...) the constant surfing the web and thinking Oh my god- that's me- is making it worse. If I go on monday and she says I have some crazy non albican yeast I am telling her to give me the most powerful meds she has. I do not want to be on boric acid! that scares the crap out of me. I want to take a pill that will kill my yeast-even if it kills my liver! good luck
sorry I wasnt more help.~ Shannon
So, I have a raging case of bv and I don't know why. I wish it was just sex. Then I'd just tell him to wear a condom until he could get treated
