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Recurring Bacterial Vaginosis
This past year I have had 3 cases of some kind of Bacterial Vaginosis. They were all caused by sex. I know this for a fact because the first 2 occasions happened after having sex following long periods of abstinence and celibacy.
The first time it had an odor and there was grey white discharge; the Dr. I saw said it was a case of eureaplasma and that it is an Sexually Transmitted/Caused Infection. She said males can carry it but will have no symptoms. She prescribed me doxycyclene which seemed to work and take care of the symptoms.
I was again abstinent for a number of a months and then after having intercourse with the same partner had the exact same reaction within 2 days... Went to see a different Dr. who said the odor is generally because of garnerella; he recommended flagyl but also prescribed me doxycyclene as a backup. The flagyl turned out give the most aweful side effects ( nausea, weakness, metal taste in the mouth, lathargia, emotional unstability) and stopped taking 2 days short ( I did 10 days instead of 12); the symptoms did not disappear at all- I weighted another month and the took the doxycyclene. Once again the doxy worked; b ut leftme with a yeast infection I had to then treat.
I was again abstinent for a few months and then started having intercourse on a regular basis with one partner only. After 2 months I ended up again with similar symptoms minus the odor... I have not had sex since. I tried treating it by taking vaginal specific lacidophillis orally and in suposetories for 2 months. It did not do anything.
I tried doing baking soda douches for a week- although it kept my vaginal area cleaner ( washed out the discharge), after I stopped I had the same slimy white grey globby discharge...
I know I can go and take the doxycycle, but I am really trying to avoid taking a widespan drug- again; I also think that really something needs to be figured out to prevent having cases of BV for the rest of my life after intercourse.
It is not a yeast infection; I am very familiar with those since I used to have a tendency to get them from sex as well a few years back.
I would like to figure out how to prevent this from happening. My diet has not changed much ( whole grains, fish protein, vegetables, and some occasional sweets and carby treats), my lifestyle is not "stressed" above average. I now eat yogurt or take acidophillis on a regular basis; I don't where tight clothes, or keep wet under wear on, I have tried avoiding certain types of condoms, definitely spermicides; I wash the vaginal area outer and inner labia on a daily basis ( since I was a kid); I have not been changing partners;
Surely taking meds on such a frequent basis is not the all time solution; especially since they typically come with a yeast infection right after...
Also I am concerned by the information that says that BV can cause birth problems and pelvic inflamatory disease etc that could harm a pregnancy.... I am delaying treating with the doxy to find some other alternative, but meanwhile am fearing that I am potential harming my reproductive succcess ....
I have dug into the the web's online medical information and have found very little on preventing BV or Eureaplasma; even the DR.s I have talkjed to have had such little information .
What can I do..... It is a very sad and troublesome type of infection- that is equally embarassing as highly concerning;
I would much appreciate your input..
Thank you.
The first time it had an odor and there was grey white discharge; the Dr. I saw said it was a case of eureaplasma and that it is an Sexually Transmitted/Caused Infection. She said males can carry it but will have no symptoms. She prescribed me doxycyclene which seemed to work and take care of the symptoms.
I was again abstinent for a number of a months and then after having intercourse with the same partner had the exact same reaction within 2 days... Went to see a different Dr. who said the odor is generally because of garnerella; he recommended flagyl but also prescribed me doxycyclene as a backup. The flagyl turned out give the most aweful side effects ( nausea, weakness, metal taste in the mouth, lathargia, emotional unstability) and stopped taking 2 days short ( I did 10 days instead of 12); the symptoms did not disappear at all- I weighted another month and the took the doxycyclene. Once again the doxy worked; b ut leftme with a yeast infection I had to then treat.
I was again abstinent for a few months and then started having intercourse on a regular basis with one partner only. After 2 months I ended up again with similar symptoms minus the odor... I have not had sex since. I tried treating it by taking vaginal specific lacidophillis orally and in suposetories for 2 months. It did not do anything.
I tried doing baking soda douches for a week- although it kept my vaginal area cleaner ( washed out the discharge), after I stopped I had the same slimy white grey globby discharge...
I know I can go and take the doxycycle, but I am really trying to avoid taking a widespan drug- again; I also think that really something needs to be figured out to prevent having cases of BV for the rest of my life after intercourse.
It is not a yeast infection; I am very familiar with those since I used to have a tendency to get them from sex as well a few years back.
I would like to figure out how to prevent this from happening. My diet has not changed much ( whole grains, fish protein, vegetables, and some occasional sweets and carby treats), my lifestyle is not "stressed" above average. I now eat yogurt or take acidophillis on a regular basis; I don't where tight clothes, or keep wet under wear on, I have tried avoiding certain types of condoms, definitely spermicides; I wash the vaginal area outer and inner labia on a daily basis ( since I was a kid); I have not been changing partners;
Surely taking meds on such a frequent basis is not the all time solution; especially since they typically come with a yeast infection right after...
Also I am concerned by the information that says that BV can cause birth problems and pelvic inflamatory disease etc that could harm a pregnancy.... I am delaying treating with the doxy to find some other alternative, but meanwhile am fearing that I am potential harming my reproductive succcess ....
I have dug into the the web's online medical information and have found very little on preventing BV or Eureaplasma; even the DR.s I have talkjed to have had such little information .
What can I do..... It is a very sad and troublesome type of infection- that is equally embarassing as highly concerning;
I would much appreciate your input..
Thank you.
well i am a certified medical assistant and all of the doctors offices ive been to and worked for said it isnt an std at all i have medical books that say bv isnt a std so i go by what i have learned in school from top ob/gyn and from what other women have told me about what there doctor said about bv. dont not about std or other types of gardenella. i dont get bv anymore and my man hasnt gotten treated for bv because he didnt have to and i still havent gotten it again i get my pap smear twice a year my ob/ gyn might think im crazy but i do that to makes sure. well i understand where you are coming from but this is what ive came across. thats right we are all women with problems. not a problem.
When you think of an STD, you may think of Herpes, Genital Warts, Syphillus or HIV.
Any bacteria which can be transfered by having sexual contact is now considered an STD.
It just means Sexually Transmitted. Crabs are not a disease, but obviously, you can spread them in the sack!
Gardenella has been around for a long time and typically classified as one, Yeast Infection is typically not, although you can actually pass it to a guy.
Which is why I said "with odor" is the key factor.
Please confirm this with your own doctors, but to be fair you have to be specific about Gardenella.
Please check out this link which explains it better than I can.
http://www.mjbovo.com/Contracept/STD-Gard.htm
If the link doesn't post, just google it Gardenella-STD.
(We're all on the same team, honey)
Any bacteria which can be transfered by having sexual contact is now considered an STD.
It just means Sexually Transmitted. Crabs are not a disease, but obviously, you can spread them in the sack!
Gardenella has been around for a long time and typically classified as one, Yeast Infection is typically not, although you can actually pass it to a guy.
Which is why I said "with odor" is the key factor.
Please confirm this with your own doctors, but to be fair you have to be specific about Gardenella.
Please check out this link which explains it better than I can.
http://www.mjbovo.com/Contracept/STD-Gard.htm
If the link doesn't post, just google it Gardenella-STD.
(We're all on the same team, honey)
It sounds like the first 2 times you got an infection "with an odor" and with the same partner, were actually the STD the doctor diagnosed and since the doxycycline worked the first time it would have worked the second time without the bad luck of the flagyl reaction. Having sex with the same partner means he didn't fix it on his end and you just got re-infected.
For the most recent time you got it (and with a new partner) the big clue is "without the odor" which is a different kind of infection even though the rest of the symptoms can feel the same. Don't take the doxycycline again without being specifically diagnosed for it. It took you two months to get this one, so is it possible that you are relating this to the sex because of the STD you got last time? But it's really not caused by sex?
What you have this time really does sound like a yeast infection. Even though you take the lactobacillus. Using the baking soda douches don't really do much except soothe. If you have candida in your system it will keep coming back until you fix it - and keep it fixed. Your diet sounds good but you didn't mention your dairy intake (which my be too high for you at this time) or if you eat alot of yeast foods, like breads, pasta, beer, and sugar is a major yeast host, even too much fruit. Limit to one small coffee a day if you must and try soy milk and honey to sweeten.
It sounds like you may need to heal this holistically and hit every front at the same time for while.
Try cutting out all of the above mentioned foods for two weeks, taking Jarrow probiotics 2x day, also, open one up and disolve in tiny amount of warm water and use inside 1x day for a few days. Add lots of garlic to your diet daily and/or take garlic pills for anti-fungal properties. Just use warm water to wash with. Start taking a good B complex and Omega3 fish oil pills for your immune system/hormone balance. And use Extra Virgin Organic Cold Pressed Coconut oil by Nutiva topically (and in your diet provided you don't have high cholesterol) as a strong natural anti-fungal. You can use this as lube too, so you both get the benefits. Also, Pau d'Arco tea from Traditional Medicinals is a natural yeast fighter and can be used inside and out.
Good luck! And don't give up on sex! It has it's own healing benefits if used properly.
For the most recent time you got it (and with a new partner) the big clue is "without the odor" which is a different kind of infection even though the rest of the symptoms can feel the same. Don't take the doxycycline again without being specifically diagnosed for it. It took you two months to get this one, so is it possible that you are relating this to the sex because of the STD you got last time? But it's really not caused by sex?
What you have this time really does sound like a yeast infection. Even though you take the lactobacillus. Using the baking soda douches don't really do much except soothe. If you have candida in your system it will keep coming back until you fix it - and keep it fixed. Your diet sounds good but you didn't mention your dairy intake (which my be too high for you at this time) or if you eat alot of yeast foods, like breads, pasta, beer, and sugar is a major yeast host, even too much fruit. Limit to one small coffee a day if you must and try soy milk and honey to sweeten.
It sounds like you may need to heal this holistically and hit every front at the same time for while.
Try cutting out all of the above mentioned foods for two weeks, taking Jarrow probiotics 2x day, also, open one up and disolve in tiny amount of warm water and use inside 1x day for a few days. Add lots of garlic to your diet daily and/or take garlic pills for anti-fungal properties. Just use warm water to wash with. Start taking a good B complex and Omega3 fish oil pills for your immune system/hormone balance. And use Extra Virgin Organic Cold Pressed Coconut oil by Nutiva topically (and in your diet provided you don't have high cholesterol) as a strong natural anti-fungal. You can use this as lube too, so you both get the benefits. Also, Pau d'Arco tea from Traditional Medicinals is a natural yeast fighter and can be used inside and out.
Good luck! And don't give up on sex! It has it's own healing benefits if used properly.
If you think it's caused by sex, and it happened with the same partner, then send him to the doc to get checked out, and make sure to use condoms when you have sex, ALWAYS. You'll have to get a script to be treated for this bout of BV and then you'll have to always use condoms during sex.
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