Vaginal Strep in a Non Pregnant Woman

[PeachesGZ]

Hi,  I had been having lots of itching, burning and a brownish discharge for two weeks after a fun sex filled weekend with a boyfriend whom I only see every two months or so.  This happens often and I have always treated it as a possible yeast infeciton.  This time it didn't go away and so I saw my ob/gyn.  She took a culture and found strep B, which has nothing to do with Strep A that creates strep throat.  She said she could give me antibiotics to make it go away but then I would get a yeast infeciton from the antibiotics and then we'd have to use another cream etc.  She said just to let it ride it's course.  Now it's been three and ahalf weeks and it's better but not all healed.  Does anyone have any ideas about treating this or preventing this?  Every article on the internet has to do with Strep B in prenatal women (when it is very dangerous for the baby) and nothing about Strep B for regular women in their 40's like me :)  Thanks, I'd love to hear from anyone who has ever been treated for this disease or any doctors out there.

[krtemple]

omg I just thought I was reading my own life! So in February of 2012 I started having a major issue which I BELIEVED was yeast infection, the gyn told me it was a bacterial infection and then I was later diagnosed with group b strep and a reoccurring BV infection! I started doing research to find out why the anti-biotics were not working. So after all my research I started buying pro-biotics ( the highest count they have) I started taking those 2 a day and I bought rephresh PH balance and took one of those a day (but I don't think the rephresh played much part in helping) on top of that I slept with a garlic clove in my under wear ( there's also ways to insert them in you which maybe be more effective) But I started bathing with 3 cups of apple cider vinegar and when in the shower I'd sit on the tub floor and I directly poor it on the vaginal area, yes it stung a little but I'm sure your all too familiar with pain down there. So I did these things routinely and a month or so later I had an appointment with a specialist who specializes in vaginal infections (http://www.drexelmedicine.org/patient-services/obstetrics-and-gynecology/vaginitis-center/......This is the link where I found him) and they said that they could not find anything but a little yeast which was normal. Now almost a year later from when it started I feel good and I still use apple cider vinegar faithfully, especially around period time. I hope this helps and if you like more ideas you can contact me just send me your email and I'll exchange personal info with you! Hope you get better!!!!

[nrb912]

hi i'm 26, a mother of three and it sounds like everything I went though since I was 16. from 16 to about 21 I DID NOT have strep b but I was getting bv and yeast infections every month  more like every week I cried and was at the gyno so much they got sick of seeing me and I changed gynos. best thing I ever did. my last gyno told me that he though pads and tampons fibers get into the vagina and cause infection so they best thing to do was the shot over time it took my period away, that helped out so much but what really helped was the new gyno she told me to try using no thongs because she sees many girls who has terrible infection from them they side from your butt to your vagina spreading bacteria when you move around... yumm right your never going to wear a thong again lol . then she told me to use cedaphil( not sure if you spell it like that) but its a bar of soap you can find in the acne section. and also to use  non scented laundry soap  it WORKED AFTER I STARTED BUYING THE BAR OF SOAP I WAS GOOD I MAYBE GOT A YEAST ONCE A YEAR SINCE changing soaps in the shower. . THE PILL TO CURE YEST INFECTION ISNT AS GOOD I NORMALY NEED TOO IF IT WORKS, ASK THE DOCTOR FOR THE CREAM ITS NO FUN AND MUCH LONGER BUT WORKS BETTER. I ALSO FOND YOU NEED TO THINK POSITIVE I'M NOT KIDDING AROUND I COULD MAKE MY VAGAINA HURT BECAUSE I BECAME SO WORRIED I COULDNT TELL WHAT WAS NORMAL. good luck.......
now I have been told this week I have strep b i'm worried  because i'm not sure what this means I don't have any burning really at all maybe a small itch but not really I went because i'm cramping after sex that last for a day and it hurts my cervix during sex. this is new and I've bee with my husband for 8 years  so nothing has changed. I recently had a baby through C-section after my appendix ruptured two times from more bad doctors! could this be why ? the doctor said lots of ppl have it and that they don't treat it, that wouldn't be whats making me cramp, but then why do I cramp now I have never had strep b and now I have it and at the same time getting cramps after sex? would I of had it while I was pregnant or beore?
no std  

[SheilaM1965]

Ladies, I've often wondered what we all could possibly have in common.  Why did we get Group B Strep?

Well, one thing that I know about myself (in addition to all of the other posts that I've shared), is that I am Vitamin D deficient.  I spend at least an hour in the sun five days a week, yet my bloodwork showed that my Vitamin D was only 30.8.  The range from most labs is 30 to 100, but optimally one should be between about 50 to 70 for good health.

Anyway, if you search the subject of the importance of Vitamin D, you will see that it plays an important role in so many aspects of our health, including our ability to fight infectious diseases.

Ladies, please get your Vitamin D levels tested.  Perhaps this will help you to fight this stupid bacteria. The correct test is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

And if you do find that your Vitamin D level is low, the best form to take is Vitamin D3, which is a fat soluble vitamin that is best absorbed when taken with a little oil or milk or cheese or peanut butter.  Also, Vitamin D works in conjunction with magnesium and Vitamin K.

Don't just take Vitamin D if you don't need it, but definitely get your level tested to find out.

[NikB]

A few months ago I had a Group B Strep UTI which was treated with antibiotics and my urine has been clean since. But since then, I've been dealing with a clear and at times, heavy vaginal discharge.

There were times I felt swollen, irritated and had a slight tickle/itch inside on the back wall of my vagina, but sex has never been uncomfortable.

After the last time my gyno tested me for BV, yeast, HSV, Trich, Chlamydia, Gonnorhea (all neg. AGAIN) he sent me to a urologist. The urologist figured my urine would come back positive again for GBS (negative) so he prescribed Augmentin for 14 days. The odor and irritation went away immediately but I still have this heavy, sometimes milky, non-odorous discharge. I also have an ache that I felt a lot in the beginning but rarely now inside my vagina on the side that will radiate into my inner thighs. Sometimes after I urinate I notice white clumps in the toilet.

Is it possible that GBS has colonized in my vagina because it was in my urine? Is there a specific test for GBS? Would the "Monster" test, as my Gyno calls it, pick up GBS or is it a different test?

I'm so over this.

[SheilaM1965]

Hello,

Sorry it took me a while to get back with you.  I just happened to check the forum today to see if anyone was still posting.

To answer your questions, I do not know if I am 100% "cured," because I still have not gotten around to getting another urinalysis.  But I do still feel really, really good.

I believe that my group b strep problem was higher up, more like a urinary tract infection, because I never had pain or itchiness or tingling in my vagina.  I had prickly sensations and flank pain more in my mid and left back area.  I also felt really fatigued.

I do still use Organic Virgin Coconut oil internally and vaginally, though.  My husband and I use it as a lubricant before intercourse, and I also use it sometimes in my cooking or just to ingest a spoonful because of its health benefits.

I think in my case eating healthier, minimizing good-for-nothing sugar (pastries, cookies, soda, etc.,) taking probiotics, incorporating OVCO, and using the Allicin continually for 40 days really made a difference in my fight against Group B Strep.

Do I think OVCO would help someone who has Group B Strep vaginally?  I think it probably would.  Something else that you might want to try is inserting collodial silver vaginally.  A young lady on another health board recently posted that she had tremendous success with that.  I will include her story below.  

But if you can afford the Allicin, I really think that you should give that a try if the other two suggestions do not work for you.  I took 1800 mg a day for 40 days.  I felt better after about 10 days, but I continued to take it so that I could be sure to get the full benefits.  The one I bought was from the UK, but they don't sell it anymore.  But there is another company called Drherbalnaturals.com that sells Allimed which is the same stuff.  But try the Coconut Oil or Collodial Silver first because those are both reasonably priced and easier to locate.

Anyway, below is the story I said I would share that I read on a womenshealth board:


"Hello, I am 23 years old and I have had a terrible case of group b strep for about 6 months. I went to my doctor because I was having pain with sex, a tingly feeling in my pelvic region, and abnormal, snotty discharge (sorry too much info). She diagnosed me with group b strep and gave me amoxicillin for ten days. It didn't help at all, but she decided to give it to me for another ten days, and of course, that did not help either. Then I went to my OBGYN, and she gave me Augmentin, which did not help either. Apparently, my group b strep was resistant to antibiotics. Anyways, I went back to my OBGYN, and she said that some of her patients swear by colloidal silver, and she suggested it for me. I just bought it at a pharmacy, and they sell it in bottles at health food stores, as well. I bought a bottle with a dropper on it, and three times a day I would put three droppers full into my body vaginally. This literally gave me relief after three days. She told me to continue for a week or ten days, and I stopped after a week and everything was so much better! I have had sex after using it, and I do not have any pain at all, and I am so happy! If you have tried antibiotics and they are not working, I strongly suggest trying this. I hope this helped someone. Good luck."

[cl1976]

Hi SheilaM1965, I've read through so many of these posts and I was particularly interested in the things you did to get better. I've been suffering from a strep b infection for probably a year if not longer. Every time I went to the doc about it, they treated me for a yeast infection. A few years ago the test did show yeast so I got treated for that with the Flucanozole and it seemed to kind of get better but not entirely. Then I went back several months later because it was getting bad again and they didn't even test me just sent me home with a prescription for Nystatin and Flucanozole...anyways long story short, after being treated for yeast several times, I finally was just miserable because my symptoms were worse, not improving at all and so I finally kept going back to my doctor to tell her it's not better. So this last time she did a full vaginal culture and I tested positive for the strep infection. She has me on a Penicillin antibiotic right now and I'm almost near the end of it. It seemed to get better initially but today the itching is back and the burning and I just feel hopeless. After reading about the things you have been doing with your diet and the other things you have taken I was just wondering if I could ask  you some more questions. I hope you're still checking this forum. Are you now better and cured? With the organic coconut oil, did you use that inside? How often did you use it? I just was hoping to get some more details about what you did. I'm just miserable and I just want to cry. Please be out there...