embarrassing vaginal odor

ritac

I am 49 years old, I am not sexually active and have been for about 2 years experiencing times during the day I smell a strong fishy odor coming from the vaginal area. I bath everyday, I have even started taking personal wipes with me to the restroom so that I can wash up during the day but nothing seems to stop the odor. I wear panty liners so that I can change them and the smell won't get in my clothes. My pap smears are normal. Even though my doctor says that they don't know what causes bacterial vaginitis, and there is no cure that will keep it from reoccuring, I find it extremely embarrassing. I am more aware of the smell more when I get excited about something. If I go out of town, or go out to lunch, or even go to a meeting, anything that is different from my regular routine, I smell it. The episodes seems to be getting closer together, where else in the very beginning it may have been once every couple of months, not they seem to be ocurring more often. Please help me, what can I do?

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Anonymous820

Ok ladies, If your noticing a different smell or discharge it may probably be a sign of infection. A vaginal infection is present when the normal vaginal discharge changes color, becomes heavier or smells different, or if there is itching, burning, swelling, or redness around the vagina.
One infection could be Bacterial Vaginosis (which is a common infection) and when symptoms occur, they may include: Unusual vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor,The discharge might be milky white with a “fishy” odor. The odor can be worse after sexual intercourse,. Other symptoms women may experience include itching or burning in or near the vagina. Some women have no symptoms. If you feel like you have any of these symptoms please go visit your doctor and get tested. If you have bv, your doctor will prescribe metronidazole (Flagyl, Protostat). This medication is taken by mouth. There are other medicines that may be taken by mouth for this infection, such as clindamycin (Cleocin), and there are also vaginal creams and gels. You will not be able to drink or have sex for a week. while on these meds. I know that can suck sometimes though. Your partner does not need to be treated because BV has not been proven to be a sexually transmitted infection. Some women get BV again and again. It is not clear why or how this happens. These suggestions for good vaginal health may help:
Wipe from front to back (away from the vagina) after bowel movements to avoid spreading bacteria from the rectum to the vagina.
Keep the vulva (outside of the vagina) dry and clean.
DO NOT ******. Douching is never a good idea, especially with BV.
Avoid feminine hygiene sprays, harsh soaps, or soaps with lots of perfume.
Avoid clothing that can trap moisture: pantyhose (wear pantyhose with cotton crotch) or latex exercise clothing.
Using condoms may decrease BV recurrence for some women.
Now there is also a Yeast infection (which is a common infection). If this is present, there may be larger amounts of thick, white,(like cottage cheese), or no discharge at all. Other common symptoms include itching, swelling, irritation or redness around the vaginal area. A yeast infection is usually treated with creams and suppositories that are placed in the vagina. The length of treatment may vary from one to seven days. Some of these medicines are now available without prescription, such as miconazole (Monistat) and clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin or Mycelex-G), and you may use then when you know you have a yeast infection.
Also, Trichomonas vaginitis, which is sometimes called "trick," is the third most frequent vaginal infection. Like bacterial vaginosis, this infection often causes an increased amount of discharge, which may be Green, yellow, or gray in color; frothy. Sometimes, the discharge smells different. Itching may be present but is less likely than with a yeast infection. Trichomonas vaginitis is also treated with metronidazole, taken by mouth. However, because this infection is often passed back and forth between sexual partners, it is necessary that the partner also take the medication to prevent it coming back.
I hope all this information that I have provided will help you.
Also one more thing, it is very normal to have a discharge. Common to all women, normal vaginal secretions help vaginas stay healthy by regularly flushing them out and maintaining their normally acidic environment. Healthy vaginal juices can have a mild scent, or no aroma at all, and can be:
Clear or milky white when moist, Yellowish in color when dried, Mucus-like or stringy in consistency
Heavier: During midcycle when ovulation occurs, when sexually aroused, during pregnancy, when using birth control pills. The amount of discharge is different for each woman. Some women have a little discharge now and then. Others have discharge every day. Your "normal" discharge might change many times throughout your life.
Sorry for writing a book but I like to be very detailed when I give some advice/information. But like I said I hope this information will help.

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embarrassing vaginal odor

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