Who has had Bacterial vaginosis?

[Smokey]

Hi,
I think i might have BV, sorry to sound so straight forward but I have been getting a white discharge and fishy smell down there, no itching or burning. I noticed more pressure and frequency. I am going to my gp on saturday. is this curable? is it dangerous? how do they test for it? is it just a swap they take? any feed back will be greatly appreciated.

[rmoreill]

Yes, I have had bacterial vaginosis. You usually get like a yellowy discharge rather than a white discharge like when you have a yeast infection. The doctor will test your 'area' and look under a microscope to see if you have one. Sometimes they might have to send it to a lab.

If you do have one, she might prescribe you a vaginal suppositry or an antibiotic called flagyl.

When I get them, I have more burning than usual and the area feels a little raw. Talk to your doctor about acidopholous suppositories (I sometimes use one after sex for example to balance the area). This might help. Also, I try to take an oral acidopholous daily to try and help balance friendly bacteria.

I hope this helps and good luck. Ps..Bacterial Vaginosis is very common. I actually read somewhere that they are more common than yeast infections.

You will feel better soon!!

[tigger_gal]

First I would go to the doctor and see and ask to be tested, normally they don't. it is treated using metro gel, or what ever the doctor thinks is the best treatment.

[gopher7895]

I kept getting BV a few times a year for about a 3 year period. It's really common. My gyn would do a pH test for a quick diagnosis and then confirm it with a lab test that took a couple days. I had a whitish/gray discharge and that fishy smell you describe. I'd feel kind or raw when I had it too. I found Flagyl to work faster for me than the vaginal cream. The cream irritated my skin but I'm really sensitive to stuff like that and probably most people do fine with it. Luckily, I haven't had BV for almost a year and have no idea why I used to get it so much. I remember reading about it and following all the recommendations to prevent it but it came back anyway. I think it's more of an annoyance than anything else and not dangerous. I thought I read somewhere that it often goes away on its own without treatment but I always wanted to treat it as soon as possible. Good luck!

[formom]

I had it back in 2003 and they gave me Flagyl and it cleared up right away. My doc did not even make me go in and prescribed over the phone the Flagyl and said if no luck, to come in. Good Luck

[CherylSLP]

Yes, had it a few times. It tends to cause the IC to flare. Been treated with Flagyl which also makes the IC flare. But after treatment I feel much better, flare goes away. It is more common than yeast.

[Smokey]

thanks for your responses. I am going to the doctor tomorrow. i find when I am about to get my period the discharge and smell is worse and also my frequency and pressure gets up a little near the period time. i am already taking inner health plus in the morning and garlic tablets. I will see what my doctor says tomorrow.

thanks again

[Smokey]

Hi everyone,

thank you for your responses. well i do have BV, and yes the doctor did prescribe flagyl. i am feeling better already. now i wondered why my frequency was up and had the pressure feeling just before my period, apparently bv symtoms are worse when it gets closer to your period. now i am wondering what came first Bv or ic???? if i had bv before ic and not knowing i had it, can BV bring on IC????

My doctor says that stress could have bought on bv. what else could bring it on?

[Briza]

lorenab
Very happy you got to the dr to get proper treatment. BV can drive ya' mad. I suffered from alternating BV and yeast infections throughout my 20's, a good 10 years...sucked. A week of flagyl was always what I was rxd, too, and yeah it did the job but then the antibiotic instigated yeast would set in and then I'd have to treat that. I'm glad you're feeling better:) but if you are prone to yeast infections, especially ones due to antibiotics,or feel something suspicious going on after you finish your round of Flagyl, be prepared to go back to the dr to be tested for both BV (to make sure it's all cleared up) and yeast. I hope this doesn't happen to you, but it happened EVERY time I took Flagyl so just thought I'd give you a heads up. Take care and I hope you continue to feel better :smile tee
I suppose stress could bring on this type of infection; however I was pretty darn stressfree back in my twenties. From what I was told on my MANY gyn visits back then BV is similar to yeast infections in that it's often just an overgrowth of the normal bacterial/yeast flora in the vagina. Obviously I had a chronic, rercurring problem with both....I hope this is a one time thing for you! Best wishes

[jen74]

I have had BV, but I had alot of discharge with no odor. They also gave me flagyl/metrogel, which I am allergic too now. They can also treat with clinda cream.(clindymycin). I hate taking those drugs, I find they cause more UTI's by disturbing the flora in the vagina.
Jen

[rmoreill]

Hi everyone. When I had bv, my gyno (who I love) reccomended that I take acidopholous daily (even when I dont have any kind of infection). I have been a lot of antibiotics in my life, as have most of you probablly, so its a good idea anyway to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.

You can go to the local health food stores and take a look to see what they have. It is reallly important to take one with active cultures because the drug store ones that are not refrigerated are not good enough.

Remember though, that if you are taking anti-biotics, you need to take the acidopholous seperately (like 3 hours apart).

Lastly, has anyone ever tried acidopholous suppositories? You need an rx from your doctor..but I think they feel pretty good.

[Smokey]

i already take inner health plus 25 billion that should do the trick to prevent yeast infections

[Briza]

i already take inner health plus 25 billion that should do the trick to prevent yeast infections

That's good. :) I also take some good refrigerated probiotics these days and have few problems with yeast now. But even before that about when I turned 30 I seemed to have "outgrown" the yeast infections and can't remember the last time I had BV...I may be wrong but it seems that BV is more common when you're younger...I just sometimes get pre-period mild yeast that I treat with clotrimazole only externally and by the time my period starts the yeast clears up. :bow:
The first two years I had IC my symptoms would increase greatly the week before my period. For whatever reason things have leveled out now and there's no rhyme or reason for when I flare...sometimes it's self-induced by food/sex, but most of the time it is stress and exhaustion that sets off a flare. Hope you're still feeling better. Take care :)

[malone]

I do not have BV but I have a vaginal strep infection and also a badder infection that is strep. It is the common strep which a certain amount of I know, is normal in the vaginal area. However it got so bad the outer part started to split open--not to mention what it has done for my IC due to the strep in my bladder. I was doing so great pain wise and then I had to have 4 pieces of a disc in my back removed which has left me with a sciatica pain down the other side! Sorry, I got off my question--My doctor put me on 500 mgs of ampicillan 4X a day for 10 days and had me use that pill for yeast. I think it helped a little but as soon as I finished the antibiotic I could tell it was coming right back again. I am going to see my doctor tomorrow for more cultures. Anyone have anything like this and if so what antibiotic helped you. Levaquin has always helped me but I have heard lately that levaquin can be dangerous. I am just so depressed all I do is cry--between the pain my back that travels all the way down my butt to my ankle and the flare in the IC pain I am ready to lose it. I feel like my spirit has just been broken. Sorry to just vent like that but if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. Thanks again-Malone

[rmoreill]

Malone,

I know you feel. I have something like sciatica (and well as ic/vaginal problems). My legs burn and feel tingly and its hard for me to sleep sometimes because it feels like my nerves wont stop twitching. I get really depressed about all this stuff too. I think part of it is the roller coaster. Sometimes days are good and you feel ok and then the next day things are flaring up all over the place.

Anyway, enough about me... This morning I was pretty down because I couldn't sleep last night and I came down to the computer and started watching utube standup comedy (one of my friends is a comic and sent it to me but you can find them all over utube) and even for those moments, I was able to not think "legs, legs, legs, bladder, bladder, bladder, vagina, vagina, vagina" and I actualy caught myself laughing out loud. So to make a long story short, I think that you need to rent a funnny movie or talk with friends about funny things, anything that will make you laugh. Also, you need to MAKE YOURSELF BUSY TO TAKE YOUR MIND OFF OF IT.

I am so sorry that you are in pain. You need to believe that THIS WILL GET BETTER.

I am here for you as are we all.

Robyn

[malone]

Robyn,
Thanks--I am going to try just that. I have to try something, I have never been so down in my life. I think it is really lack of sleep--I am just so weepy I can't stop crying. I am taking my pain meds which help some and hopefully my Gyn will be able to tell me whats going on tomorrow. The pain down my leg is awful and I don't know if physical therapy is making it worse or not. Between the IC flare and my back it seems like all I do is worry or complain. I feel sorry for my family. Thanks again--it really helps to talk to someone who understands how you feel. Hope you have a good night--Malone

[MirandaW]

Before I was diagnosed with IC, I kept getting alternating bv and yeast infections. Since I was taking antibiotics for UTIs (which turned out to actually be IC) I couldn't get rid of them! Once I stopped taking antibiotics, the yeast and bv infections finally went away. I do believe, however, that they had something to do with the onset of my IC.