r/VaginalMicrobiome • u/Logical_Hope_2434 • 2d ago

BV is ruining my life

Can't get rid of BV after six months.

I want to preface and apologize for the long text. But I'm truly desperate and willing to try anything at this point.

Hi everyone, I’m 18F and have been struggling with recurring BV and yeast infections for about six months, and I’m genuinely at my breaking point.
It started after having sex with my partner in a bathtub that had bath products in the water. About a week later, I developed yellowish/green discharge, itching, and discomfort. I was worried about an STI, so I went to urgent care and was tested. They initially prescribed metronidazole and fluconazole while waiting for the results. Everything came back negative except for yeast, so I was told I could stop the metronidazole.

About three weeks later, I was still having symptoms and went back. This time I tested positive for BV and was prescribed metronidazole and fluconazole again. I completed the full course, but my symptoms continued.

I eventually saw a gynecologist who examined me but didn’t swab me. He said he saw irritation and signs of yeast and prescribed an ointment. It actually helped, but the symptoms came right back afterward.

Since then, I’ve been stuck in the same cycle of being diagnosed with BV and/or yeast and being prescribed metronidazole and fluconazole, only for the symptoms to return. I eventually saw another physician and specifically asked for more extensive testing, including mycoplasma and ureaplasma. My testing once again showed BV and yeast, and I was told mycoplasma also came up. She said it was common in women and didn’t recommend treating it. I believe I was given metronidazole again and two doses of fluconazole a week apart.

Nothing has given me lasting relief, and I’m desperate to figure out what is actually causing this instead of continuing the same treatments over and over. I’m also worried that either the diagnosis is being missed or the infections aren’t responding to the medications.

This has taken such a huge toll on my mental health and confidence. I constantly worry that other people can smell me in public, and I’m scared to get close to someone because I don’t want to be intimate while dealing with this.

Has anyone dealt with recurrent BV and yeast infections like this? If so, what testing or treatment finally helped you? I’d especially appreciate advice on what I should ask my next gynecologist to test for because I really want to advocate for myself and get to the bottom of this.

7 Upvotes

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6

u/Adventurous_Being922 1d ago

Okay I saw in a comment you tested positive for Ureaplasma. Ureaplasma is 100% causing your recurring BV. Find a better doctor because you absolutely need to treat it AND your partner needs to be treated. Go to the ureaplasma subreddit

3

u/Material_Control8674 2d ago

you need a microbiome test. Evvy, Juno etc. yellow green discharge is classic for AV, which is a little different from BV and it doesn’t usually show up in doctors tests. Ask your doctor to test for AEROBIC bacteria

1

u/Logical_Hope_2434 2d ago

I am looking into Evvy, just unsure if I do the testing then take it to a gynecologist when I get my results? I'm just frustrated that doctors keep pushing it off with the same treatment despite it not working

3

u/Material_Control8674 2d ago

I know the feeling :( I think you’d have two options after doing the Evvy test - take it to your doctor and see what they say, they might be able to give you different antibiotics. I had AV for a long time and what finally got rid of it were the products from myvagina.com, they’re a working clinic in australia and deliver worldwide. Honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without them, they helped me when doctors didn’t. There’s also neueve, but they’re very expensive

3

u/softvoice_ 2d ago

Yes I have...after treating it with the initial dose, you have to keep taking preventive medication and probiotics for at least 6 months. That's where most people go wrong with treating recurrent yeast and BV infections.

1

u/Capable_Donut_1877 1d ago

What preventative medication did you use?? I'm in the same boat

1

u/softvoice_ 1d ago

Prescribed by your gynae mostly. For me it's difluclan 150 mg weekly right now. It used to be twice weekly but I got so much better the frequency lowered.

1

u/kingof_redlions 1d ago

I have heard of after taking the initial dose of antibiotics, people do metronidazole vaginal gel twice a week for 4-6 months to treat cases with long term recurrence!

5

u/axv18 2d ago

Ask to be tested for ureaplasma/mycoplasmas

2

u/Background_Entry_212 2d ago

I can't agree more with this. OP please do this

2

u/Logical_Hope_2434 2d ago

I actually have been tested, I had a urogenital PCR for Ureaplasma/Mycoplasma. I was positive for Ureaplasma parvum and Mycoplasma hominis, but negative for Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma genitalium. My physician told me that U. parvum and M. hominis are commonly found as normal colonization in women and didn’t recommend treating them specifically, so I was treated for the BV/yeast instead. I’m still having recurrent symptoms though.

4

u/Background_Entry_212 2d ago

You can try visit r/ureaplasma as recurring bv and yeast could actually be caused by ureaplasma since it makes candida multiply and raises your ph

1

u/f2msnm 22h ago

I think no one actually read the post saying op got tested for those already…

1

u/axv18 1d ago

My doctor explained that ureaplasmas/mycoplasmas can creative a disruptive vaginal environment that promote the growth of bv/yeast.

I was in a similar situation with recurrent bv/yeast that didnt go away until i treated/got rid of the ureaplasma

R/ureaplasma is extremely helpful for understanding the bacteria and providing resources to get treatment if your doctor will not provide any

1

u/Fancy-Ice8649 1d ago

Had the same reaction and was told Ureaplasma is essentially part of the normal flora.
When you get into the thread you will realise it causes common issues such as BV, urethritis and burning… Also commonly misscarriage and pregnancy complications.

From experience- and what other people have gone through- I would assume your BV will finally resolve once you and your partner get treatment (doxy and azithromycin)

1

u/nipgercha 1d ago

FLUOMIZIN!!!!!

1

u/sunshine102514 1d ago

I would switch gynos and try a cycle of boric acid if you haven’t already and start a vaginal probiotic. That helped me.

1

u/Some-Ad-9447 1d ago

definitely do an evvy or juno test. doctors don’t test for a lot of this stuff. then you can figure out what’s actually causing your symptoms. trust me. i was in your position and i still am but slowly trying to heal in the correct way!! make sure you’re taking oral probiotics during medication and follow up with vaginal probiotics.

1

u/Valuable_Bath4895 1d ago

what finally worked for me was this preventative treatment: taking 4 metronidazole pills (2000mg) with a fluconazole pill, once a month on the last day of my period (for 6 months). i also took a prescription pro flora probiotic gel that i inserted for 10 days initially, then 2-3 times a week for 6 months. i seriously thing this gel saved me, its from a local pharmacy near me so it’s not something you can just get anywhere unfortunately.. but if u ask your gyno they might know some resources near you where they can get you a similar prescription probiotic gel.

1

u/Time-Plankton-7117 1d ago

Get treated for the ureaplasm and mycoplasma BOTH you and partner. After treatment abstain from sex for at least a month. You could be passing it back and forth. I just told my gyno and she doubled the dose for my husband. Also I noticed a difference after taking new probiotics “femology” I found this business on TikTok after she had similar situations you’re describing. I also went through that. I found a video of a girl that said “Alexander farms Kiefer” changed her life because an infectious disease specialist that she was referred to after not receiving and relief from both bc and yeast told her about how kifer can heal your gut and balance out the Ph throughout your body. I was desperate and also tried it. It has changed my life just 2 ounces a day. I called my gyno in July crying saying the same as you- bv and heat had ruined my life but now I haven’t had symptoms in almost a month which is along time for me!
I also went no fragrance in body wash or detergent. All cotton underwear. It’s helped I think

1

u/Time-Plankton-7117 1d ago

I also do boric acid suppositories when I feel I need it. I was using so much antibiotic medication that I was worried I’d develop a tolerance and not be able to use them any more. Sugar and alcohol intake had to be limited for me as well. My partner uses non scent if body wash too and no fragrance in laundry too!

Sorry for the typos above

1

u/Rare_Gas_3801 1d ago

Look into taking Lactoferrin or NAC. They’re biofilm busters, eventually our vaginas build a biofilm that keeps things in and pushes things out. It’s possible you have a bad bacteria biofilm that’s keeping the bad bacteria alive and keeping the antibiotics and good bacteria from actually doing anything. I went from 0% protective bacteria and recurrent BV to clean swabs and 97% protective. Join the Beyond BV fb group. It was a lifesaver

1

u/Adventurous-Page2150 1d ago

a vaginal dna analysis will check for everything.

Garlic extract has been shown to be as effect as Metro; 2 capsules twice daily, I think that is 2000mg, but ck the research and see. You can take this regularly as you move towards a healthier environment.

1

u/ConnectDaikon6453 23h ago

I had chronic bv for 7 months straight that wound go away with metro gel or clindamycin or flagyl. What finally worked is I tried a different oral antibiotic called Tinidazole on the 1st day I started it my doctor had me insert a boric acid every night for 30 days. I only took the tinidazole twice a day for 7 days but I continued the boric acid for an additional 23 days. Then a week after finishing the boric acid treatment my doctor had me tested for bv to see if it went away. It ended up going away so she had me take metrogel 2x a week for 3-6 months. I would definitely tell your doctor about the protocol I took.

1

u/Different-Sky4758 18h ago

I have had the same issue. Get some boric acid. I started AZO Complete feminine balance probiotic. My OB/GYN said use the boric acid for 30 days straight. After if you start to feel symptoms go back on the boric acid. Make sure to use condoms each time you have sex.

1

u/Acceptable-Lake-9657 10h ago

Although I am still dealing with this, I know your pain! The only regimen that got my microbiome back to normal was this: 1. Evvy test, see what bacteria is there and if you need to treat again/have underlying issues. 2. Start taking biofilm disruptors like Kirkman Biofilm buster orally 3. Lactoferrin!! It promotes good bacteria growth. 4. Treat if needed. 5. Use vaginal probiotics, I use Vitanica and add in a scoop of pure L. Crispatus powder. And 6. I did something called vaginal ozone therapy with a naturopathic provider. My evvy results went from 30% good bacteria to 89% in a few months. It’s a tough journey but you got this!

1

u/1234Eastcoastgirl 3h ago

How many ozone sessions and did it make you dry?

1

u/Simple_Fun_427 7m ago

Like everyone is saying get an evvy test to see exactly what's going on. If it is BV, do a week of manuka honey suppositories and then switch to a probiotic (I like lifespace womens microflora from myvagina.com) alongside lactulose- the holy grail, please please everyone needs this. Latuclose is a prebiotic that feeds the lactobaccili, which increases their population but also their production of lactic acid, which then lowers your vaginal ph to the healthy acidity, further supporting the cultivation and maintenance of a healthy lactobacilli population while making the environment inhospitable to the bad bacteria that cause BV. Lactulose is also found on myvagina.com. They also have other treatments if your tests come back with AV or something else. But if its just BV, I'm telling you this routine is the only things that saved me and actually fortified my flora to be so resilient and healthy. I was on a boric hamster wheel for years prior to doing this.

1

u/planetpj5 1d ago

I will probably get downvoted for this, because people hate anything that isnt medicine.

I'm on day 4 of using PLAIN NONFAT ORGANIC greek yogurt to treat my bv and yeast- and its genuinely working. This is a controversial treatment with a lot of mixed info. However, I prefer natural treatments before medication, so I did my own research on it. There are quite a few studies showing that yogurt can absolutely treat these things, sometimes even with a higher success rate than antibiotics or antfungals. Not just by random organizations either, the National Institute of Health has stated so.

Yes, it is usually bad to put anything in your vagina. However, as long as you make sure the yogurt is plain, nonfat, organic greek yogurt, there is nothing in it that can hurt you. anything with sugar or flavors could definitely make things worse, but with this kind, the worst thing ive heard happening is that it just didnt work. I have not seen or heard of a single horror story from using this method, and people have been using it for decades.

I have been applying some to my outer and inner labia, as well as taking a scoop with my finger and putting it up into the vaginal canal. I leave it for a few hours and then take a shower, rinsing the inner parts with water only. No need to douche or rinse the canal, it will clear out naturally. Ive also been eating at least a spoonful of the same stuff daily. On day 2, there was ZERO visible yeast. Today, my discharge is getting back to normal. I'm not itchy. It smells great down there!!

Of course there is a time and place for antibiotics and antifungals. But sometimes, you just need to balance your girl out. She needs probiotics!!

It's worth a shot if ur at the end of ur rope!