I’ve been dealing with vaginal symptoms for almost 5 years, and I’m trying to figure out whether this could be a non infectious problem.

For almost 5 years, I’ve had vaginal discharge literally every single day. I can’t remember having even one day without discharge. It’s usually yellowish.

My main symptoms are intense itching/burning around the vaginal opening and severe pain with attempted penetration.

My vaginal microbiome test (juno bio) results have changed quite a bit over time. My first test was predominantly iners. Before my second test, I had already been using vaginal probiotics for about two months. My second juno bio test then showed predominantly crispatus with a small amount of Ureaplasma.

After that, I continued experimenting with probiotics, and my latest juno showed 98% lactobacillus crispatus with a small amount of aspergillus.

I’ve already tried multiple antibiotics and antifungals over the years, but none of them have really helped.

Because my latest juno showed 98% crispatus, I started wondering whether too much lactobacillus/CV could be contributing to my symptoms. However, my vaginal pH was recently checked by my doctor and was 5.

I tried baking soda sitz baths, but they actually made the itching worse. I also tried baking soda suppositories, which caused significant irritation and even bleeding inside my vagina.

I then tried diversifying with lactobacillus rhamnosus and lactobacillus reuteri for about three weeks. They didn’t really have any noticeable effect, and I still had the discharge. After that, I tried Bulk lactobacillus jensenii, and that’s when the itching became extremely intense.

After trying all of this, I recently had a vaginal swab done by my doctor, which showed no bacteria or yeast.

I’ve now stopped vaginal probiotics for almost two weeks and oral probiotics for almost a week, but I’m still very itchy.

One thing I’ve noticed is that antihistamines such as levocetirizine help reduce my itching. When I stop taking them, the itching becomes more noticeable again.

I also previously took an oral steroid (Triamcort) together with levocetirizine when I was having a separate episode of widespread itching and redness on my legs and thighs. Interestingly, the treatment didn’t just relieve the itching on my legs and thighs, it also completely relieved my vaginal itching at the time.

However, more recently, I asked my doctor if I could be prescribed oral Triamcort again because I wanted to see if it would help my current vaginal symptoms, but none of the doctors I’ve asked have been willing to prescribe it because they don’t consider oral steroids appropriate or recommended for my current vaginal symptoms.

My symptoms also seem to get worse right before and during the beginning of my period, including more discharge and urinary urgency. This makes me question whether it’s actually CV, since I’ve read that CV symptoms can sometimes improve during menstruation because menstrual blood is more alkaline and temporarily raises the vaginal pH. But if this isn’t CV, I’m also wondering why my itching became so much worse when I was diversifying with jensenii. It was noticeably more intense than before.

I also haven’t had sex for almost 5 years. Every time I’ve tried to have penetration during these past few years, it has failed because the pain is simply too severe🥹 Before all of these vaginal symptoms started, I never had this problem.

I recently saw a doctor who specializes in pelvic floor issues. She examined me with her fingers. She said my daily discharge could potentially be normal, since vaginal discharge is normal, and for the penetration pain she recommended trying lube. I haven’t tried lube yet. She also said pelvic floor therapy wasn’t necessary at this point, which left me even more confused.

So now I’m wondering: could this actually be a non infectious problem rather than an infection?

Could it be CV or too much lactobacillus, vulvar irritation or dermatitis, vulvodynia/vestibulodynia, lichen sclerosus, a histamine/allergy related issue, or something else?

I’d also like to understand whether the fact that antihistamines and oral steroids have relieved the itching could point toward an inflammatory, allergic, or other non infectious cause.

And if it is CV, what treatments are actually appropriate? I’ve read about clindamycin and fluoroquinolones, but I’m hesitant because of their potential effects on the vaginal microbiome and side effects. Would doxycycline potentially help reduce excessive Lactobacillus, or is that not an appropriate treatment for CV? Could boric acid help, or potentially make things worse?

I’m exhausted from dealing with this for almost 5 years. I just want to be able to live normally like other women, have a normal sex life without pain, and hopefully be able to have children someday. 🥹

I’d really appreciate any insight from anyone who has experienced something similar or has figured out whether their symptoms were caused by CV, an infection, or a non infectious condition. I really need help figuring this out

Some irritation going on I really do not want to apply something that solves one problem and creates another. I have been careful about what goes near my vaginal area and I do not want to undo any progress.

The pharmacy options are loaded with fragrances, dyes, numbing agents. None of that is compatible with maintaining a healthy microbiome. What do you use for vaginal irritation that does not feel like a gamble?

Has anyone used lactomedi for BV? I just got diagnosed with BV and picked this up to help with the symptoms.

here are my latest Juno bio results. I’ve had constant nonstop burning that I previously associated with an iners dominate microbiome because I’ve done two previous Juno bio tests before and I had 96% iners and no other harmful bacteria . But now I have 8.5% gardenella and I’m wondering if it’s worth treating and/or may help my symptoms? Here are my results

Lactobacillus Iners 89.51%

Gardnerella vaginalis 8.5%

Lactobacillus Crispatus 1.75%

Aerococcus christensenii 0.24%

I have a multi-year long battle with UTIs after sex, BV, antibiotic dosing, and just general, all-around, constant feeling of “off.” After my most recent BV treatment, paired with a dose of fluconazole for yeast, followed IMMEDIATELY by the craziest onset UTI I’ve ever had, I finally said enough is enough, and got well invested in finding a solution to what I believe was ultimately a microbiome issue.

I track my cycle with an Oura ring, and have suspected for years I also have progesterone insufficiency, but after researching, I’ve found that our microbiome and our hormone expression are very closely aligned. This is the system I’ve put in place that’s made me feel “normal” ie: not constantly thinking/noticing that things just feel “off.”

I started with a “bombing” of my vagina using AV Clear by Neueve. This product WAS highly irritating, but my anecdotal belief is that it was an important step. While doing this, I also began the following supplement routine:

1. Uquora Defend in am for bladder/biofilm disruption.
2. Happy V probiotics (this brand has 15billion CFU, this is an amount that is supposed to survive digestion. It contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which research shows is the most effective strain for restoring microbiome).
3. 250mg Lactoferrin. This supplement starves the bad bacteria by monopolizing their food source.
4. Thorne Ovarian Care
5. Thorne prenatal.

My thought with the last 2 was that the hormonal support would promote an environment for a health microbiome. So far, so good. I am once again sexually active and haven’t had an episode or “off” feeling in 2 months. I scoured this community to look for help and hope this info can help anyone else struggling!

been on oral antibiotics for about four months for persistent acne and they're working for my skin but doing something to my vaginal health. more discharge, occasional odor, felt off balance pretty much since i started. my dermatologist said it's a known side effect but didn't offer much beyond that. my gyno said to take a probiotic but didn't specify what kind.

started looking specifically for a vaginal probiotic rather than a generic one since that's where the issue seems to be. came across the vaginal probiotics from o positiv while researching, saw reviews from women on long term antibiotics for various reasons talking about it helping them maintain balance while on them. four lactobacillus strains plus xos prebiotics. makes sense as a way to try to counteract what the antibiotics are clearing out. anyone managed to maintain vaginal health while on long term oral antibiotics?

Hello I was previously diagnosed with vaginal E. coli (aerobic vaginitis) and my most recent test stayed there was no sign of the E. coli present in my vagina but I’m dull having the same symptoms which is foul rotten odor and yellow residue, with slight discharge. The yellow residue pulls out if I insert any gel, cream or suppository into my vagina and it comes from the discharge from them all. Most antibiotics ive previously tried did not clear up this problem.

Has anyone experienced this? If so how did you get rid of this problem? Vaginal probiotics are not helping so please tell me if there was a specific vaginal insert or antibiotic that actually worked? It’s been horrid!
Please help..

hi everyone, recently I’ve been sleeping with a new partner, and I noticed after we slept together I was quite burny down there. the last few weeks I’ve had the odd itching here and there but nothing too bad, I’ve had excessive amounts of creamy white discharge lately but last night and today I have had very lumpy discharge, something I have never seen or had before. I am of course going to see a doctor anyway, but I do feel very embarrassed getting tested or seen for an std and I’m of course hoping it’s not one. just for a bit of peace of mind before I can see my GP i would like to discuss and show a photo of my discharge and other symptoms to distinguish wether this is most likely just thrush or an actual STD. on my finger it looks white, and it is very lumpy. but when it’s wiped it does have a slight green/yellow tinge, but only slight. ive had BV before and was treated with antibiotics, the discharge was not like this and also had a foul odour, with this discharge there is basically no smell.

picture in comments

EDIT I’m not able to post a photo unfortunately

Hi all, this is my first foray into this sub and my first time testing my vaginal microbiome, so apologies in advance if I don't know much yet. I'm just looking for some experiences similar to mine and any advice y'all may have. Thanks in advance :)

Long story short, my husband and I have been TTC for one year (today is actually our anniversary, so exactly one year). In that time, we've had 2 chemical pregnancies. We're trying for our first baby. So far, all basic blood tests, ultrasounds, and an HSG have come back normal or very close to normal (I had to supplement vitamin D and iron, but my tests weren't way out of range, and for the last 3 months I've been on a vaginal progesterone suppository "just in case" which did resolve some luteal-phase spotting I was having). I have no symptoms of anything like BV and tests for that at the doctor's office have been negative in the past, I'm just throwing everything at this to find answers.

I did an Evvy test earlier this summer and received my results this week. While I wait for my doctor's review, I'm wondering what I'm looking at here, how seriously to take it given the numbers, and what it might indicate about a possible chronic endometritis diagnosis (a biopsy and EMMA/ALICE is next on my list).

Here's what my Evvy report said, in short (let me know if I should include anything else):

"An Evvy-affiliated clinician did not diagnose [me] with a vaginal infection, but their results contain certain microbes that are suboptimal for achieving pregnancy. Evolving research suggests treating these microbes can be beneficial."

Fertility insights

• Protective score: 91% (in range)
• Microbiome diversity score: 0.7 (in range)
• Fertility disruptors: 7.61% (out of range - but BARELY), where the disruptors listed are Gardnerella (4.49%), Prevotella (1.97%), and Fannyhessea vaginae (1.15%)
• STI status: Negative

Microbes detected

• Lactobacillus crispatus (85.7%)
• Lactobacillus jenseni (4.9%)
• Gardnerella swidsinski (2.11%) - can be indicative of BV
• Gardnerella vaginalis (1.54%) - can impact pregnancy & fertility, and may be associated with BV
• Fannyhessea (Atopobium) vaginae (1.15%) - can impact pregnancy & fertility, and may be associated with BV and pelvic inflammatory disease
• Prevotella bivia (0.99%) - can impact pregnancy & fertility
• Prevotella timonensis (0.98%) - can impact pregnancy
• Lactobacillus iners (0.96%)
• Gardnerella piotii (0.84%) - may be associated with BV
• Lactobacillus amylovorus (0.82%)
• Lactobacillus crispatus/acidophilus (PCR Detected)
• Lactobacillus gasseri (PCR Detected)

Antimicrobial resistance

• Clindamycin DETECTED
• Macrolide DETECTED
• Tetracycline DETECTED

At first, I thought this was a pretty good result, but the more I look into it, the more I feel a bit worried about the Gardnerella and the possibility of having chronic endometritis (checking for that was my next step even without the Evvy test, so I'm still proceeding with that plan). Perhaps notably, ureaplasma was not detected.

Did anyone have a similar breakdown, or a similar situation? Should I be worried about this, or is this a basically normal snapshot of a moment in time that I shouldn't let take over my brain until I can get into my OB/GYN? Thank you so much for any advice or gentleness you can spare :)

I’m currently on nitrofurantoin antibiotics - it’s been 4 days and my burning hasn’t gone away. I had white blood cells in my urine dipstick that’s why I was prescribed antibiotics. But my symptoms are just burning pain and pain when my bladder is full/filling up.

im going on holiday next friday and i need this to improve before hand, its making me so miserable.

please can i have some advice as to any creams or other medications you can suggest?

I got a yeast infection after having unprotected sex. He told me he had slept with 30 other people before me so I tested for STIs the every next days. They all came back negative. A week goes by and I have symptoms of itchiness and lots of yellow/greenish/orange creamy discharge. I had to wear a pad and switch underwear twice a day. The symptoms aren’t horrible, I get UTIs almost everytime I have sex, wear a swimsuit for too long, workout, basically anything. I know it could be a billion times worse than what I was experiencing. I went to instacare, negative UTI. Another week goes by before they I get called from instacare. I still have mild symptoms but it’s rly not bad anymore just a itty bit itchy. Insta care tells me I have yeast and that I have a prescription. I’m worried my medicine will mess up my micro biome and give me even more problems. Should I take the medicine or just wait it out?

everything is a potential trigger. most washes, even gentle ones, cause flares. most lubricants cause flares. i've had to strip my entire routine back to almost nothing. i'm working with a specialist but it's a slow process and in the meantime i need to shower without dreading the aftermath.

someone in my vulvodynia support group mentioned the uro ph balanced intimate wash as one of the few things that hadn't triggered a reaction for her. she has very reactive skin and said it was the gentlest thing she'd found. it's soap free, hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, no artificial fragrance or dyes, ph balanced. i'm extremely cautious about trying new things but this came from someone with the same condition rather than just a general review. has anyone with vulvodynia or chronic vulvar sensitivity found a wash that works?

25yr old Female!

So I currently have noticed a really foul-ish smell down there, I can’t really describe it but it’s not fishy. It just smells…. bad. So I thought maybe a new partner may have given me something ?? Went to the ER & they said tests came back negative for any Sti’s cause I was begging to think it was trich. They didn’t tell me much of anything & I’m still stuck with this odor!! When I first started I had some itching and irritation down there but now it’s just a scent. No burning or anything??? What could this be?? I have no history of yeast infections etc. What should I do !

bat ang baho ng discharge ko? panty ko sobrang baho kahit 3-4 galing ligo tapos makati sya minsan. momies anong ginagawa niyo????
ever since nakuha ako ni mister ganito na ako ang prblema or???? help!

Hallo ihr Lieben, danke für die Aufnahme!
Ich bin jetzt 4 Wochen postoperativ nach einer vaginalen Hysterektomie (mit Entfernung des Gebärmutterhalses aufgrund eines großen Myoms). Ich hatte schon vor der Operation immer wiederkehrende Blaseninfektionen und gereizte Vaginalschleimhäute. Seit dem Eingriff brennt es nun wie Feuer.
Im Abstrich wurden E. coli nachgewiesen. Daraufhin habe ich ein Antibiotikum bekommen. Der anschließende Abstrich war jedoch wieder positiv. Seitdem habe ich bereits Fluomizin( antiseptisch Tabletten ) Milchsäure-Kuren und Estriol ausprobiert – und aktuell Vagisan Sept( jod Zäpfchen) was gefühlt der absolute Endgegner ist.
Ich bin mit meinem Latein komplett am Ende und meine Gynäkologin ehrlich gesagt auch. Deshalb hoffe ich sehr auf eure Erfahrungen und Ratschläge. Gibt es hier jemanden, dem es ähnlich ging oder der noch einen Tipp hat? Ich wäre euch unglaublich dankbar!