Bacterial Vaginosis Home Treatments

Bacterial Vaginosis Treatments With No Antibiotics

By now you are probably well aware that antibiotics are not the most helpful bacterial vaginosis treatment. Antibiotics work to get rid of BV for a time, but it is common for BV to reoccur. Please see my bacterial vaginosis and antibiotics article if you are unsure how antibiotics can cause chronic BV. It is possible for antibiotics to successfully treat the condition the first time, and some women are lucky enough to experience that. However, it is not the norm and most women tend to experience BV multiple times (see results of the current poll on sidebar).

Our bodies react to medicine and natural treatments differently. The following is a list of alternative treatments that have been submitted by this blog’s readers that have worked for them. Also, there are at-home treatment programs created by past vaginosis sufferers which give detailed instructions on how to get rid of BV. This includes prevention, natural treatments-including many home remedies, a diet plan (what foods to eat and what to avoid) and much more. So much time and research has been put into these books that they do come with a small price, but it may be worth it to stop the chronic cycle. I have reviewed the top three BV treatment programs here, or just click here to go to my favorite.

Here are some readers’ suggestions to get rid of BV (or at least reduce your symptoms):

  • Boric Acid – Ask you doctor about prescribing you pills that can be inserted vaginally. Typically the capsules are 500 mg, cost around $10 and usually are inserted daily for a couple weeks (or whatever your doctor recommends.)
  • Garlic contains a natural antibiotic known as Allistatin. It is best to incorporate garlic into your daily diet by crushing up as much as 1 bulb of garlic. Try to consume garlic while fighting BV as it also contains many vitamins, minerals, and other anti-fungal properties.
  • Try to eat foods with beta-carotene (which the body will produce into Vitamin A) as well as other foods enriched with Vitamins C and E.
  • Some have said that eating spinach helped them to reduce their BV symptoms, or have even helped them get rid of it. You can just buy it frozen and then steam it.
  • Yogurt is debatable as to how much it actually helps with BV symptoms. You see, yogurt naturally has the beneficial bacteria known as lactobacillus. Lactobacillus is also found inside your vagina and helps regulate bacterium levels. However the dairy lactobacillus is not the same strain of bacteria found in your vagina. See WebMD for more information. Nevertheless, many women will tell you that eating yogurt helped them to reduce their symptoms. You may try eating yogurt anyway, it is a healthy and tasty snack that definitely won’t hurt your condition.
  • A very good short term solution are RepHresh Vaginal Gels. These will help regulate the pH (acidity) of your vagina. These can be found at your local drug store (Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, etc.) but are usually cheapest here on Amazon.
  • Cranberry juice is the best juice to drink while fighting BV.
  • Some women have mentioned using probiotics and supplements such as Acidophilus or Folic Acid
    pills. I’ve linked to some on Amazon, but they can also be found at your local GNC store. One that is specifically made for vaginal conditions is known as Femdophilus. Femdophilus is getting great reviews on Amazon.
  • Another reader’s recommended treatment is Liquid Olive Leaf Extract. A very small dosage of olive leaf extract daily was used to get rid of BV symptoms.
  • One of my favorite supplements is known as Femanol. It contains nearly all of the natural treatments and ingredients listed above in one power packed supplement pill. Click here to review or purchase femanol. It is best known for its power to get rid of the awful “fishy” smell that often is associated with BV.

Hopefully one or more of these natural treatments will work for you so that you can kick the chronic BV/antibiotics cycle. Please feel free to add more of your own home remedies in the comments below. Good luck!

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Antibiotics and BV – What’s the Connection?

The vagina is full of bacteria, good and bad. The pH (how acidic or basic) determines what type of bacteria will thrive. It is normal for the vagina to have a pH of 3.8-4.5. It is when the pH becomes more basic, at levels higher than 4.5, that BV will occur. This is because the bad bacteria can thrive and begin to dominate. A good test to see whether or not you have BV is a pH test, such as the vH essentials or Vagisil screening test, which can be picked up at a local pharmacy.

Since antibiotics are effective against bacteria, vaginosis is commonly treated using antibiotics-namely Metronidazole (Flagyl). However, antibiotics are not capable of differentiating between the good and bad bacteria, and will kill all bacteria. Eventually, the bacteria will regrow, and it is when the harmful strains of bacteria re-outgrow the good, that the infection will occur. It is easy for women to get in a cycle of recurring infections, due to a continual antibiotic treatment plan. This is why home remedy treatment programs are becoming more popular as a way to treat BV. I have reviewed the most successful home treatment programs here.

Chronic bacterial vaginosis can occur due to a number of other factors, but relying solely upon antibiotics is the leading cause for chronic BV. There have been several studies and surveys of women with BV, that state that if you have been infected once, you are very likely to be infected again. If you are experiences recurring symptoms of BV, be sure to mention it to your OB/GYN to discuss alternative treatment options. You may find this article on BV home remedies useful.

In order for the vagina to regulate its acidity, there needs to be a careful balance of good and bad bacteria. Treatment with antibiotics does provide significant symptom relief, albeit temporarily in some cases. Unfortunately, many physicians seem to know nothing but antibiotics as a bacterial vaginosis treatment. It is recommended that you consider using natural supplements and remedies to help restore the proper balance of vaginal flora.

Some women find success using only antibiotics, while others have found success using only natural remedies. You may find success using either one of these options, however, your best chance of curing BV for good is to implement home remedies together with the use of doctor prescribed medication.

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Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment | Home Remedies

You should find comfort in knowing that treatments for bacterial vaginosis are typically fairly simple, and most are very effective. The key with using home remedies is that some will work for you, while others might not. Finding the ones that do work might be a trial and error process but is definitely recommended as part of your BV treatment plan. BV has been known to be a condition that can be recurrent as many women struggle with getting rid of it for good. If you find yourself going through multiple episodes of infection, it may have to due to your current treatment plan. Often the biggest cause for BV to become chronic is the use of antibiotics. Vaginosis occurs due to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria. Antibiotics is no respecter of bacteria – meaning, your vagina has both good and bad bacteria, and antibiotics kills both kinds, which does get rid of BV and its symptoms temporarily. However, if the bad then grow back faster than the good, the condition will likely return. Unfortunately many women rely solely upon antibiotics to get rid of the infection. It may be possible to get rid of bacterial vaginosis solely relying upon home remedies (using even items you have around the house now), but perhaps the most effective technique of treating BV is using a combination of both.

While antibiotics are doing their thing, it is important that you implement home remedies that will help restore the natural vaginal flora. As i mentioned before, because our bodies are all very different, some home remedies might work and some might not. A few past bacterial vaginosis sufferers have done years of research on home remedy treatments and put all their research into e-books (downloadable pdf files) that are available for a small price. You may be able to find some home remedies online for free, including here, but to have an immediate resource with numerous remedies as well as diet recommendations, health risks, herbal treatments, prevention techniques, etc., may well be worth the price (which is typically less than a co-pay at the doctor). Click here to view the most popular e-book, alternatively, view my review of the 3 most downloaded home BV treatment e-book programs.

It is unfortunate that there are not many over the counter products to treat BV directly. However, Femanol is a dietary supplement that has become very popular because it works well to get rid of the foul odor of vaginosis, as well as providing other health benefits. It is also very good at restoring the natural lactobacilli that get wiped out from antibiotics. Some of it’s natural ingredients include lactobacillus acidophilus, garlic, enema bark extract, vitamin B-6, and zinc.

Sometimes the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis can me confused for other vaginal infections. This is why it is very important to get your symptoms properly diagnosed before you take on a treatment program. Other infections that have similar symptoms are yeast infections and trichomoniasis. Even how intense your BV symptoms are will help to determine what treatment is right for you. For example, if you are suffering from mild symptoms, perhaps antibiotics might not be ideal since BV can reoccur worse than before.

What Antibiotics are Typically Used?

Antibiotics can either be taken orally or some are designed to be applied to the vagina. If you are given a cream, it is typically inserted using an application. It is done this way to make sure the correct dosage is given. The most popular antibiotic that is used is Metronidazole, but others include Clindamycin, Ceftriaxone, Tetracycline, and Ampicillin. Another antibiotic that is said to be effective in Europe is Tinidazole. It is currently being tested for use in the U.S. as a replacement for Metronidazole due to its lesser side effects. Clindamycin is not the ideal drug to be taken, as it has been linked to more serious side effects, including a severe intestinal condition.

What are Typical Home Remedies?

Tea tree oil, goldenseal and olive leaf extract, and garlic are popular home remedies for BV. Natural treatments have become very popular for treating BV, and while some may be skeptical, many women have testified of their effectiveness. In fact, a number of e-books, which are basically downloadable instructions of natural remedies for treating BV have been written and can be downloaded immediately. They do come with a small price, but the cost may be well worth the time you would save trying to find so many possible remedies as well as the cost of numerous doctor visits.

Even though it is typically the hardest to do (after all you can’t just take a pill and hope for the best), but changes in diet and activity can do wonders. Physical exercise and eating healthy foods will help to maintain good health and prevent BV from occurring. Also, it may be necessary to refrain from sexual activity for a time to reduce your symptoms.

Because a treatment program will depend of what type vaginal infection you have, be sure to read the bacterial vaginosis symptoms page and you may find this video from Dr. Oz on tips to avoid the gynecologist helpful. Make sure you get a proper diagnosis from a doctor if it is not obvious to you that you have bacterial vaginosis. Whatever you do, do not delay treatment, since unlike a yeast infection, bacteria vaginosis can lead to more serious complications.

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