I've had my Paraguard IUD for over two years and in this past year I developed persistent BV that does not get better from multiple and extended rounds of antibiotics. I have considered douching, either with products like Summer's Eve, or with homeopathic alternatives such as vinegar or tea tree oil. I am desperate to help clear up my BV but do not want to compromise my copper IUD. What are my options if antibiotics haven't worked, and just "keeping clean" and waiting it out, haven't cleared anything up?
Persistent BV a year after Paraguard IUD, douching? Treatment?
- Asked
- 1 Dec 2012 by lunarflair9
- Updated
- 28 July 2014
- Topics
- bacterial vaginitis, antibiotics, iud, douche, paragard
3 Answers
kaismama
1 Dec 2012
Have they cultured to see what bacteria are there? Don't douche. It can change the ph in your vagina and actually increase the growth of bacteria. If one gyne hasn't helped you, I'd go somewhere for a second opinion.
lunarflair9
3 Dec 2012
Yes they have run several cultures, I'm not sure of the names of the bacteria, but it was made clear to me that this was a textbook case of bacterial vaginosis and not a yeast infection or something else. Obviously the ph of my vagina is already upset and wrong since I have BV; douching will really make it worse? What about douching to clear everything out and then doing some sort of homeopathic treatments to try to regrow the helpful bacteria? How disgusting will my body be after a round of vaginally inserted cream from my doctor and no douching allowed? What are my options if no medications from my doctor make it better? Just living with it is not an option. It's ruining my life.
kaismama
3 Dec 2012
Unless your dr tells you it would be good to douche and what to use its not a good idea. I know living with it is not an option, I had it. It took Bactrim and flagyl at the same time to get rid of it. I know people don't believe it, but our bodies clean themselves. We don't need douches or detoxifing. There is some reason the antibiotics aren't reaching it, and the doc needs to come up with that. If they did a culture they know what antibiotics work the best, so maybe its just a matter of he doesn't have you on them long enough.
Tbug57301
30 Jan 2014
I suffered with BV for a year. After many antibiotics and creams, I finally got the advice of a woman who worked at a health food store. She said it has more to do with the colon and the things we eat. She suggested I do a 5 day body cleanse and start taking a probiotic twice daily called Ultimate Flora Women's Complete. This worked for 6 months. But because I started to eat all the same foods again, it came back. I simply did the cleanse again and continued taking the probiotic. I am once again symptom free. The only thing that hasn't returned is my youthful pharmone smell down there. My husband says it doesn't smell at all so he still enjoys (as I do) the oral sex in our relationship. I hope this helps a lot of you who are suffering like I was!!!
DzooBaby
3 Dec 2012
I agree with kaismama-dont douche, you will just compound things but I will tell you a way to get rid of this and you must do it EXACTLY as I tell you. Go to the healthfood store and get empty gelatin capsules-the larger ones, then get some powdered boric acid from the pharmacy. Fill three capsules with boric acid powder and insert one capsule into the vagina (as high up in there as you can get it with your finger) Do this three nights in a row-one capsule per night. This will strip the tissues and kill any bacteria or yeasts that are up there. Now you have to replace the beneficial bacterial flora that are there to keep the bad ones in check. This is probably why your antibiotics are not working. They are killing off the good as well as the bad. You get yourself a small carton of plain unsweetened yogurt. If you have a vaginal applicator from one of your other vaginal meds, use an applicator full of yogurt up into the vagina at least one, if not two nights.
Wear a pad or pantiliner as this can be messy for a day or so. If you dont have an applicator you can try using a spoon or buy a turkey baster so that you get that yogurt up into the vagina. This will get you back to rights. Be sure that once you make the capsules, you use them. Dont leave any lying around because if they accidentally get swallowed, it will poison the swallower-boric acid is deadly poison if swallowed by mouth. This is the routine I use for any vaginal infections-bacterial or yeast and it works better and without any side effects than any other med-cream or pill-that I've tried. I always keep a small bottle of boric acid and unfilled capsules on hand and I go buy the yogurt as needed. Just be sure to label the yogurt or throw it away after using it so someone doesnt eat it-yuck! This routine does work!! DO NOT use tea tree oil! You will be very sorry if you do! Vaginal douches not only kill everything, good and bad, they can force bacteria higher into the uterus and cause PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). Like I said, it will just compound your problems.
kaismama
3 Dec 2012
Very interesting. Have you ever thought of using probiotic capsules instead of yogurt?
want2kno310
16 Jan 2013
I ve had BV once before. About six months ago. The doctor prescribed me some flagyl and everything cleared up, I was ecstatic!!! To say the least. It had made me VERY self conscious for a while. Not knowing what the problem was exactly at first. I recently in the last almost three weeks had got the copper IUD put in. I have already been extremely happy with it. Because i had just gotten off the pill so my hormones were messed up. The IUD evened everything out. So about three weeks into the IUD my Boyfriend and I had sex. My boyfriend told me to smell his penis after we were done having sex it smelled like straight tuna fish. Nasty. It never even smelled that bad before when I had BV. The IUD will intensify anything that is wrong within the vagina. DO NOT keep taking the antibiotics and do not keep douching with regular over the counter stuff. I know your thinking I must be out of my mind but here is why. See your vagina has both good and bad bacteria in it to balance your ph.
What happens is the bad bacteria out grows the good bacteria giving you that awful smell among other unpleasant symptoms. When you take the antibiotics what your doing is killing everything. The GOOD the BAD everything. So as you can see its only a matter of time before the bv comes back again probably worse. What you should do and what has changed my life is douche with hydrogen peroxide. I know this sounds weird but I swear its a miracle. The hydrogen peroxide kills all the bad bacteria and only leaves the good. Unlike antibiotics which kill everything... You can tell how bad the imbalance is by how much it bubbles. If it bubbles a lot than you know your going to need to do it again. I did it for about three days. Twice a day for the first two and than once the last day. By the third day it didn't bubble at all. But by the second night all the smell was gone. I only did it the third day too see if it would bubble( any bad bacteria still left) Now the amount is up to you. It depends on your vagina and how it reacts. Go to the store and buy a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide and a douche bottle. empty the douche bottle of contents and fill it 40% hydrogen peroxide and 60 % (very important detail) with bottled water or distilled water. Tap water has too much bacteria in it and will exasperate the problem. Than douche. Like i said do it twice a day for the first two days and once the second. ( Or until the solution doesn't bubble in your vagina) Me personally I used an old yeast infection medicine applicator, you know the kind the comes in like monistat. I filled it up with straight hydrogen peroxide. The first time I did it, it burned a little and than went away quickly. I think this is due to all the bacteria. because the last day I did it it did not burn at all. If your vagina can take it you can do it this way, but if not dilute the hydrogen peroxide. Next is to maintain your levels of perfect PH. I take both acidophillus pills from the vitamin store. I also take live liquid cultures everyday. You can also get this at any health food store. It usually comes in a brown bottle. the good ones at least. Just make sure its live culture of liquid acidophillus. This combination worked wonders for me. I am told that this regimen keeps the bv away for months. but if you feel like its coming on again just douche with hydrogen peroxide and you will be good to go. I hope this info helps you as much as it has helped me. I love my IUD. My boyfriends and I relationship is stronger than ever and I have my self esteem back!!!
lunarflair9
30 Jan 2014
Where did you get the recommendation to use hydrogen peroxide? A doctor? Isn't that stuff pretty intense? Sounds like it would be a risk to the good bacteria in my vagina... Does the hydrogen peroxide have any effects on the IUD? Your answer sounds too good to be true.
StinkyDiva
4 May 2014
When I posted my comment I had not seen your post
I just want to tell you that hydrogen peroxide works, Your additional information has really helped. Yay girl power!
lirps
28 Jul 2014
I've been douching with hydrogen peroxide for the past two years. It works for a few days in a row, but after that, goes back to the same fishy smell and massive discharge. I just ordered some probiotics, hopefully that will help. But the hydrogen peroxide douching once a day or more has been just a temporary fix for me. It doesn't just get rid of BV; it only stops the obvious symptoms from being obvious for a few days. Or a few hours, depending on where you are in your cycle.
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