For the girls: Somethings wrong with my Vajayjay!!!

[X4biddenxLustX]

Warning: This is probably going to be a gross post, so read only if your not easily grossed out! Sorry!

So I'm going to be calling a gyna's office that I've been visiting again for the THIRD time cause I have a yeast and bacterial infection (Bacterial Vaginosis) that just won't go away. It's been like over a month now since I've tried treating it. I didn't think it was anything until I started noticing irritation. I got tested for STD's twice which came back negative. I have been with the same partner for 2 1-2 years now so I doubt it has to really do much with him. It's just a stupid yeast and bacterial infection. I got both as a result of taking antibiotics for strep throat , cause I started noticing a little bit of discharge about 2 weeks after finishing those antibiotics. This seems to happen quite frequently whenever I take antibiotics.

I'm not sure what is going on exactly. Cause during the last course of treatment ( I got cream for the yeast infection and Tindamax for the BV) I ended up getting my period 3 days into it. So I couldn't really tell if the infections ever went away at all. But I'm still having the same symptoms. I'm really trying to figure out why this keeps happening cause I took all of my meds. It may of been that I wasn't consistent in the time frame of taking them cause of work and just forgetting (this is the same reason why I can't take the pill lol). But I definitely finished whatever was given to me in the pill bottle.

Could it be that I'm not changing my towels often enough? They get thrown into the hamper to be washed when used twice. I did switch to a different soap for a few days until I broke out all over my body cause I was allergic to it. I switched back to my normal soap afterward. I hate to ask this cause this is going to be TMI but I feel uncomfortable asking the gyna. But I have been noticing that I sweat quite a bit down there whenever I am wearing my work pants (black dressy pants). I can be just taking a short walk in those pants and start noticing that I'm getting sweaty. There not really thick or heavy pants either, pretty thin actually. As a result I've stopped wearing thongs with my work pants (Ive actually stopped wearing thongs all together until this is all cleared up) and have been only wearing regular under that is made out of mostly cotton. But I still keep sweating a lot down there....

Can any of you ladies think of something that I may of have not covered that *could* be attributing to my recurrent yeast and bv?

 

[fadedillusions]

u may be allergic to latex condoms (if u use them) thats what happened to me

 

[TISH1124]

^^ me too

 

[babydollala]

definitely the antibiotics. are u on them long term or frequently for anything? if so, its best to take a course of diflucan after u finish ur antibiotics. ask your doctor to prescribe it to u whenever u get an antibiotic because of your recurring problem with yeast infections to aviod the problem before it even begins.

(my bf is a pharmacist)


as for the sweating part, i dont know why that happens, but usually moist warm environments contribute to the growth of bacteria/fugus.

def stick to cotton non thong underwear, even AFTER your infection just to give your body a longer time to be "infection free" id say at least for a month so your body doesnot become suceptable again. Also, dont wear spandex pants/tights/ tight pants they dont let u breathe down there!

also, sometimes underwear may not get completely clean ffrom just washing in the machine. when u have an infection, maybe you should wash your underwear with boiling/really hot water or something. im sure u can look this up somewhere.

Also,dont wash with scented soaps down there since ur already sensitive. unscented is better for u. and try to aviod sex while having an infection it may interfere with the whole healing process.

Forgetting to take meds when ur suppose to is also an issue. when u dont take it and leave hours between your next pill, it opens a window for bacteria to grow. doctors tell u to take it for example every 12 hours so your drug levels in your body remain at a certain threshold to be effective.

dont be afraid to inquire with your gyno about ANYTHING. they have seen, smelled, heard it all so nothing really "grosses" them out. its their profession, to help you! you may feel embarassed but im sure thye can offer much much more help about your problem than myself, or trying to self diagnose.

I hope u get better i know its probably an annoying problem. I have problems with my kidneys and recurring UTI's and am on antibiotics a lot. You're not alone in terms of recurring conditions

bottom line: just as your doctor.

 

[TISH1124]

I used to get UTI's and Bacterial vaginosis all the time....

All the following contributed to mine..I was so tired of getting the same answers from drs...My sister is a Pathologist so she had the results sent to her to evaluate ...and determine what was causing it not just treating it for right then....because it always came back

IUD
Douching
Birth Control pills
Diet High in Sugar and Starches
Caffeine
Latex condoms
Not urinating directly after intercourse
Antibiotics
Tampons
Tight fitting Clothing/Underwear


Also my dh had to be treated with antibiotics as well because for some reason he was carrying a basteria that he kept giving back to me everytime we had intercourse....After we both took the meds, I have not had a return of the BV in about 4 years....I still occassionally get UTI's but not as many because I drink plenty of Cranberry Juice and I always make sure to urinate directly after intercourse.

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Thanks ladies. Sounds weird but I'm kind of embarassed to even ask anyone of my female friends about this. Just cause then they'd probably think ewwww and look at me weird lol. Cause I just feel so gross right now. I'm hoping that they can fit me somewhere in the schedule tomorrow at the gyna office, cause I just want this done and over with!!!! It's been bugging me long enough. I have never had any vaginal infection last this long or be this persistant.

I definitely am one of those girls who are very suspectible to infections when on antibiotics. I was on antibiotics for 18 days before I got this. And yeah my gyna told me the same, that whenever I get a script for antibiotics to let the doctor prescribing know that I am prone to vaginal infections and if I could get a script for diflucan or cream. But the thing is that, I've taken diflucan already for the yeast infection THREE times now, and then the cream and it's still here. I did have BV in addition to that but he wasn't able to see it under the microscope in the beginning cause of the yeast. I'm thinking that one of them is letting the other thrive which is making it harder to treat.

I don't use condoms all the time (bad I know, I know) but when I do I just regular latex ones and have never ever had any problems. I have also used polyurethane sp? ones in the past a few times with no problems also. But I have noticed that lube can be a problem for me. I had about a month ago used some to help take my nuvaring out and insert a new one. I noticed irritation immediately afterward and the next morning I could feel a burning sensation and my yeast and BV got worse suddenly after that. I don't use lube for sex for that very reason cause it's happened with a different brand of lube too. The surgical lube gyna's use in their offices never give me any issues though, no burning, no irritation. I want to find out what is in it or where I could get it at.

I'll take your advice to sticking to regular cotton panties for a while. The ones I have are super comfy too so I won't be missing thongs all that much =] This will probably be an excuse to go buy some more cute cotton panties lol. Idk what to do about the crotch sweat when I wear my work pants though. Besides wearing cotton undies, Idk what else I could really do about it. Sweats have also been my friend lately as they are much looser and comfy. I had also thought about my undies not being completely clean when being washed. I hand wash all my undies and most of my clothes cause my washer will destroy them. Last time I washed my undies I washed them with warm water with the Victoria's Secret detergent, salt (heard it helps to get clothes really clean), and some liquid antibacterial hand soap to try to help kill whatever maybe lingering. I rinsed them very well and let them air dry immediately afterward. Next time I'm going to just use hotter water and let it soak longer with the detergent.

I'm going to be sticking with my Caress bar soap that I have been using for years for my body. It's one of the very few soaps that will not leave that later of soap scum on your skin and break me out. Do you recommend any of those special summer's eve feminine washes?

Now, I'm really thinking that the meds failed cause I didn't do a good job of taking them on time. The same thing happened the first time I had to take antibiotics for strep throat. So I had to go on even more antibiotics after the first round to get rid of it. I'm going to ask my gyna if I still have BV for a different type of antibiotic. The one that they usually prescribe for BV is Metronidazole but I have a very bad intolerance to it, and am starting to notice that while on Tinidazole (same group as Metronidazole. I had taken it once in the past) I get quite sick the third day I'm on it. Antibiotics also seem to interfere with my Nuvaring and I'll usually experience a period when I was not suppose to be getting one. And I'm thinking that cause of my period, the yeast infection cream didn't work as well.

I'm super suprised (but happy and thankful) that I have yet gotten a UTI. Considering how much and how long I hold my pee in sometimes especially at work. I try to pee as much as I can right after sex, and I usually get the urge to anyways.

I'm hoping my partner doesn't need to be treated cause he has no insurance. Plus this whole situation is super embarassing. Do you ladies have any suggestions on how to kind of tell him about this without completely freaking out or grossing the boy out? I had one explained to him once about vaginal infections and how they can be caused by antibiotics cause I have frequent problems with my throat and tonsils that require them.

 

[TISH1124]

Bacterial infections are just that...it could be something he gave you...not necessarily you him....It's not like a STD..just a hormone imbalance or break down somewhere...don't be ashamed to talk to him...My doctor wrote the prescription for my dh he never had to go...he said it wouldn't hurt him to take them ... but he couldn't figure out why I kept getting them and wanted to just make sure we were both treated. Men can get yeast infections as well.

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TISH1127 Bacterial infections are just that...it could be something he gave you...not necessarily you him....It's not like a STD..just a hormone imbalance or break down somewhere...don't be ashamed to talk to him...My doctor wrote the prescription for my dh he never had to go...he said it wouldn't hurt him to take them ... but he couldn't figure out why I kept getting them and wanted to just make sure we were both treated. Men can get yeast infections as well.

I'll have to let the gyna know EVERYTHING cause I really want to get all the bases covered. I just want this gone!

Either way, I think my partner should know cause I might keep getting it back again from sex. I just don't want him to get suspicious and think it's some STD when it's just a normal vaginal infection every female gets at least once in their lifetime. I think I'm going to have to emphasize a lot that to him that this is not an STD at all and that it just happens sometimes for many reasons.

 

[TISH1124]

^^^^ maybe have him go with you

 

[TISH1124]

[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]Can men get yeast infections?
Yes, men can contract a yeast infection if they have unprotected sexual activity with a partner who has a yeast infection. If both partners are not treated, they can keep re-infecting each other. Male sexual partners may develop genital irritation and genital itching, especially if they are uncircumcised, but usually there is no discharge.[/FONT]

[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]How is it diagnosed?Yeast infections should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. There are over-the-counter medications available for women who have had professional guidance about how to recognize the symptoms. Otherwise, it is necessary to meet with your medical provider because it's easy to think you have a yeast infection when you may really have a more serious infection or condition such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. In fact, recent studies found that many women misdiagnose their own yeast infections and use one of the over-the-counter treatments when no yeast infection is actually present. Over time, a woman's body may become drug-resistant to yeast infection medication, and the real problem is never treated.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]To diagnose a yeast infection, your medical provider will perform a vaginal exam. Samples of vaginal discharge are obtained for examination under a microscope. If you have recurring infections, some of the discharge may be cultured to see if yeast or another type of organism is present. [/FONT]

[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]How is it treated?
Once your medical provider has confirmed that you have a yeast infection, s/he will prescribe an antifungal pill such as Diflucan, or an over-the-counter antifungal cream or suppository such as GyneLotrimin or Monistat. These medications vary from a single-dose treatment to a week-long series of treatments. You can pick up your prescription, cream, or suppository treatment in the pharmacy at Health Services. [/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]If you have a strong suspicion that you have a yeast infection because of past experiences with yeast infections and there has been no change in your sexual history (no new partner, no unprotected genital contact), you may elect to try one of the over-the-counter yeast treatments first. If your symptoms do not go away, you should then see your medical provider for an exam. [/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]Sexual partners who have no symptoms of a yeast infection usually don't need treatment. A partner (male or female) with symptoms should see a provider for evaluation and concurrent treatment. While the treatment is underway, a latex barrier during sex may prevent passing the infection to a partner. HOWEVER, if you are using yeast creams or suppositories, the ingredients may damage the latex of condoms, diaphragms and dental dams. So, using a latex barrier is not recommended with these treatments because the latex may break. To minimize the risk of passing the infection to a partner and to speed healing, it is generally recommended that you abstain from sexual activity until all of your symptoms have resolved. [/FONT]

Yeast Infections

 

[babydollala]

aww im glad you're more opened now to tell ur doc everything...thats a good thing. and think of it...u tell them everything now, cover the bases, and if it ever happens again they'll already know where to start from there.

about the soaps, i was told my my gyno not to use any special soaps like feminine washes or douches..or watever its called. use what works for you i guess.

How to tell ur bf? umm...i started by telling my bf i have a pretty weak immune system (which is very true...i can get sick from anything i swear!) and that my body has problems fighting off infections,...etc.

I shower after i go to the bathroom (not pee..the other one sorry tmi)...i wash off immediately after sex, i take about 1800mg of cranberrry tablets per day (cranberry juice doesnt cuz it anymore, its expensive to find 100% unsweeten anyways) and im on nitrofurantoin, prescribed by my urologist. i take one 50mg capsule only on days i have sex to rpevent UTI's. so far no UTI's yet! im soo happy. Last year alone i had 18 UTI infections, pylonephritis (sp?)...just effed up my kidneys and the strain of bacteria became resistent to the drugs i was taking

SO...sorry i was ranting about myself for a paragraph, BUT maybe since u have had a history of yeast infections/ BV the strain is different and more difficult to treat, and why diflucan doesnt work for u.

anyways, don't feel embarassed/sad/ watever females go thru it at some point in their life. I hope u get to go to the gyno soon and get better. You'll be fine...no worries. Take care hun

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Lol, I can only imagine how awkward things would be if he came with me to the gyna. But I guess it could reassure him that it is not an STD or anything crazy like that. He'd believe a medical professional more than me definitely. I bought him some cologne, and I could use this as bribe to get him to go with me lol.

 

[TISH1124]

hey it's part of life....He does not have to be in the room for the exam just for the talk afterwards...Also if you guys ever plan on having kids...trust he will see you in more ways than you ever imagined and thet he ever wanted to.

 

[babydollala]

Tish is right!

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by babydollala aww im glad you're more opened now to tell ur doc everything...thats a good thing. and think of it...u tell them everything now, cover the bases, and if it ever happens again they'll already know where to start from there. about the soaps, i was told my my gyno not to use any special soaps like feminine washes or douches..or watever its called. use what works for you i guess. How to tell ur bf? umm...i started by telling my bf i have a pretty weak immune system (which is very true...i can get sick from anything i swear!) and that my body has problems fighting off infections,...etc. I shower after i go to the bathroom (not pee..the other one sorry tmi)...i wash off immediately after sex, i take about 1800mg of cranberrry tablets per day (cranberry juice doesnt cuz it anymore, its expensive to find 100% unsweeten anyways) and im on nitrofurantoin, prescribed by my urologist. i take one 50mg capsule only on days i have sex to rpevent UTI's. so far no UTI's yet! im soo happy. Last year alone i had 18 UTI infections, pylonephritis (sp?)...just effed up my kidneys and the strain of bacteria became resistent to the drugs i was taking SO...sorry i was ranting about myself for a paragraph, BUT maybe since u have had a history of yeast infections/ BV the strain is different and more difficult to treat, and why diflucan doesnt work for u. anyways, don't feel embarassed/sad/ watever females go thru it at some point in their life. I hope u get to go to the gyno soon and get better. You'll be fine...no worries. Take care hun

I'm the type of person that everyone considers a hypochondriac. Maybe I am, and if so I have very good reason to be! Like you, I do have a more weaker immune system plus I'm always eating the wrong foods, not very physically active, and am super prone to infections in the throat and tonsils. On top of that I'm always stressing out. I'm basically doing everything someone can probably do to weaken their immune system right now lol. I'm always telling the boy this but he always tells me that I'm WebMDing too much lol.

18 UTI's in 1 year?! Ouch! I'm so sorry hun! I had a friend who last year had a very bad UTI that they had thought was a kidney infection and had to be hospitalized for a few days. I'm very hesistant on taking antibiotics unless I absolutely have to these days cause of the possibility of resistance. And yeah I've probably become resistant to the diflucan. It use to work so well for yeast infections in the past and after it was gone, I wouldnt get it again for a very long time. I'm hoping that my gyna can prescribe another oral medication rather than a cream.

This also reminds me that I NEED to start peeing when I have to and not holding it in. My work is very anal about having someone in the department at all times, and I work by myself alot so I just hold it in til I get a chance to take a break. Screw that, if I need to pee, I'll pee lol.

Would cranberry tablets provide any protection against yeast infections possibly? If so, I need to go grab some next time I'm at work. I don't like the juice at all so I can't count on myself drinking it on a regular basis.

I don't have as much of a hard time naturally talking to females about this type of a thing. But I have the worst time talking to guys about it. I always think that since their guys and don't have vaginas they won't truly get it lol. I guess it's time to change that thought, well at least part of it cause men will never have vaginas lol.

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TISH1127 hey it's part of life....He does not have to be in the room for the exam just for the talk afterwards...Also if you guys ever plan on having kids...trust he will see you in more ways than you ever imagined and thet he ever wanted to.

LOL, true true! I'm a bit insecure about the way my body looks these days. He always reassures me that he's still very much attracted to me and that he's seen every part of me already hundreds of times now. And also reassures me that none of me bothers him. Let's hope he's telling the truth haha!

 

[babydollala]

Quote:

Originally Posted by X4biddenxLustX This also reminds me that I NEED to start peeing when I have to and not holding it in. My work is very anal about having someone in the department at all times, and I work by myself alot so I just hold it in til I get a chance to take a break. Screw that, if I need to pee, I'll pee lol. Would cranberry tablets provide any protection against yeast infections possibly? If so, I need to go grab some next time I'm at work. I don't like the juice at all so I can't count on myself drinking it on a regular basis.

LOL yes! peeing is soo good i hate holding!

umm...i think cranberry tablets are just for maintaining a healthy urinary tract. what happens is that its properties make the walls of your bladder and urinary tract slippery so bacteria cant cling to it and thrive. they just flush out when u go pee. I think it also alters the cilia on the bacteria so it bends and makes it harder to cling to your bladder/urinary tract.
(im not BS-ing...im was a bio major and did a senior thesis on this)

i duno,...maybe if the yeast infection bacteria spread to ur urinary tract (i duno if thats possible) it could help do the same? dont take my word for it.okay..this part might just be BS. HAHA.


cranberry tablets are perfectly fine for u..no side effects, its just like eating cranberries. if u do buy, make sure u get the one that has 100% cranberry. oh they also make ones with vitamin C in it...that boosts ur immune system. i think thats good also. I get CVS brand ones, all drugs are the same whether its brand name or not, same shit inside, or thats what my bf tells me. he works at CVS pharmacy.

i got two 100 count pills for 6.99 once cuz they were on sale!

id reccomend that if u have UTI problems too. I also dont like being on antibiotics, so any naturopathic ways i cand find, ill use. every since i started the cranberry tablets my UTI's decreased so im very happy with the results!

 

[babydollala]

oh yea drinking plenty of water helps flush out ur system too.

i dont drink soda, high sugar drinks anymore. (okay i drink cherry pepsi in the movie theater and that is it! i love it i just have to have it when im watching a movie) and i cut back on candy. bacteria THRIVE on sugars it basically feeds them!

but yes...water is about all i drink nowadays....

 

[Esme]

My husband's first wife passed away (at the age of 32, it's such a sad story!) from diabetes. She was on meds for a long time before she passed that suppressed her immune system (kidney transplant) and he had to take meds several times when she developed yeast infections (called Thrush here, I found out). It is not uncommon at all.

 

[X4biddenxLustX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by babydollala LOL yes! peeing is soo good i hate holding! umm...i think cranberry tablets are just for maintaining a healthy urinary tract. what happens is that its properties make the walls of your bladder and urinary tract slippery so bacteria cant cling to it and thrive. they just flush out when u go pee. I think it also alters the cilia on the bacteria so it bends and makes it harder to cling to your bladder/urinary tract. (im not BS-ing...im was a bio major and did a senior thesis on this) i duno,...maybe if the yeast infection bacteria spread to ur urinary tract (i duno if thats possible) it could help do the same? dont take my word for it.okay..this part might just be BS. HAHA. cranberry tablets are perfectly fine for u..no side effects, its just like eating cranberries. if u do buy, make sure u get the one that has 100% cranberry. oh they also make ones with vitamin C in it...that boosts ur immune system. i think thats good also. I get CVS brand ones, all drugs are the same whether its brand name or not, same shit inside, or thats what my bf tells me. he works at CVS pharmacy. i got two 100 count pills for 6.99 once cuz they were on sale! id reccomend that if u have UTI problems too. I also dont like being on antibiotics, so any naturopathic ways i cand find, ill use. every since i started the cranberry tablets my UTI's decreased so im very happy with the results!

Quote:

Originally Posted by babydollala oh yea drinking plenty of water helps flush out ur system too. i dont drink soda, high sugar drinks anymore. (okay i drink cherry pepsi in the movie theater and that is it! i love it i just have to have it when im watching a movie) and i cut back on candy. bacteria THRIVE on sugars it basically feeds them! but yes...water is about all i drink nowadays....

I hate holding it in too, sometimes I can imagine little icky bacteria multiplying inside of me cause I don't go pee when I should lol!! My mom is always giving me hell about it and also for the fact that I'm dehydrated a lot of the time especially at work. When break time comes I chug my whole bottle of water and go and buy something else to drink afterward.

I've cut down my soda intake dramatically over these few months. I love the stuff but not what it does to my body. I try to mainly stick to water and use crystal light to give it some flavor. Lately I've been really craving some juice and finally bought some. The Vitamin C is always good, I'll just have to not overdo it cause of the sugars in it.

I'm going to pick up some cranberry tablets tomorrow at work since I work at a drugstore and get a discount there. I do agree that the generic kind is pretty much the same thing as the name brand. I always try to buy generic as much as I can to save money. Considering how much I hold my pee in and everything, the cranberry tablets should be a great preventative measure against UTI's. I'm surprised I haven't gotten one yet. Plus the antioxidants are great also!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esme My husband's first wife passed away (at the age of 32, it's such a sad story!) from diabetes. She was on meds for a long time before she passed that suppressed her immune system (kidney transplant) and he had to take meds several times when she developed yeast infections (called Thrush here, I found out). It is not uncommon at all.

I'm so sorry hun! 32 is just so young. I feel you on the diabetes issue, my dad has it now and he's 52. He's on meds for it but he's very bad about his diet and taking care of himself that I always worry. I also worry about myself too since it seems to run in my family on my dad's side. I really want to change my diet to a much healthier one cause if there is anything I can do to try to nip it in the butt now I want to do it. My doctor said that since it can be hereditary I am at risk but at this point I'm not THAT at risk for it. But my younger on the hand who is really overweight got a warning from the doc that he needs to start taking care of himself.