Your experience with Bacterial Vaginosis and/or Group B Strep?

[Lucy&Jude'sMama]

So TMI...

Anyways I was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis and I was given 500 mg of Metronidazole to be taken in 12 hour increments for 7 days.

I have recurring yeast infections (ya how much does that suck! I've never figured out why or been able to cure them permanently) so I'm use to there being issues down there, so it came to no surprise to me that I had BV and I was just happy to get some treatment for it. Took the antibiotics with out question and after 7 days things seem to have improved. Well now it's about a week later and I'm having issues again with itchiness, burning & swelling after sex, and the odor seems to have come back slightly. Not to the extent that it was but its definitely not as fresh. It is slightly better when I'm not sexual active with my partner, but the day after sex its absolutely unbearably painful. Then it calms down but I'll still have mild-moderate irritation.

Soooo I don't really know what to do at this point!?!?! I don't want to take more antibiotics mainly because I've since read that Metronidazole can cause you to get Group B Strep which is very dangerous to the baby. I'm getting tested for GBS at my next appointment. I'm really worried that I'll have it. It seems very likely. Which means I will have to have antibiotics during labor which means an IV stuck in my arm and attached to me. I will not refuse this if I test positive because I've now read a lot of stories of babies dying from being infected with GBS, but I'm very annoyed at my midwives for not informing me that by taking the antibiotic I was putting myself at a higher risk of getting GBS. And then on top of that I also really hate being attached to anything during labor, I was planning to go into the hospital at the last possible time, and well ahhhhhh it all just sucky suck sucks! I don't know if I have GBS yet so I shouldn't be panicking already, but after reading that Metronidazole carries with it a greater risk of getting GBS I'm just frustrated with the whole situation.

So anyone know what my options are? Know any good BV remedies?

I'm really starting to hate my vagina with a passion! Ahhhh! I just want all of this to go away! Recurring yeast infections, now BV and now possible GBS! Grrrrr!!!!

[Aliy]

there is a diet i think you can go on that can help with yeast. and try having some probiotics. you can get them at a health food store. I know several people have taken them to help with GBS.....

GBS can also be random, i tested positive then negative then postive again all in one pregnancy.

you are still early enough you should be able to do something

[livinzoo]

I was diagnosed with BV 2 weeks ago. I was given 250mg of metro to take 3 times a day for 7 days . I didn't know and wasn't told about the issues with it and group B Strep. Anyways after 2 days off the metro I started noticing the itching. Well I read up on natural remedies. Because I have previa am not supposed to use anything internally. So I decided to use a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide a few times a day and plain yougurt applied externally at night. If I could use things internally they say a hydrogern peroxide douche and acidophillis pill internally. The itching is gone, but I figure I will keep things up for at least a week to make sure they are permenantlly gone. I read a good bit about how BV increased your chance of premature membrane rupture, which scares me. Hoping to get news on Wednesday regarding if the placenta has moved so that I can get off pelvic rest.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

could your partner be re-infecting you? Have they been tested and treated? alot of times these things are asymptomatic.

[MaerynPearl]

I had BV... did NOT get GBS (this is third pregnancy without... out of three pregnancies being tested for it)

I agree to look into a diet to help with the yeast and BV... you need to get your pH levels right, if they are off then you become a breeding ground for yeast and/or BV

[DivineMrsM]

i had BV constantly while prego with ds2. No GBS though.

[Jenne]

I have been yeast free for about 2 years now after having recurrent infection since my first gyn exam at 17. So about 14 years of diflucan and internal treatment.

What I did (I wasn't pregnant so I don't know if the herbs are safe for pregnancy or not): Apple cider vinegar 1-2 tablespoons into 8oz of water morning and night, capricillic acid, kombucha or other fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir, stopped all dairy which was ultra pasteurized, coconut oil 1 tablespoon morning and night, eliminated yeast from bread products

Basically it is 3 fold approach- recolonizing the gut with good bacteria (to keep yeast in check), acidifying system to kill off extra yeast, not introducing new yeast to GI track. I can now eat bread with yeast and have almost no problems. I have not added back in ultra high pasteurized dairy though and have continued one occassion to eat fermented foods.

I wish you all the best. The yeast/BV treadmill is nasty, nasty!

Jenne

[Evergreen]

I have two GBS experiences. Never in my urine though, I'd definitely opt for antibiotics in that case without a second thought.

#1- I tested positive at 36 weeks, did some woo treatments and still tested pos. again at 40 weeks. I ended up getting the antibiotics. It was easy. I didn't' have an IV so they put a hep lock in and gave me one dose and another right before it was time to push. I thought it would be a big deal to have someone messing around with my veins in labor but it wasn't a big deal at all. I didnt' experience any yeast nor did the baby.

#2- I opted out of the test and later transferred to the hospital. Of course the hospital was extremely paranoid because they'd had a baby die from it a month before so they really encouraged 48 hour monitoring. We stayed in the hospital an extra 24 hours which sucked because I was ready to go home and didn't have insurance at the time. She was fine though.

This time I'm going to do the same thing as I did the first time.

[hannahmae]

I just read your post and have also struggled with recurrent yeast infections throughout my teens and twenties. I pretty much had chronic infections for about 10 years but made major dietary changes about 6 years ago and have not had a major infection ever since. There is a lot of literature out there on the connection between diet and chronic yeast. The simple answer is that sugar--in any form--feeds the yeast so I started with a pretty serious 6 month cleanse. Not a single bit of sugar, whether fruit, wheat, alcohol, trace amounts in bottled sauces, etc. It was hard, ate pretty much steamed vegetables and lean meats and brown rice for the duration and couldn't do restaurants but at the end of it my system was more balanced and ready for the reintroduction of some sugars. I still avoid wheat and limit simple sugars, cannot tolerate beer at all, but you learn as you go what your body can and can't handle. It is worth the experimentation.

On another note, I am pregnant with my first and have fortunately not had any BV during pregnancy but just found out I am GB positive. Now I am struggling with the decision about antibiotics, knowing my history with yeast infections, and doing a natural route of hibeclens, etc. -- I am doing a HB. Ask your midwife about alternatives to antibiotics, considering your sensitivity.

[trekkingirl]

I had chronic yeast in my teens which was diagnosed as BV after a few years of diflucan and over the counter creams. What cured me was ironically suggested by my OB although it didn't sound like protocal to me. She had me take boric acid and fill up a pill capsule and insert it into my vagina every month after my period. I did this for about six months and have since never had one single yeast infection. It's been at least eight years. I don't think you should try this while pregnant though? Maybe ask your OB/midwife?

[CallMeMommy]

I used to get recurrent BV and oral pills never worked, I always had to get the cream form that you inserted vaginally. If you're still having symptoms, you might want to get retested and maybe request the cream (and if you weren't so far along I'd go on and on about how BV can cause premature rupture of membranes, it happened to me at 31 weeks, but at almost 36 weeks I don't think it'll be an issue ) No insight on the GBS, I never made it that far with my first and opted out of testing with my other two.

[nofun]

Your symptoms sound similar to mine.  I've had numerous infections over the past 1.5 years, and every time I go the doctor the culture comes back positive for group B strep. Most of the doctors I've seen have refused to believe that strep b is the cause of my symptoms, I even had one doctor tell me that strep be was a "red herring" for other diseases.  Still, no one has been able to find any evidence of any STD or other infectious disease in my system.  I've found that antibiotics work for a time, but the infection always comes back eventually.  I'm opposed to constantly taking antibiotics, as I've found that that's been terrible for my digestive system.  But I've found some ways to manage the symptoms, which are generally not sanctioned my my doctors, but really seem to help.  The best remedy I can offer is to periodically douche with hydrogen peroxide and water (approx. 1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide, 1 and 2/3 cup water.)  If you do this once a week or so, or at times of the month when you are especially prone symptoms, this should keep your symptoms at bay.  I've also found that boric acid capsules, which can be proscribed by a doctor, are also somewhat effective and are slightly more convenient than douching.  I use these to keep my symptoms away, but if I have a problem, I use the douche.  When my problem gets more serious I douche every day, up to twice a day, for a couple of weeks, until it gets better.  If that fails, then I will go to my doctor for antibiotics.  But I've only had to do that once in the past year.  Also, my boyfriend and I use condoms. We tried sex without it, but it always made me irritated, and I definitely think it helps keep my symptoms away.  I'm not sure how this is going to play out when I want to get pregnant, but I'm sure I'll find a work around using the hydrogen peroxide and boric acid capsules.  Hope this helps.  I'm told there is no cure for GBS, but then again, no one really seems to believe it's real.  But at least you can manage your symptoms with some at home remedies, so you aren't constantly reaching for a prescription.

[erigeron]

Where are you reading that metronidazole causes group B strep? Unless you somehow have a metronidazole cream that's been contaminated and you insert it, it can't give you something you don't already have. On the other hand, if you are already colonized with GBS, since metronidazole treats other bugs but not that, GBS can grow while the other bugs can't.

[LLtheTinkerbell]

Re. BV and yeast infections - boric acid has worked wonders for me for both of these (after years of using prescription medication and OTC treatments.  Boric acid is available (in Canada at least) over the counter - big container of BA + bag of large capsules = <$20; lasts for years).

As for GBS - I was told, without being tested, that it was present in my urine. This was by my family Dr. when I first found out I was pregnant. I will not be getting tested when I reach 37 weeks, and will refuse all antibiotics during birth. This is not because I am a bad mother who wants to risk my baby's life, but because I don't believe in their overall benefit.

Please, please do your research about antibiotic use during birth. Its fear-based overuse is harmful to more women than helpful.

Food for thought, from a Mothering article published in 2003 (Treating Group B Strep: Are Antibiotics Necessary?):

...CDC estimates that 0.5 percent of babies born to GBS-positive mothers with no treatment will develop a GBS infection, and that 6 percent of those who develop a GBS infection will die. Six percent of 0.5 percent means that three out of every 10,000 babies born to GBS-positive mothers given no antibiotics during labor will die from GBS infection. If the mother develops anaphylaxis during labor (one in 10,000 will), and it is untreated, it is likely that the infant, too, will die. So, by CDC estimates, we save the lives of two in 10,000 babies--0.02 percent--by administering antibiotics during labor to one-third of all laboring women. We should also keep in mind that this figure does not take into account the infants who will the as a result of bacteria made antibiotic-resistant by the use of antibiotics during labor--Infants who would not otherwise have become ill. When you take that into account, there may not be any lives saved by using antibiotics during labor.

[Lisa1970]

Have you had your husband checked for any sort of infection? He might be giving it to you. Both of you should take a break from sex for a while and get checked and wait until you both have been clear a few weeks and then try again. Give it a few weeks after all treatments are done though. Good luck!