Having a greenish vaginal discharge [photo included] « Back to Group Discussions

[stephanieflora]

Hey everybody

I have been intrigued by this vaginal discharge I'm having.

it comes out in globs, and is yellowish but with a greenish tint

I have taken a photo of it outside in natural light with no flash, but I'm surprised why this greenish tint is not so clear in the photo

i don't feel itchy, nor pain

but i admit i do feel pain during intercourse which is a reason that makes me avoid it altogether

I regularly use a non invasive kind of intimate detergent that's free of SLS and many other chemicals,

after noticing this problem, I started using as well a product that is a natural disinfectant derived from fruits.

But since a week , I stopped both and i have been on the traditional local soap that's only made of lye and olive oil ever since

I would be grateful if somebody assures me if it's normal or not

thanks in advance

[spughy]

Occasional yellowish discharge is normal but steady, green-tinged and lots of it would indicate a bacterial infection, I think.

You don't need to use *anything* to cleanse internally, doing so disrupts your natural flora and permits "invasive species" to flourish.  So the first thing to do would be to stop putting cleansers of ANY sort inside your girl bits.

See if you can find some probiotic tablets that can be used in suppository form and try those for a few days - but if it doesn't clear up, go see a doctor.

[rachelalle]

It could be bacterial vaginosis. (not sure if I spelled that right) It is something worth getting tested at the doc's because it can cause problems in pregnant women. I had it and didn't know I had it either. It is just something that can happen the doc told me. I also had no other symptoms. So I was surprised when the doctor told me she was gonna do a swab during my exam and then it came back pos. She gave me an antibiotic. Hope this helps :)

[Linnaea]

I have to say I'm in awe of your braveness to post a picture of something so intimate on a public forum.  It's not the easiest thing to look at, but I understand why you wanted others to see it.  Having said that, a greenish tint is almost always a sign of some sort of infection of the bacterial variety.  It sounds like it's probably because of the intimate detergent you've been using.  Although it sounds like it's about as non-irritating as it can get, using anything at all in your vaginal area opens yourself up to problems.  I would call a doctor or get checked out as soon as possible.

[delilahbeau]

Iooks like an infection of some sort. I would have it looked at. I am sure that is not what you want to hear but in my eyes better to be safe then sorry especially when carry a little one. 

[stephanieflora]

Hello and Thank you for your replies

delilahbeau

What I want to hear is the truth, good or bad, though what I would like to hear is the good news.

 

 

Linnaea:

I have hesitated a lot before posting the photo so publicly, indeed,

in fact I hoped and still do that the photo won't make anyone uncomfortable.

I have done this public step so that others would relate to it as well [I have not seen much material on internet to compare mine to]

and as I said earlier, i want to know what's happening

 

 

and now in a common reply to you: spughy, rachelalle, Linnaea and delilahbeau

I have a history with vaginal area problems, and gynecologists [i visited 7 in less than 2 years].

I had a molar pregnancy meanwhile, which has no known cause - as the references say -

but to me, i think it was mainly due to the medications I have been prescribed.

 

I have learnt hard lessons throughout,

one of which was that doctors are trained to treat illness in a certain pharmaceutical way,

no matter how much good hearted they can be

I have learnt not to go to a doctor unless it's a major out-of-control thing

 

and by the way, each and every doctor prescribed to me an intimate cleanser,

as a part of a treatment for the vaginal discomfort

Now, as suggested by you, I'm going grunge not using any at all, and await the results.

But it is a fact that i had the vaginal discomfort before using any intimate cleanser at all.

 

You seem to agree that it is not a normal discharge, or so it seems.

I want to treat myself the natural way,

and if it turns out it has been normal all along, so much the better! the natural way doesn't harm the good thing if it's there!

so, yes to probiotics, and a definite no to antibiotics.

and will get back to supplements my nutritionist has prescribed to me earlier for general reproductive system health, consisting of coconut oil, and so and so.

and if anyone knows of any natural remedy for such infections, I would be grateful to know about it.

 

Kindest regards

[spughy]

I'm not a fan of antibiotics and I would certainly do everything I could to avoid them (as noted above, probiotic suppositories, you can try a clean peeled clove of garlic, too) - but if you need antibiotics, you need them.  It sounds as if your immune system is not well-balanced or robust, and natural remedies work much, much better in people who have the internal resources to help them.  These remedies are NOT strong enough on their own, if your system cannot take over from the boost that they give you, it won't make the problem go away.  A bacterial infection poses a real risk, especially as you get closer to giving birth, and you're not just making a decision for you.  As much as I think antibiotics are dangerous and do a lot of damage to people's immune systems, it's generally better to be damaged by antibiotics and functional than damaged by pathogenic bacteria and not-so-functional.

Long-term I would look at your gut health - you might have issues with something in your diet (wheat is usually the first culprit that springs to mind, followed by dairy and soy) that is impairing how your gut regulates your immune system (google "leaky gut syndrome").  Try eating a lot more lacto-fermented foods (homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled beans & carrots, yogurt and kefir if you CAN do dairy) to help.  I don't know if I'd really advise dropping wheat or dairy if it's a big part of your diet while you're pregnant unless you have access to and the ability to eat enough of other foods to replace the calories. (Lots of eggs, fish & shellfish, pasture-raised meats, starchy vegetables like sweet potato, white potato, maybe white rice depending on where it's from, that sort of thing.)

[Linnaea]

I just want to add that the ph of the vagina is a very delicate thing--it's very easy to cause an imbalance and make it either too acidic or too alkaline, both of which can cause problems.  I used to get yeast infections on occasion and then when I realized it might be because of the tampons I was using, I only used pads after that (cloth ones at that).  I haven't had a yeast infection since.  So even though tampons are seen as okay to put in one's vagina, it caused an imbalance in mine (and who knows how many others).  The same could be true of the intimate cleansers you've been putting in yours--even though they're acceptable, sometimes prescribed by doctors and don't seem to be agitating in terms of ingredients, they could very well be throwing off the ph which is not a terribly difficult thing to do.  

[delilahbeau]

When I have had issues with either yeast infection or Bacterial Vaginosis I have always resorted to acidophilus. I think they have an over the counter product that can help you diagnose the issue. I totally understand apprehension to doctors, I have been put through the ringer a time or two and always take what they say with a grain of salt. I really hope you get it figured out.