For all my suffering ladies: A treatment for chronic BV and yeast infections that actually works
EDIT JUNE 11, 2018
After posting this and communicating with ladies online, it seems I am not the only—or even first—person to arrive to this conclusion. Once you know what search terms to look for (namely “hydrogen peroxide” and “bv”) a whole slew of pages come up, mostly from other ladies who have tried and successfully utilized H2O2 to fix their junk. But a few stand-out results had me stewing, like this study from 2003, published in Minerva ginecologica in which 30ml of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide was used to douche with every evening for 1 week, resulting in ONE HUDRED PERCENT restoration of normal vaginal bacterial flora. Official conclusion? “Hydrogen peroxide represents a valid alternative to conventional treatments for recurrent bacterial vaginosis, and associates the absence of collateral effects with low costs, excellent tolerability and real therapeutic efficacy.”
The study is cited numerous times in multiple papers, however the CDC still has an embarrassingly antiquated guideline for treatment of what they call an STD (spoiler alert: NOT AN STD!!). But here’s what made me laugh: they correctly identify it as “polymicrobial clinical syndrome resulting from replacement of the normal hydrogen peroxide producing Lactobacillus sp. in the vagina with high concentrations of anaerobic bacteria (e.g., Prevotella sp. and Mobiluncus sp.), G. vaginalis, Ureaplasma, Mycoplasma, and numerous fastidious or uncultivated anaerobes.” And we know Lactobacillus is a form of bacteria. That produces hydrogen peroxide. Yet their treatment is to use crazy amounts of antibiotics. That kills bacteria. We also know that antibiotics do not have any affect on many bacterial-esqe microbes such as… say… Mycoplasma. The very microbes the CDC themselves identify as being too high in number comparative to Lactobacillus. Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me? The very intelligent people over at the CDC are suggesting that we fix a problem by compounding the problem. And we wonder why this thing ends up being chronic once we have it. Well there’s your answer. I came to this conclusion before finding this stuff. Common sense in the medical “industry” could have saved us all a whole lot of heartache, money and health by coming clean with this decades ago (the first discovery of this was long before 2003 and includes a number of Nobel Prize nominations as it turns out).
The cynic in me says there is no way… NO WAY this was gross oversight on something so plainly obvious and well documented to have a very simple, zero side-effect at-home treatment. If you are a lady with chronic BV and/or yeast infections, just how many rounds of antibiotics did you wolf down before finally giving up on them altogether? Not saying… just saying.
Mad? Anger is a useless emotion. Don’t get mad. Get vocal. But I get ahead of myself… you haven’t read the article yet. Come back to this once you have 🙂
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and am merely sharing the information I have learned as well as my own personal experience. This is not intended to give medical advice but to share information, which I highly recommend you in turn share with your doctors. They need to be informed!
The Answer
I hate when the answer is buried way deep in a post, so in solidarity here’s the answer up-front. I know why you’re here, so I’ll give the answer now if you’ll share this solidarity and read the rest of the post (at least ‘Why It Works’) mmkay? Douche with 1/3 3% hydrogen peroxide and 2/3 unchlorinated water, once per day, for one week.
Why am I not selling this? What’s the catch?
For women like me, this simple treatment will give them their lives back. I’ve told a number of people about this face-to-face and the response is always the same: “You’re gonna be rich!” To this I merely shake my head and say “No, I’m going to give out the knowledge for free.” Again, the response is always the same: “…why??”
So why, you ask? Simple: You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are. To that end, I am being the change I wish to see. I believe that health is a basic human right. I believe that money is an unnatural mechanism of control and that the human race is capable of living peacefully without it. If everyone did what they do just because they like doing it, the exchange of currency would be a thing of the past and we would no longer be ruled by the need to collect it. This is a gross oversimplification of the idea of course, but the ideal is the main reason I am not driven by monetary gain. I am driven by the belief that the human race can be better. Do better.
That said, if this post helps you, the best way to thank me is by subscribing to my posts. I don’t post often, but am working on a new project to help people, so it would be nice to have help spreading the word when it’s ready to launch!
…I am also happy with a humble “Thank You” in the comments below 🙂
My Experience
I don’t know how long I’d had BV, but first noticed something was unusual around 10 years old, when my mother was collecting dirty laundry and saw yellow gunk in my underwear. “Honey, did you pee your pants?” I hadn’t. She took me in to see the doctor, who told me there was nothing wrong. I was “just one of those lucky women who have a lot of natural lubrication,” she said. It didn’t itch, didn’t hurt and at that point didn’t have an odor (that changed gradually as I aged) and they never took a swab under a microscope. From that time on I just lived with having daily, continual discharge and went through an ocean of pantyliners.
I started getting yeast infections annually. Sometimes 2 or 3 per year and they seemed to come on arbitrarily. The BV was constant, however, and over time started to smell more and more strongly. It wasn’t a bad odor per se, but wasn’t an odor that seemed to belong. It was embarrassing and I tried just about everything from washes to sprays, diet and even acupuncture to try and rid myself of it. This was after the myriad of antibiotics I was prescribed by various doctors of course, none of which had any long-term results. I am 37 now, and treated myself with H2O2 a year and a half ago. From age 10 to 35, the only time I was not coping with BV were the 1 to 2 months following an antibiotic regiment, on which I gave up completely at some point in my 20s. One week of douching with hydrogen peroxide cleared up all yeast and bacterial vaginosis problems. I have not had a recurrence of either yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis for a year and a half. I also have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and my menstrual cycle has been more regular. I do not know at this point if the two things are related, but it’s something that should be looked at more closely.
How I Discovered This
I had sought a cure for this ailment for… well… my entire life really. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I would be stuck with it forever. I had researched cause, treatments and vaginal ecology to death and found nothing. Then, one day while researching a treatment for a friend afflicted by Morgellons Disease*, I ran across something in a research paper regarding fungal microbes. The sentence was superfluous; thrown in as a side-note, in passing, almost as if it was nearly removed for succinctness. Giant thanks to the editor who left it because for me it was a game-changer: “…like vaginal bacteria producing hydrogen peroxide…” I stopped dead in my tracks. For the next few hours I researched only one thing: hydrogen peroxide-producing bacterial microbes in the human body.
Why It Works
Turns out, the good bacteria in the vaginal cavity actually produce H2O2. It’s this cycle that keeps balance within the vaginal ecosystem and maintains the ideal pH. Too little of this bacteria allows opportunistic bacterial and fungal (yeast is a fungus) microbes to overpopulate which topples the natural order and allows the vagina to become too alkaline. I already knew the optimum pH was 3.8-4.5 but didn’t know how to control the pH balance. Turns out, we don’t have to. Microbes do that for us. Antibiotics only make these problems worse, because they kill off the [natural] bacteria guarding the place from [natural?] fungus.
Naturally, I thought “what would happen if I just flood the place with hydrogen peroxide?” So I researched what amount of H2O2 would be safe to subject my body to, then tested on myself. I started by halving what the internet said (because the internet lies). The first day I douched with 1/4 hydrogen peroxide using one of those disposable douche containers. When that seemed to not kill me or eat away at my vaginal lining, I upped it to 1/3 and stayed there once a day for one week. I noticed results immediately, but wanted to give the bacterial population enough time to amply restore their community. I would douche in the morning, then in the afternoon check the pH using strips purchased on amazon. Gradually the pH started to drop and when after a week the pH was maintained around 4 I stopped douching. That was a year and a half ago and I have been discharge, yeast infection and odor free the entire time.
BV isn’t a bacterial infection at all, it’s a fungal overgrowth. Don’t kill your bacterial guardians! They keep us healthy!!
Notes
Food grade H2O2 is best [edit: if the bottle says it can be used to gargle and/or has no preservatives listed anywhere, it’s safe to use internally], but I did mine with the heavy metal-containing over-the-counter stuff sold at drug stores [edit: no I didn’t, I double checked the bottle and it was the Walgreen’s gargle-safe variety].
Chlorine and H2O2 are reactive which means a few things:
- the reaction will reduce the amount of H2O2 that makes it into your body, seeing as the reaction will consume some of the H2O2 molecules
- you probably don’t want that reaction happening in your body
note: I did not use filtered water or bother to remove the chlorine from my treatment water. I live in Seattle in a 107-year-old house with 107-year-old pipes and took my water straight from the tap.
Tap water is chlorinated, but offgasses pretty quickly if your city uses free chlorine. If you don’t have access to distilled or filtered water, simply put some tap water in a glass and let it sit in direct sunlight for 6-12 hours. If your city uses chloramine, there are ways to remove it but for your health, money and time spent it’s best to get some water you’re sure is clean.
If you are unsure, talk to your doctor. This worked for me and based on the months and months of research I’ve poured over I am certain other women will benefit from the same treatment. But like I said, I am not a medical professional and have not conducted any studies with other women to confirm this. If this works for you, please let me know with a comment below.
—
* The affliction called Morgellons has a lot of stigma and doubt within the medical community. While I have seen the youtube videos of black goo, bioengineered nano-machines and all sorts of other freakish, possibly alien, possibly hoax, possibly whatever stuff, I can’t comment on it’s legitimacy. I can comment on what I have seen with my own eyes, however, and what I have experienced. In my friend’s case—and likely the case of most others afflicted—this is not nano-bot parasitosis but a fungal infection/overgrowth by an opportunistic and pathogenic microbe. We treated my friend with daily oral drops of Potassium Iodide SSKI (saturated solution of potassium iodide) in increasing dosages alongside a topical cream I whipped up to contain antifungal, hydrating, pain-killing, anti-inflamatory, anti-itching and ionic binding elements. He had been living with this condition from 5 years of age. At 28, he got is life back <3
Soooo – I tried to subscribe and got an error message! Thank you for posting this! I got the Copper IUD and it’s been quite an experience so far…
Thanks again! I appreciate you citing your sources.
This really works! had recurring BV for years and was so sick of it that I tried the 50/50 hydrogen peroxide & water mix – did this a couple of times a day for a week and it hasn’t returned yet. It’s been a month now. This is so much better than using antibiotics, which are only a band aid solution!
BV is an OVERGROWTH of the normal vaginal bacteria, Gardnerella vaginalis. It’s not a yeast, and it’s def not a LACK of a bacterial infection. Like I mentioned above, I worked in clinical microbiology for many years. I’ve seen it under a scope, grown it on a plate, and smelled it’s reaction to a drop of KOH .
Hi. Thank you for posting this. I have been suffering from recurrent BVs for 5 yrs now on/off. I am 48.Antibiotics no longer work.I want to give a try to what you are suggesting to do but I am kind of skeptical because I have heard like million times that you are not supposed to douche. Also, I have autoimmune condition that keeps my v. walls inflamed. I wander if that will prevent hydrogen peroxide from working. Or maybe I should use calendula/vit.e oil with it? Any suggestions. Thank you in advance for your response.
Hi, so recently I noticed that just my vulva smells, like really bad. I don’t know if it’s a BV , because there is no discharge or itchiness in my vagina. Is just the vulva and is driving me crazy, I don’t know what to do. Is it a vulvovaginitis? Can the hydrogen peroxide fix it? Cuz I have no results. Do I need more antibiotics? I’m tired 🙁
Just take high dose probiotics, much as you can handle, and cell food give it 2-3 months, dont miss a day
No sweets or alcohol
I have a new sex partner. We have had sex 3 different occasions now. I was mortified today when he told me “I can tell your period is about to start. There was a smell this time. You have not had a smell before”. I did have some spotting after sex today but I know it’s because I am irritated down there. My period isn’t due for another week. But after sex just a few days ago, there has been no discharge and no smell that I can tell but it has been itching like crazy. He does pull out every time. We do not use condoms. But I also recently started using a new body wash.
Just started the peroxide douche tonight. I have had an episode of BV with another partner years ago and was prescribed Flagyl and it worked immediately with no returns. But I cannot see a doctor for another 4-5 days and want some relief now. Plus it would be nice to avoid antibiotics.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that anyting is wrong. Did he say the smell was unpleasant? While most people’s noses aren’t sensitive enough to pick up on it, you body chemistry changes when you ovulate. With the exception of (most) hams, all also can smell the difference when a female o ulates, some can smell it from up to SEVEN MILES away.
I did ask him “like was it bad?” He said “no but there was a smell. It made me super insecure. I ended up buying boric acid pH D tablets and it cleared it up within a week. He also dumped me a week later. So it really has effected my self esteem.
Can you just spray it on, or do you have to rinse it off?
You douche with it and rinse your vulva with it but you don’t rinse it off. You just leave it
I discovered using the 1/3 hydrogen peroxide and 2/3 distilled water douche for BV and it’s the only thing I use when I get them. Antibiotics would destroy the good bacteria and I would then have the worst yeast infection. For a year I was plagued with UTIs, BV, and yeast infections. I went to multiple doctors and each just gave me the same antibiotics. It wasn’t until I went to a Chinese woman doctor and she told me to douche with:
Ingredients:
1/3 hydrogen peroxide
2/3 distilled water
Distilled water is water that has been boiled and the steam caught and bottled up. It’s a dollar or $2 per gallon jug at most drugstores/Walmart/Target and grocery stores.
Water from your home faucet can contain bacteria, which if you already have bad bacteria you don’t want to add more. You can boil water (let it stay on full boil at least 5 minutes) and then LET IT COOL to room temperature before using. Your vaginal tissue is not like
Amount: It’s 1/3 of whatever sized douche you’re using. Example: 100ml = approximately 33 ml of hydrogen peroxide + 66 ml distilled water)
Time: Douche for about 3-7 days. It will vary based on how bad it is.
How many times per day: 1 to 4 times a day.
The first 1-3 days if it’s bad, I will do it 3 to 4 times a day. In the morning, lunchtime, afternoon and night.
I don’t recommend doing it more than 4 times per day because you want to give your body enough time to get the good bacteria built up to fight off the bad bacteria.
If you tend to get yeast infections this is another douche I use:
15% white vinegar
85% distilled water
Example: 100ml = 15ml of vinegar + 85 ml distilled water
Don’t use more than 15-18% of vinegar thinking it will fix it faster. Vinegar is an acid and burns the skin if you use too much. You can pour the mix in a measuring cup to get the amounts right and then pour it to the douche so you get the right mix.
All i can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! u legit saved me ?
Thank you for clarifying many things for me! I had researched& found the clue to use hydride peroxide, but couldn’t figure out the correct mixture or the reason why it works. I appreciate& applaud your mission., blessings to your future health!
I suffered from CHRONIC BV (BACTERIA VAGINOSIS) for years, i was hopeless until a friend directed me to a herbalist dr called Dr uwenbo, she said the dr has cure that cures BV, she also said the dr has helped some of her friends with HERPES, UTI, STD/STI, YEAST INFECTION, GERNITAL HERPES/WARTS e.t.c i never believed her but after a lot of talk i decided to contact him. just few weeks ago i contacted him and told him my problems, he told me what to do which i did and he sent to me a herbal medicine with prescription on how i will take it for a short period of 14days.. After taking this medication 7days of the 14 days, I started seeing changes.. this herbal medication is a miracle, big thanks to Dr Uwenbo herbal medication.. I recommend this herbal medication for anyone, i pray you find solution in him just as i did. For more information on how to get the herbal medication, contact him on his active call/whatsapp +2349052309005 and get this miracle herbal medication..
This information has been online for decades, every message board online discussing BV will recommend hydrogen peroxide and or boric acid as the solution to the problem. I hate it when people steal common information and act as if they discovered it on their own. It’s literally the first thing that’s recommended when researching BV online.
Btw, the cure to recurring yeast infections is to either l iron the crotches or throw out all your old underwear.
im only 13 but ive googled and googled for months ive tried everything and nothing seems to be working and its so embarrassing i was so convinced i had STDS or a pelvic disease i do not know how i have BV as i am a virgin. WIll this affect my ability to have children?
ill be sitting in class and i can smell it and so can everyone else ive noticed a thick grey/white hard and runny discharge and i discharge so much it goes through the liners, if this effects your period i feel like mine isnt normal.
from the research ive done the only place i can think of getting BV is the pool from sitting in my wet bathing suits if that is possible?
ive never talked to anyone about this but its a serious manner and its taking a tall on my mental health, i think ive had BV for years but the smell didn’t come until i hit puberty, im to scared to be on social media in case i get hate and im so scared for next years class when they smell me.
i cant buy anything so im pleading can anyone please tell me some home remedies for curing BV or even reducing it because i dont know how you managed but i am mortified and suffer from social anxiety and major confidence loss because of it
Don’t be afraid to talk to your parents or a trusted adult about this! It’s 100% normal for these things to happen to females!! But if you are too shy to talk to anyone then definitely try using hydrogen peroxide because it really works wonders. It can be purchased from any drug store (like CVS) for less than $5 usually. Dilute 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide in 1 cup of water. Either add to a bathe or immerse your vagina in the water for a few minutes. Try this at least once a day for a week. Your symptoms should go away. If not, then consider talking to a trusted adult. This is something that can be treated and you don’t have to be embarrassed!
Girl listen, you need to go to the doctor, don´t make the same mistake I did when I was 15. I didn´t tell my mom or ask for help because I was so embarrassed about the smell and eveything. The sooner you figure out which type of bacteria you have and what kind of threatment you can follow things will get better. You are very young don´t be afraid to ask for help, sadly this is very common among women, but there is always a way to solve it. Don´t give up.
I’m currently dealing with bv. I had it once before and cured it up with flagyl. But a few weeks ago it’s come back. It’s been REALLY bad a couple of times, once when I spend the night at my friend’s house, took and show that morning before I certainly over and spent the whole day and then literally the whole day the next day and by the end of the day it was so bad my friend could smell it. If I take a shower every morning and use my vaginal soap I’m good as long as I just sweat, when I get too hot the smell it’s worse. Sperm Definitely plays a roll in how BAD you will smell. I got drunk with my boyfriend and he came in me, I was too drunk to go to the bathroom that I just fell asleep. The next morning he lifted the blanket to cuddle closer to me and it was so so horrible, he left the room and I was so so embarrassed. I still haven’t told him I have bv cause I’m so embarrassed. My friend told me peroxide does help, she told me her mom has never used medicine to fix her bv, peroxide was her best friend! So hearing that and hearing this I definitely want to try this, I’m so tired of feeling anxiety thinking everyone around me can smell me. I use bath and body works on my arms and legs and perfume every time before I go out now just to try and hide the smell. It’s so exhausting and I don’t even feel comfortable being in my own body anymore. I’m despite. Thank you to you all very sharing your stories.
So this says 1/3 peroxide and 2/3 water. But how much exactly is that? I mean is it just filling up a disposable douche that’s 100ml or no
Thank you ❤️
Can you please recommend a pH test strip or let us know which ones you used? I have seen some on Amazon, but they often have terrible reviews.
This is definitely not a new discovery as it has been known for a very long time. I first found this information online over 10 years ago. For those wondering if this technique works, yes it does. I spent many years dealing with BV and doctors continuously giving me the same thing that never worked. I jumped online to search for natural cures for BV and peroxide douche was recommended. I didn’t even hesitate, went to the store, got what I needed, and did it for a week or so. It literally never came back. It was such a relief and a shock to find something so simple and so effective. Good luck!!
I´ve struggled with BV for a long time now, and it´s so EXHAUSTING. The first time I was prescribed with antibiotics (last year), I was so happy that the symptoms had dissapeared. No smell, no weird discharge, anything, however right after taking the antibiotics of course my ph went crazy and had the worst yeast infection. After that I had another case of BV and more antibiotics, (at this point I had already done lots of research) and come across apple cider vinegar, 4 spoons in a liter of water, which worked and took of some stress . Last week I went to another gyno appointment just to make sure everything was alright. I told her my story and my recurrence with BV , and prescribed me Lactobacillus vaginal pills (1-2 per day), which are supposed to restored the natural vaginal flora. However, just this week the horrible sysmptoms are back! I don´t know what to do anymore. Of course I´ve already made an appointment with my doctor and I´m so eager to discuss with her, about this Hydrogen Peroxide thing. Although Hydrogen Peroxide might be a little abrasive to the skin, I think is a good idea, considering Anaerobic bacteria can´t stand Oxigen. Also, maybe Boric acid suppositories might work too. who knows, I just want to be healthy, I know I´m young and my flora can restore easily (that´s mainly what doctors say), but I can´t help but think that another batch of antibiotics will fuck me up, but I also know bacteria has to be killed by them, contrary to yeast wich is easier to combat with homemade remedies. Anyways, fingers crossed.
Thank you!
Were you ever swabbed after using this method? Did the culture come back with anything? Do you know if hydrogen peroxide kills ureaplasma? Thanks.
Vagenal Yeast infection SUPER FAST FIX:
THANKS FOR BEING REAL – It’s hard to find real people these.
Now, here’s what my wife does and 4 friends and family.
1. Colloidal Silver 15-20 ppm (not nano) Find out how to make it yourself cheap on youtube.com
2. Let a dropper full (or a teaspoon full) of the Colloidal Silver stay under your tongue for 30 sec. 3 to 4 times the first day. After about 4 hours there has always been a noticeable difference/drop in pain/itching. By 24 hours there’s almost no pain at all. Well, at least for these 5 people. I think that since this always works for them I suppose it will work for others too.
3. Continue the CS for the rest of the week. For the second day, take 3 or 4 times. By the 3rd day if there is no pain at all just take 1 tsp each day thereafter through the 7th day. I mentioned to my wife to do this just to be sure all the bugs are gone. Seems to work just great.
4. For the first day or two if it’s still burning she would put some of the CS directly on where it was burning. That helps a lot. You don’t have to do that after it stops burning as it will be all taken care of with the oral doses during the rest of the week.
Hope this helps someone out there.
There are no concrete studies that prove colloidal silver has any beneficial properties in health.
Thank you for taking the time to share this remedy and your story! Relatable and empowering.
Hi! Did this work for you? Thank you for your help!
I’m curious about the medicine dropper users. I’ve been reusing (washing/drying between uses) a disposable douche bottle to administer the H202/H20 treatment when needed. I have persistent discharge/odor sometimes itching. At different times in the past I have been diagnosed with BV and other times Yeast Infection. I currently don’t have health insurance and I know that I am currently dealing with one or the other. Trouble is, I’m not sure how to determine which one. I am worried that if I’m dealing with a yeast infection, the H202/H20 douche will make it worse. Alternatively, if I’m dealing with BV, an OTC yeast treatment will make things worse. My current plan is to get on some women-specific, ph-balancing probiotics and use witch hazel wipes. The douche seems to help, makes me feel so much better, but as soon as I stop or have sex or my period ends, it’s all back again. Smell, discharge, itchiness. Also I’m in Texas in the Summer and it’s just a really swampy time in my life. I’ve always ALWAYS had discharge. It just doesn’t always smell like BV does.
I’ve also stopped using any soap on my junk. Just warm water. It seems to also be helping.
With the medicine droppers, do you reuse the same one for awhile? Just wash it between uses?
Thanks for this thread.
I’d like to add for clarity, I’ve had the same (wonderful) male partner for over 2 years. I’ve had two IUDs in the past. The first one got stuck and required surgery. The second one I had removed because of reoccurring BV and lack of predictable periods. (I like my moon cycle). I was never diagnosed with BV before the most recent IUD, but who knows if I had it and just didn’t realize it. My first BV diagnosis was about 2 years ago. I used the prescribed Antibiotics then, and they worked but *surprise* it came back. So I’ve been using the H202 douche off and on as needed for about that long. I am going to try the douche once a day for a week and see if that does the trick. Maybe I haven’t been as consistent as I should have been in the past. I have trouble deciding if I should use it as a preventative measure (after sex, on last day of period, etc….times when it seems to consistently occur) or if I should wait until I have symptoms.
Anyway, thanks for listening. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss it with knowledgeable and informed women.
-Lou ♡
Hi Louie, I know you may feel cleaner when you douch, but that´s one of the worst things you can do, for both Bacterial vaginosis, or yeast infection because you are just pushing the bacteria further into your vagina. Vaginas clean themselves, that´s why we have a discharge, and always will have, the problem is when this discharge has a different color/texture/smell. If it helps, yeast infections are mostly linked with a lot of itching in the vulva, it usually doesn´t have a smell, and has a white or yellowish discharge, that looks like cottage cheese. On the other side, Bacterial Vaginosis, has a strong fishy/onion smell in the discharge, it doesn´t itch and discharge is very watery, and has grey/white color. It seams you have a BV, because your symptoms are stronger after sex and that´s a clear sign of baterial infection. You can always try, vinegar with water to wash your vulva, not inside the vagina, if you want to discard a yeast infection. You wont have adverse reactions, so don´t worry, while the vinegar is dilluted there shouln´t be no problem. Now for BV, you can consider boric acid suppositories. However always get an opinion from a doctor.
So are you saying you did this once and you have been fine since or you do this douche regularly?
Best x
I’ve been battling bv for five months now, tried every home remedy under the sun including very expensive natural remedies with some improvement but no cure. I’m very opposed to anti-biotics. I finally went to a doctor in tears, my sex life was being quite hindered with my husband of 11 years (rules out the partner being the cause as this never happened before) the odor intensifies During sex, Omg! nothing more of a turn off!) I truly believe I developed bv from using the nicotine replacement patch as I also at the same time developed eczema for the first time in my life too, as well as photo sensitivity. Serious allergic reaction if you ask me, haven’t used that patch for over 4 months but still have all these problems, I think my immunity was damaged. Anyway, went on the damn antibiotics, was relieved when the problem left, then it came back right after my period. (actually, regular old non-smelling yeast started up right after my period, took caneston vaginal cream, cleared up, then BV reared its ugly head a day after cream treatment) I’m now taking another round of antibiotics but I will try peroxide if it shows up again, because that is one remedy I didn’t come across. Thank you.
Also, I’m realizing recently that I also purchased new panties that are not cotton, and I bought different soap as my favourite hemp soap was not available in my town at about the same time bv started..hmmm.. lol soo many things to consider, I’m going to see about changing the last two things as well, perhaps that’s all it took, sexy silky panties and pretty smelling soap to wreck my sex life?? Haha! Good luck ladies, wish me luck too!
Also, BV is absolutely an OVERGROWTH of normal vaginal bacteria, specifically Gardnerella vaginalis. It’s not a yeast or fungus. It’s not the absence of, but too much of a normal bacteria found in normal healthy vaginas.
yes in an overgrowth of bateria, but not all are good. Most anerobic bacteria that cause you an infection are NOT found in your vaginal flora like streptococcus, mirabillis etc. The most predominant and GOOD bacteria for your vagina is Lactobacillus, and if there is a lack of it then you probably have a BV.
Having your husband or partner pull out before ejaculation will also help cut out the fishy smell while you’re trying to combat BV. I am a clinical laboratory scientist and worked in Microbiology for over 10 years. We perform a test to help diagnose BV that includes a drop of potassium hydroxide added to a slide mount of vaginal swab and if there is an immediate strong odor of fish, it’s considered positive. We also use microscopy to identify BV in epithelial cells of vagunal swabs. I noticed the same exact odor would increase after unprotected sex with my husband. In addition to using H2O2 douches (which I’ve been doing for a few years now) and RepHresh vaginal gel..having him pull out or use a condom has completely eliminated the strong smell. The odor was my ONLY symptom (no discharge or itch/pain). In fact, my routine worked so well, we eventually were able to go back to uninterrupted/unprotected sex. If I notice the odor return, I up my routine game and we go back to protected sex. I try to educate as many women as I can, especially when the stigma of “fishy smelling” vaginas is, in my opinion, perpetuated by ignorant men!
I just use hydrogen peroxide that comes in a spray bottle, every other day or so. Sometimes I’ll put on my hand and wipe down there, but the cut down on smell is tremendous.
Where do you get this spray, and what exactly is the brand and what is it called?
Thank you for this 🙂
I thought you may also be interested in the following study that I came across,
that supports your treatment:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8876361
The side article in blue about the CDC does not even surprised me one bit. These people make their living off of perscriptions, vacs, flu shots, etc. Of course they would tell you to take something that would make u keep taking them. More money for them. I don’t trust them for anything
I never had this until after I had a D & C to remove a large polyp. Is this common? Is it due to whatever chemicals they may use during the surgery? I have dealt with this for 3 years now and I am sick of it – sick of the cycle. I have tried everything from probiotics (which I think just made matters worse), Vitamin D, antibiotics only to vomit from them and have the BV return. I don’t have the fish smell that others talk about – the only issue I have is the watery like discharge. I can’t even see it – there is no color but it does cause irritation/redness. Last night I tried the Hydrogen Peroxide douche – today I have had less discharge but it is still there – I am going to continue on for the next 6 evenings and I am PRAYING that this works!!!
A few other things that helped me: wash towels, wash clothes and panties in a plant based unscented detergent. NO FRABIC SOFTENER, Before using the wash cloth, rinse in water to make sure all detergent is out. Use plain water to clean yourself don’t use any soap.
it doesn’t at all surprise me that a procedure such as this threw your vaginal ecosystem into a tissy. i am unsure as to the nature of your particular procedure so can’t say for sure what the cause is most likely to be, but it would be one of 3 things:
1. the nature of the procedure itself (removal of tissue causing bleeding, allowing something from your blood to cause changes in the uterine or vaginal microbiome OR your immune system’s handling of the healing post-procedure)
2. the procedure itself (topical applications during the procedure)
3. antibiotics used after the procedure
please follow up on if the hydrogen peroxide worked for you or not. if it doesn’t, this means the particular microbes causing your situation isn’t managed by the lactobacilli responsible for producing it’s own h2o2. in this case, i suggest looking into microbiome testing. uBiome is a relatively new company allowing people to have access to this sort of thing outside of doctor approval. there are others available depending on your area, but i know this company specifically has options for vaginal-specific reports. this can help you determine what your microbial balance is.
one thing i’ve noticed, though, is that with myself, the clear watery discharge often precedes a fungal overgrowth. i haven’t put it under the microscope or tested the chemical compounds, but based on what i know thus far i have surmised that this is my body trying to stem rapid overgrowth. i am willing to bet it’s actually *drumroll, please* H2O2!! when i get this, i immediately follow up with a couple days of peroxide and more often than not solve the issue without headache. when i don’t, a bout of yeast or BV follows.
Yes! I’ve had recurrent, horrific smelling BV for about a decade and the only thing that has been a saving grace has been regular store bought non-diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide douches. I had stopped and the imbalances/infections came back so off to the store I go… Also, there is a great site called myvagina.com and you can search ‘hydrogen peroxide’ in their search engine and there’s tons of great info all about BV and YI and all vulvovaginal issues. Thanks for this post! It gave me the push I needed to get back on track with the hydrogen peroxide routine again!
i am so glad this helped you! thank you for sharing <3
I use half hydrogen peroxide food grade and half water (i used to buy distilled but when I ran out I used tap and it worked too) i do 1 douch wait a few minutes then rinse do another one, wait then rinse. Then I insert some plain organic whole milk yogurt (or VH essential prebiotic inserts) and go lay down to go to sleep right away. In the morning I repeat and put a pad in my undie. 3 days and it’s completely gone ! I’ve been having the issue my whole life and it comes back but it did too when I used to take the antibiotics so now I just do the cleanse once a week as a prevention and that keeps me good !!! If I completely stop my preventive weekly or skip the yogurt/ or insert it usually comes back after having sex with my husband a few times. I’m just really sensitive to the ph being thrown off. I have stopped sugar for a few weeks and I’m hoping this will also help long therm. Pay attention to what you eat maybe something is lowering your immune system also teeth decay or infection or any other infection in body can be contributing to the disruption.
if your body isn’t getting used to the chemistry of your husband after this long, i suggest looking further into your vaginal microbiome and perhaps your microbiome as a whole as well. it may also be worth looking into your husband’s body chemistry: hygiene products used, sweat gland production, etc. basically ANYTHING his junk touches will be introduced to yours. it could be that something is being excreted in his sweat that throws your vaginal biome off, the soap he’s using includes an agent that your body doesn’t handle well or even remnants of saliva! if this is something that happens on a regular basis, it might not be a bad idea to start keeping a timeline journal of what you did while intimate on what day along with when the next infection came and it’s severity. did he shower before? did you? was it a quickie or longer session? kinda takes the romance out of it, i know, but over time you may start seeing a pattern and be able to identify the cause.
just a suggestion 🙂
Hi All. I’ve been using peroxide douches for a few years. I use 3% no mixing and have no problems. When outside the US the peroxide is 6% and I did dilute that was 1/2 water that I boiled and cooled before mixing. It works .
thank you so much for sharing!
Where are you getting your info that BV is an overgrowth of yeast? That would then be a yeast infection that would need to be treated with antifungals and not antibiotics and antibiotics would do nothing for clearing up BV which it does clear it up, but a lot of the time it can come right back. A lot of women mistake BV for a yeast infection and treat it with over the counter medication and it does nothing for the infection since it’s not being caused by an overgrowth of yeast. I’ve dealt with BV a lot since I was 21 and I am now 35, I had it chronically when I was in my first long term relationship and I think it was due to him n I having different chemistry and anytime we would have sex it would throw my ph off and cause BV. But with all my research over the years and everything I’ve ever read and been told BV is the overgrowth of the bad bacteria in the vagina that’s why it has the smell it does vs a bread like yeast smell that an actual yeast infection has. There are good and bad bacteria along with yeast in the vagina, when the vagina is at the correct ph the good bacteria keeps the bad bacteria from becoming overgrown, if the ph gets thrown off and becomes too alkaline of an environment it allows the bad bacteria to flourish and cause an infection. So I don’t know where you got that info from that it’s yeast causing it, because that goes against everything I’ve ever read and have been told by doctors and would make no sense to treat it with antibiotics and antibiotics always work for me and usually keep it away until something upsets my ph. But I hate having to go to the doctor anytime I need a script for something when I already know the problem, one doctor just wrote me a script with a ton of refills one time since I would come in at least once a month for the same thing and he said you obviously know what you have by now so instead of wasting your time and money I’ll just give you a script with a lot of refills. Since I dont have it chronically anymore I don’t need that but since I still do get it from time to time it’s annoying trying to go to the doctor just to get a script when you work nights and aren’t up during the day also I don’t like taking a lot of antibiotics so I always look for other ways to help it, I’ve tried lots of home remedies and they all seemed to make it much worse. One time after trying yogurt the nurse said it was the worst BV infection she had ever seen. Apple cider vinegar and coconut oil made it so much worse too and so uncomfortable. But I’ve tried the peroxide before but it only seemed to work for like a week and then the bv came back, but I think I’ll try it again like it was done in the study of 30ml a day for a week and see if that makes a difference. I read about that study a few days ago. So we will see, might just have to suck it up and go to the doctor.
thank you for the response!
BV is not a yeast infection OR a bacterial infection. It’s a lack of bacterial infection.
Yeast is also in the fungal family, but so are molds and mushrooms, so there are many different forms of fungus. You can also have BV and Yeast infections concurrently, which many ladies do. The symptoms one expresses while having BV depends on which microbes are in overgrowth mode and whether or not yeast is in play as well. This makes it difficult to have a sure-shot cure-all for every form of vaginal health issue because there are so many ways the ecosystem can become unbalanced.
I say bacterial infection is not the issue because while it may be true that certain bacteria are too high in number, it’s more likely the cause is not the overgrown microbe, but the insufficient number of bacteria who keep the invader in check. If there were sufficient numbers of the bacterial guardians, you wouldn’t have an overgrowth of the other microbe in the first place. If you ask 100 women who have been treated for BV if the antibiotics worked for them, you will get some who say yes. But if you ask 100 women who have had CHRONIC BV if antibiotics worked, you will have 100 women saying they gave up taking them because the problem only continued or became more frequent. You had this very same experience and I am happy that it didn’t keep you in the cycle continuously for years as it does many other ladies.
With this lop-sided ratio, logic tells us that killing the bacteria isn’t fixing the actual problem. Moreover, it makes me wonder how many woman who ended up chronic sufferers only became chronic due to the initial rounds of antibiotics. Bacteria comes in a wide variety of kinds with a wide variety of purposes, many of which are crucial to immune system function. The problem with antibiotics is that they are not precise enough in spectrum to target only specific kind of bacteria, so you end up wiping out a whole spectrum rather than just the offender. What’s more, oral antibiotics don’t have the ability to target a specific area of your body, so wiping out all of one spectrum for your BV also wipes that spectrum from everywhere else in your body. Additionally, a microbe harmful to one area of your body could be crucial to the function of another, so it kills a whole spectrum from everywhere regardless of how beneficial it is there. It’s a bit like throwing poison in the main water supply of an apartment building to rid yourself of one or two people. Sure, you kill the target, but at what cost??
H2O2 may also do this to some extent, however the loss of life is much less compared to bouts of oral antibiotics. In extreme circumstances yeast may not respond long-term to H2O2. I will admit to using Monistat (single day dose) once last summer for a yeast infection. The hydrogen peroxide worked for the BV, but I wager the other microbes wiped out in the process allowed a concurrent yeast population to skyrocket rather quickly at which time I ran to Walgreens for the antifungal suppository. Different treats for different beasts, get me?
I encourage all ladies to take note of their symptoms to determine what is needed to treat it. Both BV and yeast infections come in a wide variety of colors, smells, consistencies and severity. It’s key to know what you’re dealing with before deciding the best course of action. This post is mostly targeted to ladies who have had recurrent issues over many years and are accustomed to their particular symptoms, past treatment successes and failures.
I hope this helps clear up your questions. And please know that I am not saying antibiotics should never be used. Antibiotics are an excellent tool within medical practice and I view them as a necessary evil. But let’s use the right tool for the right job. They’ve been overused for well over a generation and we are only now starting to see the real effect of it. Alternative treatments such as this are more effective than pills. I have seen this in myself and countless other women. This post’s aim is to help us all understand why.
I’m 34 and have never dealt with BV until now. It’s been plaguing me for 2 months. Thank goodness I found this article… I’m going to try it tomorrow. Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!
What are the Mixing directions in ounces?
The exact measurement doesn’t matter. I used 1/3 peroxide to 2/3 water. so if you used 1oz peroxide, use 2oz water. But you can also use straight over-the-counter 3% peroxide undiluted. This is what was done in the studies and what I have done occasionally since the publication of this post.
I was the exact same way. Except my discharge all started around 14. I was convinced I had an STD but was too afraid to tell my parents. So I dealt with it the best I could. I could smell it while sitting in class. It wasn’t so much a foul smell, and it wasn’t so strong that everyone around me could smell it. But I knew it was there. I started wearing pantie liners everyday, then eventually switched to wearing tampons 24/7.. every day. The only time I wasn’t plagued by it was when I had an actual period. When I turned 18 a friend and I went to a clinic to be tested for STDs. I thought for sure I had one, but was happy it would be addressed and taken care of once and for all. When the results came back, it was BV.. I was relieved, got my prescription and took it as prescribed. In about 2 and a half weeks, the discharge was back. So I went back to tampons, every.single.day. I had a serious bf at the time. We only had sex after I would take the tampon out and shower, sex was immediately after the shower. Then we broke up and I met a new guy. I had grown tired of not being able to be spontaneous about sex and only being able to do it right after a shower or always having to run to the bathroom before to pull out a tampon full of discharge (gross, I know)… so I started googling. I tried everything. From yogurt to douching and everything in between. Douching worked ok at first. But didn’t help my problem with having to always douche before sex (who carries a douche around everywhere??) finally I saw something about peroxide on google and gave it a try. I got a medicine dropper and a bottle of peroxide from the pharmacy, went into my bathtub, laid down, filled the dropper with peroxide and inserted it into myself hoping for the best. The peroxide started bubbling like crazy (I didn’t mix it with water just did peroxide) I kept doing it until the peroxide ran out bubble free. I was THRILLED when I realized the following day that I had no more discharge. HOWEVER… a couple days later, the monster was back. I guess I’m a “lucky one” too… I am 31 now… and I use peroxide every other day. Just once. I’ll sit on the toilet, fill the medicine dropper with peroxide and insert it. Just once… every other day.. it is something I will probably do the rest of my life, but since it is not something I have to do ALL day.. or even everyday, I am happy with it. Thank god for google lol. It does work though! Who would have thought after spending probably hundreds of dollars on prescriptions, drug store “cures” & everything in between, that my saving grace is less that $4 ($2 for peroxide and $2 for the medicine dropper)
This is exactly how I’ve done it for years, with a medicine dropper. I started getting BV at 17 or 18 and was furious at my boyfriend who I had been with for a couple years already with no issues, thinking he gave me an STD. I went through the pain of blowing money on gyno visits, crying literal tears to doctors who would just tell me to eat yogurt *eye roll* and then do it all over again. I searched and came across peroxide when I was around 22 and it’s worked for me since (almost 29) and I’ll never take metronidazole for this EVER again. It’s gone away for a year or two at a time, but I’ve found that if I have sex with someone new or my diet is horrific as far as alcohol and sugar, it will come back with a vengeance. Thankfully like you said it costs $4 to let your body bounce back without meds.
i know this cycle all too well! a new sexual partner will often times bring it back, as they have their own microbial ecosystem based on their body chemistry (sweat i’m guessing is a component of this), lifestyle, diet and hygiene practices (including what products they use externally).
I am so glad you found some relief, but also can’t help thinking there’s a way for you to live normally. I think you are a very good candidate for microbiome testing as well. I’ve recommended it to a few ladies who’ve commented and will also share uBiome with you.
It sounds to me like what’s happening isn’t peroxide helping to build back a balanced community, but merely oxidizing a small but persistent microbial community that isn’t managed by H2O2-producing lactobacilli. I am willing to bet that you are lacking a different microbial guardian and have yet to discover which one it is. If you remove all but one of the opportunistic microbe without also repopulating the colony of it’s natural predator, that one microbe will soon become a new colony. uBiome has a vaginal product called SmartJane which will tell you the microbial makeup of your junk. Armed with this knowledge, you can determine what your ecosystem is lacking and figure out a way to rectify it.