Any Moms Who Have Had Bacterial Vaginosis And/or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

I just joined this site and happened to be going through all of the questions. Were you able to conceive? I have a pretty extreme case of PCOS and was able to conceive not using any of the fertility drugs out there. I would be willing to help if you are still trying.

I have had Bacterial Vaginosis several times and I don't know what causes it. It's really annoying and it can sometimes be gross. The doctor always gives me antibiotics and it usually clears up in less then a week. The only symptom I get is unusual discharge.

My 16 year old was just dianosed with POS. I am not telling her because she will look it up and there are soooo many distrubing side affects. She has aniexty which already keeps her away some nights and cause social problems. She is being treated with birth control pills to regulate her period and help her ance. I am glad to hear about your little one. I am so afraid she won't be able to have a child. It is hard because I know it is in God's hands but I am still very scared. I told her that she has a hormonal imbalance that causes her symptoms I don't want her to think that she is crazy or something. Anyhow as far as BV goes I had several of those infection when I was younger and on the pill. The doctor said that much like yeast infection it is an overgrowth. Yeast infection are an overgrowth of yeast and BV is an overgrowth of Bacteria. He said it was from changes in the PH in my vagina. They went away suddenly and I have never had another problem with them. So hang in there our bodies are strange sometimes. Any advice would be appreiacted. M..

Hi D.,
My sister has had the same diagnosis, and here is what she had to say:
I've also experienced frequent yeast infections and infertility due to PCOS. Besides infertility, the hormonal issues have caused painful cystic acne as well as an obesity problem, hair thinning, painful PMS, missed periods and extremely heavy periods. The hormone issue also has caused me to have joint problems and I'm fatigued all of the time. I also have had 5 different ovarian cysts diagnosed, which have all been over 5 centimeters. 2 were removed, 2 went away on their own and one ruptured. I was also on Spiraldactone, but for the acne issues and since have stopped the medication. What I've found that has best worked for me is the Candida diet. This diet is fairly easy to follow and eliminates the excess yeast that has built up in your system. My acne is more controlled now. I have more energy and I'm beginning to lose weight. When I really focused on avoiding the foods that produced yeast in my system, I was able to get pregnant. Yeast infections are now few and very far between. If you are not satisfied with your current OB/GYN, then research your area for one that has experience in this field, or at the very least, find a good endocrinologist. This problem you're experiencing can be turned around. It just takes a daily effort and doesn't necessarially need medication.
Robin B

Hi D.,
It could be a possibility of the IUD creating problems for you. Did you start getting BV after you got the IUD?
I had BV once or twice, when I was younger they called it Gardnerella back then.
Ever since about the age of 40, I now get BV every month, mostly after I have my period. The doctor did every test on me under the sun. I took all kinds of things, but it would just keep coming back. The only thing that has worked for me is a vaginal gel called Metronidazole. I just use a little when I start to notice the BV coming on, and then things go back to normal. I don't use it as perscribed, and it works for me that way. I have done a lot of research, trying to figure out a fix, other than the gel, I still haven't come up with one. I am not overweight and have no other health conditions, and have not had sex. The advice to see a doctor for hormones is probably the best, with age being a factor. I was glad to see that in some of the replies to you, cuz in my research, the only thing I was able to figure out was that it had to be my hormones. I read in a nutrition book a little blurp that said their was such a thing as, hormonal BV, but have'nt found any other info. After getting BV, I started noticing a difference in my periods, so I think it is harmonal. The other conclusion I ve come to is, it seems to have something to do with the PH balance of my body.
If i am not mistaken the gel, has something in it that lowers the ph balance. Recently, I have had a lot of success taking a multi vitamin by twinlab called Daily One Caps. I have taken vits all my life, but have noticed an all around improvement with this one.
So my conclusion is a balanced nutritional diet and getting your hormonal balance checked would be helpful. I wouldn't wait to long cuz, as you get older you might start to notice other symptons too, which can effect decisions that you make, which can have an even greater impact on your life. Everyone is different, so you'll have to figure out what is and isen't working for you.
Good luck, I hope my experience helps you in some way, cuz it can be frustrating.
D. G.

My doctor has told me to stay away from sugar like in soda and prescibed antibiatics.

D., i use to get bv all the time when i was in my early 20's. i never knew what caused it. i was once told it was when the good bacteria in your body becomes overloaded thus becoming bad bacteria and causing bv. i just went to the obgyn yesterday and was told that i slightly have it and a little bit of a yeast infection. this lady told me that men carry bv but without symptoms. i have never been told that before. you may want to get your husband/boyfriend to get check or treated at the same time with you; otherwise if he is the carrier then you will just keep getting it. i can possibly go even a little more deep into this subject if youd like. let me know. my name is D. and my email is ____@____.com
hope this helps

Hi D.,
I too recently was diagnosed with Bacterial Vaginosis. I also had alot of yeast infections as a teen. I knew something was wrong, but no one really listened to me. My doctor prescribed some medicine, and for the first time, I feel normal again.
Some think it was due to my pregnancies, but I had the problem before that. I don't remember the medicine, but I looked up info. on the web. I usually look at www.webmd.com for medical stuff. Sorry that I couldn't help more.
R.

I have PCOS as well, and have as long as I can remember. Your best bet would be to work with an endocrinologist, or a reproductive endocrinologist if you're ready to have a child. Unfortunately, there isn't any one set of symptoms for PCOS as they vary from woman to woman. For me, I've always had an irregular cycle (except for the last two years, which for PCOS women could indicate menopause is on the way (I'm 40)), facial hair, hidradenitis suppurativa, unexplained weight gain, extreme difficulty losing weight, and I'm on my way to possibly being diabetic.

I don't currently have any treatment - my doctor wants me to lose weight before putting me on meds, which is incredibly hard for me to do. So, I'm trying to find a doctor who is more supportive and understanding, but I'm not having much luck.

Because of the PCOS and some immune issues I have, was not able to carry a pregnancy, but someone else did it for me.

Feel free to chat with me privately, if you'd like!

Hi- I was diagnosed w/PCOS in about 1999 while we were trying to get pregnant w/our first son. We now have 2 boys via intraurine (SP?) insemination or the old word, artificial insemination. With our oldest son, born in 2000, it took us a couple of years to get it all figured out & of course, since we have Kaiser, I kinda had to go thru their silly protocol. My older sister has PCOS as well as endometriosis so I had a leg up on knowledge & therefor, was a bit pushier w/the whole process. For most women, the symptoms include an irregular cycle. For me, as a teenager & into my 20's, I'd have a period for a month (not fun when you've just started a new relationship!) or sometimes not have a period for a month. Most women w/PCOS tend to be on the chunky side & we carry that chunk right around our middles giving us a lack of waist line as well as the lovely little roll over the tops of our pants! I haven't done much investigating on PCOS in a while so I didn't know that we're at risk for unterine cancer. The diabetes makes sense cuz most women w/PCOS process & break down food similar to people w/diabetes. Some doctors put their patients on a diabetes drug called metformin. I took this inbetween pergnancies & had a horrible reaction to it. Upset my stomach & caused me to spend quite a bit of itme in the loo. But once I was on it for a while, that sub-sided as my body adjusted. Not sure of the success rate & that drug for women w/PCOS trying to get prgnant. Now that we're done having kids, I'm not taking any meds for it. I did go back on the pill cuz the extra testosterone was giving me way to many zits for my liking so now my hormones are balanced. Plus, right after I turned 40 last fall & had lost 35 pounds, I did get pregnant the old fashioned way.....much to our surprise. Unfortunately, I lost the baby which made us decide we were done & didn't want to have to go thru that again. In order for me to get pregnant both times, I gave myself shots for 10 days & did blood draws for all of those 10 days -I had some nasty bruised elbows & looked like a druggy! When the time was right, my husband 'gave' some of his 'guys' to a clinic who swirled them around to a very clean mix & then we took that to the OB's office & had it injected. Oddly, after the birth of our first son, my periods have become very regular but not usually enough ovulation to get pregnant, except that one time in the Fall. You could need this medical interevention, coudl need more or coudl need less. My suggestion is to find an endrocronologist/infertility doctor & go from there. I dont' know where you live but we live in El cerrito & have Kaiser. I LOVE my OB/GYN who also happens to be an infertility specialist & I'm pretty sure an endocronologist as well. Not sure if you have to one to be the other. She's in Oakland on Piedmont & her name is Dr. Erica Brenneman. She's great & super friendly & a mom herself. We see her at our gym & she always remembers both my boys (she only got me preggers w/#2) & is also great w/them. I was lucky enough that she saw me thru my whole pregnancy & still does. Most specialists only get you preggers & then pass you back to OB/GYN. I was just re-reading this & I'm all over the place so hopefully, you can find something useful in all of this. Please feel free to emailme: ____@____.com Luck-
K.

I have PCOS and take Metformin for Insulin Resistance. This is a common form of treatment for PCOS. Also, try to avoid sugar and lots of carbs as it's harder for us to break these things down. As for Infertility, I had to do Intrauterine insemination to conceive my son and we are getting ready to do IVF this time around because of PCOS and age (factored together). This is not necessarily the case for everyone with PCOS. If you're planning on having another baby you should probably get the fertility workup soon as it's time consuming. I would recommend seeing an OB/GYN that specializes in PCOS patients. If you can't find one than try one that deals with high risk patients.....they usually have a lot of knowledge in PCOS. Hope this helps! Good luck!

D.,

From what I understand, bacterial vaginosis is caused by an overgrowth of the bacteria that is normally and naturally in the vagina. Anything that irritates your female parts can set it off. Obviously there are some things like sex with a new partner or sex with multiple partners can upset the balance in your vagina (another advertisement for condoms). I had a horrible case of BV the last time I was pregnant - and I wasn't having sex at all because I have high risk pregnancies. There are just some things (and it can be as simple as ovulating or having your period) that can change the environment in your vagina and set off an infection. So in some ways, you can increase your chances of not getting it (use condoms, don't have multiple partners, make sure you wipe from front to back) but I don't think you can avoid it entirely, especially if you are prone to it.

I actually know a few people with PCOS even though I don't have it myself. I would highly recommend that you get a referral to an endocrinologist. The two most obvious problems caused by PCOS are diabetes and infertility. Both of those problems can sometimes be treated by losing weight and watching your diet very, very carefully. But the women I know with PCOS have a heck of a time losing weight and gain weight very easily. You can find more info on endocrinology here http://www.hormone.org/public/endocrinologist.cfm Getting appropriate medical treatment now and taking care of yourself and your PCOS consistently will give you the best chance of not developing diabetes (and treating it effectively if you do get it) and maintaining your fertility. Good luck to you!

T.

I have had BV a few times and it's such an annoyance. I wish you good luck and I will say a prayer for you. Here's some info I got off of www.WebMD.com for you. I hope it helps.
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What causes bacterial vaginosis?

The cause of bacterial vaginosis is poorly understood. But, experts have found a number of risk factors that can lead to a drop in "good" lactobacillus. (These bacteria normally keep "bad" bacteria from overgrowing in the vagina. They are different from dairy lactobacillus.) These risk factors include having multiple sex partners, having a female sex partner, recent or current infection with certain sexually transmitted diseases, douching, and intrauterine device (IUD) use.

What are the symptoms?

The most notable symptom of bacterial vaginosis is an excessive, bad-smelling, grayish-white vaginal discharge. A "fishy" smell, which is usually worse after sex, is a telltale sign of bacterial vaginosis. However, about half of women with bacterial vaginosis have no noticeable symptoms.

How is it treated?

Bacterial vaginosis is typically treated with antibiotic medication. Metronidazole or clindamycin are the first-choice treatments for bacterial vaginosis. If you aren't pregnant, you can choose to take it by mouth (orally) or by inserting it into the vagina. If you are pregnant, you will most likely be given an oral antibiotic: this is considered the safest way to treat during pregnancy.

Antibiotic treatment for bacterial vaginosis can lead to vaginal yeast infections because the medications change the balance of organisms in the vagina, allowing an excess of yeast to grow. You may be able to prevent this by regularly eating yogurt with active Lactobacillus acidophilus culture or taking L. acidophilus dietary supplements.

Because bacterial vaginosis is not caused by sexually transmitted organisms, treating your sex partner does not help cure you.
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Here's the link so you can see the page I got this from:

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/tc/Bacterial-Vagin...

I only had one yeast infection in my life - but was diagnosed with Bacterial Vaginosis a few months ago - the doctor said it was my pregnancy, but I do believe it had something to do with a bacteria my fiancee had - before I met him that he was hospitalized with the week before I was diagnosed - although the doctors claim the two couldn't possibly be related.

My mother claims eatting active yogurt cultures, drinking cranberry juice and more water than sugar really helps

Hi D.,

I am a women's health nurse practitioner and also a mom. Here's the scoop on bacterial vaginosis, or BV. This is actually more common than yeast. Many women have itching, burning or other symptoms (sometimes a fishy odor) and assume it's yeast, and use an over the counter rememdy, but the symptoms just return. It is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria, and is not sexually transmitted, so male partners do not need to be treated.The treatments are typically creams that are inserted vaginally each night for 1, 3 or 5 nights. There are no long term side effects from Bacterial Vaginosis. It may recur, so it's best to treat it as soon as you notice symptoms. i hope that helps.

Regarding PCOS:

I agree that WebMd is a great resource, and here is another one that explains PCOS. The good news, is that you did get pregnant in the past, and if you need assistance, there are new medications that are effective in helping women with PCOS ovulate--Metformin.

You are right about the increased risk of diabetes, but remember it's not absolutely going to happen, and keeping your weight down is the best thing you can do to avoid diabetes.

Here's a link to iVillage: http://health.ivillage.com/gyno/cysts/0,,7zg90p1g,00.html
When you're ready, consider seeing a good endocrinologist or OB/GYN who can help answer your questions in more detail.

Good luck