Why does my BV keep coming back after antibiotics?

The first course of antibiotics isn't always enough to cure this infection. Talk to your healthcare provider if your symptoms don't clear up. The answer may be a combination of additional medication, lifestyle changes, and new hygiene practices.
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Can BV come back after antibiotics?

It's common for bacterial vaginosis to come back, usually within a few months. If it comes back, you'll usually be given more antibiotics to treat it.
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Why won't my BV go away with antibiotics?

Within a month, antibiotics clear up to 85% of bacterial vaginosis cases, yet for over half of these patients, BV will return within 6 months. This is thought to be in part because the antibiotics don't fully eradicate the pathogenic microbes, leaving BV-associated bacteria to regrow in the vagina following treatment.
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How quickly can BV come back after antibiotics?

There are effective treatments available for women with BV, and the NHS currently recommends a course of antibiotics to clear it, which works well. But recurring BV can be persistent and it is estimated to come back in more than half of women within three months of treatment with antibiotics.
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How do I stop getting BV all the time?

Steps that might lower your risk of BV include:
  1. Keeping your vaginal bacteria balanced. Use warm water only to clean the outside of your vagina. ...
  2. Not douching. Douching upsets the balance of good and harmful bacteria in your vagina. ...
  3. Not having sex. ...
  4. Limiting your number of sex partners.
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Vaginas 101: What is BV and Why Does It Keep Coming Back?



Why am I getting BV all the time?

BV is a result of an imbalance of “good” and “harmful” bacteria in a vagina. Douching, not using condoms, and having new or multiple sex partners can upset the normal balance of vaginal bacteria, increasing your risk for getting BV. We also do not know how sex causes BV.
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Why is metronidazole not working for BV?

Second, the bacteria that either cause BV or cause the anaerobic overgrowth may have become relatively more resistant to metronidazole (the most common treating agent) or to clindamycin (the other common treating agent). Third, this infection may be reintroduced back into the vagina as a result of reinfection.
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Which probiotic is best for BV?

Which probiotics are best for BV? Lactobacilli-based probiotics such as Lacticasebacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus reuteri are best for treating BV.
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What to do if metronidazole doesn t work?

Metronidazole doesn't work for everyone. Tinidazole, Solosec, Cleocin, Vancocin, and Alinia are some metronidazole alternatives.
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Will my recurring BV ever go away?

Frequently Asked Questions. How long does it take for BV to go away on its own? In some cases, bacterial vaginosis may go away on its own within a few days. However, it often requires treatment to clear the infection, and untreated BV can lead to health complications.
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What are the best vitamins for BV?

To help with BV prevention, 250 mg vitamin C should be used once daily vaginally for six days after your period. While silicone-coated vitamin C is not available in the US, enteric-coated vitamin C is available in the US and can be used in the same way.
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Does cranberry help BV?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that cranberry juice may help remedy symptoms. Complete prevention of BV is not possible, however, there are a number of factors to be considered when attempting to reduce the risk of BV.
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Can boric acid cure BV in one day?

To treat BV, the boric acid capsules can be inserted into the vagina at night for about 1-2 weeks. If you have a recurrent BV infection, your doctor may recommend you use it 1-2 times a week for about 3 months.
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How many times can you take metronidazole for BV?

Metronidazole is available as an oral pill or vaginal gel; the choice of pill or gel is based on the person's preferences. The oral pill is taken twice daily for seven days. The gel is inserted into the vagina at bedtime for five days. Both treatments work equally well.
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Can BV come back after metronidazole?

Using oral or vaginal preparations of metronidazole and clindamycin, 80–90% of women will have an initial response to treatment but 15–30% will get a recurrence within 3 months. In women with recurrent BV the initial response rate appears to be lower.
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Does metronidazole always cure BV?

BV is treated with antibiotics, of which oral and vaginal formulations of metronidazole or clindamycin are most commonly used. Although short-term BV cure rates of multiday oral and vaginal metronidazole regimens are 65%–90%,11, 12 recurrence rates are high.
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What foods throw off your pH balance?

Foods That Throw Off Your pH
  • Foods High in Sugar. As we mentioned before, foods higher in sugar can throw off your pH level tremendously. ...
  • Alcohol. There is a reason those who are recovering from alcoholism crave sugary foods – it processes the same in the body. ...
  • Processed Foods. ...
  • Any Meat or Dairy with Additive Hormones.
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What is the best thing to get rid of BV?

To treat bacterial vaginosis, your doctor may prescribe one of the following medications:
  • Metronidazole (Flagyl, Metrogel-Vaginal, others). This medicine may be taken as a pill by mouth (orally). ...
  • Clindamycin (Cleocin, Clindesse, others). ...
  • Tinidazole (Tindamax). ...
  • Secnidazole (Solosec).
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What can I take daily for BV?

Treatment
  • Metronidazole 500 mg orally 2 times/day for 7 days.
  • Metronidazole gel 0.75% one full applicator (5 g) intravaginally, once a day for 5 days.
  • Clindamycin cream 2% one full applicator (5 g) intravaginally at bedtime for 7 days.
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What natural helps BV?

Home Remedies for Bacterial Vaginosis
  • Yogurt. There's limited research that proves that consuming yogurt can help treat BV. ...
  • Probiotics. Some research work has been done to study the effects of probiotics on the vaginal microbiome. ...
  • Tea tree oil. ...
  • Boric acid. ...
  • Hydrogen peroxide. ...
  • Garlic. ...
  • Herbs. ...
  • Apple cider vinegar.
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Is it normal to get BV every month?

Some women suffer from chronic (recurring) bacterial vaginosis. Medicine can clear up the infection, but it returns again after a few weeks. Some women report that bacterial vaginosis returns after their period each month. Or it can return after they have sex.
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What happens if BV doesn't go away?

If you have persistent BV (ie it does not settle down with the first treatment you try) then your doctor may want to take further vaginal swabs to check whether there is another cause of the discharge. They will usually suggest that you use the seven-day course of metronidazole if you have not had this before.
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