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What Causes Bacterial Vaginosis?
Question: I was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis at the beginning of April, the dr gave me 8 pills to take 4 one day 4 the other day, I don't think it really went away, because it's discharging again, but not everyday. Can you help
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Bacterial vaginosis is an imbalance in the number of good bacteria to the number of unwanted bacteria in the vagina. So it can recur either because the same conditions that caused it the first time are still going on, or because it wasn't treated fully.
A number of problems can cause vaginal discharge including yeast overgrowth. Taking oral antibiotics increases the chance of yeast overgrowth because the antibiotic wipes out bacteria, leaving unopposed yeast. So your current discharge may be from bacterial vaginosis, or it might be from yeast overgrowth. A test can confirm which is going on.
Things that seem to increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis are douching and smoking tobacco, but sometimes it comes on regardless of not doing those things.
Often it doesn't need to be treated, but if the discharge is troublesome, treatment is certain oral antibiotics (which it sounds like you took) or vaginal suppositories or vaginal cream. Given that you took the oral antibiotic already, you might want to consider the vaginal treatments this time instead.
Options (prescription only) are metronidazole via a topical gel (Metrogel-Vaginal), or Clindamycin cream. Your doctor may also consider another round of the oral antibiotic, but I'd recommend not doing too much of oral antibiotics as it can wipe out good bacteria in the colon too.
If your initial diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was not diagnosed by culture sensitivity study, then it would be a good idea to have that done. Because if it actual yeast causing the discharge, these antibiotics won't help and you would need an anti-fungal cream instead.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Regards
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Bacterial vaginosis is an imbalance in the number of good bacteria to the number of unwanted bacteria in the vagina. So it can recur either because the same conditions that caused it the first time are still going on, or because it wasn't treated fully.
A number of problems can cause vaginal discharge including yeast overgrowth. Taking oral antibiotics increases the chance of yeast overgrowth because the antibiotic wipes out bacteria, leaving unopposed yeast. So your current discharge may be from bacterial vaginosis, or it might be from yeast overgrowth. A test can confirm which is going on.
Things that seem to increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis are douching and smoking tobacco, but sometimes it comes on regardless of not doing those things.
Often it doesn't need to be treated, but if the discharge is troublesome, treatment is certain oral antibiotics (which it sounds like you took) or vaginal suppositories or vaginal cream. Given that you took the oral antibiotic already, you might want to consider the vaginal treatments this time instead.
Options (prescription only) are metronidazole via a topical gel (Metrogel-Vaginal), or Clindamycin cream. Your doctor may also consider another round of the oral antibiotic, but I'd recommend not doing too much of oral antibiotics as it can wipe out good bacteria in the colon too.
If your initial diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was not diagnosed by culture sensitivity study, then it would be a good idea to have that done. Because if it actual yeast causing the discharge, these antibiotics won't help and you would need an anti-fungal cream instead.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
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