Treatment For Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment is usually done by a gynecologist; however, the family physician can also treat you for BV. The first thing to consider is combatting the symptoms, find a way to stop the discharge, the odor and the itching.
To do this, an antibiotic is used to treat BV. The ones most often used are metronidazole, which is suspected of being a cancerogenic. However, this medication has been banned for veterinary use in Europe as it has caused cancer in animals, so keep that it mind. In addition, the antibiotic clindamycin is also widely used. Both come in either a pill form that is swallowed, as a topical gel/cream that is rubbed around the areas of the vagina or as a capsule (ovules) that is inserted into the vagina. The pill form of antibiotic is the only choice for women that are pregnant.
if you are pregnant you must take extra care with bacterial vaginosis and must not leave it untreated for long. During pregnancy certain complications can occur such as low birth weight and premature delivery this is why all pregnant women should be screened for bacterial vaginosis.
BV usually clears up with two or three days with the antibiotics, but the treatment goes on for a full seven-day cycle. If the symptoms stop you must continue to take your treatment, if its antibiotics the complete course must be taken to get the full effect. You must take the full course of the antibiotics, and be aware that there is a high rate of reoccurrence
Whatever antibiotics you are treated with, you must avoid all alcohol use during the seven-day cycle, especially if you are taking the metronidazole. This also includes any over-the-counter medications, such as Nyquil, that have alcohol in them. If you are taking metronidazole make sure you do not drink any alcohol as this can cause vomiting and nausea.
When you have sex with your male partner, do not rely on condoms or diaphragms if you are using the antibiotic cream or ovules. These products contain oil in them that will weaken the latex of the condom, thus causing the condom and the diaphragm to break down.
A lot of these antibiotics have very little little side effects and most of them work pretty well. However, you must remember that it is very possible that you will develop a yeast infection from these medications. Should you feel that you have developed a yeast infection be aware of the following symptoms: itching, redness, and a very lumpy, white discharge. If you find that, you have these symptoms, contact your physician, and ask what you should do to cure the yeast infection.
BV is twice as common as thrush and it is estimated that between one to three million women will develop this disease at some point in their lifetime, and unfortunately BV causes a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life. Fortunately, there are some over-the-counter treatments for BV that you may purchase at your local drug store; however, it is important to realize that most of these treatments have not been approved or documented with clinical trials. There are some women that cannot use the prescription medications and must use the over-the-counter remedies instead.
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