O'leary, and other ladies - about BV

 In my last post about a bacterial vaginal infection that won't clear up, O'leary mentioned that she couldn't remember a time since starting Crohn's medications that she didn't have BV.

I want to know if this is pretty common in female Crohns patients, and what do you do about it?

Does it ruin your sex life? 

If you stop taking 6-MP while on the antibiotic, can you get it cured?

Do yogurt and probiotics really help it go away, or just help keep it away once you get it cured with real antibiotics? I've already taken 4 rounds of antibiotics, and it keeps coming back within days of my last dose.  I  just don't feel like I should do more antibiotics right now, but I must get this to stop.

Hey! I would like to know what the symptoms of that are...I might have one myself. Sorry I can't help you!

If you're not getting it back from your partner, maybe you have a recto/vaginal fistula. I didn't know I had one until I went to the GYN for a vaginal infection (which of course the GYN couldn't figure out) and finally a new GI figured it out.

After my last course of antibiotics that send me in a vicious flare...I will never go without my probiotics during antibiotic therapy and every day forever after. Also, I won't miss my yogurt a day! Lesson learned here!

My GYN obviously never saw a fistula before, sent me for biopsies which the doctor who did them kept telling me it looked like herpes to him. My old GI said "you'll know if you have a recto/vaginial fistula" (well obviously I didn't). I finally got my insurance changed and went to a GI who was one of the top research doctors at the time, he took one look and told me what was wrong. Of course by this time I also had perianal and pelvic floor fistulas (that my GYN thought were more herpes outbreaks, sheesh).

My pap smears were very painful, and if I remember correctly so was intercourse. It felt sore and swollen like an infection to me, and my pap smears kept coming back a 3 (out of 5 I think?).

On the other hand, I've had so many yeast infections since I got this disease that I can't keep count. Mostly when I go on antibiotics. I've also had numerous bladder infections, but it's been quite some time now (although my GI said there's blood in my urine and suspects kidney stones).

I think for a definite diagnosis (and to see how big, how many tracks, etc.) they used a blue, contrast dye that they squirted into my rectum and watched it come through the vagina (and all the surrounding areas) by x-ray.

As far as it ruining my sex life, I was a newlywed at the time. God bless my husband, he was the most patient man a woman could ask for.

If it's an infection (which they can find out by doing a swab) you and your partner both will have to take antibiotics.

A GI can see a fistula depending on exactly where it is, and can highly suspect one depending on your symptoms.

If a rectovaginal fistula is still very small, it may be very hard to see, and you would need to do something like the dye contrast. It may not even be symptomatic like passing air and/or stool.

If you have an infection that has a high possibility of being caused by stool (your GYN should be able to tell you), it may be worth doing the test.

Regardless, you really need to have a discussion with your GI and your GYN if this is what you suspect. It could be that you are just more suseptible because you're on 6MP, but hopefully they will want to rule out the possibility of a fistula if these infections are recurrent.

I would tend to think it is fistula also. I have a rectal one that drains a greenish discharge at times. The problem with fistuas are that they can be so small and so hard to find. An MRI is one of the best tests out there to find them. I am having a pelvic mri on Thurs. to see if the one fistula I have is it or if there are more lurking!