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Posted 10/13/2008 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, this is my first time posting -- I found this site googling uc and bacterial vaginosis. To make a long story short I have left-sided ulcerative colitis and I'm in a flare-up, have been for a while. I did not become sexually active until shortly after the diagnosis of UC, so I don't know if it's connected in any way， but I've been having all sorts of woman problems and I was hoping to get some advice. My BV has made sex painful and most of all my perineum kind of hurts. I have been on nystatin and metrogel to help with this bacterial vaginosis but it doesn't ever get better, and I have had 3 urinary tract infections in the past 6 months or so. It just seems like the antibiotics for those make my uc worse, and I'm sure the diarrhea and gas from my UC aren't helping with my woman troubles.

The last UTI I had I just drank a LOT of water and parsley tea and it went away, is there anything good for BV as well that doesn't require antibiotics? My gynecologist said he would do a culture if it didn't get better, but I am so tired of antibiotics.

Does anyone have any advice about the order of treatments? I am about to go on mesalamine enemas for two weeks, but I have yet to get this bacterial vaginosis under control and it's not been great for my relationship!! Well, neither has UC. Anyway thanks in advance for any advice!
Posted 10/13/2008 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
Unfortunatly, IBD's and female problems seem to be interlinked (sorry I have the other IBD). If Miconazole Nitrate doesn't work it might be time to do a diflucan. Not that I saying that it is the only thing, I am sure there are other options. I just don't want you to be in pain any longer then you have to be.
Posted 10/13/2008 5:34 AM (GMT 0)
The probitoic I take (primadophilus reuteri made by natures way) aid with vaginal health, for myself I've noticed I haven't had a single yeast infection and I was quite prone to getting them frequently...probiotics are also beneficial for IBDers so you can actually kill a couple of birds with one stone, this brand I take also aids with high cholesterol and lactose intolerance issues, which I've also had issues with so taking it daily and indefinitely (5 yrs so far) it has infact aided with vaginal health, my lactose intolerance issues (which were quite severe I might add) and my high cholesterol.

:)
Posted 10/13/2008 10:30 AM (GMT 0)
unc girl,

This is my first post also, prompted by your post. I was diagnosed with UC (or indeterminate colitis, depending on which Dr I talk to) in 2003. But I also have a bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis (IC). The symptoms include frequency, urgency and pain. I have all but the pain. A lot of women who suffer from this can go years without a correct diagnosis and are often misdiagnosed with UTIs or other pelvic problems. Are you sure you have BV? From what I know, I thought BV was easily cleared up with antibiotics. I had BV at one time and the antibiotics got rid of it, never to return.

This is just a suggestion and I'm probably all wrong, but you may want to take a look at the Interstial Cystitis Association website, ichelp.org. They are the premier organization for IC. I wish you well.
Posted 10/13/2008 12:42 PM (GMT 0)
I found out early this year when I met a new GYN (whose wife has UC) that women with bowel issues are a lot more susceptible to BV. My doc has given me a refillable script for the metro gel to fill whenever I feel it coming on. It's a bugger for me to fight off.

Have you called your GYN to discuss treatment options? Have you been on pred recently? Coming off of pred is one sure way for me to develop a yeast infection as well.

I hope you find some answers soon.

BTW - UNC Girl and BakeALot - Welcome to HealingWell! We're glad you found us, but sorry that you had to :) I hope to see you around!
Posted 10/13/2008 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
UNCGirl-

I used to get BV every single month without fail. I would have my period, and then as soon as it was over, two days later I'd have bacterial vaginosis and I'd have to go get some antibiotics. I tried the metrogel once and it gave me a yeast infection, so I stuck to the pill form. This (BV) happened constantly for a long time, as well as recurrent UTI's/bladder infections. Those always would come on suddenly, I would just wake up one day in extreme pain and blood in my urine with no warning.

Anyway, no doctors were ever able to tell me what the problem was and I was always sure it was connected to my UC because I never had these problems before. But then I made these changes:

I stopped taking the pill and started using the NuvaRing as my form of birth control. You insert this plastic ring vaginally, you can't even feel it when it's in, and you leave it there for three weeks. I take it out for intercourse because I don't like it in and then you just rinse it and put it back in. Then you take it out for one week and have your period and then start a new one. You can also skip the ring-free week and just put a new one in on the first day of week four and skip your period.

Also, I don't know if you use tampons or not but I used to adamantly use them until the last day of my period, I hated wearing pads. But as my colitis got worse it became a pain to wear tampons because when I'm running to the bathroom a lot they just don't want to stay in. Eventually I started wearing them only on the first day or two of my period and then pads when it's lighter. I only wear tampons on light days now if there's some reason I can't wear a pad, like going swimming.

One more thing, I never have sex on my period. Before, I used to be okay with doing it on the last day or two but I thought maybe that's causing irritation/bacterial imbalance in an environment that's already imbalanced from my period which is causing the BV (BV is caused by an imbalance of naturally occurring bacterial flora). It makes sense too since the vagina is a very acidic environment and semen is alkaline, and BV can be caused by a loss of acidity. So, now I wait till a few days after.


I don't know which if any of these things changed my problem, but I haven't had a single infection in over a year since I started all this. And I'm not kidding when I say it used to be an EVERY MONTH occurrence.


I was wondering though, have you had cultures before that confirmed it is BV? Because I never had much actual pain, it was more of a constant itching feeling and the foul odor to the discharge that tipped me off. It's so embarrassing to say it, but BV has a notoriously "fishy" scent to it. Though I didn't have that problem every time, but I never had much actual pain, just an uncomfortable itching.
Posted 10/14/2008 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
I actually am on the nuva ring too (so convenient) and never use tampons. I haven't had it cultured, but my gyn diagnosed it from the discharge, pain and inflammation. I want to have it cultured in case it's something random and not BV, but I want to wait until after the mesalamine enemas are over in case they cause some other problems. I don't have the smell or itching, it's really only a problem when it comes to sex, and then man is it a problem.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I actually have started taking femdophilus a few weeks ago, which is a probiotic that's supposed to be good for vaginal health and I think also for IBD a little. So far haven't noticed much improvement though.
Posted 10/14/2008 3:05 AM (GMT 0)
It could be the nuva ring.
Posted 10/14/2008 4:31 AM (GMT 0)
unc girl, if you don't notice improvements by the time you finish that bottle of femdophilus, then definitely give the primadophilus reuteri made by natures way a go, it's affordable, only one/day is needed, it aids with vaginal health as I mentioned (I no longer have re-occuring yeast infections) it aids with lactose intolerance issues as well which many IBDers tend to become lactose intolerant but it's not realized that easily because the symptoms are often masked by having IBD (trust me, I learned that the hard way)...I highly recommend it, in Canada I pay 29.00 for 90 caps which lasts me 90 days, no having to take up to 4 a day for effectiveness and it has guaranteed intestinal release which is key for IBD.

:)
Posted 10/14/2008 5:04 PM (GMT 0)

This is very interesting. I have also suffered with recurring BV for 5 years or so. I would go on round after round of antibiotics but it would come back every few months. After reading what all of you have said I realized that it started right after my very first UC flare that went undiagnosed. What other little perks does this wonderful disease have!

pb4, do you get primadophilus reuteri at your regular grocery store, pharmacy or at a supplement/vitamin store? I want to try it. I haven't had any problems with BV in the since Feb I and I would like it to stay that way.

V

Posted 10/14/2008 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
I get it from a health food store, if one near you doesn't carry it you could ask them to special order it in for you, just make sure they find out that it will be shipped cold-packed and that when they receive it they put it right into their fridge at the store, keeping it cold is the only downside to this particular probioitc.

:)
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