glitterberrys.livejournal.comI've had BV issues for about five years now. The first time around it took about six months to get rid of it fully, after a few courses of antibiotics and a lot of misery, and even then, I was never quite the same - my taste and scent have changed permanently and are stronger and, frankly, less pleasant. I always wondered if this meant it never went away entirely, but my tests were negative, I had no other symptoms and was able to keep my new, weird smell away by drinking a ton of water with lemon daily (it also really helped with the BV symptoms when I had it for some reason). But after a while I gave up on that because, well, I'm forgetful. So I'm back to being able to smell my own crotch whenever I crouch down or bend over. Since I seem to have a more sensitive sense of smell than most, I cling to the possibly futile hope that I'm the only one who can smell it.
I seemed more or less free of it for the next few years (there were flares once in a while but nothing beyond being annoying), but for the last six months or so, it's back, and it WILL NOT LEAVE.
I swear if I have to insert Metrogel into myself one more time, I will scream. It does relieve the symptoms, but they always come back in a few days. Usually not as intensely, but
still. Plus for some reason I always get cramps after using it. Oral metro-whatever was what I was on the first go-round, and that never really seemed to fix it either, just get rid of it for a short period. It makes me insanely sick, so given its poor track record, I'm not eager to repeat that again if I don't have to.
I've tried apple cider vinegar (it relieved some of the burning and made me smell like a dyed Easter egg, but that's about it), I tried tea tree oil (and ruined my iPod spilling the bottle all over it). I've learned that both of these things sting my vag like crazy if not properly diluted. I went back to the lemon and water thing, thinking it might at least help kill the smell. It has not.
I don't know what the heck else to do. I'm in pain all the time. I can't have sex because I feel like fire ants are chewing on me, which bums me out (my partner as well). I don't register any sensation from touch except for pain (especially my clitoris, which when touched is a bit like someone stabbing me in the crotch with a small but mighty sword). I also smell like two-day-old sushi.
Is there anything else I can ask my doctor for that might help? Metro doesn't really fix the problem and that seems to be all he can offer me. And is there any way to keep it from coming back? (I wear cotton panties or no underwear at all; usually the latter. I don't douche. I don't take baths, bubble or otherwise. I took probiotics for a while at one point but all they did was give me gas; it's possible I should try a different kind.)