What Cures BV Besides Antibiotics?

There are several different treatment methods should you need to clear up a bacterial infection like Bacterial Vaginosis. It’s not just oral antibiotics that you need to rely on for the harmful bacteria to be eliminated and work to restore your vaginal flora as well as your natural pH. Antibiotics are not for everyone, especially when you have to get them prescribed to you by a GP or sexual health clinic specialist; this means that you cannot treat the infection on your own without needing to get a consult first. This can be difficult for many women as they would prefer to keep their infection private or they might not have the time to go to their doctor due to work, or prior commitments. Therefore alternative methods are essential! In today's post, we will be looking over three alternative treatment methods that are known or believed to be highly effective in curing Bacterial Vaginosis! Those three alternative methods to cure BV are Probiotics, Boric Acid and Antibiotic Gels. Be sure to keep reading how these can all help to clear up your BV infection… 

Which probiotic is best for BV?

If you have read any of our previous posts on the topic of BV, then you may already know how effective the right probiotics can be in not just treating Bacterial Vaginosis but also helping to prevent it from becoming a chronic or recurring issue! We will include a link to a suitable post that you might find very helpful, should you like to find out more about how probiotics can help against BV. Our recent blog post titled What Kills The Bacteria In BV sheds more light on how probiotics can work to clear up BV as they can directly kill harmful bacteria and prompt the body to increase the number of good bacterial cells! They are many different types of bacteria, based on the probiotic bacterial strains, so we wanted to include a small list of the top three types of probiotic bacteria that can work the best in regards to clearing up BV and they are all a part of the same bacteria species…

• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus can help treat yeast infections, Urinary Tract Infections and BV
• Lactobacillus Acidophilus can help treat vaginal inflammation, and promote good bacteria 
• Lactobacillus Reuteri can restore normal flora and also help treat yeast infections. 

Your best chance at killing BV bacteria is to look for a women's formulated probiotic supplement that contains a combination of the above Lactobacilli bacteria as they are known to be very helpful with restoring vaginal flora and supporting a healthy pH; two things that are essential to decrease the chances of BV!

Can Boric Acid help BV?

Boric acid has been used, for a very long time, to help treat vaginal infections like BV as it is known to be an effective treatment against harmful bacteria. Now there are things to be mindful of if you decide to use boric acid to ensure you are safe if taking it. If you are pregnant then you should not use Boric Acid, but instead, seek medical advice from your GP and they will be able to advise you on a safe and suitable alternative. Furthermore, it can be highly dangerous should you end up orally ingesting it so please be mindful of that and do not swallow it! Boric Acid vaginal suppositories are a common BV treatment as they can be just as effective as an oral antibiotic. This course of treatment might not be for everyone, as it is a vaginal suppository and that is understandable. Even though they can be highly effective at killing the BV bacteria, if it’s not for you then you might want to try probiotics or maybe an alternative direct-to-vagina treatment like an antibiotic gel or cream… 

Do antibiotic gels and creams clear up BV?

Several treatment options can work against Bacterial Vaginosis; so long as they can kill the ‘harmful’ bacteria and help restore healthy vaginal flora. Not all treatments are orally ingested or suppositories either as Bacterial Vaginosis can also be cleared up with antibiotic gels and creams. These are very common treatment methods for women who experience symptoms of BV as they can be applied directly to or inside the vagina where the BV bacteria can be found. Antibiotic gels and creams can be prescribed by your GP or brought over the counter. They are readily accessible both in shops and online, and they can be a very discreet yet effective treatment option for those who would like to keep their infection private and not consult with a GP first. Although, it is advised to seek some form of medical advice to ensure that your BV is not a symptom of something else. They can also recommend you a more suitable treatment if they believe that gels or creams will not be as effective for your Bacterial Vaginosis infection. Although, these kinds of products are known to work very well for many women who have BV as they can be applied easily and directly to the vaginal area. You can expect to find a lot of research from studies that suggest that Metronidazole gel can inf act be highly effective at treating Bacterial Vaginosis; usually preferred by many women over an oral antibiotic. It should take up to 5-7 days for a Metronidazole gel to work at eliminating the ‘harmful’ BV bacteria. Therefore, if you are contemplating which treatment you would prefer to try, over an oral antibiotic, then you can rely on suitable intimate gels and creams to be able to help kill the BV bacteria to clear up any infection.

We hope you find the Health Insider Blog helpful and a reliable resource that aims to answer all your most pressing questions, from Bacterial Vaginosis to probiotics! If you have any personal questions or want additional support on a query, you can send us a DM on Instagram and one of our experts will get back to you!