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Suggest Remedies For Frequent Yeast Infections

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Posted on Wed, 19 Oct 2016
Question: Hello. Quick facts:
1. I'm all about natural remedies for health issues
2. I've been getting monthly yeast infections around my cycle for the past several years, give or take a couple months. Irritation is usually on outer vaginal opening and inside vagina lips. I've used aloe vera skin gel, tea tree oil, garlic and coconut oil for healing/relief. Aloe vera gel seems to work best.
3. I was diagnosed with genital warts a little over a year ago. The area's never itched. If I use coconut oil on the area daily, no breakouts arise. I've had maybe 5 inflammations since being diagnosed.
5. I have not been to the doctor since the below symptoms started.
6. I'm TOTALLY FREAKING OUT.

Ok so get ready- this is a long one.

About three months ago (June 2016), I had unprotected sex with two different people. I'm going to estimate dates for the sake of the story. One Saturday, XXXXXXX 4th. One Sunday, XXXXXXX 5th. The following Wednesday, XXXXXXX 8th, I had protected sex with someone else. (I know, not my best moment). The day after the protected sex, I got the yeast infection from hell (itching was inside and outside vagina). The day after that, I started smelling a foul odor that I recognized as BV, having had it before. Shortly after, intense itching around pee hole opening joined the club. The discharge went back and forth from being cottage cheesy and greenish/yellowish.

That weekend, XXXXXXX 10th, I was outside at a bonfire and it was a little chilly. The next week, I got sick: achy body, skin sensitive to the touch, coughing up and blowing out green mucous, slight congestion (no fever or headaches). It came out of nowhere and was intense. I started overdosing on vitamin C and knock-off Airborne the first day, and the cold went away in about 3 days.

Fast forward to XXXXXXX 20th. From XXXXXXX 20th to today, September 28th, I've battled, on and off (more on than off), Satan's yeast infection (intense itching inside and outside vagina), the odor of a sketchy fish market, an itching/burning pee hole, and my personal favorite, two long paper cut like cuts along the inside creases of my left and right vaginal lips. Oh yea, and a random medium-long paper cut like cut in the crease behind my butthole. And, how could I forget, the vertical bumps along my labia minor that are usually small and flesh colored? On each side, half of them have been red and slightly swollen. The other half apparently haven't gotten my vagina's 'let's torture her' memo.

I've tried the following:
- Garlic clove inserts= seemed to fix yeast and BV as long as I was inserting them. Came back if I skipped a day or two.
- Apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil bath= soothed the pain, but didn't solve any problems. However, within five minutes of getting out of the bath, about two tablespoons of liquidy yellow discharge would spout out. The discharge had a strong, sour odor.
- Tea tree oil and aloe vera gel= cured itching and burning but did not cure smell.
- Coconut oil= soothed itching and burning but did not cure smell.
- Hydrogen peroxide and water douche= temporarily relieved itching and burning and cured smell. Both problems would come back when I stopped douching.
- Apple cider vinegar douche= burned like a mofo. Never will I ever again on this side of life.
- Vitamin C (absorbic acid) tablet inserts= cures smell, but burns like a MOFO when dissolves and leaks out.

*Important note: about a month ago, I saw one of the guys I slept with unprotected at the beginning of XXXXXXX It was my first time seeing him since XXXXXXX We didn't have sex, but I noticed what was unmistakably a herpes breakout cluster on his penis. Before XXXXXXX I had never notice anything on his penis. We slept together several times and I had no irritations in or on my vagina.*

So, there you have it. My vagina has felt like a nuclear war zone for the past like 3 months. I've unwisely spent a lot of time on Google, and am convinced I have Herpes (the cold I mentioned earlier being a symptom that comes with a first outbreak), BV, trich, yeast, gonnorea and chlamydia. I know I've been quite jokey/sarcastic, but I really am worried. I haven't gone to the doctor but plan to go next week. I came across this site and figured I'd get some trusted advice from experts so I can come to grips with the worst, if need be.

*The newest update- just in today: a patch of rough, slightly scaley dark patch about the size of a dime on one side of my clitoris*

What are your thoughts?


doctor
Answered by Dr. Aarti Abraham (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
As below

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for trusting us with your health concern.
I can understand your apprehension, cloaked though it is , in sarcasm and asides.
I think you have overdone the natural remedies bit.
Any thing that you insert or apply inside or outside the vagina changes the natural milieu and flora of the vagina.
And you have used quite a few products.
I would lay out some clear cut steps for you to follow -
1. There is no visible herpetic lesion right now, atleast not in the pictures sent sof are. The row of little bumps MAY be warts, but it needs closer examination and if necessary, a biopsy.
2. You should be getting a swab and culture of the vaginal discharge to know exactly what is the offending organism ( bacteria, trich or yeast ) and then take targetted treatment for that.
3. Have protected sex until the entire issue is sorted out.
4. Avoid any natural remedies and just wash with plain water ( no douches please ) until this is sorted out once and for all.
5. You can take oral lactobacilli and vitamin C to boost your immunity.
6. Get tested for herpes too , as well as HIV, Hep B , Syphilis and other STDs.
All the best.
Please feel free to discuss further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Aarti Abraham

OBGYN

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 6004 Questions

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Suggest Remedies For Frequent Yeast Infections

Brief Answer: As below Detailed Answer: Hello Thanks for trusting us with your health concern. I can understand your apprehension, cloaked though it is , in sarcasm and asides. I think you have overdone the natural remedies bit. Any thing that you insert or apply inside or outside the vagina changes the natural milieu and flora of the vagina. And you have used quite a few products. I would lay out some clear cut steps for you to follow - 1. There is no visible herpetic lesion right now, atleast not in the pictures sent sof are. The row of little bumps MAY be warts, but it needs closer examination and if necessary, a biopsy. 2. You should be getting a swab and culture of the vaginal discharge to know exactly what is the offending organism ( bacteria, trich or yeast ) and then take targetted treatment for that. 3. Have protected sex until the entire issue is sorted out. 4. Avoid any natural remedies and just wash with plain water ( no douches please ) until this is sorted out once and for all. 5. You can take oral lactobacilli and vitamin C to boost your immunity. 6. Get tested for herpes too , as well as HIV, Hep B , Syphilis and other STDs. All the best. Please feel free to discuss further.