Her Dishonorable Discharge - Tested For HIV and Diabetes

Woman experiences chronic vaginal infections since the birth of her first child. She’s also allergic to over-the-counter yeast infection treatments. What is causing her continued infections and what can she do to treat them?

Case #: 31350

Concern：

I have had chronic yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis since the birth of my first child (8 1/2 years)! Sometimes I get them every month and sometimes every couple of months. I have been tested for HIV and Diabetes. Diabetes runs on both sides of my family, so that was a concern, especially since a majority of my family members with Diabetes are women. I am unable to use over-the-counter inserts or creams; it seems that I may be allergic to something in the products (I become inflamed or worsen). These recurrent infections are causing problems with my spouse. I have tried everything!

This past month I was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis; starting this week I have had a yeast infection from HELL. I was given antibiotic pills and no results. I am still itching and have a thick milky (white) discharge! Please HELP; what seems to be my problem? The military doctors have even tried changing my birth control pills. I think I have tried every brand on the market. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Discussion：

I completely sympathize with you in your problem! I know how insufferable it is to constantly be itchy and feeling gross. However, I think I have a solution. It seems to me that pregnancy changed the chemical makeup of your vagina, your hormone levels, and may have triggered some issues with glucose similar to diabetes, which you state runs on both sides of your family.

I think that by increasing the immunity of your vagina by creating a sufficiently acidic and impermeable environment that we can cure you of your chronic infections once and for all! Because you have tried again and again to fight off these infections, with medications ranging from over-the-counter drugs to antibiotics, I think we ought to try a new approach—treating the problem from the inside out. If the vagina is sufficiently acidic and properly acculturated, it will not tolerate the growth of noxious other bacteria and yeast organisms.

You have not mentioned attempting to introduce an acidic culture into your vagina; I think that’s the place to start.

The Yin and Yang of Your Vagina

Your vagina naturally contains a mix of bacteria and yeast—the Candida albicans yeast, which appears to be constantly taking over, and the Lactobacillus bacteria, which creates an acidic byproduct, thereby keeping the yeast in check (yeast needs sugar to grow).

Diabetes and birth control can cause sugar levels in the vaginal region to rise; diabetes, through a higher level of glucose throughout the body, birth control because the estrogen causes a deposit of sugar in the uterine lining, which is then shed to the vagina and is fed upon by the yeast microorganisms.

It could be that when you had your children, the chemical makeup of your vagina was changed slightly as well, possibly resulting in your having a lowered defense against outside organisms and infections. This situation is not likely to change for you, because you mention you’re already on low-dose birth control; I think you must try to change your daily habits to ameliorate this already high level of sugar present in your body.

Alternative Allopathy

You should begin by introducing dairy products containing the Lactobacillus bacteria into your diet regularly—these include mainly yogurts, and some sour milks/creams. This will increase the number of your acid creating bacteria, helping to keep down the yeast. You should also begin an herbal course (SEE: VRD Formulation) to cleanse the liver and improve genital health, which will help your body better control the excess sugars.

Antibiotics trigger yeast infections, because they destroy the helpful bacteria, so when you experience an outbreak of BV, try treating the problem topically instead. You can try douching with a dilute solution of tea tree, or wearing a tampon dipped in a gentian violet solution. Tea tree is an antimicrobial, so you’ll have to really eat a lot of Lactobacillus during and after treatment, or you can try saturating a tampon in plain white yogurt after treatment is complete, to restore healthy protective levels of acidity to your vagina. Gentian violet is generally considered a treatment for yeast infections, but might have positive effects on a bacterial infection as well.

The yogurt-dipped tampon also functions as a treatment of yeast infection, and I have heard from more than one woman of its efficacy, as well as with the gentian violet solution. None of these treatments have any negative side effects (well, gentian violet can stain purple), so you can use them until the yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis is gone without worrying about creating a super-resistant strain of bacteria or yeast.