Why antibiotics are only a temporary treatment for bacterial vaginosis
I now know from a lot of experience that taking many courses of antibiotics in the hope of finally curing my recurrent bacterial vaginosis was a waste of time.
And it really kind of stinks to know that my doctors were always convinced that this time the antibiotics would cure my bacterial vaginosis.
Looking back, I feel a bit embarrassed at the memories. Why did I pick up another prescription for antibiotics when the previous handful of prescriptions did not work?
I’d encourage myself with silly thoughts like: “well, maybe the antibiotics at that pharmacy were just old, which made them not work,” or “this will be the time the antibiotics work because this infection seems to not be as intense as all the others I’ve had.”
And yeah, often I would feel better for a week or two, maybe even longer, but the bacterial vaginosis always roared back.
Antibiotics don’t cure bacterial vaginosis
When I finally had a job I could hold down, when I was out of school and less stressed, and when I had some time to actually do some thinking, I realized that I had to change direction.
Going back to the gyno or my doctor for a new prescription was just depressing. And it’s not as if I didn’t like my doctors. But I could tell that they were nearly at their wits end, just as I was.
So I took responsibility. I tried to pay more attention to my symptoms, and I started to log when the bacterial vaginosis would be flare up.
Inevitably, the bacterial vaginosis would come back. Usually not long after the last course of antibiotics.
Why? Because antibiotics kill all of the bacteria present in the vagina. Antibiotics are indiscriminate. They kill both the harmful bacteria causing bacterial vaginosis, but also the helpful bacteria that work to keep the vagina healthy.
Antibiotics wiped the slate; I had to recreate a healthy body
Eventually, through a lot of self-directed educational reading, I learned that I had to quit feeding the harmful bacteria the things and conditions they love. Stuff like simple sugars found in candy, sodas, and cereal; conditions like a run-down immune system.
I reduced the stress on my body by quitting coffee and other forms of caffeine intake.
I started going to bed so that I would get 8-9 hours of sleep each night, rather than staying up late wasting my time watching TV.
I had to replace the poor food in my diet—the fast food and other greasy foods—with fruits and vegetables. I even developed a newfound taste for citrus and broccoli! (By the way, organic products have so much more flavor than their cheaper, less healthy look-alikes)!
And finally, after years and years of suffering, I quit having the recurrent episodes of bacterial vaginosis.
And to get to where I am now—healthy and happy—I had to learn that the antibiotics were a tool, not the cure-all for bacterial vaginosis.
I’ve learned that I influence my health, but I can’t do that through pills (antibiotics) alone.
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