Boric Acid for BV

[Dees1977]

Well I have bv again. Everytime I have a bad period I get it . Anyway.. flagyl doesnt work on me anymore it just makes me really sick. So my ob/gyn prescribed boric acid suppository. I have been using them the past 3 days. My question is.. does it cause some irritation? I am not ithcing (knock on wood) but I just feel irritated and maybe a little swollen? I hate bv because it always seem to cause my IC to flare.

[MamaZ]

It can definitely irritate at first, particularly if you're already sore.
Do you happen to know what the base is made of? I have had issues with the most commonly used base -- it's similar to cocoa butter.

Another option is to make your own. I've been making my own for years. Super easy and dirt cheap.

[Dees1977]

No I dont know what the base is made of...my ob/gyn called them into the pharmacy and they made them for me. Do you find that it helps to get rid of the bv? How long do you use it?

[MamaZ]

No I dont know what the base is made of...my ob/gyn called them into the pharmacy and they made them for me. Do you find that it helps to get rid of the bv? How long do you use it?

If the itching/burning doesn't go away in a day or two I'd be suspicious of the base. I have super sensitive skin so it was no surprise to me that I had issues with the normal cocoa butter-like base. There's another base they can use if this is your issue -- you just need to let the compounding pharmacist know. I want to say it's called Base F, but I'm not positive.
Here's a nifty little page about bases.

Honestly, I've only used boric acid suppositories for yeast. And they work so well when nothing else does. I always recommend it to women seeking out a natural, tried and true remedy. I just googled to see if works for bacterial overgrowth and apparently there's quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that it does -- I assume that's why your doc recommended it. And kudos to her for not throwing more drugs at you before trying something like this.

In any case, it usually helps within a few days. How long did she prescribe it for? I normally use 'em for a week or two just to be safe.