What are the treatments for bacterial vaginosis?

Treatment options for bacterial vaginosis include oral antibiotics and vaginal gels.

Bacterial vaginosis treatments with antibiotics

To eliminate the infection

• Metronidazole – to be taken orally in the form of pills or applied as vaginal metronidazole gel. Oral metronidazole is effective for treating bacterial vaginosis, but is associated with common antibiotic side effects. Vaginal gels usually don’t have those side effects, but may trigger a yeast infection

• Vaginal clindamycin cream

• Tinidazole - a newer antibiotic with fewer side effects than metronidazole

Do take note that even after antibiotic treatment, you can still get bacterial vaginosis. In fact, more than half of women treated with antibiotics experience recurring bacterial vaginosis.

Bacterial vaginosis over the counter treatments

To relieve symptoms and restore vaginal flora

• Vaginal anti-itch creams such as Vagisil, Vagi-gard, Summers Eve, and Equate. However, these creams only relieve minor itching and do not treat the root cause of infection.

• Lactate vaginal gels, such as RepHresh, help to restore the pH balance of the vagina, which is crucial to promote the healthy growth of good bacteria.

• Probiotic supplements are powder or capsules containing acidophilus or lactobacillus to be taken orally. Examples of probiotic supplements are Fem-Dophilus and Femanol. They help to replenish good bacteria in the body.

There are also a host of natural ways to relieve the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. You can learn more on how to stop vaginal itching with home remedies and how to get rid of fishy vaginal odor at Bacterial Vaginosis Remedy Today.