Vaginal odor?

[Squirrel123]

I am tired of dealing with vaginal odor. I sweat a lot, but its so bad sometimes I can smell it through jeans. This is gross, but a serious concern. I've had this problem for most of my life, been to doctors and they say its normal. I HATE it. I try everything. I use liners, but have to use 2 a day. Cotton undies, going commando, sprays, shower gel, garlic pills etc. It is not an infection or STD. like I said, I've been to the doctor. I tell him about it every year I go for my check up. I am on birth control, no help. I am a very clean person, and make hygiene my number 1 priority, so this is stressful for me. I also do not want it to become a problem in my relationship. He will occasionally eat me out, but I can't help but think this will become a huge turn off.

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

Can you describe the vaginal odor? Fishy? Metallic? Musky?

 

Is there discharge? What color?

 

Are you taking any medication besides birth control?

 

Do you douche? Use fragrant soaps down there? If so, stop right now!! Use nothing but warm water. You can also wash with organic cold pressed coconut oil, but don't clean the inside of your vagina ever. It does that on it's own. Just clean around.

 

How old are you?

 

Ever heard of Rephresh?

[FitChick]

You can buy individual wet wipes to carry in your purse and use during the day.

 

Are you overweight?

 

What is your normal diet? Eat a lot of garlic, dairy or spices?

[Squirrel123]

Can you describe the vaginal odor? Fishy? Metallic? Musky? I have never been able to explain the smell.. its none of those. Closest would be musk I guess.

 

Is there discharge? What color? My undies will be slight brown.

 

Are you taking any medication besides birth control? B-12 and a probiotic.

 

Do you douche? Use fragrant soaps down there? If so, stop right now!! Use nothing but warm water. You can also wash with organic cold pressed coconut oil, but don't clean the inside of your vagina ever. It does that on it's own. Just clean around.

Occasionally Summers eve body wash on the outside only. I do not douche.

How old are you? 26.

 

Ever heard of Rephresh? I think I have tried it, but elaborate please.

 

Thanks

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

You can buy individual wet wipes to carry in your purse and use during the day.

 

Are you overweight?

 

What is your normal diet? Eat a lot of garlic, dairy or spices?

 

I don't like wipes necessarily. Esp if she has an infection, that won't help. I rather just get warm water and wash myself down there in the bathroom and pat dry with a towel. So many wipes have stuff in them that is bad for vaginal flora.

 

What does being overweight have to do with anything? I'm really just curious, not trying to sound mean.

 

DIET plays a huge part!!! Eat more fruit!!! Strawberries, mangoes, pineapples, berries....eat yogurt too and drink water. Coconut oil does wonders for me.

[Squirrel123]

You can buy individual wet wipes to carry in your purse and use during the day.

 

Are you overweight?

 

What is your normal diet? Eat a lot of garlic, dairy or spices?

 

I do use those a lot. I am about 20lbs overweight, and work out regularly. No, ot really. I have tried eating things to see if it makes it better/worse but have not noticed a difference. its constant.

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

Can you describe the vaginal odor? Fishy? Metallic? Musky? I have never been able to explain the smell.. its none of those. Closest would be musk I guess.

 

Is there discharge? What color? My undies will be slight brown.

 

Are you taking any medication besides birth control? B-12 and a probiotic.

 

Do you douche? Use fragrant soaps down there? If so, stop right now!! Use nothing but warm water. You can also wash with organic cold pressed coconut oil, but don't clean the inside of your vagina ever. It does that on it's own. Just clean around.

Occasionally Summers eve body wash on the outside only. I do not douche.

How old are you? 26.

 

Ever heard of Rephresh? I think I have tried it, but elaborate please.

 

Thanks

 

Okay so musky, brown discharge and you use summers eve. First off, stop the summers eve. I used to use that and it gave me constant BV. A lot of women report bad reviews with that stuff. Don't use it at all. Since I stopped using that, my vagina smells normal which means like nothing.

 

Rephresh is those depositories that you stick up there that last up to 3 days and it balances your PH. I also like the homeopathic pills from VH Essentials. It really helps me : VH Essentials BV Treatment Ph Balanced Vaginal Insert 6 Inserts New Open Box | eBay You can get it all Walgreens/CVS for 25 bucks.

 

The brown discharge, is that all the time? Or just occasionally?

 

Do you were cotton underwear? Shower once a day?

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

I do use those a lot. I am about 20lbs overweight, and work out regularly. No, ot really. I have tried eating things to see if it makes it better/worse but have not noticed a difference. its constant.

 

Stop the wipes and the washes. Only wash yourself with water from now on!

 

It will take a couple weeks to notice anything because your PH needs to re balance, but I promise you it will make a difference. In the meantime, try the RePhresh depositories.

 

Does your bf come inside of you? If he does, that can mess with your vaginal PH too and cause it to smell different. Use the Rephresh depositories after sex.

[TaraMaiden]

Has anybody close to you (emotionally, that is) made comment or mentioned this?

 

Have you had any feedback from medics or when you've had an examination?

 

I'm wondering if in actual fact you don't have a hyper-sensitive sense of smell and that self-consciousness is actually 'making' your situation worse - but only to you/in your mind....?

[pteromom]

Have you been checked for different types of yeast infections? There are several types and some won't show up on the standard test, nor respond well to the medications.

 

Do you go to a regular physician or an OBGYN?

[Emilia]

I was told by a pharmacist to wash with salty water if I ever felt my discharge was different. I do that fairly frequently more as a prevention and it seems to work very well. Just the outside, after shower, allow it to dry before putting my clothes on. Also sleep without underwear when I'm not having my period.

[almond]

Ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist.

[newmoon]

what about scented pantyliners during the day? and don't douche. I've not had this particular issue, but I know my vaginal area is often irritated by body wash/soap, so I just stick to warm water now. stay away from products other than water, basically. and perhaps diet? I know it can affect how men smell, perhaps that is true with women as well? take a look at what you're eating; a healthy body might lead to a healthier or non-smelling discharge

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

Also fill up a tub of warm water, 2 cups of white vinegar and 1 cup of salt and soak!

 

OR

 

Fill up a tub of warm water and put in 2 cups of ACV (apple cider vinegar) the mother brand.

 

Do this 3 times a week. It will be stinky, but so worth it!

 

 

What a girl has to do sometimes...

[Candy_Pants]

All vaginas have some sort of smell. Not necessarily bad. If it's a fishy or overly musky smell that you don't enjoy DO NOT use perfumes or wipes or washes to cover it up. (This includes scented panty liners).

 

Do you have long public hair? I notice when mine is fuller it traps sweat and smells more than usual.

 

There's a way to "reset" your vaginal flora. BlessYour CottonSocks hit the nail on the head with the apple cider vinegar bath.

 

After soaking get some plain (no sugar or flavor) yogurt. Use a spoon to keep the container clean and put a bit into a bowl. I used disposable cups. Wash your hands with hot water and an antibacterial soap making sure to rinse extremely well.

 

Take the yogurt onto your finger and put it inside of you. If you have a small vagina you can use a tampon applicator filled with yogurt to insert it inside your vagina. Use a new applicator every time.

 

Do this twice a day for three days. I did this in the past for yeast infections and it cured me within days.

[Squirrel123]

Okay so musky, brown discharge and you use summers eve. First off, stop the summers eve. I used to use that and it gave me constant BV. A lot of women report bad reviews with that stuff. Don't use it at all. Since I stopped using that, my vagina smells normal which means like nothing.

 

Rephresh is those depositories that you stick up there that last up to 3 days and it balances your PH. I also like the homeopathic pills from VH Essentials. It really helps me : VH Essentials BV Treatment Ph Balanced Vaginal Insert 6 Inserts New Open Box | eBay You can get it all Walgreens/CVS for 25 bucks.

 

The brown discharge, is that all the time? Or just occasionally?

 

Do you were cotton underwear? Shower once a day?

 

Oh, yes i have tried those. I may need to try again. Brown all the time for years. Yes, cotton undies. Also, I've never mastered the art of wiping from front to back, i do it, but i never feel dry. I hate not feeling dry!

[writergal]

Squirrel123 why haven't you seen an OBGYN about your vaginal discharge? They would diagnose the problem asap and give you a Px to treat it.

 

According to a medical website, causes for vaginal discharge like yours could be related to any of these:

 

• Antibiotic or steroid use
  
• Bacterial vaginosis, a bacterial infection more common in pregnant women or women who have multiple sexual partners
  
• Birth control pills
  
• Cervical cancer
  
• Chlamydia or gonorrhea (STDs), sexually transmitted infections
  
• Diabetes
  
• Douches, scented soaps or lotions, bubble bath
  
• Pelvic infection after surgery
  
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  
• Trichomoniasis, a parasitic infection typically contracted and caused by having unprotected sex
  
• Vaginal atrophy, the thinning and drying out of the vaginal walls during menopause
  
• Vaginitis, irritation in or around the vagina
  
• Yeast infections
  

 

If your vaginal discharge is brown, that's old blood being cleaned out by the vagina, since the vagina is self-cleaning. Or it could be from blood spotting which happens to some women in the middle of their menstrual cycle, or if they are pregnant. When the uterine walls slough off old blood, it comes out spotty. And if you don't have pelvic symptoms like burning or itching that accompany the brown discharge, then it's probably nothing serious because those would mean that you either have an STD or a bacterial infection in your vagina.

 

Different Types of Discharge

 

White: Thick, white discharge is common at the beginning and end of your cycle. Normal white discharge is not accompanied by itching. If itching is present, thick white discharge can indicate a yeast infection.

 

Clear and stretchy: This is "fertile" mucous and means you are ovulating.

 

Clear and watery: This occurs at different times of your cycle and can be particularly heavy after exercising.

 

Yellow or Green: May indicate an infection, especially if it is thick or clumpy like cottage cheese or has a foul odor.

 

Brown: May happen right after periods, and is just "cleaning out" your vagina. Old blood looks brown.

 

Spotting Blood/Brown Discharge: This may occur when you are ovulating/mid-cycle. Sometimes early in pregnancy you may have spotting or a brownish discharge at the time your period would normally come.

Edited February 25, 2014 by writergal

[writergal]

Lol @ Bubba. I agree. Penises are less complicated than Vaginas. Although, did you know that men can fracture their penis when it's erect? Try not to plunge too hard and fast into your partner when you have sex or you'll risk breaking your penis against the woman's pubic bone.

[thefooloftheyear]

Meh...Some guys stink of B/O no matter how much they wash...some people are just more gamey than others..*shrug*...

 

TFY

[whichwayisup]

what about scented pantyliners during the day? and don't douche. I've not had this particular issue, but I know my vaginal area is often irritated by body wash/soap, so I just stick to warm water now. stay away from products other than water, basically. and perhaps diet? I know it can affect how men smell, perhaps that is true with women as well? take a look at what you're eating; a healthy body might lead to a healthier or non-smelling discharge

 

Don't do the scented pantyliners, I've heard they cause more issues down there. Always use unscented pads.

 

See your Dr again, get a referral to an OBGYN.

[whichwayisup]

Oh, yes i have tried those. I may need to try again. Brown all the time for years. Yes, cotton undies. Also, I've never mastered the art of wiping from front to back, i do it, but i never feel dry. I hate not feeling dry!

 

Sorry what do you mean you haven't mastered the art of wiping from front to back? And not feel dry? If you're not wiping properly (I assume that's what you mean when you say not mastered the art..) then this might be why there are problems.

 

Try too, baking soda in your bath.

[writergal]

Vaginal secretions have a pH (acidic or base) that helps control vaginal odors, keeps the Vagina clean, prevents yeast infections and is different for every woman. Also, there are folds/creases that surround the vaginal opening, especially around the clitoris. If you forget to clean those areas, you can develop a foul odor down there. If that pH is off, for any reason, you'll get a funky smell and your vaginal discharge will not be a normal color if there's an infection.

[MidwestUSA]

Sorry what do you mean you haven't mastered the art of wiping from front to back? And not feel dry? .

 

Yes, curious about this myself. I've only heard of such a thing in morbidly obese people who can't reach what they need to reach. Don't go cheap on toilet paper would be my only addition to the advice already given here.

[Omei]

If you eat onions I know that can make it smell within hours, also just to add..toilet paper im weird and use a towel unless its a #2 towels obsorb better and don't leave little piece's of paper on your vagina and those can smell. Just make sure it's a private towel no one else would use dark in color and wash it often.

[whichwayisup]

If you eat onions I know that can make it smell within hours, also just to add..toilet paper im weird and use a towel unless its a #2 towels obsorb better and don't leave little piece's of paper on your vagina and those can smell. Just make sure it's a private towel no one else would use dark in color and wash it often.

 

Never had bits of tp stuck inside me, then again I use really good and soft toilet paper! I have no problem paying more (though I buy tons when on sale) to have nice tp! Once you have that, you won't go back to the cheaper stuff or one ply that rips.

 

Didn't know that eating onion can make a vagina smell within hours..

 

Squirrel have you made an appt yet?

 

In the meantime, bath daily (shower), fresh undies everyday, (use none when sleeping unless you have your period) and do an update soon.