Bacterial Vaginosis Treatments - Treating with Antibiotics

The symptoms of bacterial vaginosis are very distressing - fishy vaginal odor, abnormal vaginal discharge, and sometimes vaginal itch and pain during urination. These symptoms may be 'physical', but the effects are harsh emotionally and psychologically on women. Thankfully, several bacterial vaginosis treatments are available to get rid of those undesirable symptoms.

Treatment options for bacterial vaginosis include oral antibiotics and vaginal gels. Normally bacterial vaginosis symptoms clear up completely without complications after treatment, and no follow-up is required. However, to successfully get rid of bacterial vaginosis permanently can be a great challenge for many women.

The standard treatment for bacterial vaginosis is antibiotics. The antibiotic routinely prescribed is metronidazole (commercially known as Flagyl), which are available in the form of pill (taken orally) or vaginal metronidazole gel (Metrogel). Both are effective treatment for bacterial vaginosis. Another antibiotic that are commonly used is vaginal clindamycin cream (Cleocin).

The oral metronidazole is known to be the most effective drug treatment for BV so far. However, it can cause some minor but horrible side effects. Using vaginal gels usually remove the worries of antibiotic side effects. However, there is a risk of triggering a secondary yeast infection.

The internationally recommended treatments for bacterial vaginosis include 7 days of oral metronidazole (400 mg twice daily) or vaginal clindamycin (1 g at night). Tinidazole is a newer antibiotic that has been shown to cause fewer side effects than metronidazole. It is also effective for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

Bacterial vaginosis may reoccur after antibiotic treatments. It has been reported that more than half the women who received antibiotic treatment would get bacterial vaginosis again in less than a year. Some even sooner. Indeed, medical studies have reported that two thirds of patients would still experience several episodes of bacterial vaginosis after antibiotic treatment.

It is still a mystery as to why there are so many bacterial vaginosis recurring cases. When that occurs, usually you will be prescribed another course of antibiotics to treat the infection and ease the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. However, most doctors and their patients already know that standard bacterial vaginosis treatments with antibiotic often only provide short-term symptom relief.

This is why natural treatments and homeopathic remedies for bacterial vaginosis are becoming increasingly used to avoid the undesirable side effects of long-term antibiotic use.

If you prefer fast natural cures to stop vaginal itching or fishy vaginal smell of bacterial vaginosis, find out how you can obtain more information in this 3 Days to Permanent Bacterial Vaginosis Relief review.