Answers for the lost.. Vaginal Infections ruling my life

[klynn92]

Im a 26 year old female. I've been diagnosed with more Bacterial (Vaginal) infections in the past 2 years than i can count. I cant even always go to the DR because I cannot afford it.
some notes.
Im (well WAS) very sexually active
I'm on progestin-only birth control pill
I'm a daily smoker (pack a day)
I have (or supposedly have) IBS

Methods: antibiotics only temporarily help lately, I Constantly feel an infection, with lots of irritation., I do not even bother with underwear unless on period, i Do not use scented anything down there, i rarely even use soap there i just use my sprayer from the shower head to clean well, I take probiotics, i use the boric acid occasionally but after 2-3 days of use it makes me even more irritated than i was originally, ive bathed in organic apple cidar vinegar, ive literally shoved plain yogurt up there...

I keep getting told smoking, my pills and sex cause these things. Well i know many women who do all 3 as well and dont get infections like i do, so Why Me? No dr has an answer for me. just do this do that. at this point im so tired and i cant afford dr's anymore. Between this "condition" along with the supposed IBS i have, sex has become nearly obsolete (i am NOT happy!!) I'm tired of drs blaming what i do daily or whatever when many others do as well and do not have this problem.

...Any suggestions?

[RockRose]

That's a good thought, Annie.  Passing something back and forth.  

Also,  what specifically (what organism) have you been diagnosed with when you've gone to the doctor?  That's important in figuring out how to avoid it in the future.  A big culprit in recurrent vaginal infections is oral sex - either you giving it and then it getting into your vagina later,  or him giving it.  

[klynn92]

(read my reply to Annie) also Theyve never told me anything other than it being Bacterial Infections (BV) and havent given me anymore advice than everything i mentioned.

[AnnieBrooke]

Was the last time you had antibiotics for this before or after the last time you had sex? I'm trying to work out whether you could have been passing something back and forth with a partner and got re-exposed after your last serious antibiotic run.

[klynn92]

i used to a have a couple partners but like i said, ive barely dont Anything in 2 months because its been constant so theres not much chance of passing it back and forth anymore. i didnt do anything before or after the pills because of the infection "feeling" maybe once or twice in the past two months thats it.

[AnnieBrooke]

OK, well, what I'm after is whether you had sex "after the pills" even "maybe once or twice in the past month."  I was once told by my doctor when I had B.V. that my partner needed to take the antibiotics too, at the same time as me, to be sure he didn't give it back to me. If you are sleeping with anyone during the run of your antibiotics, you'd not only have the chance to pick up something from him by himself, but also from him if he got something from someone else. Some doctors don't feel that a man can give a woman a bacterial infection and so they don't mention it. But if you have gotten continual infections and have had sex even a few times, it might be worth testing the theory by taking a total break from sex, taking the full course of the antibiotics while not having any sex, and then seeing if the infection returns before you have sex with anyone, or only after you have sex with someone.