Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Dear Aunt Vadge,
I’ve had BV and yeast for about a year, and this month my doctor said I have BV, yeast and a UTI. I don’t have any UTI symptoms, but I do have vaginal ones. I’ve tried multiple antibiotics, alternative medicine, and changing my diet, and I have no idea what else to do.
My discharge goes from thick to watery and varies a lot, with itching, burning and redness. A microbiome test came back with lots of Gardnerella and other BV bacteria. I’m really bloated and go to the toilet 3 to 5 times a day, but I’m gluten-free, mostly plant-based and dairy-free.
I have one child with autism, so every day is hard. My cycles are irregular (light, long, watery, 35 days) with PMS. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Desperate
Age 34, USA
Hi Desperate,
A whole year of recurrent BV, yeast and now a UTI is exhausting, and you’ve clearly tried hard. So after a year, it’s time to change tactics, because the on-off treatment approach isn’t getting to the bottom of it.
The single most important shift is to stop chasing each flare with another round of antibiotics. Repeated broad antibiotics knock down your protective bacteria along with the disruptive ones, which is one of the main reasons BV and yeast keep cycling back, so the goal now is to rebuild your protective microbiome and find what’s driving the imbalance. (One thing to clarify with your doctor: if you have no urinary symptoms at all, ask whether the ‘UTI’ actually needs treating – symptomless bacteria in urine often don’t, and avoiding an unnecessary antibiotic course matters here.)
Your gut is part of this. Bloating and going three to five times a day is a lot, and it’s a strong clue. Gut inflammation and an unsettled gut microbiome can directly feed vaginal dysbiosis, so settling your digestion is a priority, not a side issue.
Even on a careful diet, hidden sensitivities can keep things inflamed. So a temporary low-FODMAP or elimination diet can help pinpoint triggers, while plenty of high-fibre vegetables supports both your gut and your liver’s role in clearing hormones.
There may be a hormonal thread too. Irregular, long, light cycles and PMS alongside recurrent infections can point to a hormonal component that also shapes your vaginal environment, so it’s worth a hormonal assessment with a provider, and a practitioner may consider herbs (such as shatavari for oestrogen support) as part of a tailored plan rather than something to self-prescribe.
This exact pattern – recurrent BV and yeast that won’t quit, alongside gut and cycle issues – is a familiar one. And the turning point is almost always treating the gut and hormonal drivers underneath, not just the vagina.
So the move is connected support rather than tackling each piece alone. A practitioner who works across the gut, vagina and hormones can pull these threads together, and you can book an appointment.
And please don’t underestimate the load you’re carrying – chronic symptoms plus caring for a child with autism is a huge amount. And support for the stress itself, whether counselling or a support group, is part of getting well, not a luxury.
You’ve done so much already, and you are not out of options. Take care, Desperate – you’re not alone in this.
Aunt Vadge
This is general information based on current research and our clinical experience, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
