Beat BV with Aunt Vadge's Lactulose & Probiotic Kit

Lactulose with a suitable probiotic is a strong combo. The treatment goal is to repopulate the vagina with protective lactobacilli.

Lactulose is food for your protective flora, lactobacilli, so they thrive, multiply and colonise, displacing pathogens.

This treatment is suitable for:

Those with zero, little or moderate amounts of vaginal lactobacilli (don’t know? Get a comprehensive vaginal microbiome test)
Those with a clear diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) or unexplained vaginal infection or dysbiosis

Who shouldn’t use the Lactulose and Probiotic Kit

Do not use lactulose if you may have c ytolytic vaginosis (CV) (lactobacilli overgrowth syndrome) or aero bic vaginitis (AV) – it may make these conditions worse
Check the list of bugs that love lactulose
You are allergic to dairy
If you are lactose or casein intolerant, the treatment should not cause issues

What you’ll need

Order Aunt Vadge’s Lactulose and Probiotic Kit

My Vagina kits contain everything you need to get started.

What you get in your Lactulose and Probiotic Kit

Lactulose liquid
Probiotic containing vagina-specific lactobacilli in pure vagina-safe vegetable capsules (Life-Space Women’s Microflora)
100% pure vegetable vagina-safe capsules

Understanding the Three L’s

1. Lactulose – prebiotic (good bug food)

Lactulose vaginally boosts colonies of healthy lactobacilli while deterring pathogens. Lactulose selectively feeds lactobacilli, starving most pathogens.

Lactulose is an inert sugar (lactose), a prebiotic, derived from heated cow’s milk. Lactulose is sold as an oral treatment for constipation (a laxative) and medically for some liver conditions.

2. Lactobacilli – the probiotic

Lactulose is best used with an appropriate vagina-specific probiotic, strong vaginal protectors and colonisers, typically:

L. gasseri
L. crispatus
L. jensensii
L. rhamnosus

The probiotic in the kit is the Life-Space Women’s Microflora, our preferred probiotic, because it has six great strains of lactobacilli while being very small in size, meaning less fillers and powder in your treatment. The capsules are pure vegetable, and not enteric coated, so are vagina-safe.

Treatment schedule

Days 1 – 7

Use the lactulose and probiotic vaginally week by week (see instructions below), while you sleep, taking a few days break after each seven days to do a symptom and pH check.

If after seven days of vaginal treatments you still have symptoms or your pH is above 4.5, do another week, and so on. Remember a pH of 4.5 is respectable!

Days 9+

Repeat vaginal treatment as needed.

DO NOT OVERUSE LACTULOSE!

You don’t want to end up with lactobacilli overgrowth syndrome, which is characterised by itching, burning and a thick, white discharge that mimics a yeast infection.

Applying vaginal treatments

Use 1 probiotic capsule and 1 capsule of lactulose deep vaginally before bed
If your microbiome report shows 30-60 per cent lactobacillus (not including L. iners), only use vaginal probiotics with the lactulose for the first three days and

If using as an irrigation, use 2ml lactulose and 8ml water, mix well in a shot glass. Suction into the syringe and insert deep vaginally. Tilt hips upwards. Let it run out onto a towel or in the bath or shower, two applications per day.

When to start treatments

If you do not get periods, start anytime you like. If you are still menstruating, start the day you stop bleeding to get the most period-free days of treatment possible.

When to stop treatments

It’s important to stop every seven days and do a pH and symptom check. Write down and rate your symptoms and pH before you start, for example:

Date 5 January
Odour – fishy – 6/10 – comes and goes – worse for alcohol
Discharge – watery – dries sticky – copious (7/10)
pH 5.0

Every seven days, repeat the process, adding any new symptoms and rating. You can check your pH during treatments, but expect it to be 4.0 or 4.5 because of the lactobacilli (they produce lactic acid). The reading will only be accurate after 2-3 days without treatments.

You should be checking your pH! If you don’t have strips, order vaginal pH strips now.

When you have no symptoms and your pH is 4.0 – 4.5, stop all treatments, keep checking pH, and see what happens. If the clearance lasts, congratulations!

If you start to experience symptoms of lactobacillus overgrowth such as itching, thick white or clumpy discharge, stop using all treatments and see if it dissipates on its own. An overgrowth isn’t the end of the world and does NOT mean you have CV, so let it be and see how you go.

Tips and tricks for using lactulose and probiotics

Don’t freeze lactulose – it doesn’t freeze well and will just become more viscous (and harder to use as a liquid)
Wash all your treatment tools immediately and air dry for the next day
If you have vulvar or anal symptoms, rub the mixture into affected areas as well
You can prepare vegetable capsules a few days in advance, but if you live in a humid environment, keep them in an airtight container with a moisture-absorbing sachet or they may go soft – do an experiment
If you have gelatin capsules, don’t put warm mixture into the caps as they will melt.

What to expect from the lactulose and probiotic treatment

Each of you is a bit different in terms of what will happen, but the theory is simple: feed the lactobacilli so they proliferate and kill off pathogens and unhealthy biofilms as they go, while supporting your innate cellular immunity.

The treatment shouldn’t cause irritation, but if it does, stop. It’s a great treatment for those of you that have sensitive vaginas who don’t tolerate other treatments very well, but it’s not magic and caution is advised in regards to AV and lactobacilli overgrowth.

How to tell if you have lactobacillus overgrowth

If you start to experience different symptoms such as itching, burning or yeast-infection-like symptoms after a while of using lactulose vaginally, you may have ended up with a temporary lactobacilli overgrowth.

In the right circumstances, this can turn into a condition known as cytolytic vaginosis where it becomes difficult to dislodge a single species that has taken over, mainly Lactobacillus crispatus, sitting at above 97 per cent on a microbiome test. Take a break from all treatments for a few weeks and see if it resolves by itself.

If it resolves and your vaginal symptoms do not return, congratulations! You’ve successfully recolonised. CV can cause unpleasant symptoms that should resolve once you stop putting probiotics, lactulose or milk kefir into your vagina or mouth.

Your body will adjust the balance of microbes based on food availability. Resolution might take a few weeks. If it doesn’t resolve, book in for an appointment to talk it through.

Safety and cautions when using lactulose

Lactulose is usually safe to use vaginally, but as with all treatments, if you experience irritation, stop using it, take a treatment break, or reduce the dose.

Getting support

If you’re not getting the results you’re after, please book with a My Vagina vulvovaginal specialist practitioner for effective, personalised 100% holistic treatments. We understand what is happening to you and can help.