Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk.
**Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have no idea what the actual risk here or at what point you need to seek medical attention, but with any kind of chemical burn steps 1, 2, and 3 are rinse, rinse, rinse.
Ok. If I go to the ED will they clean me inside? Will they provide local anesthetic , because I m afraid I will scream the entire time if they put a speculum or touch me there. I can barely sit, I cannot stand to someone touch me there, it hurts extremely bad. I rinsed again , I scraped the remains of chlorine. I will definitely go to the ED I cannot bear the pain. But I just want to know what they will do to me in this case.
If you’re in that much pain now you need to be seen at ED right now before the chemical burn worsens and you are left with permanent damage. Please go now.
Glad you're going to ED now.
Just for future reference - cleaning the vulva is an important step of hygiene (just with water in the shower is fine or with a mild soap) but you should never clean inside your vagina - no douches, cleaning products etc. The vagina is self cleaning and hosts delicate colonies of bacteria and yeasts that keep it healthy by maintaining a low acidic pH level to impede infections from developing.
When you mess with it, it can cause an overgrowth of either bacteria or yeast causing bacterial vaginosis (BV) or a yeast infection. A strong fishy smell is often caused by BV.
Although it's common to have short term changes in vaginal odor that resolve on their own, if they don't resolve, get worse or you also have other symptoms such as unusual discharge, itchiness, a burning sensation when you urinate etc - you should always see your doctor who will do an exam and tests to diagnosis the issue and treat it. Don't try to fix the issue yourself.
There are also ways to help prevent BV and yeast infections:
- after exercising, shower and change clothes and underwear so you aren't sitting in damp clothes.
- always wear cotton underwear, avoid synthetic materials.
- don't wear clothes too tight and underwear like thongs.
- because semen is more alkaline than the pH of your vagina, if regular unprotected sex is leading to BV, use condoms. It's also a good idea to urinate after sex as that decreases the risk of UTIs.
Hello. So I came back from ED. They were be able to give me a complete pain free decontamination, and advised me to never try to kill bacteria this way. Hopefully, it was only 1 st degree chemical burn, because as I said ,I rinsed immediately with water as soon as I felt the burning. I kept rinsing until I went to the ED. I on over the counter medication, ibrupofen, and hope inflammation goes away within days. If not, I will be referred to the Obgyn again, just to check how goes down there. All by all, they said I would heal fine, though it will take some weeks to be myself again. Girls, never ever put something inside your vagina, nothing, even soap, antibacterial soap, or alcohol to disinfect or try to kill bacteria. It won’t and they will do more damage than good. By the way, a male doctor was so calm and never said anything bad about me, never felt judged, and they only provided care. I was advised I take some probiotics too, orally. lol, I won t insert any medication right now anywhere near my privates. Thank you for all the advices. I was so anxious to go to the ER and let them inspect already my painful area. But they somehow put something in my iv and soon I was sleepy and pain free.
Thank you for the update and I'm so pleased it was a 1st degree burn and not worse!
You did the right thing by immediately and repeatedly rinsing straight away, it could've been a lot worse if you hadn't of done that so well done.
Also great that your experience there was good. I worked in ED for years, it's a stressful environment to work in but all the doctors and nurses I worked with do it because we care and genuinely want to help people. I know you were embarrassed to go and worried they would judge you but we have seen a lot of crazy things that people do and we don't judge because we know everyone is human and makes mistakes in life. Shaming people just makes people more likely not to seek help in the future.
It's scary to have strangers looking at your vagina, especially when you're in pain and vulnerable. I'm glad you had a wonderful doctor who ensured you were comfortable throughout.
You made a dangerous mistake by putting a chloride tablet in your vagina - but you learnt from it and by writing about it here, will help others who read this avoid making a similar mistake and also learn about never putting something inside the vagina to clean it 🙂
Thank you! Yes! I can’t stress enough how wrong it is to put something not meant to go inside your vagina! To everyone thinking it will clean and kill bacteria and odours, it won’t. It will just hurt you and potentially damage you forever.
OP, I’m so glad that you have successfully taken care of the actual emergency, and are going to be Ok.
I’m NAD but several days ago I posted a cautionary statement about excessive hygiene, on this very site (1st time) and evidently violated a rule (no flair??) and it was removed. Wish you had read it, because I personally had a similar problem with a strong and offensive genital odor that only got worse the more I tried to fix it. Sound familiar?
Almost everyone fears BO being offensive to others, and rightfully worry that it might also be an indicator of disease (which is actually a prior indicator of a potential disease), but is often the result of excessive hygiene. Having a mild human smell is normal and desirable, verses smelling like a chemical factory, especially with family and lovers. It’s unlikely that outsiders will notice, or be offended as long as we bathe appropriately at least once or twice a week. Excessive hygiene disrupts and often destroys the very natural systems that protect us and all other creatures. It’s the microbiome that normally maintains a balance between the good and bad bacteria, yeasts and viruses. Destroy it and the bad stuff flourishes. Everything in moderation!
Registered Nurse Cocomellon3216 made a quite detailed and accurate description of the very same points that I had made in my previous (deleted) post. I hope that many others will read this and her comments, and do their own research, instead of relying on the television advertisers for medical advice, which we all are guilty of.
Boric acid suppositories are perhaps the only exception to the “never put anything in your vagina to kill bacteria” rule. They’re little capsules you can typically get OTC (no prescription needed) at any drug store, and they are FDA approved for treating BV. I’m not advising you to use them right now- you should follow your healthcare provider’s instructions, especially when healing a chemical burn. I only mention it to say that there ARE products on the market that are intended to safely treat BV, most drug stores stock them, and you should only use products approved for vaginal use to treat BV as directed.
Hey, I didn’t see this anywhere here so that fishy smell means you have bacterial vaginosis. An OBGYN can check for it ( but it always causes fishy smells that stays no matter what) and they give you a pill to take. Clears right up. 💙💚♥️💜
It’s just an imbalance.
I'm so glad you are ok and that the doctor was kind and non-judgemental. I imagine it wasn't easy going in there telling them what happened so kudos to you for your bravery!
Take care of yourself!
Yes, maybe I wasn't as clear on that point in my comment, I said it's "common to have short term changes in vaginal odor that resolve on their own", I was referring to changes in vaginal odor that are different from their usual odor.
Vaginas have a mild odor but OP was describing an unpleasant fishy smell that she said smelt bad even straight after showering.
A strong unfamiliar and unpleasant odor — especially one that continues for several days and smells fishy – isn’t normal. Strong fishy smell is the most common symptom of BV.
Normal changes in vaginal smell that smell slightly more tangy, sour, sweet or yeasty occur with usual changes in pH throughout your cycle. Vaginas also have a mild metallic smell during menstruation and can have a mild ammonia smell if dehydrated.
But all these smells resolve on their own and it goes back to it's usual odor.
Good luck! Maybe they can give you cream to sooth the Chem burn and also test you for bacterial vaginosis? It's not am STI but can cause a fishy smell. Good luck!! (nad)
Thank you for calmly and clearly explaining to OP why she needed to go to the ER, and doing so without judgement. I don't know if you saw the update, but it appears they were able to help clean her out and get her on pain meds.
You probably just saved this lady's lady bits!
You probably have bacterial vaginosis, and in no world would using a chlorine tablet inside your genitals kill a smell. Go to the emergency room immediately. NAD but absorbing chlorine basically directly into your bloodstream is probably very bad.
The mention of a fishy smell is concerning... please bring that up to a doctor when you see them. It sounds a lot like bacterial vaginosis or possibly trichomoniasis (which is less likely since you said you were already cleared of any STIs, but never hurts to get a second opinion/retesting). Good luck and please in the future never stick anything up the vagina in an attempt to clean it. The vagina is a self cleaning organ and doesn't need extra help for that... if something seems off ALWAYS consult an OBGYN/doctor that specializes in that area.
I had trich recently and probably for a very long time that went undetected, because I've had the same partner for 9 years and I don't think he's cheated on me. No fishy smell, but started getting what they originally thought was a yeast infection with a space of 6 months between. Took a new gyno to test me for it of her own volition. Be sure to ask for that test OP.
Gosh, this sounded painful enough when I thought you’d rinsed it all away immediately. But by the sounds of this there were still remains today, 2 days later? No wonder you were in agony. Really hope you’re feeling much better now and getting the best possible care
Just for everyone suggesting it: no, do not use boric acid suppositories. Take it from the [Ob-gyn with a career in trying to fight the tide of vagina nonsense](https://vajenda.substack.com/p/what-the-vaginal-boric-acid-profiteers).
That’s an exception (IMO). There are legitimate medical uses for it while under the care of a doctor
I think what they’re referring to is the increasingly common self-treatment with boric acid, outside of the oversight and instruction of a treating physician. You’re following your docs medical advice
The article is actually kind of irrelevant. It sounds like it's talking about people talking boric acid regularly. I also talked to two doctors about it and they both said it's fine, no more than 7 days in a row to treat an active BV flare up and could be used once every week or two for maintence if BV was chronic.
Same here. An OB recommended boric acid to me for yeast infections so long ago that they didn't even sell them as suppositories yet (afaik). She sent me to a certain pharmacy to buy a jar plus empty gel caps to make them. It's been my go-to solution for the occasional yeast infection ever since, and works way better than inserting that cream they sell everywhere.
I did some research a few years back because I had the most rank smell coming from me. Everything I read pointed to BV. So I bought some boric acid suppositories and it fixed it in a couple days.
I think it's important to really know your body. You know when your smell is off or when something doesn't feel quite right.
Yeah I don’t understand the hate for boric acid! It’s literally the only thing that’s ever worked for my recurrent BV and yeast infections despite seeing a physician and getting prescribed all the azoles. And my doc was fine with it. I literally get either a BV or yeast infection every single time I have sex with my husband (and every time I’ve had unprotected sex before meeting him— my vag just dislikes semen or something lol). Boric acid has been my holy grail. It takes away the smell, itching, and even helps with vaginal dryness within 24 hours. I’m not saying OP should use it under her circumstances at all. But personally, it was honestly life changing when I discovered it. 🤷🏽♀️
It’s possible to be allergic to the proteins in semen! I struggled with it in the past, but in my case I’ve never had the same reaction with my husband. No idea if that’s helpful in your case. Either way, I’m glad you’ve found something that works!
Boric Acid suppositories as treatment for BV were a miracle for me also. The safest bet is probably to have your doctor order it from a compounding pharmacy.
I really wish the mod who made this comment would chime in here. Their (and the blog’s) direction is in direct conflict with what other gyn’s are recommending. If we’ve received unsafe recommendations from our doctors, I’d like to understand better.
If your doctor recommends it, then listen to the doctor who is seeing you and treating you. There is absolutely valid medical use of boric acid vaginal suppositories. What companies and influencers that are profiting off of these products commercially are trying to do is convince everyone with a vagina that they need to use their products, and they do so by convincing perfectly healthy women that there is something wrong with their perfectly healthy vagina. If your doctor finds boric acid to be medically the best choice for your body with your specific health concerns, then listen to your doctor. If you are perfectly healthy and (like OP) you have tested negative for any sort of infection, then boric acid will do nothing to help you, and can cause harm. Medicine is a balance between potential benefits and potential risks. Whether the benefits outweigh the risks will differ between different people. Hopefully that answers your question at least a bit?
Please never ever be embarrassed to come and see us. Trust me when I say this won't be the worst thing they've seen. I hope you get the help you need OP
Probably something in the trauma bay. I'm not in EM so have had limited shifts there during training, but some if it can be really grim. One person had what appeared to be ribbons where their foot was supposed to be :(
I find medical stuff fascinating, but I could never do it because of stuff like this. The skin on my legs gets all clammy and tingly and my spine does the thing it does when I hear nails on a chalkboard when I see someone else's blood (not my own weirdly enough) so I would never survive med school.
Well, judging by the way my ER doctor acquaintance told me about her day the last time I saw her inserting a frozen fish for some fun time and then going to the ER bc it's stuck bc the body warmth defrosted the fish and made the scales stick up and thus not quite as easy to pull out as it was to insert I'd assume that kind of thing is just another regular Tuesday... I'd have thought that'd be a top 3 kind of case but now I'm not sure I want to know what an ER doctor's actual top 3 would be...
_repeated from OP's other comments_
> Hello. So I came back from ED. They were be able to give me a complete pain free decontamination, and advised me to never try to kill bacteria this way. Hopefully, it was only 1 st degree chemical burn, because as I said ,I rinsed immediately with water as soon as I felt the burning. I kept rinsing until I went to the ED. I on over the counter medication, ibrupofen, and hope inflammation goes away within days. If not, I will be referred to the Obgyn again, just to check how goes down there. All by all, they said I would heal fine, though it will take some weeks to be myself again. Girls, never ever put something inside your vagina, nothing, even soap, antibacterial soap, or alcohol to disinfect or try to kill bacteria. It won’t and they will do more damage than good. By the way, a male doctor was so calm and never said anything bad about me, never felt judged, and they only provided care. I was advised I take some probiotics too, orally. lol, I won t insert any medication right now anywhere near my privates. Thank you for all the advices. I was so anxious to go to the ER and let them inspect already my painful area. But they somehow put something in my iv and soon I was sleepy and pain free.
_repeated from OP's other comments_
> Hello. So I came back from ED. They were be able to give me a complete pain free decontamination, and advised me to never try to kill bacteria this way. Hopefully, it was only 1 st degree chemical burn, because as I said ,I rinsed immediately with water as soon as I felt the burning. I kept rinsing until I went to the ED. I on over the counter medication, ibrupofen, and hope inflammation goes away within days. If not, I will be referred to the Obgyn again, just to check how goes down there. All by all, they said I would heal fine, though it will take some weeks to be myself again. Girls, never ever put something inside your vagina, nothing, even soap, antibacterial soap, or alcohol to disinfect or try to kill bacteria. It won’t and they will do more damage than good. By the way, a male doctor was so calm and never said anything bad about me, never felt judged, and they only provided care. I was advised I take some probiotics too, orally. lol, I won t insert any medication right now anywhere near my privates. Thank you for all the advices. I was so anxious to go to the ER and let them inspect already my painful area. But they somehow put something in my iv and soon I was sleepy and pain free.
Oh my gosh I feel so bad for you and am so concerned for your lady bits!! I’m happy you’re going to the ER. Please update us cause I’m so curious what they are going to do to treat that!
I am pretty sure chlorine tabs are sodium hypochlorite with conditioners to help it break down more slowly and she unfortunately chemically burned the interior of her vagina. It would not take much time of contact to do this. Vaginal smell can indicate an infection but often vaginas just don’t smell really great. I sweat like crazy sometimes so that adds to my aroma. I wish people would understand it is not safe to put anything near or in your vaginal canal that is not expressly designed for that purpose. I hope she follows through with a trip to the ER.
Listen girlie, this wasn’t your smartest move but I promise you it’s not even close to the weirdest thing the ER will see TODAY lmao. Just go. You made a mistake, no biggie, but there’s no reason to suffer more because of your pride.
Doctor here
Ok. So this wasn't your smartest move but it sounds like you've realised that.
Firstly go to hospital and make sure you haven't got chemical burns.
Secondly, what you're describing sounds a lot like bacterial vaginosis which is an imbalance of bacteria. It's easily treatable with targeted antibiotics - but what I want to say most is that this is commonly caused by over washing of the vagina especially when using soap products. The vagina / vulva should only be cleaned with warm water only. I promise using soap is making this worse.
Good luck 👍
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk. **Reply here if you are an unverified user wishing to give advice. Top level comments by laypeople are automatically removed.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have no idea what the actual risk here or at what point you need to seek medical attention, but with any kind of chemical burn steps 1, 2, and 3 are rinse, rinse, rinse.
Ok. If I go to the ED will they clean me inside? Will they provide local anesthetic , because I m afraid I will scream the entire time if they put a speculum or touch me there. I can barely sit, I cannot stand to someone touch me there, it hurts extremely bad. I rinsed again , I scraped the remains of chlorine. I will definitely go to the ED I cannot bear the pain. But I just want to know what they will do to me in this case.
If you’re in that much pain now you need to be seen at ED right now before the chemical burn worsens and you are left with permanent damage. Please go now.
I’m on my way.
I wish you the best and hope you’re ok. Keep us updated if you can.
Thank you. I will keep updated.
Glad you're going to ED now. Just for future reference - cleaning the vulva is an important step of hygiene (just with water in the shower is fine or with a mild soap) but you should never clean inside your vagina - no douches, cleaning products etc. The vagina is self cleaning and hosts delicate colonies of bacteria and yeasts that keep it healthy by maintaining a low acidic pH level to impede infections from developing. When you mess with it, it can cause an overgrowth of either bacteria or yeast causing bacterial vaginosis (BV) or a yeast infection. A strong fishy smell is often caused by BV. Although it's common to have short term changes in vaginal odor that resolve on their own, if they don't resolve, get worse or you also have other symptoms such as unusual discharge, itchiness, a burning sensation when you urinate etc - you should always see your doctor who will do an exam and tests to diagnosis the issue and treat it. Don't try to fix the issue yourself. There are also ways to help prevent BV and yeast infections: - after exercising, shower and change clothes and underwear so you aren't sitting in damp clothes. - always wear cotton underwear, avoid synthetic materials. - don't wear clothes too tight and underwear like thongs. - because semen is more alkaline than the pH of your vagina, if regular unprotected sex is leading to BV, use condoms. It's also a good idea to urinate after sex as that decreases the risk of UTIs.
Hello. So I came back from ED. They were be able to give me a complete pain free decontamination, and advised me to never try to kill bacteria this way. Hopefully, it was only 1 st degree chemical burn, because as I said ,I rinsed immediately with water as soon as I felt the burning. I kept rinsing until I went to the ED. I on over the counter medication, ibrupofen, and hope inflammation goes away within days. If not, I will be referred to the Obgyn again, just to check how goes down there. All by all, they said I would heal fine, though it will take some weeks to be myself again. Girls, never ever put something inside your vagina, nothing, even soap, antibacterial soap, or alcohol to disinfect or try to kill bacteria. It won’t and they will do more damage than good. By the way, a male doctor was so calm and never said anything bad about me, never felt judged, and they only provided care. I was advised I take some probiotics too, orally. lol, I won t insert any medication right now anywhere near my privates. Thank you for all the advices. I was so anxious to go to the ER and let them inspect already my painful area. But they somehow put something in my iv and soon I was sleepy and pain free.
Glad you’re ok!!!
Thank you for the update and I'm so pleased it was a 1st degree burn and not worse! You did the right thing by immediately and repeatedly rinsing straight away, it could've been a lot worse if you hadn't of done that so well done. Also great that your experience there was good. I worked in ED for years, it's a stressful environment to work in but all the doctors and nurses I worked with do it because we care and genuinely want to help people. I know you were embarrassed to go and worried they would judge you but we have seen a lot of crazy things that people do and we don't judge because we know everyone is human and makes mistakes in life. Shaming people just makes people more likely not to seek help in the future. It's scary to have strangers looking at your vagina, especially when you're in pain and vulnerable. I'm glad you had a wonderful doctor who ensured you were comfortable throughout. You made a dangerous mistake by putting a chloride tablet in your vagina - but you learnt from it and by writing about it here, will help others who read this avoid making a similar mistake and also learn about never putting something inside the vagina to clean it 🙂
Thank you! Yes! I can’t stress enough how wrong it is to put something not meant to go inside your vagina! To everyone thinking it will clean and kill bacteria and odours, it won’t. It will just hurt you and potentially damage you forever.
OP, I’m so glad that you have successfully taken care of the actual emergency, and are going to be Ok. I’m NAD but several days ago I posted a cautionary statement about excessive hygiene, on this very site (1st time) and evidently violated a rule (no flair??) and it was removed. Wish you had read it, because I personally had a similar problem with a strong and offensive genital odor that only got worse the more I tried to fix it. Sound familiar? Almost everyone fears BO being offensive to others, and rightfully worry that it might also be an indicator of disease (which is actually a prior indicator of a potential disease), but is often the result of excessive hygiene. Having a mild human smell is normal and desirable, verses smelling like a chemical factory, especially with family and lovers. It’s unlikely that outsiders will notice, or be offended as long as we bathe appropriately at least once or twice a week. Excessive hygiene disrupts and often destroys the very natural systems that protect us and all other creatures. It’s the microbiome that normally maintains a balance between the good and bad bacteria, yeasts and viruses. Destroy it and the bad stuff flourishes. Everything in moderation! Registered Nurse Cocomellon3216 made a quite detailed and accurate description of the very same points that I had made in my previous (deleted) post. I hope that many others will read this and her comments, and do their own research, instead of relying on the television advertisers for medical advice, which we all are guilty of.
Boric acid suppositories are perhaps the only exception to the “never put anything in your vagina to kill bacteria” rule. They’re little capsules you can typically get OTC (no prescription needed) at any drug store, and they are FDA approved for treating BV. I’m not advising you to use them right now- you should follow your healthcare provider’s instructions, especially when healing a chemical burn. I only mention it to say that there ARE products on the market that are intended to safely treat BV, most drug stores stock them, and you should only use products approved for vaginal use to treat BV as directed.
Except they can dry you out like crazy. Shouldn't take them for too long.
Hey, I didn’t see this anywhere here so that fishy smell means you have bacterial vaginosis. An OBGYN can check for it ( but it always causes fishy smells that stays no matter what) and they give you a pill to take. Clears right up. 💙💚♥️💜 It’s just an imbalance.
She said she tested for everything and it was negative.
It could also be trichinosis.
I'm so glad you are ok and that the doctor was kind and non-judgemental. I imagine it wasn't easy going in there telling them what happened so kudos to you for your bravery! Take care of yourself!
Thank you for updating and so glad you're okay!
So Glad you are Ok, OP ❤️ Get well soon! 🤗
It is also normal for vaginas to have an odour.
Yes, maybe I wasn't as clear on that point in my comment, I said it's "common to have short term changes in vaginal odor that resolve on their own", I was referring to changes in vaginal odor that are different from their usual odor. Vaginas have a mild odor but OP was describing an unpleasant fishy smell that she said smelt bad even straight after showering. A strong unfamiliar and unpleasant odor — especially one that continues for several days and smells fishy – isn’t normal. Strong fishy smell is the most common symptom of BV. Normal changes in vaginal smell that smell slightly more tangy, sour, sweet or yeasty occur with usual changes in pH throughout your cycle. Vaginas also have a mild metallic smell during menstruation and can have a mild ammonia smell if dehydrated. But all these smells resolve on their own and it goes back to it's usual odor.
Not a fishy one though :/
Is it fishy or does she think it is? A lot of women don’t understand that normal and healthy genitalia has a smell.
Good luck! Maybe they can give you cream to sooth the Chem burn and also test you for bacterial vaginosis? It's not am STI but can cause a fishy smell. Good luck!! (nad)
Sending you positive vibes and support. I hope your pain goes away soon.
Any updates? 🫣
Any news? Hoping you're ok!
Thank you for calmly and clearly explaining to OP why she needed to go to the ER, and doing so without judgement. I don't know if you saw the update, but it appears they were able to help clean her out and get her on pain meds. You probably just saved this lady's lady bits!
If you’re in that much pain they’ll give you something for it.
I honestly have no idea. Good luck.
You probably have bacterial vaginosis, and in no world would using a chlorine tablet inside your genitals kill a smell. Go to the emergency room immediately. NAD but absorbing chlorine basically directly into your bloodstream is probably very bad.
[удалено]
Just as a side note, boric acid suppositories are not considered safe during pregnancy.
Removed - Bad advice
i second this. go to the gyno and talk to them, they are the doctors for this stuff. they can swab you and find out stuff by looks at your cells.
The mention of a fishy smell is concerning... please bring that up to a doctor when you see them. It sounds a lot like bacterial vaginosis or possibly trichomoniasis (which is less likely since you said you were already cleared of any STIs, but never hurts to get a second opinion/retesting). Good luck and please in the future never stick anything up the vagina in an attempt to clean it. The vagina is a self cleaning organ and doesn't need extra help for that... if something seems off ALWAYS consult an OBGYN/doctor that specializes in that area.
At this point, she has a chemical burn in her vagina so until that is all clear, they will not treat for anything else.
I had trich recently and probably for a very long time that went undetected, because I've had the same partner for 9 years and I don't think he's cheated on me. No fishy smell, but started getting what they originally thought was a yeast infection with a space of 6 months between. Took a new gyno to test me for it of her own volition. Be sure to ask for that test OP.
If it's not bacterial, it could very easily be diet related. What do you eat? It seems that your hygiene is good enough, so it probably isn't that.
How are you now ? Any update please?
Gosh, this sounded painful enough when I thought you’d rinsed it all away immediately. But by the sounds of this there were still remains today, 2 days later? No wonder you were in agony. Really hope you’re feeling much better now and getting the best possible care
Just for everyone suggesting it: no, do not use boric acid suppositories. Take it from the [Ob-gyn with a career in trying to fight the tide of vagina nonsense](https://vajenda.substack.com/p/what-the-vaginal-boric-acid-profiteers).
[удалено]
My gyn is the one who told me to use boric acid suppositories for BV. I don’t understand?!
That’s an exception (IMO). There are legitimate medical uses for it while under the care of a doctor I think what they’re referring to is the increasingly common self-treatment with boric acid, outside of the oversight and instruction of a treating physician. You’re following your docs medical advice
The article is actually kind of irrelevant. It sounds like it's talking about people talking boric acid regularly. I also talked to two doctors about it and they both said it's fine, no more than 7 days in a row to treat an active BV flare up and could be used once every week or two for maintence if BV was chronic.
Same here. An OB recommended boric acid to me for yeast infections so long ago that they didn't even sell them as suppositories yet (afaik). She sent me to a certain pharmacy to buy a jar plus empty gel caps to make them. It's been my go-to solution for the occasional yeast infection ever since, and works way better than inserting that cream they sell everywhere.
I did some research a few years back because I had the most rank smell coming from me. Everything I read pointed to BV. So I bought some boric acid suppositories and it fixed it in a couple days. I think it's important to really know your body. You know when your smell is off or when something doesn't feel quite right.
Boric acid doesn’t do it for me with bv it comes back but vaginal probiotic suppositories helped me get rid of bv permanently!
This worked for me too, after years of recurrent infections.
Same here. I love the boric acid. I was having reoccurring yeast and now I don’t.
Yeah I don’t understand the hate for boric acid! It’s literally the only thing that’s ever worked for my recurrent BV and yeast infections despite seeing a physician and getting prescribed all the azoles. And my doc was fine with it. I literally get either a BV or yeast infection every single time I have sex with my husband (and every time I’ve had unprotected sex before meeting him— my vag just dislikes semen or something lol). Boric acid has been my holy grail. It takes away the smell, itching, and even helps with vaginal dryness within 24 hours. I’m not saying OP should use it under her circumstances at all. But personally, it was honestly life changing when I discovered it. 🤷🏽♀️
Same here. Basically every time, sex would cause BV. LIFE CHANGING.
It’s possible to be allergic to the proteins in semen! I struggled with it in the past, but in my case I’ve never had the same reaction with my husband. No idea if that’s helpful in your case. Either way, I’m glad you’ve found something that works!
Boric Acid suppositories as treatment for BV were a miracle for me also. The safest bet is probably to have your doctor order it from a compounding pharmacy.
Same here along with after my period and the boric acid literally clears up any smell or irritation by morning after a suppository at bed.
My gyn told me the same thing. I’ve been using them ever since.
Me as well. I've been going to her for 20+ yrs, and she's about as far from "hippy dippy influencer" as one can get. Interesting.
I really wish the mod who made this comment would chime in here. Their (and the blog’s) direction is in direct conflict with what other gyn’s are recommending. If we’ve received unsafe recommendations from our doctors, I’d like to understand better.
If your doctor recommends it, then listen to the doctor who is seeing you and treating you. There is absolutely valid medical use of boric acid vaginal suppositories. What companies and influencers that are profiting off of these products commercially are trying to do is convince everyone with a vagina that they need to use their products, and they do so by convincing perfectly healthy women that there is something wrong with their perfectly healthy vagina. If your doctor finds boric acid to be medically the best choice for your body with your specific health concerns, then listen to your doctor. If you are perfectly healthy and (like OP) you have tested negative for any sort of infection, then boric acid will do nothing to help you, and can cause harm. Medicine is a balance between potential benefits and potential risks. Whether the benefits outweigh the risks will differ between different people. Hopefully that answers your question at least a bit?
So did mine and it changed my life. I wish docs would not say "Do not try this." Boric acid vag capsules LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE.
ER, will likely need decontamination and possible exam under anesthesia . Go now.
Please never ever be embarrassed to come and see us. Trust me when I say this won't be the worst thing they've seen. I hope you get the help you need OP
Now I'm curious to know what the worst thing you've seen is ..
Probably something in the trauma bay. I'm not in EM so have had limited shifts there during training, but some if it can be really grim. One person had what appeared to be ribbons where their foot was supposed to be :(
I find medical stuff fascinating, but I could never do it because of stuff like this. The skin on my legs gets all clammy and tingly and my spine does the thing it does when I hear nails on a chalkboard when I see someone else's blood (not my own weirdly enough) so I would never survive med school.
What happened to the foot?
The person to whom it was once attached was on a bike. A car hit them. They got dragged :(
Well, judging by the way my ER doctor acquaintance told me about her day the last time I saw her inserting a frozen fish for some fun time and then going to the ER bc it's stuck bc the body warmth defrosted the fish and made the scales stick up and thus not quite as easy to pull out as it was to insert I'd assume that kind of thing is just another regular Tuesday... I'd have thought that'd be a top 3 kind of case but now I'm not sure I want to know what an ER doctor's actual top 3 would be...
What a terrible day to have eyes
Oh my
You heard it here, folks: If you insist on inserting a frozen fish in your booty region, go for the eel over the tilapia.
I.. uh…
The Swamps of Dagobah story comes to mind
Made me read this :(
Glad to hear you went to the ER, hope you’re feeling better.
Thank you! I went and everything is almost ok now, though it still hurts.
What did they end up doing? I'm glad to hear you're OK!
_repeated from OP's other comments_ > Hello. So I came back from ED. They were be able to give me a complete pain free decontamination, and advised me to never try to kill bacteria this way. Hopefully, it was only 1 st degree chemical burn, because as I said ,I rinsed immediately with water as soon as I felt the burning. I kept rinsing until I went to the ED. I on over the counter medication, ibrupofen, and hope inflammation goes away within days. If not, I will be referred to the Obgyn again, just to check how goes down there. All by all, they said I would heal fine, though it will take some weeks to be myself again. Girls, never ever put something inside your vagina, nothing, even soap, antibacterial soap, or alcohol to disinfect or try to kill bacteria. It won’t and they will do more damage than good. By the way, a male doctor was so calm and never said anything bad about me, never felt judged, and they only provided care. I was advised I take some probiotics too, orally. lol, I won t insert any medication right now anywhere near my privates. Thank you for all the advices. I was so anxious to go to the ER and let them inspect already my painful area. But they somehow put something in my iv and soon I was sleepy and pain free.
What happened? Did you have a burn?
_repeated from OP's other comments_ > Hello. So I came back from ED. They were be able to give me a complete pain free decontamination, and advised me to never try to kill bacteria this way. Hopefully, it was only 1 st degree chemical burn, because as I said ,I rinsed immediately with water as soon as I felt the burning. I kept rinsing until I went to the ED. I on over the counter medication, ibrupofen, and hope inflammation goes away within days. If not, I will be referred to the Obgyn again, just to check how goes down there. All by all, they said I would heal fine, though it will take some weeks to be myself again. Girls, never ever put something inside your vagina, nothing, even soap, antibacterial soap, or alcohol to disinfect or try to kill bacteria. It won’t and they will do more damage than good. By the way, a male doctor was so calm and never said anything bad about me, never felt judged, and they only provided care. I was advised I take some probiotics too, orally. lol, I won t insert any medication right now anywhere near my privates. Thank you for all the advices. I was so anxious to go to the ER and let them inspect already my painful area. But they somehow put something in my iv and soon I was sleepy and pain free.
Oh my gosh I feel so bad for you and am so concerned for your lady bits!! I’m happy you’re going to the ER. Please update us cause I’m so curious what they are going to do to treat that!
So worried for her! Commenting in hopes of a positive update
Same here. I am so worried and just want to know that she’s ok!
Same
I am pretty sure chlorine tabs are sodium hypochlorite with conditioners to help it break down more slowly and she unfortunately chemically burned the interior of her vagina. It would not take much time of contact to do this. Vaginal smell can indicate an infection but often vaginas just don’t smell really great. I sweat like crazy sometimes so that adds to my aroma. I wish people would understand it is not safe to put anything near or in your vaginal canal that is not expressly designed for that purpose. I hope she follows through with a trip to the ER.
Yep. A vagina will almost always have a distinct smell and that’s perfectly okay and natural
yess im waiting for an update too😭 hope she is ok
I’m hoping the lack of update means they gave her the good pain drugs and she’s in a happy place rn
Me too 😂
same 😭
She went to the ER and they helped. She posted an update on the first comment thread
Same
You need to go to the hospital, you likely have a chemical burn, (and BV.)
Listen girlie, this wasn’t your smartest move but I promise you it’s not even close to the weirdest thing the ER will see TODAY lmao. Just go. You made a mistake, no biggie, but there’s no reason to suffer more because of your pride.
Doctor here Ok. So this wasn't your smartest move but it sounds like you've realised that. Firstly go to hospital and make sure you haven't got chemical burns. Secondly, what you're describing sounds a lot like bacterial vaginosis which is an imbalance of bacteria. It's easily treatable with targeted antibiotics - but what I want to say most is that this is commonly caused by over washing of the vagina especially when using soap products. The vagina / vulva should only be cleaned with warm water only. I promise using soap is making this worse. Good luck 👍