The strong, fishy smell from Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) usually lessens within a few days of starting prescription antibiotics, clearing up within 5 to 7 days, though symptoms can improve even faster. Without treatment, it can last weeks or months and may resolve on its own, but often recurs. Recurrent BV may need longer treatment courses or different methods, like gels, and it's important to complete the full prescription to prevent resistance.
Hydrogen peroxide. Two small studies suggest using hydrogen peroxide solution as a vaginal wash may help clear up vaginal odor, improve discharge, and restore vaginal pH in patients with BV.
While bacterial vaginosis may go away on its own, most doctors use antibiotics to treat it. You may have been prescribed pills or vaginal cream. With treatment, bacterial vaginosis usually clears up in 5 to 7 days.
Check if you have bacterial vaginosis
Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include: an unusual vaginal discharge that has a strong fishy smell, particularly after sex. a change to the colour and consistency of your discharge, such as becoming greyish-white and thin and watery.
Other people may be able to smell BV during close physical contact, like sex. The strong, fishy odor caused by BV can sometimes be noticeable to partners, particularly during or after sex, when changes in vaginal pH can make the smell more intense.
BV is a common infection, especially among pregnant women. The cause of BV is not fully understood; it is not caused by poor hygiene. The women affected by BV may not show any signs or symptoms. Frequent washing (especially with deodorant soap) may result in disrupting the vaginal balance.
In bacterial vaginosis, the numbers of good bacteria drop and other bacteria take over, producing chemicals like trimethylamine. This chemical is known to give off a strong, fishy smell. The odor can be noticeable even if there is not a lot of extra discharge or if you don't feel pain.
Many women may face the discomfort of a vaginal infection at some point in their lives. Yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and trichomoniasis are three common vaginal infections that can lead to itching, burning, unusual discharge, and vaginal odor.
A strong vaginal odor may be a sign of vaginitis, or it may be a temporary smell related to your hygiene, lifestyle or other changes. Take note of whether you have other symptoms. If the odor is related to an infection, you'll usually notice other changes, like vaginal itching, burning and discharge.
While overall, women in this group did not seem overly concerned about having recurrent BV, many did still report feelings of embarrassment and self-consciousness around symptoms of BV, some impact on their sexual lives and concerns around possible long term sequelae associated with BV.
Some drinks that may improve vaginal health include cranberry juice, kefir, drinkable yogurt, coconut water, green tea, orange juice, and mango smoothies. If you have any new or uncomfortable vaginal symptoms, let your healthcare provider know so they can recommend treatment.
How do I know if my BV is completely gone? You'll know your bacterial vaginosis is likely gone when your symptoms have completely resolved — this means no unusual vaginal discharge, fishy, or discomfort. If you're no longer experiencing these symptoms, it's a good indication that the infection has cleared up.
Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include: Thin, vaginal discharge that may be gray, white or green. Foul-smelling, "fishy" vaginal odor. Vaginal itching.
No, eating pineapple won't change how your vagina smells or taste. There's no solid scientific evidence that any food could alter your natural scent or flavor in a meaningful way. Your vagina cleans itself and has its own unique scent. That's normal and healthy.
Home Remedies
Maintain good vaginal hygiene: Use mild, unscented soap and water or water alone to clean the outside of the vagina (vulva). Do not clean the inside of your vagina and avoid douching, as it can disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina. Try to urinate soon after having intercourse.
The truth is that when everything's normal, no one else smells any odors from a girl's vagina. If a girl has an infection like bacterial vaginosis, she may notice a fishy smell. But even then, it's unlikely that people around her will notice it.
A healthy vagina maintains a slightly acidic pH and produces discharge that can have a mild, musky odor. However, if you're noticing this smell through your pants, it may be more concentrated than usual due to trapped moisture, synthetic underwear, or normal hormonal fluctuations.
Bacteria: Blood can mix with the natural bacteria in your vagina, along with sweat and discharge, leading to an odor. These are all standard parts of your body's self-cleaning process. 3. Hygiene: When blood and discharge sit in a pad or tampon, the smell can become stronger over time.
Other types of diseases like trichomoniasis are sometimes confused for a yeast infection or BV, which is why it is not always advised to do self-diagnosis for these symptoms. We recommend a pelvic exam for anyone with an ongoing issue.
Top products and medication for BV
First-line medications like metronidazole and clindamycin are prescribed to clear the infection. For those dealing with recurrent BV or looking to support their vaginal microbiome after treatment, options like boric acid suppositories and probiotics can play a helpful role.
You likely got Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) due to an imbalance of normal vaginal bacteria, often triggered by sexual activity (new/multiple partners, no condoms), douching, smoking, or hormonal changes (like during pregnancy), which upsets the natural balance, allowing certain bacteria to overgrow, but it can also happen without a clear cause.
To treat bacterial vaginosis, your doctor may prescribe one of the following medicines:
Drinking alcohol with some medicines may upset your stomach, give you strong stomach cramps, or make you sick. Do not skip a day or stop taking any medicine early, because the infection may come back. You cannot spread BV to a male partner. But if you have a female partner, it is possible it can spread to her.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common cause of the growth of anaerobic bacteria that can cause a rotting fish smell. Or, trichomoniasis, the most common curable STI, could be the cause of this smell. Either way, a very stinky rotting fish smell is not normal – see your gyno right away!