BV and Peri/Pre-menopause: It's not for the Faint of Heart

****Please note: this article contains medical/feminine issues and terms. If this stuff makes you queasy, then, feel free to move right along, and I won't be offended!****

I hate BV. I hate Peri/premenopause. They both are not very fun. I have posted about Peri/Pre-menopause before. You can read about it here; I have also written about BV here. Feel free to read those in order to "catch up".

I have had BV (Bacterial Vaginosis) on and off for years (if you don't know what it is, look it up). It is an infection (essentially) in the Vagina, and isI will have it for awhile, then it will go away. I have tried a few different things; antibiotics, which have only worked for a week or so, and then it comes back. I have also tried Gynalac vaginal gel, which helps, but when I am done with the treatment (which is also very expensive), it comes back after a day or two. I had tried drinking cranberry juice, and taking garlic pills, but they really didn't help much. About a couple of months ago, I decided to try taking the acedopholis every day, and although I forget it (I also don't take it with me when I go somewhere overnight), I have generally been taking it every day, and it seems to help with the smell some. I have been pretty consistent at taking the acedopholis lately; 1-2 a day, and i think that is what has kept it from getting bad again. It depends on my cycle; sometimes, it won't bother me for a few weeks, and other times, it is horrible! Right now, it has been not too bad; and i think i attribute it to taking the supplements! The pads also help with the smell, and to keep things dry, and the medication helps to tackle it if/when it gets really bad! I probably should try to omit sugar and probably yeast, but i just am not that disciplined! 

Then, there is the peri/pre menopause! This can be YEARS in the "making!! I am not even making this up! There is the spotting, the early arrival, the late arrival. The starting, the stopping. The heaviness (though, to be fair, I have had this all my life...#thankspcos), the lightness. The length of said period (no matter what the amount)! Then, there is being hot/cold, weird hormones (I will let you interepet that as you will!), weird food cravings, the being hungry when you shouldn't be hungry! THAT CRAP IS REAL! THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!!! This can last until you are in your 60s! I hope it doesn't last that long for me! I don't know if I can handle it!

The moral of the story is...be kind..someone you saw today is probably going through peri/pre-menopause!