Question: My doctor diagnosed my vagina as being more alkaline than acidic. My vaginal discharge is whiter and thicker than most. He did give me a prescription cream to make it more acidic but it was somewhat irritating. Is there any herb or something I could take to make my discharge liquidly and my vagina more acidic? The thicker discharge can be embarrassing during intercourse.

Answer: When the bacterial environment of the vagina becomes unbalanced as a result of a bacterial infection it may become alkaline, sugary. The vagina is normally an acidic environment to help prevent infection. Your vagina may be irritated by this bacterial infection and as a result is sensitive to the medication prescribed you. I do not know of any treatments off the top of my head, but I do know where you may find one. Got to the link given below and search through the messages, or consider joining the discussion forum and pose your question to the other women that are members. They have dealt with this type of infection themselves and know all about them, a lot more than I.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders

Here is additional information.

The follow is based on the contents of the book WomanCare and was sent to the above discussion group.

"A certain amount of vaginal discharge is normal, for the discharge helps to cleanse the vagina and keep it healthy. The discharge is made up of secretions from the glands of the cervix and the vaginal walls and cells shed from the uterus, cervix and the walls of the vagina. The amount and character of this discharge changes over the course of the cycle and over the course of a woman's lifetime. It also varies from woman to woman. Most of the time the discharge is clear or milky white, moderate in quantity, this or watery in consistency and has a mild odor. Women who practice self-exam are familiar wit their own discharges and can detect balmorals discharges and seek treatment for vaginitits in the earliest stages of the disease, when it is easy to treat. Vaginitis is associated with the changes in the normal alkaline/acid balance of the vagina. Most of the time the vaginal secretions are rather acidic. Scientists measure acidity of a relative scaled called the pH scale. The scale runs from 1 to 14, and 7 is neutral, that is, neither alkaline ( sugary) nor acidic. The average pH of the vagina of a woman in her reproductive years is about 4.5 to 5.0. Most disease-causing organisms prefer a more alkaline environment For instance trichononmaads, the culprits responsible for trich, one of the most common forms of vaginitis, thrive best in a pH of 4.9 to 7.5. Monilia, the organism responsible for yeast infections prefer a pH of about 5.4. Gonococci, the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, and streptococci and other diseases do best in a pH of 7.4. The protective, slightly acidic environment of the vagina is maintained by bacteria know as lactobacilli, or Doderlien's bacilli, that normally live in the vagina. Without them, the vagina would be quite alkaline, for the cervical secretions and the cells that are constantly being shed from the vaginal walls are alkaline. The cells of the vaginal walls contain large amounts of sugar know as glycogen. This sugar is derived from carbohydrates taken into the body when sugars and starches are eaten. And the cells of the vaginal walls are shed and break down, releasing their alkaline glycogen, the lactobacilli convert to sugar and a weak acid known as lactic acid. The pH of the vagina changes with the cycle. The pH of a menopausal woman is about 7. These change in the pH, coupled with the fact that after menopause the vaginal walls become thinner and are easily irritated- an condition knows and postmenopausal vagintitis- explains why so many menopausal women are prone to vagintitis. Birth control pills also alter the pH of the vagina. This is especially true for women taking high estrogen pills containing more than .05 mg. of estrogen per pill. In fact, the pill makes the vagina so alkaline that some women who take the pill are trouble troubled by recurrent yeast infections. Excessive douching can alter the vagina pH. Sexual activity, emotional changes and the stage of the menstrual cycle can all cause changes in the composition and hence the change the odor of vaginal secretions, but vaginal odor usually emanates for the outer genital organs. "

The following is from the book A New View of a Woman's Body page 89.

"6-5 Every woman has yeast in her vagina at all times. When it overgrows, it can cause burning on urination, itching and a heavy, clumpy discharge, sometimes described as "cottage-cheesy." Usually, medications do work as well as a simple home remedy: yogurt. Unpasteurized, plain yogurt contains Lactobacillus acidophilus, a friendly bacteria which keeps the growth of yeast within a normal range. A common cause of a yeast condition is taking antibiotics, killing off all the bacteria and allowing the yeast to multiply without competition. Replacing the Lactobacillus usually reduces the growth of yeast and the symptoms disappear.

The secretion from trichomonas infection is yellow or greenish in color and has a foul odor. In a severe infection, the cervix is covered with a heavy discharge. The most common home remedy for "trich" is a Betadine (povidone-iodine) douche, an antibacterial agent available at the drug store. Other douches can be made from goldenseal or myrrh (one teaspoon to a quart of water), a chickweed bath (several handfuls in a tub) or you can make a garlic suppository. (A peeled garlic glove wrapped in gauze and inserted like a tampon. It's a good idea to leave a tail on the gauze like the string of a tampon, so that the suppository can be retrieved easily.)"

Many women do not understand the normal functioning of their body and mistake normal vaginal fluids for an infection. This is especially true for teens and young adults who may believe all vaginal discharges are bad. The normal vaginal fluids, mentioned above, first become apparent during puberty. Many teens automatically believe there is something wrong with them but are too embarrassed to say anything to their parents and doctors.

With yeast treatments now available over the counter this creates the possibility that teens and women will self diagnose a yeast infection and use these products when they do not need too. Doing so can harm the vagina and lead to severe medical problems. Do not buy an over the counter yeast treatment if you have not been diagnosed by a doctor. Also insist that your doctor performs the necessary tests to identify exactly what type of vaginal infection you have before prescribing a form of treatment.

I also want to point out that yeast infections are NOT normal. If you experience recurrent vaginal yeast infections there is something is wrong and you are only treating the symptom, not the problem. Do not allow the advertising for these over the counter products lead you to believe yeast infections are no big deal and nothing to be worried about. Untreated or mistreated vaginal infections can lead to some extremely painful and debilitating vaginal and vulvar disorders as the women at the above linked to discussion forum can attest too.