Every Suppository I Tried for My Recurring BV, Ranked
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links (at no additional cost to you).
One of my favorite parts of being a sex educator is trying new things, analyzing my own data, and reporting back to my clients, followers, and peers. Trial and error is an essential part of learning, and we often don’t leave wiggle room in our schedules, expectations, or emotional capacity to do so. For the last nineteen months, I have had recurring Bacterial Vaginosis, and nineteen months gave me LOTS of time to try new products, methods, and wellness practices to get this situation under control. It’s still not quite there, but it’s looking more promising today than it has been for months. Any progress is good progress!
Vaginal probiotics didn’t come up for me as an option until I did some HEAVY research on Reddit (shoutout r/healthyhooha) and brought it up to my GYN. This was after four rounds of oral antibiotics in just six months, and my whole microbiome (including my gut microbiome, but that’s another blog post) was a MESS. But let’s pause here to do a quick microbiology lesson. Our bodies are COVERED in bacteria that mostly work in symbiosis with our bodies to protect us from all sorts of icky stuff like viruses, infections, dehydration, etc. The vagina, in particular, is home to a whole host of bacteria that serve as either protectors (preventing pathogens from taking hold of your vagina) or disruptors. Some strains act as a “true neutral,” but again, that’s for another blog post. When the disruptive bacteria overpowers the protective bacteria, you end up with infections. Probiotics are used to beef up the number of good bacteria to either overpower the disruptive, or to replace what was lost when you took an antibiotic that wiped out your microbiome completely, since antibiotics destroy bacteria pretty much indiscriminately. Enter Reddit. Through my internet research, I learned that not only could I take oral probiotics, but I could also SHOVE ‘EM STRAIGHT INTO MY VAGINA. I ordered my first batch of probiotic suppositories immediately, and admittedly, I didn’t do nearly as much research as I should have. Unfortunately for me, I learned quickly that not all probiotic suppositories are created equal. Fortunately for you, I lived to write this blog post about it.
First things first, a few notes about how to find the right probiotics for you:
In general, the fewer ingredients, the better.
If it needs to be refrigerated, that’s a good thing!! It means that there are probably fewer preservatives in there. It can also just mean that the fatty acid the product uses requires refrigeration to maintain its form, so be sure to read your ingredients list closely. I already did the work for you on the five I present here; you’re welcome.
Strains to look for: Lactobacillus crispatus*, L. jensenii*, L. gasseri*, L. rhamnosus, L. fermentum, L. reuteri, L. acidophilus
Less common, but effective in some studies**: L. Salivarius, L. fermentum, L. plantarum, L. paracasei
*These three strains are most commonly found in the vaginal canal.
**https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9863863/
Without further ado, here is an info dump on all of the vaginal probiotic suppositories that I tried over the course of the past year (and then some).
5. Evvy Clinical Probiotic Suppository
Here’s the thing. I LOVE Evvy. I swear by their vaginal microbiome test, and it has been an invaluable resource in understanding my vaginal microbiome and what the heck is going on in there. I also have really enjoyed most of my calls with their coaches. Unfortunately, my experience with their clinical care was one-star at best. I was regularly replied to with canned/copied and pasted answers or links to their FAQs when I asked specific questions. I only got two calls with any care provider, both of which felt dismissive and unhelpful and compeltely unlike the great conversations I had had with their coaches after my swab results. For $199 I really hoped for better. I sent them my concerns and received no reply. SO, do I appreciate Evvy and what it stands for? Yes. Do I plan to order swabs to see what information on my microbiome I can get? Yes. Would I recommend their “clinical care” products and services? Absolutely not. Save your money, buy the products I recommend here instead, and you’ll be fine.
NOW, about the suppositories themselves. I had zero improvement; In fact, my symptoms and the protective bacteria levels in my microbiome got WORSE. They also caused serious irritation for me when I used them. The burning they caused was WORSE than the BV symptoms I had been experiencing. Their ingredients also gave me cause for concern; lactoferrin is a bovine product, so if you’re allergic to cow dairy, you don’t want this in your vagina. And hydrogenated vegetable oil?? GTFO. With added chemicals in there for good measure, I’m out. I learned my lesson so you don’t have to.
*REFRIGERATION REQUIRED*
Rating: 0/10 (Expensive, poor clinical care, irritated me, questionable ingredients, just. No.)
Ingredients: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactoferrin; Base consisting of hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel, soybean, and cottonseed), PEG-8 distearate 100 million CFU
Capsule Type: No capsule
Price: Cost $199 for 20 suppositories and “clinical care”
Link to buy: You have to order it after you get a test result that shows a presence of pathogenic bacteria.
4. Biom VagiBiom
Alrighty, these honestly just sucked. They fell apart in the package, even after refrigerating them, they were HELLA expensive, they didn’t make any improvements, they contain all sorts of chemicals in them, and they caused irritation for me.
*REFRIGERATION RECOMMENDED*
Rating: 3/10 (See review )
Ingredients: Coconut Fatty Acids, Vagibiom Probiotic-Prebiotic Complex (Lactobacillus Gasseri Bi19, Lactobacillus Crispatus Bil6, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Bi14, Bacillus Coagulans Bi34, Enzyme-Hydrolyzed Dextrin, Oligofructose, Hemisqualene, Silica Gel), Lactic Acid, Proprietary Moisturizing Complex (Hyaluronic Acid, Amino Acids).
Capsule Type: No capsule
Price: Cost $36.95 for 15 suppositories ($2.46 per suppository)
Link to buy: https://amzn.to/3JIGMLO
3. LOVE Wellness Flora Power
I didn’t notice a huge improvement after using them, but they also didn’t cause any noticeable irritation for me, which, as you now know, was a PROBLEM with the other suppositories I tried. I have beef with the use of any chemical ingredients, even if they are “safe,” BUT technically, both magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide are safe so long as you don’t inhale them. I’ll let you choose for yourself on this one. I was also a bit disappointed that these didn’t have any of the strains of lactobacilli that are most recommended (crispatus, jensenii, rhamnosus, and gasseri) but was excited to see fermentum in there so, again, I’ll let you make that choice for yourself!
Rating: 7/10 (Too many chemical ingredients, imo)
Ingredients: Microcrystalline Cellulose, Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C, Gelatin Capsule, Vaginal Probiotic Blend (Lactobacillus fermentum LF10, Lactobacillus fermentum LF15, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA02, Lactobacillus plantarum LP01), Magnesium Stearate, Silicon Dioxide
Capsule Type: Gelatin
Price: $17.68 for 12 capsules ($1.47 per capsule)
Link to buy: https://amzn.to/3Ws1SFP
2. Good Clean Love BioPhresh
These were a close tie for first. They gave me minimal irritation, and I loved that they used unique strains of lactobacillus that have had promising results in studies, in addition to the tried and true strains. The use of homeopathic ingredients is great, AND as someone with allergies and sensitive skin, they make me nervous. I didn’t love that they have maltodextrin, which can be an allergen/irritant for sensitive folks (it’s a derivative of corn). They’re also on the expensive side, at $1.61 per capsule, and are not vegan.
Rating: 8.5/10 (Expensive and have ingredients that may be irritating for some - including me!)
Ingredients: Kreosotum, Nitricum Acidum, Thuja Occidentalis, Pulsatilla Pratensis, Sepia Officinalis, Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA02, Lactobacillus crispatus LCR01, Lactobacillus gasseri LGS06, Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF08, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP01, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06, Ligilactobacillus salivarius CRL1328, Maltodextrin, Tapioca starch.
Capsule Type: Gelatin
Price: $16.14 for 10 capsules ($1.61 per capsule)
Link to buy: https://amzn.to/3UDTly5
1. Vitanica V-Probiotics
These bad boys (or gworls, idk) were my favorite of the bunch. I had zero irritation, they have minimal ingredients and come in a vegan capsule. They also gave me that good good probiotic smell (iykyk) which made me believe that they were working. So honestly, who ACTUALLY knows whether they worked better than Good Clean Love’s BioPhresh, but since inflammation and recurring infections are directly linked to stress, I’m good with a lil placebo effect. Plus, they’re MUCH cheaper, like half the price per capsule, than the other options on the market. And, again, ZERO irritation, which is a godsend when you’re trying to kick something as physically uncomfortable as recurring bacterial vaginosis.
*REFRIGERATION RECOMMENDED*
Rating: 9.5/10 (I wish they’d included 1-2 novel strains in there!)
Ingredients: Lactobacillus crispatus (LCr-86), Lactobacillus gasseri (LG-08), Lactobacillus jensenii (LJe-52), Lactobacillus reuteri (LR-08), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LRa-05), l-leucine
Capsule Type: Vegan
Price: $24.95 for 30 capsules ($.83 per capsule)
Link to buy: https://amzn.to/3QptrM0
So, there you have it! Two really great options, one good option, and two to avoid. As always, I’m here to answer any questions or if you need one-on-one support throughout your journey. You can book a consultation here or email me here.
