My Vagina Tastes Sour

My Vagina Tastes Sour
Originally Published: July 5, 2017
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Whether it’s the smell of roses or vanilla, everybody has their own signature scent — even for down there. But sometimes, all it takes is one whiff to know that something has gone wrong with your girly parts. If you’re wondering why your vagina smells sour , there could be a few reasons why — and all are fixable.
When it comes to vaginas, there is no one-scent-fits-all. In fact, every vag smells differently depending on its owner. The interesting thing is that while a vagina can and should have an odor , it’s probably a very slight one, the Mayo Clinic reported. But unless there’s a real issue (like an infection), your vagina itself doesn’t really emit much of an odor — it’s the surrounding areas that do, OB/GYN Dr. Kim Langdon , MD tells Romper. “Rather, the external skin of the vulva can become contaminated with bacteria and over time, it reacts with secretions or vaginal discharge,” she explains. “When there are synthetic fragrances or other chemicals on the skin of the vulva, the skin bacteria reacts with it to create an odor.”
Still, there might be times when it seems like there’s a scent coming straight from the center of everything. So if you’re sniffing something slightly stinky, here are some reasons why.
As careful as you are to take out your tampons on the reg, you might still slip up and forget to swap it out — or worse, think that you did and insert another one in there. And if that’s the case, you could smell something akin to a stench, Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, MD, Clinical Professor of OB/GYN at Yale says. “A forgotten tampon can have a really foul smell, like really dead fish,” she tells Romper in an email. Get the tampon out as soon as you remember, but you might need to take it another step further to get rid of the smell. “This is one of the few instances that a douche can be helpful (just some vinegar and water) to help clear things out,” Dr. Minkin advises.
You might have moments when your vagina feels uncomfortable due to using a new soap or a fragrance. And then, there’s your vagine’s arch enemy, vaginitis. In the study, “ Vaginitis in Nonpregnant Patients ,” vaginitis is explained as either an infection or inflammation of your lady parts. It causes itching, burning, discharge, and (you guessed it), a fishy odor. Depending on the type of vaginitis you have , you might be prescribed an over-the-counter cream, an antibiotic, or a cream to help cool off your vagina and calm it down, the Mayo Clinic reported.
Since your vagina itself is inside the body, it doesn’t produce sweat. But the surrounding areas (think your crotch, legs, butt) sure do. And that’s why you might think it’s your vagina that’s smelling sour when it’s actually your nether regions. “Sweat can definitely cause odor that will affect the scent of the area,” explains Dr. Langdon. Thankfully, this is a simple fix — a shower should be sufficient to reduce the smell in the area.
Not to be confused with its wicked stepsister, vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an infection of the vagina, Dr. Minkin explains. Not only does it cause your girly bits to smell stanky, but it can be troubling to your health, too. “What is bad about BV is that it can lead to a higher risk of acquiring and getting sick with STIs like gonorrhea and chlamydia,” Dr. Minkin explains. Apart from unpleasant odors, BV can be dangerous if you’re pregnant. The study, “ Association between preterm delivery and bacterial vaginosis with or without treatment ” found that there is a greater risk of going into preterm labor if you have BV.
How does it happen in the first place? Dr. Minkin explains: “The normal vagina has a significantly acidic pH (neutral pH is 7; a healthy vagina will have a pH of 3.5 to 4.5 or so),” she says. “If a woman's vagina starts becoming more basic, it may lead to the growth of nastier bacteria which will create an environment that favors the growth of what we call anaerobic bacteria.” And this is what leads to bacterial vaginosis — and a fishy odor.
If you are concerned about the smell coming from down there, you can always consult with your OB/GYN. An exam can tell you if you have an infection that requires medication. Another option, according to Dr. Minkin: “You can use an over the counter product called RepHresh which will help restore a better pH balance in your vagina,” she says. “And some women opt to use an oral product like Pro-B, which contains lots of the ‘good guy’ bacteria of the vagina, the good lactobacilli which make up the good vaginal flora.”
Your vagina is always going to have some sort of smell. Most are manageable, but foul odors like fish or sulfur (like a rotten egg) should be a cause for concern — and warrant a call to your doctor.
Shimaoka, M., Yo, Y., Doh, K., Kotani, Y., Suzuki, A., Tsuji, I., Mandai, M., Matsumura, N.
Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, MD, Clinical Professor of OB/GYN at Yale
This article was originally published on July 5, 2017

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By Guest | 211 posts, last post 11 months ago

Sasa Milosevic, MD
answered this
Normal And Pathological Vaginal Discharge

Please ladies, if you find a cure for this, let us all know. I have been told my vagina smells and tastes sour even though I bathe daily. I also do have heavy discharge but the doctors always say everything is fine. I just want to smell good. I am not a dirty person. =(

this is the best answer i have read so far... I am taking oral contraceptive and i got a thick white discharge with mild to almost no scent. but the the taste is sour.

so glad i found this thread. i have been dealing with this for years now, as well. the sour taste, the pasty white/watery discahrge that sometimes leaks out tablespoons at a time... i've been to the doc several times about this issue, and she's got nothing to tell me. all tests came out negative/"normal", and i'm very clean and eat healthy, but i know this isn't the norm for me. it's BEYOND frustrating, and makes me self conscious as hell, even with the boyfriend i've been with for three years. he hasn't said anything about my taste, but when i taste myself on him after we have sex, it's so so sour and revolting. embarassing. i am a very anxious/nervous person, and i wouldn't consider my diet exactly alkaline, so i'm thinking about trying that out.

has anybody had any luck with an alkaline diet??? please let me know!!

thank you, and good luck!

In reply to Guest on 2009-10-19 - click to read

Hi there, can you explain to me what was helpful about it and how you were able to use it to your advantage? Thanks!

WOMEN!!! (And men.) I found something!! :D

I posted earlier (somewhere around July 2009) and I am SO relieved to have discovered what is-- I think-- my problem! :D

LOOK INTO CYTOLYTIC VAGINOSIS :!: This may not be your problem, but I am almost positive it is mine.

Here is ONE helpful link to read:

There are many others online. Read a variety and compare your findings.

Do your own search on Cytolytic Vaginosis (CV) and decide if this makes sense to YOU! Apparently, many doctors don't know of this, and thus don't believe its legitimate. Or, they've heard rumors and thus dismiss them. But I have no read several stories of women with nearly my exact same symptoms, who followed very easy, simple home treatment methods, and achieved relief after years (sometimes a lifetime) of ineffective treatments, frustration and discomfort.

As women (and the men/women who love us,) I feel it is our duty to share this information, apply our own judgement, and listen closely to our own bodies.

In short, what I found about CV is this: heightened levels of many strains of lactobacillus bacteria can create an overly-acidic environment in your vagina. This can result a variety of symtoms: itching, some irritation or burning during/after sex, sour taste, thin watery discharge or a slightly thicker, occasionally clumpy discharge, sometimes painful urination, etc.

The first, easiest, cheapest, least invasive, and thus most recommended treatment is to give yourself daily baking soda sitz baths. A small plastic tub or sitz seat filled with 1-2 inches of warm water, a few tablespoons of baking soda, and sit/swish for 15-20 minutes, once or twice a day. Try it for two weeks if you seriously suspect CV and NOT yeast infection. If these baths result in some relief but not complete rebalancing, also look into the recommendations for gentle douching with 2 full teaspoons of baking soda in 2 cups of warm water. Use your own judgement if this is the right course for you! Of course it is recommended to discuss this with your doctor or OB/GYN but don't expect that they will be familiar with (and thus friendly to) this diagnosis or course of treatment. NEVER ASSUME they know everything. They're just people and they can only know what they've been told/taught. If they've never investigated CV, how can they possibly advice or treat you for it OR against it. This is how I feel.

Also, it is recommended not to use tampons at all for 6 months (or to limit use to 1-2 hours in the case of swimming or activities.) This makes so much sense to me. Allow your menses to help rebalance your pH and purge your vagina. I can't imagine the bleach from tampons is helpful to rebalancing your body.

There are other recommendations out there. But first: consider cytolytic vaginosis if your symptoms are similar to mine and have never responded to yeast infection treatments. Sour tastes, acidic/burning discharge of any type or itching. Stuff like that.

Lets keep talking women!

well, how many of you girls are taking oral contraceptives? I am on the pill and suffer from these same symptoms. From what I have read, the excess estrogen is causing the body to produce/ over produce this stuff. But what I am not sure about is if I should try a different pill or some other contraceptive. I hope that someone comes up with something. %-) There has to be an answer!

I have the same symptom of sour tasting discharge. I went down on my bf one day and almost gagged from shock when I tasted my discharge on him! I don't have any other symptoms - no smell, no itching/burning, nothing. I'm so frustrated because I have no clue what is happening and why - I want my "old" scent back!

I am not on any birth control, nor do I have excess estrogen because I have irregular/infrequent periods - sometimes a month, sometimes 3, sometimes more than that.

I am making appt with the gyn this week ... I seriously hope I gain some answers, and not a blow off telling me it's normal because it's not normal.

I cannot believe the amount of people experiencing the same problem. I am too fed up with not know what is wrong with my body, I have had an unusual smell in my discharge for 6months, I first described it as 'chemically' smelling, but figured a more appropriate word, 'Acidic'. I have seen 3 doctors, they have all done swabs and tested for BV, yeast infections, STD's etc etc, one of them even done it twice after the first lot came back OK, to check again. because she thought it was unusual. They obviously have no idea and just sent me on my way saying it will dissapear. I had 3 lots of Anti-biotics... none of them helped. It is very watery and is completely clear, It soaks the cruch of the pants im wearing! I can smell it all the time, argh! So frustrated.

Hi,

First off this is very difficult to write/talk about but I'm desperate. I'm 36 years old and have been married for 17 years with two children. I exercise regularly, eat a healthy balanced diet, no smoking, no drugs..I do drink about three vodka drinks per week. The only medication I take is Loestrin24 (low estrogen birth control pill).

About 10 months ago I had to take a round of antibiotics (generic) for bronchitis. The antibiotics gave me a yeast infection, my doctor prescribed diflucan. About a week later during sex my husband and I had anal sex....a few days later I realized I had BV (bacterial vaginosis) and went to my Gyno...she prescribed an antibiotic and something else (can't remember) for a UTI (urinary tract infection) they both went away.

A couple weeks after that my husband and I noticed that my vaginal discharge had an EXTREMELY sour taste...I mean ALARMINGLY SOUR....like biting into a lemon but not as good. My vaginal fluid was normal - no odor, not abundant, slightly translucent, with kind of a pasty whitish tint. I wasn't having any symptoms of anything...no itching, no burning, no pain etc. I went to my Gyno and had a pap smear, wet mount, vaginal culture, ph test....all came back with normal results. My doctor was clueless and suggested that I see a Naturopath - well my insurance won't pay for that and I can't afford it. Three months later I went back to my Gyno and had all the same tests redone and they too came back with normal results.

Two weeks ago I had a complete physical from our family doctor and (as embarrassing as it was) I told him about my symptom. He had never heard of anything like it before. I got a full urinalysis and complete blood work done. Everything is normal.

I've spent hours researching this and sadly this is all I've found - here's what I've tried:
pelvic exam
pap smear
wet mount
vaginal culture
urine analysis
complete blood work
eating yogurt
yogurt suppositories
probiotics (acidopholis)
vaginal flora probiotics
eating leafy greens and more alkalinizing foods
stopped drinking wine and beer
stopped using tampons
sleep without underwear
change sweaty clothes immediately after exercise
blow-dry my vagina after showers
no sugar or refined foods
douched with vinegar
douched with baking soda
home ph balancing kit
home vaginal ph test kit
charcoal soap
body acid reducer

This is very frustrating. I love sex. I feel inhibited and self-conscious. I just want my normal taste back! Please help....Does anyone have any advice?

Hi All,
Did a google search on the 'sour taste' we're all experiencing, and so disappointed that the thread has been going on so long and STILL no Answers! Why is there no solution and what is this condition?! I am 33 with a healthy balanced diet, with more fruits and vegetables than anything. I've had all the pap tests etc and they're all clear. I do drink too much alcohol on a regular basis but even when I stop for a few weeks, it STILL has the lemon-sour taste. No smell. Different consistency to how I grew up with, just this damn taste. I am trying a different test from the doctor - to test for HPV rather than abnormalities in the cervical cells this time. I read that pap tests are only 55% accurate (not sure how true this is) but that there are a lot of 'false negatives'. Many women are given a 'normal' or 'negative' results when infact the cells are changing. HPV tests for the low and high risk strains of HPV indicating Cervical cancer. It's got an above 905% detection rate for precancerous cells. So maybe that's what it is, but the pap test just hasn't been able to reveal it..? I also read about a condition which affects the gland-like membrane inside the vagina...the glands that secrete the mucus. There is a type of cervical cancer (had a relation to the word or was a type of 'adenocarcinoma') which is difficult to detect from a regular pap test that affects this membrane/glands inside the vagina. Kind of makes sense when you think of the symptom we're all getting....the consistency and the taste has changed......something is definitely 'weakened' or compromised inside on this gland membrane part. Anyhow you can ask your doctor to test for HPV along with your pap smear test. In Italy apparently they are now leading with the HPV test ONLY, as the leading/premier test for cervical cancer, over the pap smear.
Goodluck all. Please post up ASAP if you find anything from your doctors. I'll do the same after this HPV test.

Sorry, I meant a 95% ..not 905% !!

Also, I noticed the first post on this topic was back in 2006. if anyone is in contact with those who had the condition back in 2006, please let us know if you hear from them now....!! I imagine they gave up reading the posts with no cure or diagnosis atleast!

Parti33

In reply to Guest on 2010-03-23 - click to read

This is crazy isn't it! My doctor thinks I'm nuts and my partner of 4 years thinks I have some sort of problem!!!! I've been dealing with exactly this for a few years now... I posted in May of last year.... May I ask you a question? If your answer is the same as mine then I know I'm not alone in this sad sour place!!! If you use some sort of lubricant (for example KY etc ) does it curdle/clump with your current discharge. My watery/pasty sour discharge will not mix with lubricant, and for days after using one I have to deal with the messy mixture of the two leaving my body.... It's so embarrassing, not to mention a total put off during sex!!! :(

i have the acidic discharge an have come to the conclusion that it may be due to the use of birth control pills. I have been on a low dose and noticed my taste changed a few mnths ago. I bet every woman on this site is probably on some sort of bc whether its the shot, pill, ring or spermicide. Perhaps, this is the cause.

Finally other people. About 6 months ago I started having watery pasty battery acid discharge. Went through everything- been to the gyno like 7 times and nothing. I'm on medications- Prozac, addrerall, accutane
I think it's the meds excreting. I also had low grade hpv on cervix. Maybe that taste is from the body healing itself? I don't let my man go down on me anymore and I'm so depressed over this. Someone please help figure this out!

Awesome!

I'd like to say thank you all for posting comments and sharing your problems. I'm seventeen years old and I've had this problem since about fifteen. I really dislike the fact that I do not have regular discharge, and the sour taste it has as well. As the lady stated above, I like to make sure everything is going well inside and out of my body (stay in tune with it, if you will). I'll definitely experiment and see what eating less acid foods and reducing stress does, if it works I'll be the first to let you all know. Thanks for the advice! :)

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