How often do you douche after SRS?
I mean after a few months or more than a year, do you do it regularly?
Or only after sex or using lube?
And do you use any products to maintain hygiene or good smell?
First 2 months, twice a day. After that, never. Brassard said that it was necessary to clean the surgical site, but once everything was healed the vagina would be self-cleaning and douching would disturb the natural flora. Seems to be true; everything has stayed perfectly fine since then. (Well, vaginas are *supposed* to have a smell; not a bad/infection type smell, but our bodies aren't really meant to be disinfected and odorless.)
I am only 7weeks post op but I have a friend whos 1 yr post op. She said she tried not to douche for a month or so and her vagina smelled like smelly foot so she continued to douche every other day.
I stopped douching at about 4 months post-op. Seems to be ok. It's not smell-free, but supposedly some smell is not a bad thing - means that the beneficial bacteria are keeping the pH low making it less hospitable for the nasty bacteria.
Brassard still recommends to douche at least once a week in month 3. After that no more douching.
I douche most days with a very mild water with a bit of vinegar solution (about 2 tspoons to a cup).
Everyone's flora and fauna are different and some people seem to be fine without doing it. But I definitely get pretty stinky if I don't, also the longer I leave it I start to get a bit irritated. I tried a bunch of things and abstaining but no joy. Some smell is good. Smelling yourself sitting at work is not so good.
I felt like I was giving in but actually it is no big deal. It's just became part of my shower routine and takes not time at all.
I use saline water (approx 1 L water with 1 teaspoon of salt) and found that even though it's not odourless down there, but the resulting odour is not unpleasant either.
Quote from: jfong on December 15, 2014, 06:57:44 AM
I use saline water (approx 1 L water with 1 teaspoon of salt) and found that even though it's not odourless down there, but the resulting odour is not unpleasant either.
how often would you do that?
I am still at the end of my 1 month post op. So I still have a full month of 2x a day and then once a week session for month 3. Everything are pretty much healed, only some fibrins left at the bottom of V.
I only douche if something bad has happened, which so far nothing has happened (touch wood) after the first roughly 2 months. I keep things happy scented by religiously using wet tp (just external cleaning).
what about the left over lube inside during dilation? Wouldnt thay cause odor?
Chinee : I stopped douching when the dilations decreased in frequency; the lube just works its way back out. (Usually rather, ahem, abruptly...)
I sometimes feel that I have itch inside the canal and want to scratch it. I found that if I put my finger in there are some white marks left..I do not know if that's normal....the finger does smell but not that bad....I have to touch for two months and Important two years post op...I also wonder if mineral oil left you with bacteria inside....
Im post many years. Ive found that over time, especialy if your sexualy active, that odor will develop. as was said in an earlier post, " when you can smell yourself just setting there" somethiong needs to be done.
A rule of thumb even for genetic females, is " less is better". try just a clean water rinse first. im thinling about 80% of the time, that is all I need. If that does not do the trick, I lean toward the saline rinse. Im not partial to that vinegar smell. The last thing you want to do, without a doctors recomendation, is to use really strong solutions that will eradicate the natural bacteria that are good for you, and are suposed to be there.
if you are still dialiating, be sure that between each session, you fully clean the dialiator. that is a major cause of bad bacteria and odor.
A trick ive learned over all these years, is to stay dry. cotton panties or cotton liner areas are a biggie. also, in really hot and humid weather, i am not adverse to a dab of baby oil or vasaline, to protect the skin from moisture irratation. it works on babies, it works for me.
recent post ops absolutly should follow the doctors orders.
also i noticed something strange,, after dilating i douche and sometimes the next evening or next day i am still leaking a tiny bit of the water in my underwear, ... how does this happen??
Gets trapped behind the PC muscle when it contracts.
Happens to some.
At my last visit I asked Dr Belanger and here is what she said:
After the first two months, you do it as needed. If you smell something too badly, you do one. It essentially falls to feminine hygiene.
Her words.
I'm nearly 7 months post op and dont douche.The odour produced smells very similar to a natal vagina(my partner is a cis woman).That surprised me(in a pleasant way).