Vaginal yeast infections: Do home remedies work?

A number of natural products purport to prevent or cure vaginal yeast infections — a form of vaginitis — without prescription medication. Some popular home remedies include vinegar douches, tea tree oil cream and vaginal suppositories made with garlic or boric acid.

Anecdotally, some women report success with these home remedies. However, well-designed, randomized, controlled trials are needed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of these therapies before any reliable clinical recommendations can be made.

One exception may be Lactobacillus acidophilus, a type of beneficial bacteria normally found in the vagina. One study found that vaginal suppositories containing L. acidophilus did improve symptoms of vaginal yeast infections. However, other studies of oral preparations of L. acidophilus found little benefit.

Because conventional treatments for vaginal yeast infections — including antifungal creams and suppositories — are generally effective, it is probably best to use such treatments instead of such home remedies.