I am having odors down there, but I’m not sexually active (at all) and my hygiene is excellent. Is it normal?

Question

I had taken Accutane 40 mg for 6 months and I’m no longer taking it since mid-October. Since then, I am not taking any contraception (no sexual relationship neither). I eat 3 meals a day, and taking Nature’s Bounty biotin strawberry gummies everyday to help my nails and fingers infections, because of Accutane. Otherwise, I drink a lot of water everyday. Thank you so much for taking your time to answer! I appreciate so much.

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Good morning, miss! First, it is normal that your vulva gives off a slight odor during the day, especially during hot and humid days or when you did particular physical efforts. Here are some tips and tricks to maximize your feminine hygiene: Don't wear too tight clothes (including underwears) --> wear loose clothing and change them everyday or more often if you're doing sports, for example; For your laundry, use a no-perfume laundry detergent (ex: those who are hypoallergenic) and try to avoid the use of softener because they are usually full of perfume; Never do intra-vaginal douches --> they don't have any benefits; Use a gentle no-perfume personal cleanser daily (ex: Dove No Perfume, Cetaphil No Perfume) --> it's no good to wash too often the genital area, the irritation is just worst! Do not use Vagisil-like products (sprays, cleansers, wipes) --> full of perfume, this kind of products are a BIG NO! Continue to drink enough water and to eat well , as you describe! 😉 Your past and actual medications (Accutane, Nature's Bounty Biotin) are not know to cause particular genital smell . If you think that your vulva has a foul and strong odor, it may be the consequence of a bacterial vaginal infection . The smell related is often describe as the unpleasant smell of fish and may be the only symptom , but sometimes, it is combined with profuse white/grey vaginal discharge. If you have this kind of symptoms, you need to consult your family doctor because he needs to evaluate your symptoms (and will treat your infection with antibiotics, if there is any infection regarding his diagnostic). If you don't have any family doctor, you can go on this website to find the nearest doctor: https://www.rvsq.gouv.qc.ca/en/home. I really hope these informations will help you. Don't be shy to ask any other questions! 😊 Marc-Antoine Dufresne, pharmacie trainee (Pharm.D), supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist.