Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDo Home Remedies Work?Popular Home RemediesDietary SupportPrescription TreatmentRisks of Non-Treatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Do Home Remedies Work?
Popular Home Remedies
Dietary Support
Prescription Treatment
Risks of Non-Treatment
If you experience trichomoniasis, it can be tempting to treat the condition with natural or alternative remedies. However, the most effective treatment is medication from a healthcare provider.
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Do Trichomoniasis Home Remedies Work?
Many home remedies thought to help treattrichomoniasishave not been thoroughly researched. The best treatment option isantibiotics.Sometimes, though, people become antibiotic resistant and more research is needed to help determine other treatments for this infection.
Some studies suggest that topical vaginal treatment can be an alternative to conventional treatment in people who have allergies or are drug resistant.
More research on home remedies for trichomoniasis is needed. While some home treatments may be effective at killing trichomoniasis naturally, many studies were done in vitro (in a laboratory setting and outside a living organism, like in a test tube) or with a small sample size.
There are several home remedies for trichomoniasis. Examples include:
Myrrh:One study examined 33 women with trichomoniasis. Researchers treated 13 antibiotic-resistant women with an oleo-resin extract derived frommyrrh,Commiphora molmol(mirazid).
Participants received two capsules (600 milligrams) for six to eight days on an empty stomach two hours before breakfast. The treatment was effective in 85% of the test participants.
Phyto-chemical-rich foods:Black tea,green tea, grape seed extract, and pomegranate may be effective therapies, particularly black tea. In a 2017 study, black tea was effective against the strain of trichomoniasis that affects humans (other strains affect various animals). Additionally, the black tea preparation was effective against drug-resistant trichomoniasis.
Garlic:Garlic and others in theAlliumfamily (e.g., onions) have demonstrated anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties. However, many studies on garlic and otherAlliumplants are in vitro.More research is needed to determine ifgarlicand otherAlliumplants are an effective treatment.
Milk Thistle:Silybum marianum,more commonly known asmilk thistle, contains an antioxidant compound called silymarin, which may be effective against trichomoniasis.
Ginger:A 2016 study used mice cells to determine that ginger ethanol extract was an effective treatment against human trichomoniasis strains.
Other herbs and plant-based treatments:Several additional plant-based compounds may be effective, such as black cumin extract, papayas, ginseng, berberine, curcumin, and more.
Researchers have found positive results when testing creams made with herbs and compounds in plants known to have antibacterial, antifungal,antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
However, most research has been done in vitro and not directly on humans. Additionally, of those conducted in humans, many had small sample sizes.
Avoid Harmful RemediesYou may have heard that treatments such as hydrogen peroxide or povidone-iodine douches can treat trichomoniasis. However, these treatments are often ineffective and can even be harmful.Before attempting any home remedies, especially topical remedies or douches, consult a healthcare provider for advice.
Avoid Harmful Remedies
You may have heard that treatments such as hydrogen peroxide or povidone-iodine douches can treat trichomoniasis. However, these treatments are often ineffective and can even be harmful.Before attempting any home remedies, especially topical remedies or douches, consult a healthcare provider for advice.
You may have heard that treatments such as hydrogen peroxide or povidone-iodine douches can treat trichomoniasis. However, these treatments are often ineffective and can even be harmful.
Before attempting any home remedies, especially topical remedies or douches, consult a healthcare provider for advice.
During treatment, you can also include foods that are naturally rich in antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial compounds. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other plants may improve overall health and longevity.
While extracts and concentrated supplements of certain plant compounds may work against trichomoniasis, consuming whole food is unlikely to treat the condition. However, consuming foods used to treat trichomoniasis, such aspomegranates, garlic, basil, and foods with resveratrol, may provide overall health benefits.
Be sure to consult a dietician or healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.
More Research Is NeededResearchers know that people need more options for treatment, especially because they may become reinfected or be unable to take traditional medicines due to side effects or allergies. More research is necessary to explore alternative remedies to treat and prevent trichomoniasis.
More Research Is Needed
Researchers know that people need more options for treatment, especially because they may become reinfected or be unable to take traditional medicines due to side effects or allergies. More research is necessary to explore alternative remedies to treat and prevent trichomoniasis.
Oral Flagyl (metronidazole) is a recommended treatment regimen for trichomoniasis.An alternative medication for men and women is Tindamax (tinidazole), which is more expensive but has fewer gastrointestinal side effects.
If there is a possibility that your partner also has trichomoniasis, they should be tested and treated, too. Abstain from sex until treatment is completed and symptoms have resolved.
Ideally, females should be retested (if possible) in three months after treatment to ensure the infection is gone. There are insufficient data regarding retesting males.
Special considerations must be taken if a person is pregnant, hashuman immunodeficiency virus(HIV), or is allergic to metronidazole and tinidazole.
What Happens if Trichomoniasis Is Left Untreated?
It is unlikely that trichomoniasis will go away on its own. However, some individuals with trichomoniasis can be asymptomatic for a while. If left untreated, serious side effects can occur, especially in pregnant individuals. Side effects can include:
Other risk factors of untreated trichomoniasis include:
Summary
Trichomoniasis is a common and treatable STI. If you suspect you have this STI or you have been with a partner who has this, see a healthcare provider for testing. If you test positive, you will likely be treated with a dose of oral antibiotics such as metronidazole.
If you suspect trichomoniasis, contact your healthcare provider for testing and treatment instead of trying to treat the infection at home. You may have additional STIs or a different STI with similar symptoms.
Discuss your treatment plans with your healthcare provider if you are considering a home remedy or tried one. There are few studies examining alternative treatments for trichomoniasis in humans. Your healthcare provider will likely want to repeat testing as home remedies may not effectively clear the STI. Untreated trichomoniasis can pose health risks.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trichomoniasis: CDC fact sheet.Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis Infections.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2017;30(3):811-825. doi:10.1128/CMR.00109-16El-Sherbiny GM, El Sherbiny ET.The effect of commiphora molmol (myrrh) in treatment of trichomoniasis vaginalis infection.Iran Red Crescent Med J.2011;13(7):480-486.Noritake SM, Liu J, Kanetake S, et al.Phytochemical-rich foods inhibit the growth of pathogenic trichomonads.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017;17:461.Hezarjaribi HZ, Nadeali N, Fakhar M, Soosaraei M.Medicinal plants with anti-trichomonas vaginalis activity in Iran: a systematic review.Iranian Journal of Parasitology. 2019;14(1):1.Nazer M, Abbaszadeh S, Darvishi M, et al.The most important herbs used in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections in traditional medicine.Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences (SJMS). 2019;14(2):41-64.doi:10.18502/sjms.v14i2.4691Arbabi M, Delavari M, Fakhrieh Kashan Z, Taghizadeh M, Hooshyar H.Ginger (Zingiber officinale) induces apoptosis in Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.Int J Reprod Biomed. 2016;14(11):691-698.Hashemi, N., Ommi, D., Kheyri, P., et al.A review study on the anti-trichomonas activities of medicinal plants.International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance. 2021;15:92-104. doi:10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.01.002Aslani A, Asghari G, Darani HY, Ghanadian M, Hosseini F.Design, Formulation, and Physicochemical Evaluation of Vaginal Cream ContainingEucalyptus camaldulensis, Viola odorata, andMentha piperitaextracts for Prevention and Treatment of Trichomoniasis.Int J Prev Med. 2019;10:179. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_525_17Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis infections.Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2017;30(3):811.Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al.Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMJ. 2014;349:g4490. doi:10.1136/bmj.g4490Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted treatment guidelines, 2021. Trichomoniasis.Tsang SH, Peisch SF, Rowan B, et al.Association between Trichomonas vaginalis and prostate cancer mortality.International journal of cancer. 2018;144(10):2377.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trichomoniasis: CDC fact sheet.Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis Infections.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2017;30(3):811-825. doi:10.1128/CMR.00109-16El-Sherbiny GM, El Sherbiny ET.The effect of commiphora molmol (myrrh) in treatment of trichomoniasis vaginalis infection.Iran Red Crescent Med J.2011;13(7):480-486.Noritake SM, Liu J, Kanetake S, et al.Phytochemical-rich foods inhibit the growth of pathogenic trichomonads.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017;17:461.Hezarjaribi HZ, Nadeali N, Fakhar M, Soosaraei M.Medicinal plants with anti-trichomonas vaginalis activity in Iran: a systematic review.Iranian Journal of Parasitology. 2019;14(1):1.Nazer M, Abbaszadeh S, Darvishi M, et al.The most important herbs used in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections in traditional medicine.Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences (SJMS). 2019;14(2):41-64.doi:10.18502/sjms.v14i2.4691Arbabi M, Delavari M, Fakhrieh Kashan Z, Taghizadeh M, Hooshyar H.Ginger (Zingiber officinale) induces apoptosis in Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.Int J Reprod Biomed. 2016;14(11):691-698.Hashemi, N., Ommi, D., Kheyri, P., et al.A review study on the anti-trichomonas activities of medicinal plants.International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance. 2021;15:92-104. doi:10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.01.002Aslani A, Asghari G, Darani HY, Ghanadian M, Hosseini F.Design, Formulation, and Physicochemical Evaluation of Vaginal Cream ContainingEucalyptus camaldulensis, Viola odorata, andMentha piperitaextracts for Prevention and Treatment of Trichomoniasis.Int J Prev Med. 2019;10:179. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_525_17Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis infections.Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2017;30(3):811.Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al.Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMJ. 2014;349:g4490. doi:10.1136/bmj.g4490Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted treatment guidelines, 2021. Trichomoniasis.Tsang SH, Peisch SF, Rowan B, et al.Association between Trichomonas vaginalis and prostate cancer mortality.International journal of cancer. 2018;144(10):2377.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trichomoniasis: CDC fact sheet.Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis Infections.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2017;30(3):811-825. doi:10.1128/CMR.00109-16El-Sherbiny GM, El Sherbiny ET.The effect of commiphora molmol (myrrh) in treatment of trichomoniasis vaginalis infection.Iran Red Crescent Med J.2011;13(7):480-486.Noritake SM, Liu J, Kanetake S, et al.Phytochemical-rich foods inhibit the growth of pathogenic trichomonads.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017;17:461.Hezarjaribi HZ, Nadeali N, Fakhar M, Soosaraei M.Medicinal plants with anti-trichomonas vaginalis activity in Iran: a systematic review.Iranian Journal of Parasitology. 2019;14(1):1.Nazer M, Abbaszadeh S, Darvishi M, et al.The most important herbs used in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections in traditional medicine.Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences (SJMS). 2019;14(2):41-64.doi:10.18502/sjms.v14i2.4691Arbabi M, Delavari M, Fakhrieh Kashan Z, Taghizadeh M, Hooshyar H.Ginger (Zingiber officinale) induces apoptosis in Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.Int J Reprod Biomed. 2016;14(11):691-698.Hashemi, N., Ommi, D., Kheyri, P., et al.A review study on the anti-trichomonas activities of medicinal plants.International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance. 2021;15:92-104. doi:10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.01.002Aslani A, Asghari G, Darani HY, Ghanadian M, Hosseini F.Design, Formulation, and Physicochemical Evaluation of Vaginal Cream ContainingEucalyptus camaldulensis, Viola odorata, andMentha piperitaextracts for Prevention and Treatment of Trichomoniasis.Int J Prev Med. 2019;10:179. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_525_17Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis infections.Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2017;30(3):811.Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al.Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMJ. 2014;349:g4490. doi:10.1136/bmj.g4490Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted treatment guidelines, 2021. Trichomoniasis.Tsang SH, Peisch SF, Rowan B, et al.Association between Trichomonas vaginalis and prostate cancer mortality.International journal of cancer. 2018;144(10):2377.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trichomoniasis: CDC fact sheet.
Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis Infections.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2017;30(3):811-825. doi:10.1128/CMR.00109-16
El-Sherbiny GM, El Sherbiny ET.The effect of commiphora molmol (myrrh) in treatment of trichomoniasis vaginalis infection.Iran Red Crescent Med J.2011;13(7):480-486.
Noritake SM, Liu J, Kanetake S, et al.Phytochemical-rich foods inhibit the growth of pathogenic trichomonads.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017;17:461.
Hezarjaribi HZ, Nadeali N, Fakhar M, Soosaraei M.Medicinal plants with anti-trichomonas vaginalis activity in Iran: a systematic review.Iranian Journal of Parasitology. 2019;14(1):1.
Nazer M, Abbaszadeh S, Darvishi M, et al.The most important herbs used in the treatment of sexually transmitted infections in traditional medicine.Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences (SJMS). 2019;14(2):41-64.doi:10.18502/sjms.v14i2.4691
Arbabi M, Delavari M, Fakhrieh Kashan Z, Taghizadeh M, Hooshyar H.Ginger (Zingiber officinale) induces apoptosis in Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.Int J Reprod Biomed. 2016;14(11):691-698.
Hashemi, N., Ommi, D., Kheyri, P., et al.A review study on the anti-trichomonas activities of medicinal plants.International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance. 2021;15:92-104. doi:10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.01.002
Aslani A, Asghari G, Darani HY, Ghanadian M, Hosseini F.Design, Formulation, and Physicochemical Evaluation of Vaginal Cream ContainingEucalyptus camaldulensis, Viola odorata, andMentha piperitaextracts for Prevention and Treatment of Trichomoniasis.Int J Prev Med. 2019;10:179. doi:10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_525_17
Bouchemal K, Bories C, Loiseau PM.Strategies for prevention and treatment of trichomonas vaginalis infections.Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2017;30(3):811.
Wang X, Ouyang Y, Liu J, et al.Fruit and vegetable consumption and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMJ. 2014;349:g4490. doi:10.1136/bmj.g4490
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted treatment guidelines, 2021. Trichomoniasis.
Tsang SH, Peisch SF, Rowan B, et al.Association between Trichomonas vaginalis and prostate cancer mortality.International journal of cancer. 2018;144(10):2377.
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