Genestra – HMF Vaginal Health Suppositories

HMF Vaginal Health is a human-sourced strain of probiotics clinically proven to be able to help prevent recurrences of Candida-induced vaginitis following an antifungal medication treatment. It works by adhering to the membranes there and repopulating the area to ‘crowd out’ the Candida when it tries to recolonize.

HMF Vaginal Health is a human-sourced strain of probiotics clinically proven to be able to help prevent recurrences of Candida-induced vaginitis following an antifungal medication treatment. It works by adhering to the membranes there and repopulating the area to ‘crowd out’ the Candida when it tries to recolonize.

Product Notes:

Genestra Vaginal Suppositories can also be used to help restore a healthy microflora following antibiotic treatment, or in other situation where the vaginal microflora has been altered.

Nearly 70% of women will experience a yeast infection (typified by symptoms such as a white or watery discharge, swelling, redness, rashes, itchiness, stinging or burning sensations while urinating, and painful intercourse) at some point, and up to 10% will have at least four episodes a year. (A condition called recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, or RVVC.) Antifungal treatments are often used for this, but sometimes do little to prevent recurrences, even with maintenance doses, especially since drug resistance has been increasing.

That’s where HMF Vaginal Health “mucoadhesive” probiotic tablets come in. They contain a patented strain of human origin called Lactobacillus plantarum KABP™-061 (which has also been known as L.p. I1001 or CECT7504), which is particularly good at adhering to the vaginal mucosa, where it can thrive, to restore a more favourable vaginal microbiome. That can happen relatively quickly when delivered right to the area they are needed at in suppository tablets like this, rather than ingested.

In addition to helping keep Candida at bay, this particular strain of Human MicroFlora (HMF) also has antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Proteus mirabilis, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and also produces lactic acid, which helps stabilize the physiologic pH in the vagina.

Related Products – See: Prevegyne, New Roots Herbal Femina Flora and Metagenics UltraFlora Women’s Probiotics.

HMF Vaginal Health product is also marketed as AB-INTIMUS under the AB-BIOTICS brand (a division of the Kaneka Corporation)) in some regions, and may also appear under the Floradapt name. Floradapt™ and KABP™ are both trademarks of Kaneka Corporation. HMF is Genestra Brands’ registered trademark for ‘Human Microflora’.

Ingredients:

Each suppository contains:

Lactobacillus plantarum (KABP™-061): 0.1 billion Colony Forming Units

Non-medicinal ingredients: Lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose, croscarmellose sodium, citric acid, magnesium stearate, colloidal silica gel, maltodextrin.

Allergen alert: Contains: Milk, but: Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, and Non- GMO. Vegetarian.

Suggested Usage:

Adults: Apply one intra-vaginal suppository (using the method outlined below, preferably just before going to bed), three times a week, on alternative days, for two months (excluding days with menstruation), or as recommended by your healthcare practitioner.

If you are taking an antifungal treatment or other types of vaginal antibiotics for candida, finish that treatment first before beginning these. Otherwise, take these at least 2-3 hours before or after taking other types of antibiotics (if applicable).

This is a shelf-stable product, which does not require refrigeration. Store package in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight, in moderate temperature (at or below 25°C).

Application Method

Wash your hand before commencing. Detach one of the enclosed suppositories from the blister pack, and carefully peel the foil off. Remove the ovule-shaped tablet, and carefully place it into the top of the applicator. Lie down on your back, with your knees slightly bent. Insert the loaded applicator into the vagina as far as it will comfortably go. Then squeeze the springy ‘wings’ on both sides of the applicator to release the tablet. Wash the applicator with water after each application.

Warnings:

Keep out of the reach of children. For Vaginal use only; do not ingest. Do not use HMF Vaginal Health if you have an immune-compromised condition (e.g. AIDS, lymphoma, or undergoing long-term corticosteroid treatment). Consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, or have nausea, fever, vomiting, bloody diarrhea or severe abdominal pain. Consult your healthcare practitioner if symptoms of vaginal burning, itching, malodour or abnormal discharge occur.

Health Canada Natural Product Number: 80096686.

Supporting Science:

Clinically Studied

An open-label prospective study of 55 sexually active women between the ages of 18 and 50 in an active phase of RVVC who received a standard antifungal treatment (specifically, clotrimazole) compared the outcomes of 33 of them who were given the equivalent of one of these packages (7 doses, taken over a span of 2 weeks) to the 22 who did not.

It found the probiotics significantly reduced all the assessed vaginitis symptoms after 14 days, and significantly reduced the risk of symptomatic recurrence within 3 months (to an average of another 0.45 acute episode per person that trimester, compared to 1.14 episode per trimester in the previous year (a reduction of 59%).

In contrast, the clotrimazole-only group experienced an average of 0.67 episodes over the next 3 months, which was not significantly better than the 0.88 episodes they had per trimester in the previous year. There were similar findings in 6 month follow-up. Of course, the probiotics did not work for everyone: nearly a third of the women taking them reported symptomatic recurrences at their 3–month follow-up (10 of the 31 who continued on to that phase of the study, or 32.2 %). But that was much better than the 59% in the control group who had at least one recurrence within the next three months, and this was after taking the product for only 2 weeks, rather than for a whole two months, as is currently recommended.

Marchaim, Dror et al. “Fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans vulvovaginitis.” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2012.

Palacios, S et al. “Is it possible to prevent recurrent vulvovaginitis? The role of Lactobacillus plantarum I1001 (CECT7504).” European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases: Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology, 2016.

Sobel, Jack D. “Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2016.

UPC / Barcode:

883196156085