Can anyone help pain and itching symptom
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| Fri, 11-07-2008 - 6:14pm |
I've been having burning and itching to my vulva and anal area now for oh going on three months. I tried yeast cremes and it didn't help. Then I went to the Doc and was told I have Bacterial Vaginosis so I used Metrogel cream. It didn't help. 5 Dr. office visits later I am still itching and in pain. I was cultured and it came back negative. Last Dr. visit a culture was examined under scope and the Gyno said it didn't look like I had an infection.
My period just came yesterday and between the fluids and the pads or both I am in extreme misery. It is burning and itching like mad and I don't know what to do.
Has anyone had any relife from something like this? I was told to try gynolotrimine and salt rinses or soaks by the Doc and given a script for a BC pill in case it's hormonal.

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Hi there,
I'm just wondering if you've changed body soaps or laundry powder, or anything like that? It's possible you have a contact allergy. If your doctor has done swabs for BV, did they do swabs for a yeast infection as well, or any other types of bacterial infection?
Peachy,
What did it feel like? This feels like it's overly dry and sometimes burning and other times itchy. Even showering with regular water causes it to be too dry and painful. I'm glad to hear it went away I'm sure hoping whatever this is will and soon!
xploziv1,
I'm not sure what all they did test for. I do know they looked for yeast or bacterial ( I forget the name of the strand) and it was negative. I can't think of a thing that would be causing an allergy. I've been using no panty liners unless I am having spotting and I have stopped using soaps and fabric softeners and rinse the laundry that will touch the delicate area an extra time after the laundry cycle is done just to be sure.
Are the symptoms worse than before the metrogel? I wonder if you reacted badly to that. If you've got sensitive skin, it could have been a reaction. Anything rubbing on it would continue to cause irritation. You could try applying a barrier cream to help protect the area from friction. Other things to try are aloe vera gel, a natural lubricant (not made of chemicals like KY, Astrogel, etc), Vagisil, and/or Vitamin E cream to reduce the dryness side of things.
Vaginal dryness has the same symptoms, and this is often caused by hormone imbalances and hormonal birth control.
Try foregoing underwear when you can, so there is less rubbing from your clothing. In particular, at night.
Time,
Sorry I'm just answering now - I never got a notification that you responded. I just happened to be browsing the board and found your question. My symptoms were your symptoms: the dry feeling, the itching, slight burning. Unfortunately, I feel like the problem is back (which is why I was browsing the board). It started this time last year and took about 6 months to go away. UGH - I don't want to go through this again! Any updates on your condition?
The BC pill will most likely make it worse. One of the actions of BCPs is to make the vagina an inhospitable place for sperm to move--so BCPs cause dryness. I use a low dose BCP and the vaginal dryness and itching is worse. It is a trade off for me because the BCP controls both the other peri symptoms and the PMDD. Perhaps the BCP would help other symptoms you might be having if you are in peri.
If you are in peri or entering menopause it is most likely low estrogen. There is no good way to test for low estrogen especially if you are in peri and your hormones are fluctuating a lot. Most women bottom out with estrogen at night or in the wee hours of the morning (causing night sweats, insomnia, and migraines) so by the time the blood test or whatever is done the hormones are back to a normal level during the day. Once a woman hits menopause the fluctuating stops and there is very little estrogen still circulating as the ovaries shut down.
In most cases a GYN will diagnose it based on symptoms. This is what happened to me. I am in peri (49) and had horrible long or short periods plus severe anxiety and migraines plus insomnia. I sometimes had 2 periods a month or I would bleed for 3 days and then spot for 20. I had ultrasounds done and the last one showed two tiny fibroids in my uterus that are not considered a source of my issues. On top of everything else I started experiencing horrible vaginal dryness, itching, and pain during intercourse. My new symptom is a feeling of urinary urgency--like I have a bladder infection, but I don't. This is also part of low estrogen and entering menopause. Untreated this condition can cause serious health issues with the bladder and other organs. As the CL said a good vaginal moisturizer with lubricant will usually relieve symptoms for a few days. The other route is to use either estrogen cream or an estrogen like pill (prescribed by a GYN or other doc) that goes into the vagina--like a suppository. This delivery system does not expose a women to much or any estrogen in the system it is pretty much just localized.
For me, KY products have been a blessing. I used to use KY pearls that are inserted into the vagina and last about 4 days (they are great!). They became a bit pricey for me so I switched to KY-Silky, which is applied to the outside areas of the vagina. It is both a vaginal moisturizer and a lubricant. It works really, really well and is not expensive. I am surprised your GYN did not mention this possibility. The menopause/peri board will have lots of info about it. Of course, much depends on your age, but low estrogen can happen at any age, but especially in the late 30s, 40s and beyond when peri hits.
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible,
Sunflower,
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look it up.
Peachy,
I'm still going through the same symptoms with no relief. I tried premarin cream for a bit and I know it isn't supposed to do much but in the tissues but my period was heavier and longer
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