Vaginal burning for almost 2 months!! Possible vulvodynia?! Can't take it anymore. :(

Have you had a vaginal swab for thrush?   That could be one cause. It certainly sounds like Vulvodynia which is notoriously difficult to treat.   You dont say how old you are but as you have mentioned periods I'm thinking you are not menopausal and therefore dont need any hormone preparations. An opaque and creamy discharge is often the sign of ovulation.    If you are in UK you can purchase Lidocaine from the chemist and this will help with the symptoms 

Hi Bronte,

Wow, this site has made me realize how many ladies have the same problem I had for years, with no help from doctors.  I had exactly the same problem for years but was able to get a complete cure.  It turned out that I had a little-known thing called "Nightshade Sensitivity".  I only found out after I was unable to eat for a week due to a bout of gastroenteritis and my symptoms disappeared totally.  As I gradually reintroduced foods, I found that they symptoms reappeared when I ate any foods in the Nightshade, or Solinacaea, family.  These include potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, tobacco, chili, bell peppers or capsicum, and goji berries.  All of these foods are related and have a huge amount of irritating chemicals which the liver usually detoxifies, but there are a number of (particularly ladies, but I've met some men with problems too) who get too overloaded with them and get problems.  Not that surprising when we think how many of our foods contain elements from this family (think tomato sauce, for instance).  I would think from your description that it could be Nightshade Sensitivity your suffering from.  I had a complete cure just by cutting those foods out of my diet.  

Also, I've found that "vulvadynia" seems to be a catch-all name that doctors give to ladies' symptoms that they can't fix.  But when I researched information on vulvadynia, I found that nobody knows what causes it, even though it's quite a widespread problem.  I think that it could be that vulvadynia and nightshade sensitivity could be one and the same.  Anyway, as I say, I've had no problems at all since I took this family out of my food. Give it a try and I hope my advice helps to give you some relief.  Good luck

Minamii

 

Let me start by saying do not lose hope!!! It's easy to spiral into a permanent state of panic especially if you're googling all sorts of experiences of vulvodynia (the vulvodynia forums are a dark and sad place and are often the most severe of cases which is unlikely to apply to you).

I can't tell you what will cure you but I can tell you my story in the hope you won't feel so disheartened. I started presenting symptoms June 2015 following a sickness bug which led to my pill being ineffective and having to use a condom for extra precautions (no ones sure if I'm allergic to these and that's what triggered my pain or it was pure coincidence). I powered through until the start of August (the pain was mainly in sex but starting to get worse in everyday activities, the burning was the most unbearable I've ever felt) where I went to see my GP who, like me, assumed it was just thrush. Had the thrush medication, didn't work, went back for an examination where she took a few swabs. Tests came back all fine including STI tests, went back to the GP and was basically told there was nothing more they could do for me and to either get on with it or pursue it further at a walk in sexual health clinic.

Having never been to a sexual heath clinic I was pretty apprehensive. This was now the end of August. Went in was examined by a lovely lady who was much more understanding. She analysed my swabs right there and then and found the tiniest bit of bacterial vaginosis. Went on medication for that for a week which definitely seemed to improve things as by this point I was getting pain at work walking round sitting down, urinating, sex was off the cards completely however it didn't help 100%.

I then moved to the next city before deciding a month later I couldn't take It anymore again and attended the walk in gynaecology clinic at my now local hospital where my tests once again came back fine. She started me on a course of lidocaine which is a local anaesthetic which I could put on at night or half an hour before sex. I found it actually most effective for the pain after sex more than anything. Went back for a follow up appointment in the December where we started to discuss diagnosis of vulvodynia and she suggested the medication. Being very apprehensive as the medication is an antidepressant and not wanting to be on them at such a young age I decided to stick out Til March 2016 to see how I got on. I was also placed on a waiting list for vaginal physiotherapist (who knew that was a thing!?) as she was worried I had developed vaginismus (involuntary tightening of the muscles) from the pain associated with intercourse.

At this point I started to look around at the little bits of advice I had been given throughout this process and by this point I'm willing to try anything to prevent medication (I didn't want to accept the vulvodynia diagnosis due to the fear of it never going away more than anything though it is relieving to know people don't think you're going crazy and there is actually something wrong). So I went back to the saline solution they suggest you do as a sort of wash for the vagina as opposed to shower gel or other soaps (which I imagine you've been warned can obviously cause irritations down there). I religiously washed with sea salt and warm water every day I showered for weeks and I noticed an improvement in my symptoms?? So much so I no longer noticed the pain in everyday life and only experienced pain in intercourse. I went back and said I was happy to just continue using that. I do however have the pain during intercourse still which I will eventually have to work through (could be vaginismus or a psychological thing from the trauma I've been through with the pain making me seize up and sex no longer enjoyable) but I'm now happy to report I'm in a much better place with it all. The worst part was everyone I met in the beginning telling me they didn't know what it was. That was scary and horrible I would breakdown about it all the time. But it's important that you know that I was told random onset vulvodynia if this is what you've got is the most curable as its come from nowhere so it can go just as easily.

My mAin advice is to go through sex health clinics or walk in gyno departments-these specialists know much more about these conditions than your average GP. Don't be disheartened when things don't work (the saline solution is worth a try but I doubt it works for most people I feel like I just got lucky!) also look at what you're using for your periods...I've noticed my burning sensation flares up during these times and I feel like it's because it's being irritated by the pad (which would make sense because when I initially had the problems I had a lot of discharge leading to me using pads nearly everyday). I think there could be a million causes you can look into and speculate about but you need to be seen by a specialist asap who will give you a lot more information and reassurance. I know it's easier said than done but do not let this get you down, you have every reason to believe it will settle down and/or go away just as quickly as it came. I don't know if sharing that long winded story with you helped but I found when I was in the midst of it all there's so little out there on the Internet of people actually being okay and managing to get back to a normal level of life that I could have done with hearing this. X

I hear you Bronte i am exactly same as u 5 months now have found any cures since last posted here..

Are you taking birth control pill?

I'm not in the UK, but I would encourage you to see a specialist. You may have bacterial vaginosis, but it is entirely possible that you have vulvodynia. Find a specialist who has a knowledge of this, a gynecolgist with integrative training or a urogynecologist for example. They can perform a qtip test on the sensitivity of the skin of your vulva, as well as a deeper internal test to see if it is the muscles that are stuck twitching.

I was misdiagnosed with bacterial vaginosis and suffered for two years before I found the right gynecologist who was able to give me a referral to a pelvic physical therapist (as we call them in the US), and while my symptoms haven't gone away entirely, they're improved remarkably in the four weeks that I've been receiving treatment. Feel free to message me if you want to talk more.

I  am pregnant and I am having chicken pox in and around my vigina and it has made my vigina swollen please is there any medicine I can apply on it

I  am pregnant and I am having chicken pox in and around my vigina and it has made my vigina swollen please is there any medicine I can apply on it

Dear Bronte,  It sounds like vulvodynia. That is what I've had for the past 4 years.  And it sounds like your doctor needs some help! I'd look for a doctor who says he/she specializes in pelvic pain. My first doctor didn't know either but didn't want to say so. My primary doctor who is an angel referred me to Mayo Clinic here in MN. They have helped me out tremendously!  Try soaking in warm baths with baking soda. 20 minutes in moderately warm water. You can also buy Aspercreme with LIdocaine. Use that carefully and NOT in the vagina. Only on the labia.  Have you been tested ever for lichen sclerosus?  I also have had pelvic physical therapy which has worked wonders.

So all your doctor took was a urine sample and STD... nice. (being sarcastic)  It doesn't sound like he really took what you were saying seriously.  Get another opinion please. There is help out there.  Oh, and I use a lot of ice packs wrapped in towel.  You can try heat first, but usually ice is better. You can also try something new I just heard about.. Try and ice cube first for one minute, then apply heat. Go back and forth for 10 minutes.  It's supposed to help reduce inflammation first, then help relax the muscles.  

Best wishes!

Dear Bronte,  It sounds like vulvodynia. That is what I've had for the past 4 years.  And it sounds like your doctor needs some help! I'd look for a doctor who says he/she specializes in pelvic pain. My first doctor didn't know either but didn't want to say so. My primary doctor who is an angel referred me to Mayo Clinic here in MN. They have helped me out tremendously!  Try soaking in warm baths with baking soda. 20 minutes in moderately warm water. You can also buy Aspercreme with LIdocaine. Use that carefully and NOT in the vagina. Only on the labia.  Have you been tested ever for lichen sclerosus?  I also have had pelvic physical therapy which has worked wonders.

So all your doctor took was a urine sample and STD... nice. (being sarcastic)  It doesn't sound like he really took what you were saying seriously.  Get another opinion please. There is help out there.  Oh, and I use a lot of ice packs wrapped in towel.  You can try heat first, but usually ice is better. You can also try something new I just heard about.. Try and ice cube first for one minute, then apply heat. Go back and forth for 10 minutes.  It's supposed to help reduce inflammation first, then help relax the muscles.  

Best wishes!