Clitoral and Labial Fusing
Posted , 25 users are following.
Hello everyone! It has been a LONG time since I posted here but have been reading for two days. Not sure exactly what I'm looking for...maybe just some reassurance or someone to talk to.
To start, I am 53 years old now and am officially menopausal. Over the last 10 years, I've had my one or two GYNs tell me they thought I had LS. I had lots of burning symptoms, always thought I had an infection, etc. When I was younger, I used to have noticeable discoloration. As I got older, that sort of thing seemed to stop.
I've never in my life had any noticeable labia minora so I don't know if they fused/flattened when I was very young or I was born that way. I always felt I was abnormal in that regard but who knows.
As I entered menopause, the only thing I really noticed was that my clitoral area seemed to be shrinking and less pronounced. This was really when I was feeling it, not visually--just not as plump as it used to be, but what is? I never really looked at it. Upon entering menopause, I actually started to feel better down there because I had much less natural discharge and I think that helped. My GYN prescribed some Premarin cream and told me to "use it when I felt like it."
At some point through all of this, I did have a vulvar biopsy which came back negative,although I can't say I have a lot of faith in that biopsy or the pathology. I just mean to say that I don't know if I have LS or not, but I have a problem.
So last week, I noticed a sensation of a slight pinprick occasionally in the clitoral area. It was extremely minor and with my lifelong irriations, it was barely a blip in my radar. But after 3 days of it happening, I thought I should investigate. Upon palpation, I felt a hard nodule in my clitoral hood area (prepuce) that goes all the way up to where the labia majora join together at the top. As you get close to the clitoris, it flattens and feels normal. The lump does not hurt at all and is rubbery, but the clitoris is what the sensation comes from.
On visual examination, the area with the lump is is normal looking. However, I noticed that I can no longer actually see my clitoris (the hood won't pull back) and below the area, the skin is fused together. Vaginal opening is normal.
Got into my doctor on Friday and he diagnosed with clitoral agglutination. Gave me premarin cream to use everyday for two weeks, told me to manually "work" the area 2-3 times a day.
I am just sick over this. I didn't even know it was happening. As for the lump, he doesn't think it's anything and may be due to the clitoral hood not functiong/moving properly so it's swelling. I can find NOTHING on the net about this sort of thing.
I've been reading this site since yesterday. Read all about the borax stuff, which I may try. I also have clobetesol from awhile ago that I will use.One side of my clitoral hood is hardened and whitish.
I guess I'm looking on de-fusion success stories or something. I can't stop thinking about this and what it means for me lifelong.
Thanks,
Christine
1 like, 56 replies
vickylou Chris1230
Posted
i just accept that things change as you get older. After three children i am never or want to feel like a young virgin again.
Some people seem to think sex is the be all and end all. I have far more important things to deal with than feeling a bit different down below
yaanaa vickylou
Posted
Gotcha. Best to start putting some eggs in other baskets when thinking of living your fullest life! It ruined my couple. But what was the place of sex there? I now know that the next (if!) men I'll accept to be physical with will have NO CLUE. I'll go back to being a teenage girl who shows ans does the bare minimum to keep it sexy and blame it on where we are (in public). Less is more, rare is more special, that type of thing... I mean, I'm 50. Any men out there REALLY expecting hot out of this world out of chicks over 50 anyways? As a kid, I had FUN, not orgasm. I say (for myself) "let's go back to that and not fuss over a tiny piece of skin". If the woman if great, so can be the experience of her, and as in a mirror, her experience... "Let's JAZZ when you can't JIZZ" (have to work on it but get what I mean?) I lost nearly 2 years freaking over this: I'M DONE 😃
Kate268 Chris1230
Edited
Hello everyone,
I'm 35 and was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I have Hashimoto's too. My mom also has LS. I saw a new gynae today who was lovely. She said my clitoral hood has partly fused already but I shouldn't worry if it's not giving me any trouble. I'm pretty concerned now, having read all of your stories. I'm also young to already have LS.
Does anyone have any advice on how to stop it from fusing further? I only have Dovate (steroid cream) to use during a flare up.
kathryn08650 Kate268
Edited
Try soaking in sitz baths for 20 minutes with borax and baking soda. If using a bathtub, fill it only to cover your privates and put a few heaping tablespoons of borax into the hot water. I never use more than 1/3 cup in the tub, or only a couple of tablespoons in the basin that you set over your toilet seat. You might try with less at first. I do not feel any burning from it at all, but some people do. I got IMMEDIATE relief from the itching with this.
Check out the facebook group, "Sharing is Caring about Lichen Sclerosis et al." Most women on that group are no longer on steroid cream as it is not good to be on for long term and makes your skin even thinner. (Some women have reported that it made their skin thick and leathery.). Either way, I am happy to be off of it.
The group has been a lifesaver for me. People respond immediately to your questions. It even feels like the condition is not that rare at all - as there are so many women who have it and are sharing their methods of dealing with the disease and their success stories.
Many GYNs are not even aware of this condition. I had to (nicely) ask my doctor to research this disease. I have been obsessed with reading everything I can on the subject, myself.
yaanaa kathryn08650
Edited
kathryn08650
Thanks for sharing all you know. It will help so many, I included 😃
kathryn08650 Chris1230
Posted
I don't know why my message above looks so odd and the font changed - I will try posting again:
I don't want to think that this is a "forever" situation. I have talked to people in the facebook group who have experienced full remission. I am waiting to hear back from a woman who got the TULIP procedure. I researched current studies done on this and found that a Doctor in Boston will be accepting participants in a study using a similar laser procedure that has had great results. (Maybe you can write a compelling letter to an airline that will provide you with a free flight - or crowdsource the funding for it.) Personally, I was going to do it, but since I am completely off Clob, just soaking for 20 minutes in my sitz baths every other day and drinking a very diluted Borax water. The itching is GONE and the lesions and fissures have lessened dramatically. I believe I am getting better.
I have not had regular intercourse since I started having pain in 2012 - I thought the pain was just due to menopause (I was 50 at the time.) I was not happy in my relationship aside from this issue and got rid of the deadbeat. I have been very happy alone, and without sex - but recently my doctor told me that masturbation was necessary for healing. I had been trying to do this in the past. It seemed to take forever for the lamest of orgasms. Vibrators did not help much. One of the ladies on the fb group suggested a "sucking vibrator". I had never heard of that one before. I ordered one on Amazon made by Bombex (under $30) and had the mother of all orgasms! Holy hell - after eight years of nothing, (I will not go into detail.)
I think the device is made in china as the language on the enclosed instructions is a bit comical. They even have "Your Trusted Life Partner" written on the box. Maybe my attitude towards sex will be different now. To quote another line from the instructions, "But who knows wat would happen could delight and surprise you."