Confused

1. if you have LS and it is early stage, i suspect it absolutely could alter results...but that may or may not be the answer

2. did they test for external yeast? try over the counter clotrimazole (sp)??

3. regardless, have you tried any routine moisture? id start with coconut oil. it has antiyeast properties...every time you toilet.

4. what about hormone levels. if you just had a csection, maybe your hormones are out of whack???

I would think only someone knowledgeable about how long steroids stay active in the skin could answer that question. Surely a dr prescribing it must have that info.

There's eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus and hidradentis suppurtiva that can be causes of vaginal itch according to The V Book by Dr. Eliz. Stewart. Have any of those been mentioned as possibilities by your doctors?

Has your gyn suggested that it could have been set off by the pregnancy and that it may pass? Possibly fluctuating hormones?

Cortisone creams are more likely to bother the skin than ointments because of the cream base. Several people have posted problems with creams. Sounds like that could have been the case with the OTC cortisone. Was your clobetasol an ointment?

Did any of those doctors suggest a low inflammation diet? May be worth trying.

I'm not a doctor, so I'm only thinking with you. The low doses of a steriod cream could have influenced the test in my logic. At the same time it is possible that your symptoms may be telling something different from LS. Who's to tell. I can make only one suggestion: Try a change in diet. LS doesn't like products with refined sugar, for one. I'm also gluten sensitive and can handle only limited dairy. Nothing to loose at this point. Illiminate one item at the time and see if it makes a difference with the irritations.

Another thing that might help is: go sit in a baking soda or borax bath (1/3 cup in a full bath) and rinse after each bathroom visit with warm water in which three pinches of either baking soda or borax. It might help calming the area down.

Hi, so sorry to hear this. I thought I'd chip in, not sure how helpful it is but I'm going through something similar since April. History wise - I had a case of dermatitis on my vulva 6 years ago, took months of delays, GPs insisting it was yeast (despite 4 negative tests), wrong referrals etc until I finally saw a vulval pain specialist in London, UK, and after a biopsy indicated it was dermatitis I was prescribed Nerisone oily cream (difclucortocone). It's medium-strong steroid, used it for a month (it gave me thrush ha!) but yes the pain went down and I have had the occasional flare-up for a week or so maybe once a year over last 6 years. Then things changed this year. I mention this because you said you had a C-section, I had a miscarriage in January at 9 week, hormones seemed ok, periods came back as normal, then in April after some vigorous sex I was tender. Then I got what they thought was a UTI (my first ever age 35), I'm not so sure - the main indicators are white blood cells and nitrates, I only had white blood cells which can indicate inflammation. And after a tender week, the sort of familiar vuvla itch returned, like 6 years ago and it has been yet more drama trying to get GPs to help. I got given canestan HC first - low steroid and anti-fungal, they swabbed, no infections or yeast - used canestan HC for over a week - sort of improved things. Once test confirmed no yeast, I told them to please give me Neriose oily cream again for a more focused steroid - they did, this helped after just a week. Was pretty much back to normal, then I got my period, which just finished 2 days ago - soon as it did the itch came back. This is when I think hormones are definitely involved in some way. I recall last time (6 years ago) it would be relieved during a period, then come back again and be irritated. I'm going to try the Nerisone for another week. I don't know what Clob is exactly, though i can see it helps ladies here a lot. Not sure if it has same name in UK? Anyway, it's mild enough but irritating, and I'd like to get it under control before we try to conceive again as I understand you can't use steroids (ideally) when pregnant. I wonder if it's something similar, kinda comes and goes, in my case sex is fine-ish, but afterwards my vulva may be angry. More recently it was fine, and after 2 weeks of relative calm it's back again, grrr. In the first case it was dermatitis though i am so careful, use only epaderm there. Hope with a bit of time it calms down for you. If it is dermatitis, have you got the correct steroid? And it took me a month to really knock it down and then I cut down to every other day etc and then 2 times a week then nothing. Always such a bloody mystery, wishing you better health.

HI Lisa D ~

I too had a c-section - at age 39 (I"m now 73). I do remember that my whole vulva so was tender for almost 2 years that I could only pat myself dry, if that. I don't know why I didn't go back to the gynecologist to ask about it.. I figured it was something to do with a c-section having cut through so many things. HA! I also had a sharp pain every now and then when bent in one direction for quite some time.. and I finally figured it must have been one of the staples that got forgotten... but I sure didn't want any more cutting into me!

BUT ..sorry here is my point. I only realized I had LS 2 years ago. and I got to work reading everything i could get my hands on to figure this thing out. I don't like pain - uh no! I used the phrase into google NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY and... whatever I want to research.

I"m writing to encourage you to TRUST YOUR OWN INTUITION - forget that the "tests" came back normal. TRUST your own EXPERIENCE.

We older LS women are here to tell you to take every last useful advice on PREVENTION. It costs a whole to less to build a strong nutritional supplements routine that will keep you strong and healthy for years, to care for that new babe! without pain in your vulva.

YOu can't go wrong by taking a group of supplements tht are known to help with an autoimmune disease... I've seen that most of them are ALSO needed to build up strong systems for childbearing and recovery as well. VITAMIN D3 is a must. Please do read my two articles you can find in my discussions list fro clicking on my name.

Hey there, thank you that's very kind, hopefully better luck the next time 😃 so the first time this all kicked off I had all the swabs and 'local' tests over 6 months because it was really painful the first time, sex was near impossible. I had the biopsy about 6 months in, took about 2 months to hear back, where they said dermatitis and suggested no more shower gel, which I flipped at, as I'd been angelic for that 6 months - only when I stressed that it was continuing despite being really religious about not using triggers did they prescribe that Nerisone Oily Cream (or diflucortocone ) - so yes, no treatment, certainly no steroids before biopsy. Though I can't recall now if it mentioned inflammation, the general gist was it was irritated dermatitis, no other skin issues detected. I hadn't tried steroids before but I gather it does take time for them to kick in so, with no medical expertise to back me up, I think 2-3 days of steroid cream won't have had much impact on biopsy. After a month of that steroid things drastically improved things, I'd say after about 2 months of cream (2nd month cutting down) it had more or less gone, since then I get the odd flare up usually not for long. This new re-emergence is the first time it has been back with more determination. The hormonal thing may well not be applicable, but it was weird that I couldn't detect a trigger for it returning like it has after 6 years of not much bother. This time it's lasted longer, and same thing, itches worse first thing and at night, after a shower it feels better, I think basically any time there is moisture or a barrier I feel better. Thought it had gone just before period. Now that's done, I'll see how I go and try remember to update on this post in a few weeks or so. Hope things improve!