Dermatologist or Vulval Clinic referral

Thank you I will try the vulva clinic and they can look at both ends. If I went to a dermatologist think ke/she would only look at the anal area. Thanks everyone who replied.

Thanks Sarah. I am in Uk I think the department I am being sent to will look at both, but I will prompt them. Can't get an appointment until January. Shocking.

Hi carmarie I had to read the name on the post twice as I am exactly in the same place as you. I was told I had LS after a colonoscopy under general anethsetic by a Uroligist  for recurrent uti. He did not speak or see me personally afterwards, just put notes on a file for the nurse to tell me post op. I made an appontment with a gyny who runs a vulva clinic and he initially said I had atrophy and said it did not look like LS to him but as I had a pale area around the ureathra Not white! I was red and sore around the opening and had a skin bridge across the bottom of the opening. He gave me vagifem, and told me to use the Dermovate for 3 mths on the pale area around the ureathra . I was not having any symtoms of LS. I last saw him in June and he says to carry on with the Vagifem and use the Dermovate as and when I get a flare up. I have not had a biopsy he said if there was anything that look suspect he would then do one.. Since seeing him I have had stinging and redness around my anus and in the cheeks of my bottom, and like you it is worse when moist and sweaty, I do not know if this is a flre up as I don't have any white patches, itching, swelling, or tears. Just goes red when I get hot down there. i have been treating this since June with Dermovate , until 2weeks ago I decided it is not working and used fungal cream canastan and it has made such a difference, the constant irritation has gone, the only time it goes red is if I get hot, so I am also not 100 % sure I am dealing with LS. I was told not to have a biopsy if I did not need to. So confused! 

 

Rosaleee, I think LS and yeast kind of do a dance with each other. Sure sounds like it was yeast you were suffering from recently. Glad the canestan worked. I had a bout a couple of months ago and got the slower canestan – the three day stuff is way too harsh with LS.

Hi Roselee.

Your symptoms sound exactly the same as mine, I do not have any cracking or itching or anything like that either, just the bridge that you describe. Steroid cream did not help, but antifungal does which I use from time to time. Sometimes I use a bit of hydrocortisone as well. My appointment with the vulval dermatologist is not until January, so I will Post the result of the tests online.

Certainly you need a firm diagnosis of LS before using clob. I wonder, have I mentioned how quitting coffee cleared up the sore red area around my anus? Really fast, too. Coffee relaxed my bowels too much, so I was having urgent loose BMs every morning, sometimes all day. Yes, there were a few withdrawal headaches, but I'm just fine without coffee now. Not tempted at all.

Hi Roselee

Have you or your GP considered that you might have a bout of Tinea Cruris? This is fungal infection of the groin. It can affect the natal cleft between your buttocks and around your anus. It can also affect the creases between your mons publis and your thighs. It can also gain a hold if you have a large belly in the crease underneath it but above the mons pubis. I have had this recently, following use of Clobetasol. It started with lots of red spots and rash which was initially treated with an antibiotic cream (Fucibet) and antibiotics by mouth. Unfortunately, this left me open to the fungal infection by Tinea Cruris, which was quite agressive leading to bleeding patches and such soreness that sitting for more than a few minutes was difficult. This was treated with Daktacort cream, which is a strong antifungal along with hydrocortisone and also antifungals by mouth (I can't remember their name). This cleared everything up like magic within a couple of days I was free of discomfort.

So another of your correspondents, who said that all these treatments are a balancing act, has it spot on. Too much of one thing lays you open to another. So we each have to learn our own management regime - and also acknowledge that our own regime will probably change over the years.

All the best.

Thank you so much for that information tomsbestfriend that is very interesting, I have never heard of it before and sounds quite possible, I will make an appointment to see my go, as I have been trying to combat this by myself, I had a soreness around the groin area last year and my GP gave me a fungal cream as he said if it was in the creases of your joints it was fungal, that did sort it then, this is in the cheeks of my bottom ang just underneath my vulvar and at the bottom of my groin, thank you for your reply.