Had enough of this!

God, so much of that sounds like i could've written it about myself a year ago. The soreness after sex. I used to drift offf as we were in the middle of sex and think , ' i'll be suffering/paying for this for days '.

Then i'd blame the condoms . Then i told my hubby he'd have to have a vasectomy because i was so convinced it was the condoms. So he's had a vasectomy .Then I got a diagnosis of LS , after being swabed for every known condition to man. Sexual and otherwise. Ker-ching , the lights came on and i realised it was none of the above. Now, i'm panicking the sperm will set it all off again. We're at that point at the moment where the sperm has to be tested for so many months , so we're still using condoms.

I printed off some literature for my hubby to read , but he didn't read it. Likes to bury his head in the sand in the hopes it'll all go away.

I feel for you so much having only been married 2 yrs. I've been with my husband since i was 17 , (i'm 45 now) . At one point i thought he may have been having an affair and been passing something on to me during sex. The mind runs riot doesn't it!

Can you go back and ask about another cream to use. Perhaps that one doesn't agree with you. Use loads of lube for sex. I know it's graphic isn't it, but it helps. There are lots of types out there now. Lots with natural products . I use 'yesyesyes', but another good one is slippery stuff apparently. I always shower after sex and use the shower nozzle to get as high up as i can . Sorry , is that too much info. And then i apply my cream whether i'm due to use it or not . I see a dermatologist regularly now ,but lots of ladies are treated by gynacologists. Do you see your GP or some other type of doc?

Keep reading as much as you can to see what works for others . Another good site is ls-bxo.org where there is lots of excellent help and advice on their very active forum. Trish, don't give up coz then it's beat you . I know it's hard and soo hard to talk to anyone about it too. You've come to the right place where people understand exactly what it is to have to live with this bloomin condition. Be strong . It's still ok to have a good cry about it though. I still do every now and then when it's bad, but then straight back to fighting it.

Hopefully you'll get more advice from a wiser person than myself ,but i'm right here with you (albeit in cyberspace) . Take care. Netty x

Dear Netty

Thanks so much for your reply. I don't find anything about this too 'graphic' as you say lol I think it needs to be spoken about in a way most of us would understand I feel. I've done everything I can- I saw a doctor but I'm going to take your advice and go back as I really can't deal with it much. My husband just thinks I'm sore- sore doesn't come into it when I find it hard to sit down in the same position for too long and I get itchy all the time- I've not had any time off work but sometimes I just want to get up and leave and tell them I'm just too sore to sit down! I don't think they would understand. Actually, remembering I did have 2 days off when I was first diagnosed as my doctor said it can turn cancerous- and to be brutally honest I was scared stiff. I've not seen anyone apart from my doctor so maybe some other professional's advice may help. I've got Elocon cream which is a steroid type of cream I think but it doesn't help one bit.

It really helps seeing other people's experiences and advice as sometimes I feel so alone. I have only been married 2 years but I'm actually 43 fussy me lol

I usually get aqueous cream from the Sainsburys counter and it's only about 2 pound for a whopper tub so I apply that liberally- only thing is it does ruin your underwear.

I wonder sometimes whether my condition is a bit worse as I'm also diabetic and obviously my urine is a bit sweeter than others and as a diabetic am prone to Thrush- which I was treated for for about 10 years!

I just want to say thank you sooooo much, I really mean it- your reply made me feel better that someone else has the same issues as me and that I'm not the only one

Thanks Netty

Trishx

Hi again Trish, I also suffer all too frequently with thrush and am sick and tired of using prescribed treatments . I seemed to be taking far too many of them to be safe . Somebody on another site recommended i try using apple cider vinegar (with salad dressings/vinegars, etc in the supermarket) , and unbelievably it seems to work. I just dilute it down and then tip it over my entire vulval area. The first time i put it down to being a complete fluke , but i've headed off another 2 episodes since then . I know years ago vinegar was used for treating inflamations and such . I have no idea how it works but it's cheap, relativley easy to find and easy to mix and apply. So now as soon as i feel something stirring about down there ,( you'll know those feelings all too well i imagine before the thrush starts taking hold) , i start swishing the apple cider vinegar about like a maniac twice a day. Bit mad but true.

Thanks for the tip about the aqueous cream from Sainsburys being so cheap . I've been buying mine from Boots for nearly a fiver a time so i shall switch.

I use Elocon for the excema on my hands but something called Nerisone Forte cream for my other region. The first steroid cream i was given made things much worse so i went back and was given another to try, so don't be afraid to ask. I think we just have to try and be a bit more forceful about our care these days (with our doctors ), because there are quite alot of GP's that seem to be learning about this condition at the same time as we are.

I'm glad you're feeling a bit better . Hopefully you'll hear from a few others offering their words of wisdom. Netty x

I can completely sympathize with your reaction to the diagnosis. I'm a nurse and even with a little understanding I was horrified. Couldn't stop crying and convinced myself I would get cancer of the vulva. I now have adhesions which make it difficult to urinate and will have to have surgery to split them.

I know what you mean about sitting down! My colleagues used to laugh at me doing a 'chair shuffle'. :oops:

I've been with my other half for about 3 years and haven't had sex for about 12 months! Like you said, I just can't get past thinking how much I'm going to suffer afterwards. Luckily he's been really good about it, but it does worry me how much patience he has. Plus all the guilt you have about denying him and trying to explain that I just don't feel very sexy with itchy, sore and sometimes bleeding vagina!

One of the best, but maybe strangest things I've done was to get him to have a look when it was really bad, I think he was a bit shocked and he has been very caring about it. Like you said 'sore' just doesn't quite cover it!

The other problem I have is tightening to the vaginal opening so as well as paying for it after sex, it's too painful to actually have it. I believe you can get vaginal dilators on prescription, but my dermatologist just looked blankly at me, I'm going to see a gynaecologist soon so I'll have to ask her about it.

But to try and stay positive..........

I believe that LS can go into remissive periods where you have no symptoms at all! I'm hoping!!

I do use Dermavate alternate nights but also apply E45 cream every morning, that does help me get through the day, wearing loose underwear helps.

Hope I haven't been too negative, but sometimes just venting and sharing helps.

Thank you Netty (again) and Blue

I'm going to go to Asdas and get some of that apple cider vinegar........... I'll try anything lol Also the E45 I might try. I've tried that before on my face as I suffer with exceptionally dry skin. It's such a shame we have to suffer and it's so hard on the husbands and boyfriends. Mine will definitely get to LOOK at it now Blue!! lol I think maybe that could help. He told me the other day that maybe if we just do it 3 times a week for 10 minutes a go then that'll help!!!! He doesn't seem to realise that i think 10 minutes every year makes me feel sick with the fear of the pain afterwards. I'm like Netty said where you sort of stop half way and think 'Blimey, that's it now, pain for 3 weeks'!! I think I should have become a nun when I was 18 and then it wouldn't have bothered me so much- guess that idea doesn't help :lol:

Netty the aqueous cream was in the pharmacy section of sainsburys by the way, not on normal shelves. My local sainsburys has a pharmacy. I'm just a little bit worried what I actually 'put up there' if you catch my drift as so much stuff says, not for internal use. I've also tried ice cubes in a plastic bag - that sort of helped ease the soreness/itchiness, bit wet and drippy, but who cares when you're in pain.

I'm off now to whip off my knickers and show that husband of mine what's going on down there! Hope he appreciates what I'm doing lol

Thank you to both of you- I'm not feeling so down about it all now, so that's good but still when i type here it makes me a bit 'wet eyed'!

Trishx

Hello girls, I have been suffering with LS for about 2 years now. I was given Dermovate and other steroid creams by the hospital and told to use Aqueous but everything I tried stung like mad. I also had a biopsy in early days. Sex was impossible and the thought it would never get better was so depressing.

To cut a long story short, I took myself off the steroid creams as they just seemed to make things worse and I had several ulcerated patches on both sides of my vaginal entrance and a split on my perineum. It was hell to go to the loo, walk and sit etc.

I started sea-salt baths, NO SOAP products in the bath, increased vitamin intake and drinking daily doses of Aloe Vera Juice available from health shops as I heard it had healing properties. It improved considerably doing all this but even better recently I've tried 'Replens' from Boots. I'm 54 years old and menopausal as well so I was so dry as well as the LS. Within days of using Replens (comes with applicator to insert) the ulcerations started to improve. I cannot believe it but they have now totally gone away and I am not sore. It's like I'm back to normal and I've even had sex ! I'm keeping up the Aloe Vera daily and the vitamins. I'm drinking more water than I used to and cut out the coca cola as well.

I am just hoping that it does not return and hope that my experience might help you all as well.

Look forward to hearing from you all to see if you try the above and whether it helps you too.

Love Jodie xx

Hi Jodie

I'll try anything so I'm going to get some of that 'Replens' when I next go to Boots. I've tried everything and some things seem to work at the time and then the next day it's sore again. It's so frustrating.

Thanks for your advice- I also saw someone else say about aloe vera juice- think i will pop into the local Health food shop and see if they have some. I bet it tastes yuk cos anything that seems to be good for you tastes horrid! lol

I already drink a load of water and if i drink anymore I'll be sloshing around so that idea I already do- especially with my diabetes I get thirsty so water is my drink, apart from tea!

Thanks for your advice and I'm so glad you're feeling a bit better with yours

Trish xx

A couple of my friends had experiences like you have and treated themselves with Neem Skin Cream on a tampon. Not only did this ease the discomfort,it also cleared the infection.