I keep getting tears in my vaginal area.. HELP!!!!
Posted , 26 users are following.
I was diagnosed with hepers simplex virus 1 but my outbreaks are on my opening of the vaginal area. My breakouts consist of alot of tears i talked to my obgyn and i asked her am i going to get these cuts every time i have sex because it seems i only get them when we have sex. The first time i waited a week after taking the acyclovir when my tears healed up and my partner and i tried being intimate but the tears appeared again so this time we waited about 3 weeks and same results i keep getting these cuts which my dr says the r outbreaks but im only getting them during sex which is very frustrating to say the least. Has anyone ever experienced something similar to my stituation and if so what info can you share.
1 like, 33 replies
ihavenonickname angela51933
Posted
Genetial herpes is an STD caused by two types of viruses. The viruses are called herpes simplex type 1 and herpes simplex type 2.
You can get herpes by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the disease.
Fluids found in a herpes sore carry the virus, and contact with those fluids can cause infection. You can also get herpes from an infected sex partner who does not have a visible sore or who may not know he or she is infected because the virus can be released through your skin and spread the infection to your sex partner(s).
There is no cure for herpes. However, there are medicines that can prevent or shorten outbreaks. One of these herpes medicines can be taken daily, and makes it less likely that you will pass the infection on to your sex partner(s).
It is imperative that you use condoms, that you do not become pregnant without the direct supervision of your obgyn
Return to your obgyn and let her know that your tissues tear during sex. She will be able to advise you the proper action to take.
kind regards
judith
sunday37221 ihavenonickname
Posted
Info for those of you who have used birth control pills:
wow, so glad to have found this thread. Experiencing every single thing described here, and YES it's so understudied! No obgyn Ive discussed it with is familiar or believes that it is connected to HSV or has any answers/ideas.
I'm in my 30s and never ever taken birth control of any kind, never had a single tear before my HSV 2 diagnosis and first outbreak this summer.
I read in the thread about the BC pills topic being debated online and maybe the tears are happening because the skin is drier weaker from pills-- but Id like to throw out there that my story might be evidence that suggests it truly has nothing to do with your birth control--so maybe dont experiment with going off BC or switching brands?
My OB prescribed 'Estradiol' which provides some temporary topical relief but new tears still happen almost every time I have sex.
Does anyone have updates on their story that may be helpful?
cad123 sunday37221
Posted
Hey there! Thanks so much for posting this. I'm one of the ones who has experimented with going off of birth control to try and fix this issue, but 8 months later it doesn't seem to have made any difference, even with the estrogen cream and dilator therapy.
Anyway, I think I will go back on and continue trying to find treatment for this as a problem that was directly caused by the HSV, which it seems it is!
thanks again, and good luck to you!
Sunshinepdx angela51933
Posted
Hi Angela
I can't believe I stumbled on your post. I am having the same exact thing. At first I thought I was getting outbreaks but like clockwork I go to the bathroom right after sex Andrew have terrible pain. I was wondering if your doctor gave you more information. Having hsv is hard enough but this isn't making it so much worse.
Thanks for posting
Jen
cqnkatz Sunshinepdx
Posted
I'm having the same issue. Did you find out anything?
Onikuma Sunshinepdx
Posted
oh my god, please tell me someone has the answer to this??!?
Since my HSV1 diagnosis and outbreak, every time i have sex i tear, but LUCKILY it doesn't cause an outbreak (or hasnt so far), but i really need to know how to stop the tearing so that i no longer have THE FEEEEAR of another outbreak..
Ta1222 Sunshinepdx
Posted
I also am experiencing this!! has your issue been resolved?
cqnkatz angela51933
Posted
JR5555 angela51933
Posted
Anyone have any updates in this?
we are having the same issues
p78972 angela51933
Edited
Same. And sometimes apart from sex too. Never had a tear before the diagnosis (type 1 as well). My doc told me they weren't related to the virus, but I knew they had to be. Same thing happened to a friend after the same diagnosis. Here's hoping there's something to help one day...
cad123 angela51933
Edited
Hi there. Anyone had any luck with this problem? I'm having the same issue. Genital HSV1 first outbreak 6 months ago, then after it had cleared up I get these tears on my perineum every time i have sex. No outbreaks since the first one, and I've tried taking acyclovir to prevent tears. They really are just a result of the skin being stretched during sex.
I finally went to my obgyn for this, and she prescribed estrogen cream to strengthen the skin. She wasn't sure what this was but her working theory is that the tears may be happening in areas where I had blisters during that first herpes outbreak, so maybe the skin is weaker there.
The only other thing i've found quite a lot of info about online is the possibility of the skin in that area being made drier and more prone to injury as a result of hormonal birth control pills. It's a debated thing, but there are quite a few studies (look up Dr Andrews Goldstein to start) that connect vulvodynia (painful sex, sometimes in the form of tearing) to long term use of birth control pills, especially low dose pills. I have been on a low dose pill for a solid 10 years myself.
I took myself off of the pill once i found out about this connection, but it is a bit tricky given that this never happened during sex until that first HSV outbreak. I guess it's possible that the dry/brittle skin makes me more prone to prolonged injury post HSV outbreak, or maybe I'm grasping at straws and it is just the HSV causing the issues.
I'm long distance with my boyfriend so since i started the cream and went off of BC i haven't been able to see if anything has helped. If it were to help, both fixes would likely take a few months according to other women who have had similar issues and shared online.
Not sure if I should go back on BC pills and continue using the estrogen cream to test it or just do whatever I can to fix it ASAP because it really is so demoralizing (on top of being painful).
Sidenote, I live in the US, the cream I am on is called estradiol (.01% i believe), and I used to be on lo loestrin pills. Not on daily suppressive anti virals for HSV, and like I said, no outbreaks since that first one.
I've been told that these tears happen and they can take 4+ weeks to heal, so it's also possible that I just need to wait longer and really let the skin heal (before i think the longest we waited was maybe around 2.5-3 weeks), but I am very sick of being told to use more lube and try different positions... Have done both but I know that this is more than that...
Anyway I'm sorry all of you are going through the same thing, and I hope someone has managed to find a solution!
kiersten77804 cad123
Edited
Holy s**t. Sorry for the language but i cant believe i stumbled across this comment while scouring the internet. I am in nearly the exact same situation, down to the lo loestrin. Its an incredibly frustrating position, but i find solace in the fact theres another person in it. I have been having weird, after-sex perineal tearing problems since ~June 2020. Didnt think much of it until i tested positive for hsv2 in November 2020. I have also been on lo loestrin pills since Jan 2020. As the cherry on top, I took 6 months of Accutane starting Feb 2020. So my vagina has been overwhelmed im sure 😃
HiImCass cad123
Edited
Hi! I'm so glad I found this thread because I am having the same issue. I recently found out I have HSV 1 in April and I've been tearing every time I have sex since then. The thing is though, I had a tear right before I got HSV because I was fingered in an uncomortable position. I think that tear is how the virus entered my body so easily. That same tear will come up again when I have sex sometimes but other times a new tear will also appear in a new spot. I havent had an outbreak since the first one and I am also on birth control (have been for about 5 years). I just finished my run of estrogen cream (estradiol) because my doctor recommended it to strengthen the skin but I havent had sex since the guy who gave it to me dumped me so Im not sure if Im good to go just yet. Please let me know if the cream ended up working for you or anyone else who sees this thread. Or if theres any other things to try to resolve this issue. Im desperate for my sex life to go back to normal, I really dont want to have to deal with this anymore.
CAD124 HiImCass
Posted
Hi Cass! i was locked out of my account and didn't want to wait the hour to reply so i just made a new one-- still me from the original post!
So sorry you're going through this too-- I know there are technically worse things but it really is so frustrating and sad 😕
I used the estrogen cream for about two months before seeing my boyfriend, and it DID seem to help the perineum tears (didn't have any new ones after sex), but I started getting tears inside, right at the bottom opening but on the wet tissue. Arguably worse 😦 I hadn't been trying the cream on this new area, but i'm going to start now. i've also started on dilator therapy a few days ago, and have been able to start on a medium/large size dilator to try to stretch out the vaginal skin and muscles. i was doing 20mins twice a day but it was getting pretty sore so i think i'll do once a day. i'm also going to steer clear of sex for a month or two while i do this, as my doctor says that frequent tears in the same area can cause scar tissue, which has no elasticity. thankfully my boyfriend is so supportive and patient. The worst case scenario is apparently a surgery to replace the damaged tissue, but that can be very counterproductive as you create MORE scar tissue with surgery. will avoid that at all costs, but it can be an option for some.
i'll check back in after dilator therapy, but it can take a few months apparently. the goal it to work up to a size that is bigger than your partner, which makes sense.
As much as i wouldn't wish this on anyone, i'm glad to at least have found a forum where we're all going through the same thing. hopefully we can all beat this together!!!
CAD124 kiersten77804
Edited
So sorry you're going through this too! Whatever we have is so understudied-- makes it so difficult to understand much less treat.
My detailed reply about progress can be found below on Cass's post.
I made a new account just now after being locked out of my other one, but it's me from the previous post!
I've read that coconut oil applied to the perineum can help, especially with massages.
My boyfriend and i have had slightly better luck with sex when he stretches me out with fingers before and we are very deliberate with positioning and movements. me on top seems to work best, with very slow insertion and him doing most of the work (up down movements vs back and forth). Sorry if this is TMI!!!
DaisyRain CAD124
Posted
Dealing with the same! Tearing externally and now internally in the wet tissue. It takes 2-3 days to heal on average.
Diagnosed and first break out in May 2021, have had this tearing every time I've had sex since. I got an IUD one month prior to this and no history of birth control pills. I 100% think this is a side effect of the herpes (HSV 1, one breakout, started in that region).
cee97215 DaisyRain
Posted
hi. sorry to read you are going through this as well.
i found it this year i have hsv 1 and 2. however, i keep getting tears in my vagina. around my clitoris, now i have more around my pee hole they are all straight cuts. it's so tiring. i haven't even had sex.
i was taking amox-clav for tonsilitis but i think it triggered a yeast infection or an outbreak. now i have the cuts and and discharge.
i'm so tired. everything just feels too much
DaisyRain
Edited
Just took CAD123's advice and got a prescription for estrogen cream. Will try that and no sex for a month and then report back.
CAD124 DaisyRain
Posted
hi Daisy-- so sorry you're dealing with this too. i think you're right and it is just a sadly under-discussed HSV side effect. I hope the estrogen cream works for you! i have just started using it again once a week after discontinuing for a while. i'm trying to apply it a bit on that wet tissue as well since i did seem to have some success with the cream on the outer area.
keen to hear how it goes for you-- i hope very well!!!
CAD124 cee97215
Posted
Hi Cee,
How are you doing? I hope you're feeling better. That sounds so horrible. Does sound like maybe it was a yeast infection or maybe BV 😦 It really is so incredibly frustrating to have to navigate these issues. It often feels like so many shots in the dark and a one step foward, three steps back situation. I recently had a setback with some sort of infection that felt like yeast but didn't show up as anything in the tests, and it really is so awful to have to keep theorizing about what's going on when there are so many variables.
Anyway, I hope you're able to stay positive and keep trying to move forward with this. Maybe daily antivirals would help if you're getting cuts so frequently in different areas? Apparently it is quite common for herpes to manifest as cuts rather than blisters.
A final option would be to see a specialist, but this is very expensive. I have found a few in NY that are reputable and focus on just vulvodynia and vaginal issues with great success, but some of them don't accept insurance and cost around $1800 for the in depth consult, testing, and treatment.
Well, I hope you're having a better week!!!
DaisyRain
Posted
Estrogen cream, steroid cream, breaks from sex. None of these have worked for me and the tearing has gotten deeper, happens more quickly and takes longer to heal. It now makes sex painful during, instead of just after.
I'm talking to a new OBGYN about a potential perineorrhaphy. Has anyone been recommended this or tried it yet?
catty86873 DaisyRain
Posted
has anything really helped? I've been dealing with the same issues since 2020. always getting tears right at the opening and at the same spots after sex. I have seen different doctors and they all day Lube should help but no matter how much lube we use I still end up with pain, tearing and sometimes discharge for about 3-4 days after. it's extremely frustrating and ruining our sex life. I just saw a doctor today who prescribed Estrogen cream so will try that. bless her heart cos I definitely cried when she said there is nothing else she can do to help me. I was feeling pretty lost after that appointment but glad I found this forum, at least it validates my feelings and that I'm not crazy for thinking the it has something to do with my HSV which all the doctors said it's unlikely.
dis3001 catty86873
Posted
This thread made me feel better too!
I have all of the same problems. My gynaec sent me to a dermatologist who recommended 20g collagen intake every day to help improve skin and scar healing. She also recommended I use A-Derma Epitheliale A.H Duo Cream on the outer vulva regions to help improve the elasticity of the skin. I am also going to start pelvic floor therapy soon so that I can find the positions suitable for my skin. Will update on the progress in a month.
If none of this works, then a perionerraphy is suggested. would love to hear feedback if anyone has tried this route.