Im so depressed, please help...Possible vulva lichen/dystrophy?
Posted , 15 users are following.
I dont even know where to start. it was the beginning of july of this year, when i felt a terrible burning on my vaginal entrance, I went to my family doctor and she said she only saw a bit of discharge that didnt even look that bad. She gave me a single dose pill for fungal infection and sent me home. The following week i kept getting the burning sensation,so I went back 2 weeks later and had a swab exam done which revealed an overgrowth of Staphylococcus epidermidis. but during the time i didnt manage to get an appointment, i tried at home remedies with this powder solution, made as a desinfectant for vaginal infections. I admit prior to this i had used some vinegar on my vulva in an attempt to remove vestibular papillomatosis overgrowth that was bothering me, but i dont know how it is influencing this,over 3 months after. i did get 2 spots on my vaginal introitus/vestibule that are red and raw and still havent healed, i cant help wonder if my doctor had seen them before or if they appeared after from the vinegar,but they should have healed anyways,since its been so long and my doctor upon seeing them sent me home with a healing cream called cicalfate that is basically made of emolients such as zinc oxide. the red areas are now developing white spots and i dont know if it is a sign of healing or not. all i know is that i have to use this cream everyday on my vulva because it burns so much. even wearing pants and sitting for too long is painful. My doctor and my parents think all of this is from taking the antibiotic for the infection (flagyl). but its been almost 2 months after taking it and the red areas where probably there before. and what makes me think i have something else besides just possible chemical burns or irritation is these new areas that ive spotted a couple of days ago upon applying the cream (i use a mirror to do it). they are whitish but not too obvious,they feel smooth and look a bit shiny. they dont itch,but on the right labia minora they look the worst. there is a part in specific that worries me alot. the corner, closer to the urethra, ( as you will see in the photos) feels like its "pulling"some sort of scarring happening that makes it feel and look different when i try to spread that side open. i dont know whatelse to do. i went to gyno ( last week,before even noticing the white spots) and she barely looked at me,she said it was a fungus due to the antibiotics and gave me fluconazole ( 2 pills) and a cream that has hydrocortisone and miconazole that was to be applied for a week. I used it and it burnt so much with no improvement, i assume its because the red areas are wounds not just redness underneath the skin. I dont know what to do. Im 21 and a broke college student,my family is overprotective and has been going and paying for these appointments,but they have now given up. they say its just a side effect from the antibiotic and believe its all in my head. im going in to my family doctor again in 2 days and i already know she will take a 3 second look at me and ignore what im going through. i just want a diagnosis and proper treatment. I feel ignored and alone. im so scared. They all see me as crazy because i have anxiety and depression. I have no money,and after going to the family doctor again and getting another no, what am i supposed to do? Ive heard of a vulvoscopy,but in my country i cant seem to find it in my city and it looks like they require a doctor's request. I need help,please answer me.
0 likes, 44 replies
beverly52803 Guest
Posted
cat, aren't you covered by National Healthcare there? Or do you have to pay for private care because you are over a certain age? If you go to be seen by a resident or intern in a hospital rather than an experienced gynecologist I'm not sure you will be properly diagnosed. This is something that requires someone with specific knowledge. If it is lichen sclerosis not many doctors know about it because it is not a common disease, especially for women your age. Is there anyway you can see a specialist at the hospital?
I don't understand why the doctor thinks your discomfort is caused by having taken flagyl. I have taken that when I was younger and as recently as last year. It never had a negative effect on my vaginal area, but it certainly was effective for clearing infections that caused itching and discharge. It works for non-specific infection (bacteria isn't identified).
Don't wear anything tight fitting. Are you working or going to school? Go without underwear if that's possible to let the area air out. If you feel better lubricating the area use whatever has given you the most comfort so far. I know what it's like to have an improperly treated or misdiagnosed infection as I had one for 5 years and suffered a LOT. Crying is not going to help you. You have to be strong, believe in yourself and know you will find help.
You know more about your medical care system than we do as we are in different countries. Get on the internet and search for gyn specialists and find out what your insurance provides. You will eventually find out what the problem is, but it may take some time. But you can't retreat into feeling helpless. You have to speak up for yourself. If you become overly emotional you will be treated like a child. If you haven't already, read up on LS. If the symptoms seem to match yours print up the info and when you go to see a doctor bring the info with you.
What you are going through is miserable, but everyone here has had our own version of misery so you are not alone. Try to talk to your mom as an adult, not as her child and explain you need another woman's moral support, if not monetary support. Maybe she can help you through the national health system. If not are there social workers at the hospital who can advise you?
I can't tell from the photos what is going on. When I was diagnosed with LS the gyn examined me for a long time looking very carefully and with very bright light. If what you have is LS it should respond quickly to steroids. You say you have used a cream for yeast/fungal infections mixed with a steroid? Seems that should have brought you some relief. I use a mix of an anti yeast ointment with a hormone cream along with a steroid ointment. But we all have somewhat different treatments.
Try to be positive, know that one way or another this will be resolved, but you may have to go through a certain amount of hassle before it is resolved. Make a plan based on the options available to you. You have to be your own advocate.
I wish you the best of luck and hope you can get to a proper doctor soon. Let us know how you progress. As awful as you feel, it is not the end of the world. You will eventually get this under control. This is not hopeless. You just haven't been seen by the right doctor yet.
Tell your mom that a 71 year old woman has told you to tell her that these problems are very real and you need to find proper care with the right doctor.
Try rinsing with cool water and a little baking soda. It may bring some relief. Pat dry or use a hair dryer on cool setting. Remember, you will find help and this will be under control.
Guest beverly52803
Posted
I went back to see my family doctor yesterday and she dismissed me completely. saw me again and said everything looked normal. I do have to pay im not covered by the health care system. I dont think we have LS specialists at the public hospital,we have gyno doctors there but I need my family doctor to reference me so i can get an appointment with one. And that is my last resort... I have to keep showing up until she gets annoyed and send me to one,and even once that happens, it will take months for me to get an appointment. Our health care system is really slow. Ive been googling good gynos but cant seem to find vulva skin conditions specialists and even a simple gyno appointment is really expensive. My mother told me i have no other choice but to be persistent with the family doctor. And frankly it is the only way to go... we dont have the money to have this seen privately.
But I know I have these areas that have a different texture... they are not very noticeable at times but they are there... and scaring me alot. the red areas are developing some sort of dots that look white, I dont know if it could mean healing,but I dont think so because it seems to be stuck like this. I will post more pictures below. ( And i did show them to the doc and she said it was normal...)
beverly52803 Guest
Posted
Are you still feeling the terrible burning or has any of what you have tried helped with that?
Vita has suggestions of what you might be able to purchase at a European pharmacy. I'm in the US so am not familiar, but in general women from the UK and European countries seem more familiar with natural options.
Did this come on suddenly or gradually? Did anything precede it like an illness?
I am not in any way a medical professional, but I can't help but think if you have taken flagyl what you have is not bacterial. Yeast is fairly easy to deal with though some woman fight candida for a long time.
What was the outcome of the Staph infection? Did the med for that have any affect? Were you retested for it?
Are there any private women's clinics there?
Guest
Posted
that corner looks like that. whitish and feel smooth. the cream around its the zinc oxide emollient. i will try to get better pictures later
Vita23 Guest
Posted
I have LS and have had red spots like that on the inside of the vagina right before the canal. Gynecologists disregard them altogether. For itch, they have steroids and antifungals, that's it! I purchased the vaginal French medicaton Polygynax from a pharmacy in Europe upon the advice of the pharmacist for itch (you insert it inside the vagina for 6 days). It is made of 2 antibiotics and Nystatin, an antifungal. This was the first med that gave me complete relief and even restored the normal color of the tissues down there. Also, I cannot see those red spots anymore. Now, I did get some yeast on the tongue, which I treated with tea tree mouthwash and oregano capsules by mouth for a couple of days. So, you may get whiteness from fungus overgrowth if you do not take probiotics together with Polygynax (at a different time of day!), but an antifungal will clear it in 1-2 days. I forgot to take probiotics together with the antibiotics (again, not at the same time), so I got the fungal overgrowth until I cleared that. You can also take S Boulardi yeast together with the antibiotics. Eat a lot of yogurt. You need lactic acid down there. I am planning to try using vaginal Lactobacillus probiotic to maintain the effect. I hope that helps!
Guest Vita23
Posted
Thank you for your reply. I already took antifungal pills and even tried a cream, i'm also on probiotics for nearly a month now... nothing has worked... the red wound areas are still there and these skin changes too. i'm completly broke and just waiting for my family doctor to have the decency to send me over to see a gyno,which will take months
Vita23 Guest
Posted
Antifungal only will not help. Polygynax is 2/3 antibiotic and 1/3 antifungal. I think the antibiotic part of it helps.
vickie00010 Guest
Posted
hi...where do u live?
Guest vickie00010
Posted
Im in Portugal,city of Braga
Guest
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Im so desperate that ive thought about creating a go fund me. but for that i would need to input my postal code and my parents being as overprotective as they are,would not allow me to create something like that. Im basically just broke and desperate. I found a man that seems to be a specialist in skin conditions of the vulva. I will post for all of you here to see who I found. it is in Portuguese but I think you can understand he deals with lichen too.
However he works in a private hospital in Porto a city next to mine. Neither me or my parents could cover the travel expenses and the appointment/exams/treatment.
Guest
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Guest
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Also im scared of fees and taxes from the funding idea. And I doubt anyone would donate for me to get help.
vickie00010
Posted
perhaps u can find a teaching hospital that might have a doctor that is trained to treat LS...many hospitals have a "clinic" - for little if any money - will see and treat u...
beverly52803 Guest
Posted
cat, I have reread your posts and cannot get a clear timeline. Can it be your body is trying to heal from applications of homemade remedies or prescriptions that were too harsh? If you can write a simple timeline of events (problem, treatment & result) it would be easier to understand (for me anyway).
I would not do the go fund me page, but that is up to you. This is nothing life threatening.
You could try writing to that specialist, explain your financial situation and ask for advice regarding who you could see locally. Give him a VERY clear, comprehensive timeline of what has transpired and everything you have done and taken. (Not a rambling paragraph). There is no harm in reaching out to him. He will either respond or not.
Have you tried anything we have suggested to lessen the discomfort?
Guest beverly52803
Posted
It was back in July when I started to get the burning. it kept going, but i didnt check how i looked down there so i have no way of knowing if the red raw areas where there before i tried to use vinegar for infection and vp. went to the doctor and she gave me the antifungal pill at the beginning of August. Then it got worse and i went for a swab that tested positive for a bacteria. after the antibiotic the discharge stopped but the burning continued. it still burns me if i try to insert a finger on my vagina. the doctor said the red areas where from the antibiotic but at this point im not sure of anything. All that I know is that ive neen using emollient creams for almost 2 months to no avail. the areas dont heal,and my skin developed the pale smooth patches and seems to be tugging and dry no matter how much i hydrate it. Even my urine stings me. Yes ive been trying the baking soda wash. it seems to help with the burning for a sort while. Im trying to get a new appointment with my Family doctor to have a free gyno appointment at the public hospital but it will take months... ive searched for those medical study appointment options and cant find them here. the vulva skin specialist i found doesnt have a means to contact him. i can only call the private hospital to schedule to see him
laurie73352 Guest
Posted
If you do have LS, Clobetasol will help you. When I have flare-ups it is the only thing that really works. It would be ideal to see a Gynacologist but if it would take that long I am sure an MD can prescribe the Clobetasol.