Itching and inflammation caused by vulvitis?

Hi Cheetah,

I'm sorry you're experiencing this,

I've got to say, your story sounds very similar to mine - I had itching, redness/swelling, tingling (like pins and needles), and pain.. But my GP thought my problem could be lichen planus. Again, the biopsy showed chronic inflammation, which I think essentially doesn't really tell us much.

I too tried dermovate, which controlled my symptoms to some extent, however I am now on a medication called tacrolimus, which is an immunosuppressor and for me works far better. The cream itself is a little unpleasant the first few days you use it, as it causes a burning sensation. However, that doesn't last forever, and I found it started to help my symptoms fairly quickly.

I used it twice a day for about a month (perhaps a bit longer but I am unsure), and now use it twice a day for a week if I have a flare up.

I also wash using dermol lotion (which I find soothing), and am sure to use only very simple wash stuff for my clothes, and no fabric softener.

I have also recently began pelvic floor physiotherapy as my muscles had become very tense due to the irritation (itching and pain) that the original problem had been causing me (which was not treated properly for about a year). The tenseness of my muscles (though I did not realise they were tense) had been causing me to find intercourse painful, and could also lead to incontinence problems later - so I would also recommend physical therapy (though this is not a quick fix).

Obviously what worked for me may not work for everyone, but considering how similar our stories sound it might be useful for you to look into tacrolimus. I will say - the one reason my gynaecologist did not initially prescribe it is that there may be a possible link between tacrolimus and some cancers. The possibility of this link is very small, and there is not much evidence surrounding it, however the doctors automatically go for steroid creams first (though these are not perfect either and can cause some damage to the skin if used incorrectly or very long term). For me I have found the tacrolimus has 'given my life back', and is therefore worth it.

I hope this can be of some use to you, and that you are able to get this problem sorted as soon as possible! I have learnt that for me, I will probably have to live with the condition itself (whatever it is), but that with the tacrolimus I can keep it under control - most of the time it does not affect me, but when it does, a week of treatment is enough to get back to normal again

ps. I would also recommend getting your hormone levels tested - as your 'dryness' (whether it is the same problem or not), may be due to hormone levels, in which case you can have hormone creams prescribed that may alleviate this.

xxx

Hi Cheetah, Have experienced the same thing.

Doctor prescribed ' Vagifem 10 ' estradiol vaginal tablets.

After 18 years of going without hormone replacement during or after menopause, I had to give in to this very mild form of treatment. I had suffered for 2 years, and now I actually have

forgotten at times to use the tablets (because I was comfortable). It starts to come back if I wait too long.

I had the same symptoms of dryness, irritation, itching, and just overall exhaustion from my body trying to fight the inflammation which felt more like infection at times.

I told my doctor that my insides felt like they were tearing apart. He said that they basically are when there is that much dryness. It is part of aging, and quite similar to how the skin thins as we age, except it happens on the inside as well.

There is also another product that he suggested I Try for the dryness, not the hormone imbalance. It is called ' Repa Gen '.

Apparently it is costly, but the pharmacy gave me some samples to try at no cost. They worked well for the dryness until the other vaginal pills took effect, but now I don't need them. I hope this helps you. Good luck.