Mysterious Itching of the Vulva and Anus

I was wondering if anybody could offer me some advice. Just after Christmas (almost 3 months ago now), I started experiencing itching around my vulva/anus after a sexual encounter with my boyfriend. Prior to this encounter, I had shaved "down there" with a new, very sharp razor and used a new product (Johnson's baby oil gel) instead of shaving cream. At first, I associated the itch to the hair growing back--but it seemed to be itching a little more than usual. It might also be worth mentioning that I had just come off of a two-year course of the drug Spironolactone around this time, and this drug is known to play with one's hormones. In addition to that, I have suffered from bulimia for 10 years and I have been recovering for just about one year now. I know the Spiro/bulimia probably did my gut microbiome no favours, and I know gut problems can cause issues down yonder. 

When the itch did not disappear after a week, my boyfriend and I went to get tested for STDs, all negative. The boyfriend has no symptoms. 

Around this time, I also learned that a herpes test is not included in the standard STD panel. I asked my doctor about it and she said that in the absence of lesions, she wouldn't test me for it (ridiculous, right?). My boyfriend's doctor told him something similar. I became obsessive about checking my area with a 10x magnification mirror several times daily, and I've never succeeded in finding any external symptoms. Plus, the duration of my symptoms (going on 3 months straight now) leads me to suspect that what is going on is not herpes-related. 

Next, I went to see my dermatologist and had him examine "down there." He is a famous dermatologist in my city and I trust his opinion. He prescribed me doxycycline for mild folliculitis on my butt cheeks that he assured me is not herpes. 

I should also mention that I initially thought I had contracted a yeast infection, so I took an oral antibiotic for that which did nothing. 

Since then, the itch comes and goes, but it is there every day at some point. It feels almost like the skin around my anus is ever so slightly cracked, or being pulled. The vulva itch is also very subtle, but it shows up for a few minutes a few times a day. I even sometimes get a slight itch inside my vagina. Occasionally, I feel the itch on my bikini line as well. There are also times I feel like my whole area "down there" is ever so slightly sore. I'm not sure how much if the itching/soreness is due to anxietyat this point. Either way, I am at a loss of what to do. I have been using 100% emu oil to moisturize the areas which really helps but the itch always comes back if I don't moisturize for a while. 

I've considered that it might be lichen sclerosis, but I don't seem to have any discolouration going on. 

If anybody has any advice, I would love to hear it. Thanks in advance for reading. 

0 likes, 1 reply