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Silent, creeping narrowing of vaginal introitus

Posted , 11 users are following.

Morrell1951
Morrell1951

I'm wondering whether it would be proactive to regularly dilate this opening (even with warm oily fingers). I've been abstaining from sex for a year – too painful. Silly me, I've been using a magnifying shaving mirror to inspect my undercarriage nightly and last night it occurred to me to look with a regular mirror. Whoa! I'm a lot narrower than I thought! About two fingers. What I've been noticing in my inspections has been the narrowing and elongation of my perineum. I took that to be a tightening of the flesh from repeated tearing. But now I see it's that the 'shore' of the perineum is sneaking up on the vagina. Like a beach getting wider as the lake's water level drops.

My goal (a modest one) is to always be able to pee. So I think I might make a practice of massaging – slightly stretching that circle every night when applying my oily stuff. Not at the same time as applying Dermovate/clobetasol.

1 like, 49 replies

49 Replies

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  • suzanne00
    suzanne00 Morrell1951

    Posted

    One other thought, Morrell--You mentioned getting yeast infections after sex.  That makes me curious because I remember reading about possible viral/bacterial/fungal triggers with LS.  I have definitely wondered about possibly harboring a subclinical yeast issue.  I know that we all carry it, but under certain conditions it is allowed to overgrow--like too much sugar, estrogens, or antibiotics.  Sometimes I notice slightly clumpy looking vaginal secretions and a bit of a yeasty odor, though I don't have overt symptoms.  It is certainly possible that our bodies are waging an attack on the yeast and are being overaggressive to our own tissues.  If sex brings on an infection readily for you, have you considered that you may have a possible subclinical issue going on that could be contributing to the LS? All the more reason to lower our sugar intake and stay away from antibiotics.  --Suzanne  
    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 suzanne00

      Posted

      I recall reading or hearing years ago that yeast is like dandelions – it has deep roots and when you stir up the dirt it only encourages them to grow. Friction, sex, and sugar are a killer combo, my pharmacist said.

      Could be that the type of skin we have is extra vulnerable to yeast. Those little clumps you mention – that's exactly what I noted in the mirror last time. It was the day after I'd had a difficult visit with my mother and rebelled on the drive home by eating a (kiddie-size) ice cream cone. I tried some yogurt down there for a day or so, but then bought the 6-day Canestan cream. (not the one day suppository – I call it The Bomb – too harsh.) I think we should waste no time treating those little clumps. A major goopy yeast infection causes such raw skin – just doubles the LS problem, I'm sure.

      In the old days I'd put up with the burning until I had full-blown cottage cheese. And I'd have sex, adding extra friction to the mix.

    • suzanne00
      suzanne00 Morrell1951

      Posted

      I agree that it is a possiblility that we have an autoimmune reaction to yeast cells.  Those deep roots worry me since I've had a lifetime of too many antibiotics, celiac disease, and way too much sugar.  While I'm walking the straight and narrow now, what if that still allows it to maintain the roots but just not flower?  I'm not into aggressive treatment systemically for a body-wide yeast problem (I just try to live healthy now), but makes me wonder if it just allows it to linger in our tissues, especially since it seems to come on so readily--that doesn't seem normal.  
    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 suzanne00

      Posted

      Chicken-egg situation. But if I see those white mini clumps again, I didn't use up the tube of Censtan last time...
    • suzanne00
      suzanne00 Morrell1951

      Posted

      Makes sense to treat it locally when it appears--those clumps can't be helping our LS.  
    • hanny32508
      hanny32508 Morrell1951

      Posted

      At the time I had to cut out yeast as well and anything fermented, and no mushrooms
    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 hanny32508

      Posted

      Interesting. I gradually became allergic to mushrooms – raw in my twenties, then cooked in my forties. And I have a real aversion to all this trendy fermented stuff. So, maybe this is good for keeping yeast at bay.
  • sheila49099
    sheila49099 Morrell1951

    Posted

    hi Morrell

    I read your post last night and froze....I had to get out of the site.

    This morning I went to a sex shop and bought  a thing ....it looks like a

    real penis. I came home and tried to use it but I don't have a big

  • sheila49099
    sheila49099 Morrell1951

    Posted

    hi Morrell

    I read your post last night and froze....I had to get out of the site.

    This morning I went to a sex shop and bought  a thing ....it looks like a

    real penis. I came home and tried to use it but I don't have a big enough

    opening. perhaps an inch.  I am really scared because I am going away in a

    months time and will be gone for four months. This desease is travelling too fast for me in my body.. Although I don't live in Ottawa anymore, I am from there and go back a few times a year.  Is there a specialist there that deals with LS 

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 sheila49099

      Posted

      The Ottawa Hospital has a Vulva Clinic! My gynae is in Smiths Falls, Dr. Yan Wang.

      Maybe my post above about using fingers with kegel exercises (tightening the pelvic floor muscles) during the pre-clob soak would work for you, wherever you go. I live two hours west of Ottawa.

      I take it you're doing everything else for LS, clobetasol, oily moisturizers, cutting back on sugar, loose pants, cotton panties, etc.

    • sheila49099
      sheila49099 Morrell1951

      Posted

      thanks Morrell, I am going to be there Dec 1 but only for 4 days than heading south,  I don't think I will be able to be seen then.  I will be there again in April for a few days and If I haven't fused over maybe someone can help me at that time.  I only hope I can keep on peeing.
    • hanny32508
      hanny32508 sheila49099

      Posted

      Sheila, try after every bathroom visit three pinches of baking soda in your spraybottle.  It may help push the fusing down.  

      Unexpected development here - is the baking powder that some of the fusing decided to let go

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 hanny32508

      Posted

      Really? It's stopped trying to stick because of the baking soda? (You meant soda and not powder, right?)
    • sheila49099
      sheila49099 hanny32508

      Posted

      Hi Hanny

      Could you be a little bit clearer. I don't understand your last sentence.

      It is baking soda right? And not baking powder.

    • hanny32508
      hanny32508 sheila49099

      Posted

      Baking soda.  Perhaps started to rejoice too soon.  Some fusing let go.  The one at the back, always solid as a rock, thinned.  (before perenium?) 

      Bit nervous about the opening.  Takes everything to keep open.  

    • sheila49099
      sheila49099 Morrell1951

      Posted

       HI Morrell,  I have an appointment in Ottawa at the Bells Corners

      Clinic on Dec 3 at 11a.m.  Dr Westley is an amazing woman who

      diagnosed me when a specialist couldn't !!  I was lucky to get

      that appointment.  I did a semi check where I live but couldn't find a

      vulva clinic here even though it is a huge medical centre.

    • sheila49099
      sheila49099 hanny32508

      Posted

      I m trying it but am not sure if I need to put more baking soda in the

      bottle each time

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 sheila49099

      Posted

      Sheila, I'm so glad you're seeing someone before you go away.

      I don't know what Hanny does, but I put half a cup in the bath, so for the same strength it wouldn't be very much in a bottle. Hey, you could just fill the bottle before you get in the tub!

    • hanny32508
      hanny32508 sheila49099

      Posted

      Three pinches, no more.  Then see what happens.  It'll take persistence and patience.  It is not instant.   
    • sha1271
      sha1271 Morrell1951

      Posted

      I saw all your talk about use of baking soda and happen to come across a website that was about vulva health and things to keep it healthy, this is what they said about baking soda.

      Baking Soda soaks: Soak in lukewarm (not hot) bath water with 4-5 tablespoons of baking soda to help soothe vulvar itching and burning. Soak 1 to 3 times a day for 10 minutes. If you are using a sitz bath, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda.

      I think I will be buying some more baking soda and trying this as Hanny suggested after peeing

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 sha1271

      Posted

      Looks like half a cup is too much.

      Really good to know this is good for acute flare-ups. Sometimes we get so panicky we don't even remember there are soothing things we can do.

      One time my psoriasis was making me insane with itching. It was the weekend and I had to talk to whatever on-call doctor. It didn't even cross my mind that I had some cortisone cream in the house and there were other things that might have soothed it. I was in tears on the phone with this stranger. The guy gave me a prescription for Atavan, which was basically like knocking me out with a mallet.

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 sha1271

      Posted

      Looks like half a cup is too much.

      Really good to know this is good for acute flare-ups. Sometimes we get so panicky we don't even remember there are soothing things we can do.

      One time my psoriasis was making me insane with itching. It was the weekend and I had to talk to whatever on-call doctor. It didn't even cross my mind that I had some cortisone cream in the house and there were other things that might have soothed it. I was in tears on the phone with this stranger. The guy gave me a prescription for Atavan, which was basically like knocking me out with a mallet.

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