swollen clitoris

Hello Virginia!  thank you so much for you message...i dont think is a yeast infection..i had it before and there is no discharge.

I am not scratching..but you are right this is provably due the clob use as i can see little wounds around...its so irritated...clit is a very sensitive part and so frustrating...

I am happy you mention emu oil because i was about to give it a try..people say emu aid is good...do you have any suggestion? you just ask in a health store for emu oil? is that correct?

Thank you so much!

I had occasionally seen comments about emu oil for a couple of years before I actually tried it, and I wish I had tried it sooner.  It has really been the most effective treatment aside from the clob when used frequently.  I use 100% pure emu oil that I get from our local health store (although they haven't had it in stock for about a month so I just ordered a replacement from Amazon).  It is a very thick, creamy-looking oil and a little bit goes a long way.  I apply a thin layer of it after my shower in the morning, then once or twice during the day, and again at night before bed (if it's not a clob night).  The change I've seen since using it is significant--much more so than my skeptical mind expected when I first tried it.  While I've heard that Emuaid works well for many people, it has other ingredients added to it (I think it is more like a cream in consistency), and I prefer to use the simple, 100% oil.  I've also used pure coconut oil, but it doesn't work as well as the emu oil because it's much thinner and doesn't seem to absorb as well.  It rubs off more easily.  I use the emu oil as a lubricant for sex, too, and find that coconut oil doesn't work nearly as well in that capacity.    

Dear Virginia, you have no idea how helpful is all this information to me...specially since you have so much experience with LS. This is my first year with this condition, i am 46.....i call it "the bullier"!

Thank you so much, will buy emu oil  today!

Have a lovely day.

You're welcome  Unfortunately, my problems started when I was in my late teens, but went undiagnosed for a long time.  I'm now 36, I have a great marriage with a healthy sex life, and I've had three kids.  Over the years I've more or less figured out what works and what doesn't, and come to terms with the fact that this is just something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life.  Best of luck, and I really do hope the emu oil works for you as well as it has done for me!

Hi Virginia, Do you ever worry about vaginal cancer. I am new to this as of 2 years ago. How often do you use chlobetasol?I have never tried it, either. I have some emu oil and am encouraged by your response to it. I cannot have sex and have fissures that hav never healed.I can only use plain water in a spray bottle to cleanse,I am a mess, basically. Any suggestions. I am afraid of the steroid use as I am much older than you, and already am very thin in that area. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks s much!

Hi Cynthia, no, I don't worry about it any more than I worry about any other type of cancer.  Both my GYN and dermatologist have told me that there is a very minimal risk involved with long-term use of clobetasol and that cancer is not one to worry about.  They say the benefits far outweigh the risk.  Excessive thinning of the skin only comes from overuse of clobetasol--if you use it as directed, then it shouldn't cause too much thinning.  

I use the clob 3 nights a week and use emu oil or coconut oil every day.  I haven't heard of anyone who was able to truly get their LS under control without the use of medication, so I would recommend getting the clobetasol ointment and using it exactly as your doctor recommends based on the severity of your LS.  The fact is that LS does not cause cancer, but skin that is scarred from LS is more likely to develop cancer.  There is more risk involved in not medicating than there is in steroid treatment.  

As for cleansing, using plain water is best anyway, even for those without LS.  The vagina has a really delicate balance and soaps are really not good for it anyway, but it's especially bad for the skin of the vulva as most soaps dry it out too much and contain perfumes or dyes that irritate.  I know some people use emollients with success, but just rinsing with water works fine for me.  

Another great way to soothe your LS when it's really flaring up is a warm baking soda bath.  I will sometimes take one right before bed and then apply emu oil while the skin is still slightly damp.  The baking soda helps enormously with the itching.  Also, wear only 100% cotton underpants, and don't wear any underwear at night.  

If you do have sex, don't use regular lubricants.  I've tried many over the years and even the most gentle water-based ones are no good for me.  That's another great use for the emu oil.  

 

Good luck    

Hi Virginia, Thx for your comments. I am worried about cancer from LS, since I have had no treatment with steroids.I had one white patch in the beginning. I haven't been checked since. Are the patches the beginning of scarring? My biggest fear with clob is burning, and the inability to get it off since I can only use spray bottle of water. Shower water is something I can only use externally, as it causes much pain. Maybe the chlorine they use.Maybe if I get inflammation under control, I can use shower water again. Are you also finding it helpful to see both a dermatologist and gyn? I had another doctor order a steroid, milder, which is used for babies , called mometasone. If you can , please advise on burning from ointment? Ever grateful, Cynthia

Also, I forgot to say that I tried a spray bottle of baking soda and water before and it burned .

Sounds like you're in a vicious cycle in which you're as much afraid of the pain of treatment as you are of the actual condition.  I think you really need to go back to see a doctor if you haven't been checked in 2 years.  Proper maintenance of LS should include visits to your GYN every 6 months--and that's once you have it under control.   

I've never experienced burning with clobetasol ointment, and you want it to absorb into your skin rather than washing it off.  If you're washing or rubbing it off then it's not going to improve your condition.  

I have experienced burning from over the counter yeast medication treatments (which is why I use Diflucan when I do need treatment), from Perrins cream (which I had read was helpful for LS, but with which I found no relief), and from lubricants, but not from the clob ointment. 

Without treatment, your condition is only going to worsen and those patches will scar.  You'll be in far more pain than any discomfort a steroid ointment will cause you.  

As for the baking soda, you may have used too much in your spray bottle.  I dissolve about 1/2 cup in a tub of warm water so it becomes very diluted.   Then I sit in the water for around 20 minutes and soak.  

Yes, you are right. This condition has affected me mentally to the point of feeling paralyzed in terms of treatment. I also have never had a biopsy. You have somehow given me confidence to try the clob. I will try a weaker baking soda solution. Before I knew that I had this I used to use terazol vag cream for yeast with no burning, but now just Diflucan.I was wondering if you had a biopsy.and if you had stem cell treatment or if you are considering it? Also I think my mouth is affected.

Dear Cynthia:

Really? thank you so much! i will do that.

i am taking powerful probiotics now too, i think they help a lot!

have a lovely day

Yes, this is absolutely true.  Not everyone experiences significant discharge with a yeast infection.  If a few days on probiotics doesn't help with the symptoms, I would see a doctor to be checked for a yeast infection.  Like I said above, antibiotics almost always cause me to have a yeast infection, which is why I always get a prescription for Diflucan along with the one for the antibiotics.  Probiotics do help a lot though if taken simultaneously with the antibiotics.