vaginal pain

Hi Andi

i wonder if it could be vulvodynia causing the pain? I have suffered in the past, normally brought on by stress.  Vulvodynia can mimic the pain of other pain/irritation you have suffered with another issue.  Just a thought. Good luck hope you find out soon what it is xxx

Go to a doctor. It could be vulvodynia, vaginal atrophy, lichen planus or something else. You should also have your lack of period checked out. At your age it could be perimenopause, but it could also be something else. Lichen sclerosus only affects the exterior tissue.

Are you using a steroid for your lichen sclerosus? Is it perhaps an excess of cream or ointment that is flaking off in your underwear?

 

I gave up sex a long time ago. It became too painful. Not everyone has the same experience thankfully. My tissue would tear and bleed very easily. In addition to the lichen sclerosis  at times I also develop a fungal infection on any of my inner skin. For me, this does shed and would remind me more of what you're describing. A lot of people on here are more knowledgable, so I hope you will find some much needed help and relief!

Hi Andi,

I hope you go see your doctor again.  

LS does not affect the vagina, but does fuse the labia minora and even the labia majora.  My experience is that underneath the vagina stays in tact. Same with the urethra.  LS also wants to cover over the clitoris.

Only a doctor can tell you what's happening with your periods.  Better have things checked out further.   

  

Andi, do hope you seek another doctor or vulva specialist.  Thankfully, I don't have to deal with sex anymore.  Don't know what I would do if I did.

Andi, just addressing your issue with the flaking .... when I was first diagnosed last year I wasn't given any direction on how to apply the steroid, where to apply it either. Consequently for about eight months I slathered it over my vulval area three times a week as she told me, never looked in a mirror, the burn went away and I just kept doing it. I noticed the skin all around my vulva was rough and sloughing off when I touched it, it started flaking off in underwear.

It was only when I had my second bad flare that I came on here and realised you only treat the skin affected! I had minimal affected lesions of LS but was rubbing it all over healthy skin. May not be your situation but that's just a thought. 

Good luck with your other issues too, which others are giving you good advice for. 

Thanks so much everyone. GP's must be sick of me. I have been to 3 gynae's, one of them private. All of them have homed in on the lichen and not addressed the pain. One of them did talk about the pain but in a really glib way. She said that she'd do a laparoscopy and whip out my ovaries. cos I don't need them now (!), and they might be the cause of the pain. But she also said they might not be and I might still have pain afterwards! yes, that sounds a very attractive option!! ;-)

 OK, thats helpful about not plastering the steroid on healthy skin, I didnt think about it. But i think the flaking might be coming from the anus (also affected by lichen sclerosus). My armpits are itchy too at the mo!! :-(

Thanks again for commenting all of you