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[Ljp]

Hi all,
This vulval soreness/burning and irritation is really getting me down now. I used another canesten pessary two nights ago, just in case it was that, I used to suffer all the time with thrush and the symptoms were similar.
Felt a but better yesterday, but last night it was sore again, and (sorry if too much info) but I feel a tricky sensation which then makes me want to scratch.
I got a new estring yesterday and have inserted that, and thus morning I have applied a small amount of sudocrem to see if the barrier will help.

Because I have bladder issues, i.e urgency, I always wear a panty liner/Tena liner, and hope sydocrem might help.

I feel at a loss as to what to try next! I've used, canesten, hydrocortisone, itch relief, and now sydocrem.

The only other thing I can think of that is any different is I have been making Kefir and having a small glass daily for the last couple of months, but that's meant to improve bacteria.

ANOTHER worry, I can't feel the strings for my Mirena coil! For a while I could just feel the sharpish tip of one string, but the last couple of days I can't feel that either. I'm worried it's gone too far inside! I had to have the entrance of  my cervix opened by gynaecologist when I had it fitted, she said atrophy had caused it to close, I'm terrified this might happen again and trap the coil inside!

Sorry if I sound crazy! I feel crazy at the moment as all was going so well a short while ago, now it feels completely upset and so many questions going on in my head as to what's causing it 😢😢

Seeing GP on Wednesday

Thank you for reading

[Maryjane]

Unfortunately if you keep trying this that and the other and especially thrush cream when you don't have it you can become sensitive with all the products, and end up with vulvodynia on top of VA.

So be very careful what you keep trying , I would go to a GUM clinic to confirm thrush don't treat on an assumption.

It's the pits , were skirts no pants sonit can all breath .

[Ljp]

Thanks Maryjane, I really don't want to go to GUM clinic, apart from the fact it's at the hospital and also not a walk in, might sound stupid but feel embarrassed to go too.

I have appointment with GP on Wednesday morning, hoping she might be able to offer some help

[Maryjane]

Seriously the GUM clinic are the best/ nicest of people , you can go to any GUM clinic in the country.

I have been 3 times in desperation at age 50 , I no sooooo many ladies in our age bracket whongonwith these symptoms.

Don't even have to give your proper name if you don't want to all anonymous. 😊

[Ljp]

But it's good Friday and appointment only there.
Seems most of the clinics near here are private too

[Annie0710]

I use vagifem but started with the vulval burning and itching.  I tried the vaginal moisturisers but they didn't help so now I use ovestin too and it seems to be working.  Sometimes we need oestrogen up, down, in and on us to keep comfortable x

[Maryjane]

Yes after Easter , but every hospital has one I believe .

Yes you may need oestrogen from all angles , unfortunately for me oestrogen is part of the picture the rest is vulvodynia/ nerve damage.

[Ljp]

I am on oestrogel too and Mirena and now back on estring

[Taz2]

Sorry to read you are in such discomfort Ljp. Just want to mention that one of the causes of irritation/burning etc. can be panty liners due to the fact that most of them are impregnated with a deodoriser nowadays. It is worth checking on the ones you are using and changing to a "pure" one. I had awful trouble with the ones I was using before being advised by my GP that liners can cause skin irritation.

I agree with Maryjane that the GUM clinic is excellent - well our local one is - the people are kind and very discreet. I used to go for a check up every six months, as loads of youngsters do nowadays, just to make sure that everything was ok.

Taz x

[Maryjane]

I am estring  / oestrogel/ may have the mirena fitted not sure , and ovestin I am supposed to use but can't as it burn more.


My gynae who is a top vulva pain specialist/ HRT specialist all in one , said there comes a point when it's not all due to VA oestrogen, it is nerve damage also hence the term vulvodynia.

[Ljp]

May have Mirena fitted? Not sure Mary Jane? How come not sure?

Sorry you have nerve damage Maryjane must be horrible, I don't think mine is nerve damage, just burning soreness and irritation on outer lips.

Tax, it did enter my mind that liners might be an issue, but I can't go without. I have used Tena light liners for years though, the only other ones I use are always breathable liners

[Maryjane]

That's what nerve damage is burning etc that can't be fixed.


Just not sure as don't want to cause anymore problems , but my periods are very heavy.

VA and vulvodynia have almost the same symptoms, so if VA isn't cured by oestrogen/ moisturisers then is vulvodynia.

[Ljp]

Oh ok I understand now 😊
I've never had soreness like this previously from VA, only ever from Thrush, years ago.

Before I started on Mirena and estrogel, I used estriol cream for 6 months, which dr prescribed to try to help my urgency/bladder problem, the only other symptom at that time was, mild burning after sex.

The estriol cream did help, but I had a light bleed, and as I had been a year with nothing, I was referred for a hysteroscopy, which lead to to Mirena, estring, estrogel.

I was quite ok on that, it was only me worrying about all the HRT side effects that made me decide to try without estring, I initially removed it last August, having been on it since the previous December., and got thrush (or what I presumed to be thrush) on holiday in September. Treated with canesten.

I then used estring again for a while until about November/December time, saw dr in Jan for annual check, and said I seemed ok without estring so she took it off repeat. I had been ok, then on holiday three weeks ago, soreness irritation flare up, again presumed thrush, used pessary, next morning pessary fell out while I was on the loo, so used a second one. Since then I've had this out area soreness, burning and irritation, and struggling to get it to settle.

I inserted the estring that I'd kept since December (in a case) and contacted my surgery, Can't see GP until next Wednesday, but managed to get prescription for  estring, which I collected yesterday, so now have a new one.

Still sore, feeling less sore since applying some sudocrem, and will wait to see GP on Wednesday, to check things, hopefully maybe take a swab to check out any infection or not, and also locate the strings from my Mirena! 

[Dancinggirl]

Lip - I assume you tried SYLK and Multi Gyn Actigel?
I had a recent flare up of the burning and soreness and did my usual strategy of multi Gyn 3 times a day for 3 days together with extra SYLK in between plus using Vagifem more often and things have settled greatly. Also if I've been in pain I tend to clench my pelvic floor - so actively relaxing the pelvic floor can also help. Finally - half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water morning and evening can really help. DG x

[Nairn]

Hi, hopefully you re feeling better, but if you can't feel the strings you need to get a physical exam to check all is OK urgently.   I had the same problem and mine had relocated itself and just caught it in time - please book in for a visual check and ask them to take swabs at the same time - sounds worse than it is - and compared to having the coil inserted it's much better.   My swabs confirmed thrush and infection which explained the pain, but it's a 'take control' situation not a 'leave it and hope it will get better' - hopefully all OK  - mine has now been removed  -  it lots of women have great success with them, so I was just unlucky