birth control - is there any proof that it can lead to Vulvodynia?

or is this just a theory?

i was on birth control for on 8 years - no problems. i came off it 15 months ago.

last august i started having problems down below. (six months after i stopped)

had a biopsy and it said the start of LS - but i couldnt tolerate any of the steriods.

saw a dermo and she said that she couldnt see any evidence of LS.

so now it secondary vulvadynia caused by thrush or dermatitis.

anyway - i was thinking of going back on birth control - the mini pill that only has progesterone in it.

i know people quote dr goldstein about birth control causing vulva pain but is there evidence or just a theory?

thanks.

I think you can drive yourself insane looking for theories and such. It could be like diabetes or cancer or something where vv just happens to people no matter how close your regulate yourself. And no one knows for sure where it comes from. My VV started after I switched from one bc to another. However, I have always had woman problems ever since I was young. So I don't really know if it were the BC or the other problems which manifested themself. If you want to go back on the pill, I say just do it. My doctor said that there is no proof and he def told me to continue taking the pill- mine helps regulate my cycle and make it last 2 days instead of 2 weeks. So right there makes it so much better and worthwhile. I also got the surgery and am considered cured now. VV isn't really considered to be homronal. It sort of seems like its a bunch of people trying to scare others off the pill. I know plenty of other people who have vv and have never touched BCP's before. So who knows? I'll happily continue my pill anyday

I am only one person, but my provoked vestibulodynia started well before I ever touch any type of pill, at least in my case it had nothing to do with it starting or making it any worse or better when i have started and stopped throughout the years.

The professor I see, i guess using his clinical judgement, doesn't ultimately think that it is the cause, for some people it can irritate them as it can cause thinning of the vulva skin, however once you stop the skin returns to its previous state, as in the skin thickens again. However I have had no history of infections etc either.

I guess with this condition, especially women who have always had it and it is provoked will only really see symptoms once they become sexually active and obviously the pill will come in at that time, maybe that is at least in part, why it has been thought of as a cause.

My guess, as a sufferer, is there are probably a number of possible triggers or a set of incidences that ultimately land you in vulvodynia world, and they will differ between people. It is tricky and I'm sure lots of women have had a very different experiences with the pill to me

thanks.

since last august i have been driving myself mad on the internet looking at causes, etc and it all so confusing.

i have to try and remember that everyone is different. x

I wouldn't concentrate on the whys you have this, concentrate on getting better- because you can do that!

I have been seen by Dr.G a few times now and he had mentioned that birth control can cause vulvodynia, but he said in that case it would go away after switching birth controls or just stop using birth control. I never took birth control so I knew that wasn't the case for me. Even before I met Dr.G I was told by other vulvodynia specialists that birth control can cause the pain. I think it's more of a proven thing now than just a theory. It doesn't happen to everyone, just us "lucky" ones I guess . I agree with Alana though, try not to concentrate on what caused this. It really doesn't make a difference, I should know, I have this for over 5 years now. I found out that I was just born with too many nerves "down there" and it really didn't make me feel any better about the whole thing. It's better to concentrate on how to treat yourself. Research is always good. Make sure you educate yourself before you see any doctors. Most don't know too much about this and even if they do you want to know what types of questions you should be asking.

Good Luck!

-Jen

I know some people got fully rid of their VVS after stopping BC and I read a study where they found out that VVS is more likely in women that had BC that strongly surpressed testosterone and have high progesterone such as the Diane f.e. Maybe I can find it.

I was on a birthcontrol and stopped it and got this pain 3 weeks after and it hasnt gone away since. Like Alana said, dont worry about it, try to get better. But birth control could be the start of it. There are so many side effects to medication. I can't wait to be off of MINE!

I wanted to post about my story to reiterate that there are DEFINITELY cases where VVS is caused by hormonal contraceptives, even when not immediately obvious.
I want to desperately encourage anyone who has VVS to come off hormonal contraceptives if possible.

In 2012, I had unprotected sex and took the morning after pill. I developed vestibule redness/soreness/itchiness. The clinic confirmed a Yeast & BV infection, explaining that this was common after sex (though I had never had any vaginal problems for years before). They also put me on the Pill (Microgynon 30). The infections cleared (tested negative) but my symptoms remained constant.

My symptoms extended beyond vestibule pain. I also had itchiness, redness & subtle inflammation of the whole vestibule (localised to this area), my vestibule skin started to tear during sex, get more inflammed & very regularly develop new infections (Yeast/Bacterial). I also had a lot of discomfort/itchiness in & around my anus.

Firstly, this made me question whether I had VVS because I didn't just have pain of the vestibule, as I kept getting infections too (now I understand that women with VVS are often simply more prone to infections & discomfort of the whole area).
Secondly, I assumed my VVS must have been caused by the infections (proliferation of nerves in the vestibule after infection), because the symptoms I had felt like they were permanent, that the skin itself was not normal anymore & seemed irreparable.

I didn't come off the Pill until mid 2013, when I had read more info about a link. I felt I should just come off it in case it might have been making anything worse.

The reality was (by my complete surprise and total elation) that within a month, my vestibule returned to completely normal and ALL other related symptoms also disappeared — the anal discomfort/itchiness & bring prone to developing infections.

I hadn't thought the Pill could be causing my VVS, because I had developed the infections before I started the Pill (I didn't consider at the time that just before I got the infections, I had taken the morning after pill which is a huge dose of progesterone). I also had no understanding of hormones & no idea how they could cause pain in a specific area of the body like this! Every doctor I asked said there was no way the Pill was relevant, which made me have little hope.

I believe there are 2 main causes for VVS — hormonal or a response to an infection. But there can be an overlap, and I didn't consider the Pill could be the cause because I kept getting the infections. But I was mistaken (and so were over 10 doctors & specialists).

I really hope this can help any women suffering.

As a side point, unfortunately, after being perfectly normal for 18 months, this year I developed infections (no hormones involved) and VVS has fully returned. I feel that my body has learned how it responded to infections when I was on the Pill, and now the nerves are irritated again = VVS

A2015