Will i ever enjoy sex again?

Hello all, i am new here. I was just diagnosed last month after almost a year of going to the Dr, and waiting to see a specialist. The Dr did an internal ultrasound, tested for UTI, yeast, all STD's and other vaginal infections and everything has come back negative.

I have constant burning and irritation in the vulva area.

Every time i have sex i get a flare up. It's so frustrating and becoming really difficult for my BF and i. Is there any way to have sex without triggering a huge flare up of symptoms?

The specialist has given me fluconazole (which doesn't help much) and lidocaine 5% (which i am scared to use).  

Have you found anything that works for managing flare ups?

Thanks for listening.

Use the lidocaine, it's not amazing but it will Definitely help when it comes to having sex!! It makes it numb so you can't feel any pain! I've had mine for 2 and a half years and still trying to find answers but the lidocaine has helped me and my boyfriend, it won't make sex amazing but it makes easier and a lot less painful! It's worth a try x

Thank you for responding! Have you ever had the lidocane sting or make the burning worse? I had that happen last night, i'm not sure if i may be allergic to it?

It does burn when I put it on to begin with because my skins physically sore but then it subsides and makes my pain go for an hour or two, so it is worth using if you want to have pain free sex, I found sometimes It works better than others, depending on how flared up my skin is, but it has made things easier for me x

ahhh ok good to know! Thanks. Does sex tend to flare you up again ever more so? I really wish there was a way to have sex and not have to worry about it being worse again the next day. Have you tried anything that works as prevention?

I wouldn't say sex flares it up but as soon as the lidocaine wears off I'm in a lot of pain, but that's just my normal pain, if that makes sense? And me too!! And no I've only tried the lidocaine and dilators but I've got a hospital appointment soon and hopefully I'll get more answers then, how did your problems begin if you don't mind me asking?x

Yes, be patient that's the best advice I can give.  It took me 7 years to find a doc who could help me, but I am pain free now.  I had to jump through a bunch of hurdles to get thru it, but it was done.  My other advice is to try everything you can even if the advice the doctors are giving you seem silly.  (Or if it's really bad advice, go to a new doctor, someone suggested I switch positions during sex as if that hadn't crossed my mind!).  I finally had surgery, but some people are lucky and can get relief by other methods.  I am truly sorry that you have to even endure this, but there are docs out there who can and will help.  But the right one may take a little time to discover unfortunately. :/

how did your problems begin if you don't mind me asking?x

Hi Alana & Morgan,

No i don't mind. And thank you for sharing!

It seemed to start with chronic yeast infections which have gone on for a good 20 years. I feel like i am in constant treatment of yeast. Though on my last pap the results came back negative for yeast, so i thought that was odd, because i had all the symptoms. Then i started to think it wasn't yeast. i went back for more swabs, checked for everything under the sun and everything was negative. I also often feel like i have a UTI, but that was well was negative.

My Dr sent me to an OBGYN (had to wait forever to get in) and in the mean time i just self treated with diflucan and coconut oil, as those are the only things that seem to ease my symptoms and make life bearable. I also use vaginal probiotics, which help too.

The OBGYN did the q-tip test and told me i have VV. And that my symptoms are not yeast or UTI. So i stopped treating the yeast, but then the flare ups were so much worse. i couldn't sit or do anything. I also started getting anxiety from the high pain levels.

I finally took diflucan again, and it eased my symptoms, but it always comes back within 7 days.

it feels like a chemical burn to me. it's red, raw, very sore and always there to some degree. Some days it flares up, and it's almost unbearable. Other days it's just a low level irritation.

I have another appointment with her in a few weeks. So i am going to find out what all the options are.

If you have any suggestions please let me know!

Have you tried anything that works to manage your symptoms?

Alana, how did you manage to be pain free?

I had the surgery. Is your pain all the.time.or provoked?