Please help

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.
I am at my wits end, my relationship is over and I am finding it increasingly harder to leave the comforts of my bed at the moment.

I have yet to be diagnosed with vulvodynia, but I am suspecting it is this. I have had endless tests which have all come back negative- there is NO infection.

It started 2 months ago after I got Bacterial Vaginosis. I was given so many vaginal creams/washes and after a while I got a constant burning/tingling pain all over my vulva and inside my vagina. Its uncomfortable, and a weird sensation rather than a sharp pain. It is always there, and increases during and after urination. Sex is also completely off the cards.

I stopped the creams after that, and thought my BV just hadn't gone away but I went back for a test and my gyno said its all gone and my vagina and vulva look healthy and he sees no problem whatsoever.
I am worried using these products has caused me to gain hypersensativity leading to vulvodynia.

Any advice/knowledge would be great as I am finding myself isolated and depressed, I am so desperate.

Many thanks x

Hey hon, you are not alone having weird sensations down there and don't worry too much about a "diagnosis", vulvodynia just means pain in the vulva.

Try to find a vulva or pain clinic.... google it! Or depending where you are a GUM clinic. A pelvic floor assessment by a physio is helpful to find out what's going on down there.

My best piece of advice is find a therapist. While this is not all in your head, it does your head in

Good luck!

Hi there, I think if it was me in your situation I'd first try an oral yeast treatment, NOT a topical one so no creams or pessaries down there. If that doesn't work then I'd start looking into alternatives. Vulvodynia is a "diagnosis" of exclusion and it's only diagnosed after several months of chronic pain in the vulvar so I'd give a Diflucan a try then get double checked for BV again as it can show one day and not the next depending on where you are in your cycle. You could also try probiotics as the BV treatment will have wiped out good bacteria too.

Welcome to the forum and I hope you can find the answers and support you need

I would deff ask to be refered to a vulval clinic (not just a typical gynea) you need one that specialises in the vulval area. If you live in the UK there is a link at the top of the Vulvodynia Info category otherwise google it!

These girls have given you great advice and somewhere for you to start. Dont give up as we are all fighting this together

I would not use anymore creams or gels. some women use a lidocaine gel either 2.5% or 5% to numb the area. For me, it burns and is not helpful. The other prescribed creams and gels... I used for a couple months in the beginning and i believe they made the burning worse. Don't panic! There are so many treatments that can help. I would agree that you should see a specialist. Usually the diagnosis comes after months of burning and after ruling everything out. Have a spray bottle handy every time you urinate. Spray water on the area to get the urine off the skin. Also buy some gel packs and keep the in the refrigerator. They are very helpful for cooling down the area. Some women take warm baths w/ sea salt or tea bags (don't know what kind). I used the cool gel or ice packs. They helped a lot. I no longer use them because now i am on Percocet amongst many other meds. There are meds that can help w/ the burning pain. If the specialist does not know what meds to prescribe, i would recommend getting a referral to a pain clinic. Some women have a few months of burning and it disappears. Many years ago, i had a yeast infection that caused discomfort and pain. I struggled w/ it for a year and a half. One day it completely disappeared. quite strange. Hang in there....there is a lot of help out there.

Thank you all for your support and advice, its such a comfort that people understand and have received treatment. I think it is a slow process of ruling out what it isn't before I find out what it is, but I am going to the gp tuesday to get a referrel. I saw a gyno yesterday and it was mentioned that because I have suffered with anorexia for 12 years and have only just recovered it could be a result of the damage I have done over the years so I think I have so many routes to go down for finding out what is the answer. I guess its finding the motivation till that day comes, and I have definately found it here.

All the best x

My heart goes out to you w/ your struggle w/ anorexia. I suffered from an eating disorder in college 20 plus years ago. i went through two treatment programs.,,one was a 7 week inpatient program. they don't seem to have those intensive programs anymore. it was quite a struggle and my depression was at an all time high. the good news is that i did recover and have not had any eating disorder issues for 22 years. you''ll make it! it's too bad you have to deal w/ the V. issues at the same time. many of my docs have asked me what was going on prior to my V symptoms (started 2 years ago for me). i had a lot of stress in my marriage and all of a sudden a possible yeast infection because i took antibiotics and so on and so on. anorexia causes lots of damage to the body for sure. i have never seen any studies done on eating disorders and V....who knows how it all starts. good luck to you. if you ever need support, let me know!

Thank you so much Jules, and I am sorry to hear you had struggle with this awful illness as well. Thats amazing to say you are fully recovered, thats very admirable!
I actually finally got diagnosed today with Vulvodynia, and have been prescribed a Tricyclic antidepressant. Even though I am upset that it isn't something that can be cured, I am so much happier now I have a diagnosis and that I can now focus on finding a treatment that works for me.
This doctor was amazing, after seeing countless other doctors, gum clinic doctors and a gyno he just turned round and said he knew what it was.
Fingers crossed together we can all find and share ways of dealing and treating this awful condition xxx

It's not necessarily uncurable, depends on the cause. As you know vulvodynia only means "pain in the vulva" and isn't really a diagnosis as such, finding out the cause is the only way to see how treatable it is but in the meantime the meds may help. I recommend the book "When Sex Hurts" as it goes through the possible causes and helps us girls establish what are real condition is and doesn't just give a description of our symptoms as a "diagnosis". Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh after you're pleased to get what drs consider a diagnosis (some anyway) but it really is helpful if you can figure out the cause.

Thank you very much for explaining that to me, I am new to this so still am trying to understand.
I will purchase that book and give it a read! x