Saw vuval dermatologist..

I saw a Vuval dermatoligist a few days ago (prob spelled that wrong lol)

I got her name off the Vuval Pain society's Vuval clinic list (this list is also on this forum..under Vulvodynia info)

I saw her at Whips Cross hosptial and she was the first dr who really knew about V and seemed to really care.

She examined me and said that I do not have any skin disease..phew! I guess

I told her about the biofeedback from Dr Glazer and she said "oh Howard!" yeah she knew him and his research, that was odd lol. What was also very interesting from the examination is she said that when she pressed on the entrance to my Vagina she felt my pelvic floor tighten and go into spasm! This is the first time a dr has confirmed for me what I have thought was going on!

She said to carry on with the Pregabalin for the time being, the biofeedback and told me to do pilates as a way of relaxing the pelvic floor. She also recommended a book called "a headache in the Pelvis" which I am about to Google to find out more about it.

She also stated to carry on with the counselling to help with the psychological aspects of pain and gave me lidocaine for bad pain days. I havent tried this yet am a little nervous.

She also said that there was a current experiment in the USA where they got a bunch on women to use Lidocaine 5% for a month 3 times a day and this helped to calm the nerve endings

I'm gonna try the lidocaine on a different piece of skin first as she said it will sting at first..gulp!

Right am off to google that book..but all in all Im told im doing all the right things and she was the best dr I have ever seen

Keep the faith girls she said it is so possible for us to get better!

Godbless

Hey Sebby!

Your post pretty much summed up my last Vulvar dermatologist appointment!

Its good to know you are otherwise healthy down there and dont have a skin condition.

Im tired, sorry. Long day.

noni

That sounds like a good appointment Sebby, alot more informed than the Vulvar Dermatologist I see! My Women's Health Physio had heard of Dr Glazer too but wasn't keen on his method so she hadn't met him or attended a course etc. As for your doctor suggesting Pilates for relaxing the pelvic floor, be very careful with that as pilates style exercises flared my V up in the first place as I was using too much pelvic floor activity. If you've seen my post about the Transversus Abs and Pelvic Floor I'm waiting for Isa Herrera to get back to us with any tips she can give about using the TrA without contracting the pelvic floor which is what she recommends in her book to strengthen the core but not overdo the PF. If you've tried it and have found a way to do that please share! Otherwise at least there's one Vulvar Dermatologist with some understanding about this and who bothered to check the pelvic floor! Mine won't even discuss the pelvic floor, she just looks blank when I bring it up and then proceeds to tell me which drug she's adding this time.

I've got some lidocaine ointment but it really irritated my inflamed skin. It's really for provoked V so sex and tampons don't hurt so much, if pain is everywhere on the vulva it won't do alot because it's only applied in the vestibule but it's personal choice if you try it.

I almost bought a Headache In The Pelvis but someone on a review said it was alot about how it's in your head which put me off, I don't know if it is or not as I just read reviews about it. A good book I've recently read is When Sex Hurts which was mentioned in another thread and it's really good because it scorns the diagnosis of Vulvodynia which of course we all know doesn't tell us what's wrong and goes through all the possible causes and treatment options which I liked. For me I know my pelvic floor and wobbly pelvis are the cause but it's nice to read about it and see what it says about how that connects to inflamed skin etc.

Anyway glad you're happy after your appointment.

Hey Sarah,

I think I have got it! I have worked out how to tense abs and not pelvic floor, if that's what you mean? I gently contract abs then do the "drop' of pelvic floor and I can feel it completely relax, as if I wasnt tensing my abs. I feel it through my bottom cheeks to, if that makes a difference, just eveything relaxes. I hope this helps.

Sebby glad you have found someone that hasn't brushed you off xx

Ok I can kind of do that, I can relax the pelvic floor a little bit while holding the abs tense but not all the way! I even tried it while peeing, trying to keep the flow constant while tensing the abs but it sort of reduced down to a dribble! I find my pelvic floor flutters while I'm trying to do it, it desperately wants to tighten up and keeps fluttering on and off. Bloody pelvic floors!

Thanks girls...have just bought the Gym Ball recommened in the book so will be trying it this weekend!

Im not sure I understand how to do it all at the moment but I will give it a go and if it makes it worse I'll just stop

As for the lidocaine..well I tried it whilst having a flare up and It didnt make anything numb! Maybe I didnt use enough? it said between 2 and 4 centimetres so tried just 2 at first.

It well stings like she said when you first put it on..really not sure I like it..I mean if it stung and then made it go numb I might think differently but I didnt feel any difference?

I just put it on the vestibule area and wondered if this would help with the sitting etc during the flare up but I still had to lie down as sitting still put too much pressure on it!

Really am disapointed with it but I will probably just try it again and use more..if its still rubbish I just wont bother