New-need advice

I'm new here and newly diagnosed. What does everyone do when their period comes? I can't wear tampons and now the pads cause my burning to become extremely worse. With the last period I switched to cotton organic pads and changed them every three hours. This did not help. My little friend just arrived again this morning and I am totally panicking. Right now I folded a bounty paper towel down there. I am scared to put a pad on. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Christina, I dont have periods any more, thank God. I can not imagine how horrible it is for you. I dont even wear underwear anymore cause it hurts to much, I dont know what I would do in your position.

May I ask how old you are? If your in your later thirties and you are all done with having children then you can get an Ablation done which will stop your periods. The procedure is quick and easy and it can be done right there in your Gyno's office. So you may want to talk to your Gyno about this procedure.

I really feel for you and being terrified, I can totally understand. The other night my pain was so very severe that I wanted to go to the ER but I figured they couldnt do anything to help me. When the following night came I was absolutely terrified that the pain would be that severe again. I was having anxiety attacks, panic attacks and could hardly breath. I was just so scared. I understand your fear. I hope someone here has an answer for you. Take care and good luck.

I was to suggest a lady cup but since you can't use tampons that wouldn't even a suggestion for you. How about cloth pads? Ive seen many ladies go to cloth pads due to irritation.

The only thing I can think of to suggest is that if you are OK to take the contraceptive pill, it is safe to take continuously i.e. without the normal 7 day break so that you just don't have periods at all.

I know it is safe to take pills continuosly but it's not recommended. Also, considering how many have posted on here about bc pills starting their symptoms, I'm wondering of the link...? Just my thoughts. I'm new to vulvodynia as well.

Why are you unable to wear tampons? The pain? Tampons are actually much easier for me to deal with than pads... the pads definately made the pain 10x worse by rubbing.

I'm 41 and am done having kids. I have a 16 and 13 year old. I also read the pill has bothered many people with this and so I am reluctant to try that at this time. I was reading about the cloth pads online last night and may see if Whole Foods carries any in stock. As for tampons, I wore those as a teenager but they always hurt later on and they would kind of slip down and bother me. This morning I have such a heavy flow and the pad is already bothering me that I may try using one of my daughters Playtex Sport tampons. I think she has unscented. I plan on calling the store about the cloth pads this morning.
Can someone help me by seeing if they have the same symptoms as me? I'm beginning to question my diagnosis just because I am baffled by this. The burning just came on suddenly with me period this past December and hasn't left. Is that what happens? You just wake up one day with burning that never stops? I have never ever had problems below before then. This whole thing just amazes me. It is not just around my opening but all of the skin in that area especially, the left side. Sometimes my clitoris hurts just by my underwear moving around. I get red and raw. Sometimes it feel like cuts down there. The more I pee the more my skin burns and I use water on it while doing so. If I apply anything to the skin just the touch causes it to burn not always what I am applying. Just the touch. If I look and gently pull and move the skin it burns. I get a weird discharge now sometimes like cooked egg whites. It always test negative to yeast and bacteria. Is this right? Seriously? If so, will it ever end or at least get better? I would love to wear jeans again as I have been wearing the same 3 pairs of sweat since this began. Also, prior to this my husband and I had a great sex life. Now I just feel like yuck and am afraid of him touching down there. A new Gyn I saw the other day gave me Lidocaine but I just don't even feel like it now. I think I am going through denial or extreme panic that maybe this is not right or if it is right, how will I cope.
Also I would love to join the FB page. Could someone please tell me how. Thank you all so much. I feel very alone right now.

As for joining the facebook group, you pm the username Naomi on here and give her your information so she can find you. She will add you to her facebook then to the 'Secret' group. No one will know you are apart of the group on your facebook only you will.

Personally NOT continuing taking my birth control pills stopped my pain dramatically. I'm currently pregnant and after I have the baby for birth control methods I'm think about persuading my boyfriend to get a vasectomy, I will not touch hormonal birth control EVER again. But of course what causes someone elses pain won't cause another persons with this condition because everyones cause may be different we are just having the same symptoms.

Do you have a livejournal account? There is a clothpad community.
http://cloth-pads.livejournal.com/
There are also people who make their own cloth-pads and sell them online on such places as etsy.

As for what I mentioned earlier about a 'ladycup'. . . . you said tampons would slide down. Some ladies are jumping to using these cups during menstruation.
http://menstrual-cups.livejournal.com/

I actually have the same discharge as you are describing, I thought it was just due to getting on birth control but it has stuck ever since, no infection no nothing just new white discharge. Vulvodynia is just a word to describe symptoms, if you don't have vaginal infections or skin problems and you are having pain they just throw the word Vulvodynia to you. Thus is why everyone's pain is different and cause is different.

Yep we're definitely all different with what helps or hinders our pain, I did start the pill a few months before the pain began but in the intervening years I've been off it for very long periods of time with no difference whatsoever, so I don't think mine's hormone related at all. I've never heard that the pill's not recommended for continuous use, I can't see a problem as long as you're getting regular blood pressure checks. (All I've read is that you might get some breakthrough bleeding).

The pill probably does cause v for some people, but although a lot of women with v are on the pill, it's worth remembering that a lot of women are on the pill full stop and don't develop v.

I totally understand not wanting to make things worse, but if it's your period in particular that flares you up then it could be worth thinking about somewhere down the line if you need to. Good luck x