Numbing cream?

I was watching a TV show last night humorously enough called "Strange Sex"... usually, stories about people with odd experiences, etc. They had a segment on a girl with vulvodynia and she even went through surgery, but could find no relief. Hers seemed to be of the primary sort, I think it's called, in which intercourse was painful for her from the very first time, whereas mine developed years later, as I think many of your cases might have... and she discussed using lidocaine, some sort of topical anaesthetic. Anyone have any experience with this? I am hoping that this will be resolved at some point, but if I get to the point at which I can't find anything, I suppose temporary relief might have to do>..?

<3
Julie

I've seen alot of women discuss it online and some have good results with it where they can't feel the pain any more but alot of them have a reaction to the actual cream either immediately or after time and it burns even worse so it's hit and miss I'm afraid. I don't think it would help me because anything in a cream base sets my skin off even worse than it already is, I can use so few topical treaments without an adverse reaction I just daren't try it. You can buy it online here in the UK but I haven't seen it in any high street chemists. American ladies have mentioned being prescribed it though so I'm not sure if you can buy it OTC in the US.

Hi, i was given numbing cream when my vulvodynia first started, but it did nothing for me, but it might work for others. I was also given the cream by my gyne, when i told her how painful intercorse was, but to be honest where at the start of this nightmare, where my GP would not send me to see a gyne i had to go to harley st, where i was told i had 2nd degree burns from all the different creams i was given, i just so scared of creams,the only one i use is aqrous on the anus erea. The gyne said the numbing cream works for a lot of women, but for me where i used it before and it did't work ,to scared to use it again after the first time, but always make sure it's ok for you to use from your gyne, not your GP.

maggiex

Hi Julie,

I find the lignocaine gel 2% works for me. The 5% strength one causes burning. As part of my treatment, I'm suppose to apply it 3-5 times daily. I think it's suppose to de-sensitise me a little but I haven't been doing it.

Sue

I tried it. It didnt seem to irritate my skin too much but it didnt do much for the pain, either. I had to smear loads of the stuff on and it did become numb enough to get some sex started. It felt uncomfortable and weird. As I am sensitive to condoms, my partner got it all over him too, went numb, lost his erection and we just decided to have dissapointed cuddles with our numb genitals and never try that again.

Awww Lisa, thats the trouble with it cos it goes on the fella too. Is it the latex in condoms you are sensitive too? or justin general? they do non latex.

ahh, doesn't sound too fun, haha! I was just wondering. I am nearly halfway through a 6-wk course of Diflucan to kill some yeast my latest doctor found, which I'm sure won't fix things, but could have been the root of all of this... persistent yeast...anyone think so? After that, if she doesn't have more to say, I'll have to look harder for a specialist...

the more I think about it, the less i want to use numbing cream. Though I have heard of local numbing injections-- thoughts?

I was in contact with this lady (see link below) regularly last year (phone consultations email etc) She's lovely. I think my condition def' sounds like her theory. If the consultants cant help my in Oxford I will continue with her ten step programme and hardcore antifungal treatments (with regular kidney function tests again).

Its worth buying the information pack from her its amazing how much research she has d one over the years and been in our position with similar symptoms when she was younger.

http://www.empowher.com/node/1002094/subscribe

I think her theory is interesting but I've got to say I don't think it's my problem, I haven't had a yeast infection in years and I always used to get some itching with them which I don't have with this. Does she work with your GP on this Naomi? Is that how the kidney function tests come about?

last year i tried it with about 3 months high strength fluconazole. Im not sure if it was the anti fungal or the stress (I got completely stressed when i was signed off work last year) but my hair feel out, id say about a 1/4 of it, i used to have thick hair. My GP read a bit of her info pack (it is about an inch thick) and agreed to try. She emailed my GP with guidance. But after 3 months no change and I realised that if I didnt try the UK treatment/consultants I stood no chance with claiming housing benefits, incapacity benefits and tribunals.

fluconazole in high doses aparently affects the Liver (sorry I meant liver not kidney!!), so I had to have weekly liver function tests at the hospital.

So I think I will def try it again with the diet, lifestyle changes, antifungals ( might have to buy a wig!) etc. As I dont hold out much hope with the present specialists...3 month wait for my biopsy results!!!! effing health service.

Three months on the yeast regime sounds like you gave it a fair trial last time. I'm a bit alarmed about the hair loss!! It sounds harsh, especially if a weekly liver function test is needed, I know for a fact my GP wouldn't agree to send me for weekly blood tests!

And 3 months for your biopsy results? I thought they said a couple of weeks? Surely they'll have them sooner than that!

the vulva clinic in oxford is only every 3 months!!! I know! stupid! as it is a joint clinic with a dermatologist and a gynae together. Ive been trying to chase up a private appointment instead but getting any answers out of the john radcliffe is like getting blood out of a stone!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR

....its not as if I'd like to have a life to lead!!!?!

numbing cream - i'm currently prescribed dermovate which is a steroid cream (the one up from betnovate).... by no means a long term solution but it helps me massively when I use it. Unfortunately you can't use it in sex, but it's not harmful to your partner if there's still traces of it about.

and with biopsies, it took me just under 3 months to find out with a fully functioning gyno clinic!!!

Sadly though, despite the result it doesn't seem any closer to resolution.... and the boyfriend has been pressuring a bit for sex which I'm worried about as I'm just worried about the pain in general, and if I can't handle it the matter becomes even worse!

Can I ask what your biopsy results showd julia? It seems odd the strong steroid cream works for you so do you have a skin condition? When I tried that potency of steroid cream it burnt a layer of skin off which wasn't at all helpful!

yeah sure, basically it showed that I had vulvodynia.

It was a toss up between vulvodynia and lichen schlerosis (skin condition) before the biopsy, but the results didn't show any skin conditions whatsoever.

weird huh?

That is odd, normally if there's no skin condition present the strong steroid creams don't help with the inflammation. I was given it after a GP thought I had Lichen Planus and she also gave me the ointment version so a cream base wasn't involved to irritate me and it really burnt a layer of skin off. I find the 1% hydrocortisone is useful if I get a huge worsening of symptoms but only to get me back to my normal pain level and not beyond that. It's very lucky it works for you!