Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
STDs (Expert Forum)
3 Years later and STILL irritated
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
3 Years later and STILL irritated
by maryjane1975, Nov 25, 2006 12:00AM
Hi there,
I'm at my wits end... I've been itchy and irritated for 3 years. Here's my history:
- I'm 30 years old. In Januray 2004 I got a severe yeast infection. I've had them before, but never this bad. I had sores and blisters on both sides of my thighs and along my vagina. Was finally diagnosed later that year as some type of bacterial infection inconjuction with the yeast infection.
- ever since then I have been constantly itchy and irritated. Well, not constantly, but at least once or twice a month for about 2 days. I never see anything, it just looks a little irratated an red in one spot.
- cortisone cream helps a bit
- I was misdiganosed with genital warts and was mistankely put on Aldara. That inflammed my skin, and my dermatologist said that once I was finally off it, things will get better, but they haven't.
- over the past 3 years I've seen countless doctors, dermatologists, and gynecologists. They have all said that "there's nothing there" and that I just have sensitive skin.
BUT IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE, THEN WHY AM I STILL ITCHY AND IRRITATED AFTER 3 YEARS?
- would all the tests they had done detected herpes or any other kind of viral infection?
- my gynecologist said that it probably wasn't vulvodynia either!
- just tonight I noticed a bunch of small bumps deep inside my vaginal area... but I have no idea if those are normal, or if I'm just paranoid since I really don't know what normal is anymore
- I'm on the pill
I was diagnosed with PCOS... could that be it? I have a history of yeast infections as I mentioned.
I was checked for STDs, all negative. The only thing I wasn't tested for was herpes, but that doesn't sound right based on the pictures I've seen. Like I said, I my vagina area gets red a couple of times a month and itchy... there's never any sores except for that one serious yeast infection breakout that I had which was part of the bacterial infection apparently.
I just got a new boyfriend at the time (back in '04), and he said that just before he met me, he recieved unprotected oral sex form a promiscuous girl, but he said she was clean. He's never had any problems, but it's tearing us apart. Just the possibilty that he got it from her and passed something on to me has been a thorn between us over the past 3 years. He couldn't get a herpes test because he never had any sores, and has been fine... but could there be a link? Herpes or otherwise?
Needless to say, I haven't been feeling very attractive lately... my boyfriend never knows when to come on to me, because he never knows when I'll be ithcy, and quite frankly, neither do I.
Help!
I'm at my wits end... I've been itchy and irritated for 3 years. Here's my history:
- I'm 30 years old. In Januray 2004 I got a severe yeast infection. I've had them before, but never this bad. I had sores and blisters on both sides of my thighs and along my vagina. Was finally diagnosed later that year as some type of bacterial infection inconjuction with the yeast infection.
- ever since then I have been constantly itchy and irritated. Well, not constantly, but at least once or twice a month for about 2 days. I never see anything, it just looks a little irratated an red in one spot.
- cortisone cream helps a bit
- I was misdiganosed with genital warts and was mistankely put on Aldara. That inflammed my skin, and my dermatologist said that once I was finally off it, things will get better, but they haven't.
- over the past 3 years I've seen countless doctors, dermatologists, and gynecologists. They have all said that "there's nothing there" and that I just have sensitive skin.
BUT IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE, THEN WHY AM I STILL ITCHY AND IRRITATED AFTER 3 YEARS?
- would all the tests they had done detected herpes or any other kind of viral infection?
- my gynecologist said that it probably wasn't vulvodynia either!
- just tonight I noticed a bunch of small bumps deep inside my vaginal area... but I have no idea if those are normal, or if I'm just paranoid since I really don't know what normal is anymore
- I'm on the pill
I was diagnosed with PCOS... could that be it? I have a history of yeast infections as I mentioned.
I was checked for STDs, all negative. The only thing I wasn't tested for was herpes, but that doesn't sound right based on the pictures I've seen. Like I said, I my vagina area gets red a couple of times a month and itchy... there's never any sores except for that one serious yeast infection breakout that I had which was part of the bacterial infection apparently.
I just got a new boyfriend at the time (back in '04), and he said that just before he met me, he recieved unprotected oral sex form a promiscuous girl, but he said she was clean. He's never had any problems, but it's tearing us apart. Just the possibilty that he got it from her and passed something on to me has been a thorn between us over the past 3 years. He couldn't get a herpes test because he never had any sores, and has been fine... but could there be a link? Herpes or otherwise?
Needless to say, I haven't been feeling very attractive lately... my boyfriend never knows when to come on to me, because he never knows when I'll be ithcy, and quite frankly, neither do I.
Help!
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Nov 25, 2006 12:00AM
, Nov 25, 2006 12:00AM
No STD causes persistent symptoms for 3 years, and your STD tests were negative. Other than STDs, I'm not an expert in gynecologic symptoms or infections. Yeast and vulvodynia sound possible, but that's about all I can say.
Sorry I can't be more helpful. Best wishes--
HHH, MD
Sorry I can't be more helpful. Best wishes--
HHH, MD
Member Comments (2)
by maryjane1975, Nov 25, 2006 12:00AM
Thanks doctor. Herpes was my big fear. Glad to hear a professioanl (albeit an online) opinion otherwise. :-)
by sad_lisa, Oct 20, 2008 03:51AM
A related discussion, similar problem was started.
