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Yeast infection or Herpes? VERY Worried!!!!!
I began to notice in April that I was having yeast infections that seemed to occur the week of my period or sometimes the week before that. Classic yeast infection symptoms of external irritation, cottage cheese like discharge and burning. the symptoms disappear when my period starts.This has happened just about every month since. My mother told me she used to get them before her period and that they were mild. So were mine.
OK, so the point of all this, last week, I went to my doctor for my annual pap. I told him about the Yeast infections, and asked is normal that they happen before my period, etc. He basically asked me questions about how long they last, when they start, and what I do to cure them. He said that some women just have recurring yeast infections. Then, as I was leaving his office, he said, "some women have herpes and mistake it for a yeast infection. That doesn't seem to fit what you're telling me though, but you can be tested if you want." I was like, huh?!?!?!?!? Now i'm scared I have Herpes.
So my questions are: Would Herpes reoccur every month before your period? Does herpes cause white cottage cheese like discharge? Now sometimes I do notice that I have bumps on the external vagina around the opening when i get yeast infections. Are these Herpes bumps? When I have the external irritation, I use monistat cream. It seems to help the irritation. Would monistat cream help herpes?
Last month I had pimple on the outside that felt kinda sore. I just thought it was an irritation or the beginning of a yeast infection. It went away once my period came.
OK, so the point of all this, last week, I went to my doctor for my annual pap. I told him about the Yeast infections, and asked is normal that they happen before my period, etc. He basically asked me questions about how long they last, when they start, and what I do to cure them. He said that some women just have recurring yeast infections. Then, as I was leaving his office, he said, "some women have herpes and mistake it for a yeast infection. That doesn't seem to fit what you're telling me though, but you can be tested if you want." I was like, huh?!?!?!?!? Now i'm scared I have Herpes.
So my questions are: Would Herpes reoccur every month before your period? Does herpes cause white cottage cheese like discharge? Now sometimes I do notice that I have bumps on the external vagina around the opening when i get yeast infections. Are these Herpes bumps? When I have the external irritation, I use monistat cream. It seems to help the irritation. Would monistat cream help herpes?
Last month I had pimple on the outside that felt kinda sore. I just thought it was an irritation or the beginning of a yeast infection. It went away once my period came.
Did you ever find out what it was juniormint. I get a blister that is very small an it will pop an burn. I only get them a few days before I start my period. Some times they'll stop before I start and sometimes they go all the way through my period.
Hi. Did u ever found out wat it was? Im having a similar issue but its a few days after my period. Looks like a pimple or 2 but it doesnt really itch. The "fluid" inside doesnt look like herpes related fluid. Its white like yeast...hopefully? Im on my cycle now so I have to wait a few days to see if anything pops up again before i go to the doctor..again smh lol
I'm not 100% positive, a good friend of mine and my sil both have herpes and they have told me the sores do not hurt, they get them occasionally and don't know unless they see them because they cant feel them. There are a lot of sites with more accurate info than I can give you. I know a lot of women are prone to yi. I think the changes in body though cycle through the bacteria off balance and when af comes it goes back.
Thanks for your responses!!
To Freespirit,
I agree, that doc wasn't the nicest. lol.
I guess I had just gotten used to having them. If I was uncomfortable, i'd take a diflucan, but they are mostly mild.
What I did recently, which really seemed to help, was to take a warm sitz bath with a half cup of vinegar. After doing some reasearch online, I found this home remedy, and it really helped. I did this twice a day for 2 days and felt so much better (and it cleared up too).
Like I said, I noticed they were happening around the same time every month, which, after doing some research,I found that they occur after I would have ovulated, which is apparently when hormone levels are high.
So, what i'm going to do next month, is around the middle of my cycle, i'm gonna do this vinegar bath and see how I do. I dont like taking medication unless I really really have to. So i'll try this and see how I do.
To Freespirit,
I agree, that doc wasn't the nicest. lol.
I guess I had just gotten used to having them. If I was uncomfortable, i'd take a diflucan, but they are mostly mild.
What I did recently, which really seemed to help, was to take a warm sitz bath with a half cup of vinegar. After doing some reasearch online, I found this home remedy, and it really helped. I did this twice a day for 2 days and felt so much better (and it cleared up too).
Like I said, I noticed they were happening around the same time every month, which, after doing some research,I found that they occur after I would have ovulated, which is apparently when hormone levels are high.
So, what i'm going to do next month, is around the middle of my cycle, i'm gonna do this vinegar bath and see how I do. I dont like taking medication unless I really really have to. So i'll try this and see how I do.
I wouldn't worry about herpes. Unless you had small red blisters along with flu like symptoms, all which cleared up with in a short amount of time, I would stop worrying about it.
More than likely you have cyclic yeast problems. The higher amount of estrogen during your cycle could very well be the trigger. What you may want to try, is to pre-treat yourself with an over the counter med just when you expect to have one occur. If this doesn't work, find a gyn that is knowledgable about this. The guy you just saw, is a jerk. A vulvo/vaginal clinic would be a good place to start if there is one in your area. Call different ob/gyn offices and ask around for someone who specializes in or treats women with chronic yeast.
Avoid the 1-day treatments. The amount of med in that can cause you to have a severe reaction and may not clear up the infection, it's best to use the longer treatments.
Be aware that chronic yeast infections can lead to painful conditions like vulvodynia and vestibulitus. Find a doc who will work with you and get a handle on this. Don't wait them out or suffer through them. There is no need of that.
More than likely you have cyclic yeast problems. The higher amount of estrogen during your cycle could very well be the trigger. What you may want to try, is to pre-treat yourself with an over the counter med just when you expect to have one occur. If this doesn't work, find a gyn that is knowledgable about this. The guy you just saw, is a jerk. A vulvo/vaginal clinic would be a good place to start if there is one in your area. Call different ob/gyn offices and ask around for someone who specializes in or treats women with chronic yeast.
Avoid the 1-day treatments. The amount of med in that can cause you to have a severe reaction and may not clear up the infection, it's best to use the longer treatments.
Be aware that chronic yeast infections can lead to painful conditions like vulvodynia and vestibulitus. Find a doc who will work with you and get a handle on this. Don't wait them out or suffer through them. There is no need of that.
Now that the doctor brought it up, your probably always going to wonder. I would get a herpes select blood test just so you know. 25% of population has HSV2 and just don't know or recognize symptoms because they are so mild.
Thanks for your reply.
I keep looking down there with a mirror and of course now because I have in my head that the doctor said he thinks I have herpes (which he didn't tecnhically say), I cant tell if it looks normal.
The pimple I had looked like a pimple. The whole area was irritated, like it usually is when i have a YI.
It went away when I had my period, which was about 4 days later. It didn't look like a sore, but it was sore when i touched it. It didn't look like a cold sore or anything like that, just a pimple.
I guess they are just yeast infections, and nothing to worry about.
I keep looking down there with a mirror and of course now because I have in my head that the doctor said he thinks I have herpes (which he didn't tecnhically say), I cant tell if it looks normal.
The pimple I had looked like a pimple. The whole area was irritated, like it usually is when i have a YI.
It went away when I had my period, which was about 4 days later. It didn't look like a sore, but it was sore when i touched it. It didn't look like a cold sore or anything like that, just a pimple.
I guess they are just yeast infections, and nothing to worry about.
The only sure way to find out is to get tested. I get recurring mild yeast infections about every other month and they go away w/af. I think it's just the imbalance of bacteria at that time of the month. If you get open sores like canker sores, cold sores, etc. I might be a little concerned. The yeast causes irritation and burning but not the cold sore type. You can get sores from a yi if you scratch it. If no other symptoms, I would say just yi.
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