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Vaginal and anal tearing/fissures

For the last 6 months I have been getting tearing (look like paper cuts) in my vaginal area (1/4 to 1/2 inch long). I get the tears at least once or twice a week and they last from 2-4 days, go away for a few days and then come back. They continue to occur in the same locations;
1. Inside the vaginal lips on the sides almost always in the crease (between the labia minora and majora?)
2. Between the anus and vaginal opening (perineum)
3. Above the clitoris in the "hood" area.

This tearing is not related to intercourse since my husband and I are unable to do that due to the pain it causes me.  There is no real pain otherwise. I am getting some minor bleeding when I poop due to the tears in the anal area. The entire vaginal area is very itchy and if I scratch or rub the skin at all I often give myself one of these tears.  It seems as if the skin is very thin. There are no other symptoms that I am aware of.

I have had blood work and a biopsy done. Some of the things that I was tested for were; genital herpes, lichen sclerosus, lichen simplex chronicus, lichen planus, vulvar vestibulitis.  All results came back negative. The biopsy tested positive for "healing ulcers". My doctor does not seem to know what the problem is and is contacting a specialist in Lebanon, NH.

My Dr. prescribed an estrogen cream which did not seem to work. I have not been on any other medication for this. I am looking for some guidance as to what this condition may be and how to treat it. My husband & I want to get pregnant soon but I would like to resolve this issue first. Please help.
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Avatar universal
I have been plagued with these vaginal cuts for over 5 years now.
I am 54 yrs old now. For the last 4 months I have been cut free.
For some reason I decide to read up on Milk Thistle.  Well it works with Diabetes which I have also. Works with your Mucus Membranes also.
So I started taking 2 capsules 3 times a day.
On the 3rd day I started using just twice a day.
I feel amazing, No cuts and my Diabetes is better.
Plus, in 4 mths I have lost 28 lbs. My skin all over feels amazing.

God is good I will continue to use the Milk Thistle Capsules Every Day.

Look up Milk Thistle and Vaginal Fissures you will be amazed.

I pray that you all can find relief also.

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1 Comments
How are things now? Its been a few years since your last post.
Avatar universal
could also be lichens schlerosis, I was always told for years that i was sufferng with yeast infections but it's lichens schlerosis.. my symptoms are always worse in the winter, I think it's because i eat more carbs like baked goods around the olidays. so i am now trying to eat gluten free and low carb, and i am taking more vitamin D, because we get less sun in the winter too.
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1 Comments
Dis going gluten free help? Any other update?
Avatar universal
I have been getting the same thing for months and finally I got an answer from my gyno! It was from reoccurring yeast infections. Apparently the yeast makes ur skin super susceptible to tearing... Not fun. Tearing can also be causes by scratching, intercourse, and stretching the skin down there. Hope I was some help.
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1 Comments
was there any way to stop it? Ive gotten the same things and im pretty sure it was from recurring yeast infections :(
Avatar universal
hi ladies. like everyone here, i'm so happy to have found this forum. i started experience vaginal tears when i started a new relationship. i thought it was candida, or some other iteration of my sugar sensitivity, which is absurd, because i don't eat sugar, or sugar substitutes, or fruit, or grains, or legumes, or anything that turns to sugar, but tightened it up, nonetheless (meaning: no coconut sugar or kombucha). it didn't help, like, at all.

my naturopath thought it was bacterial, so we did a bunch of homeopathic remedies, which didn't work. i took it upon myself to put my partner and i on massive doses of wild oregano oil, which sort of worked in the short term, but not really.

i figured i was allergic to him on some deep alchemical level, and was relieved when we broke up, because i thought i was in the clear. some other health stuff inspired me to do a fast, which ended up lasting 32 days. 32 DAYS!!! no fruit, no fruit juice, no solid food whatsoever. only bone broth, green juice, and apple cider vinegar beverages and detox teas. the day i broke the fast (on soup and a few sprigs of steamed broccoli), i broke out in the fissures again. this time is worse than ever, as they've spread across the perineum, into the anus, and up the backside of my crack, as well as up my mons. it can't possibly be yeast or candida as i just reset my whole system, and am still subsisting on green juice, bone broth and tiny amounts of steamed veggies.

i'm devastated.

i just poured through this thread, and broke down and ordered estrogen cream. i don't know what else to do. my psychic neighbor suggested vitamin c, which has been mentioned here, as well. i also intuitively bought b complex today, which i also see here. i'm praying that - between the three of these options - something will get rid of this. as you all know, it's so frustrating, so painful, so embarrassing, and it makes me really, really resent being stuck in a body. ugh.

i'm sending soothing, healing, cosmic salve to all of our ouchie nether regions. may we heal quickly and easily, and never, ever, ever deal with this again.

xo
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Avatar universal
Hello, I know this post is over a year ago but I have been dealing with the same cuts/tears to the labia/perineum/anal area for the past few months. Ive been searching all over the internet and stumbled upon this thread today! I've been swabbed for yeast and bacteria and both were negative. I went to a gynecologist today and the nurse practitioner swabbed me again and also is running an STD panel. Have any of you by any chance found out what was causing your cuts? I'm hoping for some answers because this has affected me both physically and mentally the past few months.
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2 Comments
Hope you have had a diagnosis and are feeling better by now.  In case you are still looking for answers - there is a condition called lichen sclerosis which causes cuts tears in the areas you describe.  This is diagnosed normally by doing a vulval biopsy and treated with steroid creams.  It is a life long condition but managed correctly can be controlled.
Hi @juliedofasho - I know this post is over 3 years ago.. (oh my), and was wondering if you ever found a solution for your tears?

Isn't this the worst - these threads running since before 2005, and now me writing you 3 years after you posted, because I've álso just found these threads (yay!) and feel less alone (yay!) ánd because I cannot find any other good solutions out there (frustrating and horrible!). If you ever see this: thanks in advance..
Avatar universal
This could be caused by bacterial vaginosis. You can have no symptoms besides the fissures.

Also, there is not really a test for vulvar vestibultis besides the qtip test so I would not rule out that you have that. Magnetic Dilators can be very helpful at home for that.
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Avatar universal
I know this is a really old question but no one  had mentioned that it could be a yeast infection. Take probiotics if you have dry itchy skin down there and see if that helps. Avoid alcohol and reduce sugar intake Until it clears up. And always pee after sex!
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Avatar universal
wanna use this medium to inform everyone ,about traditional medicine. i ordered  for hsv herbal medicine from dr.***@**** email i saw in vegan post on facebook. And received it through ups within 5 days and used it as directed . in just 2 weeks of medication i felt relived, the inching suddenly stopped, the cold sore began to dry up. i went for a text and was HSV 2 negative . same virus the scientific researchers said no definite cure, i endorse traditional herbal medicine for all who are in need of alternative cure for any deadly disease that can cause .infertility and discomfort.
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Avatar universal
Try to use Aloe but don't buy a gel. Just go to the vegetables store and buy a big Aloe leaf. Cut piece of it then cut this piece in half ( the way you would cut a Kaiser roll). Cut out the soft gel from it and apply to the skin. Aloe heels wounds, burns and even hemorrhoids. Maybe it will help you with those tearing problems. Try to avoid g- strings as well. I think Aloe will help just use it for some time.
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Avatar universal
Dose this cause to have sex reason I ask because partner mite be cheating hopefully I'm wrong
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Avatar universal
What you guys can use is anbesol oral anesthetic/benzocaine regular stregth gel. Its not just for toothache etc.it is also use for the virginal area for itching etc. It works really well. Anbesol is surely a solution to your problems, apply only to the outer area not the inner virgina area.
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2 Comments
I have vaginal fissure that reopens and closes near the forschette, at the perineum, i have couple of sex partners, but accidentally married the "biggest one", at the begining i didnt know what the hell was going on down there, then i went at my gyno and she explained it to me that it was duo to my husband being too big, i know it is from him he has 5.9 inch penis girth,(circumference), i know that average girth is 4.7 inch, so i know it is from his thickness, that i tear every time we have sex and at the beginning it were huge tears, but since i started using virgin coconut oil i get fewer tears, if i tore for example everytime we had sex, now i i tore every second time we are having sex and in certain positions more badly, but its like pencil line, and i have herpes, but i dont think it is causing the tear, i tear at the same place for 4 years, and it is happening only after rough sex and in certain positions and is more bad if i havent been lubricated with the coconut oil, and if we havent had much foreplay, so i suggest plenty of foreplay before sex, i am considering leaving my husband, because i know that he is causing the problem, because i had 6 year relationship with much smaller guy and i havent had any promlems whatsoever down there, in fact the sex was amazing with the "smaller penis guy" so i know it is the girth that is causing this, i was worried earlier but as time passes i am more convinced that i should get a divorce, we only live once, i dont want to tear till the rest of my days and be in a constant worry whether i will develop something more serious like lichen sclerosis or some autoimmune disease, since i read that lichen sclerosis begins with something like a normal cut, i worry because i tore at the same place, all the time and the skin is irritated and there is a proccess of healing all the time at the same spot, so i am deadly afraid it could cause lichen sclerosis, which is uncurable.
Yeah you go girl, **** the part in the vows that said “for better or worse”!
Avatar universal
I often itch too but closer to my cycle time. Best thing that works for me is Vaseline it helps it heal fast because the Tears hurt. I would also change your soap too anything with fragrance may cause itching and irritation
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Avatar universal
I have the same exact issue. I'm 46 been dealing for 2 years. Frustrated and seriously depressed over it. I've tried everything except coconut oil or cauterizing. If anyone has a solution, please let me know. I know that urea plasma has been known to cause some issues but I was tested negative.
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Avatar universal
I used to have the same symptoms. I realized that having sex while being constipated,  make the skin in that area open up. Maybe too much pressure in that area? I make sure I empty my bowels before sex, and I haven't had those cuts for years!
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Avatar universal
I have this exact same issue. I'm told it is due to lack of hormones. I can tell you now that I have found something that actually helps. Apply a small amount of Organic Coconut Oil twice daily.
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Avatar universal
Did they check for vitamin December levels and signs and symptoms  of  malnutrition? You can get those fissures on the corner of your mouth also. Usually caned by some type of deficiency or change in diet. Some medicationsay can cause this also.
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1 Comments
Ive had this problem for a few years, and lately I have gotten the cracked corner of mouth problem. I have suspected it is hormones or some sort of imbalances. What tests have u had or recommend?
Avatar universal
Out of the clear blue I developed a tear on left side of vaginal opening. It bled slightly when I wiped. Like dots. Then it burned terribly every time I urinated. i could hardly walk or sit. My friend had the same thing happen a few years ago and said get triple antibiotic cream. i did, along with tucks pads. Now, 3 days later, not gone but much much better. Mine is hormonal...menopause dryness makes skin thinner:( i feel for anyone with this problem. So painful.
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Avatar universal
I am 15 years old. I've never had sex, but I am experiencing the same thing. I also have excima, or really dry skin in areas(behind the neck, in the creases of my arms,behind my knees, and on my lower face). My doctor had prescribed me a trimcinolone acetonide cream. I started using that on the small cuts down there an I've found that it helps. It could be just me but it's worth giving it a shot.
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Avatar universal
I use the same intuition shaver. I've often thought that caused it. I realize you posted this over 10 years ago, did the problem go away for you? I've been dealing with it for a year now.
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Avatar universal
i get the same i found out that it was caused by toilet paper residue. It takes a few days of washing and it goes away and comes back the same day right after I use toilet paper. It really breaks up fine and makes its way inside and takes a few days to fully be washed out. It is hard to avoid since i am hardly home and stuck having to use public washrooms a lot and tend to run out of travel wipes.  
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Avatar universal
Hi,
I have the exact same symptoms! I have an internal tear, that tears back open every time we have sex and nothing so far has helped. So I'm wondering did the cauterizing work? If not, did you do the episiotomy? That will be my next step as well, my dr wants to leave it as a last resort cuz she mentioned it doesn't always work and may make the situation worse. Any input you have will be greatly appreciated because I've dealt with this for 3 years now and I'm beyond frustrated!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank God I'm not the only person who is dealing with all of this!  I've had this problem for a few years now.  I've had it when sexually active for long periods and when celibate for long periods. After reading all of these posts and doing some digging around on the internet, I have a working theory that it is low estrogen levels.  I have yeast infections from time to time (which can be caused by low estrogen levels).  I have Crohn's Disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, which is what I was blaming the issue on because I have more bowel movements and thus wipe more with TP and I thought that was drying out my skin down there and irritating it, but come to find out IBD can also cause lower estrogen.  In addition, it has gotten worse lately, but I have been running a lot and am quite thin now, which can also cause lower estrogen levels. I'm going to experiment with herbal supplements that raise estrogen (chaste berry, black cohosh, Maca, Damiana, ginseng).  I found one that has a mix of all of these.  Also, eating certain fruits, red meat, egg yolks, and soy can help boost estrogen levels.  I hope it works.  This really *****!
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2 Comments
Follow-up from my last post, a bunch of y'all posted that it often comes on or gets worse right before their periods, which also feeds into my theory because estrogen levels dip right before your period.
Wowwww, I really thought I was the only one dealing with this tear in that particular area. I can agree with the low estrogen levels being that this never happened before my hysterectomy. My body has gone through so many post hysterectomy issues until I wished I had gone another route and not had the complete procedure done. My gynecologist put me on a low estrogen to bring some elasticity back to my vaginal area. I am hoping and praying that in time, more sooner than later, it will help. Intercourse is very painful so it makes my love life less lovely!!!
Avatar universal
I have been reading these comments for about a week now and still haven’t been able to get through it all.  Such valuable information!  Nonetheless, just as so many have stated before, I am so happy to see that I’m not alone.  When I googled, this blog is the first thing that came up and I’m praying that I will find answers too.  I’m 43 with 2 kids and eat fairly well, exercise regularly and I’m healthy with no major issues ever.  I have no allergies and life is for the most part normal with typical stresses of running a business and being a mother. I use an IUD and I don’t see any specific time of when the tears started happening, ie after sex or before menstruation etc.  I just have had no relief whatsoever since August!  My story began about 4-5 months ago with just 1 tear along the crease where my labia minora meets the majora.  After about a month, it seemed to have healed with Neosporin and wearing a lot of skirts with no underwear.  I thought I had caught a nail or maybe my husband caught his nail or it was tampon insertion or waxing.  It went away before my annual gyno exam so I never brought it up to my doctor.  It came back with a vengeance after a month.  The same cut in the same place came back and grew longer and even more painful and after some time, I had massive itching and burning.  I started treating myself with Neosporin again but did research and thought I was just experiencing vaginal dryness, even though I’m not even close to premenopausal.  After research for dryness, I started using vitamin E oil and A & D ointment  and that kept the cut at bay but not healed.  Then I started getting fissures in my perineum and anus and I figured then it must be hemorrhoids and started treating accordingly.  Naturally everything got much worse and I felt like I was pooping glass and was bleeding with every wipe.  The itchiness has been UNBEARABLE!  Wiping caused more tears and I had to brace myself with every trip to the toilet.  I finally went to my gyno but could only see the nurse just a couple of weeks ago. I was handed the news of possible Herpes 2 and after a LONG and frightening week, the blood test and culture came back negative.  Phew! But what the heck is this!  While I was waiting for results, I was given 2 samples of creams and found the one with 1% hydrocortisone relieved symptoms by 50% within 24 hours.  I have the over the counter cream Cortisone 10 and started using that.  Within 3-4 days I was almost completely healed.  I purposely stopped using the cream for 2 days in order to go to my follow up appointment with some fissures.  Yesterday, I saw my doctor and I brought up this blog and some of the suggestions for causes.  She tested me for autoimmune diseases and swabbed for yeast infection.  She prescribed me a corticosteroid ointment.  It appears to be working now almost 24 hours later but the Cortisone 10 seemed to have been more effective.  I’m giving this ointment 3 more days and if there’s not at least 90% relief from the itch or the fissures aren’t starting to heal, I plan to just use the Cortisone 10.  Although, I wouldn’t want an official diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, it would at least be an answer.  I’m terrified that I will fall under the umbrella of the big question mark like so many others in earlier posts and will have to constantly fear of a new fissure or reoccurrence or the old method doesn’t work anymore etc.    But for now, try Cortisone 10.  It has worked well for me.  I’ll post again once I get my results.  Best wishes to the future and present sufferers and would love to hear from any of the older posts.
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2 Comments
I have almost the same problem. I feel like I am allergic to myself. After intercourse the sperm would burn my bottom. I couldn't wait to wash it off. I was tested for everything even diabetes. Every test came back negative. The only relief is using the Hydrocortisone 1% cream. I have had a pilonidal abscess removed and when they drained it it went all down the whole front of my bottom I don't know if  that is what causes the clogged pores that I've gotten only since I've had the abscess drained and removed. And I was told I would always have to use an antibacterial soap on my bottom  I don't know if that's the cause .  Any help would be appreciated thank you Marcia
Please check out Lichen Schlerosis
Avatar universal
I really hope that some of you ladies are finding relief. I was suffering from similar issues, which have been especially bad for the last 10 months or so. I was diagnosed with Lichen Schlerosus about 5 years ago and seemed to respond to topical corticosteroids initially, but then had a few glorious years without any real symptoms.  My obgyn didn’t think it looked like lichen schlerosus but couldn’t offer any help. I went to my dermatologist, who kind of blew me off at first. But then I went back to the dermatologist during a flare up and demand to be tested for a possible allergy to toilet paper. I couldn’t think of anything else that might be causing it because I stopped putting anything down there in the hope that my body might resolve the issue. So my dermatologist recently referred me for an allergy patch test (I got the T.R.U.E. patch test) and learned that I am EXTREMELY allergic to gold! I know, gold. Ugh. I've been wearing my white gold wedding band and ring for the past 10 years and was given a gold necklace last fall - this would account for all of my recent problems. But I admit, I was skeptical (to say the least) that a necklace would be responsible for all the hell I had been experiencing. I did some research and learned that although the areas that where jewelry is worn are sometimes unaffected, people can have reactions elsewhere on their body-including-DING DING DING- their vulvar and anal areas!!!!  And I did have flare ups in the vulvar and anal regions and extreme discomfort. But ever since I stopped wearing any jewelry (just to be sure!) I have been symptom free!!!! It’s been about 6 weeks and let me tell you, it’s been like heaven. I’m don’t even have to treat the area with any ointments!  I share this news in the hopes that some of you will have similar responses. I was suffering from swollen, inflamed, itchy, painful, and eventually had fissures in my vulvar skin. As you know, not fun. During a flare-up (which was at least weekly and would last for days) it affected just about every area of my life. I’m now not convinced that I even have Lichen Schlerosus – I think it was the gold allergy all along.
To find out more about this, look at the Allergic contact dermatitis section of the below link (page 4). And please ask your doctor, obgyn, or dermatologist to refer you for an Allergy Patch test. It’s not the most fun test to go through, BUT the possibility of change and HEALTHY skin is totally worth it. For you it might not be gold, but there may just be some other almost unbelievable explanation for this unfortunate pain. Best wishes on your journeys ladies!
http://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1255&context=pog

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