vaginal stinging/burning

[pearlgirl2012]

Hi - I'm a 30 year old heteroesexual woman. I'm freaking out, as I am terrified of herpes!!!  Some background: No history of STDs but  I have had frequent yeast infections in the past 5 months, due to steroid/antiobitoic use for an unrelated condition (which i stopped 1.5 months ago). Also started new birth control about 1.5 months ago.  The most recent yeast infection I had was about 3 weeks ago and it seemed to actually go away on its own. I also wear thongs all the time and recently noticed some irritated after exercising weaar them. I've had about 3 unprotected sexual partners in the past 1.5 years... all guys i was dating and know... who claim to be std free, but how do i know? kicking myself now.  The last time I had sex was 2 months ago, unprotected, w a guy i again know.  I have been having some extra discharge over the past month. (im scheduled for a regular obgym appt in 2 wks so figured id wait). Anyway -  Starting yesterday (about 24 hours ago) while sitting at a desk, I just started getting a shooting stinging/burning pain in my vagina. It feels almost like a shock. I do get laser hair removal for all of my public hair (although i've not been back in months) but it almost reminds me of the laser shock.  When I urinated yesterday it also burned slightly. Yesterday I also had white discharge on vagina that looks sorta like the yeast infections. today, lesser so.  But today again, I'm having htis burning/stinging on and off. I examined myself with a mirror and see NO blisters or sores in area where its coming from... maybe just redness, possibly me probing.  it's very inconsistent, comes and goes.  I have had occasional cold sores on lips when I was younger, and this feels NOHTING like that. does this sound like herpes? thoughts?

[pearlgirl2012]

I know that googling this stuff is never good, but after reading about Vulvodynia, my current symptoms seem very in line with this. i also inspected myself again with a 3x magnifying mirror... see NO sores or lesions. would u say this is a possiblity?  

[pearlgirl2012]

thank you.  two more question.  (i am tyring to see a dr asap but freaking in the meantime).  

1. does the fact that i have severe burning/stinging/stabbin feeling but NOT iching indicate anything?   does that sound like herpes?

2. if this was cause by herpes would there definitely be lesions? what about if it caused by other std's?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Virtually any cause of vaginal discharge- yeast, bacterial vaginosis, STDs, allergic reactions, etc can cause this sort of vulnerability to irritation.  So can small cuts, irritation from tight clothing, chaffing from sex or exercise, etc.  EWH

[pearlgirl2012]

Thanks Doctor for the quick response.

I'm just confused then on what else, aside from herpes, could POSSIBLY cause such intense stinging/pain? its pretty localized pain and like i said, sometimes it just comes out of nowhere (even when not uriniating)  and then sometimes i do notice it when i move my legs in a specific direction... i guess putting pressure on. does chlamydia do this? or yeast infection or other bacteiral infection?

thanks again

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our forum.  I'll try to help and make some comments but there is no substitute for being examined by a trained clinician.   Sometimes HSV can be mistaken for yeast infections but that does not seem to be the case for you.  What you describe does not sound like HSV for several reasons.  

The exposures you describe are low but not no risk.  In the absence of lesions in a partner, HSV is transmitted only about once in every thousand exposures to an infected partner and, if your partners were not aware that they were infected, the mathematical likelihood that the had the infection but did not know it is less than 1 in five.   Thus, from a mathematical perspective, things are very much in your favor.  

Any kind of irritation can cause burning when urine comes in contact with them so this does not make herpes particularly likely.  On the other hand, there are a number of things that make HSV unlikely including the interval since your last sex and the fact that you have examined yourself and did not see lesions.  When people acquire HSV, they typically experience their first outbreak within 2 weeks of the exposure and symptoms last two or even three weeks.  This does not match your situation either.  

Thus, based on both the statistics and the facts of your situation, this does not sound like HSV.  As to what your discharge might be due to, that is harder to say.  Perhaps your GYN can see you a bit sooner.  EWH