vulva pain and redness - help needed ASAP!!!!

[jenmcs21]

Hi everyone,

I'm posting here hoping to get some views and advice on a very irritating and distressing problem I have!!

For just over a  month now, I have experianced a sharp (not too severe but there nonetheless) throbbing pain in my vulvur area. My vulva is red, slightly swollen and tender where the pain occurs and the pain is in one specific area only, not quite at the vaginal entrence, just below it. The pain varies day to day but is there consently and I'm finding this extremely irritating and distressing. Also I have a small very red rash going down from where the pain starts and stopping just before the anus. It starts on the 'inner vula' just below the vagina.  

I'm 20, have not yet been sexually active and there is no itiching or heavy vaginal discharge, the area is just extremely sore and red. I've been to the doctor and she's ruled out any sort of yeast infection due to the fact that there's no itiching and the redness or didn't go away when I tried the usual anti- fungal creams.

I've been on Diflucan (single dose tablet) and another antibiotic that didn't clear the problem. She now has me on Fudicin H cream for ten days and has given me a week long does of anti-inflammitres to take. I'm also making an appointment to see a specialist as soon as possible but could anyone give me any advice on what they think could be the problem??

My doc has told me not to worry but I'm petrified it could be some sort of chronic vulva pain (though my vulva doesn't look 'normal' you'd know something was wrong and I don't experiance the burning pain that its accosicated with and my doc has said that that's the worst case sinareo and my problem can most likely be fully treated by the right specialist) but I know I can't cope with this for much longer. Its really getting me down and doing daily activites is very sore.

I'm inclined to think its some sort of vulva dermititis since I have the rash but I just don't know.....does anyone know if the inflammitries with clear it or help the pain stop?? I think once the rash goes the pain will go away also since the pain stemed from the rash but I'm not sure.....

Any advice or info on this will be most appricated as I'm finding this so upsetting, I've never hasd any sory of chronic thrush infections or anything like that, it just started suddenly and the pain hasn't gotten that bad over the course of the month, but it hasn't gotten better either (and the redness hasn't gone down at all) I'm at a loss and am so worried and frustrated!

Thanks so much in advance for any info that will help me shed light on this,

Jennifer.

[jenmcs21]

Hi,

Just thought I'd let you know how I got on the other day.

It turns out the specialist wasn't helpful at all, didn't do any examinations dispite my requests, he was way too casual and just perscribed me Dalacin Vaginal Cream which I tried to use and couldn't, it just aggrivated the pain and swelling. I woke up so sore this morning that I decided to go down to my VHI swiftcare clinic.

The doctor (who was a GP rather than the very expensive and unhelpful gynocologist that I went to see on Thursday) was very helpful, asked me loads of questions and herself and the nurse did an internal examination and discovered what their almost certain is not any sort of nfection or even rash but a: bartholin cyst on the left side of the labia minora. (its under the skin and thats why I couldn't see it, but its right were the point of pain is, I mistaked the redness for a rash.)

Though the doctor wants a second opinion from a (different) specialist to be on the safe side considering the bad luck I've had with diagnosis so far, she's fairly certain thats what it is. It would explain the extreme continuas pain and discomfort, the fact that is only a certain point on the left side thats painful, why its always red, inflammed and tender and why there's been no oher itching or discharge with it.  

I'm to make an appointment from her recommended specialist and have it looked at and removed as soon as they can fit me in. I'm currently on Tylex Caps for the pain which I really hope will help ease the discomfort whhile I'm waiting to have this all sorted.

I'm so relieved that someone's managed to finally figure out what's been wrong, though I'ved heard of it before because I couldn't see the cyst myselfI didn't even consider it a possibility!

All the best,

Jenny

[jenmcs21]

Hi, thanks again for replying,

The pain is a lot better now, only slightly irritating as opposed to how bad it was before and the swelling and tenderness has gone down a good bit plus the little rash has faded slightly all of which are very good things and a sign I hope, that things are on the mend (and why I'm relieved to think that its probably not 'vulvodynia' thank god!)

However I still feel slightly irritated in the area and the remainders of the small rash is still there (I finished the anti-inflammotories a week ago and I think they definatly did something good for it (though I did experiance some very severe stomach nausa as a side effect) but none the less, the irritatation (not too severe, just rather annoying) has returned only in the past two days, I've stopped using all creams for the moment and am just taking some over the counter pain killers when needed.

I'm seeing the specalist on Thursday and will be getting him to do all the nessacary tests, I'll let you know how I get on...

Thanks so much again, your advice has been really appricated, I only hope the news isn't bad when I see the specalist!!

Jenny

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi Jenny

Thanks for keeping me posted! Hope you are better now?

The first step in healing would be to find out for sure that it is not herpes or fungal infection. This can be done by testing your discharge. If it is ‘vulvodynia’, as it is medically called, then I think it will be advisable to stop steroid creams now after 5 weeks. You also need an allergy test to find out if you are allergic to some soap, detergent, cloth fibre, food item etc. At times low estrogen hormone levels too cause this problem.

You can apply over the counter pain relief creams. Please discuss this with your doctor or your specialist. All the best!

[jenmcs21]

Hi

Thanks again for replying, I feel very rerasurred when I read your posts saying I'm on the right track!!

I'm still pretty much the same as I was a few days ago....I'ver been taking my anti-inflammotories for almost a week now (the course is almost up) along with some pain killers (Nurofen Plus) that have helped a great deal with the pain, I'm nowere near as sore but sill very uncomfortable.

My main concern is now that I'm almost done with the anti-inflammatries, the redness and small rash is still there and remain pretty much unchanged despite the fact that I'm also using the Fudicin H Cream along with them....should I be worried or is this fairly normal and is it maybe just a case of needing s stronger sterodial cream to calm the redness down??? Should I be worried that this could be something chronic or am I just worrying too much and its simply a matter of getting the correct creams and so on to clear it??

Sorry about all the questions, it just worries me so much that the redness and pain are still here after nearly 5 weeks....it feels like I'll never be rid of this!! And again, nothing's gotten particurarly worse, it just hasn't gone away!

I wash the area every day with just warm water (because of wear the area is infected with the redness and small rash, its very hard to keep totally clean all the time and the area is constantly moist which I expect will delay the healing process) and wear cotton underwear during the day with none at night to let the area get some air. I haven't had any sort of thoses tests done yet, my GP referred me to the specialist to do all that but my vaginal discharge appears to be verey normal, no strong oder or strange colour and its not too heavy.....

I've also noticed that the redness from the small rash seems to go up to just inside the lips of the vagina (its been that way from the beginning), its not too red but there nonetheless, I'm assuming this is because of the inflammation?? (there's no pain or swelling near the vaginal entrance, its just very tender) it just looks like the whole area with the rash is inflammed - how long would the anti-inflammaatries usually take to bring this down?? I'm on 250 mg of Mefac Caps (Mefenamic Acid) to be taken 3 times daily for 7 days.....maybe I need a longer and/or higher dosage?

Sorry again about all the questions, I can appricate how difficult it is to answer my quires without examining the area, but I really do greatly appricate and thank you for your advice and imput on the subject because I'm so worried!

Thanks so much again,

Jenny

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi

How are you now? I understand it is a difficult situation to bear. Has your vaginal discharge been cultured? OR tested for infection? Anti-inlammatory as you are taking along with good personal hygiene should help.

The symptoms you are facing do not go easily, so it is normal for you to have them still. You are on the right path. Do not rub the area. Wear 100% cotton undergarments. You will be seeing the specialist in 2 weeks. Please let me know what they say. All the best!

[jenmcs21]

Thank you for posting.

I have stopped using all creams and lotions on the area and now just wash with warm water and I haven't used any new detergent in the past month when I started to develp the symptoms.

Is it normal to feel so uncomfortable and sore when one has these kind of symptoms?? I'm taking Anti-inflammitres at the moment....will they be of much use to the sorness?? I think they may have started to kick in as I don't feel a constant sharp throb of pain anymore, the vagina and vulva just feel very tender and irritated but the small rash is still there (its not itichy though, just slightly red and sore) I'm just wondering if these symptoms are normal and if my problem will be easy to fully get rid of??

I'm going to see a specialist in two weeks time but I would appricate your opinion on this while I'm waiting....I'm hoping the inflammitries and cream will work before then and clear the symptoms!!

Thanks very much again for all your info and advice,

Jennifer

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi

Thanks for the post.

In the absence of infection, pain in the vulvar region along with rash occurs due to allergy to undergarments, talcum power, lotions, creams, soaps, detergents used to wash clothes etc.

You will have to stop the use of these one by one to check which one is causing the problem. Meanwhile you can use pain medications and anti-allergics to overcome the symptoms.

I think you should discuss these possibilities with your doctor. It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!