My fanjo is irritated...

[SamanthaBrique]

...and I'm not too pleased about it either!

Anyway, in the past couple of months I've had periods of time where my fanjo has felt quite itchy and a bit sore. It isn't anything internal, it's all external. It's definitely not an STI, I've looked up the symptoms of lichen sclerosus and don't have any of those, there's no smell so it's not BV, and I don't think it could be thrush as there's no internal burning or pain. The itch tends to be towards the top of it and the soreness more towards the perineum. I've had a look with a hand mirror and can't see anything that looks unusual. I hadn't been using a different laundry detergent either but I've switched to Surcare since, just in case.

Any ideas what it might be? I know I should go to the GP but I'm putting it off as usual...

[RomComPhooey]

Perfumed tampons and pads? Apparently Always products are terrible for creating a fiery fanjo.

[PuppyMonkey]

I got similar symptoms after using Aloe Vera coated toilet paper.

Cotton pants only and no soap down there - you can't go wrong IMHO.

[thestarryeyedsurprise]

Jeans too tight?

[Buzzardbird]

Thrush isn't always accompanied with burning and pain, in fact it doesn't usually have those symptoms IME

[SamanthaBrique]

Nope, perfumed pads and tampons are the devils work and I've never used them! Ditto for Aloe Vera loo roll. And I've always worn cotton pants or pants with a cotton gusset and never used anything other than water for washing down below. It's a mystery :(

[SamanthaBrique]

But Buzzard, wouldn't thrush feel more uncomfortable internally rather than externally?

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

I've been the same for about 7 years! 😂😩

All the irritation has led to vulvodynia (confused nerves who think there's something sore down there but there isn't!).

So deffo try and sort it now! No idea what causes mine, I've seen various consultants.

Sorry not v helpful and probably tmi but I sympathise!

[RomComPhooey]

Fabric softener? That's a no-no if you have a sensitive lady garden.

[SamanthaBrique]

Jeans aren't particularly tight - certainly no tighter than they've always been and not the skinniest of skinny jeans. I wear leggings a fair bit (cotton too), could that be causing it? Am rather glad summer is on the way so I can ditch both the leggings and jeans for a bit.

[Bluebiscuits]

I often had thrush which affected me more in this areas than internally. Caneston helped, but it was solved completely when I changed toilet paper - I think the one I was using was heavily bleached.

[RNBrie]

It's probably thrush. I just get a really itchy external feeling with thrush. No pain and nothing internal. Then I scratch it so much it's sore as well.

It can't hurt to try a dose of canestan. Do to tablet and the cream or pessary.

If that doesn't work get yourself to the GP.

[SamanthaBrique]

Benny, I actually had vulvodynia in my early twenties for about a year and a half but that's going back about 16 years. That was very painful, and felt different to this.

[almostthirty]

Is it eczema? I get eczema all around that area and around my bum it's really sore and itchy a day can sometimes swell. Usually sudacream sorts it buy occasionally I need steroid cream.

[SamanthaBrique]

I don't think it's eczema as there's no irritated skin when I have a look.

Interesting point about thrush. You can just buy the tablets over the counter? And is the tablet enough?

[OutToGetYou]

Jock itch? Dp had athletes foot and didn't tell me, I got athletes minge, I was most unhappy! It needed a different version of Canestan.

[RNBrie]

Don't just do the tablet, you need the cream to stop the itch. The tablet will stop it coming back. And yes, should be available at any chemist. Doesn't need to be canestan either, own brand versions work just as well and are cheaper.

[SamanthaBrique]

Hmm so guess I need to get myself down to Boots tomorrow, swallow my embarrassment and ask for canestan OTC. I'll die if the pharmacist asks questions though!! Come to think of it, I feel like I've been having a lot more discharge lately too, though it doesn't smell. Another symptom perhaps?

[redannie118]

Going back to the toilet paper do you use coloured toilet paper? I used to get this problem and read somewhere its caused by the dye in coloured loo roll. Sure enough soon as I switched back to white it disappeared !

[annabelcaramel]

Sainsburys and Asda do Canesten 'off the shelf', so no questions asked.

[Snoopydo]

The pharmacist will probably ask, have you had thrush before? and are you sure it's thrush? So be prepared for that.

The last time I had thrush I needed two tablets a few days apart.

Btw canesten tablets are about £9 in Boots but my local pharmacy sells a version for £2 something.

[juneau]

Please go and see your doctor, if you haven't already. It could be thrush or BV or any number of things, but they'll need to take a swab and test. It really is worth finding out what it is so you can get the correct treatment.

Do you use anything scented down there? Even scented soap and shower gel gives me the itches. Its Simple for me and nothing else!

[CharleyDavidson]

I had an irritated fanjo recently. Have never had thrush and didn't have some of the classic symptoms. But a quick google showed that one of the main causes of an itch in that area can be thrush. So I popped to Tesco and bought the OTC treatment. No tablet in the one I went for. Just a cream to go on and another to go -ahem- in.

It's sorted it out. £11 well spent. I'm in Wales and could have got it free from the GP but it was a lot easier than trying to secure an appointment and then explaining it all.

[SamanthaBrique]

annabel is that the tablet as well, or just the cream?

red, I avoid coloured loo rolls too.

[BedTimeNow]

OP definitely go to a pharmacy and get the oral capsule for thrush and cream for the external soreness / itching.

It sounds like thrush to me (I get those symptoms too).

[SamanthaBrique]

juneau, never used anything scented down there in my life! Always just used water as I don't believe that Femfresh etc can be good for the fanjo.