To ask WTF is wrong with my Vag?

[WTFiswrongwithmyVag]

NCd obv. Apols for TMI.

Doctor has done a swab and said it is unlikely to be thrush or BV. I did a home test kit that said the same. Dr said most likely eczema and to keep it moisturised , not use soap, blah blah. I don't anyway, just wash with water.

Had a fairly comprehensive STI screening and nothing detected.

It itches like fuck. All the time. On my vulva skin. And is sore sore sore.

Discharge does not smell. It is usually white and not much of it, but it dries inside my vulva like a smear of toothpaste which can be rubbed off. For one week a month mid cycle it is clear and runny and copious. The itching is far worse then.

Sex irritates it. Wiping after the loo irritates it. It keeps me awake at night with The Fucking Itch. If I scratch it, it gets even more sore.

FML. It has been like this for literally Years. Worse at times, better at times.

I've tried yogurt, tea tree oil, vinegar, canesten, HC cream, probiotics, antibiotics, low carb diet, no yeast diet, cotton undies, non bio washing powder...Not sure what else I can try.

Anyone else had this and can point me to some help?

I also think LS.

I was driven mad for weeks thinking I had some kind of sti - even though it would have been impossible.

I went the docs and she instantly diagnosed LS. I didn't have the patches, but the skin felt really smooth (which I thought was because of the sudocreme giving me extra supple 'lips' lol)

She gave me a steroid cream which also contained anti-fungal properties and it was amazing. Gone in a couple of days.

I used as and when needed, rather than twice a day as prescribed.

Hope you find out what's up soon.

Have you tried Dermovate? I have the itching as well and that’s the only thing that helps

Is your toilet roll scented?

Problem is, I have no experience of anyone else's vag, so I dont know what is normal and what is not. I only know mine, and how it has always been since I started looking at it! And smooth skin, pink bits, red bits, flappy bits, etc etc are no indicator of abnormality since I know no different. I am sure most heterosexual women are the same. I mean, we dont all go around comparing bits do we?
I just know that this damn itching and soreness cannot be the norm, though it is mine.

no scented loo roll.

it seems steroid cream is the panacea for many PPs and several conditions. I've always thought it is just masking what is wrong. But some of these conditions dont have a cure anyway

Thank you everyone who has posted and who are still contributing . I am deeply grateful for your fanny stories Never thought I'd ever say that phrase!!

WTF - just because you've given birth vaginally to healthy babies before, doesn't necessarily mean that you don't have Group B. Strep. My mother was also diagnosed as a carrier, because she thought she'd ask for the test to be taken round about the same timeframe as I was - and she's had 3 healthy deliveries. I have an older child who was healthy at birth, then developed breathing problems, which might be linked to Group B. Strep. My 15 year old may have been born healthy despite my being a carrier (thought of my ante-natal consultant was that I was infected at birth due to the sheer fact that I slept a lot and was apparently never keen to be fed - which showed no symptoms until suddenly, when my hormones changed with a twin pregnancy 16 years ago)... but equally, he might not have. It's a risk. A few years ago, there were a spate of babies dying in my local area, from this... their mothers hadn't known they were carriers, and it passed to the baby. The next baby on the post-natal ward after my 15 year old was born, the doctors failed to grasp that curtains are not soundproof and informed the mother that her newborn was very poorly indeed due to the fact that she had (has) Group B. Strep. I never want to hear a mother scream the way she did when he died a few hours later. Which is why I push for there to be routine testing for this during pregnancy and/or perimenapause. Stress can trigger a flare-up. Hormone changes can definitely trigger a flare up. And it is very common in the population. America test for this as part of their routine ante-natal care. So do some countries in the EU. Australia also tests for it as part of the routine. Yet we don't.

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/what-are-the-risks-of-group-b-streptococcus-infection-during-pregnancy/

My eczema is a response to estrogen and since I can’t get rid of that the only option is a steroid cream to treat the symptoms. My dermatologist has always advised to go with the lowest cortisone formulation that is effective because, yes, steroids do have long term side effects themselves. I also found that with the unavoidable scratching I caused a little infections so a round of antibiotics also helped at the start. Best of luck and if you end up having a biopsy try to get it done through a dermatological pathologist rather than a gynecological pathologist, they are more experienced in the conditions that are likely to cause this.

"Lichen sclerosis mouth ulcers do exist."

I can second the above (not that it's needed) - as my father has LS in his mouth.

I had similar years ago and I doing putting different creams etc on mine made it all worse. I actually just left it alone and it sorted itself out. Which was difficult as it was irritating.

My genital skin seems sensitive as I've gotten older. Occasionally use coconut oil to moisturise it or melt some in the bath.

To be more specific LS of the mouth is extremely rare with only 27 cases reported in the literature.
Lichen planus commonly has oral features.

You say antihistamines help, surely that would indicate that it is at least partly allergy related? Maybe as some suggested, cutting out chocolate might actually be worth a try!?

You can take antihistamines daily longterm with no ill effects.

I have the same problem to the point (sorry TMI) my vag bleeds. GP can’t work out what’s wrong either, but I use baby wipes instead of loo roll and that has really helped keep it under control.

Can I be very rude OP and ask a couple of questions to all the knowledgeable people here? Does LS itch worse at night? And is it more likely to be LS if one also has recurring 'scalded' patches in the mouth?

I had this for 8 months and it was depressing.

I tried about 4 different creams before I saw a specialist who gave me a new cream. Few days later after using it, I could piss without my vag burning.

They suspected it was ezcema brought on by thrush as the symptoms started after I took antibiotics for a UTI.

Psoriasis that appears in warm, moist places and is incredibly itchy is called Flexural Psoraisis - to help with your googling

@0v9c99f9g9d939d9f9g9h8h mine was diagnosed as lichen planus (after bechets was rulled out) because of the mouth sores

Hmmm, I was thinking Lichen Planus too.

You need a referral to a specialist. They can do a biopsy and prescribe immune suppressants if necessary.

No one else has mentioned this so I'm going to.

I had a patch of skin on my vulva, was itchy as fuck, stung to pee, bled when I wiped and was the absolute bane of my life but I waited 2 years to go and see my GP. They originally thought psoriasis but referred me to gynae and a dermatologist. I saw the gynae first and they did a biopsy, it turned out to be VIN3 (you get VIN1/2/3). I was lucky I saw a Dr when I did as it could have turned into Vulval cancer. I now have check ups every 6months as VIN is usually a reoccurring condition.

Defo worth getting a referral and a biopsy

I have similar, and find its worse if i have used cheaper toilet roll. There seem to be more little particles and I believe these add to the irritation.
I used to be very unfussy and buy the cheapest value recycled paper but will now begrudgingly pay more if it means I dont have to put up with the itching.

Please insist on a referral to dermatology. Psoriasis is an immunity condition and can be serious or it could be something else sinister.

Whether eczema or psoriasis finding a cream that works for you is trial and error. Dermol works well for psoriasis but consultants often have loads of samples that you can try and zero cost.

Try a good quality organic coconut oil for the itching. I get terribly itchy skin and it's the only thing that works. Has to be the good stuff tho.

@RandomMess
Psoriasis IS not a serious disease, please don’t make comments like that.

It’s an autoimmune disorder, yes, it’s a pain to get rid of but most people are able to manage it fine. Like me.

I had the same issue, several swabs later confirmed thrush. I'm now on a course of weekly fluconazole for six months and daily cream, things are improving slowly

You mentioned diaphragm gel, could you possibly be allergic to the diaphram? Or the gel? I discovered a latex allergy and then realised that the condoms didn't indeed produce a 'burny' feeling, it was the allergy. It lasted for days afterwards too in a mild kind of way.

@FagAsh but not everyone is fortunate as you and have a life on drugs that make them unwell and impacts on their life, ability work and so on.