To fucking cry about this

[Fedup19473]

Hi,

i know posts like this sometimes get accused of being a troll- I’m not, I’m a long time poster but I’ve namechanged for obvious reasons.

possible TMI as I’m talking about female issues but I could honestly sob I’m so down about this all. Sorry for swearing in the title but tbh it sums up perfectly how I feel

I’ve had issues with vaginal discharge for a while and after another particularly bad day of it I actually feel like I’m at my wits end and could burst into tears. It’s quite literally ruining my life. I’ve always had issues with it but recently it’s changed - it used to be normals/whiteish etc but just a lot of it, but over the last few months it’s changed- I’m getting more of the white discharge and an insane amount of other discharge- it’s so watery that it’s soaking my underwear and trousers. I work in retail and today at work I suddenly realised I had a huge patch of discharge which had soaked through my trousers and left a patch probably around 6cm by 6cm. It was the worst shift of my life trying to hide it. I didn’t even realise at the time it had happened which is what scares me most because I can’t tell until I see it on my own trousers.

I don’t know why this is happening. It’s not pregnancy or STI ( I’ve never had sex), I’m in my mid 20s and when I went to the doctor before they said it’s normal. I understand that it can be normal, and previously I was getting a lot of white discharge so that’s normal for me- but now there’s significantly more and to the point I regularly look like I’ve peed myself. I’ve had hormone blood tests which were fine and now I’ve just been left to get on with it and frankly I could fucking cry about it

I tried tampons but I’d basically have to wear tampons everyday which isn’t great, and same with sanitary towels because it dries my skin. But the other alternative is I’m walking about looking like I’ve peed myself without realising

has anyone else ever had this and have any clue wtf it could be? Google says pregnancy or STI which it’s not, and my hormones are fine, but I just don’t feel like this is right and my friends the same age as me don’t get this. Otherwise I’m fine apart from bleeding in between periods but the doctor wasn’t concerned about that- it started a few months ago and only happened a few times, but I don’t get any cramps or pain so they said it’s fine

if anyone knows what tf this could be and how I can fix it I would be so so grateful

Tbh I’m at the point I’m just gonna do that and pay privately to see a doctor who can help. The thing that made me unsure was the gp said there’s no reason to refer me to a gynaecologist because my periods are not heavy or painful so there won’t be anything wrong or anything for them to treat, so it made me unsure about whether a gynaecologist is the right person to help, and if not, then who even is

ahh

Hi OP, I am so sorry that you are going through this, I had something similar and it was awful.
Have you tried pelvic floor physiotherapy?

Ask to see a Urogynae - they will look at bladder issues alongside x

Also you absolutely can go to a gynecologist about ANY gynecological issues, not just menstruation-related!

I am at the other end of the spectrum, post menopause. I used to have a lot of normal discharge, it did tend to be cyclical. I didn’t use oral contraceptives, and I suspect that the pill alters normal discharge, so many women are on the pill so “natural” cycles are not always the norm. I no longer get discharge but my bladder sometimes lets me down. I use the very light incontinence panty liners. I can’t use Always because they irritate my skin but have no problems with Tena lights sensitive.

It sounds like normal vaginal secretions, using a tampon daily is likely to encourage candida or bacterial infections. Period pants are a good idea but may be worth trying Tena. They are more absorbent than normal panty liners and are designed to deal with the odour of urine. They also are available in very small sizes and are very thin.

You need a Urogynacologist. They specialise in the combination of pee issues and womens issues. I would self refer to a private one and then jump back to the NHS for tests and treatments once you have a potential diagnosis

obviously I can’t say for sure but honestly it doesn’t feel like normal vaginal secretions to me

ive literally had days where ive had to change my underwear and trousers several times throughout the day or else id have a massive patch as if ive peed myself - not just a tiny bit of discharge, I’m talking completely covered

none of my friends have had this and it’s only started for me a few months ago, maybe it is normal and I’m wrong but it really doesn’t feel like it

If you were bumping because there were no replies, maybe that's because, like so many AIBU posts, it's not the best forum, nor the best headline. This is a health issue.

the other thing I meant to mention and just realised I forgot is I keep getting this feeling after peeing where I need to go again, and then I have to squeeze out a bit more for the feeling to go away. Sounds silly but previously I just peed and then the sensation to pee went away but now it doesn’t until I actively squeeze really hard to make sure I’ve completely peed, and it’s like I have to squeeze every last drop out, and even then I still feel like I need to go sometimes.

This sounds a bit like cystitis

You could have a UTI, they cause the feeling of needing to wee and can cause discharge

I second the possibility of an ectropian. Very common and causes excessive discharge. Can be easily treated by a gynaecologist if needed.

My friend suffers similarly, she uses reusable pads as they are made of cotton so not irritating. The GP cannot find a thing amiss. She had had all sorts of tests to rule things out.

This is a bit of a long shot, OP, but could it be a tiny fistula- a tunnel between your vagina and bladder ? You say this discharge is different from normal; it could be pee exiting via your vagina.
Easily surgically correctable. Good luck, i hope your get it sorted quickly and permanently.

Hi OP sorry to hear you are going through this. I have had slightly similar when I was younger (menopausal now) but I don't remember it being quite as extreme as you describe, you poor thing.

It does seem vaginal excretions vary a lot from woman to woman, and like many things, they are probably something we would all benefit from being able to discuss more openly.

What I am trying to say is, I am not drinking, and certainly do seek a second opinion, but maybe it IS just your hormones and how your body is working right now?

If so, i wonder if the pill might help? I am not usually a fan of hormonal contraception because of its side effects that women aren't warned about, massive loss of libido being one for many of us..... But in your case it may be worth a try, as if they are not down to infection, one assumes the excretions are a part of your bodies natural cycle to some extent, so anything that disrupted that cycle might provide relief.....

In the meantime, period pants sound a good idea. Or reusable fabric sanitary towels? I am sure there are organic hupo-allergenic disposable ones too that might dry you out less.... Expense could be a factor of course, and it doesn't seem fair you having to put up with this.

Work wise, how strict is your uniform? I was wondering if you could maybe wear black leggings under a tunic type top? It's what I used to wear for work when I was bleeding insanely heavily - just made me less paranoid about possible leaks.

Good luck - I really hope you do find an answer.

Fresh cocunut shell (or dried , I had dried ) daily a little chunk 1inch dried me right up. (Suggested to me by my mums friend)

I used to have so much I have to have panty liners.

the coconut really works only downside is I have to keep having it otherwise it comes back.

if you try it can you please come back and update if it works for you too?

Hi op, I had this. It was extreme watery discharge that would soak my underwear, and it would sometimes make my underwear smell, although the discharge itself wasn't particularly smelly, it was just the volume of discharge in knickers I was wearing over a period of time. Anyway, eventually, I was diagnosed with cervical ectropion, and discovered that heavy discharge can be a symptom. I had my cervix cauterized and the problem cleared up completely. It might be something to check with your GP.

Are you on oral contraception at all?

Coming on to say before rushing to period underwear, have 48 hours of using knicker liners. Make a note of the time of each change. If you have digital scales, those liners can be weighed and, subtracting the weight of an unused liner each time, a measurement can be taken of how much discharge you are experiencing.

This is hard data and less easy for a doctor to disregard, particularly so if (sad to say) you are not white skinned.

When my vaginal discharge changed in a way that got my attention, I ended up having endometrial cancer. You definitely need to see a gynecologist.

I had something that sounds very similar in my 20s. It was a cervical erosion. Im not sure if that's possible for someone who's never been sexually active, but that was my first thought when I read your post. It was easily dealt with at my local hospital after my GP diagnosed it. Your doctor doesn't sound very good.

One or the other I would say fine but the bleeding between periods and the discharge I'd ask for a second opinion, or to see a gynae. Doctors are notorious in women's health, not taking things seriously. Could be polyps, could be hormones but I'd ask to get things looked at again.

Please, please do not accept this as normal. It is not normal & men wouldn’t put up with such symptoms. It’s sad, but you need to advocate for yourself & request 2nd opinions - do not settle.
I agree that period pants are probably a good short term help. I don’t think tampons or menstrual cups are safe to use when it’s not your period.
Good luck xx

Are you finding it's more during certain times of the month? Just asking because ovulation can cause this. My friend had simular issue and had to take spare knickers out with her. Period pants could help or maybe a moon cup? Sometimes Dr's will put you on a pill to regulate hormones (I find it helps stop my breasts from swelling) It might be worth making another appointment to see another gp. Good luck.

Increased levels of vaginal discharge is a symptom of cervical cancer so I’m horrified that the doctor hasn’t taken it seriously. Have you ever had a smear, OP? @Fedup19473

I try and see sexual health over gyne tbh. Normally in sexual health clinics you can get same day appointments easily and they'll have sexual health consultants there so it's an easy way to see one. They tend to be more specialised in vaginal and vulva issues, etc.

You can self refer on the NHS for physio so I'd do that and then in the forms mention the issues and ask for a women's Health/pelvic physio as well. Go back to your GP and book a double appointment go through some other things, ask reception if anyone has a special interest in urology, women's health etc. They won't refer you straight away to urology or gyne, they need to do their own investigations first, get them to do a physical exam and then some more swabs. Then perhaps an ultrasound as well, to rule out polyps etc, if you haven't had one before. They have meds for the issue with peeing, but pelvic floor physiotherapy should also help, it's likely a by-product of the vaginal issues.

I'd ask about trying vaginal oestrogen as that can often make a massive difference as well. Ask about getting a smear as well etc, if anything funny shows up on the ultrasound or the physical exam from GP then you'll be referred on 2ww.

I'd also ask the GP to test for thrush and BV, ones from the pharmacy are good but a proper lab will always be better, it's good to double check, and I wouldn't fully rely on home tests. BV treatment would be antibiotics mainly, it could also be cervical ectropion so make sure GP does good physical exam, and uses a speculum.