Tearing my hair out over vulva vaginitis please help.

[Snowwhite83]

Hi My 6 year old daughter has an inflamed and itchy vulva/vagina most days. We avoid dairy entirely as it definately aggrivates it. See GP regarding this multiple times in the past. Urine dips and vaginal swabs negative.
Got refered to paediatrician last year who was absolutely useless and said it was probably vulva vaginitis bit sent us away with no treatment (my husband took her as I was working so didn't challenge the shit peadiatrician).
GP prescribes hydrocortisone ointmeny which we use for a week every couple of months but we are managing by showering her vagina with warm water several times after school and often at 0100 when she wakes in pain. I even had to show the babysitter what to do incase she woke up.
Feel like its ruining her childhood. I'm taking her back to the GP in the mornjng and will ask to be re-referred but ut would be v useful to hear from anyone's whose child has had this problem and how they have managed it?

A GP told me that young girls are prone to this and recommended us to use Epaderm ointment instead of soap and to apply it before/during/after any bath/swimming. It is a bland substance with no additives so unlikely to cause further irritation. Also advised to wear a skirt with no knickers when at home and to sleep in a nightdress for aeration. Washing with water dries out the skin which could make things worse even if temporarily soothing. Waking up in pain sounds really bad though - poor her - I wonder if she could see a dermatologist if simple measures don’t help.

I remember this, not fondly, from when I was a child. .

Have you tried changing laundry soap? What about her soaps, shampoos, etc?

try the absolute simplest, most hypoallergenic, no fragrance versions of things you can find. For laundry, if your machine has the option to do a second rinse, use it, if not, consider running her clothes through a second time without any soap. Do not use any fabric softeners.

for Her, bathing doesn’t always require soap. A good rinse in the shower can be very cleansing and effective for sensitive skin.

my problems were entirely related to allergies which got worse as I got older, though thankfully things like gentle soap and lots of rinsing got me by for a good long time.

I'm sure it's already been mentioned in the past, but have you treated for worms?

Has she been assessed for lichen sclerosis?
some doctors are useless with it and say it only affects women after menopause, which is totally incorrect. It is seen quite often in young girls, goes into remission around puberty, and comes back later. If it is LS the hydrocortisone won’t touch it.

in the meantime, make sure no soaps/shampoos or anything get down there, wash only with emollient (like hydromol etc) and apply after washing too

im so sorry your daughter is going through this. I went through it in my late 20s and it was awful - I can’t imagine it that young. Sending you both love and hope you see someone helpful soon x

I would insist on referral to a vulval dermatologist. There should be one at your local hospital. They would be able to diagnose lichen sclerosis or lichen planus, if that's the case. Poor kid. Hope you can get sorted soon.

Oh and avoid fabric softener on knickers in the meantime

Re: Epaderm, as @Nature1nurture says, get the ointment as a barrier but not the lotion in the pump. The ointment is almost like a wax and it's good stuff. The lotion is useless for this. Hydramol is an alternative for washing etc. Any chemist will likely stock them both.

Salt water baths are really helpful

Bicarb of soda in a shallow bath is very soothing.
my granddaughter finds Metanium cream helpful and also Reveleum cream by Desert Harvest.
I have read that a mild oestrogen cream can be applied occasionally as the condition is due to low hormone levels and it should improve with puberty. X

Has she had any blood tests? I am wondering if she might have some sort of underlying autoimmune issue - I’m thinking Addisons, lupus, that sort of thing- as vaginal irritation and / or dryness often goes hand in hand with those.

Worms? Most common reason.

My ndn got a small farm plastic pig her dd had posted once...
Had caused a lot of symptoms but nobody had really looked..
😱

Um...I really hope this is a wrong thread situation...

Sadly not.