Sorry for lovely subject but, papercut-like tears around vagina?

[judydoes]

I get them from time to time, over xmas I noticed a pain when wiping myself and did the lovely squatting over a mirror thing and there's what looks like a papercut.

What causes these? I had a lot of tests done 'down there' recently for an unrelated reason (hormonal) was told no 'diseases' , healthy cervix...and a couple of close friends I've asked and my Mum, have said It's just rubbing on knickers, fingernail when wiping oneself... Is that right?

I am prone to thrush although touch wood I haven't suffered since cleaning up my diet, I would get tiny cuts or cracks whenever I get thrush caused by all the moisture down there.

I get this, only on one side.
GP had no clue!
Hydrocortisone sorts it out when it flares up. It's so sore, isn't it?

Goth and butterfly thanks for that information, yep I had my first smear at 18 as well,but apparently now the GP cant do it so she has been referred.

But, it does sound uncannily like the symptoms written on here, she has suffered from thrush an awful lot. I am going to point her in the direction of this thread to have a look.

Also for people suffering with thrush my gyneacologist I had during pregnancy told me to drink actimel she said it restores the balance of the good bacteria that when low allow thrush to breed she is an excellent doctor so worth trying to see if it works for you.

I get these. They were first triggered in my late 20s after a nasty bout of thrush but then continued off and on long after the thrush had gone. Symptoms were pain during sex (as I got a tiny little split each time ) and paper cut like cuts in the inner labial skin that stung when I weed and occasionally bled when wiping. Also a bit itchy, and a bit of skin shedding, a bit like when you use an eraser and you get bits of eraser coming off iyswim. Does this sound like you OP.

I had various wrong diagnoses. All clear for all STIs and cold sore virus. Eventually I saw a vulval dermatologist as St Thomas's hospital who diagnosed it as vulvar eczema. Not lichen sclerosis as that usually has scar tissue building up and I didn't/don't.

No cure sadly but steroid cream helps. And lube for sex helps too (and, I hate to say it but not having much sex for a while). Several years later it is much much better though still flares up from time to time.

PS I have no eczema anywhere else, no asthma etc so it was a bit of a surprise but does seem to totally fit symptom wise.

Oh, a couple more things that help: only use water to wash your bits, and (way TMI) I find it helps to get rid of any hairs growing from or turning in towards the inside skin of the labia as they can irritate the inner skin.

mimpie that sounds just like me. Everything you say is exactly like me.
I have my dermatology appt in Jan and am getting so scared in case its something serious.
Onestep - try not to worry, does she have a referral?

butterfly actimel-that's fortified natural yogurt right? I will try that thank you. I'll also try the sudocreme etc thank you so much for all the advice!

If thrush can cause it I am somewhat at rest as the antibiotics I was on made me have it several times in the last few weeks, I expected thrush to be honest but not the cut.
Havent noticed skin shedding but I am not sure I would. Not bled but the rest definitely sounds like me mini, also I have a lot of issues with sensitivity and I really think my anatomy is the culprit. And this IS TMI, but I am very 'closed up', my inner labia hidden totally. So I think hairs irritate the inside definitely because I have hair growing inside more than if I wasn't so 'tucked'. Shaving is a nightmare because of this, I have to shave right on the inner bits.I haven't recently so I don't think this is why i've got this cut, but I guess perhaps shaving and hair removal cream use in the past (I last did this a week ago), could make my skin more sensitive and suseptable to things like this in the long term, it can't be good for it. I suppose being like this is more a breeding ground for thrush, too rather than if I was more 'open'? I know I might be talking rubbish now but it makes sense I think.

As I said above, the thrush, cuts and shaving irritations that I get-honestly who would own a vagina. .

Judy I really think its totally likely that thrush could cause it but if you dont heal up in the next month do go to your GP to rule out LS or other conditions.

I will, gothmummy. That's reassuring, thank you. I don't know how long ABs take to get out of your system but I am hopeful that the wet feeling'll go and the cut will disappear and I'll be all 'normal' again in a week or so, but all the replies have made me feel much better.

I have had these on and off for years and have had thrush since my early twenties. Thank you all. I speak openly to DH and I said I sometimes wish I had a penis instead, far fewer issues with those. He says he's very glad I don't all the same :)

My GP has given me a steroid cream while I wait for the referral which is really helping with healing. Also Hydromol for washing and moisturising that area. Hope you feel better soon!

I had this for years, gps thought it was thrush but (long story short) after several visits to the gp, a dermatologist and a referral to hospital where a biopsy was taken I was told it was due to hpv.

Would a smear detect HPV? My last was clear and I've not (obviously) been intimate with anybody other than DH.

Hope you're okay now! :)
Hydromol, I will look that up. Is aqueas cream good?

Aques cream helped but what really helped was diprosone ointment.
My smears were clear too but it can be passed back and forward between you and your DH. I hadn't been with anyone else either. Not had he.

I have just read this because my DD has mentioned a couple of times these "cuts". She is only 13 and just started her periods and I thought it may be something to do with the towels. I have never heard of this before so will check it out -thanks again Mumsnet!

I am glad my thread could help others!

:)

Ah this thread is brilliant judy obviously not because of peoples suffering but the wealth of experiences and knowledge on here.

goth its been a disaster from the GP, dd has been waiting for a referral since the summer and for one reason or another (referral going to a different woman with same name (shock) ) that last week I told her to tell GP to refer her privately as I cannot bear to see her so worried and in pain. The smear looming over her has been awful as we have a history of Cervical Cancer in the family, the whole thing has worn her down to the point she was beginning to get depressed over it all. So hopefully she`ll be seen in the next week and get some answers.

I`ll come back and update when we know what we are dealing with as it might help someone else out there?

Yes Judy the actimel yoghurt drinks I did drink then while I was pregnant but had forgotton until I came on this thread so need to buy some as suffering with thrush again since going back on the pill

judy I would really recommend staying off the hair removal cream and shaving for a while as there's a good chance that is irritating the skin - it may not be the underlying cause but won't help. I was advised nothing but water and aqueous cream down there. I tend to pluck those inner hairs instead .

It does sound like your anatomy might might you more prone to thrush and also, I would guess, to vulval eczema (also known as vulval dermatitis aka "unspecified skin irritation") because your inner bits are more enclosed and more likely to rub against each other iyswim?

if you don't find a solution soon, I would recommend asking for a referral to a vulval dermatologist - there are so many wrong diagnoses in this area I think.

Onestep thats awful, so shocking that your Dd has had such poor treatment. I got my referral at the GP's office through the "choose and book" computer system. Im sorry it was not that way for your daughter.

Thank you for the detailed reply mini you're very helpful :)

Definitely I think I am more prone to thrush and other irritations, I have more 'skin on skin' than some other women do. And irritations to do with hairs because my hair grows on the normal area obviously but on me, that area's inside.

It could be the cause using a hair removal cream, and if not it could be causing a symptom yes I see what you mean definitely.

Plucking-Yowch! I'd need a bottle of gin and some local anaesthetic!

In all honesty plucking those inner hairs is actually less painful than plucking bikini line, odd but true.

Hi all who were helpfulto me!
I still suffered symptoms some weeks after coming off antibiotics so I reluctantly and nervously went to the Gyno.

Thrush. They said It's all caused by thrush and that the tears are caused by dryness (even though I am actually quite 'wet' inside my skin is dry in the area I'm getting them).

Phew. I think-they've given me cream and a pessary so hopefully it will clear up.

Good luck! Mine started off as thrush but stayed long long after the thrush had gone. Hope yours doesn't linger!