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...

Could you be menopausal?

So after popping the tablet do you have to use the cream for a certain amount of time or just until the itch goes? I know with antibiotics you have to finish the course even if you feel better after a day or two so not sure if canestan works the same way.

fuctifino, that thought did cross my mind as my periods have been a bit all over the place lately, but I'm still breastfeeding (he is 2, why won't he give it up??) so I guess that could be the cause of that, and I'm only 39. However my mum went through it in her early forties so I'm conscious of that.

Usually just until the itch goes. A couple of days at most.

I recently had persistent thrush that I went to see a gp about and she said the spores have a 10-14 day lifecycle so it can keep coming back. But cross that bridge if you come to it.

How old are you? It tends to get dryer down there as you get older. You might need a lubricant

Not sure; I always stock up before any foreign holiday just because the thought of trying to get across a potential problem via sign language in tropical heat fills me with horror....certainly the pessary/cream combo is available without interrogation!

sonlypuppyfat, 40 this year which I didn't think particularly aged!

Do you use condoms? Could you be allergic to latex?

Alas DP and I haven't DTD in months

I wasn't suggesting it was vulvodynia, just that my symptoms the same as you describe led me to develop it.

Anyway! You could get that new Canestest and see if you test positive for thrush!

(Sounded a bit too excited about that suggestion! 😄)

Friend had this most of last year and then had blood tests that showed she was anaemic (low ferritin I think) and fixing that also fixed the fanjo problem! Worth checking out, she knew someone else with the same problem, who had been suffering for 10 years, before discovering it was due to anaemia!

Fucking fanjo kept me up almost all night as it was so itchy I saw that Canasten also do a self-test for thrush but am not sure whether to bother with that or just go straight to the tablet and cream. I've read that thrush discharge is meant to be like cottage cheese but mine seems no different to usual, though there is more of it. Sorry for TMI. I'm also wondering if it could be a weird side effect of the hay fever I get at this time of year so have taken an antihistamine too.

Have you been on antibiotics? They are notorious for wiping out the good bacteria and creating ideal conditions for thrush... I've got it now

Not been on antibiotics for ages :(

My thrush discharge is not cottage cheesy, in fact it's no different to usual. If you do get canesten I'd definitely get the 'soft gel pessary', the regular ones are chalky as fuck and not as effective IME.

Eczema? If it's external itching a bit of hydrocortisone sorts it for me.

Go and get the tablet and cream and treat for thrush.

Do you ever feel a bit dry? In 40s it could well be a bit of age related dryness.

I have some dryness, yes, but also lots of discharge so not sure what thats about. But after taking an antihistamine this morning I've been itch-free. Could it be related to hay Fever? I'll get canestan anyway.

Right! Have taken the tablet and applied the cream. Still itchy but hopefully fanjo normalcy will soon resume, otherwise it'll be a trip to the GP for me :(

I suffer from horrendous itching. It's excema although you can't see anything. Much worse around my period and when pregnant. Also terrible after a heavy night drinking.

Manage it using steroids and antihistamine

I had this when pregnant with DS2. I stopped taking anti histamines and it disappeared. I was thinking this all through the thread and when you mentioned the anti histamines, I just had to post. Are the tablets loratadine? That's what I was taking when I had it.

Oops, it went away with anti histamines? Maybe not the same thing then. Sorry!

The antihistamines and Vagisil kept it at bay for a few hours but it came back. I'm actually hoping it IS thrush as if it is the canestan should sort it.