Vulva problems

[Lemons1571]

I have seen 3 GP’s and 1 senior nurse practitioner, who have diagnosed folliculitis (just by looking) and thrush (by a swab). Has anyone had either and had occasional bleeding/spotting? Am pretty sure the bleeding not coming from the cervix, and smears up to date. Have history of CIN 15 years ago but last smear 3 years ago was ok. Usually am sore and itchy, and it’s worse when dry or sometimes after sex. Canestan cream, pessary and oral pill not helped. Any thoughts where I go from here? Sorry if tmi but it’s the inner lips that are the sorest 😱

Could your oestrogen be low?

Hi Lemons, I had something slightly different to you, although still vulva related and persistent infections. I have been struggling for months with the GPs all diagnosing something different and so I went to see Prof Wendy Reid here last week.

She is a Prf of Vulva diseases and she was brilliant. Her PAs phone no is on the link. I think her fees are around £220 but she does practise out of the Royal Free in London.

Alternatively you could ask to be referred to a vulva clinic. Hope you get somewhere soon, it is incredibly frustrating (and sore!)

Blood tests for menopause were done last year for a different routine reason and were normal levels.
Does it sound urgent do you think? The intermittent occasional spotting is a relatively new symptom over the past couple of months. I thought it was the start of a period but the tampon was untouched (sorry tmi)

Blood tests for menopause are not accurate until you are post menopause (no period for a year.) You can start with the symptoms you have years before.
The itching and soreness are classic. Thrush can be a result of hormones being unbalanced as well. Normal healthy vagina is acidic, if you are short of estrogen it turns alkaline which means thrush gets a hold as well as the skin being sore from loss of estrogen. spotting is a perimeno symptom but you do need your GP to check this out with a smear.

Soreness after sex is a classic loss of estrogen sign.
Your GP should offer you Ovestin cream- a very weak estrogen cream to insert in the vagina and your outer vulva. Just go and ask for it- say you think you have vaginal atrophy.

menopausematters.co.uk/vaginalsymptoms.php

The folliculitis- is this from shaving? If not, what's it from?

How old are you?

Very bad VA can cause bleeding too because the vaginal walls get very thin and fragile, and actually bleed, even just with walking etc not even sex.

I had awful thrush when dd1 was a few months old. Get your partner to take a canesten tablet - sometimes men can ve symptom free but then just pass it back to you when you are clear.

It came back the same after dd2. Again I delayed sorting it as I was busy and I end up really dry, splitting skin on my vulva, sore just inside, inflamed. Awful. Three lots of canesten tablets a few days apart (prescribed by gp) sorted the thrush. Breastfeeding makes me dry - exasaperated by sex. I have heard of that oestrogen cream, I wonder if it is prescribed for reasons other than menopause?

Thishat- estrogen cream is sometimes given to women who are breastfeeding as your own hormones can be low at this time.

I’m 43 coming up 44. I do shave the outer parts, but the soreness is mostly on the inner parts where I don’t shave,

I’m going to look up vaginal atrophy. The bleeding isn’t coming from the vagina though, nothing on the tampon, but was spotting and sore when I dabbed with a tissue.