TMI but cuts down below?

[Fedupandsore]

Have NC.

About 2.5-3 years ago I had a tear on my vulva. I just sat down one day and thought I had a thorn or something in my knickers ( ) until I had a look.

I continued to get little tears and went to my GP who believed it to be thrush. After a few unsuccessful treatments she did a swab test which came back as negative.

Since then, it’s got much worse and has moved round to my bum but I also still get the tears on my perineum. My skin just tears whenever I have a BM/ bend down/ happen to move in any way that causes the skin to slightly stretch. They look like paper cuts.

Since then the gp diagnosed them as anal fissures but they’re atypical as I have multiple and they come and go in different places. I finally saw a colorectal surgeon last week who has now said they’re not fissures and has referred me on to dermatology with no idea of how many weeks that will be.

I’m so fed up. It’s literally like

Sorry. Pressed send too soon.

It’s literally like having paper cuts down below. Every time I have a wee it stings, and just moving around is sore and painful too. Has anyone experienced anything similar? Or have any idea what could cause this?

The colorectal surgeon said dermatology would probably do a biopsy which has petrified me too.

Do you overbathe in that area?

Sometimes soaps, shower gels and bubble baths can dry out the perineum and give rise to paper cuts.

When it is sore down below is it worth trying a small amount of vaseline on the outer, external areas of the skin to see if that reduces the friction?

Might be worth a try. HTH

Could it be lichen sclerosus? Dermatology sounds the way to go.

I took my 5yo to the gp (although could only get an appointment with the nurse practitioner) a few months ago with this.
The first time she said she didn't know what it was but to keep an eye on it. Asked lots of questions about how we discovered it was there (school informed us as our DD had told her TA about bleeding down there when she went to the loo). The nurse was obviously concerned about something untoward.
It healed on its own but came back a few weeks later in a different place. Went back to the gp (saw a Dr this time) to be told again that she didn't know what it was but that if it happened again it would be logged as a safeguarding issue due to the intimate nature of the injury.
Thankfully it hasn't happened again but the whole thing made me very cross.
Sorry, I know that's not especially helpful but I do sympathise with your situation.

Please, insist on a referral from gp. It sounds very much like lichen sclerosis. This is a horribly under diagnosed condition but responds well to topical treatment. Not sure if referral would be to gynaecologist or dermatology tho. There are good websites which can offer support.

I actually had this a few weeks ago

It was swollen all to hell and was terribly sore and itchy at the same time.

My Dh had a look and noticed I actually had a tear but I had no idea how it happened.

I used germalene on it for a few days and luckily it healed.

Baffled at how it happened though. I sympathise with you OP

I hope it gets sorted for you

Thank you for all the replies.

I only use dermol to wash there now jalopy so don’t think so, although your comment about dryness has made me wonder if that could be a factor. I do have eczema on my hands. I’ll try the Vaseline as it’s one thing I haven’t yet. So far have tried sudocreme, thrush treatment, hydramol ointment, hydrocortisone cream, GTN and diltiazem. I ended up in tears when the CR surgeon said he wouldn’t prescribe anything for the pain until the next referral comes through.

Pragmatic I haven’t heard of that or had it suggested by any of the 3 GP’s who’ve examined me but will definitely look it up.

How worrying and stressful for you lovely . Pleased it hasn’t come back for your DD and I’m proof that it doesn’t automatically have sinister causes. I remember when the first cut happened, like I said in my OP, I literally sat down!

Cairnzy I hadn’t heard of that condition until the above post but will look into it now. The CR surgeon said he would sort the referral out for dermatology so it’s just another waiting game now.

Thanks Soubriquet and glad yours has healed too. Mine actually hasn’t been at all itchy over the 2-3 years I’ve had the problem until the last couple of months when it’s been so itchy. Not sure if that’s a sign it’s getting worse or there’s another issue as well now.

I'm surprised your gp won't prescribe a topical anaesthetic.

You need something to help with the pain until you get seen fully.

It was the colorectal surgeon who wouldn’t prescribe anything to help until the dermatology appt comes through, do you think it’s worth going back to the GP and asking them? Don’t want to make a nuisance of myself and guessing the CR surgeon will write to them too.

I would see your GP.

They must be able to provide something to tide you over.

I've had it before when I had intimacy problems after childbirth tearing.

It was the first thing they did before referring me to anyone

OK I have had this for 12 years. I've been to every specialist from dermatology to gynaecology to allergy clinics and lots of biodiesel. And they couldn't diagnose anything. After a couple of years they ended up referring me to the pain clinic. I didn't want that! So I live with it.

Sometime it drives me nuts and I can't sleep. The cuts can appear anywhere from my vulva to right near my anus. I usually have 2 - 4. Nothing I've tried has helped EXCEPT when I spent two months on the mini-pill. So now I'm wondering if it's hormonal changes in my skin? I might ask for a relevant topical cream and try that...

I hope you can get to the bottom of it!

*biopsies. Biodiesel unlikely to help...

I’ll speak to them Soubriquet

Oh god brownmouse how awful for you. 12 years of this is just inconceivable. You poor thing.

Do you feel itchy or is it just the cuts? Obviously ‘just’ the cuts is still extremely painful and yes my sleep is affected too.

Definitely worth trying a cream, you have nothing to lose at this point, do you? The CR surgeon was going to send me away with advice to use hydrocortisone cream and sudocreme. It was only when I stressed that I’d tried both without success that he suggested the referral to derm.

I’ve had a quick look at LS and it seems the main symptoms are skin changes and itchiness. My skin is more red and sore than white, and the itchiness has only started very recently. Won’t rule it out as a possibility though and will do more reading. Thanks again for everyone’s input.

Following! I’ve been suffering with cuts and itching for a good few months, tried clotrimazole with and without hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone, lanacane...
Got a GP appointment on Friday so will mention the lichen idea.

I've recently been diagnosed with vin 2/3, a pre-cancer change on my vulva. Waiting for appt for treatment, so I've done a fair bit of reading. The paper thin skin which tears is typical LS I believe. Vin is much more itchy and on one side only. The hosp will likely want to rule out vin however.
Dr prescribed me e45 itch relief cream which has helped. I also used lanacane. I've read on forums about LS and VIN that using a squeezey bottle when you pee helps a lot. I also take OTC anti histamines at night. It's murder, and can be debilitating at times. And hardly anyone talks about it.
I went for smears, got prescribed endless canestan and no one ever mentioned that it could be anything else. It's my mission now to make sure that i can tell as many women as possible to check their bits and go to Dr if there's anything different- itching, lumps, sores, discoloured patches etc.
Best of luck OP.🤞

How old are you? If you are anywhere near menopause (45+) this can be caused by low estrogen levels and the treatment is estrogen cream.

menopausedoctor.co.uk/what-is-the-menopause/vaginal-dryness/

I suffer from dryness. Otc lubricant helps.

Off to look up the various conditions mentioned here.

Can you let us know how you get on @PJ04JCW ?

Sorry to hear that Cairnzy and fingers crossed you have a good outcome too.

Queen I’m in my twenties so not that in my case but thanks for the suggestion.

It is itchy AF but then if I scratch it makes the cuts bleed. DH is under instructions to pin my hands down at night....

My friend had this - i remember her saying she had papercut type cuts down there. She has endometriosis and is on lots of medicines for this and other things so it could have been caused by that, however she found that when she started using a mooncup and cottons brand tampons it went away. She thinks she was allergic to basically every brand of sanitary wear and it caused such a bad reaction that it lasted all month until she next had a period so was a vicious circle.

You need to see an expert. In London for example the vulva specialist is Prof Wendy Reid. Don't know if that is an option for you? She's NHS and private.www.royalfreeprivatepatients.com/consultant/professor-wendy-reid/

You need a dermatologist or gynae with an interest in / expertise on vulva disease.

Are you in the SE- can suggest names.

Queen I’m in East Anglia but willing to travel. I could afford an initial private consultation but wouldn’t be able to pay thousands to stay private for treatment. I’ve actually found a few of the dermatologists at my nearest hospital do private work too.

Queen I’ve looked up that specialist and she could see me privately in 2.5 weeks. Do you think it matters that she’s a gynaecologist when most of my issues are round my bum and perineum now? Sorry if my posts haven’t made that clear.

I'm East Anglia too

Lincolnshire area