Vaginal issues getting me down

[Lucy8901]

Hi everyone

As the thread says.. basically I have dermatitis on my vulva and On my bum. (Not the outside of my bum If you know what I mean lol)

I had a lot of itching over a year ago now started of worse in the bum Area so bad it would wake me up at night and I’d scratch like mad.. wasn’t sure what it was so went to GUM clinic saw a specialist there who said it was dermatitis and said I also had it on my vulva.. she gave me some steriod cream for when it was really bad .. hydromol ointment to wear during the day and night and an Emollient to wash with..

It did get a bit better but the itching mainly on my vulva was still quite bad.. so I paid to see a private gyno.. she took one look at it and said ‘your poor thing that is extremely dry’ she gave me a stronger steriod cream and said to carry on with the other stuff I’d been given.

Thing is it doesn’t look or feel dry to me it just itches like mad and is quite red.. completely different to what dermatitis looks like on the scalp etc.

It’s defo dermatitis as several docs have said it but everyday nearly I experience itching even if I use all the creams.. I wear cotton underwear Only and I don’t wash with any soaps etc.

When I’m on my period my god it is the worst and flares up majorly from the pads.

I don’t feel normal down there ever tbh and it’s getting me down i don’t really notice it if I’m indoors and not waking around much .. but as soon as I go out and the friction etc it starts itching.

Does anyone have any experience of this ?? Or any tips on what I can do as this is really getting me down

Thanks x

OP, Lanacane cream may help with the itching. I hope you get better soon.

Op, I completely sympathise. I was diagnosed with vulval dermatitis a few years ago. I've sort of learned to live with it but I can only tell you what I do which seems to have helped.
I only shower with Epiderm lotion, no soap or perfumed products at all.
I moisturise with Epiderm ointment 'down there'.
I wash my hair over the bath so no shampoo gets down there.
Only use non-bio washing powder and sensitive fabric conditioner.
When I have a flare up I use over the counter hydrocortisone 1% cream.
Like you, it's awful during my period, I find tampons sore to use but so are towels. The best towels I've found are the Lilets yellow pack. They're not scented and they're not the plasticy ones so don't make me sweaty!
I find my diet also effects it. If I have lots of sugary things it gets worse and I'm sure going dairy free has helped.
It's throughly miserable to live with thou 😔

@iOnlyWearBlack sorry to hear your also dealing with this it’s awful at times !

I use ovelle emollient to wash with which also acts as a barrier to stop the shampoo etc getting down there so I was told .. and then to use the hydromol ointment as a moisturiser only
Thing is it stains my underwear which is annoying.

I’ve tried epiderm before the moisturiser not the wash though .. not sure if it helped. My bum
Seems to have calmed down but the vulva has got worse. I don’t use soap or perfumed products and haven’t for years as I also get BV from time to time.

I think I will try the non bio wash again as I do use perfumed washing powder which probably doesn’t help. But when I used non bio didn’t see much change.

I was also told to sleep with no bottoms on at all including underwear but I really hate that!.

Thanks for the advice Have you had any improvement at all over the years ?

I don't know if it's improved or I've just learnt to live with it / control it... It's always worse the week before my period so now my gp is looking in to it possibly being hormone related.
I try to wash with just water down there and epiderm lotion around the outside..
I use non bio on everything - towels, bedding... Etc.

Mum of 3 teenage girls

Hi Lucy, I have had what you are describing for about 2 years now and I feel your pain. Like you it doesn’t feel particularly dry. I’ve tried hormone creams that you insert and moisturisers which give next to no relief. My doctor has now put me on the single thrush tablet for an intense course of 12 weeks and it’s working. I didn’t think it was thrush as I had treated it for that and there was no discharge. Maybe you could speak to your doctor about it. I can’t believe the difference as I suffered for 2 years. Good luck xxxx

I also get this, if is like mine it sometimes feels like death by a 100 swords !
I've just bought some nappy cream ( Bepanthen ) and for me it seems to be working .

Hi you have my sympathies as I have been through the exact same but I came to my own conclusions and it was ridiculously simple. I am allergic to toilet roll and sanitary products. I think it is either the bleach or formaldehyde that they use to make everything white.
I now use several wash cloths a day and reusable period pants or pads and it's sorted. I know it's the loo roll as sometimes I have to use it and the problem quickly returns.
You might not have the same issue as me but it's worth a try.

@Lucy8901

Re-usable towels are a God send. You think they will be too hot, but they are not and they are not sweaty plastic. They have turned all my itching around and I am convinced the plastic gives of fumes that affect the vagina. I used to have to just go commando all the time with emollient on in the house. Do try them, get a starter pack if you don't want to spend to much at first, you just throw them into the washing machine on a pre wash and then at 40, you can use sensitive liquid and included an extra rinse. They need to air dry but they really do help.