TMI but need help! Anybody have itchy vulva while breastfeeding?

[kandymouse]

I have 19 week old daughter and have been having itchy vulva and also itchy scalp since third trimester and it has never gone away. The itchy private area symptom is getting in the way of my sex life and is extremely itchy. My doctors don't know what to do and have given me lots of canasten and different steroid cream saying it could be dry skin or yeast infection. Did anybody have this symptom and has it gotten better?

Can you see anything? Is it in any particular area? Since having no. 2 I've had loads of "unspecified vulval skin inflammation" and have had lots of appointments with various consultants/gynaes/dermatologists. So far they have no diagnosis although I have had squillions of tests. But they all have spent lots of time humming and hawing over me and have been extremely nice and helpful. I have continual cracks which bleed all over my vulva (TMI? ) - it's been two years and they don't really know what's causing it but apparently the skin can change with giving birth and mysterious skin conditions are quite common. I've had swabs / biopsies / allergy testing and lots of different topical medications. The whole thing is still not resolved but I have had excellent care. I'd really recommend getting yourself to a good gynaecologist and investigating further. Good luck.

Thank you for the reply. it's just very itchy and gets sore after I scratch it probably in my sleep, and when I scratch it it seems to get worse, so it could be eczema on vulva...??? hmmm indeed very mysterious. I do hope yours get better, try not to scratch it when it is itchy. Maybe also stress worsens it as well. I do oillatum bath thing, and it does help a bit. I really wonder what it could be.

If you are scratching in your sleep then you need to keep your nails short.

Breastfeeding often causes dryness of the vagina; topical oestrogen is cautiously prescribed sometimes. Are you b/f by any chance?

MP - have your doctors / dermatologists ever menationed lichen sclerosis to you? It is a leading cause of unbearably intense vulval itching, 'paper cut' type fissures,and whitening and shrinkage of the area. Please have a google and then an athletic look in the mirror - better safe than sorry. Very very few doctors have ever heard of it, and it is commonly dismissed as thrush.

LS can cause loss of the clitoris by the way, and lead on to vulval cancer.

You'd think the medical profession would be a teeny bit aware of something that can affect women so fundamentally ... yeah, right.

Hi HS, yes all of them have mentioned LS actually - they have been very thorough

Have had biopsies too, but not trace of it

Good for them! (and I'm glad you don't have LS). Good luck finding out what's wrong.

Hi. I am wondering if you still are suffering from the itchiness. I have also had it since the last 4 years ive used steroids to keep me going then for sometime. Is there any advice or tips you can give hanks