Help..my vulva and vagina is on fire :(

[Sonolanona]

Not literally...
Not thrush (no discharge) but last Thursday started to feel sore, itchy and now nearly a week later it's awful. Not sex related I don't think, and I'm not worried about STDs ..happily married for 35 years and trust dh completely (goes to work driving, comes home!)
The only thing I can think of is we got different bath soap a week or so ago..not that I scrub myself with it, but usually get Dove and it's Palmolive.
I used Canestan cream but no help, and currently plastered in Sudocreme like a baby . Tried Vagisil but it stung!
Getting a docs appointment is almost impossible so wondering if anyone has any suggestions!

Try taking an antihistamine

Slather coconut oil on? And you’re not on HRT are you? If so, has this changed recently?? Or any other changes to hormones/contraceptives???

I get thrush every month but never get the discharge so don't rule thrush out... perhaps get oral fluconazole to see if it helps

It could still be thrush: I had a bad case once with very sore skin on vulva and inside vagina but no discharge, and it wasn’t responding to Canesten cream, but finally did to the pessary. Can you try one of those diagnostic kits they sell over the counter for thrush just to role it out?

My skin down there also reacts to some soaps - try using only water or an emollient cream (eg something like Diprobase cream used as a wash) for a few days to see if that helps it calm down. If it is thrush this will be helpful too.

When I have thrush I never have itch or discharge just a dry burning hot vag! Get a thrush tablet off the pharmacy and keep putting thr cream on.

I bet it is the soap. Take an antihistamine, buy some epaderm ointment (in the tub, not the cream in the tube).Use it for washing, with cool water, put some on as a barrier cream, and stop using any soap down there. Check your washing powder too in case the formula has changed, ditto fabric conditioner. There is always residue left in underwear.

I had this for about a year. Had all sorts of tests but they couldn't find anything. It drove me absolutely mad. Eventually it was put down to an allergy but no idea to what. It eventually just disappeared when I was on holiday and hasn't returned thankfully. I don't know whether the salt water of the sea helped? I hope you get answers soon.

This could be related to low oestrogen causing vaginal atrophy. As if getting older isn’t tough enough already…

www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/vaginal-oestrogen/about-vaginal-oestrogen/

I don’t get discharge with thrush but I’ve had swabs done and had it. I now know the signs and get a tablet or pessary the cream does nothing for me

i had this also and it was changing my soap that caused it too. I took antihistamines for a few days and no soap when washing. I was recommended Yes vaginal moisturiser and now use this every morning and it’s great. I hope you feel better soon.

OP, very, very often Thrush doesn't present with discharge. If its taken a hold, then canesten won't help just on the outside. I'd try a canesten pessary ( get the gel ones, they're not 'chalky') and/ oral Fluconazole ( both otc).
Alternatively, it may be Atrophic Vaginitis, a thinning of the vaginal and genital skin due to a lack of Oestrogen. I'd avoid Sudocreme, it can actually inflame friable skin.
I'd use yoghurt/ continue canesten cream or any other unperfumed gentle emollient.
You can try some weak hydrocortisone cream , but beware, it can thin already damaged skin areas and should be used with caution.
My advice would be to robustly treat for Thrush to exclude that, but make a GP appt in the meantime, so if it doesn't clear up, a GP can take a look and prescribe/advise for Atrophic Vaginitis or whatever they see as appropriate. Xx

It could be your soap - get a feminine wash lotion, use sudocream. It should resolve - if not do see your doctor.

When I had this it was thrush even though I don't get the discharge.

The pessary worked best for me but is super expensive so I started using fluconazole. Buy a few at a time from online pharmacy.

I had it about 9 times in a year after never having it before.

My symptoms were just very itchy and little bit of burning.

Doctor told me not to use any soap at all down there that warm water was enough!

Ah thank you for the advice... I have just been and got the tablet and the pessary!
It's just dawned on me that I finished a course of co-amoxiclav a week ago (I haven't needed antibiotics in years so it never occured to me) so it probably IS thrush from those!
Hoping for some quick relief, so I can stop walking like John Wayne!!

It'll be thrush. I don't find the cream helpful on its own. When it really takes hold sometimes I need 3 pesseries over a few days to get rid of it.

Pain in the arse it is.

If the thrush treatment doesn't work a test of the vaginal microbiome with digital microbiology maybe helpful.

Just realised you said you have been married 35 years. Read up on perimenopause and vaginal atrophy. You might have reached the stage of needing oestrogen replacement. VA is horrendous.

No advice but solidarity as I currently have the same thing 😭 the joys of being a woman eh

Antibiotics I always get either thrush or cystitis

Femfresh wash (clear bottle) usually soothes any irritation down there

If the pessary doesn't work and you can't get a GP appointment you could drop in to your nearest sexual health clinic - they are usually very helpful with this sort of thing

This would be my suspicion too.

For the immediate itch before vaginal oestrogen kicks in, you can use 1% hydrocortisone which you can buy over the counter (this was suggested by my GP, and it worked).

Salty warm water bath, don't use soap, just a clean flannel. Get some Multi-Gyn NatuCare gel it works for thrush too, although they now market it for bacterial vaginosis.

Thanks again... if it doesn't clear up with the pill/pessary, I'll make an appointment in case it's VA. Deep joy. I love being a middle aged woman. Not!

I had this for 18 months with menopause - it drove me mental