Please help my painful fanny

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Can anyone help? I am 52, and since peri-menopause have been on vaginal oestrogen as well as HRT. I sometimes get uncomfortable, itchy, thrush type symptoms but they quickly resolve.

This week it started up and I am in pure agony. No discharge, but weeing is excruciating, and the area looks red/inflamed. I got the thrush oral tablet and vaginal pessaries yesterday but it hasn’t helped.

Our GP surgery is useless, I wouldn’t be able to get an appointment until June, but we can access a video GP through DP’s private healthcare through work. I did a video call today and she suggested cystitis and prescribed three days of antibiotics. I’m not sure it’s that as my vulva feels sore/irritated, not just when using the toilet - can cystitis cause this? (I’ve only had it once about 20 years ago.)

Been with DP 20 years and we’re not having much penetrative sex at the mo because it’s uncomfortable - and peri has killed my libido anyway! - so no danger of an STI.

I have a very problematic fanny on occasion. Do you have a sexual health or women’s health clinic near you? I’d want a swab test to check there is nothing else going on. I remember walking round Longleat years ago feeling like my entire fanny might just drop out with the achey burn. I’d been assuming thrush, but swab confirmed some other type of fanny-rot.

@NancyJoan there is a clinic but it looks like you need to ring and book an appointment, you can’t pop in. I’ll see how I am on Monday, it’s so awkward with work (teaching) for appointments and phone calls.

I think it sounds like Lichen Sclerosus too! So painful and sore! I hope you get it sorted! Mine was awful until I got the dermovate.

Dr wolf V San, get it from Boots. Game changer.Get the internal one, there’s 2 types.

that dermovate, it really helps; I do worry that it’s not good long term, but the GP doesn’t seem to think it’s an issues.

A slightly 'out there' suggestion, it could be type II diabetes. It might be worth the blood test to rule it out.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms/

I don’t have any of the other symptoms of this, and my only risk factors would be being white and over 40 - no family history either - but I will keep that in mind.

I had this for years. GP and even a gynaecologist didn't spot it was VA. Estriol cream on prescription worked for me almost straight away. The weeing was so bad I was needing to go multiple times an hour. It was debilitating. Had no idea all I needed was the cream.

Haven’t read the full thread but I had this when I had undiagnosed uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, maybe check your sugar levels

Just as a wash suggestion, I’m really prone to UTIs at the hint of soap and I’m using QV gentle wash. It lathers a bit and feels clean but not irritating
If I’ve been really sore (spin class!) then hydromol ointment doesn’t hurt even on broken skin

Just wanted to agree with the suggestions of attending a sexual health clinic. They will be best placed to deal with this for you. They may do drop in appointments too, but give them a call and get yourself booked in in the meantime.

The other option would be to see a gynaecologist privately it that's an option? A friend of mind who had suffered for years did this and her problems were quickly resolved. I can't recall what treatment she was given, but I can remember he said no baths and no bubble bath/shower gel.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the helpful posts, I’m so glad I started this thread.

I really don’t think I have diabetes - I have no urinary symptoms or extreme tiredness, and none of the risk factors, but it’s useful to be aware of.

I’ll have a chat with the surgery nurse tomorrow and go from there. I have woken up with a cold/sinus thing so think I am possibly just a bit run down - there’s a lot going on (not health stuff, just life stuff!) that’s getting on top of me. Menopause is utterly shit and I feel like a wreck.

I am a lot less uncomfortable today, so whether that’s the pessaries, the HC cream or what, who knows, but I’ll take it!

Genital psoriasis?