On Fire

[Theblacksheepandme]

I am on Oestrogel, Androfeme, Imvaggis Pessaries and Ovestin cream. Been on this HRT a long while now. I use the pessaries and cream 3 nights a week.

I am constantly having problems with my vagina and particularly my vulva. It starts getting extremely red, itchy and swollen. I get a rash also and it weeps. I get a very runny milky discharge. The discharge isn't all the time when I get these flare ups. It is also extremely warm to the touch. Never any smell.

My doctor is useless and just chucks a load of medication at me. I am currently on 2 different kinds of antibiotics, diflucan taken every 72hrs for 3 days, dermovate ointment, canesten cream and a 500mg canesten pessary. They wouldn't do swabs.

I have been suffering this time around for 2 weeks and I am not even able to sleep with it. I am on a waiting list for a dermatologist for over 2 years now.

I also sometimes have a light green discharge in between when I don't have these flare ups.

It definitely isn't an STD as when I had my Mirena fitted a few months ago the swabs taken were negative for STD"s. It did come back with a staph infection. The doctor treated that at the time.

Anyone experience similar and can offer any help?

Oh that sounds horrible! Poor you struggling for so long.

Did they test you for BV? You can buy the test yourself OTC I think.

Why didn't your GP do swabs? How can they 'treat' you without knowing what they are treating?????

Have you tried stopping the vaginal stuff for a week to see if you are allergic to any of it?

The only other option if you can possibly get the fee together is a private appt with a dermo who is experienced with women's vulvas.

Appts are around £250.

Waiting lists for dermatology have always been terrible- two years for as long as I know- so maybe going private is the best if you can.

It showed up negative for BV when I got swabs done for the Mirena. It did show up for staph and I was treated for that at the time.

Would BV cause me to be so raw and sore though. It actually looks like I slashed my vulva with a blade.

My GP is lazy and just likes to chuck everything at you and hope for the best. I have been looking for a new GP the last couple of years but to no avail. Most GP's aren't taking on new patients.

I stopped using the canesten and dermovate today. I haven't used my estrogen pessaries or cream in the last week. I'm worried about not using them though.

I am going to bite the bullet and ring my GP tomorrow for a private referral for a dermatologist.

I live in Ireland and the healthcare system is brutal here. I went to a specialist menopause clinic as my GP wasn't taking me seriously. The clinic only has GP's though and no gynecological consultants.