Cannot take anymore painful sex.

[MySonIsMyWorld]

Please help/advise me.
After I had my DS 13months ago sex has really hurt sometimes during but most times after.
I struggle to get "wet" which means penitration feels like im sticking to DP and ripping this only happens sometimes but the main problem is afterwards, i sting so badly around the entrance to my lady bits and its SO red even if we use a condom.....we both get regular check ups so its not a STI or anything like that, its not a water infection i get them alot and its diffrent. Even when we use lube it still hurts alot after - any words of wisdom?

Go to the doctor!

see your GP

cybbo ive been toying with that idea - just dont want to waste surgery time if its nothing!

When we tried sex after dd, it was horrendous. I ended up being referred to gynae wher she reckoned i needed help in stretching down below

it isn't nothing though, is it ?

Well i do actually have a really shit history with gynae! I have cancerous cysts on my cervix and i also have had ovarian cysts - i just took it as the norm because i was too tired with DS at first to think of it but now im thinking shit maybe it is something!

This is quite common after childbirth. You may just need some hormone replacement cream to apply, or there may be an infection, or scarring. Please go to your GP. They will have seen it all before.

Absolutely go to the GP, they can refer you to a specialist clinic where they will run through all the options and they can provide you with advice/products and look at all the options. Please do, you shouldn't be in this much pain and something is causing it.

I watched an Ep of Embarrassing Bodies the other night and there was a lady with a similar sounding problem - except the doctors she had already seen told her it was 'psychological'. In fact she had an abrasion inside her vulva - hence the name Vulvodynia. She had it treated surgically and the pain and soreness during sex went away.

I really don't understand people who, when it is clear they have a medical problem that there is a high chance will be reolved if they seek help, find excuses not to do so

Agree with Frizzbonce, I have had it since birth of my DS...

I was told it's hormonal - the dryness is down to lack of oestrogen (I think... Not 100%) I had it after each of my children. It resolved after I stopped breastfeeding. Apparently it's very common in menopausal women too. Go see the gp.

Very interesting posts! I stopped breastfeeding when DS was 10 months so it should of corrected its self if it was that, il ring my GP tomorrow - i have been putting this off for way too long, well, i say putting it off, being too tired and busy with DS and house to sort it....

I wonder why you have regular checkups? I would never have thought of that unless I was suspicious or playing around.

I had some pain apparently from scarring.
It eventually disappeared, although I went to the gp straight away and they referred to hospital.

Fizzbonce - what a lovely caring post.

I havent just had a baby, but did have similar symptoms - dryness and pain (initially thought lube would help - it didnt) and it turns out I had thrush - symptoms just didnt match what I thought were thrush symptoms.

The dr gave me canestan with hydrocortizone (sp?) in it and within 3 days I was cured (though continued treatment for 2 weeks)

imperial i have check ups just to keep on top of them so if something strange happened down south we wouldnt have to go threw the process of checking for sti etc - neither of us is playing away we dont have time even if we wanted too haha. I have treated myself for thrush and dp but still pain comes back even after 2 weeks of treatment! I carnt win. x

"I have treated myself for thrush and dp but still pain comes back even after 2 weeks of treatment! I carnt win. x"

Self treatment is not going to work either because this is not thrush. As Fizzbonce mentioned earlier the cause may need to be treated surgically. You cannot go on like this, you need to see your GP asap and be referred to a gynaecologist. Not all gynaes are rubbish by any means and there are some good ones out there, but you will need to be persistant in order to get answers.

Even if it is thrush, self-treatment doesn't always work. It can become endemic, and spread right through the system. Oral treatment is then needed, but it's available on prescription.

So, off to the gp!

Abitwobblynow - thank you!

I suffered from vaginismus in my early twenties and remember feeling ashamed about it. Why? And the bloody doctor went through a list of possibilities of why it was happening to me. He didn't name the most obvious one ie my boyfriend was shite in bed.

I left him and suddenly my chuff cheered up. And when I watched that programme I was struck by the lady with vulvodynia who had also been told by doctors (christ you'd think thing would have improved by now) that it was 'psychological'. When this lady was finally told she had a surgically treatable condition and it wasn't in her mind she burst into tears and said, 'I thought I was going mad.'

Can't stand the way there is STILL so much shame and secrecy about our ladygardens.

My treatment for vulvadynia was a course of physiotherapy (which was never painful) and 'homework' to try and ease the pain myself.

If it wasn't getting any better they were going to put me on amitryptaline as it has properties that reduce skin sensitivity (which is the cause of the pain)

I haven't gone down that route myself as I didn't like the thought of going on an antidepressant drug (even though I knew the dose would be v small)

But I am no further forward and I'm now considering it.

Hormones can play a big, big role. Have you had thyroid tested re: tiredness, or is ds not sleeping? Any other problems such as dry skin, bad nails etc?

Frizzbonce am pmsl at the thought of your cheery chuff!

No tiredness well yes tiredness but not major! No bad nails or dry skin etc everything is perfectly healthy - i have a gyne appointment coming up at the end of this month so then i can ask her aswell when she is doing my endoscopy (sp?) gp next week horrahhhh no more painful vag!