| VULVODYNIA SUPPORT NETWORK WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND |
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Colleen, age 49 I developed vulvodynia at age 42. At that stage there was no diagnosis, did research and established what I thought it was myself. The condition started practically overnight with stinging and burning after intercourse (previously intercourse had been no problem), and the only thing that was being done differently at the time was I changed my lubricant from KY to Glyde. There was no thrush infection although I started to treat it as such. Condition developed from there (in about three months) to where the burning and stinging made it difficult to sit down. At that time I was having periods and using tampons or pads (brought me up in a rash) was painful. As it was cyclical with my period (worse the two weeks before) I went down the track of it being a hormone problem, which combined with my age I thought it could have been. Started using a homeopathy remedy by Life Force Products called EST-Plus. I got relief in three weeks in that I could then sit down with comfort. This may have been a fluke. My Doctor (who is open to alternative medicine) then tried me on Ovestin Cream internally and I have used this consistently since, twice a week. Ovestin has helped but only in the comfort level during the day, it hasn’t helped with pain during intercourse. At about Year 2 of this condition my skin at the 6.00 o’clock point of my vulva started splitting on intercourse and I can’t resolve this problem. The skin is very thin, although I am still using oestrogen treatment. I personally think this is the result of long term inflammation in the area, and on Dr Glazer’s site a few other women have mentioned this as well. My vaginal canal is fine, it is localised around the posterior entroitis. I had a tailbone injury 20 years ago, but don’t know if this is contributing to the problem or not. I have seen Doctors, Gynaecologists, Skin Specialists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, women’s health physiotherapists and other people I have forgotten. I am told biofeedback probably won’t help as I have good control over my pelvic floor muscles, they are strong (I haven’t had children), and I can relax them. The only other time I had something similar to vulvodynia was when I was 30 and had been put on Depo Provera. I truly believe this contraceptive is really bad. It is an oestrogen inhibitor and it disagreed with me so the Doctor gave me increased injections…….!. I developed what I presume now was a vulvodynia condition in that intercourse was painful. My Doctor at the time put me on a large dose of oestrogen tablets – to the stage I had morning sickness symptoms – but the pain on intercourse went away, and never returned until age 42. I didn’t have a period for a year. From that time on also I didn’t seem to have any natural lubrication. I have food allergies in that red wine is the absolute worse. The food allergies started at about age 30 as well. Red wine will increase inflammation and bring me up in hive like lumps on my vulva area (I get them elsewhere as well). I have been tested for every STD and all results were negative. Coffee, chocolate, fresh fruit and anything acidic all make the inflammation worse. Things I have used over the years: - Diflucan (systemic anti-candida treatment) – no result. - Amitriptyline – couldn’t tolerate even 2 mg a day, didn’t help at all. - Ovestin Cream – this helps take the inflammation down a bit. - HRT of various sorts – helps my general well being but doesn’t really alter the vulvodynia. - Natural Progesterone creams – about four versions. Not really a result, it isn’t proved yet how well they are absorbed. - Betnovate and Canestan mixed – a steroid cream, will make the condition worse and create a buffer reaction once stopped. Also thins skin. Apparently using steroid cream is one way of distinguishing vulvodynia from lichen sclerosis (my spelling), in that the buffer reaction sets in with vulvodynia. - I use only Seba-Med to wash in. - I am about to try Life Force ENS which is a Pituitary/Thyroid/Adrenal remedy and I don’t react to these “potions” which I often do with other homeopathy. I was interested to see on Dr Glazer’s site some women talking about thyroid conditions, this runs in my family, as does Rheumatoid Arthritis. It seems to all be about inflammation. |
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