Hi,
Has this ever happened to any one of you who had trouble urinating and was a bit constipated? I'm concerned especially about have trouble urinating. No matter how much I drink, it's just trickle, trickle. Has anyone experienced this problem and what you did to rectify it? I've had LS for 6 years and started using clob, premarin, and borax on off clob days. I've just been to the Vulva Clinic here but this was before I had this trouble. She said I should be concerned about my clitoris as there was a bit of white on it. Could this be the problem? I looked to see if the urethra is ok and it is open. There's nothing blocking it. Could the constipation be the cause. What an awful disease.
Micheline
Maybe you have a Urinary tract infection. You should have your urine checked for infection.
I've had a Urinary Tract Infection before, and this doesn't feel like it. I have no pain. I seem to be constipated also. I saw a urologist and told her I had lichen sclerosis and I wanted to have things checked. She booked an appointment for me for January 18. I left a urine specimen and she said she would send it out to have it checked. I haven't heard anything. That was on October 23rd.
Sorry, never had that problem so I can't comment. Hope someone else can be of assistance
chicks
Hiya. You could have PFD. I have this an LS. Very annoying! X
Pelvic floor dysfunction. It affects urine stream x
Thank you Claire for your response. I do have lichen sclerosis. Does this usually go with it?
I think I would see your doctor because it doesn't sound like a typical symptom of LS, I also thought UTI, so that's what I would recommend you do first.
dont think usually but it can be a contributory factor. Any issue that causes pain in your undercarriage can make you unconsciously tense up which creates hypertonic muscles = PFD.
Meant to say, cos the muscles are extra tight it can affect the bladder and bowel making it difficult to go to the loo.
Thanks for your reply Guppy. Good suggestion. That's exactly what I did this morning. I didn't go to my doctor because I don't have one at the moment, but I went to a Clinic. It's called Urgent Care Clinic. According to the doctor, first of all, if you're constipated what can happen is that there's too much pressure and it can restrict the flow. I've been constipated before though and that's never happened but it did this time. I can say too thank god for the Internet, because I read that if you take a laxative or stool softener and have a good bowel movement, that it will help you urinate and that's what I did last night. I was worried and didn't sleep a wink so at 4:00 in the morning I had a bowel movement and sure enough it did help and then I had another one a little later and it started to come back but far from normal. It wasn't fully back until I was at the Clinic and at the end was asked to produce a specimen. I was skeptical I could but to my surprise I nearly filled it. That's when I knew it was back. But it took a long time to come back very slowly. They wanted to make sure there was no infection which there wasn't. So I was very relieved.
As for the white on my clitoris, he checked and he said everything was good and there wasn't any white there. I had put some clob on it and rubbed it gently just 3-4 times and I guess that did it. I did this without knowing if it was ok to use clob on the clitoris and he said it's ok there and also on the perineum if it needs it. I've been getting little stings in my breasts, especially the right one where I got an infection in it 39 years ago, so I'm going to cut down on the premarin cream. The doctor at the Vulva Clinic has told me to add 2 days of it on the outside because I am very dry, but I think I'll use Emu Oil or Coconut Oil instead.
I told him that I soak in a full bath of warm water with 1/4 cup Borax which did leave me a bit red this time and he said it's better to use Epsom salt, or baking soda, or saline. He said the borax is too strong.
So, I was going to conclude by saying just what you said. If you're worried about something, go find out and put your mind at ease, but don't stay alone worrying about it. Even if you don't have a doctor or can't get an appointment soon enough with your doctor, there are walk-in clinics with excellent doctors who can treat you.
Thank you for your replies everyone.
Stay safe and take care.
I think that probably enters into it also. Everything did feel very very tight -- I mean the back especially. I didn't think I was constipated because my stools were not hard, but I was all along. Also, it's like a vicious cycle. The more fear you have hence the stress and the tighter you get, the tighter you get and can't eliminate, the more fear and on and on in a circle. And believe me, that's what has gotten me here in the first place -- stress.
Regarding your response Claire, I want to add something here. What really peeves me is when some of these doctors fail to instruct you properly or are aloof or arrogant. When I think of it now I get angry. When I went to the Vulva Clinic on Nov 2, I didn't have a urination retention problem. It's what she told me that got me worried. Here she tells me that I should be concerned about my clitoris. I just stared at her and got tongue-tied out of fear. Then she tells me that there's a bit of white on it. And that's it. That's all she told me when she walked out of the room. She didn't tell me what to do about it and gave me an appointment for Nov 2, 2018. I remember coming home and couldn't stop thinking about that and then I started worrying about it. I'm a natural worry-wort anyway. And then, I started having trouble urinating. It's amazing though how subtle the tenseness that evolves from the fear and worry happens and gradually tightens everything, all the muscles. I was not even aware of it. Yes, I knew I was tight but wasn't really aware what caused it. Thanks for enlightening me about it Doctors are supposed to make you well, not make you worry!
Yes, it has happened to me. Go see your doctor and ask for a dilation procedure. (no cutting) For starters. Is your vagina still open? Mine was closed at the time I could no longer pass urine properly.
Hi Hanny,
Somehow, your situation is close to mine, except I am very open. Why? The only reason I can think of is because I had 3 kids. I use the dilator once a week regardless to keep it open. From talking to Claire on this wonderful board, I discovered that after my doctor at the Vulva Clinic told me that I should be concerned about my clitoris and the bit of white on it, and then told me she will book an appointment for November 2018, that was it, before she walked out of the room. The worry of that kept at me and that worry and fear gradually and eventually made me so tight that I had trouble urinating and defecating, both. It was a vicious circle of the more I worried, the more I tightened, and the more I tightened and couldn't eliminate, the more I worried. I was worried sick for 3 days. I was aware that I was very tight, but was not fully aware of why I was so tight. Very bad. Doctors are supposed to make you well, not make you worry. I hope it will be someone else next year.
I was doing well up to this point and was doing borax alternately with Clob on other days. but I think the borax is too strong for me and I will try the baking soda. There's also Epsom salts and saline the doctor at the Urgent Care clinic told me about.
I think I have an issue with acid. I have Gerd which I eased by watching the acid. I remember you saying that you're on an alkaline diet? Is there such a diet? I know that I used to eat a lot of acid with my love of tomatoes, vinegar, etc.. Did you have that problem?
Some doctors are good but in my experience you will get much better advice from your fellow sufferers. If you are on Facebook you can join some fantastic forum groups for LS and PFD.
Maybe I should have reworded the question of my post still being moderated. I was digressing. No, my problem is not my vagina opening oddly enough. It is still very much open, but it does get a tiny bit smaller when the LS is agitated, so that's why I use the dilator once a week to make sure it stays open. Come to think of it, when I mentioned the dilator to the doctor at the Vulva Clinic, she yes if I have intentions of sexual relations in the future. She's wrong. It can affect the elimination processes, as you've mentioned and are living proof of it. I asked about food, and she said no effect. I've heard of other doctors saying that, but again wrong. I had a personal experience with sugar, so now I'm wondering about acidic foods.
The shrinkage is permanent because of my age. I know what I looked like before will never come back. I wish I knew though how much of it is age and how much is LS. I'll never know. The problem with me is my fear, tenseness and stress. I didn't realize just how much it can affect your body, but when you think about it, everything comes from your brain.
My other question to you was about acid. I know you had mentioned you're on an alkaline diet and stay away from acidic foods. Is it because of the LS? Does acidic foods impact or affect the LS? That was my question.
Well I wish I could find the good ones. They are very few it looks like and where are the ones that have good knowledge about this dreadful disease? And that's why I joined this wonderful group here some time ago. The people here helped me before on this forum and I thank them wholeheartedly. I don't know about Facebook. I am on Facebook but I don't know if I can trust it's privacy, but thanks for the suggestion. I'll look up their advice though.
Hi Micheline
You’re right this is a nasty sneaky horrid condition and particularly if you were having problem having a pee As if there isn’t enough to think about.
I use Fybrogel once a day to help keep stools soft, as my perineum is very fragile due to LS.
Glad you have things under control
I also use Betnovate ointment as I found Clobetasol or dermovate (same thing) too intense and harsh for general management
Love 🍀