Vulvar redness/burning

Women's health
1

1 month ago the day after my period I woke up with burning and itching on my vulva. Thought it was a yeast infection so I tried monistat which made it worse. Called my GYN and she gave me a prescription for diflucan. Didn't work so made an appt. she didn't culture but checked microscope and said yeast. Gave me 10 days of diflucan. 3 days into treatment it got worse so I went to another doctor and had a UTI test. He also did a swab and said I was positive for BV. So I took antibiotics for BV and yeast. GYN also gave me prescription nystatin cream which helped.

A month later still have burning.

Tested negative for uti, BV, yeast, herpes, trich, Gono, and Chlymdia.

Skin biopsy was also done and came back normal. Nothing abnormal on biopsy.

Can't use anything but coconut oil or vitamin e oil. Both help take the redness away but it doesn't ever fully go away.

Warm baths are ok but if I put anything in the bath it burns more.

Can't use any steroid cream that my GYN gives me.

Skin redness and irritation worse when I pee but I had a urinalysis done and nothing is wrong there either. No bacteria, no uti, no acidity, no protein, normal levels of RBC, no cancer, ph was normal, etc.

I don't use ANY soap down there. I haven't changed my toilet paper or laundry detergent for over a decade. I'm a 24 year old female who hasn't had sex in 7 weeks.

SOMEONE HELP ME.

I just finished my period and it was the most miserable. I called off work the entire week. Sometimes the menstrual blood burned. And sometimes it didn't. I could use a tampon the first few days but after that I wasn't bleeding enough to need one.

I don't know what else to do. I have stopped drinking coffee and caffeine Bc it makes me pee more and the less I pee the better it is. I'm afraid to eat or drink anything. Doctors have no idea what's wrong. GYN is recommending I see a dermatologist but they're closed until Monday and then who knows how long I will have before an appt is available.

It's been exactly a month and I'm miserable. Does anyone have any ideas???

2

Hello Jessica,

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time.

Are you on the Pill ? The reason I'm asking is that the hormones in the pill shut down our own hormonal production, and essentially replace them. This isn't enough for some women, who develop symptoms in the genitourinary area, the area that needs estrogen the most. A few women I know have had symptoms like urinary tract infections (utis) - but that arent utis - while on the Pill.

Once they switched to another mode of contraceptive, their own hormones kicked back in and things returned to normal.

3

Nope. I'm not on the pill. I have no need for it as I don't sleep with men. I was on the pill continuously for about 10 years. I got off it in December 2016 because I couldn't lose weight. I went to a strictly vegan diet to help with the heavy/painful periods and I feel so much better OFF birth control. I've lost weight and am much more...sane. My periods are pretty regular but I have wondered if my hormones are messed up from being on the pill for so long and if it is contributing to the issue I have

4

It sounds like it's possible your hormones aren't back to normal yet - can you try to get an appointment with an endocrinologist ?

5

Very late to the game but did you ever figure out what's wrong with you? I've had very similar symptoms, minus the getting worse with urination. I had one tiny spot in the worst location because I'm constantly putting pressure on it with sitting. It's right at the bottom of my vulva. I've been checked for everything and my gyno is even stumped. She just put me ona  steroid and decided to change my birth control to see if that'll do something since I was on a low dose.