What has halped me

[Guest guest]

I would like to mention what I have done to make my vv

better. It is not completely gone but is really under control.

I started eliminating things in my diet and environment that caused me

problems. This takes a lot of thinking and decision making but it has

paid off in less pain and most days without pain. Sugar and whole wheat =

bread are the worst.

The only remedies I use are:

Benadryl cream - occasionally.

I have a jar of vaseline mixed with vicks (1/4 vicks and 3/4 vaseline) which I

spread on very thinly occasionally and it gets rid of the pain for a while If I

am having a flare.

Sometimes I use an aloe vera ointment (CarrasynV) and that

will also get rid of the pain for a while. Again I spread it on

thinly.

I use rice flour as a dusting powder and it helps a lot. I only use

Basis soap - none of the others.

1. I quit wearing slacks - only dresses.

UPDATE - I can now (after five years) wear slacks if they are not tight

and are made of soft fabric.

2. Put my digestive tract in order - I had IBS and changed my diet to

the extent that I no longer have it. I no longer eat raw vegetables

and chew stuff thoroughly before swallowing. Some things cause

constipation and others cause the runs. I have found out which are

which and eliminate all of them.

Sweets and desserts are out - very much sugar gives me a big flare.

I tried the HRT's and they did not help. The cortizone creams helped

for a little while but they do tend to thin the skin so I did not

continue using them very long. I am not plagued with yeast.

I had a yeast infection once and made up my mind that I would try to

never have another one. When I take a shower I wash my crotch area

with my hand - never a washcloth. I do not use a towel to dry it. I

never wash socks in the same load with underwear because feet

sometimes harbor fungus. I never hang towels on the shower rod

because it collects moisture from the steam and could promote fungus.

When I finish showering I hang the washcloth on the shower head and

then after it is dry I put it in the laundry and use another one for

the next shower. I use a clean towel every time I shower and hang up

the old one until it is dry. That way I know that I am preventing any

fungus from getting on me from the washcloth or towel.

I tried Elavil but it made me sleepy so I stopped that. Even the

smallest possible dose. But it did help the pain.

I tried the low oxalate diet and it helped a lot but I can eat some of

the high-oxalate foods without any trouble so I think it is a matter

of finding what I can handle and what I cannot.

I cut out all spices and sugar because they really bother me.

When I heat anything in the microwave I do not use any kind of plastic

containers because I am convinced that something in the plastic enters

the food. (like formaldehyde?)

I do not wear any clothing that touches my crotch area. Especially

no elastic in the legs of my panties. I wear my panties low so that

the legs do not touch my crotch. I wear them inside out so the seams

do not irritate me. Some people use only cotton but cotton bothers me

sometimes because it absorbs water and does not dry out as quickly as

the synthetics.

After using the toilet I rinse off the area using a squirt bottle and

never use toilet paper. I use Kleenex dampened with a little water for

wiping.

If I used menstrual pads I would lay a piece of kleenex over them and

never let the pads touch me. Some pads are very irritating. My vv

started after I had a bout of incontinence and used pads for control.

But that problem is gone now.

I wear panties to bed so that my nightgown will not touch or get

wrapped around my crotch area while I am asleep.

Panties with elastic legs cause me no end of pain and irritation. I

wear them low (about halfway down my thighs and the elastic even

irritates my legs. I use the cotton banded leg panties now and they

work well.

I do not have athletes foot but did a couple of times in the past.

foot fungus can get on the sheets and onto other body parts. I am not

comfortable wearing socks to bed and instead wear panties to protect

my crotch area. If I ever get another yeast infection I will start

wearing socks to bed.

If I eat some cranberry sauce (canned is always available) it stops

the pain for a while - don't ask me why even though it contains

sugar which usually causes me a lot of problems.

Canned peaches also stop the pain for a while - drained and rinsed.

Vitamin A & D Cream - without Vitamin E - also helps a lot. Vitamin E

makes my VV worse.

Drinking a lot of water helps. Very often when I start to have a

flare I just drink two glasses of water and it really helps.

Ora