Guest guest Posted December 8, 2001 Report Share Posted December 8, 2001 funny that picture looks like my mirror. I again have more questions, when this first started for me it was about 2 weeks into a birth control pill orthotricycline. My symptoms also come and go right now there are HERE in a bad way!! I can actually watch it come on like an infection one spot will get red and then it spreads out until it is everywhere even as far inside as I can see?? At some points during the month I can have sex with no pain, even managed twice in one day last month, right now just sitting is frying me?? the only PH test was done by me with my sons fish tank strips and it was too low to register on the chart?? this article says Ph would be high if it were atrophic?? no easy answers are there.? Do the flare ups spoken of on here have any simularities to mine?? Thank you all for the good info it is helping to keep me from curling up in a ball and hidding from the world. DSP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 8, 2001 Report Share Posted December 8, 2001 >>Do any of you have other skin problems that relate to your burning?? rashes, itchy bumps, hives ect.? also the biopsy I had done in calif. showed hyperkeritonized(SP?) skin cells, alot of steroids would cause that but i have never used any for more than 2 days once or twice because they are irritating ?? any ideas?? DSP<< This type of skin comes from itching as well. Lichen Scleroris and Lichen Planus both have hyperkeratosis and so does atrophy. If you have low estrogen and are burning, itching (you did say you were low on estrogen) then you can have hyperkeratosis. I really think you should consider vulvar atrophy or atrophic vaginitis http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000515/3090.html The doctors may not be checking for this because of your age. I know it gets worse if you are breast feeding because your estrogen lowers while breast feeding. When you have atrophy, your pH is off and bugs take a foot hold. Be it too much lacto, bacteria or yeast. Your normal lining is not there to slough them off. Have you had your vaginal pH tested? You may just need to use estrogen cream in the area. It may burn at first but it will get better as the skin heals. You can even have it compounded without the harsh base that Estrace comes in. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 8, 2001 Report Share Posted December 8, 2001 > funny that picture looks like my mirror. I again have more questions, when > this first started for me it was about 2 weeks into a birth control pill > orthotricycline. My symptoms also come and go right now there are HERE in a > bad way!! I can actually watch it come on like an infection one spot will > get red and then it spreads out until it is everywhere even as far inside as > I can see?? At some points during the month I can have sex with no pain, > even managed twice in one day last month, right now just sitting is frying > me?? the only PH test was done by me with my sons fish tank strips and it > was too low to register on the chart?? this article says Ph would be high if > it were atrophic?? no easy answers are there.? Do the flare ups spoken of > on here have any simularities to mine?? > Thank you all for the good info it is helping to keep me from curling up > in a ball and hidding from the world. > DSP It can be cyclic with your cycle. Worse prior to ovulation and again just before and the first days of your cycle since these are the times your estrogen will drop naturally. Those pH strips can't help much. A doctor has a test they use just for this. Also, it may be normal pH some times as well. I would burn when it showed normal and sometimes NOT burn at higher pH. I think it depends how raw the skin is. My doctor uses a credit card thing. He wipes the discharge on it and it shows either high or low and a scale. Mine was at one point 7.5!! Normal is about 4.3. Try making a chart of your period time (unless you aren't having any from the breast feeding) and give your pain a 1-10 rating. Watch if it swings high at ovulation (about day 14 with a 28 day cycle) and again just before and right after you start to bleed. OrthoTriCyclen is a multi phase pill. The estrogen content changes 3 times during the course of a month. This could account for the burning starting then. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 9, 2001 Report Share Posted December 9, 2001 all of this made so much sense to me, along with thinking back to having some itching ocassionally before this started, that I decided to try the premarin cream last night, so far it is not hurting me,I am already at my worst so I figure if it doesn't hurt I'll be ok. This is my fourth child and I nursed them all for at least a year. I definatly see a pattern with my burning, the only time it is screwy is around my period sometimes it is better when it starts sometimes it just stays like this time. I was away this month with the baby and I nursed him alot maybe that had something to do with this bad flare?? I never had periods while I was nursing my other 3 and this one I started right away. I have have a white discharge that can be pretty gross through part of my cycle is that common with low estogen also?? How come the doctors don't put all this together?? I feel like I have asked these questions and they don't seem to have the answers, or they don't want to investigate the possibility. thanks for your interest and help, I will let you know what happens with the premarin cream, my doctor will love that I am treating myself Im sure!!! DSP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 9, 2001 Report Share Posted December 9, 2001 I have basically that same discharge!! got the same answer about it. I have repeatedly asked them to look for this lactobacillus problem and they blow it off. I talk to them again on monday and will try yet again to make my case!!! I have three tubes of premarin, is this something we have to have a prescription for you said vagifem site can you buy estrogen that way?? sick vagina is soooooooo acurate how else could you describe it. I have said it was broken to my husband a few times!!! thank you again for being so kind and interested in me. I will be patient and keep you posted. DSP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 9, 2001 Report Share Posted December 9, 2001 > I have have a white discharge that can be pretty gross through part of my > cycle is that common with low estogen also?? How come the doctors don't put > all this together?? I feel like I have asked these questions and they don't > seem to have the answers, or they don't want to investigate the possibility. > thanks for your interest and help, > DSP A white discharge can be normal for you. Things change over the years and I now have a thick white discharge most of the time. Not abundant though. Mid cycle I have yellowish stringy like egg white. I have had this yellow tested (the egg white part is normal ovulation) and they can't find a thing. The vagifem site (they make an insert with estradiol estrogen) says that yellow discharge with odor is part of atrophy. Well---this discharge has a strange odor that no doctor can figure out. Not fishy or bacteria--more of a bell pepper smell. Strange. White can also be the lactobacilli. Have them check it for TOO much lacobacilli or damaged ones. Both take antibiotic cream to fix. Once you get your vagina back to normal--- it will take care of the bacterias and yeasts on it's own. Right now it is too sick to fight anything off.(sorry, but that is the only way I could describe it). Remember too that it took some women 6 months to get full relief using estrogen cream. Don't be discourged along the way with minor setbacks. Keep plugging along. The doctors won't be able to put it together because of your age. You are far too young for them to consider low estrogen. Unless you are early to mid forties, the thought never crosses their minds and they wave it off if you ask. You are not in their textbook as an example. As for treating yourself......what you are doing is not life threatening but it IS ego threatening ;-) Do what you have to do to get relief!!!! These doctor's don't burn all the time. They go home and have a comfy life---take vacations---visit friends---go to work---time with family and guess what? They DON'T do it in pain!!! Light a match in their crotch and they would be a little more sympathetic to us I am sure. BUT--don't get caught doing it! LOL Good luck! Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 9, 2001 Report Share Posted December 9, 2001 > I have basically that same discharge!! got the same answer about it. I > have repeatedly asked them to look for this lactobacillus problem and they > blow it off. I talk to them again on monday and will try yet again to make my > case!!! > I have three tubes of premarin, is this something we have to have a > prescription for you said vagifem site can you buy estrogen that way?? > sick vagina is soooooooo acurate how else could you describe it. I have > said it was broken to my husband a few times!!! > thank you again for being so kind and interested in me. > I will be patient and keep you posted. > DSP Yes, you need a prescription for Premarin or Estrace cream. Vagifem is a new tablet that has you insert and it dissolves inside. It is the same as Estrace. Prescription again for that one. They do have info on Atrophy there so I always go look at it: http://www.vagifem.com I would have them check for overgrowth of lacto and/or damaged lacto and if that is all clear---tell them the premarin is helping and that since you have had low estrogen levels you strongly feel the estrogen you do have is not getting to the vagina. My problems also include anal burning and tearing. I had fissures and had the surgery for them so this has stumped the surgeon. I said- --I think my butt is as dry as the front AND the rest of my skin so it is just tearing easily. I get it at ovulation time (when estrogen drops) only to heal up in time for my second drop right as my period starts (lately though I have been skipping periods or have weird cycles). Because I went off the estrogen to see the new gyno this week, my behind is sore again. When I use estrace on it it makes a world of difference. I was told by a pharmacist at College Pharmacy (they are big on natural hormones) that in fact you can have anal tearing from dry skin due to low estrogen. He said it is about 7% of women he talks to. I just go lucky!!! Good luck---let us know what happens! Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 10, 2001 Report Share Posted December 10, 2001 Sorry that was a dumb question, Dr avoidance kicked in to over drive. I did read the info on the site. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.