New member- My short (kind of) story

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone! This is my first time joining a support group online. I

feel I need some support from women who suffer from this condition,

because not a lot of people know about it and can understand the

impact it has on your quality of life. I was recently diagnosed

with vulvar vestibulitis summer of 2008 by a physician in

Philadelphia, PA. I've been experiencing symptoms for five years

now, around the time I became sexually active. I've read that this

is often the case for suffers, is this true for anyone else? Anyway,

my story begins five years ago when I realized something wasn't

right when my boyfriend and I started having sex because I was

experiencing burning and irritation. After visiting my gyn I found

out I have an allergy to latex and to the spermicide on condoms.

Somehow, (couldn't have been coincidence) triggered an infection.

From that point I started having recurrent infections. My gyn saw me

a lot and treated me for bv and yeast. The infection would clear up,

then 1-3 weeks later come back. My gyn kept treating me for the

symptoms, I didn't know what else to do. This happened for four

years, until I saw a different physician because my doctor was

unavailable. She was the first person to suggest there may be

something else going on, and she referred me to a gyn who

specializes in infectious disease. I met with this doctor last

summer and he did the swab or q-tip? test and diagnosed me with

vulvar vestibulitis. He prescribed me a topical cream Amitrip/Baclof

2% Lipodrm. I had to have it shipped from a pharmacy in Baltimore!

So, it is suppose to supress the nerve endings so I don't feel the

pain as much. My last visit I came in with a yeast infection, so he

decided to add Difflucan to my treatment for a period of 4-5 weeks

because he said he wasn't sure the infections were a completely

separate issue from the vulvodynia as he first asessed back in the

summer. So, I use the cream, which helps but doesn't significantly

help the pain I feel during and after sex. I would give anything to

experience this is some other place on my body. The feeling after

sex is sore, swollen, raw, inflamed, burning, stinging. Sometimes

the pain is tolerable, and sometimes it's excruciating. I also

experience pain that comes and goes not pertaining to intercourse.

It's like a shooting stabbing pain inside my vagina, and kind of

radiates to the outside. This condition is impossible! I learned to

tolerate a certain amount of pain after so long. (Also) I have

urinary problems. I've been to my primary a lot with uti symptoms

(in fact I've had urinary discomfort since a child) and only

sometimes have an infection. So, he referred me to a urologist a few

weeks ago, and this doctor says I probably have Interstitial

Cystitis. I'm following up with him in a week. Just so you know,

there isn't an STD involved, thorough testing has been done and I've

been with my boyfriend for these five years. We are getting

engaged. If this is any relevance to anyone, I also have been

diagnosed with IBS, and depression & anxiety. So, this is my story.

I hope you were able to follow, I tend to explain too much and go on

and on. Thanks everyone!