Estrace cream & PT and things Libby told me at my visit....

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I hope this might help someone else.This won't be verbatim.... *She mentioned how women with vulvar pain also tend to have estrogen problems. Being a dermatologist, I'm sure she is well aware of the good effects 'topical' estrogen has on the skin. She even commented on how good my vulvar skin 'looked' -- had she seen me just 3 yrs. ago before I began using Estrace, she would have seen a mess. I was so red, and had tiny tears and looked inflamed. My ob/gyn at the time said my skin looked excoriated (when you scratch the skin to hard) -- I didn't scratch, I didn't itch, I was just so inflamed. By the way - his only treatment was to use AciGel to help the vaginal Ph. I saw a uro/gyn the next week and begged to use Estrace. It healed my skin over time. *She gave me a Rx to see a PT. She said they are seeing good results from

women having pelvic floor PT. I already know how good PT can be, and do it at home - but it was so good to see a an experienced Vulvar doc give a Rx for it. *As for Estrace use, I was told to use it everyday (as in topically). I thought that was a good sign too. I would not use a huge amount, but you really don't need to use a huge amount. *She said the pill does cause vulvar pain in 'some' women. In my opinion ONE is too many! If you get a chance -- go to the files section on the homepage and look at the links Dee has put together on the birth control pill. I could go on and on about how badly I hate the birth control pill and how it sucks, but I'll stop here :0). If I think of anything else, I'll post... Hugs, Chelle

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Dear Chelle,

"3 yrs. ago before I began using Estrace, she would have seen a mess. I was so red, and had tiny tears and looked inflamed. My ob/gyn at the time said my skin looked excoriated (when you scratch the skin to hard) -- I didn't scratch, I didn't itch, I was just so inflamed."

Your description really resonates with me.

So far 3 different doctors/gyns have all examined me and said pretty much the same thing, that I look like it's irritated and red and have I been scratching?

When I tell them I don't think so, one always insisted on culturing for yeast and sometimes put me on Difulcan (even though the culture is usually negative and I don't have any discharge that's abnormal for me).

Another insists that I must be scratching and not be aware of it! Maybe, I guess it's possible...we do scratch things in our sleep...but I still don't really think this is what's going on!

However, I do get itching/burning. It's not constant. It comes and it goes. And it's not necessarily related to the redness/irritation at all. (I can have one but not the other, the other way around, both together, or neither. It varies.) You mentioned that you didn't itch. Did you just have the redness and irritation and no itching/burning at all? And was the redness/irritation *constant* or did it come and go?

Your description sounds like a perfect fit, aside from the fact that I do have those other things as well. I wonder if they may be two separate, unrelated issues now, though? Or if, in my case, the redness/irritation is something else.

Thanks,

~~

[Guest guest]

>>>You mentioned that you didn't itch. Did you just have the redness and irritation and no itching/burning at all? And was the redness/irritation *constant* or did it come and go? Hi , I was definitely red, inflamed looking with very bad burning. My vulvar skin just felt 'raw'. That was the absolute 'worst' my skin had ever been. Through all of the vulvar pain I haven't had problems with yeast or itching. To tell you the truth, I think it would have killed me to 'scratch' when my skin 'looked' so bad. I'm not sure what your exact history is with v.pain...but have you ever be able to try using Estrace topically? It may not work for every single vulvar pain patient, but even Libby said

that many v.patients have estrogen issues (and I believe she meant in the 'skin'). Especially those of us that have used the bc pills *UGH*. When we lose the good effects of estrogen on our vulvar skin, the layers thin and make us more susceptible to inflammation and PAIN. I hope this helps some, anymore questions, just ask! Hugs, Chelle

[Guest guest]

Hi Chelle Just wondering if your near Dr office... I'm in Concord and I have saw her several times. It would be nice to have someone local to talk to with my same problems. Lee AnnChelle wrote: >>>You mentioned that you didn't itch. Did you just have the redness and irritation and no itching/burning at all? And was the

redness/irritation *constant* or did it come and go? Hi , I was definitely red, inflamed looking with very bad burning. My vulvar skin just felt 'raw'. That was the absolute 'worst' my skin had ever been. Through all of the vulvar pain I haven't had problems with yeast or itching. To tell you the truth, I think it would have killed me to 'scratch' when my skin 'looked' so bad. I'm not sure what your exact history is with v.pain...but have you ever be able to try using Estrace topically? It may not work for every single vulvar pain patient, but even Libby said that many v.patients have estrogen issues (and I believe she meant in the 'skin'). Especially those of us that have used the bc pills *UGH*. When we lose the good effects of estrogen on our vulvar skin, the layers thin and make us more susceptible to

inflammation and PAIN. I hope this helps some, anymore questions, just ask! Hugs, Chelle __________________________________________________