New member from England (London) - looking for advice and a doctor!

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

My name is Lea and i have been suffering from vulval pain for nearly

three years now. it started when i finished university - i had a full

time job and this coupled with wearing tight clothes and sitting down

for 7 hours a day started to irritate me. i ignored the pain for a

long time assuming it was thrush and buying over the counter

remedies. after a while i went to see my doctor who mis-diagnosed

thrush and i was prescribed more medicine. ultimately this had the

effect of drying me out and i went through an obsessive stage of

always washing. big mistake. so with no avail i went to a GUM clinic

with the hope that they could sort out what ever it was. i had tests

for everything (STDs etc) and they also took swabs to se if i had

thrush - all the tests came back negative.

i then moved in with my bf and so had to look for a new GP. before he

would refer me to a gynocologist however, he insisted i have all

these swabs taken and be tested again for everything (including

diabetes). once referred the gyno said everything looked normal but

referred me on to have a colposcopy. finally i thought an answer to

my problem is near. but the colposcopy was a waste of time - the doc

said i was prob allergic to something that irritated the skin but

didnt want to try to find out what.

so now i am back to the beginning, do i go back to my GP? do i go

private? what some doctors don't seem to understand is that it

affects your well-being, self-esteem and your sex life. my bf has

been great but sex has got to a point where it's really painful (i

guess it doesnt help that there is a certain mental association and

it's quite hard to relax and enjoy it when all you can think about is

how much it's going to hurt). But it also feels in some bizarre way

that my muscles have tightened up so even if i am lubricated it hurts

because when he enters me it is causing friction against the outside

bits.

it's more painful when i sit down but i find at the weekends when i'm

not confined to my desk it's a bit better. the pain certainly

increases when pressure is applied and clothes rub up against me. i

use aqueous cream which provides some relief.

i guess i want to know if anyone knows of any UK doctors (south-east)

who have been a help to them. i am tired of being told there is

nothing wrong with me (i'm beginning to question my sanity).

i am 24 years of age and in some ways i cant help but think this pain

will never go away.

any advice would be greatly apreciated - i'm at the end of my tether!

Many thanks,

lea

[Guest guest]

Hey!

Perhaps www.nva.org might have some doc info? I was also wondring if

you're on the birth control pill-going off of it has been helpful for

some of us and Iwish I had gone off at your age. :-)

The other things that have been helpful for me are topical estrace

cream and physical therapy. I think there are a few physical

therapists in England that can help with this.

It will go away. You will get better. Just don't settle for no

answers and bad treatment.

Take care,

Lindsey

[Guest guest]

PS-you also might want to look at

www.pelvicpain.org

It's the website for the international pelvic pain assoc.

Lindsey

[Guest guest]

<< i guess i want to know if anyone knows of any UK doctors (south-east)

> who have been a help to them. i am tired of being told there is

> nothing wrong with me (i'm beginning to question my sanity).>>

Hi Lea,

I help run The London Vulval Pain Support Group

http://londonvpsg.googlepages.com/home and we meet every 6 weeks or so

near Baker street tube. We also have an online Yahoo group like this

one. You can ring me on 07837 533 992 if you'd like to chat or find

out more.

There are doctors and clinics out there.

Kay

[Guest guest]

Hi Lea, Welcome to the group, though sorry to hear what you are going through. Many of us can relate. Please do not force yourself to have sex. It creates a vicious cycle. *sigh* There can be several causes of vulvar pain. If you will go to our homepage at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VulvarDisorders you will find tons of great info. Over to the left you will find several sections that may help. Polls, Files and Links, etc. Tight pelvic floor muscles can refer pain to the vestibule. Some women have gotten well from pelvic floor physical therapy. For many of us, we use a combination of treatments to help. Hang in there...~Chelle "lea.paoli"

wrote: Hi All,My name is Lea and i have been suffering from vulval pain for nearly three years now. it started when i finished university - i had a full time job and this coupled with wearing tight clothes and sitting down for 7 hours a day started to irritate me. i ignored the pain for a long time assuming it was thrush and buying over the counter remedies. after a while i went to see my doctor who mis-diagnosed thrush and i was prescribed more medicine. ultimately this had the effect of drying me out and i went through an obsessive stage of always washing. big mistake. so with no avail i went to a GUM clinic with the hope that they could sort out what ever it was. i had tests for everything (STDs etc) and they also took swabs to se if i had thrush - all the tests came back

negative. i then moved in with my bf and so had to look for a new GP. before he would refer me to a gynocologist however, he insisted i have all these swabs taken and be tested again for everything (including diabetes). once referred the gyno said everything looked normal but referred me on to have a colposcopy. finally i thought an answer to my problem is near. but the colposcopy was a waste of time - the doc said i was prob allergic to something that irritated the skin but didnt want to try to find out what.so now i am back to the beginning, do i go back to my GP? do i go private? what some doctors don't seem to understand is that it affects your well-being, self-esteem and your sex life. my bf has been great but sex has got to a point where it's really painful (i guess it doesnt help that there is a certain mental association and it's quite hard to relax and enjoy it when all you can think about is how

much it's going to hurt). But it also feels in some bizarre way that my muscles have tightened up so even if i am lubricated it hurts because when he enters me it is causing friction against the outside bits.it's more painful when i sit down but i find at the weekends when i'm not confined to my desk it's a bit better. the pain certainly increases when pressure is applied and clothes rub up against me. i use aqueous cream which provides some relief. i guess i want to know if anyone knows of any UK doctors (south-east) who have been a help to them. i am tired of being told there is nothing wrong with me (i'm beginning to question my sanity). i am 24 years of age and in some ways i cant help but think this pain will never go away. any advice would be greatly apreciated - i'm at the end of my tether!Many thanks,lea------------------------------------**IF REPLYING TO THIS

POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST, Thanks for your cooperation! *****

[Guest guest]

Many thanks for all your help and support. i have been trying lots of

things out - i have bought cotton sanitary products, i have just

started the low oxalate diet (although it's quite hard) and i will be

taking calciun citrate tablets. i am feeling a lot more positive and

i am going to look into seeing a specialist in England. fingers

crossed!

Lea

> Hi All,

>

> My name is Lea and i have been suffering from vulval pain for

nearly

> three years now. it started when i finished university - i had a

full

> time job and this coupled with wearing tight clothes and sitting

down

> for 7 hours a day started to irritate me. i ignored the pain for a

> long time assuming it was thrush and buying over the counter

> remedies. after a while i went to see my doctor who mis-diagnosed

> thrush and i was prescribed more medicine. ultimately this had the

> effect of drying me out and i went through an obsessive stage of

> always washing. big mistake. so with no avail i went to a GUM

clinic

> with the hope that they could sort out what ever it was. i had

tests

> for everything (STDs etc) and they also took swabs to se if i had

> thrush - all the tests came back negative.

>

> i then moved in with my bf and so had to look for a new GP. before

he

> would refer me to a gynocologist however, he insisted i have all

> these swabs taken and be tested again for everything (including

> diabetes). once referred the gyno said everything looked normal but

> referred me on to have a colposcopy. finally i thought an answer to

> my problem is near. but the colposcopy was a waste of time - the

doc

> said i was prob allergic to something that irritated the skin but

> didnt want to try to find out what.

>

> so now i am back to the beginning, do i go back to my GP? do i go

> private? what some doctors don't seem to understand is that it

> affects your well-being, self-esteem and your sex life. my bf has

> been great but sex has got to a point where it's really painful (i

> guess it doesnt help that there is a certain mental association and

> it's quite hard to relax and enjoy it when all you can think about

is

> how much it's going to hurt). But it also feels in some bizarre way

> that my muscles have tightened up so even if i am lubricated it

hurts

> because when he enters me it is causing friction against the

outside

> bits.

>

> it's more painful when i sit down but i find at the weekends when

i'm

> not confined to my desk it's a bit better. the pain certainly

> increases when pressure is applied and clothes rub up against me. i

> use aqueous cream which provides some relief.

>

> i guess i want to know if anyone knows of any UK doctors (south-

east)

> who have been a help to them. i am tired of being told there is

> nothing wrong with me (i'm beginning to question my sanity).

>

> i am 24 years of age and in some ways i cant help but think this

pain

> will never go away.

>

> any advice would be greatly apreciated - i'm at the end of my

tether!

>

> Many thanks,

>

> lea

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST,

> Thanks for your cooperation! **

>

> ***

[Guest guest]

Hi Lea,

How did you get on with the specialist? I'm interested to know as I have

similar symptoms to yourself and am seeing a Vulva skin specialist

myself in two weeks ( I'm counting down the days ). I'm in the South

East too.

I had to Gynaecologists tell me it's a hormone problem but I want a

second opinion before I go down the HRT route. I tried local Oestrogen

but it made things do much worse.

Hope you don't mind me asking.

Vicky

> > Hi All,

> >

> > My name is Lea and i have been suffering from vulval pain for

> nearly

> > three years now. it started when i finished university - i had a

> full

> > time job and this coupled with wearing tight clothes and sitting

> down

> > for 7 hours a day started to irritate me. i ignored the pain for a

> > long time assuming it was thrush and buying over the counter

> > remedies. after a while i went to see my doctor who mis-diagnosed

> > thrush and i was prescribed more medicine. ultimately this had the

> > effect of drying me out and i went through an obsessive stage of

> > always washing. big mistake. so with no avail i went to a GUM

> clinic

> > with the hope that they could sort out what ever it was. i had

> tests

> > for everything (STDs etc) and they also took swabs to se if i had

> > thrush - all the tests came back negative.

> >

> > i then moved in with my bf and so had to look for a new GP. before

> he

> > would refer me to a gynocologist however, he insisted i have all

> > these swabs taken and be tested again for everything (including

> > diabetes). once referred the gyno said everything looked normal but

> > referred me on to have a colposcopy. finally i thought an answer to

> > my problem is near. but the colposcopy was a waste of time - the

> doc

> > said i was prob allergic to something that irritated the skin but

> > didnt want to try to find out what.

> >

> > so now i am back to the beginning, do i go back to my GP? do i go

> > private? what some doctors don't seem to understand is that it

> > affects your well-being, self-esteem and your sex life. my bf has

> > been great but sex has got to a point where it's really painful (i

> > guess it doesnt help that there is a certain mental association and

> > it's quite hard to relax and enjoy it when all you can think about

> is

> > how much it's going to hurt). But it also feels in some bizarre way

> > that my muscles have tightened up so even if i am lubricated it

> hurts

> > because when he enters me it is causing friction against the

> outside

> > bits.

> >

> > it's more painful when i sit down but i find at the weekends when

> i'm

> > not confined to my desk it's a bit better. the pain certainly

> > increases when pressure is applied and clothes rub up against me. i

> > use aqueous cream which provides some relief.

> >

> > i guess i want to know if anyone knows of any UK doctors (south-

> east)

> > who have been a help to them. i am tired of being told there is

> > nothing wrong with me (i'm beginning to question my sanity).

> >

> > i am 24 years of age and in some ways i cant help but think this

> pain

> > will never go away.

> >

> > any advice would be greatly apreciated - i'm at the end of my

> tether!

> >

> > Many thanks,

> >

> > lea

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> > **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST,

> > Thanks for your cooperation! **

> >

> > ***