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Conditions

Vulvodynia

Vaginas

This unpleasant condition causes chronic pain and discomfort in the vulval area, with the most common symptoms including stinging, burning, irritation and rawness. The condition can vary in severity; for some they experience only mild discomfort, but for others it can severely inhibit their normal lives and prevent enjoyment of sexual activities. There are treatments available, including anti-depressant and anti-convulsant drugs, but there are also creams and gels that can be applied to help with the pain. With up to 15% of women suffering with this condition, you can be sure that you’re not alone, and your GP will be able to help.

Comments

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

how do i no if i have vulvodynia? im 18 n have been with my partner for 3 n a half years n hes the only person ive slept with. when we have sex its really painful during penetration n throughout sometimes resulting in us in having 2 stop. after, my vagina seems 2 swell up 4 a couple of days n if we have sex close 2 my period starting i cant fit a tampon in, it swells up that much. its really starting 2 get 2 me now n makin me feel down cos i feel im not satisfying my partner even though hes really understanding but i jus want 2 enjoy havin sex with my him!!

Hello,

not sure what category to put this in. I used to have an ok sex life but quite a few years ago I started getting quite a lot pain and spliting in the exact same area around the enterance to my vagina. A little while ago I went to see about and they mentioned lichen sclerosis which is more common in older women, I'm 25. It is putting a strain on my sex life as I dread it even though I want to want it. I'm on on a steroid cream but is there any thing else as it doesn't seem to make a big difference. It gets me very depressed I'm so fed up :(

Hi, my name's Ann and I'm a 58 year old woman. For the past 5 or so years I have been suffering with a really severe irritation around the outer opening of my vagina. My GP has taken swabs which were clear and I saw a skin specialist in hospital who suggested it could be vulvadynia. I was prescribed amitriptylene and various creams but found that none of them provided much relief. PLEASE help as it is ruining my life and relationship with my fiance

i am 15 and after sex my labia becomes large and inflamed and it feels like there is a small lump in the right side of it.
it goes down after an hour or more but it feels uncomfortable and sore, should i be worried about this?

Hi girls! For years I've suffered with pain and discomfort, lower abdominal and back pain from sitting at a slant as it hurts too much – due to go for a laparoscopy soon – I won't be surprised if all the results come back negative as all the other screens etc have done. Was wondering if any of you have tips for sitting more comfortable? And how you sort out your throbbing pains? Painkillers do not touch it at all – guess it's time for another visit to the GP!
Good luck girls x

every time i start my period i get a pain, it doesn't last for very long and isn't too bad but now ive just started to experience the same pain even when i'm not starting my period. it's very mild but is worrying me, i'm also worried about the possibility of it getting worse :/ any ideas what it could be?

I am only 25 and I haven't had a period in over two years, I have had to surgeries for endometriosis, and I 'm on the pill but I experience pain down there and also dryness, what can I do

Hello everyone, any tips on how on earth I can ever meet a man when i suffer from Vulvodynia? I can't bring myself to date at all as would be too terrified to tell any man about this. I would feel humiliated. I dream of becoming friends with a guy who would fall in love with me and then I could tell him and he would understand but its just a dream :( I am 32 and have been single for 5 years.

hey lauren, to me im 90% sure you have thursh. esp with the white clumpy discharge. for some reason it can effect women around the time of our periods. and the reson i know that is bcoz i went to my gp. they can be sooo good and understanding, you woulnd be the first to go to them about this orthe last. im pretty sure this is thrush you are talking about. so next time you get a discharge that doesnt smell, itching/burning, go and get some canestan, either the oral or the pessary tablet and either the cream or some live yoghurt and that will be sorted in a couple of days! :)

In reply to Hannah, i get the burning without, yeah..
A couple of weeks ago, just before i started my period, i had thick clumpy discharge which really scared me, but then it started to clear. Then i had my period after missing it the month before. Just a couple of days ago, during my period, my vagina started to really itch and now it burns and really hurts if pressure is on it. Even though it hurts, there is no bad discharge anymore so im not sure if it is thrush. Im scared about going to the doctors about this because im embarressed but i dont know how i can get rid of this burning. I also dont know what to say to my boyfriend because we cant do anything since it hurts so much. Do you know any way i can cure this without going to my GP?




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