So glad to find this board to commiserate with others who are struggling with this problem. I have been in agony for 6 weeks and after hundreds of $ of medical tests, all are negative. But here is what I learned you need to rule out.
First, the obvious. Soaps, detergents, cleanses, new underwear, your panty liners and tampons.
Next. Your doctors will assume it is most likely a yeast or fungus. So you will have cultures done to rule that out. I took 3 different kinds of yeast infection inserts before my cultures all came back negative. If you don't have a yeast infection then Monistat and even prescription meds will not help at all. I was also given an antifungal which did nothing because I don't have that problem either.
Even though I have been monogamous for 9 years and have been tested for std's before marriage, they did a culture and a blood test for herpes to rule it out. Negative.
Then they did a blood test for diabetes which can cause this problem. Negative
In the meantime, I was only given an antihistamine to help with the itching. Mostly, it knocked me out at night and allowed me to sleep better. I had also been using Vagisil to relieve the itch and pain so that I could function somewhat normally. But about once a week, the situation was so painful and uncomfortable I had to miss work and apply an ice pack DIRECTLY. this was the only way I could stay sane. I also slept with one between my legs which allowed me to rest.
I recently saw a new doctor after 6 weeks of no progress (and no more ideas) from the other doc. The first thing she told me was to throw the Vagisil AWAY and to never use it again. It will poison your system. And if your skin is already thin and irritated it can make you sicker. She told me the cycle of irritation and Vagisil may actually be the remaining problem. I could be sensitive to yeast in such a small amount it wouldn't grow on a culture. I may also be sensitive to the c Vagisil or allergic which is keeping my immune system working on hyperdrive.
She gave me a steroid ointment to put on over the course of no more that 2 weeks. I am putting it on 2ce per day and not yet seeing a difference but it has only been 2 days. She also recommended that you sit in a bath with Domeboro which is a treatment for poison ivy. You just add it to a sitz or bath to relieve the itching.
If my body does not heal in 2 weeks or so, then I will be seeing a doctor who specializes in vulval skin problems. This could be hormones (I am 50 and not through menopause), pre-cancer, dermatitis of some sort or a number of other issues.
I wish I hadn't had to go through 6 weeks of torture with no answers but I am hoping that in 2 weeks I can function normally again. Best of luck to the rest of you! And be careful. Take care of yourself and don't suffer long before going to see a doctor. Your case may simply be one of the easy problems to fix. Don't let modesty or embarrassment keep you from seeing someone. This is more common than you know.
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article on common causes of the problem (likely to be skin disorder, not gynecological)
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