Swollen, burning, red, inflammed vulva & clitoris/hood -

I'm wondering how you made out with your course of treatment. I've had Vestibular Vulvodynia for over 10 years. I'm 34 now. I've seen several specialists and have always thought yeast was at the base of the problem, but I test negative for it, so the docs won't treat it.

How did you make out in the end? What was your exact course of therapy? Who was your specialist? He seems knowledgeable.

Thanks so much for the help!

This explains a lot I was given batrum (antibiotics) 2 weeks ago and now I'm faced with this now I know why..thank you so much I thought I was going crazy trying to figure out why it was swollen..but felt like an yeast infection know I haven't been sexually active kinda made think why it was happening thanks for this info

I believe mine was because of the condom too you know. Right after i felt the itching. I'm not sure if it was yeast but i heated some water not long from now and poured about 6 caps of apple cider vinegar in it and added a little bath water to it. I sat in it for a bout 15mins and used my finger to kind of wash out the inside of my vagina. I dried the area with a soft clean rag after and carefully dried my clitoris. I have on loose clothing right now so it does not touch it our cause it to get damp again. I also trimmed some of the hairs off my vagina to prevent it from sweating too much. I feel much more comfort now than before. Oh and i hope you have been ok over the past years and have gained happiness. Stay healthy ok and do things that make you happier and lighter. God bless you.

I just this past week had the same symptoms. I could not walk, sit, drive etc without horrible pain in my genital area, a problem I have never had before. My clitoris/hood/lip was very swollen red and painful and I could after the first few days feel a lump, after a few days I could see the lump getting bigger and the pain getting worse. By the 4th day it was doubled in size and so was my labia. I started soaking in hot bath and only using unscented dove soap. Each time I went to the bathroom I would then rinse the area with warm water. By the 6th morning it started draining and it drained for a whole day and a small part of the next day. After it started draining the pain started to go away and then I was able to squeeze it a bit to help it drain. I always waashed the area well each time I went to bathroom after it started draining. The drainage was clear mixed with blood. After it started draining I also started putting neosporin on it (not inside only on the affected area). The hot baths will def help and it will drain just be patient, if it doesnt after a week please go see your doctor as it may be something more serious. Sorry for the long post but after just going through this pain I just wanted to give you as much info as I could. Hope you feel better soon. Keep me posted

Thanks to extra virgin oil with tea tree oil.

I had the same problem which started February 17th.  I woke up with an unfamiliar pain and unbearable sting when peeing.  I knew it was not a yeast infection nor a bladder infection. At age 65, I knew this pain was very different.  I could feel the pain was in the labia minora and thought the culprit was either having sex the night before without using Astroglide or by a sharp hangnail after washing right after. I started self medicating with Polysporin right away. On the second day, I did my biggest mistake. I sat on a  very very hot water bath in an attempt to wash away whatever fungi or bacteria was there. I burned my vulva so bad that the skin of the clitoral hood became so red and raw the following day.  The stinging pain became more unbearable as the pee came in contact with the raw skin.  After a week with no improvement, my husband insisted that we went to see our GP.  I phoned early Monday , the 25th and Isaw the doctor at 3 pm the same day.  All the doctor found was raw skin next to the clitoris and the burned skin of the clitoral hood. He even showed my vulva to my husband and explained that it was all skin trauma and that the skin would eventually heal itself but would take a long long time and cautioned him to no sex in the meantime. My doctor has a very good sense of humor. 

He gave me Betaderm ointment .01% ( w/betamethasone val. 0.1%) to be applied to the vulva three times daily to reduce the pain. He also recommended to add a little baking soda with the wash water after every pee.  Furthermore, he recommended to sit on a bath of luke warm water with five (5) tbsp of baking soda just enough to reach your vulva every night before going to bed.  He also suggested the use of cold compress to help ease the pain.  

However, after three days of the Betaderm, I could not feel any improvement so I decided to use a 3:1 mixture of extra virgin olive oil and tea tree oil.  By the end of the third day of using the olive oil/tea tree oil,  I immediately felt some relief. Alleluia!! My husband was relieved as well as he could not stand my screaming in pain everytime I pee. It was really that painful!  I went back to my GP as appointed after my first visit to see the results of the tests he had ordered.  All test came out negative which proved his original diagnosis that all I had was skin trauma.  I told him that I dropped the Betaderm afer 3 days and used olive oil and tea tree oil instead.  The doctor said this was irrelevant as my vulva was on its way to recovery and would have healed even if did not use anything.

Anyway, I still believe that the extra virgin olive oil with tea tree oil hastened the skin recovery.  Do not be alarmed if you see some skin peeling off every morning. By March 8th, I was completely healed. A word of caution, the tea tree oil would sting at first thus I do not recommend any dose stronger that 3:1.  You can put the mixture in a cup, cover with Saran Warp ready to use everytime after you wash.  The olive oil and the tea tree oil tend to separate so you can use a Q tip to blend it be fore use.  Dip a small swab of cotton and apply the mixture in your vulva.  Do not dip the same cotton twice. Use clean towel to dry not toilet or paper towel as they have chemicals on it.   Hold the hair dryer from a distance if you prefer to use it to dry the vulva.

My doctor (who is also 65) told me to go and see him right away if this occurs again. Apparently, this was his very first case and found it interesting.  I told him that if he has time, he should try Googling as there are lots of suffering women out there.

Hope I could be of help.

 

hi i'm 21.... i'm faced wit dis problem for like 4 years now.... its very painful.. does your apple cider vinegar work.?.. i also heard of using raw yogurt on the area... but i'm scared to try.... it usually happens after my period...idk wat to do.....HELP!!!

everyone need to be aware of a disease called lichen sclerosis. if you look it up beware that the cases you see of pictures are of severe cases. they say it generally only affects older women, but i disagree. i read all the time how women who have an itchy vagina always think its a yeast infection, but have no smelly discharge. mine started out with one month being itchy, red, swollen, sore to touch, cracked, no discharge. always the week before my period. went to the doctor after it happened 3 months in a row. told him my symptoms and how there was no discharge or smell as well. after checking me out got told that i had light (whitish) patches on one labia and perineum and he said it is lichen sclerosis. gave me a steroid cream to rub on and was told to stay away from tight pants, basically anything that would irritate it. eat yogurt, use non scented soap down there, wear cotton underwear. he looked at me and said this needs to be maintained i have women who are so uncomfortable who come in here too late and that it when there labia and outer stuff looks like ..slaps hand on table counter... this and our smooth and have nothing there. freaked me out enough to use the cream as instructed. my flare ups usually happen when i wear tight pants for too long, the week before my period i get like achy labia that tells me i need to go commando at that night to let me breathe, or if i am out in the heat even in loose pants.

You have candida

I had the same symptoms except it spread to my right side of body and my mouth got sore they thought it was a yeast infection. They did cultures and founf that it was vva. Iys not an std. Just an overload of normal bacteria we produce. Tjey gave me a prescription of flagyl took care of tje swelling and itching In A day and the soreness went away normally as it had to heal from irritation ams ribbing on it. Hope this helped! (I had this problem four tmes before and thia was the only thing that helped!)

Frankly, I've had this condition for the last 2 years and it's made me downright miserable. Itchy labia, clitoris and hood. I've gone to my OBGYN and it's not a yeast infection. I have had yeast infections before, similar itching, but in my case my vagina isn't itchy. I have a dry vagina. Poor little thing, but I also had a baby and almost immediately after I went into menopause which caused the dry vagina. 

For my case, my doctor gave me an Estrogen Vaginal cream for the itching. I apply it to my vuvla, labia, clitoris and hood every three days and with regular use, it does clear up all the uncomfortable sensations, but if I skip a week, all the madness returns.

I realize this thread is old, but I now the problem isn't. Please, don't be afraid to discuss these matters with your doctor, they've nearly heard it all and have seen some of the most severe cases of everything imaginable that yours is no different. If you aren't being taken seriously or listened to respectfully and your doctor has no idea, then you've got to go to another doctor until you find the right one. I've even gotten frustrated with a Doctor who was so unresponsive to me that I flat out refused to pay the bill and returned it with a letter explaining why, threatened to make a formal complaint as well for his lack of interest in helping. 

Stand up for yourself and stop waiting for someone else to do it for you, your body is the one you have to live with, demand, respectfully, some results! Bless all of you, I know how bad it is to suffer this intolerable condition. I hope, since as I stated before knowing this thread is so old, that all of you have found some results and no longer have to deal with these symptoms. 

Hi - I have similar symptoms but no itching. The awful thing is it feels like I'm aroused - may sound fun but it isn't. I'm so embarrassed at the thought of going to a doctor - it came out of nowhere - I've not changed any soap etc. Has anyone else felt like this?

I fixed my problem with baking soda.  I was swollen, red, and had an incredibly itchy clitoris hood and it would get worse when I was ovulating and then again a couple of days before my period and all the way through it.  It was driving me insane.  One doctor said it was a fungal problem and would take ages to go away and given I live in a tropical country, it was going to take a long, long time.  I found something that talked about baking soda baths.  You're supposed to be 5 tablespoons of baking soda into a couple of inches of water in the bath and sit in that for a couple of days in a row.  I was so fed up that I said in a shallow bucket, wet the baking soda and wiped it all over my labia and hood like a paste.  It stung like crazy and I was really worried that I made it worse, but after I rinsed off in cold water, the itchiness was gone!  Straight away.

I did the same treatment maybe twice a day for the next 3-4 days and made sure I wore skirts and no underwear as much as possible.  It worked.   That was about 4 months ago and it hasn't come back.  Once near my period, I started to feel a little uncomfortable and so used the baking soda again and nothing developed.  I can't believe how quickly it worked and that it has stayed away.

I think you should give it a go and see if it works for you.  

Good luck everyone.

vagisil does not treat yeast infections. They are a milder form of cleansing that help prevent yeast infections. if over the counter meds (like monistat) doesn't work talk to your doctor. Or at least call the office of your doctor and explain whats going on.

Highly recommend liquid Vitamin E. Get it from a health food store or organics isle in the grocery dept. You want it as pure

as possible. Apply to affected areas.  I worked for me.  My doctor mis-diagnosed me with a yeast infection - twice and nothing would work to ease the itch.  It would have been my first yeast infection ever (I am 40). I play a lot of sports, so I think the sweating etc., probably aggravated my private area. I tried vagisil - it didn't work

So I tried Vitamin E. Worked !

 

For me this has been happening for at least 6 months and its always right before Im getting my period or ovulating, which says to me that its hormonal????  I have been to the Dr. and she says its a yeast infection but I do not believe that - why would I get a yeast everytime Im getting my period or ovulating, that just doesnt make sense!  I have had yeast infections before and this isnt as itchy as it is annoying and its only on my clitoris and it becomes red and swolen and super sensitive to the touch.  I have tried creams from the gyno and it still comes back.....it starts before my period and can list half way through - I would just love some answers but feel better reading that I am not alone in this!