swollen vulva after treated yeast infection

I am now having the same issue. I've had yeast infections before, but never this horrid swelling. It is so painful and uncomfortable! My doctor actually recommended going without panties for a few days and wearing skirts or dresses to let a lot of air get to the area as well as using a Monistat treatment. (I'm pregnant, so I can't use a prescription medication). She also said to use ice for the discomfort and swelling. Well, it's been a day since I started her recommendation (several days of this swelling before I went in to the doctor), and it has helped a lot! It's weird to go sans panties, but it really is helping. Between that and the cream and the ice, the swelling has decreased a lot already. She also said always, always sleep without panties, even when you're healthy. You need air down there!

On the topic of pads, some posters said they had allergies to pads. I have always had such problems with pads! I'm totally allergic, but used tampons and pads because I had no option, of course. I'm 27 -- that's a lot of years of monthly pain! I never knew there was an alternative, but last year I learned that they make cloth pads (with wings/snaps) that are super comfortable, very absorbent, and surprisingly clean. My first thought was "eww!" But I was desperate, so I gave them a try. Honestly, ladies, they are so comfortable, very easy to use, clean, and so much better than disposables! It sounded so yucky to me, but I tried them and love them! Just look for comfortable fabrics (velour is one of my new favs!), wings that snap, and good quality. I don't know how to sew or else I would try making them myself since they're a little pricey, but it's worth the cost. Cups instead of tampons are great, too. (Think Diva Cup or Moon Cup.) I sound like an ad, but I can't believe how much better this has made my life! Fewer yeast infections, and all around more comfortable!

Hi. It sounds like it could be an internal PH imbalance. When your bodily fluids are too acidic yeast is encouraged to grow. Then the Diflucan gets rid of the yeast temporarily but makes you more acidic. So you might want to look at your diet. You on the right track BUT take our all caffeine and sugar. Add green juice made from fresh veggies. You can get a juicer or go to a health food store where they can juice it fresh. Stop all fruit for now. they have weak acid. You may be depleted of vital minerals, enzymes and vitamins that are needed to break down the weak acid. Here is a list of weak acid foods that I am aware of: all fruit, honey, mollasses, vinegar (no salad dressing,ketchup, mustard etc), whey which means all dairy minus butter, tomatoes, peppers of any type including table pepper,coffee,alcohol, regular tea, carbonated beverages. Don't consume processed foods of any kind, artificial anything. Eat tons of fresh raw or steamed veggies, small amounts of protein, limited grains, good oils like olive, seseame and grapeseed, potatoes are great. You need to cleanse your body of the acid and balance it. It took me a year. I slowly added food back. Also, you need to get PH stix or litmus paper to measure your urine PH. It should read between 6.5-7.5 first thing in the morning. Sometime being too alkalized,over 7.5 would burn me. I would eat something slightly acidic like nuts or pretzels to balance me out again. Cucumbers are great to stop the burning quickly. Drink Evian,Figi or Jana water only. Seriously the water matters. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water. Drink nothing else until symptoms improve. Then you can add herbal teas, especially peppermint. If Evian hurts you you may be too alkalized. So try other PH balanced waters. Good luck. You have nothing to lose and you may be healthier. Laura

Sorry about your issue.....BUt have you considered your partner/husband getting checked. Men....CAN....transfer the infection back and forth....so I've been told.
Good luck

Hi! I empathize. I had back to back infections & took Diflucan. I am wondering if anyone has had shooting pains INSIDE!!! Also my boyfriend doesn't "fit" anymore and intercourse is impossible! I feel like I am smaller. I just know the shooting pains along with abdominal pains are horrible! Any ideas??????????????? :-( My immune systems just seems off the wall right now.

Ok here is my story...I had problems with yeast infections in the past but nothing like this....

I was put on an antibiotic for a sinus infection..I knew the yeast infection comes next...not all the time but a lot of the time. Sure enough I had one so I got a diffulcan pill...didnt work ...took another pill.. two weeks later....didnt work then I tried over the counter cream. This time instead of itching I had burning down there that I would not wish on anyone. It got so bad I was up all night in burning like hellish pain. I went to the GYN I told him everything I tried ...they gave me a prescription cream one time use one....buring did not stop! Went in again two -three weeks later this time I got tested for yeast and I was given a 7-day prescription cream. After that I called to make sure I still didnt have yeast and I was happy to fine out that I didnt have yeast (thanks to a culture). I still have the slight burning going on. The nurse on the phone said that was normal. So all and all this had been going on for 2 months...now 2 1/2. After not having sexual realtions with my boyfriend for all that time..I was sure I had the green light. I am so sorry I had sex with him because the burning is back full force again! Its nothing else I get yearly checks and I been with the same person for two years. WTF is going on with this burning??? I called the doctor today but I cant go in for another check until after my period. I want to die..this burning is so bad and I am on steriods for another problem I am currently having but that isnt helping my lady parts at all. Please someone help me?? I am on the internet reading stuff all day thinking I have everything in the book and scaring myself. Can someone help me please!

I've had something very similar after experiencing a yeast infection. I got a yeast infection after going on antibiotics for a UTI. I treated my yeast infection with Monistat 7 day treatment and everything went away except for external irritation and swelling. Eventually the swelling went away but it is still red and irritated down there.

I went to the doctor and she didn't even seem concerned. All she said was I did look red but nothing too severe, 8-| . I was tested for yeast, BV, trich, chlamydia and gonorrhea and everything came back normal. She gave me two doses of Diflucan (3 days apart) just in case and it did nothing. I called back and all she had to say was maybe its just an after effect from the antibiotics and it'll go away on it's own, she called me in some Nystatin cream which I just started using and so far no results. I've been off antibiotics for a while and it's simply not going away. I've tried vinegar baths, vagisil cream, cortizone cream, nothing!

I haven't changed laundry detergents or soap so I don't think it's something I'm using. Most of the time it doesn't physically bother me but just the fact that I'm all irritated down there is worrying me like crazy. I've never had anything like this before.

I've looked online and it seems to me like it could be chronic vulvitis but theres no information on what to do about it if it isn't related to something you're in contact with.

Anybody have anything that worked for them?

I went into the doctor about a month ago with some stomach problems. We came to the conclusion I may have had Giardia, a parasite of the intestines (my dog had it so doc thought it was likely I could have gotten it). She treated me with a one time dose of 2000 mg of Tindamax (which is also a drug used to cure BV and Trich along with the Giardia). Of course I just knew I would get a yeast infection from that much antibiotic and I did about a week later. It was worse than any I had ever had, never before had I had such burning and redness down there. I treated myself with Monistat 1 and thought the infection was gone ( I can't use the topical cream that comes with this due to making the burning worse and caused major swelling). Six days after I took the Monistat I started menstruating. A few days into my menstruation I started to feel the burn and itch come back. I returned to the doctor three weeks after the yeast infection started and she confirmed there was still yeast present (she looked under the microscope, and this was all she saw). I was prescribed Diflucan, now on my second week of the two week ( 1 pill per week) course she gave me. The swelling is gone but my vulva is still quite red and slightly irritated (some slight burning). My discharge has thinned (but I am also currently ovulating so I can't use the discharge as an accurate symptom). I have been using maximum strength Vagisil cream a couple times a day, and airing out as much as possible. I just want the irritation to go away. My husband and I have been sexually active, with no pain expect this last time due to the ovulation ( I get cysts on my left ovary every ovulation period). My doc told me my husband did not need to be treated unless he developed jock itch, which he hasn't had any symptoms of irritation. I have been eating alot of yogurt (I also have IBS) and even tried yogurt topically on my vulva (this only provided temporary relief). I fear I may have a resistant strain of Candida that could also be the cause of my stomach problems. I feel for all of you with this problem and hope we all find relief soon.

I am 16 and I've had this for the first time. First when I would wear thongs to sleep, the area around my vagina would get raw. I didn't think anything of it because the next day it would be gone. But then it happened one night again, and I went swimming the next day and left my bottoms on the whole day, and that's when I realized it's not going away. I had this for a week and I was afraid it was a STD so I was afraid to tell my parents anything. After that week, it became unbareable. (oh and I was taking strong anti-biotics a week before all of this occured. I went to the doctor and they said I have bacteria so they gave me two prescriptions. One that has one pill only and it's for yeast infections, then another that I'm supposed to take for 5 days and I can't do hard labor or I might pull a tendon. That day I went to work and my job involves a lot of walking. I was fine, it didn't hurt at all. But then the next day (haven't taken my medication yet) It was killing me. When I went to work, my pants kept rubbing me so bad that I started crying because the pain. I decided I couldn't take it anymore and talked to my manager and left. When I left, I couldn't even drive. I had my parents pick me up and sitting down hurt so bad. I got home and immediately took off my pants and underwear, I looked down and my clit was so swollen I thought it was about to burst. I put monistat cream on it and it didn't help anything, then I put the actual monistat pill in my vagina, and after several hours, it still looks the same and itches just as bad. I was told to let it air out with cool air hitting it. Nothing... I've been talking to everyone and researching facts about yeast infections, and they all say the same thing. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm helpless...everytime I get up, it's difficult to walk, even without clothing. I hope some of the stuff I said that I've done helps any of you. It hasn't helped me yet though, and I want it gone now. I'm sick of it.

i realized i had yeast infection around the time i was having sex with my boyfriend. The next day i told him about it and he said it would be fine so we had sex again. Now it is all swollen and red. i have tried eating yogurt and putting aloe and petroleum jelly hoping it would calm down the itchiness. Yogurt hasn't taken effect yet since i have only had this for 3 days. Aloe calmed it for a second or two. Petroleum jelly calmed it down but it still felt swollen and uncomfortable. To help i tried taking a bath full of salt and vinegar this felt very nice. Now i really just want to get the swelling down but some of your post have scared me a little since i have only done home remedies since i do not have access to a doctor. Please help! thanks!

i also had yeast infection
i used vaginal suppository for five nights at bedtime
it was effective

Thxs guys for all the useful info I recently had a yeast infection and I was red and itchy it was awful... But I noticed the day after I have intercourse Im wet down there which seems to irritate my vulva that later lead to my yeast infection... Some things that helped me was one eating yogurt.. Using special wipes to clean down there after intercourse... And staying drying even if Im not on my period I put a light tampon in.. And I have to say my lips were very thxfull..

  Frequently Asked Questions
 
What are the common symptoms of Vulvodynia?
Vulvodynia is a descriptive term which refers to pain in the vulvar area. When asked to describe their pain patients commonly used the following descriptors; burning, itching, dryness, rawness and a drawing sensation.



The symptoms may range from mild to severe. Some women may have occasional discomfort, while others are uncomfortable on a daily basis and find it difficult to sit or walk. Some may tolerate sexual intercourse, while others may experience severe pain during or post intercourse. Some patients are so incapacitated by the pain that they may abstain from intercourse, avoid using tampons, wearing slacks or any type of tight clothing.
When asked to identify the location of the pain the following sites were most commonly identified:



Patients can report pain in multiple sites or in a single focal area.
It is not uncommon for patients to report other commonly coexisting conditions. The most common disorders reported by vulvodynia patients include:



Who gets Vulvodynia?
Contrary to earlier perceptions that vulvodynia predominantly affected Caucasian women of fair complexions, white and African American women reported a similar lifetime prevalence of the disorder.

A recent clinical study of 744 Australian women, diagnosed with vulvodynia, examined the age distribution of patients and studied the age of symptom onset (Jantos 2007). The study found that 75% of the vulvodynia patients were under the age of 34 years. Prevalence peaked at 24 years of age.



The average age of symptom onset was 22.8 years, but for primary vulvodynia cases (early onset) the average age of onset was 19 years of age. The age of onset ranged from 5.5 years to 45.2 years. The onset of symptoms occurred before the age of 24 years in approximately 50% of the case. The age related risk of symptom onset coincided with a time when many young women were entering into closer relationships.



An unexpected finding in the Australian study was that a significant number of the women reported the onset of symptoms in their early childhood or shortly after puberty, with commencement of tampon use, first medical exam, or with first attempts at sexual activity. These findings, for the first time, highlight the very early onset of symptoms for at least half of the vulvodynia patient group. These findings were initially met with a degree of scepticism but a later retrospective study of vulvodynia in preadolescent girls confirmed the occurrence of vulvodynia in children between ages four to eleven, with duration of pain varying from several months to seven years (Reed & Cantor, 2008).

From these findings it is evident that vulvodynia can affect girls and women of any age. The triggers and risk factors for such an early onset are not clear, but most likely are multi-factorial.

What causes Vulvodynia?
A range of causes of vulvodynia has been proposed, immunological, genetic, hormonal, inflammatory, infectious and neuropathic (Haefner et al., 2005). It is unlikely that there is one single cause for vulvodynia. One of the common reported triggers that may lead to vulvodynia is the presence of chronic thrush. Thrush may be a potential trigger of inflammatory reactions leading to sensitization but many other triggers are known to play an important role.



For a more detailed discussion of the search for causes of vulvodynia refer to articles by Marek Jantos on research linking organic, physiological and psychological factors with vulvodynia.

How did you solve the swelling in your vagina. I am going through a similar thing

Looks like some of you out there have been getting results: my 2 cents for those of you that are not:
I was also having severe pain and swelling. Went to my docotor and got misdiagnosed with vulvodynia. After a year of unsuccessful treatments, he sent me to a vulvodynia specialist, who discovered I had a rare form of yeast infection. He informed me that it's so rare most gyns don't know about it, and if they do they don't bother to look for it. It's also (hurray!) resistant to most forms of yeast infection treatments. It's taken 7 mos of daily 200 mg Diflucan, (3 mos of that coupled with another drug, I don't remember which) for them to stop seeing it. They're keeping me on it for 6 mos after that. Aparently, it's been clinically proven to come right back if you don't stay on the meds longer.

Just an idea out there- for those of you with the symptoms but not receiving a yeast infection diagnoses (or if your yeast infection won't go away) you might want to look for a second opinion that may look for this.

I am Having the Same problem right now to. I am 39 years old and only have had one before this one but it was not as bad as this one is. My husband is very understanding with me and will do what ever it takes to make feel better.