Topic
I didn’t even know that I had anything called a vestibule!
Well, now I know that not only do I have vestibules but that they can cause terrible pain! What a revelation. After a month of terrible pain, I already ready to be vestibule free! I am a healthy 30 year old with no health issues. I love to run and work out and have never had a health issues down there except the occasional UTI. I was on ortho-tri-lo birth control for about 5+ years with no problems. Intercourse and tampon use was never a problem for me. But that all changed about a month ago. In September 2010 I started breaking out on my back. I had never had bad acne before but I marched myself to the dermatologist in October as I wanted to resolve the acne issue. The dermatologist told me to switch birth control medication (switched to Yaz) and to take an antibiotic for three months to get it all resolved.
After a month of being on Yaz and an anti-acne antibiotic I started feeling vaginal discomfort. I had never had a yeast infection before but the symptoms sounded like a yeast infection so I used an over the counter yeast medication. A few days later I had burning with urination. I thought it was just a UTI. I took Macrobid. No resolution so I went to an OBGYN. He gave me Suprex, he thought I had a resistant UTI. Suprex did nothing and that is when he just started throwing one medication after another at me. He never cultured me but gave me medication for yeast (Diflucan), Bacterial Vaginosis (Tindamax) which I don’t think I ever had, Celebrex for pain, Estrace for vaginal dermatitis, Valtrex for HPV (which I tested negative for twice), and pain killers. I was a walking pharmacy for most of November 2010 and all of the medication just made me worse to the point that I now have constant burning pain. All I could do was ice and take ambien to get through the night. I couldn’t walk or sit without horrible pain. Fed up, I went to a new OBGYN. December 1st 2010. I made my fiance come with to see the new OBGYN (poor guy, I think I terrorize him sometimes). After listening to my story the new OBGYN told me that she thought she knew what I had! I was temporarily so relieved and very happy. I had been in pain for a month (and very bad pain for two weeks). The OBGYN preformed the Q-Tip test. Bingo! I had two very sensitive spots that just burned like mad. What a relief to have a diagnosis of Vulvar Vestibulitis! Or so I thought. She gave me lidocane 2% gel and estrace cream. Told me to use Bag Balm to keep the urine from the vestibules. She told me I’d have to do this for months.
My joy of having a diagnosis was very short lived. I got home from the pharmacy (applied the lidocane- this is currently the only thing that is keeping me remotely sane as I am in constant pain). I started researching my condition and quickly began to feel an overwhelming sense of despair (yes, I cried). There is a lot of information out there on this condition but no real sense of how to fix it. I knew I needed to find an expert. I called the Arizona Vulva Clinic in Phoenix and CVVD in D.C. who referred me to Dr. Goldstein in San Diego. I just spoke to Dr. Goldstein today. I am very grateful for people like Dr. Goldstein who actually took the time to speak with me over the phone. I am so glad that he wants to find the cause of the problem and his goal is to make me pain free (without the lidocane). I am going to go see Dr. Goldstein ASAP. For all the ladies who have lived with this condition for months and years without knowing what it was, my hat is off to you. You are all amazingly strong women. It makes me crazy that not more OBGYNs look for this condition (and that some probably unknowingly exacerbate the problem). And it is also upsetting to find out that insurance may not cover the treatments. Beyond all of that, to be told that the pain is all in your head is just beyond crazy itself! I know I have pain and if someone said I was imagining it they can go pound sand. I am still in a lot of constant pain (burning and cutting sensation). I’m basically immobile at the moment, scared of making it worse. I am looking forward to doing everything I can to return to a normal pain free life. I want to run again and plan my wedding. I also want to have children with the wonderful man that asked me to marry him not too long ago.
Looking forward to seeing Dr. G. Thanks to everyone who has posted. You have been very inspirational for me.
Kindest regards,
Afton