Post Pap agony x 6 months
Seeking advice on a pathway to healing ..
Nov 16,2023. I was a 64 yr old active gal who hiked , paddleboarded, whitewater kayaked , and full on mntn biked .. in the gym 4 days a week, and worked in a busy med clinic full time…
I took no meds. Only vitamins .. never saw a doc .. no pcp. An annual exam and mabye a trip to urgent care for a cold. NO gyn issues EVER…( although I am post menopausal and do have atrophy .. my vagina and myself were in sync)
Until that day.
The speculum was painful. It hurt. Within a week I was burning on fire.
I struggled to find a cause and could not be seen for 3 weeks….
Between then and now my life has been turned upside down
Between gardnerella , UTI’s, yeast I have been treated for 10 or more of these. I have been brushed off as if vaginal atrophy is the cause ( when I have cried out that I had zero issues before pap)… the pap showed hpv ( first time ever )… I have lived with ice packs. Been to the ER ( only to be lumped in an STD category. ) all blood testing negative ( not sexually active )…i have an arsenal of medication. Creams , oral estrogen ( really??)..progesterone … antibiotics … over and over. Compound pharmacy meds with lidocaine. Vaginal estrogen.
I am currently on macrobid for yet another uti and gabapentin just started .. I have been to one PF PT, who in initial exam did an internal exam even after I said I have a yeast infection …I have had between 15-20 speculum exams. Possibly a tear ? From initial pap and tightening of PF muscles. I have had mri and cts. My tissue is raw. I am on my third doc now 2 hrs away who did a steroid inj
I am burning. Everyday all day
And I am Tired
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Ty so much. Do you mind me asking if you burned with the moisturizer? I too, find the hormone cream to burn. Yet all gyns keep pushing that. I have also thought that on top of that possibly a nerve is the issue as this came totally out of left field
The first time I used the moisturizer (you insert it at bedtime) it lightly burned because the skin was so irritated from months of irritation, UTIs, different creams, etc.
By morning, I was saying…ahhh. I thought this stuff was a miracle. No pain, no irritation or burning. I used it again that night. No burning upon insertion this time. For the first week I used it every night as I was obviously like the Sahara Desert down there.
As I stated earlier. It’s done wonders for me. I’ve been using it twice per week for the past 9 months and I haven’t had one UTI. Burning and itching is gone. This stuff sure worked for me! I won’t be without it. For the life of me, I don’t understand way doctors don’t tell you about vaginal moisturizers. They push that darn estrogen cream instead.
I’m so sorry you are going through all of this. I understand how you feel. I too was active and completely normal down there except for some atrophy two years in post menopause. After a night of sex everything went wrong. UTI with 4 weeks of intense burning. Saw gyno number 1 said it was atrophy and prescribed estradiol cream. 4 days later felt a bulge went to gyno number 2. Said I had bladder prolapse. Sent me to urogenocoligist. Third pelvic exam in 10 days. Said nothing about burning. Just live your life until prolapse gets worse then you can have surgery. Found another urogenocologist 4th pelvic exam. Found that some of my burning is from pelvic floor muscle behind the vaginal wall is tight and stressed causing vaginal burning irritation. I have to see a pelvic floor PT. She told me to use argon oil for moisture on the outer areas to help relieve burning there. Have not tried it yet. Coconut oil is another moisturizer that can be used that gynos approve of. I want to use the estradiol cream because I feel it would calm everything down there but I’m
afraid to use it. I’m at two months of daily discomfort that only gets better if I lay down for a few hours. I can’t do normal things anymore so I understand how it’s affecting you emotional too.
Ty for your input. I have felt absolutely alone through this journey , that I am thankful I was directed to join this group.
I , also, only find relief when laying down.. the estradiol has caused some burning most likely from tissue that is raw. I am , now trying to get a referral to urogyn… I am also researching the possibility of a trapped nerve that directly causes burning to the vulva and am in PF phys therapy. I feel as if I’m on a merry go round of daily pain and can’t get off ….
All four dr I saw said the same thing to me. It’s nothing dangerous. Or that we are thinking about it too much. So I think that’s where the problem lies. They find no urgency in it but we do. One told me not to worry about the prolapse because it’s not like it’s cancer. But to me it’s about quality of life. We definitely need to take matters into our own hands and do research and try different things until we find some relief and answers.
And it might be just as simple as needing moisturizer. I’m going to start there. Maybe you should try a smaller amount of the estradiol on just one small area. I’m thinking of doing that as well because that way I know if it’s just needing estrogen. And if it doesn’t work then I know I need to go in another direction. I also get relief with pouring cold water on that area. Seems so simply but also it’s not. I feel alone too. We can be alone in this together