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Toilet paper may be causing irritation.
Having developed vaginal itching, my doctor prescribed topical steroids and estrogen cream which were not good options for me. She gave me a diagnosis that fit the general symptoms and then I was on my own.
I tried some hypo-allergenic creams on my own and things get a bit better but still not totally symptom free.
I went travelling to a country that does not allow toilet paper in the toilet and uses septic safe toilet paper as well. Symptoms actually improved a bit on this vacation. I put it down to less stress.
Then I recently discovered that toilet paper can actually cause irritation due to roughness and chemicals like toxic forever chemicals. Picture wiping your privates with a soup of toxic chemicals. Yikes!
Here is an article. There are many others.
https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/womens-health-beauty/toilet-paper-and-vaginal-health-10-facts-risks-and-safer-choices/
I switched to septic safe tp after the holiday and my symptoms are almost non-existent. After finding about this tp thing, I recently ordered a big bunch of non-scented, septic safe bamboo toilet paper. I’ll keep you posted. The order is a few weeks out from now.
I am also switching facial tissue to bamboo to see if it helps my rosacea.
Post if you have any insights on this topic.
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@mayo99824 Yes, you do have to use a little toilet paper but not as much. I find that it is gentler than constant wiping. You do have to just the water stream so it is gentle. But I get what you are saying .
@blueslnd I'm actually allergic to methylisothiazolinone, and nearly a dozen other common additives to personal hygiene products. 😂
They give me eczema, mostly. But on softer mucous membranes, they can cause sores.
I've been using unscented Angel Soft. It's mostly working for me. But I may see if unscented Cottonelle or a bamboo paper helps further.
So I just listened to a 32 minute post on Substack and learned that none of the toilet paper you buy in any of the stores is actually safe and chemical free. You need to switch to a bamboo product. They're pricey, but they're safe and have no chemicals. Whole Foods sells Caboo, but Amazon has other bamboo options available, as well as that one. Sorry, I can't send you the post, you'd have to have Substack, but it may be available on YouTube if you do a search. Look for Jeanice Barcelo "They're even poisoning the toilet paper". I hope this helps everyone. As a 70 year old with colitis, I wish I had known this a long time ago. I grew up with charmin and raised all my kids on it!
Perhaps a bidet? It did wonders for the psoriasis outbreaks I had in the "cleft". And eliminated my need for TP beyond a quick drying.
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1 Reaction@rdf56
I listened to, maybe, the same substack. Scott 1000 is not too bad and our local stores carry a couple brands of bamboo products.
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1 Reaction@kenag
My retrofit bidet helps but I still use some tp. There are also times when I travel, work or am not at home for some reason.
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1 ReactionI too, have bidets and they're really wonderful, but like you said you're still needing to dry off a bit. I had Amazon delivered bamboo tp yesterday to replace our Angel Soft Ultra, which I had switched to due to now having a septic system. So glad I listened to that Substack post! Now, I have to get my adult kids to listen.
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1 Reaction@larak I'm allergic to methylisothiazolinone too, a potent preservative that has been banned in the EU for years. Neutrogena actually includes it in a facial sunscreen (!) which caused a horrible rash and swellings on my face; I was housebound for two weeks. Don't think they put it in TP, though.
It's supposed to be okay in rinse-off products like shampoo but I avoid it like the plague anyway!
Watch out for toilet wipes/baby wipes. The best brand I've found is WaterWipes.
So sorry for the OP that vaginal estrogen didn't work; it's been my go-to for vaginal dryness, UTI prevention, and a general estrogen boost for almost 30 years.
Can't recommend a bidet strongly enough. My son, who lives in Europe, insisted that I get one that fits over the existing toilet. I'm sold on it, and now I don't understand why Americans don't use them. It's so much more hygenic -- you're not just smearing poop around with TP, but washing it off. And much less irritating.
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1 ReactionY'know, I'm not clear how TP would irritate the vagina--which is the birth canal, the interior part. If it's the vulva in question, then, yes, better find a safe and soft alternative without bleach or other irritants.
Personally, I would not use a bidet. I do not have space for a separate appliance or even for one that attaches to the toilet. And I'm paranoid about directing a stream of soiled water in the vicinity of the urethra, for fear of UTIs. This does happen. I make do with WaterWipes; they are the purest available, as far as I know.