Vagina pains

Hi @leo01 Welcome to Connect. This is a community based forum where members can use their personal experiences to help each other find answers.
Why do our female plumbing fixtures have to be so insanely complicated, right?! I have no idea your age, but I have to admit after I hit menopause and now, more recently after my bone marrow transplant we’re talking Sahara Desert down there. The paper cut feeling I can relate to on personal level. I’m fine immediately after a shower but as the day progresses, ouch!

I discovered it is vaginal dryness and there are several remedies on the market. My doctor, at this time, isn’t comfortable with me taking any hormone replacement therapy or using the small hormonal balancing suppository type things that can be inserted. So I use a daily application to the outside of the labial area with good old A&D diaper ointment. You can also use KY jelly but this is more readily available to me.

You might give some KY jelly a try just to see if it’s a dryness issue. The dryness really does burn like fire or almost a tearing feeling. Sadly at this point my tissue IS like tissue paper and so it feels like it’s being torn easily as the layers tend to stick together. In my case, that’s what’s causing the feeling.

Have you seen your doctor about the symptoms just to rule out a UTI?

Hi @loribmt, thanks for your response. I don't think it is a UTI because I have no pain when I urinate. Weirdly enough, that it actually when I feel the most relief! I am 22 years old so not menopausal but my period is due in a couple of days and this is the first time I have ever experienced this feeling so I am thinking it also has to do with hormonal imbalance. I am right there with you with the complexity of the female anatomy!!

Hm. Yup, your age shoots that theory of dryness.
Let’s see if we can narrow the clues down a little.

What other symptoms do you have? What made you suspect a Bartholin Cyst? Do you have a lump or swelling in the tissue? Any Itching?

Interesting that you get relief when you urinate. Did this sensation of burning begin after you started taking sitz baths? Or has it been there all along? I’m just curious, though soothing, if that could be irritating the vaginal area.

Another thing that can cause irritation is if you’re sexually active and sensitive to the lubricant or anti spermicide of condoms. I used a foam contraception eons ago, and had a similar reaction of irritation and burning. I can’t remember what my doctor told me to use now but it was a topical gel that helped calm things…and then switching the birth control methods.

We women are prone to a common, minor infection called vaginal vagosis. It can develop when too much of a specific bacteria grows in the vagina. And of course, the dreaded yeast infection but those tend to make themselves known pretty readily. Do you notice any unusual discharge?

If this persists you might have to visit your friendly gynecologist to find out for sure what’s going on. You don’t want put up with this for too long.
Have you had a pelvic exam?

@loribmt I am not sexually active and I am not on any form of birth control. I suspected that it was a cyst of some kind when i felt a LOT of pressure down there on Sunday and I had to walk like a penguin. I googled Bartholin Cyst and the symptoms seemed pretty similar. Whenever I wipe, very gently, there is one part that seems inflamed and tender to the touch. The burning sensation was actually the first symptom I experienced before I even figured that it was a cyst. At first, because of the slight burning I thought it was just some minor irritation from wiping too hard with toilet paper. This has happened many times before. But then by Sunday it had gotten to the point where I could barely walk, sit or stand so I googled cysts and Bartholin was the first result and they recommended doing sitz baths. I also watched a bunch of videos where people were able to get rid of these cysts by doing these baths multiple times. Weirdly enough, I was actually feeling much better yesterday and there was only a slight burning sensation but this morning it came back full force! I am going to see how I feel tomorrow and then make a trip to see the gynecologist.

I just noticed you posted a new question about the Bartholin cyst and how long it takes to disappear. I’d checked for past replies in the group and haven't seen any conversations regarding the cysts. Hopefully your question draws someone’s attention who’s had this happen.

In the meantime, wow, what you’re telling me sounds horribly uncomfortable. You mentioned not wanting to go to a doctor right now because you’re concerned about surgery.

But you also really don’t want to go on like this, right? It may only warrant a prescription for antibiotics to get this swelling to go down. Delaying treatment though could make it more difficult to treat.
I know, it seems that situations like this always happen at the most in opportune times!!

We’re all guilty of hoping things will clear up on their own and often that’s the case. But since your cyst responded to the sitz baths, felt better and now it returned full force might mean Mother Nature might need a little assistance in getting it under control long term.

Good luck with your appointment! Will you let me know what you find out?

You're way too young for the "dryness" @Lori. I didn't discover it until I turned 78. My urologist recommended VMagic. It works.

Lucky me, huh. Early menopause at 46 and apparently a common side effect from the transplant. Thank you for the information, Chris. Ah, the indignities of aging.

I am pretty old, and I am not sexually active either, and, because of a funny condition of my body (I am intersex), I have to take HRT for many years already (they keep me at the estrogen level of an ovulating female). I have this paper cut feeling, too. The entire section of my lower labia hurts almost all the time, as does the entrance to the vaginal canal. I was at an obgyn for this, and he recommended to put some vaginal estrogen cream on it every two day, and keep everything nice and moist with coconut oil. This seems to help a bit, but i am never fully pain free. I will see the mayo urology department, and endocrinology in September, and hope that they find a solution for this bothersome condition.

@loribmt- I had early menopause from surgery. Do you know the youtube menopause expert? You will love her!
https://menopausetaylor.me/videos
And here is another one that might interest you": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgi7X7Qrep8&ab_channel=DominiqueSachse

Dryness is very indiviualized!