Pain relief in vag area

Hello @jayandme and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry to hear of this difficult pain problem that continues with no relief. It must be frustrating to have to live with persistent pain and not find a cure for it.

Are the doctors and wound care experts considering this an inflammatory problem or something related directly to the surgery? Given that you are now pregnant, that probably limits the type of pain relievers that you can take. Has anyone suggested anything like sitz baths or something similar?

On Connect, there is a discussion on Vulvodynia. Perhaps you can find some help there. Here is the link,https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/vulvodynia/.

As you are comfortable doing so, would you post again and provide some information on what you have tried for pain relief?

I just came across this. I had vulva/vagina; surgery in January of this year, and everything is nicely healed out. However, I have constant pain at the lower part of the vaginal canal entrance and in the labia majora around the entire vulva. It is so bad, I would not even want to dream about any sexual activity. I saw my surgeon several times, but he tells me everything looks great an the pain is in my head only. But, he is a man! I finally decided to see a female gynecologist at the Mayo, and she took my pain for real. She prescribed pelvic floor physical therapy for me, and Valium .suppositories to be inserted into the vagina 2 hours prior to physical therapy. She also prescribed Gabapentin cream for topical application on the hurting areas 3 times day. She also wants me to daily apply estrogen cream onto the labia minora, the vulva vestibule and the vagina entrance. I hope that this treatment will take care of my pain.

Thank you @lindes for sharing your treatment story. I have been experiencing vaginal pain for about a year. I did not know there were Valium suppositories. In your post, you said they work when used prior to physical therapy. How long does the discomfort stay away? I never thought of Gabapentin. I don't have a Gynecologist here....just a pretty special and helpful PCP. Would you recommend a female to make sure you are understood?

May you be safe and protected from inner and outer harm.
Chris

It is not the gabapentin one takes in the form of pills, but it is compounded into a cream. I have not used the Valium medication ye, but I am supposed to insert them about 2 hours prior to the therapy session, and thus i assume that they will last for a couple of hours after the session.
I was simply tired getting the run around from male doctors, telling me it must be in my head. Of course they don't have a labia or a vulva, and know conditions there only from literature or from hear say, while females know the pain they can get there. And this female gynecologist took my pain serious, and is trying to help me to become pain free.

I will start to use the medication next week, and will report on the results.

Linde

I have male PCP and had some some female problems, and not sure if it was because I was older or what, he dismissed my problems and actually missed the problem during pelvic exam. Seeing I was 65+ and had total hysterotomy in 40s this was first pelvic exam my PCP had done in 5 years. I followed up with a female PA in Mayo Rochester OB/Gyn area and she found a problem and was a wealth of additional information. Was it because she was a female or just a specialist, do not know. But, I will be seeing her annually for re-check.

Laurie

I am a medical professional (PhD in Biomedical Sciences, specialized in infection control & prevention), and I have some difficult time to comprehend some specific male related issues, Because I have no body part that could relate to those of a man. All I know is from books or hear say.
I think that male doctors have a similar relation to specific female body parts, and i think it s better for me to see a female doctor for those purposes.

Linde