Replied by Lauren (Whitehorse, Canada YT) on 06/20/2009
Try to not eat wheat, and if that doesn't work fast enough for you, get rid of gluten in your diet altogether. If it worsens around your period you can get pills to stop your period. You can go 6 months to a year without a one. If you don't like pills then try a natural approach to it. Take apple cider vinegar 3 times a day. Make sure to only wear cotton underwear. Avoid anything latex because it will flare it up even more. And you can also put baby powder down there to help. You can also mix 3% hydrogen peroxide with water, half and half is perfect but if you're to sensitive at first dilute it more. And slowly lessen the amount of water. You can put some on the outside or insert right into the vagina. It might sting at first but it will get better. Do this 2- 3 times a day until its better. I hope this helps you.Replied by Harmonious1 (Alamogordo, New Mexico) on 10/01/2009
Hi I was just reading something about this yesterday...See "Mg-citrate" below:
Magnesium types and what they are best for...
BEST
Mg-glycinate = best absorbed, famous for sedation, sweet taste, 10% Mg
Mg-malate = easily absorbed, famous for energy and fibromyalgia pain, cheap, slight bad taste, 15% Mg
... be careful what you wish for, sedation/energy, you may get it.
...energy includes nervous energy
Mg-gluconate = easily absorbed
Mg-carbonate = antacid, easily absorbed
Mg-chloride = common form
Mg-salicylate = Doan's pills
Mg-citrate = treatment for vulvodynia and kidney/gall stones, very mild laxative
Mg-sulfate = epsom salt, mild laxative
Mg-hydroxide = milk of magnesia, antacid, laxative
Mg-oxide = poorly absorbed, intestinal irritant, cheapest, found in all drug stores
WORST
FROM http://home.comcast.net/~bobjoyx/GuaiWhey/Mg1.htm
Replied by Elizabeth (Nashville, Tn) on 12/08/2009
I also had the burning pain down there for what seems like years. It would come and go but would never really go away. I take anti depressants so I think this is one of the reasons I have issues. So to soothe the skin a get an empty capsule and fill it 3/4 way with jojoba oil and just a couple drops of tea tee oil. I'll do this whenever I start to feel uncomfortable (no more than once a day and only for a couple of days). This tends to help lubricate the vagina and makes sex more comfortable. Be sure to take probiotics since tea tree oil will kill bacteria (and fungus) and may upset the balance. I also cut open the aloe vera gelcaps and squeeze the contents into an empty capsule and insert this when needed. It helps to calm everything down.Replied by Sara (The Beach, Canada) on 12/09/2009
I know this may sound absurdly simple, but I use to have problems in this area until I stopped wearing thongs. Wearing thongs can aggravate anything that may start down there and take it to a level that should never have occurred. This is just a simple suggestion to try. It worked for meReplied by Alfred (Bangkok, Thailand) on 04/22/2010
RE: Isha.. nice place..Vancouver.BC
Fresh wheat grass juice.. worth a try.. Its gentle amazing juice. Please Douche with it.. Everything will be green for a while.. But I am positive it will help you.
I care.
Alfred
Replied by Fiqah (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei) on 05/18/2010
I had vulvodynia and vestibulitis for about a year. I know how it can take over one's life... Sometimes I couldn't sit or walk without terrible pain... I finally tried eating mostly raw, fresh fruit and about 3 green smoothies a day. It made a huge difference. Gradually my pain subsided.
I had only fresh fruit until about 12pm. I ate whenever I felt hungry and ate until I felt satisfied. I ate only one type of fruit at a time, so it could be 3 bananas or 2 mangos, etc.
About 11.30am I used a blender and compressed dark green leafy veges or sprouts into about half a cup, whatever I could find. (However, I felt cabbage / kale/ pok choy and similar veges gave me gas.) I added about half a cup of fresh fruit like banana, mango, apple, pears, etc and a little pure water. I had this in the afternoon along with more fresh fruit, whenever I felt hungry.
In the evening I had a cooked meal with heaps of steamed veges. I sometimes had eggs or steamed fish with it. Sometimes it was vegetarian soup with brown rice or gluten-free pasta. I avoided processed sauces and condiments and oil, except sometimes using a little coconut oil to cook the fish.
I drank only pure water and unsweetened herbal teas, especially chamomile / chrysanthemum / green tea based teas.
At times my pain got worse. I found gluten (especially wheat), dairy, processed sugar to be absolute no-nos. Then one day I had a huge flare-up. The only thing I could link it to was Chinese food containing MSG. This sensitivity was confirmed on other occassions also. Even now that I'm cured I can tell when I've ingested MSG. Some pain returns!
MSG is hidden in so many foods and it is called lots of different things. Please Google this to find out more!
I think candida played a role also and this could have been another reason why my diet worked.
You might wonder why I had so much fruit while I suspected candida to be a problem... Read this article. http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2005/05/candida_breakdo.html
Some experts believe that FAT is the real problem, not sugar and that eating fruit is no problem as long as you consume a low-fat diet. I have certainly found this to be true for me.
Replied by Fiqah (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei) on 05/18/2010
Following on from my previous post...
I was given the advice to stop wearing panty liners and pads, so I changed to washable pads made from organic unbleached undyed cotton. I washed them in organic, non-allergenic body wash only. One day I had no fabric pad with me and wore a conventional one. Again a burning sensation returned. It was really hard not wearing panty liners every day after doing it for about 20 years (a cause of my problem...?). However, I soon found that I didn't need them. I felt fresh anyway.
I also changed to wearing only white 100% cotton underwear and I stopped wearing pants alltogether. I found sweating between my legs definitely made things worse. I had to be super careful when exercising. I still wore panties containing some synthetics with a certain dress and found whenever I did that my pain would be worse. I also dried myself with toilet paper after having a shower. I still do this.
I changed to using only cotton bedsheets and often slept naked. Even now when I'm feeling a bit sweaty or tender down there for whatever reason, I would wear no underwear for a day or so and sleep naked. It seems to nip it in the bud.
Another thing that made my pain worse was when my urine was too acidic or concentrated. It burnt my skin. Rinsing with water after urinating helped. Drinking lots of pure water and taking cranberry capsules helped. Apparently the vestibule and urinary tract are the same tissue and I know cranberry helps for UTIs. I still keep cranberry capsules on hand and take them when i feel the least bit of discomfort. Usually I only need one dose to feel good again.
I also found that I HAD TO rinse myself under the shower after having sex.(I used no cleaning products in that area.) When my partner's fluids stayed in contact with my skin for too long I had severe burning the next day.
I tried every lubricant I could find. All of them would cause a flare-up lasting several days, except pure aloe vera gel!
Even though I consider myself cured, I'm still following the above strategies as pre-cautions.
I hope some of these ideas help some of you! I know how debilitating this is. Stay positive, go natural, avoid chemicals as much as possible and DON'T GIVE UP!!Replied by Barbara (Richardson, Texas) on 06/29/2010
I too have stumbled across something that really helps, I have no idea why but I had problems for 1 1/2 years and by accident started taking Magnesium, Zinc and amino acids. Although I still have dryness the pain is gone after a month, I'm in hopes that it does not return. I hope this helps, I know how bad it can be.Replied by Ali (New York, Ny) on 05/17/2012
I've had bouts with Interstitial Cystitis, Vestibulitis, and now, the hair pulling feeling on pubic hair (although vaginally, I seem okay) which is making my life very difficult right now, and pretty depressing.
I found for vestibulitis, using water in a little spray bottle after peeing (and being patient and distracting yourself, not touching it to test if it still hurts, etc, as it heals) did the trick. Eventually one day I realized it was gone and moved on with my life.
The worst thing about all of these situations is the initial few months where you can't find an answer, and get tenser and tenser and teach your mind to be attuned to the pain as you constantly monitor it. I'm most suseptible when I am stressed (death in the family) or not working. I think in my case these symptoms all come from Pelvic Floor Dysfuntion (although I wish my body would stop being so imaginative about it, coming up with NEW symptoms each time I figure out the old ones) and what I need to do is leave it alone, eat healthy, exercise, and NOT think about it (I know, that's incredibly difficult). I will also try some biofeedback/PF exercises again. Can anyone recommend someone good in NYC? I hold all my tension down there and obviously I have to learn how not to.
Truly, the constant checking in makes every symptom so much worse, and switching quickly from one treatment to another as you rule other causes out, some natural and some medical (topical treatments have never helped me, only prolonged the symptoms) only adds to the despair and frustration, and feeling of "oh, this one won't work either" and that's what gets you stuck in the cycle.
But I want other readers to know I have had symptoms that have gone away. Until this latest bout I'd been over this for years, and because of that, I know this will go away too.
Replied by Teresa (Berkeley, Ca) on 06/01/2012
Relief for VVS - It may be coincidence, but I have experienced little pain from VVS for two weeks after experimenting with two factors. I stopped drinking any alcohol and I began using tincture of thuja. This tincture can be found in health food/pharmacies. I bought it at Llasa Karnak in Berkeley. I simply put 20 drops in two ounces of water and have been drinking this swig once a day (in the morning). I discovered it by looking up online for homeopathic remedies to nerve pain. Thuja is listed as soothing to irritated genitalia. I experimented twice to see if I could still have alcohol and the tincture do its work, but the burning pain came back. So, to stay pain free, I will stay alcohol free for many more weeks. My VVS was trauma-related (bike accident) but whatever works! I have also been doing exercises nightly to lower the pelvic floor and relax the muscles in that region. Best wishes, Teresa.Replied by :) Prayers For Everyone (Lethbridge, Alberta) on 02/16/2013
Reading all these different ideas has helped me feel hopeful I'm only 24 and this is very depressing and hard not to get stressed about.... I mean your vagina on fire :s I have just tryed doing the pelvic floor stretches and they feel good so far! I have had bladder infections since I was little, also had a big flare in 2007 for a month and no doctor new anything and I felt very depressed, it did go away and I figured it must have been a bladder infection again that just didn't show up on tests... Silly... In December 2012 I began another flare up and finally was told I had ic however after reading about this disorder it matches my burning more so I believe... Who knows.. But I hope these pelvic floor relax techniques are helpful! I think these web sites are so helpful for women!! :)Replied by Yikes! (Calgary, Canada) on 04/21/2013
I do not have an answer or a perfect remedy. I have just discovered this site and am slowly reading through things on here. I haven't read all of your post but did note you said you had reoccurring bladder infections. I had reoccurring BV infections. I got sick of the docs drugs it always came back. I took garlic capsules (potent ones if its odourless its no good) and colloidal silver which is better than antibiotic. Usually after my period I'd get another infection. I started doing this and so far I've had my period and the infection has not returned. Best part is no matter how much the virus mutates the silver will kill it unlike antibiotics the virus can become immune. For immediate relief if you feel burning down there from the infection I rubbed a little right downstairs. It is just purified water and silver sonitndoesnt burn or anything just a little instant relief. Will not irritate. I also got a good probiotic. I bought the renew life vaginal support one. There are other good ones just make sure it's one you keep in the fridge not one of those shelf ones those are garbage. After all of this I found after a three and half year pain free bliss my vulvodynia had returned. I'm horrified. I'm trying the perennial massage this I haven't been doing long enough to find if its helpful or not but am also going to try the colloidal oatmeal as I hear it can provide some relief to the burning. If you guys have more luck with other things let me know. It's a pretty awful feeling I'm young too only mid twenties and I'm pretty beside myself. I do also want to try yoga for the all over relaxation techniques as I feel this may also help. I also started taking a flax oil capsule which is told is good to hydrate (possibly help with the itch factor) because of the omegas and other benefits. I've tried a lot of things wasted a lot of money in desperation this has got to be the most trying and emotionally difficult thing I've had to deal with.Replied by Gavin (Manganui, Northland, New Zealand) on 04/22/2013
I was talking to a friend who is confined in a wheel chair, and he says that whenever he feels like he's getting sick, he throws back a tablespoon of aloe vera gel straight from the plant and gets silver from a jewler and makes his own drink from it. He also said that the patients he'd met that had permanent catheters in, the ones with the silver wire never got infections and the ones without were always getting treated for infections.Replied by Allegra (Nyc) on 06/26/2017
Physical therapy is the only thing that has truly helped me. I was convinced it was a skin disorder or my diet. I was told it was all in my head. It turns out I store all of my stress in my pelvis and my muscle tension resulted in topical pain. I'm not cured, but it's definitely the root of my problem.
