Thread: What could it be?

hi KADIJA, i'm an ob/gyn nurse and my husband is an ob/gyn doctor. it sounds like you may have 1 of several very curable and easily diagnosed problems, but you HAVE to see a dr. if this first one doesn't work. you may have a very bad or chronic yeast infection. usually there will be some white or "cottage cheese" like discharge, above and beyond a woman's natural secretions. you can try an over the counter medication like monostat but it may be to a point that you need a prescription med. the most important thing with this or with an antibiotic for the next possibilities is that you follow the dosing instructions exactly and TAKE THE ENTIRE DOSE as long as you are told, never stop just when it gets better. you may get better after a day or 2-3 but if you stop and are supposed to take it for 7 days not only is there an excellent chance it will come back, but now may be immune to the normal meds and then it is much more difficult to treat. the second prognosis may be a bacterial infection (yeast is a fungal infection) called bacterial vaginosis. the dr. will do a quick vaginal swap that is painless and give you antibiotics to take for usually 7 days. you may have a yellow or greenish thick discharge with this. also if you have EVER been sexually active you may be showing signs of a very easily treatable s.t.d. that has just been lying dormant until now- chlamydia or gonorrhea, again you will need a quick swab and antibiotics that are used to specifically treat these conditions. if you have a partner they may also need to be treated if its one of these two. some very important things to remember once this is cleared up, is don't be afraid to get right to a good ob/gyn-get recommendations from friends and family- see a woman if a man makes you uncomfortable, but this is the only way to get tested and get the appropriate treatment. wouldn't this be better than all of your present symptoms including if you don't already have it, a strong odor. also NEVER douche under any circumstances it is asking for trouble, don't use the feminine deodorant sprays or wipes. deodorized tampons or pads if changed frequently are usually fine unless you are hypersensitive. the vagina, when healthy, maintains a normal balance/ratio of bacteria and fungus. sometimes when you take antibiotics for an illness like the flu etc., it will decrease the normal bacteria in the vagina and allow an overgrowth of yeast. usually this is a mild yeast infection and easily treated without the doctor using monostat or another over the counter med. lastly you may want to have your blood glucose(sugar) level checked if you get repeated yeast infections as this can be a sign of diabetes. good luck and believe me, with the things we see , this is nothing so the doctor or nurse practitioner is there to help and they will make you well if you follow directions exactly.

hi, its obnurse again. i also wanted to mention that you may have an internal "boil" that is not apparent to you, but none of your present symptoms point to that. bye

Thanks a lot obnurse. I'm so grateful for you response. I would like to say i havd a very bad yeast infection as a teenager and this was treated several years back. i've not had any discharge other than the normal creamy discharge from time to time. I use to have the odor you are talking about when i had the bacterial infection. Presently, i'm not having any discharge (cottage cheese like, brownish or greenish). i'm also not having any odors at all. The only problem is the itching and a somewhat burning sensation. It doenst really burn that bad, maybe i make it up in my mind because its itching so bad but the itching is just horrible. i guess i'll be going to get a pap smear but i cant afford $400 so i have to go to the women clinic which is booked with appointments till may. i called them this morning and left a message for the waiting list. Hopefully its nothing although i cant say that i'm not scared. Thanks for all your help.

Kadija

wow i'm so proud of you for getting that appt. you may want to call around, i don't know where you live but like my husband only charges 125$ for an initial visit and pap. you may be able to get a better and quicker deal, if not that's ok. in the meantime try the over the counter yeast med for as long as it says on the box, it won't hurt you. there are also products made to temporarily relieve the itching, even the pre-medicated preparation h pads are good and soothing. get the thin round ones and fold them to fit just between your labia(your lips, sorry blunt i know) and then a pad so nothing gets on your clothes. i'm not talking about the preparation h gel in a tub of course. as for the burning, if you have scratched at all the skin is very thin and you may have some small tears or have removed the top layer in a spot, which with urine or secretions reaching it may cause it to burn. the preparation h pads when left in place would help this also. never say anything is in your head then we are just playing into all of those men as well as many male dr.'s that think we are "crazy" or hypochondriacts. you know your body, listen to it. well great job i hope you get some relief, bye obnurse

You have been so helpful! thanks