Thread: Series of infections, pain in vagina during intercourse

Hi all. I apologize in advance for this being so lengthy, but my story is a long one.

I am a 24-year-old woman who is in a long-term, committed relationship with a male partner. I have been taking birth control (Junel FE) for over a year to both regulate my periods (which have been irregular since I began mensing at age 9) and to prevent pregnancy.

Approximately 4.5 months ago, I developed what I thought was a yeast infection. To my knowledge, this was the first yeast infection (if this is what it truly was) I had ever experienced, although I had had a few cases of BV prior. During this time, I had cottage cheese type discharge, no odor, and slight burning/itching. I wanted to be on the safe side, so I went to see an RN after the first day of treatment with Monistat to confirm my self-diagnosis. She told at this time she couldn't perform a vaginal exam due to the presence of left-over Monistat in my vagina. Based on the description of my symptoms, however, she wrote me a prescription for an oral antibiotic for a yeast infection.

About a week and a half later, I returned to the RN's office because, even though discharge had gone away, I was still experiencing slight itching, burning, and painful intercourse. At this point, she performed an exam and told me I still had yeast remaining in my vagina as well as bacteria. She wrote THREE prescriptions at this point--an oral antibiotic for candida, an oral antibiotic for bacterial vaginosis, and a cream for yeast, which she said to use only if the two oral antibiotics didn't clear everything up.

After taking both oral antibiotics for a week, I still experienced painful intercourse, intermittent burning, etc. I decided at this point to use the yeast cream, which only intensified the burning. After reading the warning labels on the cream, I decided to cease treatment. I then visited a gynecologist who told me I had a bacterial infection but that the yeast had dissipated. He wrote yet another oral antibiotic for the bacteria. On a follow-up appointment with this 2nd doctor, he told me I then had a yeast infection but no bacteria. On a THIRD appointment to this same doctor, he indicated that I now had cervitis and wrote an oral antibiotic prescription for this. Finally, during my FOURTH appointment to this doctor, he said my cervitis had cleared and that I had no longer had any signs of infection. I asked him about excessive cervical mucous I had been experiencing, and he indicated that this was "normal." He also sent off a culture, which showed nothing unusual. I told him that I was still experiencing pain during sex and a constant "tingling" in my vagina, and he dismissed this as normal, and said it was sort of my body's way of adjusting to all the antibiotics and infections.

After several weeks, I was still experiencing painful intercourse, like a deep pain near the bladder/cervix. My bladder also felt like it had "dropped" and I could feel a small bump toward the right of my bladder. The same doctor as before said both my cervix and bladder looked "normal" and that he could not detect the bump I was referring to.

Fast forward several weeks after that, and I visited a THIRD doctor. She told me that I had yet another bacterial infection. She wrote a prescription for yet another oral antibiotic. I later went in for a follow-up appointment, and she said I had no signs of BV or yeast infection. When I asked why I would continue to experience pain during intercourse, she said that the tissue in my vagina was probably adjusting to so many infections and treatments and that it should heal on its own in time. Later I went in for ANOTHER appointment with her because the cervical mucous I had been experiencing earlier came back. She told me once again that I was free of all infections but diagnosed me with genital herpes. At this point I asked her to run tests for all remaining STDs, and they all came back negative except for HSV. No HPV, no gonnorrhea, chylamidia, syphilis, hepatitis, BV, or HIV and NO signs of infection, either yeast or BV.

I am now currently taking Valtrex daily, and as far as I know I do not currently have BV or a yeast infection. I also know that I don't have any other STDs. I don't seem to have any abnormal discharge either--the mucous from before has all but disappeared. However, my bladder still feels like it's hanging "low," and I can feel the same bump on the bladder that I mentioned to the second doctor that he dismissed. The bump seems to have gotten bigger since I told him about it. Also, during intercourse, I often experience a tingling, almost burning, sensation that sometimes lasts for up to an hour or two after intercourse. It's like the tissues inside of my vagina feel tender, almost rough, like the nerve endings are exposed. The pain for the most part is "deep." Even when I know I am well-lubricated, the pain is usually present, even if not severe.

Soo, with all that said, I am wondering if I may have any condition that would cause painful sex that is related to a history of chronic vaginal infections and/or herpes. And I'm also wondering if the pain could be associated with whatever is going on with my bladder. I can feel the bladder when I stick my fingers inside, and it feels hard, like a little ball. Could there be a connection between herpes, my bladder, and the vaginal pain? Could the pain in my vagina be vulvodynia?

There just seem to be so many factors, and each doctor I've seen seems to dismiss them as "normal" or all in my head, especially when tests/cultures reveal nothing "abnormal." I am starting to go crazy and become seriously depressed because of all that has gone on. I have seen three doctors in the last few months, spent hundreds of dollars, taken tons of medications, and this has seriously impacted my sex life and relationship with my boyfriend. I am seeing a FOURTH doctor on Thursday for a full pap smear if I can, but I am not hopeful that he will be able to help me since the last 3 haven't. At that time I will mention the bump on my bladder, the fact that it's hanging low, and reiterate the pain during intercourse. I will also once again ask that he check for BV or yeast infection.

If it makes any difference, I have never been pregnant. Also, each day I take my birth control pill, Valtrex, and many vitamins including Vitamin C, D and E; cranberry tablets; garlic; lysine; MSM; calcium; and probiotics. I also regularly eat yogurt and kefir with probiotics to prevent infections.

Any advice would be helpful...

Thanks.

Antibiotics for a yeast infection? Sorry that was just an odd observation, antibiotics don't treat yeast infections they cause them. Anyway, moving on, when you see the doctor on Thursday get them to feel your bladder position BEFORE they insert the speculum, by inserting the speculum they push the bladder upwards so if it is really low they don't know about it once they've done that. Vulvodynia is pain in the vulva not deep in the vagina so it's not vulvodynia. Whichever position you can best feel the lump in is the one to use for the doctor feeling for it and if they can't find it you need to find it for them and guide their hand to the spot, it's sometimes the only way to get a doctor to have a proper feel.

There are lots of things that can cause deep pain which you may need an ultrasound to check for but on the other hand you have had way too many antibiotics recently so it could be residual tissue damage from those and the infections.