[bhowa008]

I don't know where else to turn to..I hope someone can shed some light.

I'm 21, I've been on Sprintec for a year and a half. It's my first brand of BC. I've been with the same man for two years, and for the first four months before I got on Sprintec and I was using condoms, the sex was fantastic. As soon as I began taking Sprintec sex became unbearably painful. The pain is so intense that I have to take vicodin and soak in a hot tub for an hour. I can't walk, it hurts to use the bathroom right after any penetration. Needless to say, I'm about to just give up on sex completely. I went to my GYNO about 6 months ago and without even looking at me she diagnosed me with vaginismus. I lost my virginity at 16 and I have never had such a problem, not had any reason for it to occur. She told me to just relax during sex. Of course nothing she said helped. Now, last week I went to another GYNO, she told me that " people think one day you're a virgin and the next day you're not, and that's wrong". Now I don't know about you, but what she said irritated me. She poked a sensitive area with one of those not so comfortable long q-tips and told me that that was the problem: That I had hymenal remains. When I told her my theory of the pain being caused by sprintec she immediately shut me down. I tried to explain to her that the pain was a burning, ripping ,tearing feeling, not just on the outside but through my entire inside. I again got the same answer. I had had x-rays for cysts and have come back clean, checked for STDS, and it was negative. I demanded to be switched to a different birth control because I strongly believe that Sprintec has been the cause of my pain. I just can't think of anything that would have changed around the exact same time that I started Sprintec except for it.
I've heard of vaginal dryness from the pills but I've never had a problem with that. In fact, I become wet very often and easily. It's so frustrating, I feel depressed about this issue, and just..honestly, like giving up.
I feel like no one can help me and I'm doomed to experience the worst pain I've ever felt in my life whenever I try to make love to my boyfriend.

[BabyGirl]

I did some research for you .
Maybe these ladies Stories will help you ?

For years I suffered with a particular painful area of my vagina when having sex and for almost the same amount of time I was told "it was all in my head"/psychological. There wasn't a doctor I went to that didn't come up with the same suggestion and since I had (indeed) been sexually abused as a child, this explanation suited everyone way too quickly, including my first husband who felt our sexual problems were ALL my fault anyway.
But the problem never went away and over the years it seemed that it became worse despite having 2 children (which surely should have improved something). Even during historic examinations, when I would say "Ouch, that hurts", I always got the same doctor reply of, "Well it shouldn't" (but no further show of suggestion, interest or diagnosis in the matter....., but then, why would they when "psychological" is such an easy dumping ground on women).
I therefore had spent the vast majority of my sexually active life trying to deal with the problem, yet not fully buying into their explanations. I was the one having the pain, it was always located in the same general area, and it was "real" it me.

Finally, in my 50's and arising out of an examination by a new doctor (educated in surgery for female cancer patients), I explained the years of frustration and lack of help from the medical profession, and asked that he specifically examine that particular area of my vagina. He did his thing with the "tongs" and said he was going to perform a "test", telling me to relate to him what I "felt" during the examination (now there was a new approach, to ask me "what I felt" during an exam). Shortly thereafter I felt little pains in the exact area (where I always had pain with sex). I inquired, "Doctor, are you sticking me repeatedly with a pin?", to which he replied, "No, I'm touching you repeatedly with a cotton swab" and to prove his assertion, he held up the cotton swab for me to see.

He stated that I had developed a "cluster/nerve bundle" in the scar tissue of that area, and that it had never been properly diagnosed. He told me that with surgery it could be repaired (the nerve cluster removed) but there was always the possibility of another nerve cluster reforming. It was worth the effort to me, and when having another procedure done, I had him repaired (remove the nerve cluster in) that area also.

The nerve cluster never redeveloped and I felt vindicated that "I was right, the pain was real/phsyical and not psychological" and those other doctors weren't interested enough (or not educated enough) to perform such a simple test when I informed them of my experiences.

I don't know the proper medical terminology for that "nerve cluster development" problem at the site of scar tissue, but I will testify to you that too many doctors dump the problem of female sexually related pain (like they dump menstrual cramps) into a psychological diagnosis and women go on suffering needlessly.
Yet, may I add, that a large portion of menstrual cramping and painful sex, is related to a prolapse uterus.

And yet another Lady Posted this .

Thank you sreay, i can't agree with you more. Today was quite a relief for me. I have been with my boyfriend for 6 years and he is my only sexual partner. And in the 6 years we have been together i could probably count the amount of times we've had sex on both hands. The reason for this is that EVERY time it was painful and everything we tried was useless. I became disheartened and avoided sex at all cost, putting a strain on our relationship. But lucky me, he is as supportive as can be and understands. After countless GP visits & pap smears all i got was "try and relax a little" and "have yo tried lubrication?".

So I asked THEM for a referral to a Gyn and today, with one quick examination she diagnosed me. I have something along to lines of "excess hymenal remnant", where a clean break hasn't been made and all the hymen is sticking around inflicting pain. She was pretty sure that would have been causing my 6 years of agonizing intercourse. I am now booking myself in for a hymenectomy and i am over the moon. I just cannot believe that this has so clearly been the problem for so long and now something is being done. Fingers crossed it helps, and that our relationship is not too far gone for intimacy. Just some advice to others, please see a gynecologist and push your GP for a referral. Because my problem was "staring them right in the face" and they couldn't even see it. Good luck to all, it's glad to know we're not alone.

The Key here is to Find a Gyno that will Listen to you. I'd bet even switching BC, you may still have the Problem .
Check into the Cluster Theory .

[Ashlee T.]

I know you must be incredibly frustrated. What our men and often, doctors, don't seem to realize is that we are human too and that after enough negative reinforcement we begin to modify our behavior. In other words, if sex is painful, we begin not to want it. We begin to see it as an obligation, and one in which we are resentful of.

I can tell you that I have always really liked by OBGYN. But when I was having BC problems: fatigue, total loss of libido, hair loss, EXTREME emotional rollercoasters, etc...... he would never acknowledge that those things may a result of the pill. HOWEVER, when I went off the pill (after years of switching pills, being tortured, switching again, etc) I didn't need him to acknowledge that BC had caused my issues, because at that point I had proof.

I have a girlfriend who while on "Ortho Tri Cylcen" (name brand of Sprintec) had something very odd happen to her vagina, which resulted in her having a small surgery. Before the surgery, sex was unbearable for her. It was nearly ruining her marriage. The surgery fixed it. I can't think of the name of it, but it was indeed real...and something she did not encounter before going on this pill. I text her to find out the name of the condition as I don't recall it.

I made the choice to go off hormonal BC and decided that my sex life (unless the guy got a vasectomy) would be with condoms and potentially a diaphragm in combination with FAM (Fertility Awareness Method). Most guys are not going to be happy about having to use condoms, especially after so long of not having to. But what is more important? Your health, your ability to enjoy sex without excrutiating pain, your well being........... or you both having to adjust to using condoms again? For me, I decided that my health and happiness was more important.

Update: My friend said her condition was called vulvar vestibulitus. Google that and do some reading about it. If you think that may be what's going on, consider going to a different doctor. (Which at this point, I would probably do anyway).

[Ashlee T.]

Oh, and one more thing. Stop having sex until you get this figured out. There are other things you can do for each other in the meantime. He has to understand that you will not put yourself through that kind of pain just to give him sex. If I were him, and saw the amt of pain you were in, I would have already said "No more intercourse until we get this figured out.".

[bhowa008]

Thank you so much for telling me all of this! We havent had sex in nearly two weeks because I just can't. He understands that, I hope. It really makes you feel like you're the wrong one when an expert tells you you are, especially without hesitation. I mean, I don't even think it's possible for hymenal remains to be the cause of my pain, since sex was healthy years before Sprintec. And then all of a sudden when I started taking it- BOOM. I guess I'm just going to have to continue to see different drs. until they actually care and listen. In the mean time, I finished my first week of Junel Fe..after the entire pack is gone I may try sex again, but if it hurts, it stops. I may just not be able to take birth control period. That will suck but in the end, it would be worth it.:/

[Ashlee T.]

Don't forget to mention vulvar vestibulitus to your doctor. It took my friend quite a long time of suffering before anyone listened to her enough to diagnose her. I'm not sure why it is so commonly accepted in our society for women to bear the burden of pain during sex. It just gets blown off so much of the time. Endometriosis can also cause a lot of pain during sex. If you have vulvar vestibulitus or endometriosis, changing bc at this point isn't likely to take it away. If sex still hurts this time, get back to the doctor, throw out the condition vulvar vestibulitus and if she doesn't pay you any mind, switch doctors asap.