[Sarah001]

Hi I'm new here and sorry to just skip to asking questions right away but I've got a bit of a problem with my lady bits. About 2 and a half weeks ago I woke up feeling really swollen and sore and very aware of my urethra. I took a Canesten capsule for thrush but it didn't work so I went to see my Nurse Practitioner and took a urine sample. She said there was no uti but blood in my urine and gave me a 3 day course of antibiotics and another thrush capsule treatment to take as well so I took all those and still wasn't any better.

A few days later I went back and she handed me a swab kit and told me to take a swab to test for bacterial vaginosis and thrush which I did and it came back clear for both. So then she told me to see a GP which I did but it was a man and he refused to examine me and has told me to book in with a nurse. I've booked in but my appointment isn't until the end of next week and meanwhile I'm anxious and in pain. The GP retested my urine and this time it had no blood in it so I don't think this is a uti.

My symptoms are a constant burning pain in the vulva and around the sides of the urethra, I've had a look with a mirror and oddly I have a distinct red line on both sides that runs from each side of the urethra towards the front of the vulva and this seems to be causing the pain. I've got no extra burning or stinging after peeing and never have had but I don't know what's going on and wondered if anyone had had these symptoms and these lines before? I can't feel any lumps so I don't think I've got any cysts but I wondered about the glands down there, would infection of the skene's and/or bartholins glands cause these lines to appear? Any advice before my appointment would be greatly appreciated because I'm so uncomfortable.

[LanaBear]

Sounds painful! I've had an infected bartholins gland before and it was extremely painful and swollen. I don't believe there was ever a line that appeared, but you'd definitely be able to tell if you'd have a cyst, mine was about the size of a golf ball.

I hope it gets resolved, it sucks that no Dr's/nurses haven't been able to figure it out.

Welcome to the forum!

[Sarah001]

Well I've had swabs for STIs (all clear) and one that was cultured to see if it showed anything growing and it didn't, I also had a urine culture done and that too was normal so I'm completely clear of all infections including yeast and bv so there's no answer there. The female GP at our practice is away on holiday for a few weeks and none of the males will examine females internally and the nurse said she doesn't know what it can be now so I've got to wait until next month to see the female GP.

I'm still very sore and these red lines feel like inflamed areas of chafed skin which get much worse if dried out so the usual advice of letting lots of air get to the area has the opposite effect on me. If I dry the area thoroughly it hurts alot worse and feels like it's being continuously chafed.

I wondered if these lines were actually varicose veins, I have problems with my connective tissue (hypermobility syndrome) which makes me more prone to varicose veins etc and it occurred to me that as these are lines in shape that could fit in with being a vein. They are red and not blue and inside the vulva not on the outside, anyone know if it's possible for these to be veins?