[lafemelle]

>.< Are you on oral steroids or a cream? I was put on a cream, and much like you, it made my discharge ridiculously bad, which baffled the doc since it was 'supposed' to help. If it's a pill, the only thing I can think is that it has lowered your immune system (I'm unsure if the cream affects your entire system or just the vagina). I could be wrong, but that's my guess. I also think it's something like that because any time I am around people who smoke, my discharge is also 1000x worse, and if I'm ever sick, like recently I got over some sinus/ear infections and bronchitis, and my discharge was a lot worse. Mine has been really bad lately in general for some reason. I haven't been doing anything differently that I can think of. It's burning and feeling really irritated on the inside. So very annoying.

I was on the pills until a few days ago, but since it was making things worse my doctor told me to stop. I also tried the cream once and it made the irritation unbearable. I was thinking that too, that it lowered my immune system that otherwise would have been attempting to fight whatever it is causing my symptoms. So now I'm freaking out, because I feel like I've done more irreparable damage. I thought it was bad before, but now it's worse and what if it's permanently worse? I really wish I never would have gone on the prednisone to begin with.

[r3dh3ad]

I got nowhere with the Physician last Thursday. In fact I felt completely blown off and basically sat and cried afterward because I still have no answers. He said absolutely not when I tried to ask him to check my hormone levels and I got the same ' hormones fluctuate throughout the cycle' lecture that i've heard a thousand times before-He even drew me a picture! UGGG! I was tired from working the night before which didn't help. He drew a cbc, cmp and checked my thyroid, AGAIN- before telling me that I'm a healthy 36 year old female and practically shoving me out the door. Everything I said he disputed or just said no. I don't get it- there are hormones other than estrogen and progesterone! So what now? An endocrinologist sound expensive but I'm clinging very loosely to what little hope I have left. This friend of mine is trying to set me up with a guy that specializes in chinese herbs for healing- sound crazy? I'm willing to try anything since the medical professionals aren't willing to look into anything new!

[ItsASecret]

This friend of mine is trying to set me up with a guy that specializes in chinese herbs for healing- sound crazy?

It can make things worse depending on what random twig they make you chew or which leaf to brew. You can check with an endocrinologist about getting some tests done, they are likely going to agree with your GP in that nothing is different. And yes there is more than estrogen and progesterone lol. They can test for whatever they want but those hormones are the main culprits in the grand scheme of things.

[r3dh3ad]

Well that's pretty much my point. I have been dealing with these symptoms for over six years now. I would think that somewhere along the way my Doctor would decide to check something that he hasn't already rather than checking the same things over and over again with the same result. And I do know the hormones that he should be checking, he just won't. If he isn't willing to look into it further, he should at least refer me to someone that will.

[Sarah001]

r3dh3ad I don't think it's crazy to see someone about herbs, I know people who've had amazing results for a variety of complaints using herbal remedies so it's not crazy at all. If you're in the U.S do naturopaths test hormone levels? I thought I read somewhere online someone had had their hormones tested in the U.S by a naturopath. Or what about labs where you send the test in yourself? I know we have those here in the U.K where you buy the test, give a sample and post it to them and they test it without your doctor having to be involved for a variety of things.

lafamelle your experience of worse symptoms does sound like an immune issue, perhaps you could look into some immune boosting supplements or medications instead? Olive Leaf Extract is supposed to be good for the immune system, so is wheatgrass and colloidal silver and of course vitamin C. I used to take wheatgrass in a drink and I found it helped my asthma alot.

None of us seem to be doing very well right now do we? I'm having trouble relaxing my pelvic floor because of the stress of my 13 year relationship ending so I'm not getting much further either. I'm seriously considering getting one of those pelvic floor stimulators with a relaxation program on it to help me along a bit. I tried a variety of supplements etc but I'm sure mine is the pelvic floor at fault so they didn't help me.

[lafemelle]

Yes, I've definitely come to the conclusion that my immune system is a key player here. I went out yesterday and bought a high-quality vitamin supplement that specifically targets strengthening your immune function, and I'm also taking the 2500 IU daily of vitamin D since my level was so low. I also bought a vaginal probiotic--it's one I've taken in the past, but I'm going to see what happens when I combine boosting my immune system with replenishing the good bacteria in my body.

I think my plan of attack is that I'm going to give it a few months and try this regimen and see what happens; in the meantime, I'll make an appointment with one more (JUST one) local doctor to see if there's anything else under the sun they can imagine might be the culprit. If I still have no answers by the beginning of next year when I get more vacation time at work, I'll just have to bite the bullet and go to the vulvar clinic 7 hours away...

My doctor did discuss with me (before she gave up on me) that the fact that I have VIN means I have HPV, although none of the doctors I've seen (including the one who found the VIN) have suggested that I get tested for it. That, combined with what happened when I took the corticosteroid, makes me think this is ALL related to my having HPV. After all, my symptoms all started up about 3 weeks after a sexual encounter with a new partner. Too much of a coincidence, no? And that's what's really awful, is if it's all somehow related to HPV--I'm screwed. There's no cure for it, if my body won't fight it off on its own there's nothing I can do.

[r3dh3ad]

Sarah001- Thanks You for the input. I won't know until next week when I can get in to see this guy my friend knows but I do intend to ask him all about hormone testing. I am in the U.S. and I have never heard of testing that I can forward to lab myself. If thats possible I'm sure it's expensive. I am very sorry about you relationship. Thirteen years is a long time and my thoughts are with you.
I am disappointed that that none of us seems to have made any significant progress but I am trying to remain hopeful. I had a small dose of steroids ordered for me once and I didn't notice any change. Of course I don't think I was on them long enough. They can be a nasty drug with long term use so I pretty much went into it thinking if they did work that it would be a temporary fix.

[amelillo13]

I also don't see a problem at all with seeing someone about natural alternative treatments. As you said, R3dh3ad, at this point, after so long and nothing conventional works, why not? I've been keeping in touch with a woman from another message board going through a similar thing and she said acupuncture helped a lot, but that's not something I'd be willing to try at this point. Hate needles, but hey, different things work for different people. I was also thinking, if we really wanted to get our hormones checked, and it's not the most ethical thing in the world, but couldn't we just go to a different doctor and say we think we're pregnant, or is that blood hormone test different, or would they not just do it if you said that? Haha, desperate times may sometimes call for desperate measures, I don't know.

I emailed my doctor because I've been feeling more irritated as of late and mentioned some things to him, like the hormone thing again. He said that he would consider putting me on a vaginal estrogen cream while I finish up the Clindamycin, and see if that helps, though he said that my WBCs going away would indicate the area is fine in that sense, since it was improving and that generally means it is getting proper estrogen stimulation. I'll probably go ahead with it anyway, I don't see how it would do any harm.

[Sarah001]

I wasn't sure if you could send your own tests in the U.S, there are a variety of tests we can do at home here in the U.K if we choose to, if you google hormone tests it should tell you if you can or not. I don't think it's overly expensive here, not cheap by any means but not extortionate so it might be worth a look. I've got some strips to test if I'm perimenopausal which I keep meaning to try (you have to start during a period) and forgetting, I'm fairly sure I am as the women in our family tend to have early menopauses and at 37 it's perfectly plausible for me to be perimenopausal. Those strips only cost me a few pounds and the results are instant once I remember to use them!

lafamelle I think the HPV theory might be a good one, I know they say HPV tends to create symptoms and problems for people with immune problems whereas people with strong immune systems don't get any. I think boosting your immune system is a very sensible idea, I hope it goes well.

amelillo I might try the acupuncture angle at some point, I've had it before for my joint problems and wasn't keen because I felt every needle like a needle which isn't normal apparently but I'd suffer that to get rid of my problems! Let us know how the oestrogen works out for you, it hasn't helped me unfortunately but fingers crossed for you.

And finally thanks for the thoughts and nice words about my relationship, it's very very hard to come to terms with it but I'm just going to have to and hopefully I can get on top of my problems and move on.

[ItsASecret]

I was also thinking, if we really wanted to get our hormones checked, and it's not the most ethical thing in the world, but couldn't we just go to a different doctor and say we think we're pregnant, or is that blood hormone test different, or would they not just do it if you said that? Haha, desperate times may sometimes call for desperate measures, I don't know.

haha that is certainly getting desperate. But the answer is no a pregnancy test goes automatically for HCG and keeps its focus there for the most part (obviously the estrogen and progesterone will be present in the results though). The lab will be sent a package with the instructions "test for pregnancy"...and the technician does exactly that. You could still bring up wanting a full blood panel done with this new doc regardless of the false pregnancy. They will send that one to the lab with the instructions "general chemistry, hematology general, endocrine general"...all will include the spanning list of hormones that everyone gets tested for. So basically the same result as anytime before. Selecting for one specific hormone will only tell you what the general panel said especially if both are taken in a close proximity of time. But I suppose if you push it enough with a doctor they will eventually say okay okay we can test-even if they believe that the results will be no different.