[amelillo13]

I know I mentioned it to a doctor some time and he told me two weeks was normal...Maybe if I was 14 and going through puberty it would be, but I was pretty sure that's a little too close other wise.

On a side note, I had a really weird dream last night where I went to some new doctor for this problem. He told me it was basically some kind of bacteria/parasite that hadn't been discovered and I needed to be on a combination of medicines because the cell wall was different from other normal bacteria that cause this.

I vaguely remember reading something like that some where, but I think it's kinda funny that now I'm DREAMING about a diagnosis. Maybe it's more depressing than funny >.<

[Sarah001]

Oh god the dreams!! I dream about seeing doctors and getting an answer some nights too, I wake up thinking I've got it sussed only to realise it was a dream, you're right it's depressing!

I think the point with the hormone thing is periods close together aren't normal for US so they're not normal at all! If they'd always been like that fair enough but obviously our cycles haven't so it's a change for some reason. Doctors make me so annoyed when they just announce things are normal without taking into account individuals! I've got no idea why mine have changed in the last year, I've never had so many periods in my life as I do now! Stress usually makes mine further apart so it's not even that. I've tried googling it but it just comes up with perimenopause and not much else so I got no answers. My periods actually changed before I got the other symptoms though so I'm seriously contemplating hormones as a reason.

[lafemelle]

You know, come to think of it, a month before I quit my birth control I had a mini-period over a week before I was due (and 6 years on BC, my period was ALWAYS right on schedule), and then my normal period when it was due. Hmmm.......

I know what you both mean about the dreams. And sometimes I have nightmares that my problem gets even worse or that I'm doing something amazing and it's completely ruined by my symptoms. Ugh.

[r3dh3ad]

I was talking with a woman at work last night. She was telling me that she went through a situation similiar to mine years ago. I don't think her symptoms were as severe as mine but she said she ended up having an allergy to dairy products. She said she had tests for allergies that weren't conclusive and she found out completely by accident. I don't know but something tells me for me it's not that simple - I may start am elimination diet before my next doctor appointment anway.I hate that this is always on my mind and gets me down because there are so many worse things in the world.

[healthyrelationship10]

Pregnancy can happen while on BC and when I read your post that is the first thing that came to my mind! Our bodies are like self cleaning ovens if there is something in there that is not supposed to be in there it will flush it out with discharge and pain! I have had a bacterial infection before and it is so painful the doctor put me on Percaset for the pain. Any time I get any kind of infection my period stops then when it comes back it is so painful. I hope you can figure out what it is you have but until then try not to stress about it cause it will only make it worse and if one doctor does not answer your question then see another one, or if that doctor does not listen to you and give you the results you need then see another one.

[amelillo13]

I was talking with a woman at work last night. She was telling me that she went through a situation similiar to mine years ago. I don't think her symptoms were as severe as mine but she said she ended up having an allergy to dairy products. She said she had tests for allergies that weren't conclusive and she found out completely by accident. I don't know but something tells me for me it's not that simple - I may start am elimination diet before my next doctor appointment anway.I hate that this is always on my mind and gets me down because there are so many worse things in the world.

I've often wondered if it was tied to an allergy/intolerance of some sort. I am allergic to wheat/gluten and eggs (or at least thats what allergy tests said 9 years ago). I went to an allergist last July to get rechecked and he said I had 0 allergies. They even double checked some by blood. I don't see how that is possible given I still have reactions when I eat eggs or have wheat, which is very, very seldom if I misread a label. I'm going to get a second opinion when I go back to my home state in December because the doctors where I'm living now aren't all that competent.

I have noticed, now that you mention dairy, that I do seem to have a problem with it. During the last year or two, which is coincidentally how long this 'infection' has been going on, I find that things like milk and cheese make me really nauseous after I eat them. After I had a lot of cheddar chips one day, I noticed my discharge was worse. I asked the doctor if it could be related to the cheese and he said he didn't think so.

I've heard dairy products in general increase the amount of mucus produced, but I'm not sure if that just refers to in your nose, or your body in general. If it is body in general I could see it resulting in more discharge (if it's true). At the same time, cheese in particular is usually aged and if there is a yeast issue going on, cheese would only make it worse. Might be coincidence, but when I eat any sort of cheese, my discharge is worse.

I know what you mean about feeling bad about feeling bad. I've cried over this so much and my bf is quick to remind me that things aren't so bad...and he's right, but I can't help becoming overwhelmed sometimes. In the back of my mind I'm always thinking the worst just because I have not been diagnosed with anything specific yet.

Anywho, I'm still spotting but my period hasn't actually started yet (going on 4 days with this now). I'm not sure what's going on with that. I just canceled the appointment I was supposed to have on the 24th. Might be months before I can get another one *sigh* The first day it was dark brown/old blood, the second it was pink, and now it's back to being brown. So weird. I'm getting all the other symptoms with having my period, cramps, sore chest, migraines, but no flow. I usually spot AFTER the period; I've never had this happen before it, except for the time last month when I had to have the doctor remove a very large (supposed) clot.

[lafemelle]

I always wondered about the diet thing too, but I've tried the candida diet (absolutely no sugar, no breads [yeast], no dairy, and as little carbs as possible--pretty much just meat and veggies) on two separate occasions, for a month each time, and saw zero improvement in my symptoms. I've also kept a food journal to see if my symptoms flare up after eating certain things, and there really is just no rhyme or reason to it. Sigh....

Amelillo, that's good that your boyfriend is so supportive...I constantly worry about what's going through my boyfriend's head and I think it makes the whole situation worse, because I feel like it makes me seem "ruined" in a way. =(

[Sarah001]

I even tried the low oxalate diet to see if that helped but it's such a difficult one to follow because it cuts out all complex carbs and as I have low blood sugar I need them badly! It made me feel ill and didn't help. The doctor I saw did say a food allergy could cause vaginal symptoms but she also said it's incredibly difficult to find out what you're allergic to. Milk makes me feel a bit sick too so I don't drink much of it. One thing I noticed did flare my symptoms up the following day after having it was green tea, I've cut it out but it hasn't got rid of my symptoms either so it looks like it's one of those things that wil make me worse but not make me better if you know what I mean.

I spot before a period and get all the cramping, sore breasts etc days before my period starts, it started in my 20s and it's got worse as I've got older so perhaps it's an age thing? I seem to think I'm about 15 years older than at least one of you? My GP didn't bat an eyelid about it and the only time he was interested was when I had constant spotting and that ended up being caused by an ovarian cyst.

I think the added stress of worrying about our partner's isn't helpful, I know we can't help it but stress doesn't help with healing. I wonder how long my partner of almost 13 years will stay with me without sex (before anyone points me in the direction of oral sex for him I'm 37 so well aware of that angle!!).

[amelillo13]

I've also cut back on my sugar because that makes my discharge worse. I haven't noticed any change with carbs. Just the cheese and sugar. Based on that alone I'm almost more inclined to say it would be a fungal/yeast issue, but I rarely have itching and the discharge is a milky consistency and not lumpy.

I do need to be double checked for having PCOS, especially since they didn't draw blood to check the hormones levels. My sister has PCOS, but doesn't actually get the cysts. She just has the symptoms and her hormones were off the charts. I asked a doctor that looked at my ovaries one time to check the hormones and explained how my sister had it, but didn't have cysts and he told me that wasn't possible. Well, according to tons of other women on the internet and their doctors, it is.... I really need to get out of this state for medical care.

It's just weird because I've never spotted before my period until the last 2 months. I guess it could be an age thing, but it seems weird to start at 22. Today though, all that spotting has turned into the period from h---, so at least it's here; I'm just miserable and in a lot of pain.

[r3dh3ad]

I do get old brown blood on the first day of my period- but then it seems pretty normal after that. Still it makes me feel even dirtier than I usually do. I try not to get too down because I think - At least I don't have cancer or something worse- But then again if it was cancer at least I would have an actual diagnosis! Amelillo- about your allergies- I do know if you remove the allergen entirely you will test negative for that particular allergy. In other words if your allergic to eggs and you have stopped eating them- a test won't show the reaction unless you eat them and they are present at the time the test is taken. Sorry! I just don't think I explain things very well. I am going to cut out dairy on Saturday just to see. I don't see how any doctor can dismiss certain facts like certain things making the discharge worse when they can't even come up with a diagnosis for most of us! We are all not the same and won't have the exact same symptoms or reactions. And when it comes right down to it- we know our bodies better than anyone else! I am still waiting for copies of my medical records. I don't know exactly what it is I'm looking for but I am 36 years old and have dealing with this since I was 30- There has to be something they're missing. Ughhhhhhh!