I am a 22 year old who has suffered from Vestibulodynia for about 2 years. It was about 2 years ago that I noticed some pain during intercourse with my boyfriend of 6 years. I just thought that I moved wrong or it was just that time that I would feel pain, but as the time continued and the more that we had intercourse, the more I noticed pain. It was odd to me because we had had intercourse for 3 years prior to this and I never had pain before. I also noticed that it became very painful to insert a tampon. So I began to refrain from sex and started to not use tampons. About a year ago I went into the gyno for my check up and was in extreme pain during my examination. I asked my doctor and she told me that I was just sensitive down there and that I would be like this for the rest of my life. She suggested that I do some breating exercises before intercourse and try to relax because there was really nothing else that I could do. I felt hopeless, and so alone. Not only was I told that I had a damaged vagina, but I was told that I would never enjoy intercourse for the rest of my life. Frustrated, I seeked an opinon of another doctor. After being refered to a pelvic pain specialist from my new gyno, I finally recieved the news I had been waiting for. I did not have a damaged vagina and there was hope for me. After a typical q-tip test, my doctor told me that I had Vestibulodynia and also Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (my muscles were very tight). This was great to finally have a name for what was wrong with me, but also disappointing at the same time to find out there was no known cause or cure. I was then told that my testosterone level was very low, so I was given a compound cream to use in the mornings to help with this. My doctor then proceeded to tell me that they have no idea what it can be caused by, but they are thinking it can be caused by birth control. My eyes began to water and I was instantly upset. I have been on birth contorl for about 6 years now, and I believe it is the route of all of my problems. Right before my pain had started during inercourse, I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, my body was producing too much prolactin. I am currently on cabergoline to treat this and my hormoe level of prolactin has since then gone down. But to find out that birth control probably cause my Vestibulodynia too was heart wrenching. I believe without a doubt that birth control is the reason I am having so much pain, especially since I never had pain previously in my life. I am currently going to Physical Therapy for my Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and I believe that it is really helping, I feel more incontrol of my muscles and feel that they are opening up slowly but surely. For the Vestibulodynia, I feel at a lose. My doctor told me my options, testosterone cream, antidepresent, injections of a steriod and lidocaine, and then surgery. I am currently using a testosterone cream in the morning and lidocain at night. I am still on birth control so I feel that the testosterone cream is doing nothing. I plan to get off of the pill in 4 weeks when my pack is finished. I also have an appointment to meet with an Accupunturist next month and am anxious to see what techniques she can do to help my body get back to normal. I am thrilled that I found this blog and found other people out there like me!! I have felt so alone for the past 2 years. It has been a struggle, especially considering I have been a relationship for 6 years, boy has that been a struggle. It is hard to explain to him what I feel and what I am going through. It is not that I do not want to be intimate or that I have no desire to be that close with him, it is simply that I have hardly no sex drive at all and that intercourse is extremly painful. Who wants to do something that causes them pain? I am hoping that by getting off birth control I will get some sort of sex drive back and also be able to tolerate pain! Any suggestions???
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I am a 22 year old who has suffered from Vestibulodynia for about 2 years. It was about 2 years ago that I noticed some pain during intercourse with my boyfriend of 6 years. I just thought that I moved wrong or it was just that time that I would feel pain, but as the time continued and the more that we had intercourse, the more I noticed pain. It was odd to me because we had had intercourse for 3 years prior to this and I never had pain before. I also noticed that it became very painful to insert a tampon. So I began to refrain from sex and started to not use tampons. About a year ago I went into the gyno for my check up and was in extreme pain during my examination. I asked my doctor and she told me that I was just sensitive down there and that I would be like this for the rest of my life. She suggested that I do some breating exercises before intercourse and try to relax because there was really nothing else that I could do. I felt hopeless, and so alone. Not only was I told that I had a damaged vagina, but I was told that I would never enjoy intercourse for the rest of my life. Frustrated, I seeked an opinon of another doctor. After being refered to a pelvic pain specialist from my new gyno, I finally recieved the news I had been waiting for. I did not have a damaged vagina and there was hope for me. After a typical q-tip test, my doctor told me that I had Vestibulodynia and also Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (my muscles were very tight). This was great to finally have a name for what was wrong with me, but also disappointing at the same time to find out there was no known cause or cure. I was then told that my testosterone level was very low, so I was given a compound cream to use in the mornings to help with this. My doctor then proceeded to tell me that they have no idea what it can be caused by, but they are thinking it can be caused by birth control. My eyes began to water and I was instantly upset. I have been on birth contorl for about 6 years now, and I believe it is the route of all of my problems. Right before my pain had started during inercourse, I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor, my body was producing too much prolactin. I am currently on cabergoline to treat this and my hormoe level of prolactin has since then gone down. But to find out that birth control probably cause my Vestibulodynia too was heart wrenching. I believe without a doubt that birth control is the reason I am having so much pain, especially since I never had pain previously in my life. I am currently going to Physical Therapy for my Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and I believe that it is really helping, I feel more incontrol of my muscles and feel that they are opening up slowly but surely. For the Vestibulodynia, I feel at a lose. My doctor told me my options, testosterone cream, antidepresent, injections of a steriod and lidocaine, and then surgery. I am currently using a testosterone cream in the morning and lidocain at night. I am still on birth control so I feel that the testosterone cream is doing nothing. I plan to get off of the pill in 4 weeks when my pack is finished. I also have an appointment to meet with an Accupunturist next month and am anxious to see what techniques she can do to help my body get back to normal. I am thrilled that I found this blog and found other people out there like me!! I have felt so alone for the past 2 years. It has been a struggle, especially considering I have been a relationship for 6 years, boy has that been a struggle. It is hard to explain to him what I feel and what I am going through. It is not that I do not want to be intimate or that I have no desire to be that close with him, it is simply that I have hardly no sex drive at all and that intercourse is extremly painful. Who wants to do something that causes them pain? I am hoping that by getting off birth control I will get some sort of sex drive back and also be able to tolerate pain! Any suggestions???
December 22, 2011 - 8:03amThis Comment
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