Preparing for my gyno appointment to discuss possible vulvodynia

The title says it all; I'm having symptoms consistent with vulvodynia (painful sex, mainly) and I have an appointment with a gynecologist soon to figure out what to do about it. Any advice would be appreciated.
If it matters, I'm 30 and have been on and off (mostly on) hormonal birth control since I was 17; I started with the pill, switched to the patch and then to the ring. I'm considering an IUD (Mirena, not copper--last thing I need is for my cramps to get worse!) but maybe I should get these pain issues squared away first. The pain started with a UTI that was especially hard to shake, but almost a year and two clean pee tests later, that seems to have passed while the pain lingers. I had a pap smear and STD test around the time I first got infected, and everything came back negative; since then, I've been in a monogamous relationship. I have a lady-finger dildo, much smaller than my boyfriend's penis, that can go in just fine. I have no known allergies, no history of sexual abuse or assault, and I know of no physical damage to my pelvic area or nervous system.

Should I switch birth control? What about the IUD--should I wait and figure this out first, or make the change and see if it helps? Are there home remedies or diagnostic tools I could try before I see the doctor to make sure I give her all the info she needs? Any records I should be keeping?

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• Sexual Health