Feminists with Female Sexual Dysfunction

Survey says, still infected

Welp.

I went to the gyno last week to get a follow up on those long-lived, resistant infections I had all summer. I had been feeling a little off when I went in, but nothing major. The exam itself went as well as it could have, which is encouraging – I haven’t reset back to square one pain-wise. The gyno took some vaginal swabs & did a urine culture. She prefers to run samples off to labs instead of diagnosing patients on the spot, and that works better for me too – since my infections don’t always follow the typical course you frequently see described online, I don’t think I could be diagnosed on site, by sight alone. Not enough typical-for-an-infection discharge to go by. My self-reported symptoms aren’t always obvious enough to set off any major alarms either. And even if they were, even I would have to question whether it’s something else like the pelvic floor muscles acting up somehow or skin irritation.

Unfortunately the results of that exam are not so good. I still have the same infections I had all summer – Candida yeast & Gardenella bacteria.
I am now in Chronic territory. That is the exact word the gyno used to describe the infections at this point. Chronic Candida.
My urine culture came back clear though, so the UTI I had has been wiped. Well that’s one good thing I guess.

Actually, when I pressed the gyno for more information, she read some more detailed results back to me – the Gardenella is present, but in a small enough concentration so that, if I weren’t noticing symptoms I could probably go without treatment, especially since I’m not pregnant. Some doctors like to treat for Gardenella if it’s present at all, other doctors will leave it alone if it’s not causing any major problems for the patient. So the bacterial vaginosis is optional at this point. I still want to treat for it though since I had noticed some urethral discomfort with urination a few nights ago. Just in case something is crawling up there again…

It may be possible to leave asymptomatic yeast alone too, but the gyno definitely wants to treat for it and so do I. I’m not exactly asymptomatic right now. Mild symptoms, but I’m feeling something. Yeast can cause inflammation & inflammation is the last thing I need right now.

But since all summer I’ve had two infections at once, I can’t determine which of these culprits is responsible for the mild symptoms I am noticing. I can’t narrow it down.

I don’t think I can risk not treating these infections. I’ll probably be dealing with some residual vulvodynia & vaginismus long-term to begin with. I’m scared of backtracking… Let’s not add more vulvovaginal health risks to the mix.

I am now at the point where I forget what “Normal” feels like. How does that go again? It feels like “Nothing,” right?
Oo, I had it for awhile. I almost had it. I almost knew what “Normal” felt like, for a few months. Oo, so close.
Nobody write any posts about how great it is to have a healthy normal vagina for awhile or else I might – go into a jealous rage or feel self-conscious and disappointed in myself or something.

Wow these infections will not go down for good. I’m not certain if the infections are responding to medication and then coming back later, or if the medications I’ve been using aren’t strong enough to kill everything. I’ve already tried antibiotics & antifungals, and what I’m noticing with them is that, while symptoms tend to clear up while I’m using the medication, after I stop they come back. I’ve been using the medication exactly as directed, so I’m finishing off everything. But maybe the treatments aren’t long enough? Or the dose is too low?

I’ve been taking steps to avoid re-infecting myself. I have not had partnered sexual activity since February. I clean all my non-porus dilators & toys, and when there are still questions about the dilator’s cleanliness, I use a condom over them. But I also haven’t dilated in the last month, specifically because I was afraid of re-infecting myself. So it’s definitely not the dilators, they are out of the equation. I wipe front to back, and when I wash I use a very mild soap on my body & don’t get any near my vulva or vagina. I washed my clothes with vinegar in the rinse cycle for awhile (this can be used to remove mildew odors in laundry,) I even boiled my all-cotton (breathable) underwear at one point. I boiled my underwear. That was interesting to explain to the parents why their pots were filled with cooking fabric instead of cooking food. I get probiotics in my diet. I take cranberry pills & drink cranberry juice on a regular basis (it tastes bad plain.) I even take a little supplement called “Yeast Fighters,” which contains biotin & garlic, among other things. So what am I doing wrong?

So what’s left after eliminating other variables?
Just me…

I think there may be something wrong with my vaginal pH that’s making it easier for organisms to grow. I actually have pH strip paper but it’s not sensitive enough to tell me anything. Perhaps my menstrual cycle is throwing the pH balance off due to blood in my vaginal canal. I’ve been eating a lot of probiotic yogurt & keifer, but that’s all dairy products – could be lowering my pH. Which is ironic, since the reason I’m eating yogurt & keifer in the first place is because I need to get some lactobacillus bacteria in me, to help me fight off more vaginal infections. I’ve been taking probiotic capsules too, but obviously they aren’t doing me much good. I suppose I should acknowledge diet could be a factor here, but I am currently unwilling to change my diet to find out anyway.

It’s getting scary also because now I’ve had an acupuncturist (not my regular guy) ask me if I have diabetes, and I’ve had a general practitioner ask me if I have any autoimmune disorders. Both questions were in relation to the long-lived infections. The answer to both questions as far as I know is “No.” But then I remember that quite a few vulvodynia patients do report having other simultaneous pelvic problems like IC or IBS, or autoimmune disorders. Is my body changing before my very eyes? Or am I just being paranoid?

I reviewed the chapter on vulvovaginitis (infections) in Female Sexual Pain Disorders. It’s telling me some things I already knew as a pelvic pain patient, but new things as well. According to one table (15.2,) the UTI I had earlier could be related to BV after all, although the mechanism for that relationship is not explained. That’s interesting though.

Treatment wise, I’m running out of options here. Although I’m not feeling terrible discomfort, I don’t want to leave this untreated. I’m worried I could backtrack & feel acute vulvar pain again if this goes on much longer.

I’m not completely out of options… but I’ve already tried a prescription antifungal cream, oral fluconazole, oral flagyl (I don’t do well with the gel form of this,) cipro, and Levaquin. Short term, I will be using Flagyl 1 more time for this round of BV, and an antifungal cream (which thankfully I have some pain-free experience with.) Then I will be on a long-term oral antifungal regimen for 3 months. It probably sounds more hardcore than it actually is – I’ll just take 1 fluconazole once per month. (Why the doctor is having me space them so far apart is beyond my understanding, since I know it leaves the body after just a few days.)
So what happens if I do this long-term thing and I’m still not better?

I might have to start thinking about seeing a specialist about these infections. Hopefully it will not come down to that. But I’m thinking if it does go down that way, I have three options. I could, see an infectious disease expert locally (even though this isn’t necessarily infectious at all; you can be a virgin & have a yeast or bacterial infection.) This might be the cheapest option since I could see someone in my insurance network, but I’m not sure I’d be able to find someone well-versed in vaginal infections specifically. I could return to my old vulvovaginal specialist, which would cost more but that practice knows my history & is prepared to deal with chronic infections.
Or I could do something else. Don’t know what that something else is yet.

I know there are alternative treatments. Oh I know, no need to remind me, I’m fully aware. I know I haven’t tried inserting probiotic yogurt or capsules directly into my vagina. I haven’t tried an apple cider vinegar or a hydrogen peroxide douche. I haven’t tried inserting boric acid capsules. I actually looked for gentian violet a few months ago at the local pharmacies & natural/alternative food stores a few months ago, but I couldn’t find anyone who stocks it.
I know other at-home treatments exist. I know other women have used these at-home methods. I know I could probably even find instructions online. Even Female Sexual Pain Disorders acknowledges the value of boric acid capsules (101).

I asked my own gyno if she ever prescribed these alternative treatments like hydrogen peroxide douches or boric acid capsules to her other patients, and she said, “No,” so she doesn’t really do that. I’m not comfortable using those treatments alone.

I am already still doing acupuncture & chiropractic. Already doing that alternative therapy.

But can you understand why I am afraid of inserting strange objects into my vagina after so many years of problems with it? I’m not sure I could use these treatments if a doctor prescribed them. Even if the vaginismus isn’t a problem for me when I use an alternative treatment, I’m not sure I’d be able to overcome my own anxiety.

In the mean time, I want to go do something fun which, does not require the involvement of my vagina at all. I think I need to do something to de-stress. See a movie or do some traveling. Something to take my mind off of it.
I don’t know how easy that will be if I am leaking antifungal cream for the next few days and if I have to remember to take an antibiotic at the same time every day, but, I want a break from this.
No, actually, I don’t want a break from my vag even though it follows me around everywhere. I am trying to make peace with it. I want it to be happy & content & healthy. I don’t know how other people do that.