Help!

[Patrice]

Please help me! Which comes first, IC or vulvodynia? I've had IC for 10 months and always was so greatful not to have vulvadynia too. Last week though I had burning and went to the gyno who took a swab and saw yeast. She gave me monistat 1. Unfortunately, the next day I got my period and the symptoms got worse! Monday I felt like I was on fire inside and out. I called the uro and the nurse said oh it will feel better after your cycle. I called the gyno and the nurse called in a diflucan. Meanwhile, I'm scared this is the beginning of another chronic thing. I was all red on the outside and burning from, shall we say, stem to stern. Is this what IC patiets get? I feel better today but it still burned a little after I urinated. Does this sound like vulvodynia or just a yeast infection complicated by my period (which by the way I'm not supposed to get)? Because if I'm going to have both of these, I just give up. I can't live like this. It was hard enough with "just" the IC. Anyone?

[shell]

I've gotten to the point where I can usually tell from my symptoms if it's a UTI, yeast, or just my regular IC. Typically when I have burning it's because of a UTI. Did your doctor send your urine to the lab to culture? I've had times when the urine dip test didn't show a UTI, but then the lab work did.

I only took Diflucan once, but if I recall correctly it took a few days to really see any results. Hopefully, if it's yeast that't your current problem, the Diflucan will kick in soon.

[Patrice]

Shell, thanks for your answer. I think it's definitely yeast. My whole outside was red. It was a lot better yesterday but it's still not completely. I think my period is complicating it. They didn't even dip my urine. My infections never show up on a dip either- just a culture. I wonder if that's a key to something. I've had a yeast urine infection too. I hate being a female sometimes.

[EW1]

Hi Patrice! I can completely relate to how hard it is to be a woman. I went to the urgent care center on Sat. because I thought I was getting a bladder infection. I pretty much always have the symptoms anyway, because of IC, but I had a fever and my urine was cloudy. Well, turns out I don't have a bladder infection, but a yeast infection. I couldn't even tell and I'm still not sure why I had a fever. Now the gyno I went to yesterday is telling me that my frequency/urgency might be related to endometriosis! I have no clue, every day it's something new! Anyway, just know that you're not alone. Sending healing thoughts! Erica