Sensations in the Clitorus

[Debe2]

*** I don't mean to be too graphic in this post--but I am really scared and need help--if anyone out there has experienced something like this...
***It started a few days ago as a tingly sensation in the clitorus--not a good one! Non-stop. I thought maybe if I had sex it would stop-so we did so for the first time in 3 months ( I have been having lots of vaginal problems for so long-sex was out of the question ). It was gentle and caring sex-but I could not climax which is not usual for me. No real pain-but not great. Well after that the clitoral pain became unbearable. That was 3 days ago and the pain is just non-stop. It is a sore-raw-shearing-slight burny pain. The pain is also in the inside of the inner lips up top by the clitoral area. It hurts like crazy to wash myself or touch the area al all. I can't see ANYTHING wrong! Lucky for me I was able to get a Dr appt tom ( she must have had a cancelation-usually it takes months to get her ) but since there is nothing to see--I'm not sure what she can do. I have to say I am so scared-I really am. I don't think it is a UTI-no pain on urination-no increase in frequency. Any one ever had something like this happen?

[SandyRN]

YES!! I have had that feeling, a lot...I have pelvic floor dysfunction and think that I have a mild case of persistant sexual arousal syndrome...But, I dont have it like some women do, it comes and goes every few months for me, but some women have it 24/7 every day of the year with no break. I think I would be crazier than I already am if that happened to me!! At least THAT part of my life is relatively normal, except with those exceptions.

I know what you're describing...it's horrible, and I'm sorry!

Hugs, Sandy

pm me if you have any questions, also, check the search button on this board for persistant sexual arousal , and you should find a few threads that may help you.

[Sarojini]

Yes, me too. Just had an episode of it... I felt like someone was piercing my clitoris! I cannot stand it when that happens, but at least for me it is intermittent and resolves on its own. For me, it's related to how my IC and PFD flare.

[miz_sunshine87]

yep, I've got it too. For me, I feel like a pencil is being rammed into my clitoris, and I have a throbbing feeling on my entire vulva, including my vagina. It could be described as pleasurable...but not constantly of course!

When I first got IC, my first symptom was the stabby clitoris and of course bladder pain. I was only 15 yrs old and I didn't know very much about anatomy, so I thought it was my urethra that was hurting. When I realised what it actually was, I was too embarrased to say anything. When my IC went into remission, so did the vaginal symptoms, and I never gave it a second thought. When my IC came back 2 months ago, so did the stabby/pressure feeling...constantly, but it varies in intensity. For a while my bladder felt so terrible that the arousal feeling was minor in comparison! But the last week or so my IC has calmed down significantly, yet the arrousal is 10 times worse!

I also read about persistent sexual arousal syndrome, and even read about a woman who had IC as well. Needless to say, this scared me a lot! I am trying to convince myself that the arousal is just referred pain from my irritated bladder, and just needs time to calm down, but I am prone to being a hypochondriac, so I am still worrying a lot about it.

[broken_smile]

Yes I am having it right now!

Hello Everyone,
That is one of my main symptom I have it is a horrible feeling like the clitoris is engorged, inflammed, and a pain full tingling like I have an electric current running through it. Sometimes it helps to lift the hood of the clitoris and cleanse it out with a Qtip and other times it hurts to bad to touch it. I have found the only thing that will soothe it is get in the tub and start runnning the water as hot as you can stand it and just soak in plain water. I have used some Lidocaine 2% gel that helps to numb some of the pain. There are times when I would like to cut it off or at least have it denerved. It looks to me like they could give us women to stop the engorgment like when a man gets an erection that won't go down. I know in men it can be causeb by some drugs or a blockage. It looks to me like they could treat us like they do the men when they have that problem. I could stand the IC pain better than the clitoris pain because when IC is flareup which is usually constantly my clitoris is flareup too. It is about to drive me mad. Ya'll are not alone.

Broken_Smile

[Debe2]

***My gyna has no idea what it is--so she wants me to do a catscan. I went to another gyna and she said she sees nothing wrong. I asked if it could be vulvodynia--and she gave me gabapentin to take. She doesn't seem to think it's a pelvic floor problem--maybe nerves. The gabapentin is an anti-convulsent and nerve medication. I'm on 300 mg a day. I have read you need at least 900mg a day for it to work. So far the drug makes me extremely tired. The pain seems to have calmed down a tiny tiny bit. Not enough for me to live with. But the drug has some scarey side effects so I'm scared to go higher. I don't understand why this is happening to me! I was supposed to get a puppy today--but I had to back out of the deal because I feel too sick to handle all the care a puppy needs right now. I am so unhappy!!!

[leelee88]

I have the same problem, It was driving me crazy!!!!!!! My uro said it comes with IC, but my GYN seems to think I have nerve damage..Some people call this Clitordynia, I call it a nightmare...Check out some of my threads theres alot of info on them about this....

[kjd]

Hi Debe2

yes I have this and its a nightmare! I have been diagnosed with vulvodyina and clitoradyina which is when the nerves in the genitals and clitoris behave strangely causing pain!
I suffer with strange tingling pain, throbbing, pinching, aching and knife like stabbing pain! I once had it so bad I had to go to Hospital and they gave me morphine! My mum said I was screaming at them to cut off my clitoris as I couldnt cope with it anymore!!

I dont remember this but it was so bad I was becoming suicidal! I had it none stop for 8 months and I cried everynight. I tried having sex which made the pain worse. I tried everything but the sensation was there constantly and I couldnt ignore it. I didnt sleep for months.

The best way I can describe it is that my clitoris feels engorged and really hypersensitive. If I touch it its like an electric current running through it.

the only thing that helped me is amyitriptaline drug! Without this I think I would have given up to be honest!

My urologist said that it is linked with IC and is commonly down to damage/irratation to the pudendal nerve. I have also been diagnosed with PN (pudendal neuralga) which is just another name for it. I have the same pain which travels down my legs and bottom and is the most hurrendous pain ever!
He said that sometimes the nerve settle down and sometimes they dont and there is no treatment apart from pain meds!!

At least we have each other to get us through. Until I met you girls I thought I was the only one with this and didnt know how I would survive! I'm crying now :-(
x

[leelee88]

Well thats one thing for sure kjd, You do have us to help you all this..
I was like you I could not handle the sensation pain.. It honestly was making me, Thank God for Elavil, it helped settle it down from the sensation and then the cymbalta did the rest.. I do have the sensation sometimes during the day but not constant anymore, so at least I get breaks from the torture...and I have noticed I feel it more when im full, or constapated so I try not to eat so much.

[kjd]

thanks LeeLee! I'm the same, its gets worse when I'm constipated or full! I suffer with IBS too so I try and take prune juice to avoid beiing constipated as it makes it worse!!

i am so pleased you dont have it constant anymore as its horrible isnt it! You deserve a break from it XX

[kjd]

Debe2, how did you get on at doctors?
I'm in so much pain today but cant find a decent doctor!!

:-(

[Debe2]

***Yest. was one week on the gabapentin. The sensations have toned down-but as I said before--not enough to live with. I have many books and have done lots of research on vulvodynia. Clitordynia is even more rare. I can't believe this is happening to me. I have not even been formally diagnosed. I go back to the Dr on the 23rd. I think I will have to up this medication--and that means more chance of side effects. I'm already too groggy to do ANYTHING. This medication can also make you lose coordination--and make your eyes move involuntarily. I am scared to death of that! The books say you need at least 900mg for it to work--and that it takes time to work. I am going out of my mind. I feel sooooooooooo alone! My poor hubby can't take it anymore--I'm going into depression. Lost 10 lbs--dry heave if I try to eat. I think about ending it. I can't go on this way. It's not a life to live like this and it's not fair! Deep down I don't even believe I have vulvodynia!! I have done nothing to cause nerve damage to myself--except using lots of yeast cream when I thought this was yeast all along!! I can't beleve yeast cream can cause nerve damage!! I don't get stabbing or shooting pains. But I do feel swollen and sore. And highly stimulated in a bad way. I wake in the morning about an hour before I need to--in that hour I have pressure in the clit and feel if I urinate it will be better. I do so--it's better for a minute or so and comes back. I will pee every 10-15min in that hour. During the day that doesn't happen. Then it is just constant tingling--or something! I can't even describe it sometimes. I have thoght of having the clitorus removed---but I bet the pain would just move to a different area. Maybe a sex-change operation would do the trick! Ha! Does anyone out there think it could somehow be prempro? I have been on that for 4 months.
Sorry for rambling. It's not a good day!

[kjd]

Debe2 I am the exact same situation as you today! I am sat in my room crying and throwing things around out of frustration! Let me tell you if I could cut my clit off and have the garantee this pain/sensations would go I would do it!!!
I know you feel alone and scared right now but I do too! maybe we can help each other through this nightmare!!!
dont forget there are other medications which help with pain so its not just this one and the side effects will stop as soon as you come off them so you dont need to worry. I'm trying amytriptaline at the moment but one I had before made me sick!!
I have had formal diagnosis of vulvodynia but dont forget vulvodyina is not always believed to be caused by nerve damage but can be caused by nerve irratation, pudendal entrapment in the spine, sport trauma which could be horseback riding, bicycling or usng exercise equipment which has aggrevated the nerve. At the end of the day there may be other causes too so there is no point trying to figure out why you have this as it will drive you in sane!

I had a really bad urinary track infection which was mis-diagnosed so it led to a kidney infection and ended up in hospital. Anyway the infection went but then 2 months later I started having the pain!!!! It makes me wonder if the infection was the cause, as I have done nothing which could cause this pain and never had it before!!!!!!!!!!!!! God I could go insane trying to work out why I am here and suffering. i am sure everyone of us ladies asks, "why me"???!!!
These strange pressure sensations which make you need to urinate every ten minutes....well I have those too and boy they are horrible. I feel like I am slightly stimulated but not in a good way and I feel like I need to urinate even though my bladder is empty!!!
Now I know you are depressed and feeling alone but you need to get some strength together and you need to realise you are NOT alone and we are all here for you and know how you are feeling! please use us to help you gain strength to go on and try to be positive.
There are lots of medications you can use such as Tricyclic antidepressant or the anticonvulsant drugs which help with pain so dont give up yet. It takes time but you will find a drug which helps you and doesnt give you too many side effects.
Do you have a TENS machine?? if you can get one please do as it helps with the pain and anything is worth it¬ I did go through a stage of not eating either but then think of how much you are hurting your hubby as he would be worried sick about you! You need to pull yourself together for him and prove you can beat this thing and you will not give up!!! You are worth it and you need to fight!!!!
I know I need to fight too and find it soo hard to go to work which I do full time and sometimes cry in the toilets at work as I cant cope! i have no choice as I need the money! If I dont work I will end up homeless so I need to get through this!!
Have you taken a bath?? This helps me so try this! Also do you see a councillor???
If you dont then get to see one asap! She will help you get out of this depression!
Please PM me anytime if you need me

[kjd]

Hi Debe2
How are you feeling! Well I know I was trying to make you feel more positve earlier but I am suffering so much now! I have just been in a meeting at work for two hours and I am in so much pain from sitting down all the time. I have sharp pains down the tops of my thighs, bottom and clitoris. I feel like someone is actually trying to piearce my clitoris.....how strange!!!

Anyway I was just sitting here thinking why have we all got this, why do we have to suffer!! Also what the hell causes this strange pain/sensations and why cant the doctors have more knowledge on it! It must be nerves but why do they become damaged/trapped!!! is there anything we can do to help it??!!!
I am just terrified I will be like this forever and what sort of life I will have! I am sorry I am so low at the minute but these last two hours have been torture for me and I had to try to sit there and keep a straight face in front of all my colleagues!!!
Well I am paying for it now and lying on the sofa now working at home! Even walking is hurting my vulva and I feel so sore but everything looks normal...I think!!!
Well I just wanted to talk to you all because you are the only ones who know how I feel and to be honest if it wasnt for all you ladies I dont think I would be sane anymore!
My family and friends dont understand and my doctors just look at me as if to say "well I have no idea how to help you, sorry"!!!!!
I can cope with the symptoms of IC (not to say that these arn't bad enough anyway) but vulvodynia is just the worst sort of pain I have ever experienced and had to live with!!!

If anybody can help me stay sane I would appreciate it. Sorry to have such a long rant but I am so upset and angry I have to suffer

xx

[broken_smile]

Clitoral Priapism

Hi Everyone,
I have been dealing with this for a long time this was one of my main symptoms now that I think back on when I developed IC. I have had this pain since 1989 after a bladder infection. I was looking on the internet because I got to thinking when men get engorged what causes it. Well I found out the name for it in males is priapism. Well out of curiosity I googled female priapism or clitoral priapism and found a website that said Prozac, Trazadone, and Paxil could cause this to happen in women. Here is the website http://www.greenjournal.org/cgi/content/full/100/5/1089 Well I am on Paxil and Trazadone and have taken in the past Prozac but I had this before taking any of these drugs so these drugs are maybe aggravating my clitoris will talk to Uro about it. I wonder if the bladder infection I had in 1989 done some kind of damage to the clitoris or if the antibotic to treat the bladder infection caused it which was septra. The only medication I was taking when I developed this was birth control pills, ibuprofen and sudafed. Something had to cause it to start with this is so frustrating we all need to put our heads together and try and figure this out. This clitoral pain has cost me alot of joy and productive in my life. I have lost going on 18 years of my life. All of this crap came out of the blue. I went to bed in 1989 feeling fine woke up thought I had a bladder infection called doctor they called in prescription for Septra and the rest of my life went to h*ll. I am so rambling on. I stayed up all night and it is the lack of sleep that makes ramble on. Can the doctors take a scraping of the clitoris and check for anything abnormal going on with the clitoris? Well got to go I am exhausted.

Broken_Smile