Hey there, my name is Nathan and I suffer from a chronic condition called vulvodynia. I've looked around on Glow and even other websites and don't see people talk about it much, so I wanted to share my story...

I was diagnosed earlier this year with Vulvodynia after I continuously experienced very painful symptoms that are the afternoon of a bad yeast infection. I had a yeast infection for roughly 8 months in 2018 that fluconazol and other treatments wouldn't touch. Nothing seemed to work until I found a wonderful doctor who gave me a medicine called flucsytosine that came to my rescue. My doctor and the compounding pharmacy I had to get it from had never prescribed this medicine to anyone before, I was their trial subject, and it worked.

I also suffered a severe sexual trauma in the year 2016, which is when the recurring pain/UTIs/Yeast Infections started. I was tested for everything under the sun (STDs included) and all of my tests came back negative, but my body was under so much stress, these things kept manifesting.

So jump forward to today, and here is what I know about my condition: Vulvodynia is a chronic condition which causes severe pain to the vulva and vagina. It feels like your skin is completely raw and burning/itching. It hurts horrifically, and can cause muscle spasms (they feel like someone is cutting you, and they come and go like contractions). It can make it hard to pee, and often feels like a really bad UTI. Bottom line, the pain is debilitating.

Doctor's don't know exactly what happens in your body to cause it, but they do know things like sexual trauma (physical and mental), recurring UTIs and yeast infections can cause it, along with several other things. Flare ups come and go on their own, and you can't really stop them, but you can manage them. Here is what I've learned about flare ups;

Things that cause flare ups:

Having a full blatter

Not being able to pee (UTI like symptoms)

Constipation

Soda

Tight pants

Lace underwear

Soaps (if you accidentally get shampoo down there it hurts like a MF)

Sex

Dehydration

Activities like biking, horseback riding and running

Anything that causes friction on the vulva

Swimming/hot tubs/long baths

Not changing out of wet clothes

And so many more things.

Things that help with flare ups:

Colloidal oatmeal and Epsom salt baths (10-15 minutes max)

Drinking lots of water (and I mean a lot)

Amitriptyline (and other tricyclic antidepressants)

Flucsytosine (temporary relief, 30 mins relief max)

Lidocaine cream (prescription grade)

Emptying blatter/bowels before you're at the can't hold it point

Use 100% cotton pads, and NO TAMPONS when Flo comes

Natural soaps

Gentle cleaning

Abstain from sex in flare ups

It's hard to live with, and can me very discouraging at times, but don't give up. It can get better.

Talk to your OBGYN and visit The National Vulvodynia Association website for more information.