Doctor disagnosed me as vaginal atrophy and was treating me with Premarin cream. I was not getting any better. Wasn't getting worse but not improving at all. The burning and itching and stinging that I have had for months was still with me. I started reading on here and on other boards and every place I could on the internet. The symptoms of vulvodynia and vaginal atrophy are very similar.
I did have pain with sex but no bleeding which make me wonder if I had vaginal atrophy. When I started reading about vulvodynia and about the low oxylate diet and certain foods that would make it worse, I at least wanted to give it a try because nothing has helped so far. In the beginning of all of this mess for me, my infections seemed related to citrus foods and chocoate which are no nos for vulvodynia. So I am watching what I eat and I started on 1200 mg of calcium citrate 4 days and I see at least moderate to even better than that improvement. I am almost afraid to say it for fear I will have a relaspe of all the burning and stinging. It's not gone 100% but it is improving. I am also using Vitamin E capsules vaginally and I am going to get pure Vitamin E oil this weekend to use also. Sometimes I think we just have to almost read and cure ourselves. So for those of you that are suffering from burning and stinging and haven't the calcium citrate, it's at least worth a try.

Cheryl,

Thanks so much for bringing this up.

I tried the diet and calcium citrate supplementation about 12 years ago, and it didn't help me, but it was helping a lot of women, and is absolutely worth trying! Amazingly, about a year after, my symptoms went away after about 10 years of being just awful.

Hope this makes all the difference for you!



JJ

Sorry to hear it didn't help you. It's been one week since I started the Citracal (calcium citrate) and I feel 95% better in just this one week's time. I am also watching what I eat and using the Vitamin E tablets vaginally but I think the Citracal made the biggest difference. This the best I have felt in over 3 months.
I wonder what my gyno is going to say when I go back for my follow up appt in 2 weeks. I wonder if she will even believe me that the Citracal helped. She is not my regular gyno because in October my regular one had a baby and I had to see another one in the group. This one has not has not been very sympathetic at all.
It's one thing if she is having trouble treating me but she has made me feel uncomfortable. At the last appointment she actually said to me when the tests all came back, with nothing unusual but I said I still had constant burning and stinging, she said she couldn't make up a disease for me. So do I take her the info on vulvodynia and Citracal? Or should I just be happy that it helped me?

I had high hopes for the diet, as some women were having amazing responses. It just didn't make the difference, but again, it was so worth a try. If something as simple as avoiding some foods and taking calcium citrate can help with that awful pain, itching, and discomfort, it's a blessing!

It doesn't really matter if this new doc is sympathetic - if you are feeling better, that's all that counts! And maybe you can help to "inform" her about something she hasn't given any credit to. A good doctor will be compassionate, and will be open to whatever helps a patient!

Her comment that she "couldn't make up a disease" for you is obnoxious! Will your other doc be coming back? If not, I'd find a new one!

I would tell her right out that you are having help with this new regimen. If she chooses to pooh-pooh it, that's HER problem. You know your body better than she does!

I'm delighted you are having good response with this approach. It's helped many, many women!

JJ

P.S. You might consider coming at her from the chemistry slant - the scientific studies showing that oxalate crystals from certain foods seem to cause vulval irritation for some women. Let her know you understand what the heck you're talking about.

I'm annoyed with her!