Bath Soap irritation? : About a month... - Pelvic Pain Suppo...

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Bath Soap irritation?

carollynnreed profile image
17 Replies

About a month and a half ago, I went to the gyno, because I was having breakthrough bleeding and wanted to make sure it would go away before I took a vacation to NM to visit a boyfriend. She didn't find anything, but I told her I was also having weird symptoms, like heaviness in the clitoral area, and urinary probs, and thought I had a UTI. Now, I'd never HAD a uti before...so I wasn't sure. She did a UA, which ended up contaminated. Gave me antibiotics anyway and sent me on my way. I took the antibiotics...and it got a little better, although I still had mild clitoral discomfort...I went and took another UA, contaminated. That morning I saw my Personal GYno, who said yeah antibiotics shoud have worked, you'll be fine. Symptoms did NOT go away after a week so I made an appt with my PCP. She gave me a UA and it was clean..no uti..if i ever had one that is. Went to NM, still in discomfort but it slowly got better. I was able to have sex with my boyfriend almost every day for 10 days. Then, I decided to take a bath. I used bath soap to clean my genital area, and immediately felt the way i did before. aching vagina...and pull in lower abdomen..did i re do my UTI???? Then I remembered, before I went to the Gyno the first time, I had taken a bath, used bath soap and immediately felt the symptoms. It was related to bath soap im sure. But still couldn't chance it, went to ER in NM and doc did UA, and gave me antibiotics. Slowly it got better....with just a little tenderness in clitoral area. I went back home, and on day 8 of antibiotics, I took a shower and used body wash, specifically designed for women. Next day, symptoms again. I had a negative UA, so didn't know what was going on. Three weeks went by...still having the clitoral discomfort. still thinking it was urinary. i had the pulling in the lower belly, hesitation...slow start, etc. Had to be bladder related. Clitoral discomfort ...still there, PCP gave me double dose of diflucan in case it was yeast. Didn't help. Had a CT urogram, not sure if it will find anything, but yesterday I went to the doc, did a UA, and she finally gave me a physical exam. She touched my urethra and clitoral area...and it hurt SOOOOO Bad....Now, 2 days later, I have the same urinary symptoms, plus a VERY VERY Painful clitoris, and throbbing on the left side of my vulva by the clitoris. She put on the discharge form Dysuria, anxiety and Vulvodynia. I looked up vulvodynia and it freaked me out. All because of 3 episodes of bath soap?....I have to sleep with a heating pad between my legs, and take tylenol 3 just to sleep. Still have the urinary hesitancy, and pulling in lower belly. no pain anywhere except Clitoris. i tried Ice, and it numbed it for about 5 min then went back to normal.. i STILL think there has to be some kind of infection. I don't want to accept the vulvodynia diagnosis, as it got BETTER with antibiotics. Then I just went and irritated it again. I don't knwo where to go from here, she won't give me pain meds, wont give me antibiotics....and says because I had BTB she couldn't diagnose me. I have had this kind of irritation before when I used a bath soap, but it just went away....this time, it's been 3 weeks, and it's not going away...now that i had a physical exam, im in PAIN rather than slight discomfort..:( im at a loss of what to do :(

Does it sound like Clitorodynia, or could i be right and it still could be an infection... I have anxiety and all this is extremely stressful.

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carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed
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17 Replies

If you have irritation with soaps don't wash in that area with soap, you are allergic too them and with allergies the more you come in contact with them, the worse you'll get. The vagina cleans itself all you need to wash it is water and your hand.

Clitrodynia can be caused by trauma, if you were itching your clitoris while sleeping it could've been caused by that, wait it out, the nerves might have to heal.

Have you had swabs done?

carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed in reply to

Nothing itched at all.....and when I took a bath the first time, it pretty much went away after antibiotics and like a week...so i thought it was a UTI. i took another bath, same thing....thought UTI was back..more antibiotics....I didn't figure it out until i was home and used body wash there again, and it happened again, ( cuz i was on antibiotics at the time) that it was the soap..it's been about 3 weeks....nothing is getting better, in fact it's getting worse since the physical exam and the doc still has no idea what it is, she put vulvodynia on my release...but also dysuria, and anxiety

The pain is in the clitoral area, and when i pee it still burns the skin.

in reply tocarollynnreed

Is your clitoral area peeling? I'm saying because if it is you can go to the drugstore and buy yeast infection cream to calm it down.

I had an allergic reaction to Nuvaring in April and that reaction didn't go down till June. It burnt all over I had no yeast, I was so swollen I couldn't wear tampons, I bought yeast infection creams and the irritation on the outside went down but the inside stayed.

carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed in reply to

No. No peeling just pain

in reply tocarollynnreed

The creams are for irritation, just try one and see if it helps.

in reply tocarollynnreed

drexelmedicine.org/patient-...

in reply tocarollynnreed

Did you do swabs?

BV is pretty common when your Ph is screwed up by soaps.

Debra13 profile image
Debra13

Hello. Read up on allergic dermatitis in the vagina. So many doctors are fast to say vulvodynia when it could be an allergy from the soap. Find a good gyn that deals with this vagina issues. I'm not a doctor so I don't know if I can give you any advice on here. But I can suggest trying to use coconut oil. Not the oil the solid. Put it on down it will help with the burning. And it has to be all natural organic virgin coconut oil and have that stamp. But it's the solid ok. Get to a good doctor fast. Ok hope that helps. Google Google. Google. And make sure they take insurance. Be careful of quakes out there ok.

Debra13 profile image
Debra13

Use water only to wash agree with everyone else. You mess up your ph when you don't.

carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed

So I took a ua. And it came back positive for nitrates. Where theres supposed to be 0. I had 6 whatever measurement. I looked it up and that could mean uti. But. My doc for the third time says no its not even though I have urinary hesitancy burning after I pee. Leaking urine and a few other.

Ladydidi profile image
Ladydidi

Interstitial cystitis network and interstitial cystitis association both have great websites. Info just on these topics.

carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed in reply toLadydidi

Oh Ive already looked at that. Doc says I don't have that. But I do know i eithrt have s uti or urethritis. Which would explain the urinary and clitoral symptoms but. No one will listen.

carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed

Ok so. Got tired. Gave myself an exam. Pulled apart the clitoral hood and there was an white jagged line that looked like pus. And in the past few weeks Ive had a weird discharge up in that are I just assumed was from the urethra. It was sticky. So. I figured out i have an infection which would explain why the antibiotics worked after the first bath. When I thought it was a uti. And after the second bath. When I still thought it was a uti. Then it got better with antibiotics. And then when I took a shower with special soap it reirritated it. And for 3 weeks now no antibiotics and its progressively getting worse. Clitoral area pain. Swelling that I use heat and ice to reduce. Uti like symptoms. Now just to convince the doctors to let me go on antibiotics again. And now I know its not a uti and where it is coming from I Wont do or again.

in reply tocarollynnreed

Got to the doctor and as gross as this sounds bring a sample to the pus and say where it came from or tell them you have pus in your clitoral hood.

Only wash with water from now on and do not douche.

68Brina profile image
68Brina

I suggest you cease all washes with chemicals in the vaginal area. Use ice instead of heat and see a Urologist. If you continue to take antibiotics they will make your system weak.

carollynnreed profile image
carollynnreed in reply to68Brina

Yeah I haven't used anything but water the last 3 weeks. My doctor said its inflamed and irritated. Which kind of ticks me off because the other day when she gave me my exam she said it wasnt. She was really rough too.

I have very similar symptoms. Pulling in lower pelvic tummy area. Symptoms of uti. Burning clit. Told it was vulvodynua. Put on 10mg of amitriptyline. Went for a smear on Monday and it's Wed and I'm thro the roof with pain can anyone help

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