Re: Vulvodynia and Pregnancy/Delivery -- Clarification to 2nd Question
From: j wang, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 31 Dec 2001 08:52:02 -0600 (CST)
At Mon, 31 Dec 2001, Meredith wrote:
>
>My second question was phrased rather naively or foolishly... I know
>all women are going to have vaginal pain when delivering.. I am just
>concerned about having even more than the norm and perhaps having
>excessive trouble due to increased inflammation. We are trying to do
>perineal massage to help stretch the tissues -- as much as I can
>tolerate, anyway. Just wondering if there are "special" considerations
>with vulvoldynia.
1) Best to wait until a few months after delivery. Sometimes the pain
goes away on its own after delivery.
2) No.
>
>Thanks,
>Meredith
>
>At Sun, 30 Dec 2001, Meredith wrote:
>>
>>I've suffered with a vicious cycle of yeast and bacterial vaginosis
>>throughout this pregnancy and for a few years beforehand. Aside from
>>diagnosed infections, I almost always have pain and burning sensations
>>with intercourse and vaginal exams (varying degrees) and about half the
>>time no infection is found. The pain is less higher in the vagina -- a
>>cervical exam's pressure on the upper areas is not painful, for
>>instance. At two exams during the past month I've actually gasped in
>>pain and have been told I'm "clenching" at the vaginal entrance-- this
>>has never happened to me before during exams, despite pain, and I know
>>I'm not nervous or clenching, but I feel very inflamed. After a TV
>>special today, I believe I may have vulvodynia, perhaps as an
>>aftereffect of chronic yeast infections? The purported reasons for this
>>disorder seem to be fuzzy.
>>
>>1) Can this be diagnosed and treated during pregnancy? I'm almost 35
>>weeks and already had some pre-term labor symptoms.
>>2) Is vulvodynia known to make delivery more painful? I can only imagine
>>that something large coming down to the lower vagina is as painful or
>>more so than an exam or intercourse. Are there any specific suggestions
>>for pain control when one has vulvodynia? I've been apprehensive about
>>the vaginal pain at delivery for weeks, but now that I may have a
>>definition for the pain, I hope there is a solution for it... I guess I
>>can always request a pudendal block but wondered if this is a commonly
>>encountered situation with a solution.
>>
>>Thanks for any info,
>>Meredith
--
James Wang, M.D
Assitant Clinical Prof.
Tufts University School of Medicine
statements are informational only and should not constitute a medical plan or treatment recommendation.
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