I Told You I Was Sick

Are you experiencing persistent vaginal pain? Guess what? You’re not the only one. Millions of woman just like you are struggling with mysterious vaginal pain that just seems to defy diagnosis.

Vaginal pain can not only interfere with your sex life, it can contribute to depression. This article discusses the five most common reasons you might be living with this terrible discomfort and what you can do to heal naturally.

Yeast Infection

Chronic yeast infection is a very common cause of mysterious vaginal pain. Other symptoms of chronic yeast infection are cloudy or cottage-cheese-like discharge, itching and burning. Women get frequent vaginal yeast infection for many different reasons.

The best way to get rid of them permanently is to get to the source of the problem. This means looking to your diet and environment first. How healthy is your diet? Do you use conventional feminine products? If so, you could be making the problem worse. Click on the upcoming link to get a deeper look into chronic yeast infections so you can solve the problem from the inside out.

Vulvodynia/Vulvar Vestibulitis

Chronic vaginal pain can also be caused by vulvodynia. Vulvodynia is a really fancy way of saying, “crotch pain of unknown origin”. Basically, you have pain down there with no definable cause. When you’re diagnosed with vulvodynia, it’s very frustrating because the doctor is basically diagnosing you in pain.

Vulvar vestibulitis is a specific type of vulvodynia that is concentrated at the entrance to the vagina (vestibule). The skin there can become raw, thick, red and inflamed. Pain is exacerbated during sexual intercourse, tampon insertion, bike-riding and, in extreme, cases, sitting.

My Story of Vulvar Vestibulitis

Though it’s embarrassing to admit, I have this problem and have for many years. The first time I saw a doctor about it, he pretty much diagnosed me “in pain” and told me I should take antidepressants. I tried them for a week. They made me feel so strange; I had to get off of them.

I then turned to a naturopathic doctor for help and she spent years, literally YEARS trying to treat me with homeopathic remedies and acupuncture. Nothing changed. Eventually, she sent me to an open-minded conventional doctor who, get this, told me she didn’t believe anything was really wrong with me until she finally examined me herself. (See title of website).

Brain Protocol

Thankfully they both came up with a solution of sorts: Brain protocol. Brain protocol is a little tough to explain, which is why I included the link. Basically, it’s a series of homeopathic treatments designed to “fix” whatever might have gone wrong with your body as a result of physical/emotional trauma in childhood.

I did this back in 2007 and not only did it make a HUGE difference in my “down there” pain; it also helped clear up some of my Asperger’s symptoms.

More Natural Cures for Vulvar Vestibulitis

About six months ago, I began using organic neem oil “down there”, especially after my period and doing Kegel exercises every day. I switched to all-natural tampons. For one month I drank two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar twice a day and ate one tablespoon of pure organic coconut oil each day. All this seems to have made a lasting difference.

The Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment

I also do something some would consider very controversial: I use a solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% warm water in a homemade douche once a month after my cycle and it really works! (You’ll need a turkey baster that you never use in the kitchen and a small cup.) Try this at your own risk. I’m not a medical doctor. I was just once as desperate as you and saw this on Cure Zone and tried it.

The theory behind these cures is that the vaginal pain in this case is caused by a pH imbalance due to low-grade chronic vaginal infection. I also believe my particular case has to do with my gluten intolerance, leaky gut syndrome and low gut bacteria.

Click for more vulvodynia natural cures.

Urinary Tract Infection

Another common cause of vaginal pain is urinary tract infection. Though the vagina itself isn’t usually in pain during a UTI, there is pain in the urethra (pee opening) and burning during urination so it may feel like your vagina is hurting.

Other symptoms of a urinary tract infection are:

• Frequent urge to pee but only a little pee comes out
• Cloudy or dark urine
• Back and stomach pain
• Fever and chills
• Hematuria (Blood in Urine)

If you want to try to treat at home before resorting to antibiotics that might cause yeast infection, try these natural treatments for UTI. If nothing you do at home cures the infection, you may have to visit a doctor.

Endometriosis

In a healthy woman, the lining of the uterus breaks down once per month and is expelled in menstrual blood. In woman with endometriosis, cells that are similar to the uterine lining begin to break down during her monthly cycle. Endometriosis is one of the most common causes of female infertility. Symptoms of this disorder are:

• Severe menstrual cramping that radiates to the back and legs
• Throbbing, dragging or gnawing pain in legs
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Painful urination (Often mistaken for a UTI)
• Vaginal pain

The best way to determine if endometriosis is the cause of your vaginal pain and/or infertility is to visit your gynecologist.

Ovarian Cysts

Ovarian cysts are another cause of your chronic vaginal pain. Ovarian cysts are benign (non-cancerous) fluid-filled sacs that develop on the ovaries. Common symptoms of ovarian cysts are:

• Abdominal pain
• Unexplained pelvic bleeding
• Painful intercourse

If you believe you have ovarian cysts, book an appointment with a gynecologist. There are plenty of natural remedies for ovarian cysts you can try.

Whether your vaginal pain is caused by yeast infection, vulvodynia, ovarian cysts or other vaginal infections, there are plenty of natural options out there for you to try.

Don’t give up. If none of these conditions seem to match the symptoms you’re experiencing, read, “5 Reasons for Chronic Pelvic Pain” to get to the bottom of your mystery symptoms. Remember, even if your doctor isn’t taking you seriously, you’re not alone and you’re not crazy.