Any advice?

[hollsh.livejournal.com]

For the last 5 days, I've been having some odd bleeding. It's been dark and thin, with the odd small clot. Now I'm having burning along with everything else.

Has anyone else experienced this? I've had yeast infections before, but none with bleeding or burning like this...

Hydrogen peroxide douching: could it be bad for me?

[redjackcash.livejournal.com]

Alright, so one more question for you ladies before I stop bothering you.

I couldn't find boric acid for my bv - I know where to get it, but it's a bit of a trek, so I settled on hydrogen peroxide for the time being. I started last night with a (very) diluted hydrogen peroxide douche and 2 acidophilus pills (orally), then a douche in the morning and one pill. I've just done a douche now, and taken another acidophilus pill. However, this morning and tonight when I douched, a thick membranous substance came out, akin to the texture of uterine lining but a little thicker. This morning it was flesh-coloured, and tonight it had a little brown blood mixed in - I'm not wearing away at my cervical plug, am I? Could it just be stuff left up there from my recently ended period?

Advice/ Opinions

[luvcrush12.livejournal.com]

Ive looked in both Ortho_evera and Nuva_ring, but I trust this place alot. I started my first week of the patch this past Sunday. I'm a little worried on a few subjects though. The patch does irritate my skin a little, but Im worried about the weight issues. I weight about usually 160-170. I haven't weighted myself in a while, so Im not sure, but does my weight not make it effective? I suck at the pill, so I chose the patch. The extra hormones doesn't bother me to much, but I've been having a lot of headaches this week and my bodys a little sore now. I dont like condoms nor does my boyfriends so I would like to just use the patch, but Im worried about my weight and percentage of becoming pregnant. And since I started the sunday of my period, how long do I have to wait for unprotected sex? The Ring, I like how its once month, but I like the idea of it being "in" me, and how ive been reading about NO sex drive, discharge, and falling out. I guess I need people who have used both or are one or the other to voice there opinions. Im a pretty sensitive person when it comes to meds, and I have a J-pouch (no colon) so im just trying to find out from other people their thoughts. Although I understand every body is different, I'd like to hear!

Thank you in advance!

PMDD and Weight Gain

[https://users.livejournal.com/-----lain/]

This is semi-complicated, but I am hoping that someone out there can offer some advice or suggestions...

Last October, I was diagnosed with PMDD. This was after two unsuccessful (obviously) suicide attempts, and multiple occasions of cutting. We observed that these tendancies always happened within a week of my period.

To treat this, my doctor decided to put me on hormone therapy. Initially, he put me on Lo-Orval where I would take the bcp's continually, skipping the placebo week for five months, and then take one week of the sugar pills to allow for a period.

After a few months, I had very, very bad spotting, then bleeding and cramping, which lasted over a month. In Feburary, he changed me to Norinyl instead, with the same take for five months, then have a period perscription.

Well, on the first bcp, Lo Orval, I actually lost weight and my little bit of acne I was accustomed to actually cleared up. I went from 115 pounds to 110. After changing to Norinyl though, I began having episodes of bad acne, and more upsetting is the unbelivable amount of weight I have gained. I went from being at 115 where I have been for years, to almost 130 now only a few months later. My diet has actually gotten healthier, no fast food at all, limited junk food, and my physical activity has gone up significantly. I cannot get the weight gain under control, and I am afraid that it is going to cause further depression, which the BCP's were supposed to treat in the first place.

Since October, I have not had any suicidal bouts and have very minimal self harm tendancies, so I am inclined to believe that the hormone therapy aspect is helping significantly. What I am wanting advice, suggestions, or help with though, is ideas of how I could receive hormone therapy without the side effect of the significant weight gain? I am working hard to loose the weight I have gained, going to the gym, eating healthy, etc, but it's very hard to take the weight off. I have done martial arts for years, maintained a very good excersize routine, yet now there is nothing that is working... Please help! I need an alternative birth control option that will give me hormone therapy results without the side effect of weight gain (or at least not as much!).

Thank you for any help anyone can offer!

Will be Xposted to birthcontrol and vaginapagina

Birth Control methods

[xshy-girlx.livejournal.com]

First off thank you for all the information that you all gave me about ovarian cysts it really cleared up all the unasnswered questions I had about it. :)

I've heard that using more than one form of birth control is a more effective way of preventing a pregnancy. (such as being on a hormonal birth control pill and using the barrier method; a condom)... My question is if using the 'morning after pill' and the barrier method would be the same as being on a birth control pill(and using the barrier method)? Would using the 'morning after pill' leave any lasting/damaging side effects (I already know that the morning after pill will make you naususe)?

jock itch

[livian-lj.livejournal.com]

I checked the yeast infection FAQ and didn't find my answer, but it may be elsewhere in the archives that I didn't see, so feel free to delete. My boyfriend went to the doctor today and was told he has jock itch and given a cream to treat it. We've been having sex regularly for the past week and I don't show any signs of infection. His doctor said there was no reason to abstain from sex, as he couldn't pass it on to me or do any harm. This seems strange, so can anyone verify that having sex while he's treating it is still ok? Thanks!

Bi-weekly period

[madamedefarge.livejournal.com]

Hi, I’m new around here, but I thought you all might be able to give me suggestions about the little problem I’ve been having. Let me see if I can describe this in a way that makes sense:

I got my period last month; it started on the 14th and ran through until the following Sunday. A little longer than usual, but not really out of the ordinary, except, starting during that week, on the 19th, I got a pretty intense itch thing go on. I was at a graduation and out of town so it took me about a week before it dawned on me that what I had was a yeast infection. I went into the health clinic and they prescribed me a one dose of diflucan. I took that on Friday (the 26th) and everything cleared up by Saturday evening. But Sunday morning I woke up to beginning of period symptoms (cramping and the brown tide before the flow). After that I had another round of menstruation. yippee. A week later that goes away, and I don't think much of it until yesterday when I start to get a little itchy down there again. This time near my thigh, so I rub some plain yogurt on it before I go to bed and sleep it off. I thought everything was fine and dandy again, but today I am feeling crampy again and I'm defiantly seeing brown/red discharge. So I'm thinking: third period this month.

I guess I should note that after my last two periods, the beast tenderness that usually heralds my period, never really went away. My cylce, before this last month has been very regular. I'm not sexually active, nor am I on any medication; the only thing I can think that might be causing this is stress (as I am taking a break from final papers to write this). Would the yeast infection trigger menstruation? Am I broke or dying?

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Smellyness during period...

[armenianpride.livejournal.com]

I will probably be going to a teen club for my birthday in a couple days, and it gets hot so I'm planning on wearing a skirt, but my period is supposed to start right on that day or shortly before.....i REALLY dont wanna smell bad "down there" while i'm dancing with people cuz of my period, i'm way too scared to try tampons so i use pads, so does anyone have any suggestions for how to keep myself smelling fresh even though I"m gonna be sweaty and, on top of that, my period?!?!?!? thanks a lot!

Ortho Tri-cyclen

[admiral-walrus.livejournal.com]

Okay, I started OTC last Thursday, it's the first time I've been on HBC in about 3 years, I've taken HBC before (depo and yasmin). My boobs are D cups, and over the last week they have been hurting and last night my boyfriend was feeling them and said they feel firmer...they also seem larger (could just be me over thinking it tho). Also I have been cramping majorly over the last week, to the point of me automatically hunching over in pain.

Background: I have been having horribly irregular periods, I had a period in Jan and then one in early April, none since. Between April and when I started BC I had taken at least 10 preg. tests, all negative. I'm 21, been in a relationship for 3 years and been sexually active for 5 years, and have had an exam/pap yearly since about 6 months before I became sexually active. Since I had taken multiple tests and all came back negative my gyn told me to start them whenever, so I started last Thursday.

My question is...is this normal? Or something I should be concerned about. I know getting larger boobs isn't bad for my health (maybe my back), but I do NOT want them larger, but the cramping, is that something harmful? I do plan on asking my gyn, but she is out of the office until the middle of next week.

Thanks in advance.

X-posted to vaginapagina and birthcontrol.

upper respiratory infections/blood clots

[typewriteher.livejournal.com]

I am being treated for my first upper respiratory infection. My symptoms include: a sore throat, ear infection, swollen neck glands, pain in my lower chest (around my heart) and pain in my upper back, specifically near my right shoulder blade. My doctor prescribed me ten days worth of antibiotics, and I started taking them last night.

Several questions:
1. In the afternoon yesterday I had condomless sex. Afterwards, that night, I started the antibiotics, where I was warned that they will decrease the effectiveness of my pill. I was on my period last week. Should I be concerned about pregnancy? He pulled out. Of course I will use condoms from now on while on the antibiotics.

2. The pain in my chest and back concerns me, because I have never experienced anything similar before. It sounds to me like the same symptoms associated with a blood clot of the lungs. I tried googling it, but the back pain issue was rare. Is this normal for URI? My throat is not sore and the ear infection is gone now, but the back and chest pain persists. I have no fever and no mucous to speak of, in regards to a URI.

ovarian cysts/torsion & fever?

[gunsforchildren.livejournal.com]

    Allright, so I went to the emergency room a little less than two months ago because I was having abdominal pain. I figured it was a UTI, but the urine test came up negative and off I went to the ER to rule out appedicitis. So after cycling through 5 doctors, and getting a pelvic exam, I was told that I most likely have ovarian cysts and possibly had torsion of my ovary.

    Now, my question is moreso for advice as to what I should do about this... I've had really irregular periods for the last 6 months. I can bleed two days, then stop, start up a week later and bleed for two weeks, go for two months without it, etc. I've been getting severe pain with menstruation (and sometimes without), and it is not from "regular old cramps". Also; my severe pain is accompanied with a low grade fever (100-101 F) which some doctors said could be because of the inflammation of the cysts (though I could not find ONE site that backed this theory) or could be caused by ovarian torsion.
(my pain is mostly onset suddenly, severe *roll up in fetal position* painful, but then it dulls to constant, nagging pain & eventually goes away.)

    My mother and father are both very skeptical, and are generally bad listeners. So; I know that a visit to the gyno is the best choice, as it was strongly recommended that I follow up my hospital visit with an ultrasound at the gyno. My father keeps relating to the time my sister went through a "mystery diagnosis" process and ended up having hepatitus and kidney stones in the end; and my mother thinks that as long as I've gotten my period this month I'm fine, and it's just regular old cramps. (though it's been nearly 40? days since my last period, and i still have abdominal pain and low fever.)

    So, if anyone has any clue what I could be experiencing, how dangerous it is, or how to convince my mother that a visit to the gynocologist would be crucial, it'd be very much appreciated!

Thanks in advance.
♥Rachael.

The pattern of cramps.

[childofireland.livejournal.com]

I realize that everyone's body and cycle and whatnot are all different, and "normal" is such a relative term. However, i was wondering if there was any pattern in menstrual cramping. For example, I usually get cramps the first one to three days of my period. Then, as I bleed less, i don't really get cramps. Today, i got cramps (its later in my period) and i was just curious if there's any real pattern to cramping, or any pattern that you personally notice.

Thanks!

Informative books on sex and the body for 11 year olds

[jensa-chan.livejournal.com]

I apologize if there was something about this in the community FAQ and I overlooked it.

My sister will be entering middle school this year. I remember my middle school years, how I had no idea what was happening when I had my first period, and how ignorant I was on sex and how the school system only made it worse, combined with the determination of my parents to Not Talk About It.

So I'd like some of you guys to reccommend some books to me. I'd like them to be positive about sex (any kind, not just straight sex), talk about menstuation, STDs (mentioning HPV is a must), pregnancy, birth control, hormones, the whole nine yards.

My sister isn't a particularly fast reader, so I'd like to get books with a "conversational" tone instead of a textbook tone if possible.

Thank you all in advance!

Oral sex guys and gals...first time

[mychance2dance.livejournal.com]

1) I've been trying some oral sex on my boyfriend, and I'm not really sure what's good for him. How do I make it feel better for him. Like idk maybe different positions or methods or something. Sometimes I can't tell if it feels good or not...because sometimes I think it takes him to long to go, and i'm like ok...lol

2)So my bf has asked me about going down on me. I've never done it, so I'm kinda sketchy. Could anyone tell me what it was like...ya know felt and stuff. Idk why I guess I'm kinda worried but I'm not sure why. And this may sound weird but how can we make it feel the best...is there a position or something that's good??


Thanks in advance...

PMS Vagina symptoms! -?

[villagetheatre.livejournal.com]

Does anyone's vagina get really sensitive and tender a week or so before they start their period? 

I'm maybe a week or week and a half before my period, and I have some discharge and it's sensitive to the point where it hurts when I wipe myself after going to the bathroom sometimes.  I'm going to get an STD test next time I go to the Gyno.  The fact that it's sensitive sometimes when I wipe it makes me think I have Herpes or something, but then I've never had unprotected sex and I know there's still a chance and all, I just don't hook up with people often [and there are no bumps].  I'm going to get tested anyways though.  

So am I being paranoid and is the sensitivity just PMS-related?  

Any opinions as soon as possible would be great!  Since, yes I am paranoid.  Thanks in advance!