Pain

[onceuponatime21.livejournal.com]

I posted on Monday... just a follow-up and another question. Sorry I am not very well informed.. Catholic School does that to you!

I am havng horrible lower pain.. right above where your pubic hair starts. It's like a sharp pull feeling on the (my) right side. I alway keep having this frequent urination problem starting a few hours ago. yes, i am freaking out about pregnancy.. but i think because i am freaking out i am making myself subconsciously have to keep peeing. As previously discussed... Me and the bf use condoms and birth control (yasmin) which there have been no condom breaks this month and i was only late on my pill once by 2.5 hours in the first week (the rest of the time i take it within 30 mins of each other). If you think I should get a test.. I will go get one tomorrow.

However.. this pain is keeping me up. I am going to call the gyno tomorrow but I am away at college and I won't be able to get there til Friday. Cyst? Strange PMS cramps (i am on week 3 of my pills)? Anything but pregnancy I hope.. I am freaking out. 

Thanks ahead of time.

sexual pheromone perfume

[okydokypokey.livejournal.com]

So I live by a 3 story lovers package and there is a love perfume with "Sexual pheromones" in it. has anyone used anything like this? have you noticed any increased attraction from men? I'm going on a date with my ex saturday night and i want him to want me :) plus i'm on the lookout for a new man in the mean time so why not, right?
anyways, love it? hate it?

edit: let me know if this is tooo off topic...but i thought if i could buy it at lovers package then this is the best community to write in ;)
thanks girls!

IUD & age

[https://users.livejournal.com/-prettyp1stol/]

so, I have been getting quite fed up with all of the Hormonal birth control methods I've tried. I can't take the pill for full pregnancy protection because I have GERD and am almost constantly on antibiotics because of an immune defiency, the ring is far too expensive for me monthy plus I could never quite get it to feel comfortable, and with all of my mental health issues going back on depo is just a horrible idea. I am only 19, and all that I have heard about IUD's most doctors won't put one in unless you've had a child before and that isn't the case with me. plus, I am not sure my insurance would cover it. I don't know much about implant, but it's probably not something my insurance would cover either. basically, I am hoping you ladies will know of something else I can try for birth control, whether it be more info on IUDS & implants or anything really! I am beyond frustrated! I'm not currently sexually active, but hopefully I will be again soon, and I'm not sure I want to just trust condoms. thanks for any help!

desire to have my boyfriend ejaculate inside me- is it instinct?

[wretched-snail.livejournal.com]

I get SOOO turned on at the thought of my boyfriend coming inside of me. He does too. It's the only thing I miss about being on the pill. The other day he asked if I thought it was instinctual, as in our bodies' way of trying to get pregnant.

What do you think? Does anyone else experience this?

*title edited for clarity*

NY Times article about Vulvodynia

[elle-dot.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone, the New York Times recently ran an article in which they describe Vulvodynia and how it is finally being accepted by doctors. Check it out

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/health/29brod.html?em&ex=1201842000&en=9c7cba854f469763&ei=5087%0A

Anovulatory, or just confused?

[bethanydonne.livejournal.com]

Hello!  Long-time lurker, first time poster.  You know the drill.  :)

I've been using FAM since I got off birth control last year. My cycles are regularly 27/28 days long, and I ovulate on day 18/19.  My fiance and I live together, but we're not TTC since we're both in college. I've been using Fertility Friend to chart.  I've had a real easy time of it, because I'm very predictable.  :)

This month, however, I have no idea what's going on with me. I'm on day 27 (when my period is usually due), and my temperature has regularly been around its preovulatory temperature of 96-point-whatever. I've only gone over 97 degrees a couple times, and not on concurrent days. Also, my breasts always start hurting the day of ovulation and hurt until my period, and they're not even remotely tender or swollen right now.   I also haven't been having cramps, and my mood's been generally good, but mostly it's the lack of breast tenderness that suggests to me I haven't ovulated at all.  (Cramps and crazy bitch moods are only occasional PMS symptoms of mine.  Swollen breasts -- I go up a cup size! -- are a constant.)

I can't imagine I'd be PG, since you need to ovulate to be PG, and I don't think that's happened.  My fiance and I also use condoms as back up, so I feel pretty secure in my lack of bun-in-the-ovenness.  My chart can be found here: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/1acecd.

Any ideas what's going on with me?  (Yes, my temperature is naturally crazy zig-zags; my temperature-taking method is consistent but my body is nutters.)  Thanks in advance!

(x-posted to FAM community)

yeast infection treatment

[simasue.livejournal.com]

I've been treating a yeast infection the past two days with Monistat and since I bought the three day treatment, tonight will be the last time I use it. I've heard that sometimes the three day treatments don't always get rid of the infection completely and I really don't want to have to go through this again so soon. So my question is, would it be okay to go get another three day pack and keep using that (so I would be using two three day packs consecutively) just to make sure it's gone? Or is that a bad idea?

stretch marks = ?

[bellenexias.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this in. I read the rules for out-of-context stuff and this might apply but i don't really know... So here goes:

I have stretch marks on my inner thighs. I am quite embaressed by them and therefore won't let my bf go down there despite his (and my) wanting to. How common are stretch marks right there and do guys really care or get weirded out by them? Is there any way to get rid of them? It's affecting my sex life so i figured i could ask...

-edit-

thank you guys so much for calming my nerves! this community is really truly an amazing place to get real advice from real women. thank you vaginapagina!

Possibly pregnant, or just stress?

[enishmarati.livejournal.com]

Hello!
I'm on the pill (Loestrin 24) and my period was supposed to start on Monday. I experienced some very, very light bleeding, but this quickly subsided and now I barely notice any blood or discharge whatsoever. It's so light that it's practically not there. It's as if my period changed its mind (forgive the personification).

My last period was also noticeably lighter than normal, but not nearly to this extreme.

I have been taking my pill pretty regularly, usually within a half hour of my "time" but I did miss it once or twice by about two hours about two weeks ago. The day before my period was due to start, Sunday, I had sex without a condom and he ejaculated inside me (something we started doing in mid-December), so being paranoid (and cautious!) I worry that I may somehow have gotten pregnant. However, common sense also tells me that I'm using my pill properly so that is very unlikely.

I am also under a lot of stress because of schoolwork, financial problems, and a digestive problem I developed after starting college. I was also put on an antidepressant a week ago (Lexapro, if it matters), though the side effects mention nothing about lowering the effectiveness of contraceptives or effecting menstruation.

I would like to know your opinions. Do you think pregnancy is possible under these circumstances, or is it something stress/health related? My only fear is that I have trouble believing that stress could eliminate a period entirely, but I obviously don't have much experience with that.

Thanks!

vaginal moisturizers?

[moodly.livejournal.com]

I've gone back and read several posts about vaginal dryness on vagina pagina, but haven't seen this one...

I've been suffering from vaginal dryness for several weeks now. I've seen my doctor and we've ruled out vaginal infections (YI, BV, etc). Since my skin (all over) is naturally dry, she seemed to think that this is just a similar dry skin reaction.

While I'm relieved to know that it is not something more serious, it's still disrupting my everyday activities because I feel uncomfortable down there. It's also been affecting my sex life in a major way (we've tried having sex with a lubricant- KY- but I'm still left hurting afterwards).

I've been reading around and came across a website (mayoclinic.com) that recommends a vaginal moisturizer like Replens or Lubrin. I looked up the products, and they seem to be aimed at menopausal/older women or women experiencing dryness due to medications. I'm in my 20s. Should I still give them a try? Has anyone had experiences with moisturizers they are willing to share?


Thanks!

YI's and anti-biotics

[indigodye.livejournal.com]

It's been years since I've had a YI, and I've forgotten how simply *wonderful* they are.

Monday I go to the doc and find out that I have a lymph node infection. He puts me on Keflex. Less then 24 hours later - boom - mega itching in the girly bits. Yesterday it was so-so, but last night I had to really dilute some tea-tree oil and I rubbed a bit on the irritated skin (it burns at first, but it kills the itching for me for a good 12 hours. I don't do this often, though, cause it dries the skin out.. just a last resort.) because I was going nuts with the itching. Plus I went from Seasonique to Loestrin 24 Fe on Sunday, and I think my estrogen has been a tad wonky (we are trying to even it out).

Im 3 days in.. got 7 days left. There is no way I could let this go and THEN start treating it after the antibiotics. Today I stopped by Walgreens and picked up a seven day Miconazole cream, it's 2%. I thought possibly I could just apply this externally once or twice a day to keep the itching (and possibly yeast growth) in check, then when I am done have my GYN call in a prescription strength treatment.

Does this sound workable? Does anyone else have any ideas?

quick question

[megz17.livejournal.com]

this is probably a really stupid question, but how long after you have unprotected sex can it be determined that you are or are not pregnant?

sex/uhm. .discharge?

[udntknomeson.livejournal.com]

k so uhm. .i had sex for the first time yesterday :/. .& i don't think its blood? i don't know. .but it looked like brown discharge kinda around the top part of my vulva/my clit. .is this normal?

Random Spotting

[marithra.livejournal.com]

I have had my IUD for almost a year. I <3 my Paragaurd. My period 'stopped' on the 21st. And I have had light spotting since then. I'm due to ovulate Friday so I don't think I am having implantation bleeding. But this is bugging me. A lot. Now as another note that might affect the spotting is that I got the flu last Tuesday and now I am coughing up a storm. Could I just be coughing so hard that I am causing a bit of spotting? Thank you!

cross posted with vaginapagina and iud_divas

Fluid in the abdomen related to menstrual cycle?

[kelism.livejournal.com]

About two weeks ago I was having abdominal...discomfort. Not exactly pain, but I was VERY UNCOMFORTABLE (aa #8 on the little chart they use...almost I-think-I'm-going-to-die uncomfortable). I made a doctors appointment, but I was so uncomfortable that I debated skipping the doctor and having my husband take me right to the ER. But, I did go to my regular doctor who thought it was my appendix and sent me to the ER. They did a CT and discovered that my appendix was fine. Then they did an ultrasound (they were kind of at a loss at this point because they were so sure it was my appendix).

I had a follow up today with my regular doctor. She showed me the results from the CT/ultrasound and it said that the CT showed a lot of random fluid in my abdomen. The ultrasound showed that I had a small cyst on my ovary. She said that the ER doctors consulted with a GYN and they decided that the fluid and cyst were probably normal for where I was at in my cycle (last period was roughly 2.5 - 3 weeks ago).

Does that sound right? I mean, the cyst part sounds okay to me...but lots of extra fluid in the abdomen? Is that normal for someone who is (a little over) halfway to their next period?

(We are still exploring ideas about what caused the discomfort/pain).

dryness & lotions

[igotbackstagexo.livejournal.com]

i sort of posted this inside another thread but i guess i didnt word it right.

im having a lot of dryness but not on the inside at all, but around the outside of my vagina.
its sort of itchy and sore =/
when i took a shower it almost looked like flaky skin but since i was in the shower i wasnt 100% sure.

i just got off of some medicine on monday for an infection in my throat and i read in the other post that this could affect dryness?

so now im wondering that kinds of lotions and things i could use.
im sort of limited on my college campus and i have a whole bunch of eucerin and johnson&johnsons lotions that i regularly use on my arms and stuff after i shower.
but im not quite sure of what to look for on the label that could irritate it further.

thanks.
=]

Menstrual cycle symptoms different from cycle to cycle

[brightcrayon87.livejournal.com]

Hello superstars,

Most of my cycles, I get really bad emotional PMS right before my period. Then I get my period, some cramps, and I feel much better emotionally. But every so often, I won't get emotional PMS, and then when I do get my period it is followed by worse-than-usual cramps, and I just feel completely fatigued for a couple of days. It's as though to compensate for less emotional PMS I get more and worse cramps and physical exhaustion on those cycles in which I don't experience emotional PMS. Or that to compensate for so much emotional PMS on those cycles that I do get PMS I get less cramps.

Is this menstural idiosyncrasy unique to just me, or do any of you guys have similiar things happen to you? Just curious! I would love to hear from anyone!

Best wishes,

Brightcrayon

Amenhorrea for weight loss?

[risadeleche.livejournal.com]

Hello!
First time posting here, i would like some advice and opinions.
Well, I am a 24 year old woman from Spain, I am 154 cm [5'1'] and I weight 43 kilos [94 lbs], last may I was 73 kilos [160 lb], so i've dropped 30 kilos, which is pretty much, I know. The fact is that my periods were regular until now, my last period was on october. Today I went to the gynecologist and told me to "gain 5 kilos more or until your period starts again].
I know she is right, obvioulsy my body is not going to menstruate until I weight more because now I am "anorexic" although I don't consider I suffer it, since I just eat healthier than ever but whatever. My questions are:
1. Has anyone in here suffered of amenorrea because of weight drop?
2. Do you think I must gain 5 kilos or so or start gaining weight like 1 kilo per month or so just to see what happens?
I am a little bit confused. Thanks!

Switch BC Levora/Seasonique

[bpsycho4me.livejournal.com]

I have been on Levora BC for two solid years. I went to a new doctor today for my yearly exam, and she switched me to Seasonique. If I had continued my Levora, I would need to finish the rest of this week and all of next week and then I would have my period in 2 weeks. Thing is, I am all out of that BC. She told me to start after my next period, but that would leave me without BC pills for a 11 days. Should I start the Seasonique tonight, since I took my last pill last night, or should I wait until this Sunday (and just skip my next period all together)? I am confused on what to do. We want to try to start a family closer to the end of this year, so while getting pregnant now wouldn't be devastating, it just wouldn't be the best time for us. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Possible UTI?

[bleakwinters.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone! I just finished reading the Vulvapedia entry on UTIs and I decided to ask here as well. Now, I am going to go to the doctor's tomorrow and see about an appointment, because if it is indeed a UTI, it's my first one.

I had sex Sunday and Monday, I'm not on any BC and today I had a mad urge to pee coming home. I'm generally paranoid about peeing in public toilets, so I waited and went home. 5 minutes later, I needed to pee again. 10 minutes after that...well, you get the picture. I looked carefully and there does seem to be blood in my urine. Considering the amount of sex I had those two days (last time I had sex was on October and it wasn't PIV), it might point to a UTI. There is a sensation on pain afterwards, not burning, more like...stabbing, I guess comes close to it.

Like I said, I will go tomorrow and see about getting it checked, but out of curiosity: if you've ever had a UTI did it take a long time for it to go away?

Thank you, everyone!

yeast infection

[http://users.livejournal.com/--perfectangel/]

so ladies,

i have never had an yeast infection before, but from what i've read i'm pretty sure that is what i have.

what is the best over the counter product to quickly cure a yeast infection? i would prefer to use a cream vs the tablet as i don't think i could even get the applicator up there right now. is canesten & monistat the best brands?

also, silly question but it is obviously okay to put the cream right on the vagina hole opening right?

i would go the dr but i can't get in for a week and i really *can't* deal with the itching, dryness and thick pasty discharge much longer.

thanks !!
:)