Vaginal infection and spotting?

[wingsoflace.livejournal.com]

Background: I have trouble with persistent yeast infections, and recently, bacterial infections coupled with yeast infections. I get a yeast infection every single month, without fail, and sometimes even have them for weeks on end before I finally give up with the acidophilus and garlic and go to my gynecologist for Terazol or something like that. As far as I can tell, they're not hormonally related (I get them at different points in my cycle), I've ruled out every environmental factor I can think of (detergents, etc.), and they are not related to sexual activity (I get them whether abstinent or not) It has been confirmed that it is yeast or yeast coupled with a bacterial infection multiple times by my gyno, who claims that having monthly vaginal infections is normal. But I digress!

So, for the past few weeks or so, I've been battling what I have come to know as a yeast infection. I started seeing the classic signs about the time I was due to start my period around the 5th or 6th. Period finally started on the 10th, and it was not normal, to say the least. I barely spotted brownish blood for about ten or eleven days, before it tapered off, all the while still having a yeast infection. Normal for me is a period lasting for 5-6 days, with a very heavy flow almost immediately that tapers off. I've had a yeast infection while on my period before, and it didn't affect my flow at all, so I was confused. I went on my merry way using the regular homeopathic treatments I usually do after my period stopped, and I seemed to be improving a little.. and then I noticed yesterday I was spotting again. It's been less than a week since I had my last "period", if I can call it that. For what it's worth, I took a pregnancy test during the weird phantom period just to be sure, and it was negative.

I know it's time to see the gyno, even if I know she won't really help me. But is the spotting due to vaginal irritation? After all, I've had a yeast infection for about three weeks on end (normal for me) but the spotting has never happened before. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Stress + hormonal bc = first pregnancy scare?

[coruscatus.livejournal.com]

Can stress have the same effect on a period when one is on birth control that it can have when one is not? (Delaying or stopping it, I mean.)

I've been on Yaz for six months, and my period has been coming like clockwork the morning of the day after the second placebo, but here I am, the day after the third placebo, and it has not arrived. Could this be because I've been pretty stressed lately? Should I be worried about possible pregnancy just yet? (My significant other and I use only my hormonal bc for protection. I haven't even had any scares in the past, and I'm good about taking my pill at exactly the same time every night, though this month I was four hours late on one pill and two hours late on another...)

I suppose if it doesn't come by tomorrow (the day after the fourth and last placebo), I should go and buy a pregnancy test?

BV and Metronidazole

[slave-stasha.livejournal.com]

I have been fighting a BV infection for three weeks now...I am so flustered with this it isn't funny.

The first round of oral Metronidazole did not do it's job. PP thought it was maybe because I vomited within the first 48 hours of treatment. So when I called them and told them I was still having symptoms three days after treatment was over they prescribed me Metronidazole gel five day once a day at bedtime dosage.

Well I took the last dosage on tuesday. Since I have been having this very clumpy white discharge. It doesn't have much of scent, and looks almost like finger paste....you know the kind that some kids liked to try and eat? The bv was white but looked more milky if that makes sense.

Is this normal??? Is it possible that the BV mutated??? Is it possible that I could have a yeast infection? It doesn't itch that's what stopping me from thinking it's a yeast but can there be yeast without itching?

I am at wits end! I do not want to pay another 82 dollars for more medicine and I really really miss my sex life :(

Pregnancy After Negative HPT?

[havesomepi.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I am officially worried, and maybe I'm just looking for somebody with the same experience or advice?

I've been sexually active since my last period, my boyfriend and I use condoms and VCF at the same time every single time, although we did have a scare where the condom slipped off right before he came (but he did pull out just before). So my period is pretty reliable, although last month it was three days late but normal flow. This month it was due the 22nd, but I didn't really start to worry until the 25th when it didn't show. I took a HPT (Equate) on the 26th and it was negative. Besides having really tender nipples (very unusual, even for PMS), I don't really have any pregnancy symptoms. The main reason that I worry is because my period is really reliable. (I've had it on the 17th, 18th, or 19th for nearly every month for the past two years, and I've never in the 10 years of having a period missed.) I don't think I'm too stressed to have skipped, and I may be on the verge of being underweight (5'1" / 98lbs.) but I've been having regular periods even when I weighed less (and no, it's not on purpose that I weigh this little).

Sorry for the mini-ramble. Please let me know if anything similar has happened to you, or if you have any advice!!
Thank you!

Skipping Days mid-period

[butterfly-chase.livejournal.com]

Hey

I've searched google and looked through the tags but no luck. Does anyone else naturally skip a day during their period? These last three cycles everything is going as regular - Blood, Blood, but nothing on the third day and then bleeding again. I don't feel bloated or cramped just very slight nausea during the skip. My period usualy lasts 5 days and it still does just kind of has a vacation and then continues. Nothing has changed in my diet so I'm wondering is this just me or does it happen to anyone else? Should I be worried?

Thanks for any help

STD or infection?

[breathejamaica.livejournal.com]

I am worrying myself sick about this, and could use a little reassurance.

I've been dating this guy for a few weeks. Since then, I've been full of sex-related ills. First, I ended up with scrapes on my nipples from his overuse of teeth. Now, I love rough nipple play, so it was great until they got infected. I've been taking dicloxycillin for the horrible nipple infections. The day I started taking this antibiotic, we had sex, and afterwards, my perineum was really sore. The next day, my perineum and anal area was horribly itchy and inflamed, along with my vaginal area. Because of the antibiotics I am on, I assumed this was a yeast infection and started upping my acidophilus intake. However, it isn't really like any yeast infection I've had before, but also doesn't really match any STD I have read about. These are my symptoms:

• Red bumps around anal area, perineum, and lower vaginal area. These bumps AREN'T blisters, oozing, or cauliflower like. They're not crusting or scabbing, or forming a head. They're just small bumps. The bumps themselves don't hurt, it's just wherever this rash is that hurts. 
• Pain and itching that is relieved by use of tea tree oil or corn starch.
• Horrible burning when urinating.
• White flaking/discharge around labia and clitoris.

Any ideas?

Let's try this again, Condoms??

[ticklemepiink.livejournal.com]

For those of you who only use condoms for contraceptive purposes, what are your favorite kinds? What kinds have you found problems with? How many of you have had scares? Personal experiences are a must in this situation! I appreciate all responses! Thanks!

Untreated BV?

[sutaseiu.livejournal.com]

I'm just curious, does anything bad happen if you don't treat BV? The only time I've ever had it, I barely knew anything was wrong. So, if it can go away on it's own, that'd be nice. I realize there are home remedies and such, but there wouldn't be much point for me, if I can barely tell I have an infection in the first place.

Not a YI, not BV, not an STI...so...what is it?

[so-much-udder.livejournal.com]

So I've been having a terrible time with what I thought to be a YI, until I got a call from my doctor today. I called her since the last pill she gave me to use in tandem with Monistat 3 didn't work, so I've been trying so hard to get a hold of her. She tells me that nothing came up on the swab she took; Not a YI, not BV, not an STI. I'm on antibiotics and I've been having a lot of itching, hairline cuts, and so I figured it was a YI. I thought maybe I could get something that helped YIs even while on antibiotics, since I am going to be on them for a long time. I was also asking her for a referral, since she, as my family doctor, doesn't seem to be helping me very much. In the meantime, waiting for her to call me back, I've been using garlic cloves to help stay sane. They work for about two days but then the itching returns. What I don't understand is, when she was initially checking me out, she said I clearly had an infection of some sort. Okay. So how can nothing show up on the swab? And she prescribed me to take a diflucan pill every month after my period for three months. But...if it's not a YI why is she expecting that to work? Anyways, so my question is, has anyone had something like this, or have any idea of what it could be if my swab came out normal? I'm going to still ask for the referral, but holy crap this has taken months. I cannot believe how difficult it is to get proper medical help.

reBELLYon

[afplj.livejournal.com]

hey everybody....
it's amanda palmer (from the dresden dolls).
i played a solo show in atlanta last week and a fellow unshaven beauty came up to me when i was signing stuff after the the show.
she flashed her armpits at me (which were lovely) and we started rapping about shaving and hair...and she told me that there was a livejournal community called fuck shaving.
i said YAY and looked it up later that night.... and through that i found a bunch of these other awesome communities (i am cross-posting
this is to ditch_the_blade, kissmyass_cosmo, kissmyassvogue, beauty_debate & freedomisbeauty - if any of you know of any other
communities or blogs and want to cross-post, feel free and let me know by dropping me an email at letters [at] amandapalmer [dot] net so i can follow the discussions).

i want to share something wonderful that happened a few days ago when i announced my new video and told the story about how my record label had wanted me to cut the shots that showed my bare belly (because they thought it looked FAT - which was just bullshit).
i told them to go fuck themselves and a brief struggle ensued and they backed down, but my horror with the company that i am now
contractually tied to is undeniable.
i'm stuck for a while.

the very worst moment was sitting across a huge desk from one of the record execs and listening to him explain that he knows what's best
for my videos and my images because "amanda, really, trust me. i'm a GUY. i KNOW what people LIKE." i wanted to throw up, get up, leave that room, and never go back.
they are all that's wrong with this culture.

anyway, after i posted this story on my blog, a bunch of friends started to post solidarity photos of THEIR bellies up on a discussion
thread and i swear to god i've never felt more concentrated joy on the internet. there are now over 200 pictures collected by one of the people who started the thread....
big bellies! little bellies! pregnant bellies! post-partem bellies!!!
hariy man bellies!!!!!!!! it's just so beautiful:

http://www.theshadowbox.net/forum/index.php?topic=6054

go check it out and add your own two belly cents if you want to.
and happy thanksgiving, may you eat and drink stuff your belly to the max with no guilt.

i'm also on tour for the next two or three weeks in the states if you want to come visit the party...starting in pittsburgh this saturday then hitting toronto, detroit, chicago, minny, colorado, SLC, vancouver, seattle, portland, sacramento, san fran and LA.
come out and represent. info is all on my site at amandapalmer.net.
the shows have been amazing. the new record, which my label now doesn't want to promote,
is also awesome, produced by and featuring ben folds, and i shamelessly want you to check it out, however you can, and share it
with anyone you think will like it.
i need the help. it's called WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER and you can find it in a million ways.

i'm so happy to see so many communities out here dedicated to honesty and realness in our self-images.
it's no necessary in a world that i feel is sliding backwards on the feminist front.

big love,
amanda

Eep

[hastoknow.livejournal.com]

Soooo I have about zero experience with sex. I've made out with guys, and that's it, until now.

Recently, I just started sort of maybe kind of seeing this boy, and we've been fooling around. It's all fine and dandy and lovely, except for the fact that I'm kind of self conscious about my pubic hair. I don't trim or shave or wax or anything, since I've never had a need to before, and now I'm super worried he's going to think I'm super gross or hairy.

This is exacerbated by the fact that every time we start getting intense and a little more "hands-on" with the making out, he says that he really wants to go down on me. He's probably said this a million times now, and I am so freaked out that if I say yes he'll be totally squicked out by the hair.

I'm not THAT hairy of a person: it's not like a jungle down there or anything, but I just want to trim and make it a little neater, but I have NO IDEA how to or where to even begin or what it's supposed to look like.




...so, yes, this is my neurotic, over-thinking side showing through. Help?

/tl;dr

question about HBC starting day

[borderdog.livejournal.com]

Why are you supposed to begin taking the active pills on the first day of you period, if the placebo pill days are the time you should get your period? Wouldn't doing so cause you to have your period twice in one month?

I never understood this..

Unless there is something I'm not getting, it makes more sense to start the pills the day after your period ends, no?

emotions before orgasm

[esthergreenw00d.livejournal.com]

So, my bff and I were talking today about our respective sexual experiences, and we found something unusual.  Before orgasm, both of us are overcome with frustration... Like, in that moment, it's enough to push the other person off of you.  Neither one of us have ever engaged in intercourse, but we've both done our fair share of fooling around.  This was the first time either one of us had ever really talked about that feeling, and we were shocked to find out that we both felt it.  We were just wondering if any of you guys felt the same way / knew why it might happen?Thanks for the feedback!!

Delaying a period?

[dichotomous.livejournal.com]

My SO and I have a limited window of time for me to go and visit him (LDR), and unfortunately that window falls right during period week for me. He's not real comfortable with sexual activity during my period, and I'm not real comfortable with not having any such activities while I'm visiting. ;) I've seen lots of info about how to bring on a period early (i.e., parsley tea, which I'll probably try) and it got me thinking... is there any way to delay a period if you're not on HBC?