HBC and RLS?

[thecoolbanana.livejournal.com]

Just curious..I'm on Ocella..have been since late August..I don't know if it's the Allegra D and Benadryl I'm on for allergies, or possibly the HBC...but could the HBC be a cause of Restless Leg Syndrome? Just throwing it out there to see if anyone has similar responses...going to talk to my doctor about the antihistamines that I'm on incase they are the ones that are causing it.

Thanks so much VPers!

Implantation Bleeding Worries

[xmelonjuice.livejournal.com]

So, I'm quite certain this question has been asked about a million times...but I could definitely use a whop on my overly-paranoid head.

I'm on HBC (low hormone, monophasic), and I have been since October. It's my only form of birth control. I'm generally very trusting of it because I trust my ability to be responsible about it. I've had one incident where I was fifteen minutes late for my pill. Normally my time-fluctuations are all of about three minutes. I know I'm not an absolutely perfect user, but I also know I don't really fall in the "typical" user catagory either. I figure my protection is adequate, at the very least. I'm not on antibiotics, or any other interfering medications (not even grapefruit, I promise), and I haven't thrown up/poo'd out any pills.

Anyway, for the question/concern...
Between yesterday and today, I've been experiencing some very (but also very scarce) pinkish/brownish discharge. Now, normally this wouldn't concern me. Over the last week and a half, I've been having some rather rough, frequent sex (more so than usual), and I generally experience mild spotting at least half the time after a few days of consistant sexing (thank you, body - nothing like bleeding to keep the romance flowing!). But... the timing is awfully coincidental... I'm aware that you don't ovulate while on the pill, but I have this nagging feeling that this spotting might be implantation bleeding, and if ovulation calculators are correct, and if for some reason my pills have failed me this month, I've been having lots of barrier/pull-out free sex right in my most fertile time. I know know know this is unlikely, and since I've started taking HBC, I've never had any "ohmigoshbutwhatif!?" anxiety...until now =(

I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that I've been a good girl and I've been taking my pills correctly so therefore I'm most likely not pregnant and *insert list of all the other possible reasons for spotting*".

Maybe it's time to up my hormone-dosage?

Thank you loads in advance <3

 

 

false negative?

[feelsgoodinside.livejournal.com]

I have no clue how to start this post. Especially without sounding unknowledgable and foolish....

Basically, I haven't had my period since October27- November 2nd. I took a pregnancy test just the other day. It was a First Response. According to it I am not pregnant. I didn't use it on my first pee of the day though..

Last week I had bled and thought it may have been implantation bleeding. It was more creamy and pink than a normal period ever would be, and lasted for 3 days off and on.

I have had unprotected sex since my last period, dumb I know. I also have had shooting back pains, stomach cramping, and sensitive breasts( which never happens with my periods).

There are two other reasons I'm wondering could be factors in this: I overdosed on Paxil about 3 weeks ago to commit suicide. I have also done cocaine and amphetamines this month, but not in large quanities. But after some extensive googling I found nothing about drugs delaying a period.


Could it be the drugs/o.d. or a faulty reading?

A tampon and ob/gyn question

[rainbow-yarn.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm sure this situation has been mentioned here before, but I can't find particularly what I'm looking for, so I'll write it out here.

The other day I fell asleep with a tampon in for about ten hours. Normally this wouldn't worry me, but when I woke up I couldn't find the tampon. I've felt around for it numerous times, but I haven't found anything. My mom and my sister both believe it's possible that I went to the bathroom in my sleep and it either fell out or I took it out, but there's no way to be sure, as I have absolutely no recollection of doing anything like that. I don't even remember dreaming, though, so maybe it's possible.

Anyway, I haven't been feeling any symptoms of TSS or anything, but I still feel really anxious about it. I may just be looking for problems, but I do think that my period smells different from normal, and I've heard that that's a sign of something being stuck or of infection. I'd like to get it checked out, but my family's not exactly the richest one around, and I'm scared the ob/gyn would charge some ridiculous amount just to check for a tampon.

SO! Would anyone happen to know, in the general ballpark region, what it would cost to go to the doctor to get it checked out (I live in the USA, by the way)? I'd really like to be sure, but not if it's going to cost my mom an arm and a leg.

Thank you in advance; I'm really glad I found this community.

an update...what do i do now?

[mvrriainh.livejournal.com]

i figured id update my progress by posting here again because things with my problem are changing...again!


so im thinking less and less that i have herpes and more and more that ive just irritated myself by shaving/wiping a whole bunch when i was sick. this is only the third day ive been experiencing this and the bumps on my vagina (which came out of no where the other day) arent getting worse if anything theyre getting smaller and over all seem much less swollen and irritated..though there are ones more inside my lips are still a little painful because theyre in a wetter spot where i need to wipe when i pee! its like a lose lose kind of thing! but i am optomistic about the bumps..some are almost all gone and they were never horribly painful, werent sore-like, and didnt come to a head in the way ive been reading that herpes does...it did more like what an ingrown hair or pimple or other irritation would do. plus ive read an outbreak lasts longer then the three days span of time these things have sprouted up then started to go away...again...theyre like something similiar i get from time to time.


ive also figured out that the white discharge i was experiencing was actually from my period about to start..which it did today.  i use pads versus tampons (always have) but they can get a little chafey sometimes right in the area im trying to soothe and make better...having a pad on blocking air flow is now worrying me that my irritation will never get better because im about to re-irritate it!
i guess im going to buy the most breathable pads i can find as well as some feminine wipes to soothe and cleanse...theyve always helped me out.

i dont mean to rely on this as my answer to my problem but sounds a little more optomistic huh? i really cant afford a doc and would rather wait and see if this will clear up on its own...which it seems like it is...certainly not getting worse at all! you guys have been supportive and made me feel less alone.

menstrual sponges...

[tornattheelbo.livejournal.com]

SO

Since i got my Mirena IUD at the end of june, i've not really had much of a period to speak of. I used to use Instead cups which i really loved, but i've found that I don't really bleed so much anymore. I mean there's ... discharge, it's kind of clotty and fiborous and brown and sludgy... It really isn't enough to even warrant the smallest tampon

So i've been thinking about sponges, i bought a pack of 'facial' sponges, about maybe 2" in diameter... they're natural sea sponges (found them at the natural foods store).

so do i boil these before using them? Anyone else use sponges for their menses? Got any advice??

Herpes? Part 2.

[pomegranateteas.livejournal.com]

Hi guys.  I posted http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/14879061.html yesterday.

I wanted to give an update.  Yesterday when I posted it, I was feeling much better but I figured it could just be me getting used to the pain or something.  Well, I checked everything out this morning and the sores are completely gone.  Is it possible for a Herpes outbreak to last less than 4 days?

PCOS and inducing periods

[eg-elska-tig.livejournal.com]

I made an entry a few days ago in regards to my PCOS and the fact that I haven't had a period for the last two months.  I was wondering if anyone with PCOS has tried to induce their period, and if so, was it successful?  Basically I'm wondering if it's worth the effort to try and induce, and also if it's still possible to get any results with the condition.  Any information at all would be great.  Thanks!

blood blister on inner labia?

[uglydragonfly.livejournal.com]

Yesterday I noticed something on my inner labia that resembles a blood blister.  It's a dark red bump, kind of hard (which would make sense if it's filled with blood like it looks like it is), and a little tender.  It's also a little itchy at times, but it seems to me this could be because of a healing process.  I know that I probably ought to go to the doctor, but I won't be able to for a few days (I have final exams and then I'm going home for the holidays, so I wouldn't be able to see anyone until I'm home), and in the meantime I was wondering if anyone has had something like this or knows what it might be?  I can't think of anything that would have caused a blood blister there, and I'm not aware of any sort of infection that might have that as a symptom.  I tried some googling, but I didn't find much.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

ttc and problems

[sothis-is-love.livejournal.com]

ive been going to my r.e because im trying to get pregnant but i have pcos and dont always ovulate. ive been trying now for 16 cycles, 12 of those charting, 3 of them with clomid and one using preseed. nothings working plus my partner has a low sperm count (5million per ml)

my r.e is learning the creighton model and thinks i would benefit from it. im not all that keen to be honest. ive been charting my temps, my mucous or lack of, timing intercourse to every 2nd day because my partner has a low sperm count and doing ovulation tests none of which have been positive but weve kept trying anyway.

she wants me to finish this cycle then not have sex for a month or two to find out what my natural cycle is like. i tried to explain that ive been charting for over a year and i have 12 months of history of natural cycles bar three where ive been on clomid.

she said its better to do it this way because then im having no medicine interfering, medicine and things like assisted conception actually doesnt bother me at all at least id feel as if i was making some progress.

has any one else used or been reccomended to try this method? to me its exactly the same as f.a.m but my r.e said its more reliable :s which i really dont get.

im seeing her tonight and planning on asking her about this, how should i go about this? every time i ask her questions and try to show her i actually know what im talking about she just doesnt listen. and since its nhs i dont have a choice on who im seeing. although for this creighton model its actually outwith the nhs because its something shes learning and will be charging for eventually.

heres the link she gave me http://www.creightonmodel.com/

what do you think of this?

Oral Sex Before Pap Smear

[neodaoist.livejournal.com]

Heya,

I looked and couldn't find anything in the memories and I have a quick question.

My fiance has a pap smear scheduled this afternoon. We are both exceptionally horny and were curious if the presence of saliva would affect the results. In other words, I would like to go down before she goes off and want to know if there is any danger.

D

Mittelschmerz and jaw acne: PCOS?

[avantgardening.livejournal.com]

A little over a year ago, my skin was finally getting clear after the horrors of adolescence. Then for about the past 6 months, I started to get pale bumps along my jawline and one or two larger, more cystic acne underneath my jaw (behind my ears too). Typically, before this, I would only get acne on my cheeks and T-zone. I've been careful about washing my pillows and my face and not using hair product and what cleared my face before is having zero effect now.

I tried googling jaw acne and found that it is pretty typical of PCOS. I was wondering if other people have similar experience.

In addition to this, I've been finding it incredibly hard to lose weight (if I eat in moderation and exercise 40 minutes 5 days a week I gain weight, if I eat incredibly restrictively and exercise the same amount, I stay level), I'm experiencing stabbing mittelschmerz for a day or two (my regular period cramps are no better or worse), I'm exhausted all the time no matter how much sleep I get, increased facial peach fuzz, but nothing really resembling hirsutism, but I am getting more hairs than usual on my chest. My mom has cysts on her ovaries, but I'm not sure if that qualifies her for PCOS.

The last time I had a pelvic exam a little over a year ago, my gynecologist told me that everything felt normal to her, so I'm apprehensive about insisting she check further because I don't want to seem like I'm overreacting. I'm not unwilling to overrule my exhaustion/acne from being overworked and stressed, but I'm wondering if I have enough to go on to merit insisting at my next exam.

If it is PCOS, does anyone know of a way to manage it besides using birth control? I was on a fairly low dose one (Yaz), but I'd prefer not to use it again. Does using the NuvaRing have comparable side effects or is it better? I know it has a lower dose of estrogen.

Thanks for your help. Sorry this was kind of longwinded.

watery discharge

[so-much-udder.livejournal.com]

For the past week or so I've been having *extremely* watery discharge. Every morning when I get up it runs down my legs. I've noticed that I tend to get it right before my period, but it's continued for a week after and I'm not sure if that means anything in particular or if it's just another weird thing that sometimes happens. I'm also a bit put off by it because it has an opaque dark yellow colour. I don't feel too concerned I just wondered if it...meant anything, I'm not exactly sure what. Also because when I'm doing stuff with my bf it dries up really fast since it's so watery and doesn't actually provide any real lubrication, so I was wondering if it was maybe something in my diet that I could change? or something?

thanks!

Monthly Break Through Bleeding

[orangeslice.livejournal.com]

Hi all, I have been on Desogen (a combination birth control pill) for 4 years, and for the past three months into the second and third week through my pack I have been having break through bleeding. Mostly brownish old blood, sometimes a little red for a couple days. I still get my 'normal' period (though it starts a bit later during the placebo week) but does this mean I should switch pills? Does this mean my pill isn't as effective? I always take my pill at the same time each day and have never missed a pill.

Thanks in advance for you advice!

Is bush back?

[amandabermy.livejournal.com]

I have seen a few articles out there about how pubic hair is making a comeback.   Ever since my husband and I started dating about 10 years ago I have kept it really close and basically a brazilian style.  He never asked me to shave and I guess this just became the norm for a long time.  I liked it shaved but it was a headache to maintain.  However, my husband was recently away on an excursion where we didn't see each other for 10 weeks (it sucked trust me!) and I decided to stop shaving while he was gone.  Just before he came back, I shaped my what had become a fairly big triangle bush a little so it looked 'taken care of' and surprised him.  I was shocked to find out he thinks it looks extremely sexy!!!!   In fact he says he absolutely loves looking down at my bikini area when we are making love as it really gets him going seeing this new bush look.  This got me thinking.  I guess it had become a norm amongst many of us twenty-some women that you just shaved.  However, back in the 70s and before that, most dirty magazines had women with full on bushes in them, so obviously this was and still is a turn-on for men.  Just funny how the 'styles' come back.  I'm curious as to what others think and if there are more women out there actually starting to keep more pubic hair?

I LOVE female orgasms...

[unripe.livejournal.com]

I haven't been checking up on vagpag quite as much recently as I (possibly) should. But I haven't seen mention of this site before, and thought it might be a good resource.

Called I Love Female Orgasm.

I've only scanned over the page a little, but it seems fairly well informed and there's stuff on GLBTQ ideas and safer sex as well as lots of other sex positive stuff going on. There's also a facebook page, but I'm a little too lazy to find it - if you search I love Female Orgasm, it should appear.

Has anyone attended sessions by these guys? Or have any crits to make of what they've said/done? I'd be interested - not because it's accessible to me, in Australia, just because I think it seems like a decent project and I'm really interested in sex and gender education. Thanks! xx



EDIT: Thanks for all the cool comments guys! Nice to have expectations confirmed - especially reagarding GOOD sex ed. Awesome :)

combining homeopathic treatments for BV?

[5ampunkrock.livejournal.com]

I've been diagnosed with my first-ever case of BV; my doctor called it a "rip-roaring" infection and gave me a 10-day course of Flagyl. However, I've taken two doses so far and both have left me feeling very ill. I called out of work it was so bad today; I called her and said that I couldn't miss any more work (I'm a teacher, so taking days off is a huge production) and asked for something else, but she basically said she wouldn't change my medicine and I'd have to either skip work again or go and deal with the nausea and headache, neither of which seems very good to me.

I've decided to go homeopathic instead, looking in the memories here on VP and also googling the intrawebz. However, I have one question that hasn't been addressed to my knowledge: is it possible to combine different treatments at the same time? For example, I just did a peroxide/water douche in the shower. I intend to repeat this once a day. Would it be ok, or is it a terribly bad idea, to also run to the store for some boric acid capsules to insert overnight? Or could I put some tea tree oil on a tampon and insert it for a couple hours later tonight or tomorrow morning? Or should I just stick to the peroxide douche and nothing else until it clears up?

Thanks so much! Here's hoping whatever I do starts to work soon and doesn't make me ill like the Flagyl does!

As regards victim blaming

[keygracestory.livejournal.com]

I think this is a really good UK website for girls and guys to see as regards sexual health, sexual assault and attitudes to rape.

After reading your points about victim blaming I thought I'd post a link to this,
Anyone in the UK should have seen the ads which are a bit mental but the site is really very good!

www.thisisnotaninvitationtorapeme.co.uk
 

'My Beautiful Cervix'

[mud-faerie.livejournal.com]

Anybody seen this website before? Absolutely fascinating, if a little bit icky.

Stress

[open0heart.livejournal.com]

Just a quick question: Stress can affect your period, correct? How heavy it is, when it comes, that sort of thing?

EDIT: I am on birth control, the pill, if that has any affect, either.

I'm a wreck.

[villagetheatre.livejournal.com]

So when I had my OBGYN appointment about two months ago, I asked him to look at a bump on my inner thigh for a few weeks and he said it was "molluscus," (sp?) and that it was just a skin virus to get burned/frozen off, and it wasn't contagious. He made it seem like nothing, so I took my time in getting it removed.

I finally went today to a dermatologist and she asked if my OBGYN had told me anything about it, and I told her what he told me, and she basically told me he was wrong. It IS contagious, and it's basically like warts (if it isn't in fact warts itself). Did I misunderstand and it's not actually warts but something like it? I cried on my way to the train. I have no idea what to do.

Is this something that is spread through the blood too, or just skin to skin contact?

I've been seeing a guy for the last two months and I've had it that entire time. I don't know if I should tell him - well I WANT to tell him because I'm very honest.. but I don't know if he could be tested, and if he has no bumps yet, does that mean he doesn't have it? Should I not say anything and just keep going in to get it frozen off because, hey, we've had sex already, and if he's going to get it, he's got it already probably.

That sounds like such a bitch thing to say, which is why I don't want to resort to that, but I don't want to scare him off either. I just feel like I'd break down crying if I told him. My mother equated it to a case of chicken pox or poison ivy, and you wouldn't want someone to touch THAT so it's basically the same with this.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment and let me know anything about this. THANK YOU!

elevated blood pressure and iud

[neopeipei.livejournal.com]

so i went to planned parenthood to get a refill of my ortho tri cyclen and found out my blood pressure was pretty elevated. they suggested to me to get an IUD since the copper kind doesn't contain any kind of hormones and wouldn't affect my blood pressure. . .

I was just wondering if any of you have any stories about IUD? good/bad? suggestions? would you recommend it? also, does it hurt very bad to insert? (i've never had children before).

Parsley induced period - only if you have ovulated?

[mercurygrrl.livejournal.com]

This might be a stupid question, but bear with me...

I'm on NuvaRing, and two months ago, I noticed that my period has subsided to virtually nothing. Being the paranoid person that I am, one month ago, I got some parsley and made tea out of it. I drank it three times a day and noticed more cramping after drinking it. My period was scheduled to come, and I thought the parsley "helped it along".

So, my question is - if the parsley did indeed help, can you use it to induce a period even if you've on hormonal birth control?

PP??

[sleepeasyplease.livejournal.com]

Do you have to pay at planned parenthood? I want to take birth control but i can't afford it.

(no subject)

[xsweetpeachx.livejournal.com]

how many of u girls like to masterbate or watch porn? sometimes i think its just taboo and a lot more girls do they just dont like to admitt it. so okay ladies fess up.. ahah

different UTI symptoms

[meowkitten.livejournal.com]

I've had many many UTIs, and have always been able to catch them early, get a prescription from the doc, and be on my happy way. I've always had the same symptoms as well, burning/stining when urinating and frequent trips to the bathroom.
( cut )

Nuvaring: When should it go back in?

[otherrootbeer.livejournal.com]

Okay, so!  Interesting story... not really.

Due to stress, graduating from college and not checking my planner/having it marked... I was supposed to take out my Nuvaring on December 14th.  It's now December 17th and 10:35pm CST.  I know I'm still protected and such, and I took out my ring probably five minutes ago.

However the question is, when should I put it back in?  Should I go with my Sunday Schedule, so December 21st or should I wait until next Wednesday, December 24th?  Or does it really matter?

And no, I'm not really interested in stacking NRs.  It messes with my body enough >.>

((Searching the Vulvapedia and the Tags didn't really help. =) )) 

low drive

[lynxypoo.livejournal.com]

back before i started taking HBC LAST october (so over a year ago) I had a fairly decent sex drive. Nothing quite like my boyfriend's, but it was at least enough for me to act on. I went through a few types of pills, was horrible at maintaining any kind of schedule, realized that I'm (at least a little bit) bipolar, and got an Paragard IUD on november 18th. During this whole time, my sex drive seems to have steadily (or sporadically, I can't tell any more) decreased.

I would LOVE to do a striptease for my boyfriend like I did before I started BC, but I can't stay in the mood long enough to act on it. I'll be ready to go when he leaves his place, but during the hour long drive it takes to get to my place, I lose all interest, get bored with the idea, sometimes get frustrated that he "expects this all the time"- which he doesn't.

He's amazingly understanding for all of this, and only rarely asks me to finish him off if I have to stop sex because I burst into sobs. He generally accepts handjobs as a consolation for when I just can't do it, but I know it's disappointing for him. He LOVES oral, but I have a hard time with that, too. I try though... And it's extra disappointing, because whenever he's not fantasizing about me giving him oral, he's thinking about all the things he wants to do to me to make me feel good, but unless i'm -really- in the mood, I just twitch when he talks about it. After he gets going it's not so bad, almost pleasurable, but it's a rare case when I look forward to it AND enjoy it completely.

So I know that with the Paragard my periods are going to be heavier than they used to be, but everything else should mostly go back to normal... but will my sex drive come back? I don't want to start dreading sex!

Freezing my BC=Child?

[lady-lightning.livejournal.com]

Hello all,
I was traveling and left my pack of pills in the car overnight. Temperatures were definitely below freezing. Do I need to worry about them losing their effectiveness? (Tri-Sprintec) I know that all pills tell you not to leave them at extreme temperatures, but I'm wondering if that's more of a guideline than a demand?
It's a fresh pack and I'd love to not have to throw it away, but the alternative is much worse in the long run, so if I must, I will.
Thanks for any advice!