(no subject)

[paix.livejournal.com]

hi everybody. i just wanted to thank everyone that commented on my last post; you're words of encouragement were so awesome and supportive. this community rocks :).

i have another question, though, about yeast infections.

once a month [about once a month, sometimes more or less], ONLY during my period, i get itchiness on my outer labia, just on the surface of my vagina. this only happens when i wear pads, which i have to wear to sleep because i often sleep for more than 8 hours [lucky me!]. is this a yeast infection? i think that it's due to the dried blood in the pad irritating my skin. there is no discharge and there aren't any visible bumps, just redness from me being itchy. i wore tampons last month just to see if it was due to pads, and sure enough, there was no itching. it usually doesn't even last a day, maybe only a couple of hours if i leave it alone.

any advice? does this ever happen to any of you? i'm not certain whether it's a yeast infection before because other than this, i've never had one.

Comments

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

Sounds like just chafing. I used to get it when I used pads as well.

[vaverine.livejournal.com]

I'm a pad girl all the way - can't stand the feeling of wandering around with wads of bleached plant matter in me *wink* But I used to get that feeling with plastic pads too. I think it's a combo of having the lining pull at hairs (especially the ones with dry-weave) and just sitting with something warm and wet and unbreathable against your skin. In fact, when I was shaved I'd sometimes even get a rash - just like diaper rash for big kids! UGHH!

If it's of any interest to you, when I switched to Luna Pads (fabric, re-usable pads) it totally went away. Because they're cotton they breath and they absorb the wetness away from the surface - so you avoid that hot, wet, plastic ickiness. Just a suggestion.

[paix.livejournal.com]

where can i find more information about luna pads? are they good for overnight use? i like the always extra-long thin ones for sleeping with, but i get this itching! thanks so much for your comment, though :)

[vaverine.livejournal.com]

www.lunapads.com - I think they're a Canadian company, you can buy them in-store in health food places here (Vancouver) and I LOVE them. But you can also order them on-line of course, ahh the joys of technology!

They're great for overnight, I was worried about leaking - but I've NEVER had a problem. They have a nylon liner between the flannel backing and the fleece liner and they have wings. The overnight ones are good and long.

I just can't pimp them enough, they're super awesome. I just love being so hands-on with my period (cuz you have to wash the pads) and so much more aware of how much I bleed and when.

Plus they're comfy, environmentally friendly and girly pretty. Hope they look good to you too!

[deepbluemermaid.livejournal.com]

Normal pads are quite chemical-y, so perhaps switching to natural pads would help. I know in England there's a range called Natracare, I don't think they're the reusable sort though.

[pudgybudgie.livejournal.com]

thats not a yeast infection--it is just a sensitivity to the pads. i got it from disposable pads too (switched to cloth--havent' had a problem since).

[carmen.livejournal.com]

I've gotten it before also - like the others have said, it's just a sensitivity to the pads.

There's one brand (I don't remember which at the moment) that gives me a diaper-rash type thing. So you might want to try different kinds (or lunapads, as someone mentioned above) to see if you get the same reactions.