yeast infection gone terribly wrong?

[pinched.livejournal.com]

I checked the FAQs and didn't really get much of an answer. I thought I had a yeast infection, but now I'm not quite sure. My symptoms are similar to that of the previous poster's minus the discharge. Last week my vaginal regions were really itchy/irritating/sore to the touch and between the inner and outer lips was thick white somethingorother that I figured was yeast. I didn't do anything to treat a yeast infection, I'm kind of a naturalist and figured that it would heal itself? Well, now there's no white stuff, but it's REALLY irritated/red/VERY sore the the touch around my vagina and all the way down toward my rectum. It's also pretty dry down there at the moment. If it's relevant, I'm also on the tail end of my period right now, but this has never happened before.

I'm worried that it might be an STD, though it hopefully and probably isn't. Maybe it's just my yeast infection being mad at me for not sticking something up there to fix it? It might be caused by my excessive swimming, but I'm not sure. STD's can't be completely ruled out, however, because I'm not a virgin, though it has been about a month since I've had sex.

I'm kind of paranoid, please help me figure out what this is?

Comments

[astarlitnight.livejournal.com]

When I was younger and stupider, I had a few yeast infections that I just let "go away on their own". Fortunately for me, they did go away and never got really bad or anything.
Just my personal experience that they can go away on their own, though not all of them necessarily do.
Sorry if this was a pointless comment, I just wanted to share my two cents.
Good luck!

[queensugar.livejournal.com]

It may be indeed be a bad yeastie -- the symptoms sound similar, though other infections can have the same sort of signs. This is why it's generally recommended to get your first yeast infection diagnosed by a doctor, in order so that you can be certain and recognize the signs next time.

You say you're a naturalist... have you ever checked out some of the many at-home remedies for yeast infections? We have a lot of them listed in our YI FAQ (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/5865641.html).

Yeast infections can clear up on their own, but it would obviously be better to be out of discomfort soon! Good luck!

[armistice.livejournal.com]

I have, in the past, had yeast infections with no discharge/no white stuff, only extreme irritation/dryness, and it can extend down to the rectum. Mine actually usually include the entire vulva, right up to the clitoris/clitoral hood, so. I always treat with garlic inside, yogurt outside, just to be thorough, and it's always worked.

[violet-tigress1.livejournal.com]

I have had many yeast infections like that too

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Ultimately, if you're not sure if it's a yeast infection, it's important to go to a health care provider for testing (taking a sample and looking at it under a microscope) for a diagnosis.

If it's a yeast infection, there's a small chance it can go away on its own, and there are a lot of natural methods you can use to treat it (as mentioned in VP's "All About Yeast Infections" (http://www.livejournal.com/community/vaginapagina/5865641.html) post). If it's something else, however, like some types of STIs, it's very important to get diagnosed and treated as early as possible, as they can have more serious health consequences if left untreated.

If going to your health care provider, a low-cost clinic, or a Planned Parenthood is an option, I'd recommend doing so. It's the best way to get the most accurate and appropriate treatment.

Good luck!

[tularemia.livejournal.com]

that sounds like what happened when i had a yeast infection. i didn't have any discharge until a day or so after i started feeling dry/itchy/sore. i went to the doctor and it turned out i had a yeast infection AND a UTI. it can't hurt to get checked out.

i would definitely get treatment asap. i used some 3 day treatment with an insert/cream (something similar to gyne-lotrimin) and it was horrible. it only made the burning/stinging feeling 10x worse. i may have just had an abnormal reaction to it, but i'm never using that stuff again. although i haven't used the other treatments myself, there are a variety of natural remedies you can try. a friend of mine said the yogurt one worked great for her.

[mermaiddrowning.livejournal.com]

HOnestly, it's very difficult to make a diagnosis online because these symptoms could be so many different things. Please go get checked out and diagnosed by doctor so you can known for sure what's going on and have it treated.

Feel better soon.

[loonylupinlover.livejournal.com]

I had one yeast infection that kept me up at night because my vagina was radiating dry, irritating heat and I didn't have anything to treat it with. Most of my yeasties were full of discharge, but they can go and turn you dry as a desert, too. But if you've never had one, ask a doctor first.

Even aboriginal people who are arguably the most naturalist people there are used home remedies for ailments, including yeast infections. Yeasties can go away on their own, but it's pretty unlikely, because once there's an imbalance in the vaginal pH it gets easier for the yeast to grow and harder for the inhibiting good bacteria to grow. There are tons of home remedies that work for yeasties on the milder end of the scale, and if those fail there are OTC remedies and Diflucan which you can get from your doctor. If you get one again, I would at least use yogurt or something on it. Why put yourself through misery when there are things that can soothe you?