Contact Vulvitis

[justmeonline]

Hi--
I have writen you before with my other worry so I figured I should cover this one also.  
  It began with a tingling sensation on one side of my vaginal/vulvar area (not inside though) and became an on and off but consistent burning sensation on that side but eventually everywhere.  I was diagnosed with a yeast infection (but no itching) and was given Diflucan and it seemed to go away for a week but then was back.  So I was given something else, Terazol which I don't even know if it worked.  But I was also told I had contact vulvitis and to use A/D Ointment and Vaseline, which did seem to work after a few days of using it. That whole ordeal lasted like 2 months!
   Every so often, like once a month or less I get the same tingling followed by burning on one side (sometimes no tingling first, just burning, and sometimes no burning, just "sensation") and I apply Vaseline and A/D ointment. Sometimes it comes before my period and others it comes after, so I don't know if that has something to do with it.  And sometimes it comes whenever.  have always been told my skin looks irritated there, it does not hurtto the touch at all though. Does this sound like Contact Vulvitis to you?  I am worried that it is some sort of herpes without sores.  I have never had any blisters or sores. Is that possible??  
      I have been with one partner, and my partner has been with a few, one unprotected 2 years ago.  He has been checked out for STDs recently and has nothing and has Never had any sores or blisters or warts ever.
  Usually when I get it now, it lasts 1-3 days.  When I describe my symptoms at my clinic as contact vulvitis they seem to agree, and not suspect anything else.  What else could it be or does this seem right?  Am I more prone to getting this now and what causes it?  The tingling part worries me since I hear herpes does that.
Thanks.

[crabnebula]

hopefully this solves my problem or atleast the enigma. I am now 24 years old female, had this skin problem since atleast 4 years old. So there is no way of sexual conjuctivity, since I have not had relationships until this date either due to this problem. I have not been treated anywhere properly, no blood tests or any scrapping examination. I have seen some doctors and was prescribed with candita medicines, eczima (don't remember any of their names since it has been quite long) - this eczima medicine only agravated an allergic condition causing reddish rashes, scaling and painful peeling of skin. Now I am using some herbal oil, atleast compared to all others this is somewhat better... but doesn't look like it is going to do any good. Only years are passing by.
My Symptoms: Constant itching started when I was young, around and in vulvar in the vaginal area. Along with this I also had hyperpigmentations or crusty skin in the cheeks of my bums. This was very prickly itchy at times. Then at the joint of bums (extending from the spot that joins them), the color of my skin started to go darker and severely itchy... but without any blisters or sores. Once again in my vaginal and vulvar areas, I started getting small blister like appearences... I don't know if they contained fluid cos if I scaratched they didn't go wet I think. These looked similar to the blisters you could get in the hot hot summers. These problem never came and gone, but was and is chronic. In these past four years, things got worse. The disease pervaded right into my vagina and damamged the entire surface making them cracked and ragged, (if you touch them you fell like smearing through clusters of pimples). Also the pinkish color of the vaginal has turned like a skinned meat boiled with salt (ie. sort of like very light purple). The blemished vulvars itch with prickly sensation and has turned completely black now, as if my skin was burnt! and with clusters of very tiny blister like pop ups.

Is this herps or yeast or eczima... or whatelse this chronic desease could be? Please also tell me if this is conjuctive (if I have sex), and what should I use to control this? Is there a chance that this will be permanantely cured and my skin can by any means be restored back?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Please don't worry about herpes.  To have that, you would need to have at least occasional blisters.  It sounds like the diagnosis of irritation, or vulvitis, is in fact the most plausible one.  I suggest controlling the symptoms with a mild cleanser (Cetaphil, Neutrogena), a mositurizer (Eucerin, vaseline), and perhaps somne hydrocortisone once in a while (OTC is 1%, or a bit stronger by prescription.)

If you get a visible rash, such as a cluster of blisters or scabs, you should bring these to the attention of a doctor right away.  But this seems unlikely.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff