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Throbbing clitoris/urethra no pain help please serious question

I've had this symptom for ages now it's like a throbbing or a pulse/beating somewhere near my clitoris or urethra. I can't tell which one :( I tried looking but it doesn't seem to throb at that time. It's worse if I have my legs crossed or straight out when I'm laying down. It's not because I'm turned on .. It doesn't feel Nice it's just so annoying!!!!

It doesn't really happen when I'm standing up. Please does anyone know what can cause this?? There's no pain and I can't think what would be causing this. Or how to tell where it is coming from. I've noticed if I apply pressure to that area it stops. Also. It occurs more if I need a wee.

It doesn't have a pattern it occurs, it's just random.
It's so frustrating. Sometimes I just want to sit down and relax without feeling it, but I can't.
Thanks :( I'm do desperate for answers I've searched everywhere :(
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Avatar universal
I really hope someone is still checking this. :( I'm 20, I've been on antidepressants for over 2 years until I slowly came off them in August. 7 weeks ago I went back on them for a week and came off them again only suddenly this time. I learnt about PGAD recently and since then I've been extremely anxious about it, and now I think I have it (life lol).

For 2 weeks each day I get the tingling feeling which switches from my clit, vagina and even anus through out the day. They're always randomly throbbing, especially when I walk a lot. It's starting to feel painful and I'm not sure if it's related or anxiety but my whole legs have become solid and are also pulsing and hurting. I'm getting lower back pain too. At this moment my clit feels more tingly and kinda itchy than ever and I need to go to college!:/ After learning more about this disorder I've been more panicky which has made my symptoms worse. I have no one to talk to about this, the Drs are always useless and my family won't understand.

I'm so scared that this is going to take over my life like it already had been already for these 2 weeks. I'm just bedbound. Also just to mention, I also used a back massager there for a few years now, I researched it before and they say that any damage it causes is a myth but now I'm not so sure. Also I've been on my period during some of these days and still am alittle, is that something to do with it? The only difference I have with what I've read in these comments is that I don't feel like I have to pee, I do pee more but that's anxiety, also for some strange reason I get slight relief when I'm holding on for a poo?? I also think I'm getting piles from the stress. My only hope is that this is only a muscle thing because of the anxiety, but can muscles make you feel like you're going to orgasm? Or if this is some period thing? I'm so sorry for the long reply and that I can't be of help to anyone, I hope someone is still active here, I'm on the verge of killing myself to be honest. :(
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I still check back here now and then cuz I have still the symptoms lol:/
I get that feeling of it going away when I need the loo lol!
Honestly, I don't what it is. Your symptoms are slightly differnt to mine but seem to be similar. There are a lot of people here with symptoms like you so you're not alone !
Thanks for the reply, this condition is so weird, I'm so scared! :(
Also sorry to hear you still have it :/ Do you think it's gotten worse or the same? And do you think it's possible it's all anxiety induced? I have bad OCD which has caused a lot of symptoms of things I'm afraid of before, I'm hoping to God that's all it is.
Just thought I’d give some hope to people, it’s gone away for me. It was an anxiety thing this whole time but took me months to believe it because it felt SO real. Even when I fully believed it was anxiety caused it still took a while to go away but now I’m 100% fine. Don’t give up people! What helped with my reassurance was going the doctors and talking to people about it. If anyone needs someone to talk to, I’m here, I understand so much how terrifying this can be and also very embarrassing to talk about. :( Just PM me if you need someone who understands anyhow! :-)
Avatar universal
I wish I had an answer for this question because I suffer from exactly the same thing. And the way I can explain it is, well I explained this to my gyn dr. I told him to imagine that he was to the point of coming but couldn't. Does that make since? He then told me I needed sico therapy. Nobody understands how debiliting it feels sometimes. Pls let me know if u find an answer.
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone!
Lenozi, I had this exact same problem in 2013. I was a young teenager (I think 14), and went through my first breakup. As I said, I was 14, and my boyfriend was my last friend, so I was also very lonely and so... well, you get the picture. My problem wasn't obvious at first, then built up during the day (I had used a back massager on my girl parts [clitoris in particular]), but it was way too much for me, then the pulsing and weird urethra/clitoris sensation began).
For about a year, I slept with a pillow between my legs, cried every day, suffered from massive anxiety attacks during the night. I went through 2 medi-center appointments, 2 gyno visits, and 1 trip to the ER. They did a swab for BV (bacterial vaginosis) when I went to the ER; and it came back positive. I was so relived! They gave me a prescription and over a short amount of time after taking the pills, the whole thing came to an end...
That is, until about two months ago when I was a complete FOOL and used the massager again when my family was out. My symptoms are back and they say it isn't BV this time—well, at first they had, and had given me a prescription; but I waited too long to tell them my symptoms were persisting, they did another swab, gave me another, longer prescription, called and said my BV was positive, and called again and said it was negative. It's really unclear to me what I have, but I know it isn't PGAD (Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder) for these reasons:
1. It disappeared completely once. PGAD is said to not disappear nor cure itself.
2. While masturbating helps subside it for a brief period, which has a likeness to PGAD, if I go without masturbating, I do not have spontaneous orgasms, which people with PGAD do (this is all coming from what I have researched).
3. PGAD is spontaneous. Lenozi, you're the person I can relate the most to here as you said it only comes when you think about it, or are stressed. If I focus on it, it gets worse, but it's not spontaneous.
What I personally think this is, considering the condition in which it was brought upon myself, both times, is nerve damage, which heals over time. However, I know a lot of you have had this, or what is similar to this for much longer than I have, and I want to reach out to you.
Back in 2013 when I had this the first time around, I took Vicodin (in halves) to ease myself. This helped at night, it tamed my nerves and nether regions long enough to fall asleep. It is probably what got me through that year. Please be careful, Vicodin is very addictive, don't let yourself become reliant on it! My Grandmother is a Physical Therapist, and as this seems to be stress related, she urges you to get Vitamin B stress tabs. In my case, this niggling feeling feeds anxiety, which in return feeds it. The less stressed you feel, the less you're likely to get anxiety attacks, therefore, it would be less likely for to you get anxiety down there as well (we could almost call this "Genital Anxiety").
I've heard great things about D-Mannose (as KN2015 mentioned), and while it's used to treat UTIs, it wouldn't hurt to try them to see if they help you personally. Make sure to check into the side effects though!
And Summer's Eve wash may help, it seems like a stretch but that nasty smegma stuff seems like it could play a part in this, along with your PH balance; Summer's Eve is supposed to help with both (I think [I haven't tried D-Mannose nor Summer's Eve vaginal soap, I surely will next paycheck]).
The medication they prescribed me for BV is called "Metronidazole". This helps in my opinion!

The first time this came about, I almost obsessively researched Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, and PGAD. I don't think that's what this is. We all may be medical anomalies, but I like to keep optimistic and think that we can fight this reasonably with an already-existing medical term and the coinciding medication. I've seen this to the end and have come out the other side before, I can be rid of it again, as I believe you all can. This is not forever, girls. Everything WILL be okay!
Just to go over everything in a nice, neat little list, here are the things to try and my experiences with them:

1. GET A BV (Bacterial Vaginosis) CULTURE DONE! If you have BV*, they'll most likely prescribe you Metronidazole.
*I forgot to mention that if you research BV, you'll find near to none of our symptoms. Don't let this phase you. This is what I had been diagnosed with the first time, and I took Metronidazole which is what knocked it out of the park.

2. Vicodin (eases stress all over, but VERY addictive, take in halves! I cannot stress that enough. if you can get your hands on some, do not take it constantly, just maybe if you're losing sleep or having an especially horrid day).

3. Vitamin B tabs (these are over-the-counter, they're to help with stress too!)

4. D-Mannose (said to help with UTIs—which this is NOT, but it might help us!)

5. Summer's Eve Feminine Hygiene products (soap, wipes, spray, whatever you feel you need. keeping sanitary can only do better than good!)

6. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction exercises may help you! Research them!

7. Train your mind to automatically go to another topic when you think of the Genital Anxiety (this is what I'm naming it). Thinking about it makes you more anxious. Keep your mind busy, be it with work, a book, a tv show... being around friends really helps!

8. I heard a good exercise for people with anxiety is to give their condition a shape, a color, a personality, and a name. Perhaps you should try embodying your issue, and forming a relationship with it. This may make you feel better about the whole ordeal.
If it's really acting up one day, don't get angry at it. Instead of seeing it as a teeth-gritting threat, pretend that it is just as frightened as you are. If this issue were a person, it would probably very scared and anxious like it makes you. Comfort, tell it (and indirectly, or directly, yourself) that it's going to be okay—because it IS going to be okay.

9. Pray. I'm not sure what all of your religious beliefs are, but I personally am a Christian who believes with one touch Jesus could rid me of this nasty hecking thing. I will be keeping all of you in my prayers, I know this is a rancid situation which seems has no end. But it DOES. As with the keeping clean, praying could only do better than worse.

I'm only 17. I do not plan on living with frantic/sensitive/anxious/sort of sting-y????/YUCKY genitals my entire life.
Whether this is nerve damage from the massager, bacteria, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, a rare undiscovered close cousin to a UTI, or literally anything else, I have survived it. I have been rid of it for three years, and I plan on getting it out of me again, for good this time. It may take me another year, but it's outta here!

Know that I sympathize with all of you. I just made a new Skype account, hot off the press if any of you want to get in personal contact with me, my username is "funprill". Sincerely, I'm wishing you all the best of mental and physical health.
I'll check back, it feels nice to know that there is a community of us in this small corner of the Internet. I've searched and searched for people with my exact symptoms, and this feels like it. Actually, I sort of feel like I was meant to find this forum.

We will all get through this.

And, in the slight chance that we cannot—there are people who live through pain everyday. They are strong, and we are too. There are still people who love us, and people we have yet to meet who will love us, too. We can have normal lives, and sex lives (for the medical record, I've never had sex, this is not an STD). We can be us.
In the midst of the attacks, it feels like nothing will get better, but it will.

God bless you all.

-Summer
Helpful - 2
3 Comments
Wow! Thank you so much, this is such a comforting post... It feels like we have the same kind of symptoms! It's really comforting to hear someone's else's story, not good that you have the same thing, but it's nice to know I'm not alone! I will try the things you mentioned, just thinking about it now brought it back haha! Ugh... What an annoying thing to deal with :/
I check back here every so often so I'll be putting updates if anything changes :) x
Lenozi
Wow exactly. Only 17 when you wrote this. You are a very special lady with grear talents. If this post is anything to go by, you are going to do well in life. Even with this stupid and annoying problem we all have xx
Ooops.... your talents
Avatar universal
This is crazy!!! I thought I was going crazy!!! I think my family and friends think I'm crazy!! So like most of u I have been to the urologist, had the cystoscope done, and had antibiotics x 3!!!!! I feel constant stimulation somewhere down there that seems to be worse when I am sitting and I can literally go to the bathroom 10xs at night and most of the time it's just a very very small amt!!! The OB that I see is a nurse practitioner so now she is sending me on to a specialist! Since Aug 2015 abt 3x for what we thought were UTIs my MD ofc just did dips, then flagyl vag gel for 7 days and then I just did PO Flagyl the boric acid vag ge for 21 days and yep u guessed it no relief! However, she did give me some lidocaine gel that helps! Also, she started me on Noritriptiline(sp) a tricyclic antidepressant! Tonight is the first night so not sure if it's going to help! Also she thinks I have Vulvadynia!!!' I do have a cyst, IUD (which I have had three) I have been wondering if it's moved and pinched a nerve, I am bad at only drinking soda!!!! This is really mentally exhausting!!! If I get this fig out!!! I'll keep u guys posted!
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Avatar universal
Hi! You're not alone! I've always had this feeling since I can remember!like you mentioned, the uncomfortable feeling is most prominent when I lay down or sit. And no pain associated at all, at least for me.if there is pain, I'm assuming it's a bigger health issue. Go see your doctor! Otherwise, I don't know what causes it or why it happens but I can tell you one way to relieve the feeling is if after you urinate and the throbbing begins when you either sit or lay down, go back and sit on the toilet and let that last drop of urine out and literally sit there and feel your urethra "open" for a while until you feel its comfortable again. That always helps. I think it just needs to expand after you urinate, idk why either.but that should help. Let me know if it helps!
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Avatar universal
Is yours better for a while after you wake up??? How often does it come and go??? Have you gone to any specialists???
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Avatar universal
I have these exact symptoms almost to a T. The only differences is that I feel a little better when I lay down or relax my pelvic muscles and it hurts a bit to push when I pee. I know isn’t not PGAD because there is no actual arousal and there is no pain. How many doctors did you go to??? Did they find anything???
I’m going to a woman’s urology office in two weeks if they figure anything out I’ll update you.
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Hi LeeRoyster. Try starting your own thread as you will definitely get answers that way. Use Ask a Question at the top of the forum. You are saying you've been tested for a UTI? What about another kind of infection? I would wonder if a round of antibiotics would clear this up. Say you have a little abrasion that has gotten infected or hair follicle (yes, can happen there) and that is causing inflammation. Do you get any relief from ibuprofen?
Avatar universal
I'm just updating this post. I made it back in 2013 and its 2022 now! Im now 25. Wow. Anyway, I STILL experience this. Its still very annoying and stresses me out sometimes. I've really just learnt to deal with it and try relax more. I've found that its so bad when im stressed or anxious or frustrated. Like its awful when I feel those. I was also diagnosed with ocd as well and whenver I get really anxious with ocd, the feeling goes crazy lol.  Some random new symptoms I found, was that whenever I drink alcohol its worse. It also burns A LOT down there even if I have a small amount of alcohol.

There's so many responses here! So many people experiencing similar symptoms. It's nice to know that we aren't completely alone. (Not happy anyone's experiencing this but, u get what I mean)

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i dont know do i need to open an account to make this comment but if i had to, i’ll do. i’m a woman who is 20 years old, i have sexual ocd since my childhood. it began at when i was 4-5 years old i guess. now i also have cheating ocd which makes me to think i’m cheating my boyfriend. i had the sexual ocd since my childhood like what i said and i had the cheating ocd since 2021 i guess, it started with my first relationship’s 3rd or 4th month. i got the diagnosis in 2021 for both but i was guessing i had an ocd before diagnosis. i’m using antidepressants since i was 14 for anxiety and depression. i always had a hard life because of sexual ocd but with cheating ocd, my life became hell for me. i was having this “genital anxiety” about years but now i’m more sensitive because of my cheating ocd. i’m always thinking like “am i cheating my bf, am i attacked to other people, am i turning on???” and believe me, even finding someone attractive is totally cheating for me. there’s no need to talk, flirt, sex etc and i believe i’m not finding someone attactive (i’m not saying like finding someone beautiful or handsome as a person, not talking about that. i meant something physical, sexual, romantic etc. attraction) but i’m having this thing and also wetness. i’m always thinking like am i horny now?? do i want sex but no, i’m not feeling in that way but still afraiding. when i feel horny randomly, i’m always checking did something happen wrong, did it happen for someone other than my bf, WHAT HAPPENED??? etc. i dont know how can i deal with it. now i’m dropping the medicine i use and i’ll use stronger medicine after i drop current medicine (dropping current one because mixing is dangerous so i have to drop current one and start stronger after it). when i started to drop dose by dose, everything getting worse. i was a little bit better about 3-4 months (having obsessions always but i was less felt anxiety in these times) and now i’m feeling more anxious because of dropping current medicine i guess and about 1-2 weeks, this genital movement getting worse for me. i’m always thinking and cheking there, also having wetness sometimes and feeling anxious. i’m so tired living my life like that and i dont know what should i need to do. i’m seeing physiologist and psychiatrist both, having therapy but these are not working nowadays. i know stronger medicine will be hard for me too because even current medicine, i was loosing %80 of my emotions (being sad, happy, scared etc etc). i was mostly having anger and it is still happening. i dont know what will i do but i want to say you are not alone in this girls. i’m sharing it with you too. i hope we can handle these soon.
also sorry about mistakes in my write, i’m writing fast and eng is not my first language. btw i’m having this movement after i had an orgasm most of the time but in these times it is happening 15-20 times in a minute but randomly movements in my obsessions (i hope they are obsessions, not reality), it is happening max 2-3 times, mostly happening once at an obsessive thought. i’m searching these always but not finding something useful about it. also i’m not experiencing pain in these times, only movements or wetness sometimes. it is happening when i see someone. sometimes having them only seeing someone in normal, sometimes seeing someone in a sexual position (porns, photos etc) and obviously sexual ones are making me more anxious… and because of i’m bisexual, MY PAIN IS DOUBLE AF. i dont know is this still an obsession even they are sexual things directly but all i know is i dont want anyone or anything other than my bf. he is the one. i know it. he is my first love and i want it as last too. he is knowing everything about my illness and obviously it is affecting our relationship but he is still with me and i’m grateful that i’m having him. i gonna loose my mind soon i guess, i’m LITERALLY saying it
i want “it”??:D sorries to my bf when i talked about him as a puppy:( btw having these moments in normal sexual feelings to my bf too but i believe they are also not real too. i just feel like these are happening because of i’m always waiting, checking and focusing on them. idk, if a therapist reading my writes, please contact me. i can be your lab rat for ocd:((
It sounds like you've had some therapy, since you have names for the kind of OCD you have. Can you get back to therapy? A lot of what you are talking about here is definitely mind-driven, as you say, not real. And with the right doctor, OCD is curable. When a relative of mine was having a lot of trouble with OCD, his regular doctor knew who in the local medical community was good with OCD therapy, and gave him a recommendation. It worked -- probably removed 98% of his obsessive thoughts by the things they did to manage it. Please give it a try if you're not in therapy now, since life can be pretty miserable in the thrall of obsessive thoughts. Good luck.
Avatar universal
Hi, i have had severe pain on my clitoris, i cannot even touch it in the slightest without pain!,i also have a yellowish pus looking line on it. I cannot go anywhere due to coronavirus and i am in need as in a lot of pain but cannot tell my mum about it! Help!!!
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Avatar universal
i made this post back in 2013, i randomly remembered this and thought id check in. I still experience this! I have kind of just learnt to deal with it. It doesnt bother me as much  now. I know its nothing serious, however, its still pretty frustrating. Being stressed really triggers it. i was diagnosed with pcos but honestly, 99% sure that has nothing to do with it.  Sometimes it feels like burning down there and it seems to throb more but.. other than that.. nothing new.
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I'm new here, this started for me about a month ago. I'm 49 and haven't been sexually active in years. I thought it was a standard issue UTI a month ago, had all the same signs as one, mainly the persistent need to urinate. But it didn't bother me much. I waited maybe 2 weeks to long to ask for help and got on a 3 day antibiotic treatment - with no effect. I was convinced this had to be a bad uTI, maybe now a kidney infection, but I went in for blood/urine test and all of it came back negative. My doctor dismissed it all, so I came searching on the internet and found this. My only symptoms is the extreme clitoral sensitivity and the need to pee.

About a month ago I switched from zoloft (which I'd been taking for several months) to Prozac. I had no physical issues on Zoloft.  I also started Xanax for panic episodes. I was also given a prescription for mirapex for restless leg. So I'm trying to tie in if the Prozac/xanax/mirapex might be an issue or if it is entirely physical. Since this "came out of the blue," never having any sort of physical reaction to anything like it before, I'm not laying it on any particular stress or anxiety or anything like that. The anti-depressants have done their job. Since quarantine started, I've been fairly inactive, but not particularly stressed. The idea that this could be the result of some physical pressure, like a pinched nerve, makes sense to me, as it seems if we're in this semi-aroused state, it's because blood if flowing there and won't stop. It's stuck there.  It's particularly bad when I sit, and reading along, that's pretty common for others. Walking helps a little, but when you're tired of walking?  I haven't noticed anything improve when laying down, either. I've taken to using one of those donut pillows to sit on. It helps a little.

So I think it's a combination of something like a pinched nerve, pressure (because this is a measurable physical effect happening, even if it isn't an infection), blood flow getting trapped and I'm wondering if anyone has discussed fallen bladders? My doctors says it's just an irritated bladder and wants to prescribe me lidocaine cream.  *I* want an MRI of my pelvic region to rule out some physical issue.  Reading about women dealing with this for years is terrifying. I've only had it a month and I've been feeling suicidal and all the work of the anti-depressants is undone. If there *is* a connection with the anti-depressants, I'm not sure how that can be proven, except to be weaned off of them, and see if it gets better or worse.  But I'm leaning heavily toward this being a physical problem with blood flow somehow getting trapped and keeping the clitoris in a sensitized state that is not relieved or aided by masturbation (only adds to the blood flow, which does not recede).  

I thank you for starting this thread as it has given a lot of support and hope to people over the years that they're not crazy and this is a measurable phenomenon that might be more common, but people are too ashamed.  When I first started my search, looking into acute UTIs, it never lead me here. I had to type in "sensitive clitoris uti" and how many think to do that? There's a lot of depression about this and I hope more people will open up about it so we can have proper research and care.

I did find this site for this Center for Vulvovaginal Disorders, but they are on the East Coast: http://vulvodynia.com/conditions/persistent-genital-arousal-disorder-pgad.  

Since others on this thread have varied in age, from teens to much older, I'm curious too if menstruation/hormones play a role, but that sounds even further down the line.

My best to you and everyone.
Avatar universal
I chalk this up to the same thing as when men have a tingling or even erection that may not be sexually induced or wanted but is there all the same and you may see them "adjust" themselves or some may have to relieve themselves to 'get rid of it'... I believe that women's physiology is complicated and extensive and has barely been explored and studied. A lot of what we have come to self hate, either through honest lack of knowledge or what we've been taught, is simply natural and mostly good. But we don't view it as this because we don't know any better. It happens to a lot, in varying levels of severity and frequency with innumerous triggers different momentary solutions that last for various lengths of time. But, I don't believe that it should be termed or viewed as a dysfunction.
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Avatar universal
Just reporting, this is still going on with me. It's been about 2 and a half years, more on than off. I try not to think of it as a bad thing even though it is irritating.

New considerations: Do any of you have a matching buzzing in your palms or feet? Do you feel the throb migrating to your thigh? Do any of you have bipolar disorder? Did any of you injure your back before this started?
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone!

I’m 24 and I’ve struggled with this for a few years now, what was on and off and then constant every day.
I still don’t have any answers but my Gynecologist prescribed me amitriptyline in both gel and pill form. It targets nerve pain and it’s helped A LOT. You take the pill before bed and it also helps with sleep, and apply gel directly to the affected area. It’s still there but I don’t notice it as much and it’s not as intrusive on my life. I was completely distressed by it, and still have my bad days, but it has helped.


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I’m also about to start seeing a psychologist to target any anxiety related to it, so I’ll let you know if I get any good advice!
Avatar universal
I also see a common theme with anxiety here. Has getting back on SSRIs helped anyone with these symptoms? I stopped Lexapro 4-5 months ago and these symptoms (tingling/throbbing) started a couple weeks ago. Thought it as a UTI but it came back negative. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. So glad to hear I am not alone.
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I am weaning off of Lexapro after being on it for a year, and I just started having the clit pulsing/twitching sensation too! Any development?
Ugh, that sounds uncomfortable.  Do you think it is related to the Lexapro weaning?
Avatar universal
God, I really hope people are still responding to this.

I've had this feeling in my vagina or my clit or whatever since May of this year, only back then it would only happen for a night and then go away whenever I woke up the next day.

It started up again a couple days ago, and has only gotten worse. It's been almost 3 or 4 days, and after reading this thread, I'm terrified that I'll end up with it for years. I'm only 19. I have college and bad anxiety and OCD that causes me to pull out my hair! I don't need this right now!

I just need help. If anyone could give me advice on what to do, that would be awesome. I know going to the doctor and the gynecologist is the first step, but where do I go from there?
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Avatar universal
I'm having somewhat of the same issue. But my gets swollen and hurts instead of throbs. But it doesn't hurt to wipe or pee. Only when I have the urge to pee too. It's been going on for a month now.
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Avatar universal
I am 57. I have suffered from this for well over 10 years. Started sometime through menopause, I'm pretty sure. Hormonal changes can be a cause for Vulvodynia. Many doctors don't have an answer. A helpful pharmacist that I recently confided in about my desperate need to find out what was wrong and if there was help,  did some research for me and came across the info that I posted. I just got a new doctor and told him about the info that was shared with me. I also told him that this year has been far more worse than other past yrs. I have gone to work multiple times throughout the weeks having lost 2-3 nights of sleep. I am at my wits end. He has put in a referral for me to see a specialist. Hopefully I will get some help then. If surgery is the answer, I'm a go for that. Can't cope with this any longer.
Hope this helps.

Dianne
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Avatar universal
Diagnosis

Pelvic exam

Before diagnosing vulvodynia, your doctor will ask you questions about your medical, sexual and surgical history and to understand the location, nature and extent of your symptoms.
Your doctor might also perform a:
Pelvic exam. Your doctor visually examines your external genitals and vagina for signs of infection or other causes of your symptoms. Even if there's no visual evidence of infection, your doctor might take a sample of cells from your vagina to test for an infection, such as a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis.
Cotton swab test. Your doctor uses a moistened cotton swab to gently check for specific, localized areas of pain in your vulvar region.

Treatment
Vulvodynia treatments focus on relieving symptoms. No one treatment works for every woman. For many, a combination of treatments works best. It can take time to find the right treatments, and it can take time after starting a treatment before you notice relief.
Treatment options include:
Medications. Steroids, tricyclic antidepressants or anticonvulsants can help lessen chronic pain. Antihistamines might reduce itching.
Biofeedback therapy. This therapy can help reduce pain by teaching you how to relax your pelvic muscles and control how your body responds to the symptoms.
Local anesthetics. Medications, such as lidocaine ointment, can provide temporary symptom relief. Your doctor might recommend applying lidocaine 30 minutes before sexual intercourse to reduce your discomfort. Using lidocaine ointment can cause your partner to have temporary numbness after sexual contact.
Nerve blocks. Women who have long-standing pain that doesn't respond to other treatments might benefit from local nerve block injections.
Pelvic floor therapy. Many women with vulvodynia have tension in the muscles of the pelvic floor, which supports the uterus, bladder and bowel. Exercises to relax those muscles can help relieve vulvodynia pain.
Surgery. In cases of localized vulvodynia or vestibulodynia, surgery to remove the affected skin and tissue (vestibulectomy) relieves pain in some women.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic
Lifestyle and home remedies
The following tips might help you manage vulvodynia symptoms:
Try cold compresses or gel packs. Place them directly on your external genital area to ease pain and itching.
Soak in a sitz bath. Two to three times a day, sit in comfortable, lukewarm (not hot) or cool water with Epsom salts or colloidal oatmeal for five to 10 minutes.
Avoid tightfitting pantyhose and nylon underwear. Tight clothing restricts airflow to your genital area, often leading to increased temperature and moisture that can cause irritation. Wear white, cotton underwear to increase ventilation and dryness. Try sleeping without underwear at night.
Avoid hot tubs and soaking in hot baths. Spending time in hot water can cause discomfort and itching.
Don't use deodorant tampons or pads. The deodorant can be irritating. If pads are irritating, switch to 100 percent cotton pads.
Avoid activities that put pressure on your vulva, such as biking or horseback riding.
Wash gently. Scrubbing the affected area harshly or washing too often can increase irritation. Instead, use plain water to gently clean your vulva with your hand and pat the area dry. After bathing, apply a preservative-free emollient, such as plain petroleum jelly, to create a protective barrier.
Use lubricants. If you're sexually active, apply a lubricant before having sex. Don't use products that contain alcohol, flavor, or warming or cooling agents.
Alternative medicine
Stress tends to worsen vulvodynia and having vulvodynia increases stress. Although there's little evidence that alternative techniques work, some women get some relief from yoga, meditation, massage and other stress reducers.
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Avatar universal
Vulvodynia
Symptoms & causes
Diagnosis & treatment
Doctors & departments
Print
Overview
Vulvodynia (vul-voe-DIN-e-uh) is chronic pain or discomfort around the opening of your vagina (vulva) for which there's no identifiable cause and which lasts at least three months. The pain, burning or irritation associated with vulvodynia can make you so uncomfortable that sitting for long periods or having sex becomes unthinkable. The condition can last for months to years.

If you have vulvodynia, don't let the absence of visible signs or embarrassment about discussing the symptoms keep you from seeking help. Treatment options are available to lessen your discomfort. And your doctor might be able to determine a cause for your vulvar pain, so it's important to have an examination.

Symptoms

Vulva

The main vulvodynia symptom is pain in your genital area, which can be characterized as:
Burning
Soreness
Stinging
Rawness
Painful intercourse (dyspareunia)
Throbbing
Itching
Your pain might be constant or occasional. It might occur only when the sensitive area is touched (provoked). You might feel the pain in your entire vulvar area (generalized), or the pain might be localized to a certain area, such as the opening of your vagina (vestibule).
Vulvar tissue might look slightly inflamed or swollen. More often, your vulva appears normal.
A similar condition, vestibulodynia, causes pain only when pressure is applied to the area surrounding the entrance to your vagina.
When to see a doctor
Although women often don't mention vulvodynia to their doctors, the condition is fairly common.
If you have pain in your genital area, discuss it with your doctor or ask for a referral to a gynecologist. It's important to have your doctor rule out more easily treatable causes of vulvar pain — for instance, yeast or bacterial infections, herpes, precancerous skin conditions, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and medical problems such as diabetes.
It's also important not to repeatedly use over-the-counter treatments for yeast infections without seeing your doctor. Once your doctor has evaluated your symptoms, he or she can recommend treatments or ways to help you manage your pain.

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Causes
Doctors don't know what causes vulvodynia, but possible contributing factors include:
Injury to or irritation of the nerves surrounding your vulvar region
Past vaginal infections
Allergies or sensitive skin
Hormonal changes
Muscle spasm or weakness in the pelvic floor, which supports the uterus, bladder and bowel
Complications
Because it can be painful and frustrating and can keep you from wanting sex, vulvodynia can cause emotional problems. For example, fear of having sex can cause spasms in the muscles around your vagina (vaginismus). Other complications might include:
Anxiety
Depression
Sleep disturbances
Sexual dysfunction
Altered body image
Relationship problems
Decreased quality of life
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Avatar universal
I have a very similar thing! So good to hear I’m not the only one! Only difference for me is I started out having spontaneous orgasm type episodes in my sleep which caused me panic attacks so I went on a diazepam before bed to stop it. I also had a yeast infection which didn’t help. I have anxiety disorder and the throbbing makes me anxious even more which just aggravates everything. I take a lorazepam dissolvable tablet when it’s really bad and it seems to relieve it a little. Please note I’m a virgin who’s only technically masterbated maybe a couple times. Not sure why this is happening to me..
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Avatar universal
I have had the same feeling, for nearly two years now. mine happened straight after a UTI that I had (it was so bad I ended up in hospital) for months after I still had a feeling of a mild UTI, I went to the doctors so many times for a test and always came back negative.
since then it is a constant tingling/throbbing feeling in that area.
I have seen a urologist who has complete a cystoscopy to ensure it was not IC (it wasn't), she gave me endep (a very very mild antidepressant to help at night & a endep cream to use external on effected area (I found that both didn't help), she suggested physio of the pelvic floor which I did (probably too half assed and need to try hard again) and the next step is talking to a sex therapist as this is taking a huge toll on my relationship.
Also noted lots of people have mentioned anxiety - which I have far too much of, but the feeling is so real - so to say it's anxiety makes me feel like I am going crazy ?!

Has anyone experienced similar thing after a UTI ? I do feel reassured knowing I'm not the only one out there so thanks everyone else for opening up.
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1 Comments
Yes. Mine occurred after my 2nd severe UTI within 2 months and I have had the dull ache and throbbing for over a month. I am at my wits end with this and have no idea what to do. I have never had any issues with anxiety or experience with antidepressants. I am really struggling with this at the moment. If anyone can suggest possible solutions I would be beyond grateful.
Avatar universal
Lenozi--this is caused by pressure on the punedal nerve causing spasms. A good physical therapist (not a sports therapist, but someone who works the more natural way, like a craniosacral and general massage therapist) should be able to relieve the pressure on the nerve and fix it. This is what happened for mine. If your back is out of alignment or you have a herniated disk that can cause it too. Either way, freeing the pinched or swollen nerve will fix it.
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Avatar universal
Lenozi--this is caused by pressure on the punedal nerve causing spasms. A good physical therapist (not a sports therapist, but someone who works the more natural way, like a craniosacral and general massage therapist) should be able to relieve the pressure on the nerve and fix it. This is what happened for mine. If your back is out of alignment or you have a herniated disk that can cause it too. Either way, freeing the pinched or swollen nerve will fix it.
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Avatar universal
Oh my I can't even begin to feel your frustration having this that long. Mine only started a week ago and I can't even function. The only relief I have is the tub and a heating pad. If I can get to sleep it is eased in the morning which makes me wonder if it is anxiety... I too have been to the doc and if it's not something easily fixed they just send you home.. i read the while thread and will try some things on here thanks everyone for posting so I know I'm not alone in this.
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