I have been reviewing lyme & co-infection symptom lists. I keep noticing that testicular pain is mentioned for men as a symptom of lyme.
My question is - do women have genital issues associated with lyme other than irregular menstrual cycles?
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
oh yes. Some women suffer from vulvadyna (chronic vulvar pain), or pain during sex...
Posted by justchugginalong (Member # 23309) on :
Amanda... where is the pain? Is it only during sexual intercourse? Is the pains only on the outside of genital area?
I'm curious b/c I have electric shocks on my birth canal walls at times they are painful but, my gyn says everything looks perfect.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Electric shocks in general can be from Lyme.
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
the pain you are feeling could be from the pelvic floor muscles. Is it a sharp stabbing pain?
most gyns do not know how to check the pelvic floor muscles- this is done without the speculum... sometimes a urogyn might know how to check them.
as for the vulvodynia it varies from person to person...some only have provoked pain ,...some pain all the time.... some have pelvic floor involvement which affects the nerves thus causing vulvodynia.
it isnt a simple answer.
how long have you had the pain? Do you notice anytime that it is worse?
Posted by justchugginalong (Member # 23309) on :
Thanks! Nothing provokes it. The initial symptoms (painful perineal to anus) burning in July through August. This came with all the other onset of symptoms.
Now, it's the birth canal walls. Nothing out of the ordinary causes it. It happens every now and then. It is painful. Sometimes it feels like something is biting me in there
Other times, it is like a shock to a section of the walls. Much like the shocks I get in other places of my body.
I guess it is more painful b/c of location. I was mostly curious if women had genital problems from lyme. Because, if so, they sure don't mention much on symptoms listings.
Hey, Thanks Again!
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
I had sharp stabbing ovary pain for years. Knock on
wood, I have not had any since starting treatment.
Posted by j_liz (Member # 20496) on :
I have vulvodynia. Mine feels like I am swollen inside and out, and feels like I am on the verge of orgasm frequently. Very uncomfortable.
I think it extends to behind the vulva, too. There I feel a pulling and hurting sensation. I wonder about my anus, because I blame the pain there on UC, but since I have symptoms from front to back it leaves me wondering.
liz
PS Lidocaine 5% and gabapentin 6% cream really helps my vulvodynia symptoms.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- My opinion, and from what I've read, it seems that vulvodynia can caused by any number of stealth infections (lyme is just one of those. Chlamydia t. or HPV can be among other causes). In addition to the actual action of infection causing irritation, the resultant nerve damage is what I think causes so much pain in this tender area.
There are many things that can cause or contribute and individual cases can vary, of course. But, for myself, this is just what I sensed as it got so much better with andrographis.
Injuries can also cause vulvodynia. I had hundreds of drop seizures - just dropping, seating, suddenly to the ground. Such things can cause lots of damage that may not show up right away.
I had burning vulvodynia - along with burning mouth. For years. Finally, a gyn suggested that I needed bio-identical hormones as I'd gone through early menopause years ago and burning mouth and burning vulvodynia can be one sign of deficient hormones.
Well, that helped tremendously at first - topical application of an ointment. But it did not help enough and I have problems with the petroleum products in even the bio-identical hormones that insurance covers (I could not afford the olive oil hormone gel from a compounding pharmacy).
A different gel, Calendula was helpful for as long as it would last and then the burning came back. Still, that saved my life, the pain was that bad. My ND suggested this:
But, what really helped the cause seemed to be andrographis - just by chance - I'd not intended it for this purpose at all but I had just started the Buhner protocol. Starting only with andrographis as first, androgrphis helped my mouth within a week or two but it took months to help decrease the vulvodynia.
So, andrographis is a consideration for something that may be of help - from my anecdotal report.
I just posted the details of how I used andrographis at this other thread (but is was only when I got up to the full dose that the vulvodynia greatly decreased. Research links are here, too:
Topic: Cracked, Sore, Bump Tongue and Bactrim effects?
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[ 01-28-2010, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
Keebler- Do you have any ideas on why the andrographis helped with the vulvodynia?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- It seems to address infection, as evidenced by it clearing up my mouth so well (and the research on it supports that, too).
I really think, in my case, vulvodynia was from a stealth infection affecting nerves, like a neuropathy. Maybe from lyme, maybe from something else (I have several stealth infection dx).
Andrographis is also very good at reducing inflammation (thereby, decreasing pain from inflammation). It also acts as a pain reducer to the nervous system.
This is off the subject, but andrographis is also the very best anti-seizure method I've ever used. It does make me sleepy, though. But, for now, it is a life-saver in many ways.
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Here's another link with more detail (but it's best to also read Buhner's book) :
Many compounds do not penetrate the blood-brain barrier. However, andrographolide does so and concentrates in the brain and particularly in the spinal cord. (7).
Several studies have shown that AP products have a sedative effect. In mice given barbital as anesthesia, the animals became sedated more quickly and the anesthesia lasted longer.
Also, it was possible to give less of the anesthesia if it was given along with AP. (19). The studies indicate that AP products may act at the barbital receptors in the brain.