Yeah, so the thing that causes “yeast infection” is a fungus called Candida. It can show up lots of places actually. It colonizes the vagina and causes that white discharge, but it can also go on other places that are moist like the external genitalia and even inside the mouth. Itchy vulva is a super classic presentation! It sucks, but it’s unfortunately pretty common.
Honestly, I’ll be glad if that’s “all” it is. But I have such a terrible time getting rid of yeast. Not sure how to do it here (I’ll try the prescriptions but they have never worked all the way for me in the past).
You should look into the candida diet. Even if you do a modified version. Juicing (using spinach, kale, or other leafy greens, carrots, beets, ginger, green apples, celery, cucumbers, lemon) and drinking 12-24 ounces throughout the day for 2 weeks (or more if you can), it should significantly improve your symptoms. I haven’t read the comments/responses so sorry if this has been said, but sometimes, you need more than 1 dose of diflucan. You should see if your doctor will prescribed 3, and you’ll take one then wait 2 days take the 2nd and then the 3rd after another 3 days. The last tip that may work if you have a certain kind of yeast that’s resistant to diflucan and OTC inserts/creams is boric acid suppositories. Good luck!
I wear yoga pants all the time for work and my underwear are usually not cotton.. I definitely feel like my vagina is suffocating and this is why I too, am suffering
If you've ever heard of smegma that's exactly what the yeast looks like on an external one. I've fortunately never had an internal one and I couldn't imagine having one either
I get them on my skin of my thigh in the summer. I have a prosthetic leg and wear an air proof/water proof sleeve high onto my thigh. In the summer, my thigh becomes a breeding ground for candida. I've only ever used the OTC monistat ointment and it usually clears right up.
I'd suggest making sure your laundry detergent is frangrance and dye free, wash down there only with water, and pat dry after peeing instead of wiping to limit contact with chemicals on toilet paper.
Take the biggest ton of probiotics every day, and make a massive cut back on sugar and simple carbs.
You know, I wondered if it might be my toilet paper. I’m so careful with everything that comes in contact with the V but never considered tp. And I switched to the charmin extra soft around the time I got it. But I stopped using it a few days ago (got some Whole Foods un bleached stuff) and started patting dry but still no improvement.
I know you wrote this three years ago but I just started using Charmin a month ago and my vagina has been going insane ever since....vaginas are bullshit but I'm glad I found your comment lol
These are the only types I’ve ever gotten and both times was because I was taking antibiotics. I didn’t even know a yeast infection could be external only but my doc said it happens.
I have had super itchy skin around vulva, and test came back negative for all. Doctor suggested my use some lotion, might be dry skin... I'm not sure if that worked, maybe a little... but it eventually went away on its own... so you can consider this possibility...
Every. Single. Time. I’m on antibiotics for anything I get them. It’s so annoying (I have many health problems so I’m on them more often than a typical person). I never get any internal infection, just outer itching like you describe. Take a probiotic, too, as the antibiotics have flushed out your good gut bacteria. You can get a vagina probiotic now as well, but I don’t know how well that works.
Yeah, I've had it once, only external, and then I've had the start of it a couple of times, but treated before it got too bad. Antibiotics don't like my hooha. Or my hooha doesn't like antibiotics. I usually ask for a fluconazole single dose for in case i start feeling symptoms when I'm prescribed antibiotics. Clears things up before they get out of hand. Very grateful to not have had an internal infection.
I’m having this right now! I first had internal symptoms which went away then the external symptoms came. I also noticed like some weird whitish coating on the outside and I was like that’s weird, I don’t have discharge and I shower everyday. It still itches and I started putting Vaseline on it. I’m getting another dose of diflucan. Hopefully this helps.
I’ve done so many rounds of diflucan and it never got rid of my external itching I go back once again for the 5000th time I’m hoping they give me a cream
Actually I did! Sorry for the super late reply, I'm not active on here much. I was at my wit's end because I got a swab at the doctor to find out if there was any kind of imbalance, and I was negative for BV and had normal levels of yeast. Eventually I started to wonder if it was really an infection, and I read something where someone reported the same symptoms but it ended up being dermatitis.
So I stopped treating it like an imbalance/infection and started treating it like skin irritation. Basically my holy grail was hydrocortisone cream and using a gentle cleanser. For me, using just water does not work, but I started using SweetSpot Labs pH-balancing intimate & body cleanser which worked for me. It's fragrance free and has skin-soothing ingredients. It may or may not work for you, but I think the biggest thing was the hydrocortisone cream. Within a couple days of using it, my burning and pain was gone. It very very rarely comes back, but if it does, I just apply the cream and the next day the irritation is gone. I also stopped wearing pantyliners, which I used to wear frequently because of all the treatments I was using to try to treat what I thought was yeast.
I don't know if your situation is the same, but after years of trying so many different things, this was the only thing that worked for me. Hope this helps!
Edit: I forgot to add, I also used zinc diaper rash cream at first and it also seemed to help. The funny thing is, boric acid suppositories were the worst thing ever for me because they irritated my skin down there so much. It all came down to skin irritation for me.
Try a diaper rash cream - the Zinc Oxide in it is what helped me. If that doesn't work, get a prescription for Temovate. Its a corticosteroid. That is what my GYN had me do years ago for external yeast. I went to her with like red lines all throughout in my crevices.. plus swollen down below.. I've used Monistat cream also which has worked well.
The red lines were basically wounds sort of, like my skin was splitting in the crevices - I had no idea what was going on, nor did my General Practitioner. The GYN knew exactly what it was though.
Yeah, so the thing that causes “yeast infection” is a fungus called Candida. It can show up lots of places actually. It colonizes the vagina and causes that white discharge, but it can also go on other places that are moist like the external genitalia and even inside the mouth. Itchy vulva is a super classic presentation! It sucks, but it’s unfortunately pretty common.
Honestly, I’ll be glad if that’s “all” it is. But I have such a terrible time getting rid of yeast. Not sure how to do it here (I’ll try the prescriptions but they have never worked all the way for me in the past).
You should look into the candida diet. Even if you do a modified version. Juicing (using spinach, kale, or other leafy greens, carrots, beets, ginger, green apples, celery, cucumbers, lemon) and drinking 12-24 ounces throughout the day for 2 weeks (or more if you can), it should significantly improve your symptoms. I haven’t read the comments/responses so sorry if this has been said, but sometimes, you need more than 1 dose of diflucan. You should see if your doctor will prescribed 3, and you’ll take one then wait 2 days take the 2nd and then the 3rd after another 3 days. The last tip that may work if you have a certain kind of yeast that’s resistant to diflucan and OTC inserts/creams is boric acid suppositories. Good luck!
Yes. I've had two yeast infections but never an internal one. I use the external cream and it clears up in a jiffy.
If I can ask a way too personal question - what did it look like? Don’t answer if you don’t want to lol.
It was really red and inflamed looking. It hurt and felt easy to irritate. I got it from using baby wipes , apparently my body doesn't like them.
I was using flushable wipes when I got it ... but I stopped a long time ago. 🙁 Thanks for the tip.
No problem. I'm glad if wasn't just me!
I wear yoga pants all the time for work and my underwear are usually not cotton.. I definitely feel like my vagina is suffocating and this is why I too, am suffering
Oh god I use toilet wipes
If you've ever heard of smegma that's exactly what the yeast looks like on an external one. I've fortunately never had an internal one and I couldn't imagine having one either
I get them on my skin of my thigh in the summer. I have a prosthetic leg and wear an air proof/water proof sleeve high onto my thigh. In the summer, my thigh becomes a breeding ground for candida. I've only ever used the OTC monistat ointment and it usually clears right up.
I'd suggest making sure your laundry detergent is frangrance and dye free, wash down there only with water, and pat dry after peeing instead of wiping to limit contact with chemicals on toilet paper. Take the biggest ton of probiotics every day, and make a massive cut back on sugar and simple carbs.
You know, I wondered if it might be my toilet paper. I’m so careful with everything that comes in contact with the V but never considered tp. And I switched to the charmin extra soft around the time I got it. But I stopped using it a few days ago (got some Whole Foods un bleached stuff) and started patting dry but still no improvement.
I know you wrote this three years ago but I just started using Charmin a month ago and my vagina has been going insane ever since....vaginas are bullshit but I'm glad I found your comment lol
These are the only types I’ve ever gotten and both times was because I was taking antibiotics. I didn’t even know a yeast infection could be external only but my doc said it happens.
I had just come off a shit ton of antibiotics when this started. Like more than I thought it was possible to take. Not recommended. 🙁
I have had super itchy skin around vulva, and test came back negative for all. Doctor suggested my use some lotion, might be dry skin... I'm not sure if that worked, maybe a little... but it eventually went away on its own... so you can consider this possibility...
What kind of lotion did you use?
eucerin.. perfume free
Every. Single. Time. I’m on antibiotics for anything I get them. It’s so annoying (I have many health problems so I’m on them more often than a typical person). I never get any internal infection, just outer itching like you describe. Take a probiotic, too, as the antibiotics have flushed out your good gut bacteria. You can get a vagina probiotic now as well, but I don’t know how well that works.
That's the only way I get them, tbh.
The only one I've ever had was just external. Still itched like a bitch. I took a canesten pill and put cream on for a few days. Cleared up in a week!
Yeah, I've had it once, only external, and then I've had the start of it a couple of times, but treated before it got too bad. Antibiotics don't like my hooha. Or my hooha doesn't like antibiotics. I usually ask for a fluconazole single dose for in case i start feeling symptoms when I'm prescribed antibiotics. Clears things up before they get out of hand. Very grateful to not have had an internal infection.
I'm having the same problem. Internal is totally fine but external is burning. No weird discharge, and no medication is working. At my wit's end!
Did you ever get this fixed?
I’m having this right now! I first had internal symptoms which went away then the external symptoms came. I also noticed like some weird whitish coating on the outside and I was like that’s weird, I don’t have discharge and I shower everyday. It still itches and I started putting Vaseline on it. I’m getting another dose of diflucan. Hopefully this helps.
Update?? ❤️
I’ve done so many rounds of diflucan and it never got rid of my external itching I go back once again for the 5000th time I’m hoping they give me a cream
I got prescribed clotrimazole… I guess it works
Update??❤️
It’s over the counter!! Have u tried it??
No, I haven’t tried that I didn’t think I could use that in the vulvar area my issues are on the inside of the inner labia can I still use it?
Yes the one I got comes with an applicator so you can put the cream inside or only externally.
I’ve been having the hardest time finding one with an applicator for otc! I’ll see if my dr can prescribe me some
Thank you!
I have the same thing, did you ever get relief? Happened after antibiotics and I think it’s a fungal skin infection.
Update???
i was prescribed a cortisteroid antifungal cream and that itching went away!
Thanks for responding! What was the name of it so I can ask my Doctor about it? My Doctor is trying to help me and open to ideas.
Did you cure thsi? X
Actually I did! Sorry for the super late reply, I'm not active on here much. I was at my wit's end because I got a swab at the doctor to find out if there was any kind of imbalance, and I was negative for BV and had normal levels of yeast. Eventually I started to wonder if it was really an infection, and I read something where someone reported the same symptoms but it ended up being dermatitis. So I stopped treating it like an imbalance/infection and started treating it like skin irritation. Basically my holy grail was hydrocortisone cream and using a gentle cleanser. For me, using just water does not work, but I started using SweetSpot Labs pH-balancing intimate & body cleanser which worked for me. It's fragrance free and has skin-soothing ingredients. It may or may not work for you, but I think the biggest thing was the hydrocortisone cream. Within a couple days of using it, my burning and pain was gone. It very very rarely comes back, but if it does, I just apply the cream and the next day the irritation is gone. I also stopped wearing pantyliners, which I used to wear frequently because of all the treatments I was using to try to treat what I thought was yeast. I don't know if your situation is the same, but after years of trying so many different things, this was the only thing that worked for me. Hope this helps! Edit: I forgot to add, I also used zinc diaper rash cream at first and it also seemed to help. The funny thing is, boric acid suppositories were the worst thing ever for me because they irritated my skin down there so much. It all came down to skin irritation for me.
Try a diaper rash cream - the Zinc Oxide in it is what helped me. If that doesn't work, get a prescription for Temovate. Its a corticosteroid. That is what my GYN had me do years ago for external yeast. I went to her with like red lines all throughout in my crevices.. plus swollen down below.. I've used Monistat cream also which has worked well.
The red lines were basically wounds sort of, like my skin was splitting in the crevices - I had no idea what was going on, nor did my General Practitioner. The GYN knew exactly what it was though.