His and Her Health

I've been experiencing symptoms for several months now: mild burning and general vaginal discomfort- also some false urgency in terms of urination, which made me think I had a UTI (which I don't). My doctor told me there was irritation in the vagina, but pap smear and culture were both normal- so what do I have?? I used an over the counter cream at the advice of my doctor, but it didn't help. Is it possible that a culture would miss certain STDs? <p>[This message has been edited by silver (edited 09 September 2004).]

Your symptoms could be consistent with infection, but they also could be consistent with "pelvic floor dysfunction"-tightening of the pelvic floor muscles, or possibly dysesthetic vulvodynia- please see the article on <A HREF="www.ourgyn.com" TARGET=_blank>www.ourgyn.com</A> about these two conditions. If you gynecologist is unable to make a diagnosis, then the empiric use of "creams" could be harmful. Consider consulting a vulvar specialist if your symptoms do not resolve.<P>------------------<BR>Andrew T. Goldstein<BR>Director, The Center For Vulvovaginal Disorders<BR><p>[Note: This message has been edited by NEWSHE Moderator]