His and Her Health

Do people find that if they have VVS, that they get pain and swelling/inflammation after sex?

1) If I masturbate with a small sex toy, even for just a few minutes I will notice that I'm a tad sore, and that sitting can be a little uncomfortable.

2) Sex (with xylocaine, and still there is discomfort, and later pain as it wears off) will leave me swollen, with a red vulva, and I will be sore for about a week or so after sex.

Does anyone else get this? I wonder that with the increase of nerve fibers, that when they are irritated by friction that they cause an inflammatory reaction.

Thank you! Lyndi

Hi Lyndi: I have the same problem. After sex, I'm sore, swollen, have stinging and pain for days, weeks or sometimes longer afterwards. I'm not sure it's even worth it to have sex anymore.

Mmm, I'm surprised no one else is having this problem. I see my Canadian Gyne at the end of October, I'm going to try to get her to write a letter to our health minister so I can get funding for an American surgery

I'm also sore after sex, well actually I can't have sex anymore due to the pain.

But my pain or soreness after sex used to last for about 24h.

But I never checked if the vulva was red after sex.

Hope this was of any help?

Hi LyndiCan,

Oh yes indeedy is it burning, stinging and otherwise sore after sex for me, too! Although I will say I'd never tried xylocaine before. Lidacane (sp?) didn't do much for me. I've always used a TON of topical lubrication.

It also really, really stings (enough to make me whimper) going pee after sex, so I've learned to try and go beforehand.

Tip: It helped lessen the "after-pain" for me if both my man and I had just bathed our own private area within an hour of sex.

Take care,
Colleen

Irritated nerve fibers can cause inflammation. It sounds like the muscles could be involved if you have pain and soreness for a while after sexual activity. You can get redness and swelling from muscle, skin and nerve irritation. I would seek a specialist: nva.org, pelvicpain.org, ichelp.org., apta/women'shealth.

Thank you so much Amy (and everyone). That is really helpful!!

Hi Lyndi,

I've also had a similar problem with pain/swelling after intercourse. Good news! I've found that the pain can be diminished in intensity and duration by doing a couple things.

The first may or may not apply to you but I'll add it here just in case. I've found that my muscles tighten up when I'm anticipating the pain of intercourse and so it really helps to do some massages on a regular basis. I start with loosening up my glutes by taking a tennis ball and putting it between my glutes and a wall. I roll it back and forth over the muscles (mine are sore where they are tight so it helps to know where to massage) for about 20 minutes.

I also work on the muscles right inside my vagina (mine are the tightest on the right but you'll feel where you need to work). I do this every day and it makes penetration much more pleasant (and the aftermath not so painful!)

Other than that, I use a natural(emphasis on natural) lubricant: Yes Organic Personal Lubricant or coconut oil. I think you can find both in a local health store (especially the coconut oil). I've also heard of people using olive oil but I'm just not ok with the smell (reminds me of stir-fry).

I also make sure that if I'm having sex, we do a lot of foreplay before it. We usually use fingers/small toys to get me ready for actual penetration. Usually starting out small doesn't hurt so much and you won't tense up your muscles.

Afterwards, I always always wash with warm water, put on cotton underwear, and try not to sit for long periods of time (I usually lay).

Together, this has really diminished my pain and has made sex enjoyable again. If you want more information like this, go to vulvarvestibulitisrelief.com/dealingwithpainduringintercourse You can also find information about how to limit the negative effects Vulvar Vestibulitis on your relationship by reading the article vulvarvestibulitisrelief.com/sexandvulvarvestibulitis Hope this helps! Good luck with everything.

vulvarvestibulitisrelief.com]Alex[/url]

It seems to be one of the side effects. Here is a link to an article with information on VVS. Also you may want to browse our website. www.ourgyn.com/content/index.php?option=...;id=18&Itemid=73

Dear Lyndi:
Swelling and pain post intercourse or post insertion of anything can lead to swelling and pain if you have VVS. There are specific things that you need to do to prevent this and protect yourself from having a worsening situation or flare. I would be happy to discuss this with you further and you can also get addition information from the website www.NVA.org or www.bermansexualhealth.com .Best regards and there is hope for your situation.
Jennifer R. Berman, MD