His and Her Health

This is some what of my last hope.

I am a very healthy 21 year old girl, I do not do drugs, I eat very healthy and I am very active with running and going to the gym.

I have never had any complications on any kind of birthcontrol before.
I was on Nuvaring for 2 months when I could not stand the pain I would get when having sex. My entire vagina felt like it was a gigantic wound being riped open ever time. I called my OBGYN and she told me to take out the ring and lay off sex for two weeks and see what happens. I did this, when two weeks was up I had sex and everything seemed okay. A few days later when I tried again, the pain was back. It is about half as bad as when I was actually on the nuvaring, but the pain is constistant. It never gets any better. I have been birth control free for over 3 months now. Every single time I have sex, I have to stop because I can not take the pain any longer. I have never felt this pain before in my life. I almost forgot to mention, I can pin-point the pain. It is deep in my vagina and it is on my left side. That is where it is the worst. The pain is like a stabbing or ripping open a fresh cut. Even after attempted intercourse, the pain lingers for hours. As I look on other blogs and forums, so many other people have written the same thing. Some say this pain has been happening 3 years after not using the ring.
I have tried using lube-condoms ect.
I know there is simply something very very wrong with this. Im scared it will be too late till I find the answer and I am perminatly damaged.

My OBGYN is stumped. She said she never heard of this pain and no one has complained of this side effect to her. I simply feel I can bare this pain no longer.

I had intervaginal and pelvic ultrasounds and it came back with nothing wrong.
I was tested for STD's and it came back with none.
I had my blood taken and everything is fine.

I just want a solution. I want to know what is wrong and what I can do to make this pain go away. I am so worried that it never will... Does anyone have an answer to this.. has ANYONE found the solution?!?!

Can you please help me?

Here is a link to an article by Dr. Andrew Goldstein(Medical Director of Ourgyn.com.) It may give you some answers. Please browse the website for other information. www.ourgyn.com/content/index.php?option=...;id=90&Itemid=73

Hello-

I know ExACTLY what your going through..or went through.. I am having exactly the same issue after that stupid ring!!! ive been to 4 ob/gyns, a gyn/oncologist, a urologist, and 2PCP's. all u/s and mri/bw/ cultures normal. .. the doctor is now recommending a nuclear BONE SCAN in case of infection in the bone??? How did you remedy this problem?!?!?!?

good news and bad news.

Its vulvar vestibulitis. If they haven't diagnosed you with that or have mentioned it as a possibility that is because (BAD NEWS) it is not well know and there is no know "cure". regular OBGYN's do not know about this because it is rare. Look up the side effects and you will probably find you fit most of them. That is the good news, that at least you know what it is. If you have the same side effects as I do.

Since I have posted this I have learned a few things and have been doing my own research and am currently going through treatment for VV.

The pain was NOT deep inside the vagina. Actually it is exactly on the entrance and no where else. I thought it was deep inside because when I had sex thats what it felt like. My new gyno did an examination asking me where it hurt when she applied pressure to different areas inside, outside and the entrance of my vagina and thats what we found.

I have been going through this pain from the ring for almost a year now. I have been using Estrace cream (it is an estrogen hormone cream) on and off and it has helped A LOT. I am no where close to pain free but sex is bearable and sometimes it doesn't hurt at all. I'm hoping time will eventually make it go away completely but it has been sooo long already I've been losing hope.

What the ring basically did is completely screw up the hormones in the vagina. The nuva ring does NOT have VV as a possible side effect but the people reporting it, like myself, it getting greater on blogs. I am so angry that they would market something like this with something so terrible that could happen. I highly doubt ANYONE would take the ring if they knew something like this could happen. God knows I wouldn't have if I knew I would be stuck with pain like this.

I dont think they will find anything with a bone scan.. I never had on of those but try asking your OBGYN about Estrace cream and see what she says. I saw results from using it about 2 or 3 weeks afterwards. it seems like a long time but it could go on forever without using the cream. best of luck and let me know how it goes or if you find something else that works!!! (oh btw, I read that once you have VV that using any hormonal birth contol after that could flare it back up or make it worse. I have not went back on the pill or shot or anything since and it has gotten soooo much better but it is not gone. just keep that in mind.)

It is an extremely scarey condition. I dont know how long you've been dealing with this, Im sure I left out a LOT and you probably have plenty of questions. Feel free to ask and I hope this helps!!!

Hey, I have been having the exact same problem but at the opening of my vagina during intercourse, but also on the left side. I've been using it for a year, and the pain started a couple months ago, it even hurts when my boyfriend fingers me. I'm tired of it and decided to look it up and am getting freaked out at what I've been reading...and well I like to have sex and this is just not okay

google a pelvic pain specialist in your area. they can help you get rid of the pain. I went to one 2 months ago and I no longer have any pain because of the cream they gave me to use for a month. tell them you think you have vulvar vestibulitis. best of luck and I hope you get the help you need! let me know if it gets any better!! (or any more questions!)