Thank you for having a reply on this condition! I have had 5 pelvic exams in about 4 months and finally on the fifth try, the doctor gave me an answer to my problems. The other doctors tried yeast infection medications and just told me to stop having sex for 2 weeks. I'm on an antidepressant called amitriptylin (elavil) now, and after 4 days, I'm already feeling a little better. Even though the antidepressant isn't a cure for the condition, it usually stops the pain after 6 months and it doesn't come back. I wish all doctors knew about this, because it is a really frightening feeling to not know what is wrong, and to think it might last forever. I don't want anyone to have to worry for as long as I did. Thanks again!

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Alice,

Thank you so much for writing about vulvodynia and vulvar vestibulitis! I've experienced vaginal pain ever since the age of 13, and have just been correctly diagnosed with VVS now at the age of 20. Doctors kept telling me it was all in my head, prescribed yeast creams when I had no infection, told me to "stretch out", and even suggested it was my hatred for my very kind, understanding sexual partner manifesting as pain!

Thankfully, I called around and found a doctor who is experienced, and just one week ago had a surgery called a vestibulectomy, in which the hymen and attached skin is removed and the internal vaginal tube advanced and sewn outside to cover the defect. The cure rates are good, around 90%, and I feel confident this is the solution I've been looking for. Please keep doing what you are to get people aware, and to assure women suffering that there is treatment. Rock on!

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To the reader:

I was diagnosed with vestibulitis. Great, I had a diagnosis. Now, what to do! I kept surfing the net and reading. I finally saw some interesting information on physical therapy.

Turns out my muscles were too strong. In fact my pelvic muscles were spasming because they were too tight. The pain around the vestibule was lactic acid build up. You just gotta work out the "crinklies" by rubbing them out. Like a sore muscles. The awesome physical therapist told me that the muscles along my pelvic floor which contain my vagina, urethra and my anus — were contracted and I had knots in my muscles like you get anywhere else but down there it has a greater pain effect because of all the stuff down there.

She used her hands to go inside my vagina and work out the muscles down there. It hurt like hell when she was doing it but it worked. I felt results in about 4 sessions. I haven't been back. I should probably keep going semi-regularly just to keep my body stretched but the pain went away and I stopped. Check out physical therapy resources in your area for people who specialize in pelvic floor disorders. Get yourself an anatomy book and take a look at the muscles so you can understand what I'm talking about yourself. Hope that helps.