Menstral Itching?

I haven't had this, but I suggest changing to organic, non-bleached tampons. It makes no sense to me to put bleached cotton internally so I changed a long time ago. Maybe you have developed some type of sensitivity to the mainstream bleached cotton. Good luck.

I really think that you should see your GYN. It could be an infection - but the symptoms only manifest when your bleeding. But it could also be a whole host of other things. I'm a big believer in the adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Why wait until the symptoms get worse? The worst thing that can happen is the doctor will tell you that you're fine and you'll have peace of mind.

For myself, I had problems with my period for over a year and the doctors at "Group Death" totally brushed me off, gave me birth control pills, etc., but didn't take my complaints seriously at all. I switched health insurance companies so I could find my own doctors. Today I found out that I really DID have a problem and am going to need a hysterectomy. (I'm 35.) So I'm a big advocate of seeking medical assistance and being aggressive over being taken seriously when things aren't normal.

Hi L.,

In many cases it's a reaction to the chemicals in tampons or pads and many women also notice not only a skin reaction, but an increase in PMS symptoms and a feeling of things being out of balance. My best advice is to switch to the Diva Cup or use Sea Sponge Tampons. These are completely chemical free and you can clean them and assure yourself that these items are clean before use.

Did you know...

Tampons have been linked to chronic and recurrent vaginitis?

Plastic tampon applicators have sharp edges that can lacerate the vaginal wall when you insert them?

Every brand of tampon has been found to cause dryness and even tiny ulcers?

"Sanitary products" can be placed on the shelves for your purchase without passing any kind of safety or efficacy tests?

This information along with a lot of other facts are written about on www.fresh-moon.com in their article The Period Predicament(http://www.fresh-moon.com/period-predicament-t-4.html).

I sell the Diva Cup, Cloth Menstrual Pads, Cloth breast pads, Sea Sponge tampons and have personally noticed a huge overall improvement of comfort, balance and a dramatic reduction of PMS Symptoms. Many customers have also written and told me about how much relief they have experienced by making the switch.

Your last remark made me think that perhaps you are cutting yourself every time you insert the tampons and that the itching is your body's reaction and attempt to heal while dealing with a foreign body and chemicals.

You can see all the products on my website http://www.punkinbutt.com/just-mama-cloth-c-61269_61294.html

Click on Mama Cloth Accessories to see the Diva Cup. I only sell the cups for after childbirth or over 30 women since that is my client base. But I can order the others if ever necessary. You can find all of these products at many of the natural food stores like Whole Foods. I am also happy to show you how they work and let you look at them out of the package and go over the pros and cons of each one.

Sincerely,
A.
www.punkinbutt.com

I agree with Julie about seeing a doctor and about being assertive in order to get good care. I too have had the experience of being told my problem was emotional ie: my mentrual pain was caused by my poor relationship with my father. This was 45 years ago when medicine didn't know much about endometriosis. I found an ob/gyn who said that he didn't know what was causing the pain but he knew it was real and would help me deal with it. It took years to find out the source (because medicine hadn't caught up on endometriosis) but I felt OK about it because this doctor was empathetic and reassured me that my pain wasn't "in my head." He prescribed something that helped.

The mirena IUD could be at least part of the reason for your increased irritability. PMS is a hormone issue. So it could also be thr result of changes in your body. There may be something that you can take to counteract the hormones' effects. I've seen a lot of new literature on treating PMS.

Wasn't much known about "female problems" 50 years ago. By the time medicine had found some answers and I was having an easier time I went had a hysterectomy. And getting thru menapause was a piece of cake in comparison to years of painful, excessive flow, irregular periods. Just a note to help you know that medicine does make advances and to not give up hope of help.

I also recommend that you try a different brand of tampons and be sure that they have no scent or extras to deal with odor. I have a lot of allergies and they show up with itching.

In my experience using a tampon when there was very little flow irritated my vagina. After the major flow I switched to panty liners. They are not as difficult as full size pads. Just stick them in your panties before putting them on. some are more absorbent then others. Different brands have different ways of sticking them. I preferred the sticky part on the underside of the pad. (no wings)

I recently saw an ad that showed their pads has having a different sort of wing arrangement. If I still had a period I would try them. They looked much easier to use and appeared to be more securely fastened to your panties before putting them on. I tried the style with just one wing on each side and also thought they were a hassle, always sticking to my clothes and/or coming unstuck from the panties. I bought panties with a plastic lined crotch for period days. In part because my periods were so heavy at times I leaked thru 2 tampons and a panty liner. They would also add security if you're concerned about the pad coming loose. You don't have to use the ones with wings that way.

I don't know if they make them anymore but I liked the sponge and the cervical cap. I bought them over the counter. Then when I stopped bc pills and switched to a diaphragm I was really pleased. The diaphragm holds the flow. The somewhat yucky part was removing it and dumping the blood in the toilet but it was worth it to not have to deal with the rest of the choices and there hassles. A positive was that I could have intercource, without a mess, during my period. I don't know if you could be fitted with one while using an IUD.

I hope you find a solution. I know itching and those messy pads are the pits!

I've been having a similar problem but it starts right when my period is easing up for a few days to a week. I never had this problem before giving birth, and it's been getting worse lately. In fact, this last month it was so bad, I went out and bought some Vagisil. I can only use pads (had a problem with Toxic Shock Syndrome) but the itching never starts until after I'm done with pads. I really feel like my skin is very dry and that my pH balance is off. I have my annual physical next month, and it's top on my list of things to talk about.

I have to say that I'm glad I'm not the only one out there. I never thought about it being a reaction to pads (I've used Always as long as I've had my period - since 1985). I'd love to hear what your doctor says. Please put an update after you talk to him/her. :-D

Hi L.,

I too think it is most likely related to the hormones in the mirena, or something in the tampons. When we menstruate, our hormones are peaking and your body may be telling you that it is just too much progesterone for you. I have tried just about every form of birth control out there, and I prefer a copper IUD. It does not have hormones, the copper wire wrapped around the plastic IUD keeps your eggs from implanting. It is used in most other developed countries with great success because it is safe and it works. The doctor office will try to talk you into the mirena because they get a bonus from the drug company that sells them every time they put one in. And that isn't the case with the copper one. I had a friend just try to go in and get one and they tried their hardest to get her to put in a mirena and even tried scare tactics telling her there is danger of uterus perforation, heavier bleeding and cramping, etc. Well there is always the rist of uterus perforation with ANY IUD, but only if the person putting it in has no idea what they are doing. I would highly recommend trying the copper one if you you like the IUD, but don't like the idea of bombarding your body with synthetic hormones made from horse urine!

As for the tampons, I am a tampon woman too. I am right with you on the pad thing, yuk! I do have to go down to pantiliners for the last couple of days of my period because it is so light and keeping a single tampon in for that many hours is not only not advised, but makes me crampy after a while. I use the 7th generation tampons as they don't have any bleached cotton in them, as most other ones do. I believe our bodies are out temples and we should keep as many chemicals (including drugs) out and away from them as we can. But thank god for tampons. Can you imagine not having them? I can't imagine having to use cloth rags like in the old days. If I could take one thing to a deserted island, it would be tampons lol.

One other thing worth mentioning is yeast infections. I know it is only on your cycle that this happens, but do you happen to consume more sugar while you are menstruating? Some women tend to eat a lot of chocolate or sugar when they are on their periods so the problem could be dietary issue as well. Try avoiding sugar, taking a probiotic, or eating a good quality yougart without high fructose corn syrup. Mountain high makes a wonderful vanilla and strawberry yougart with all natural sugars in it. Don't get drawn into the lowfat yogurt, full fat is much better for you. The fat in the yogurt will carry the little bit of sugar through your system instead of storing it. I know it is tempting to think low fat, but sugar, well actually insulin is what makes us store fat. Without insulin, our livers process fat and our bodies use the fat the way our bodies are meant to.

Good luck and I hope you find relief soon. God Bless

You could have a sensitivity or allergic reaction to the tampons. Some brands have a deodorant added or a fragrance and that could be causing the problem. Read the labels, change brands and see if that helps. 2nd Go see your ob-gyn and let them know what you're experiencing. When was your last pap? Have your doctor check you out. 3rd While you're at the dr's tell them about your extreme PMS. Yes it probably is hormone related, but there are ways to lessen the impact of those hormonal surges. Above all, don't scratch the itch, you could break the skin and then be susceptible to an infection.
Take good care and make that dr's appt.!!!

I had this problem too! I talked to my midwife about it and she said that in my case she really had no idea what was causing it and that sometimes the "cure" of figuring out the cause and trying different things were worst than the itching. Anyway, for an entirely different reason I switched over to using the "diva cup" which is a silicone cup that you reuse (washing in between insertions) instead of tampons--I just did this about 4 months ago and my itching has gone away. I hadn't put this together (which seems sort of dumb now!). But, I was just commenting to my husband that the mystery itch that has been around for years has gone away--I think it's probably because of the diva cup--I have to say that I love it--I never get that terrible dry feeling that I got from tampons--and I have and IUD and a heavy flow and it never ever leaks which is also amazing--look into the diva cup online and maybe see if that doesn't help you.

I had this for months and it was in fact a yeast infection even though I had no other symptoms. I took 1 treatment and it was gone.

I realize that you've done a ton of research and I hope that you are able to resolve this problem on your own, but I agree with Julie, Marda and Jerri. Go see your doctor and be very open. Write down your experiences, exactly what you use, how long you wear each tampon, etc. Explain your discomfort and why it's a problem. Don't let him/her brush you off, since this is a valid concern. It could be PID, yeast infection, TSS, allergies, cysts that are aggravated during your period.

Do you use tampons at night, too? If so, switch to pads (with wings, no fragrance) and see if this changes how you feel during the day when using tampons.

Try switching to just pads during your next period (I know how hard this will be, I'm a tampon user, too, but just do it for one period). If you still experience dryness, then it probably isn't related to the tampons in particular and is something you need to investigate further.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that it's an easy fix.

I would go see your gyn, it is always possible even though it's only during your period that it's an infection. See Dr. Ilana Gurvich, she's a great gyn, the only woman I'll go see for these sensitive issues. Her number is: ###-###-####

You MAY have Candida that is only activated during your menstrual cycle. Try laying off sugar and increasing your probiotics (friendly bacteria) for a week before your period and see if you're any better. I often have Candida problems just before and during my period. I stave it off with Dr. Ohira's Probiotics which I get from Super Supplements.

My only guess is dryness due to the tampon use. Normally, you would have some amount of discharge lubricating the whole area somewhat. Constant tampon use over those days prevents any moisture. Maybe try some kind of lotion or cream.

I have this problem, too! I found that I have a sensitivity to the absorbent material in pads, I used to think that I had a yeast infection, but it came every time I menstrated, so I stopped using the thin pads, but lately I've been having a problem with ALL products. (I cannot use nursing pads, either, which took me about 4 months in pain to realize, I thought that it was thrush.) I don't know if I'm allergic to my menstrual fluids or the product (tampons) and would like to try the diva cup. I had the Mirena and my periods stopped after 4 months, what a relief....but I had it removed because we are trying to get preggo again, and boy, do I miss it!! I never had irritability while on the Mirena, but PMS made a rampant comeback after it was removed.
Good luck!!