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Posted 12/14/2010 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
Women I have been experiencing painful sex and I'm feeling that it may be related to my fibro. The only way that I will know for sure is if any of you have felt this same pain...
The vagina expands when highly aroused. This is when I feel pain, only when the vagina expands. I feel a sharp stabbing pain shooting up into my cervix. The only way to make it stop is to relax those muscles aka stop with with any sexual activity so that I am not at all aroused. I have found that if I become aroused when asleep I don't feel this pain. I believe that is because during sleep I am relaxed but if I wake it becomes painful. I have been trying to find a name for this type of pain and I can't seem to find anything. Am afraid that this pain is caused by my fibromyalgia. I don't know what to do, any information will help.
Thank you,
~Laura
Posted 12/14/2010 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
It sounds like it's related to Fibro because I've had the same thing happen to me also. But you should see your DR. just to make sure.

 

HARA

Posted 12/14/2010 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
My gynie told me it was due to the thinning walls inside due to lack of estrogen. I refused to us ethe premerain, If everyone saw what they did to those poor mares and foals (that is how the stuff is made) NO ONE woulod use it.

Sex hurts me also.
Posted 12/14/2010 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
I use to get a similar pain, but after sex it would go away. But then I was really relaxed. Does it hurt too much to try to have sex through the pain? It may change while you are having sex. If it hurts too much, yes, see a doctor. Do you use any kind of lotions, or ky jelly? That might help. Just offering advice. Not sure what I am talking about. Not sure if you ache too much so you don't do it or if you ache too much when you do it. Touchy topic, I guess.

I hope that this gets resolved. Especially if it is imiportant to your relationship.

Best wishes,

Hugs, Karen
Posted 12/14/2010 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you both,
I have a fibro dr apt tomorrow so I will ask him. I know that I'm clean of STDs
I do have low estrogen so that would make sense. Thanks for the heads up about the meds I wouldn't use that ether but I do take estrogen it just isn't balanced yet.
~Laura
Posted 12/14/2010 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Laura,

I too have had pain with sex. At first it was thought to be due to a uterine fibroid and then it was determined that I have myofascial pain in my lower left abdomen and that is causing the pain. They thought there may have also been a component of pelvic floor issues, but I learned some areas where the trigger points could be and massage them out. I know that has helped for me. It's crazy how referred pain works! Sometimes it's just an issue with the muscles being so tight and our bodies being so crazy.

On a different note, I saw that you have vocal cord disfunction. Can I ask you about that? I was recently diagnosed with vocal cord paresis and they think a lot of it has to do with the muscles in my upper back and neck being so tight that they are beginning to clamp around my vocal cords/throat. Just still trying to connect the different pieces and you're the first person I've seen that perhaps may have a similar issue.

Hope the appointment with the Dr. went well and they are able to offer some helpful suggestions!
Posted 12/15/2010 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
Yah so I missed my fibro dr... :( Not happy about that but I do see my Oybgn Thur.
It hurts too much to try but like I said before it's strange because the pains not nessarly when I'm in the act of having sex but when I'm really aroused. So lube doesn't really matter. That's why I think it is caused by the stretching of the cervix because that also only happens when a woman is very aroused. I'm fustrad as being intimate is a fairly big part of any young relationship. I don't want to fear sex or have my partner worry that he is hurting me. This Is SO unfair!!! I will talk to my dr but so far I have heard about the dilators (wich are really expencive) and the pressure points (thanks Frankey). I'll let you know Thursday.
Frankey,
So Vocal Cord Disfunction VCD is caused by acid reflux burring out your vocal cords until they disfunction... when you have acid reflux the acid goes up your throat and your vocal cord shut to stop the acid from continuing up. The problem with that is if you have chronic acid your vocal cords get burnt and damaged. So now when I get really emotion that is what triggers the attack. My vocal cords spasm. It is extremely painful and I can't breath. I make a wheezing noise that sounds the same as asthma. If this continues it will lead to me passing out from lack of air but when I pass out all my muscles will relax including my vocal cords so that I can breath again. All in all it is very painful and scary. I actually just found out this week that you can get this same condition in other parts of the body including the pelvic floor wich is called vaginismus. I don't know what would tigger that because it isn't caused by stomach acid :P. You are the fist person I have found that has some sort of vocal cord disfunction like my own so I'm happy to have met you. It can be challenging living with this because I tend to have about one serious attack a year and it is important for me to have someone around that knows I just need to calm down and I will be fine. As I'm sure you know people tend to freak when you stop breathing and turn blue. I hope this helped let me know if you have any questions and don't be afraid to ask my anything.
I hope you get that figured out,
~Laura
Posted 12/15/2010 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Laura,

So crazy that you mentioned vaginismus. I just recently heard of it. I was watching MTV True Life, I'm not sure if you ever watch it but this one was called "I Can't Have Sex". It was three young women who had terrible pain with sex. I learned about the dilators there too. Anyway, you may find it interesting to watch as well. Good luck with the obgyn! And I want you to know that I understand exactly how you're feeling about not being able to be intimate and what an important piece it is in young relationships. My husabnd and I got married a year ago. We met when I was 24 and I had just been diagnosed. The sex didn't become painful until about 2 years ago, around the time of our engagement. Sometimes it does seem like an essential piece of our relationship is missing. We certainly have not had a "honeymoon" period this past year and the times I do muster up the courage to deal with the sex he can tell how much it hurts. You're absolutely right, it's not fair and it sucks. Hopefully something will help you find relief. The pressure point that the Physical Therapist identified for me really made a difference and learning to just relax the muscles. So often we don't realize how tight all of our muscles have become.

As far as the VCD, I don't have that. At my scope a few months ago the Dr. said there was very little evidence of acid reflux which I was shocked by because I 100% thought that was the problem. I'm sorry that you have such a severe problem with the reflux. I'm sure it is so scary to experience the vocal cord spasms. I've only read of a few other people with Fibro who describe problems like me with the muscles tightening around their throat, but it kind of makes sense. If it's happening all throughout the rest of my body, why not there too. Sucks, but oh well, just another pleasant part of this all. Did you always have acid reflux or just when you got fibro? I know that falls in the category of lovely associated conditions I got when the Fibro hit... acid reflux, IBS, costochondritis, nonallergy rhinitis, sensitivities, and now my vocal cord paresis. Just lovely, crazy that the only thing I had before was raynauds... Oh, our lovely baggage :)

Let me know if you check out the True Life and what you think of it.
Posted 12/15/2010 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
Well at least we have this community for support.
I did see that True Life that's where I heard of vaginismus and the treatment.
Kinda helped me face this and actually made me happy that it's my vocal cords. It ended rather well for them and two of the three girls were able to move on and have sex. At least that was hopeful. Just seeing everything they had to go through makes me want to shut down. I can't believe their strength to do that on TV! Sometimes I feel like I keep pushing through this more for my partner and future husband. I'm only 21 and not married. It really freaks me out to think that this is something that a guy has to accept if he wants to marry me.
I had that scope done as well but I think we both know how that ended. I also had to do another scope when I was first diagnosed with the VCD. This time I was awake and had to do a speech test. They didn't see any signs of VCD So they had to just believe me. After that I went to a speech therapist. That didn't really help much. I found just learning how to calm down during an attack helped. I'm sorry to hear about your muscle problems as well but it does make since. I agree with you about how are muscles get so tight and we get used to living with with that pain. It gets hard to tell the difference between normal fibro pain and actual muscle problems. I have had symptoms of fibro since I was a kid being acid reflux, IBS, pain and skin sensitivities. As an adult everything got much worse as well as new symptoms like sensitivities to everything. Lets just say that my doctor thinks I'm the poster child for fibro :P gezz. The last thing, (for today :P) do you have a hard time swallowing. Every now and then it becomes really painful, like it's too much or too big for my throat even if it's just water. That and I go through stages where I can't swallow right and keep breathing some in, like the flap in my throat can't close all the way. Maybe thats part of my VCD. Oh well always lot's going on thank God there isn't a limit to the amount we can type :P
~Laura
Posted 12/16/2010 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Oh my. I was trying to think how to bring up this subject just the other day. I have had painful sex for years. Just recently have dh and i found some ways to be better together. I still have pain in my muscles and heaven help me if i get a leg cramp. I got to the point that i would hope he did not want sex. To go a couple of weeks without was nothing for me. For some reason things are better. Experiment to find ways to make it  better.
Posted 12/17/2010 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Yah I feel the same way. I miss the days when a leg cramp was my bigest problem. Well either way that is hopeful I know some websites that help disabled people with sex. I saw my doc today and she want's me to go back for a exam wich is what I expected.
thanks,
Laura
Posted 12/19/2010 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
I was also diagnosed with vocal chord dysfunction this year. I never attributed that to fibro. I had a scope and they said that things were red and swollen so I was prescribes tesalon perles. They calmed everything down and I have been doing so well since then. I also had to take a month of speech therapy
Posted 12/21/2010 4:34 AM (GMT 0)
Wow I'm surprised to see this topic sparked on here as well. Fibro and vocal chord dysfunction... Now I have to see what my fibro doc thinks about this. I glad things worked out for you teddy. I wasn't prescribed anything but it went away. I think just learning to calm down and also dealing with stress helped me as mine was emo. triggered. Do you have any pain with swallowing?
~Laura/Angel
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