Dr's don't know what's wrong....help?

[Wyndi]

Here's the situation: I've had vaginal discharge for about a month now, before, and after my period. I've been to the doctor and first she thought it was a urinary tract infection. I took antibiotics for it but had a severe reaction so I had to quit. Then she had me in for a culture and thought it was Gardnerella. My culture came back perfectly normal. They told me to finish up my 5 day metrogel treatment and then I should be fine. Well, I'm all done with that, and I have the same discharge. I'm getting so frustrated, I always seem to have symptoms, but every test comes back normal. I'm starting to think it could have something to do with my birth control. I'm on Low-Ogestrel 28. Could this cause these problems? I don't know what else I'm supposed to do...

[sapphira]

Without meaning to "gross you out", what does your discharge look like (yellow, green, white?), does it have an odor (fishy?) and do you itch or have irritation?

I know from my own experience that the pill does sometimes cause more copious discharge. However, it should not cause you to itch or it should not have an offensive odor to it. As for color it can be creamy white to a white with a yellow tint to it. It all depends on the person, as everyone is different.

sapphira

[Wyndi]

There's no smell or itch, which is a good thing. It's just a white smooth textured discharge. Do you know what hormone in the birth control can cause this?

[Lindarella]

Yes it is the birth control pills that are doing this to you. Birth control pills work by supressing ovulation but they also change your discharge.

Throughout each pill cycle, and continuously with Norplant implants and Depo-Provera, the mucous covering the cervix—the site where sperm enters the uterus—stays thick and sticky, making it very difficult for sperm to get through. This gooey impediment also acts on the sperm cell itself. It prevents fertilization by interfering with chemical changes inside the sperm that allow it to penetrate an egg's outer coating.

In normal, ovulating females, discharge changes many times during the month to either help or hinder sperm from entering the uterus. On the pill, these changes don't happen.

So, good news is, what you have is perfectly normal. Bad new, it won't go away until you're off the pill. Changing brands might help but it's doubtful.

[Wyndi]

Thank you Lindarella, that is extremely good to know. I'm going to make an appointment with my doc to switch bcp. I've been on 4 others and never had this problem. I'm on Low-Ogestrel, which is 30mg estrogen , and the other hormone is norgesterone (sp?)At least I can feel relaxed until I can see the doctor now