Pain during sex, vaginal infection? HELP!! :(!

[~Tyger~]

I hope you can offer some advice...

For the last month or so, I've been having a burning/painful sensation during sex - mainly at penetration but during as well. The pain feels like its 'in' my vagina rather than on the surface.
I have not noticed any strange smell and though I have discharge it hasn't seemed excessive.

I went to the doctor today, who did a cervical smear and said that my cervix and inner vagina looked red and irritated. She said it could be an infection (not STD). I have to wait a full week for my results.

What infections are there, and which do you think it could be? A yeast infection or BV? I don't know! I only have pain during sex, never at any other time - in the past I've had a string of UTI's, could it be related?
Will the cervical smear indicate EXACTLY what the infection is, or will i have to deal with vague guesses and constant rounds of antibiotics... i hate that
Please help, any advice or experiences would be appreciated! I hate this
Tyger.

[Greenoctopus18]

Hi. I'm not sure, but the burning during intercourse sounds a bit like I have had before as a result of a yeast infection.
Penetration was extremely painful and after a few days of that it was painful the whole time... I didn't know at the time that I had an infection.

I have had many infections and I don't always have the same symptoms..
mostly I have the discharge, but a few times I just get a 'feeling' internally and then later I get the discharge.

I have only been to a doctor to diagnose the infection twice.. the first time I didn't know what it was.. the second time I wasn't sure.. and now I pretty much know when I have got one so I just get something from the chemist to treat them.
The first time there was the discharge so the doctor didn't think it was necessary to take a swab as it was obviously a yeast infection.
The second time a swab was taken and I got the results the next day, I think. It wasn't long.. The results said it was a definite yeast infections.. or overgrowth of candida organism... so they knew what to do to treat it.

I have only ever experienced a yeast infection.. so I'm not sure if BV has similar symptoms or not.

I know how frustrating it is.. not knowing.. and interfering with your personal life...

Maybe results of a yeast infection would return sooner to your doctor than BV, so they could call and let you know sooner if that is what it is so you can start the treatment sooner.

I am up to the 6th (final) day of treatment for a yeast infection at the moment and I am not sure that the treatment has actually worked yet... either that or I have some other infection... it feels a little like a UTI. I really hope not.

I hope you get better soon.

[~Tyger~]

Thanks for your reply greenoctopus,
I just wish I knew what it was, and didn't have to wait so long for the results. I'm just worried because I've had this pain for a while, but didnt get it checked out because i only felt it during sex, and generally I could grimace and bear it anyway.
I hope that if its an infection, it hasnt spread or worsened cos i haven't done anything sooner. I dont have any abdominal pain or bleeding or anything though.

I'd really like to hear from others who've had vaginal infections, yeast infection, BV, others...and the treatments and if they worked effectively or not.
I'm on the pill, so oral antibiotics will interfere with this, which is annoying, are there other treatment options? Which are most effective??

Tyger.

[Greenoctopus18]

Well, the good thing is that if it is yeast the treatment doesn't have to be an antibiotic.

[Dublin27]

It's quite possible that you could have Cystitis. Also depending on whether it burns a little when you pee. It's actually quite common and also known as honeymooners Syndrome. Funnily enough it can be caused from having a lot of sex. I'd had that for about a couple of weeks, the doctor said it's an inflammation of the bladder but it did feel like a vaginal infection and everytime I had sex it was quite painful. You can get antibiotics for that and drink tons of water. Hope that's helpful!