1. Community
  2. Infections
  3. Genital Herpes Simplex

Herpes...extremely painful swollen labia?

Posted , 18 users are following.

MiniElliex
MiniElliex

I've been diagnosed with herpes....not had test results back, but my nurse was pretty confident. All the symptoms point to herpes, my genitals are covered in painful sores, it's been hell to wee, I had flu like symptoms and abdominal pain, as well as an itching and burning sensation....sounds like herpes right?

I just started taking Aciclovir today, as well as ibuprofen for the pain but my biggest issue is how swollen my labia minora is! 

It's so so so painful to walk and sleep and urinate, I can't sit or lie comfortably, it's red and swollen and feels so tight I'm genuinely scared it could burst, my nurse was surprised as how swollen I was.

Has anyone else had labia swelling with their herpes? If so, how badly? How long did it last and how did you cope with it?

This is my first OB and yes it has been horrific. What makes it even worse is that it coincides with my period....nightmare! Thanks in advance to anyone who can help smile 

2 likes, 36 replies

36 Replies

Next
  • feelbroken
    feelbroken MiniElliex

    Posted

    Yikes!!! Wow, I am so sorry about your diagnosis and I believe 100% that your period is making your ob even worse. I always have at least one internal sore (this period I had a second one pop up for the first time ever) on the third day of my cycle, I will know, because it hurts to remove or insert tampons and it leaves a discolored spot on the tampon as well. I also will just feel like I have a mild sun burn on the inner labia and opening when wiping during my cycle. So I can only imagine, that it is exacerbating your symptoms even further.

    Make sure you take 800mlgs of motrin every four hrs. Putting Vaseline for me and some others, helped reduce pain, by reducing friction and protecting sores from urine. Sit in a warm shallow path every time you need to urinate. Take as many baths using Epsom salt as possible. This made a huge difference and the only time I had relief, so I essentially lived in the tub. Cold packs wrapped on paper towels will provide some mild relief as well.

    I had minor swelling, but mine was more in my groin from the lympth nodes. I've never had swelling on the labia itself. The hormones in the period blood is not going to help your case either.

    Hand in there. There is an end to this, although it seems like there isn't.

    • MiniElliex
      MiniElliex feelbroken

      Posted

      Thank you, your reply has made me feel a little better. I find drinking excessive amounts of water is really really helping the pain whilst urinating, some times I have experienced no pain whatsoever because my urine is essentially water so I just make sure I am always drinking water.

      I'm going to a GUM clinic tomorrow for another opinion so hopefully they'll be able to confirm what it is I have, which I do believe to be herpes, and perhaps give me some form of cream for the sores or more information about the swelling as opposed to what my nurse was able to give me.

      Sorry, may I ask, you have herpes also? If so, how long did your first OB last? How long have you had it and what are your OBs like now? I'm trying to see how I'm meant to change my life after this....in all honesty I'm scared.

      Thank you x

    • feelbroken
      feelbroken MiniElliex

      Posted

      Yes, I have herpes and have since last July.

      These questions, I always feel uneasy answering, because I know that the person like I did myself w others, is asking as a method to guage what theirs will be like. What worries me is, if it doesn't go that way for that person and their expectations are not meant and they have more emotional distress.

      Everyone experiences this differently than the next. I've met only one other person on here, that has had a pretty similar case to mine, but I had worse when it cane to some things and she had worse on a thing or two than me. Everyone else, was very different.

      On average, it seems to me to look as I'd things get to being more "normal", by week 4. For myself, I have never felt the same since having this, but I also know that I am the exception, not the rule. I have a couple autoimmune disorders, so my body is busy attacking itself, instead of attacking the real intruders. So I don't want you to judge this as to be what your experience will be like. I do feel like age plays a role in how well it is handled as well. It seems the females in their 30s have more severe obs that last longer and the females in their 20s and younger, seem to heal much faster. Again, not the case for everyone.

      I had symptoms daily.. Itching or strange nerve sensations or skin being irritated since my first ob. I have been off of meda for over a mo the and have less symptoms off meds than on. Previously I was breaking out once a month on my cycle and usually a second time, due to going out super late and drinking lots of alcohol. That would trigger a bump or two. They never turned into what the ones did on my first ob and were just tender.. I could about my life like they weren't there. I have been off meds over a month and have not had any more obs on my genitals, but have had some red itchy bumps on my buttock here and that, that disappear in a couple days. I just finished my cycle and I ended up breaking put inside w two internal sores. I can't feel them and they don't bother me, unless I'm inserting or removing a tampon they appear on the third day of my cycle and then my inner labia and around the opening will feel like it has a mild sunburn when I wipe. Nothing serious. I've not had any sores or bumps on my vagina since I was last on meds back in February or late January even maybe. My main issue is the nerve sensations.. They're a contact reminder and annoying, but I don't feel them when I'm out and about and busy. Just when laying there doing nothing.

      It's normal hun to feel scared, but nothing to be scares about. You are very young and your immune systems will likely handle this very well. You're likely not to have many obs, if any at all, but there's always a chance.. You never know. Pur immune systems are as unique as pur thumb prints, so nobody can really tell you what it will be like for YOU.

      Like ibsaid, it will just be annoying for you, after you get through this. I'd say, as annoying as getting a bad yeast or BC infection and a period can be even more annoying than this, once the primary ob is over. It may take some time to feel normal down there again, but be patient.

      Take a daily probiotic w live cultures.. 70% of pur immune system is in our gut high sugar diets are a trigger for some. Drinking lots of alcohol and staying out late is a trigger for me, for some, not so much. My period is a trigger and stress. Load up on zinc, vitamin C and Bs.

      You'll be OK darling... It really is more of a nuisance after your primary ob, than anything else. Don't be afraid to ask any other questions.

    • MiniElliex
      MiniElliex feelbroken

      Posted

      I think as long as I can go about leading a normal life I'll really be okay with this, my immune system could be better but it could be a lot worse.

      Since finding out, I've made a bit of a diet plan, half a tub of live culture yoghurt a day, I make sure I am CONSTANTLY drinking water, I have cranberry juice and I take a cranberry pill each day, I plan on really cutting back on sugar and junk food, I've got a vitamin C supplement I take each morning and I try spend 20 minutes in the sun a day for vitamin D. I also plan on stocking up on fresh fruit and veg.

      I work in a nightclub so what worries me is late nights and a bad sleeping pattern turning out to be a trigger...I'm not a massive alcohol drinker and I am just hoping that as long as I keep myself hydrated and try keep my sleeping pattern as normal as possible then hopefully I'll be alright with it. 

      I also make sure I'm avoiding stress. 

      I'm sorry you had such a bad time with herpes but I suppose it's quite good that your OBs aren't as bad as they could be now!

      Do you think if I went on a birth control that stopped my peroid, it could help? I'm only thinking this because my period came, then I got my first OB, so say I was infected months ago, it could be my peroid caused my first OB, especially so because this is my first period since starting a birth control pill. Do you think something like the implant, that stops the period, is something I could consider? 

      Thank you so much for your reply x 

    • feelbroken
      feelbroken MiniElliex

      Posted

      Is that a possibility in regards to your period triggering your first ob, I believe so. For MW, it doesn't happen till the third day and it only happens inside during my cycle. So the hormones in the blood actually trigger it for me. However, hormones prior to my cycle, have caused a bump here or there as well. I don't think that's a bad idea in regards to the implant. I would look into a hormone free one though, as it seems like hormones can trigger obs.
    • MiniElliex
      MiniElliex feelbroken

      Posted

      I'll talk to a specialist about my options as soon as the pain goes away enough for me to actually be able to move around! 
  • marie-ann92020
    marie-ann92020 MiniElliex

    Posted

    So sorry you're going through this. I suffered really bad sores and swelling so youre not on your own! I took high strength Olive leaf extract and regular high doses which prevented any more sores appearing and used alcohol free witch hazel to clean the sores which dried them out. After your epsom baths dry the area with a hair dryer on cool setting then apply the witch hazel. If the sores are sticking to each other on your inner labia use the Vaseline. When my sores first appeared I covered myself in Vaseline but I'm not sure it really made much difference (but everyone is different).

    My swelling lasted maybe a week I think. Taking the olive leaf extract made a huge difference but if you take it be prepared for feeling physically rotten for a while. It's really powerful stuff. However the fact it prevented any more sores appearing it was a small price to pay. I'm now coming into my 5th week and although there is nothing visibly to see, I'm still experiencing nerve pain and other symptoms. But the way I've reacted is quite rare so hopefully you'll make a speedy recovery soon. Ask your doctor for lidocaine gel or spray and cover yourself with it regularly. It'll make peeing so much less painful. I ordered a xylocaine spray online so see what you can get. It really will help.

    • MiniElliex
      MiniElliex marie-ann92020

      Posted

      Sorry you had to suffer too! Witch hazel - is that like pure tea tree oil? I have seen a few comments about using this to dry sores and help them heal faster but I'm rather wary about using it, I can just imagine the pain being excruciating! Unfortunately I don't have a bath so I am unable to have epsom baths, I'm trying to find a way around this like perhaps sitting in a bowl....however this is difficult as I don't actually have any suitable bowls! I also have no Epsom salts as of yet, I'm waiting for the swelling to go down so I can comfortably go purchase some. 

      Did your swelling go down through the week or was it an overnight kind of thing? Did you take anything for it? I'm taking ibuprofen but as of yet I haven't noticed any improvement. I think the swelling is my main problem with this. 

      So you have had your first OB? How are you coping? I just want to hear other people's experiences. Thank you x 

    • marie-ann92020
      marie-ann92020 MiniElliex

      Posted

      That's a real pity you don't have a bath. Certainly get the biggest bowl you can find and order some Epsom salts online. You really need them asap as they do help. I took regular Brufen too. But the olive leaf extract really did help with the sores. The swelling gradually went down over a week I'd say, certainly not overnight.

      My ob has been horrendous and I had to take around 3 weeks off work. Even now I'm still not right and have been put on suppressive treatment of acyclovir 400mg twice a day. I'm going back for a review in three weeks to see the consultant. The fatigue I had at the same time made life quite a struggle. I take a high strength probiotic twice a day, high strength Vit C, Vit E, multivitamin,B complex, Vit B12, Apple cider vinegar and olive leaf extract.

      I was having Epsom baths twice a day and sitting in them for over an hour. The sooner you can start the baths you'll start feeling better.

    • marie-ann92020
      marie-ann92020 MiniElliex

      Posted

      Sorry I forgot to add, witch hazel I ordered online and got the alcohol free stuff so it didn't sting the way alcohol stuff would've stung. I put some on a cotton pad and squeezed it over the sores and dabbed them gently when they felt less painful. It really helped. I've heard tea tree oil is also good but I haven't used it.
    • MiniElliex
      MiniElliex marie-ann92020

      Posted

      I just wish the swelling would go down, it's worrying me so much! I've only really been experiencing this 1st OB since Thursday and it's now only Tuesday so sadly I imagine I've got a while to go even with the medication. Did you just ask for the suppressive treatment? I'd love to be on it, just to make the risk of me passing it to my partner slightly lower and also to minimise the risk of further OBs as I have a weak immune system and stress easily. 

      Would you say the witch hazel heped the sores heal faster? Thanks x 

    • feelbroken
      feelbroken MiniElliex

      Posted

      Use a cold pack wrapped in paper towels, tuck between your legs and just rest. Usually you have to just kind of ride out the first ob
    • marie-ann92020
      marie-ann92020 MiniElliex

      Posted

      The swelling will go down, don't worry, you won't be like that forever.

      Your doctor will decide if you need to be in suppressive treatment. You might recover quite quickly from this and not require it.

      Try not to stress out - it won't help your body heal. Relax and rest and try to be patient. This just has to run its course.

      The olive leaf extract helped the sores disappear more quickly and the witch hazel definitely helped dry them out which seemed to clear them up too. Olive leaf extract is a very powerful anti viral and I've read many things where sufferers have reported it as being as effective (and others have said it's more effective) than acyclovir.

    • MiniElliex
      MiniElliex marie-ann92020

      Posted

      Hopefully I will recover quite quickly haha...realistically I've only been suffering since Thursday so not even a week but it just feels like so much longer!

      I'm just trying to take it easy but I am well known for stressing myself out too. 

      I'm definitely going to buy myself some olive leaf extract! Do you just dab it on like with a cotton bud?

      Sorry for all the questions haha x 

    • marie-ann92020
      marie-ann92020 MiniElliex

      Posted

      Your link has been deleted but if you want to send me it via private message I'll see it then.
    • dan79548
      dan79548 marie-ann92020

      Posted

      Did you use xylicaine spray on open sores? And how bad was the pain when applying it?
    • amber01875
      amber01875 marie-ann92020

      Posted

      Do you think I should "un-stick" the sores?! I'm worried that it wont heal properly if they are stuck togehter, but I'm also not too sure if it matters? Currently on my first OB week and have so many questions! 

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.