Health Organization for Pudendal Education

I'm wondering if anyone has had this issue:

I have had Pudendal Neuropathy for 8 years and have had most of the symptoms intermittently. All of a sudden I am experiencing severe itching in my entire genital area including my anus. This symptom first started in October and I assumed it was a yeast infection. I had trouble getting it to clear up but after using many days of creams and a Fluconazole pill the itching stopped. Then this month it started again and creams were not working so my doctor ran some test and said there was no yeast or sign of any infection.

He is referring me to a gynecologist but I'm worried that this may be related to the PN. I'm hoping for it to be anything but a PN symptom - this is not just regular itching. It feels like fire ants biting me and the more I scratch, the more it itches. I've tried all the conventional treatments that would work on normal itching in that area but have had no relief. The only thing that is helping is some old cream that I was prescribed for my PN but it burns like crazy.This cream has lidocaine and other ingredients that should help PN but for some reason it burns me. Luckily I held on to the cream. So I have to experience something severely burning me to take away the itching. I also had ketamine cream but cannot use this all day long.

Hi J,

Severe itching is something I experienced during a couple of stages of my PNE. I actually used to apply capsaicin (soothenol) just to be able to get to sleep sometimes. It burned like heck but once the burning subsided there was a short window of time before the itching became severe again. Ice helped a bit also.

Violet

Thanks for the info. The doctor just confirmed that this is a symptom on Pudendal Neuropathy. We are changing meds and I'm also seeing an OB/GYN that's also in the Pudendal loop just in case this is something else. I've had this for 8 years so it blows me away that this can evolve so drastically.

Well, the fun never ends... After a couple more weeks of severe itching I had to go to the ER because I could not longer deal with the itching and pain that it caused. Turns out I had cellulitis and was admitted to the hospital. I have been on every antibiotic known to man and still have some itching but have learned that applying cream constantly was not a good idea. I still don't know if this is because of the pudendal neuropathy or was this something else. I was admitted to my local hospital and of course they don't understand PN so I had no answers for what happened.

I've never heard of PN causing cellulitis so I'm wondering if it was a combination of the creams and also you mentioned scratching. It's a good thing you went in to be checked.

Violet

Yes, the Dr. said to stop using cream for a while. It does seem to make things worse.

Is it possible to have Pudendal Neuropathy and then develope Vulvadynia? Until recently I have only had PN issues but I'm now having constant perineal skin infections due to extreme itching in the vulva/vaginal area. I've had PN since 2007.

A few years ago there was a member on a PN forum that had severe PN issues and was bedridden. She finally found that she also had another issue due to several pudendal nerve injections. I believe she developed Vulvadynia but I'm not sure.

I'm worried about this since I had radiofrequency ablation of the pudendal nerves last year. I made the doctor swear that he was not going to even touch the nerves during the procedure and I explained the problem it could cause. He is very familiar with PN and was referred by my neurologist.

Has anyone had issues after having radiofrequency ablation procedure?


Thanks,
Judy

Judy,

I am sorry that you seem to have developed new symptoms. How long ago did you have the PRF? It is my understanding that PRF is done like a PN block. I think even without doctors directly touching or manipulating the nerve that something can irritate it during any type of intervention and cause more or different symptoms. My first PN symptom, years ago, was vulvodynia and then a few days after PN block, I developed rectal pain. Of course, it is possible that this would have developed anyway, but the block and the new symptom beginning were pretty close together. Is your new symptom pain in the vulva in addition to the vulvar itching that you have had for many years? Did you get any relief from the itching with the PRF?

Sincerely,
Stephanies

Vulvodynia is one of the possible symptoms of pudendal neuropathy. In other words, if you have pudendal neuropathy, vulvodynia may or may not be one of your symptoms. The symptom of vulvodynia which literally means "pain in the vulva" could develop at any time during the course of pudendal neuropathy.

Violet

S: I've had PN since 2007 (maybe earlier), and have only experienced the nerve pain, shocking pains, and the pelvic heaviness with labor pains (even tho I've had a total hysterectomy). The itching is new and began in October of last year. The cream that I've been using has a catch 22 - it temporarily stops the itching but is most likely causing the skin infections. I developed cellulitis because I kept having to reapply the cream which eventually was not helping the itching. If I don't use the cream I itch like crazy.

The radiofrequency was last April and only temporary stopped the pain, only a couple of months. My insurance pre-authorized the procedure but still hasn't paid the $20,000+ bill so that is not something I would have again. The doctor assured me that this would not interfere with the nerves. Since there were several months til the itching started I'm not sure if this could have evolved to the itching.