[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi Tonra44,
There are a few different options. You could try coconut oil, that has a completely different feeling. There are also personal moisturizers, inserts that you use every few days. And there are also hyaluronic acid inserts. That works by helping to retain water in the vaginal tissue and reduce dryness, as well as helping to improve the elasticity of the vaginal walls. Maybe you can give one of these options a try and see if you find them helpful.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi MerryBerry, I’m so sorry you are going through all of this, but glad you found this forum for some support. Here at MAZE, we treat vaginismus regularly. There are a few options we recommend based on a patients situation. Home dilator therapy can be very effective, working through a series of graduated dilators and gradually progressing up to the size of a penis. But we generally find patients do need a support from a provider going through this process. You mention not being able to get dilators in your country. They are sold through the mail, is that not a possibility as well?
In addition to dilators, we sometimes use vaginal valium to help relax those muscles.
We do offer the botox procedure here as well. For patients out of town and unavailable for frequent follow ups, that tends to be a really good option. We do the pre and post procedure visits online, so you just have to be in person for the procedure and the follow up the next day. It is a very safe procedure where we inject botox into those vaginal muscles while under anesthesia, as well as some numbing medicine. We do the initial dilation under anesthesia as well, and then work with you with the dilators after you wake up. It has a very high success rate.
Please feel free to ask me any questions, or call the office if you have any further questions about the procedure.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hello!

So, it is impossible to give you a diagnosis without an exam, of course.

You did have the hymenotomy for that thickened hymen and that is great. You were able to make some progress after that. It is possible that they didn’t open it enough. In that case it would require a second procedure.

Another thought is that it is possible that you have pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor muscles relax and contract as needed, but with pelvic floor dysfunction, your body keeps tightening these muscles instead of relaxing them. There can be so much muscle tension that it doesn’t allow the penis or anything else to enter.

I would recommend an evaluation with a provider or physical therapist with an understanding of pelvic floor dysfunction to see if that is possibly a component of what is going on. If so, the treatment can involve physical therapy, dilation, or even botox injected into those muscles.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

First I would like to say congratulations on working through those dilators and up to penetrative sex. That is very impressive. I am happy to see that you are working through all of that and are beginning to enjoy sex.
I know it must have been difficult for your partner as well. You have done so much work, and it must be confusing that he no longer wants to put work into your sex life.
I think this is best left to a couples therapist well versed in sexual issues.
Vaginismus is very complicated for couples. Male partners sometimes struggle to understand what is going on, and may end up feeling frustrated and rejected despite the fact that you have done the treatment. Or perhaps there is something going on with him sexually.
Either way, I definitely recommend therapy as a safe space for you guys to explore and work on what is going on in your sexual relationship.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi AmalieJasmine,
I am so sorry that you are having so much pain!
Birth control pills contain estrogen and/or progestin which could cause you to experience poor lubrication, dryness, and inflammation of the vagina, which may then lead to dyspareunia (painful intercourse). That pain can cause the vaginal muscles to spasm causing a tightness as well.
You may need a hormonal cream to help repair the vaginal skin and then dilation to help return the vaginal muscles to their normal state. I would recommend making an appointment with a provider experienced in vaginismus/dyspareunia to help with this. But the pain is treatable. And they should be able to answer your questions about PCOS too!

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Botox is very helpful for patients who struggle with using dilators. Vaginismus is the involuntary tensing of those vaginal muscles, the botox keeps those muscles from tensing up when dilating. The procedure is very effective for the treatment of vaginismus. We have been doing the Botox procedure her in NY for many years and have great success with it.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi jaycee27,
Those are unusual symptoms for vaginismus. Vaginismus is the involuntary muscle spasm at the entrance of the vagina due to fear of penetration. It typically does not cause pain outside of attempted penetration. But it could be caused by other underlying conditions, such as vestibulodynia, interstitial cystitis or a variety of other conditions. I would definitely recommend getting another opinion if you are continuing to be in so much pain.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi, and thank you for sharing your story.
Are you continuing to have issues with vaginismus? It is never too late to start working on a treatment plan. It is really important to have a provider who knows and understands vaginismus and the different treatment options.
Feel free to reach out to us here at MAZE if you have any questions!

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi Savannah, welcome to the forum! I’m sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed, but you are in the right place. The first step is the diagnosis and knowing what is going on so that you can proceed with treatment. As you can see from this forum, there are many people who struggle with the same issues. And there are solutions. Hopefully you have found or can find a provider experienced in the treatment of vaginismus and set up a program that works for you. Do they have you working with dilators at PT?
Just know that you are not alone. Please keep us posted with your progress and let us know if you have any questions along the way.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

So glad you were able to figure that out. All lubes are not created equally! The most common allergic reaction is to the silicone lubes because of their synthetic components. Glycerin and propylene glycol can also cause issues because of the higher osmolality (the given concentration relative to water) of the product. If the osmolality is high, the lubricant might pull water from the cells (e.g., the cells that make up the lining of the vaginal wall), causing the cells to shrivel, and this can lead to irritation.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi MrsYou,
It is totally understandable that you are having difficulty keeping with a dilation program. It’s not laziness. Dilation is hard, it takes time and it is just not fun.
It sounds like you have a definite goal in mind, wanting to start a family. I highly recommend making an appointment with someone knowledgeable about vaginismus and dilation and working together to set up a dilation program. And then, as recessivegenequeen said, working that dilation into your regular schedule. Let that goal help motivate you towards achieving success!

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Thank you for posting your journey. Vaginismus is complicated, most of the time we just aren’t sure what causes it. And a lot of providers do not know how to handle it. Dilation is the treatment. Keep working with those dilators and keep us posted on your progress. We are here to help!

Cathleen

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Congratulations Sarah, so happy you are making progress. Burning with dilation can be normal- but as the muscles gradually stretch it should start to subside. Has the burning stopped. Hope all is well and you are continuing to make progress, keep us posted!

Cathleen

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Positions are very individual. Another position that has been helpful to some women with vaginismus would be lying on you back at the edge of the bed with your feet propped up on chairs. Have your partner standing there, and you can gradually guide him in at your pace. Doing a bit of dilation first would also be helpful.

Hope that helps.

[Cathleen Kneidl, RPA-C]

Hi Beanie,

How is it going with the vagiwave? I hope it is helping. I’m not sure how big it is, but ultimately after using that, you may need to move up to graduated dilators as the increasing width is what helps to stretch those muscles and help you work through that muscle spasm.

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