white discharge.. (sorry for the gross title)

[kjones1]

Hi,

I am a newbie who has been diagnosed on symptoms that I have been having for the last four months. I have been feeling better now that I am taking some meds and following the diet but just yesterday I noticed a white discharge coming from my urethra. When I tried to remove it from there my urethra started to hurt something awful.

I am wondering if other people have had this symptom and what it might mean. I have had this before but not in a couple of weeks. I also just got my period and was wondering if it could have to do with that or if it might indicate an infection. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[marsi4]

Hi!

It could be yeast causing inflammation on your urethra. Tell your gyno about it and go for an exam. It's nothing to get worked up about.

Marsi4

[ICNDonna]

It sounds like you need to see a doctor. Please don't try to treat this yourself.

Donna

[traceann]

Hmmm, yep I would most definitely call my doc at your earliest convenience, lol. I once thought I had a yeast infection, bought over the counter stuff and it turned out to be something else!! I think it was strep...or something like that, been so long ago. But, when it doubt, give the doc a ring!!!

Hugs!

[TexasHoney]

I agree with the others. Call your doctor ASAP.

TexasHoney

[kjones1]

I called my doctor and the nurse said she didnt think it was an infection but to keep an eye on it. My period is done and so was the white discharge until today. Now today I am having an okay day nothing awful but then in the shower there it is again. Def from the urethra and when I touch it or push up the clitorial hood it starts to come out a little. Like popping a zit. So gross. I am calling my doctor tomorrow to get ready for my surgery but I am nervous that this is going to prevent me from a hydro or a sign of infection or yeast.

Any advice on what to do? Could it be just dry skin cells (inflamed cells that are coming out). Sorry Im just freaking a bit--Kelly

[kjones1]

I examined myself further and realized that I am an idiot and its not coming out of my urethra but actually from my clitoris. I couldn't tell at first but when I pulled the clitorial hood back there was much more and definitely coming from inside there. I read a little on the internet and I think it might be smegma?

Does anyone know or have had anything like this before? Please feel free to PM me if you don't want to post. Im nervous because Im having a cysto in a couple of weeks and want to make sure nothing makes the procedure worse or prevents it. This smegma (if thats what it is):hmm: is pretty painful and Im not sure how to get rid of it. Im working on seeing a gyno but I dont have one here in Mass I usually go home to NY (I know thats stupid but before getting sick -I only needed to go once a year). Help Please? :(

[mayray518]

I think it may be bacterial vaginosis. I had it a few times. It can happen for a few reasons, but one is when hormones start to change but see doc.

[Oxana]

In your place I could make an appointment with any gyno in your area as soon is possible(who is first avalable).

It might be(seems more likely from your symptoms) infection which should be and can be treated.

I know that sometimes it's hard to make an appointment earlier, but I do it by telling them that I must see a doctor and tell them that my symptoms are bad enough to do it. It works all the time and I'm very tuff by doing this. :)

Don't worry it can be treated and you will be fine before your procedure, just act now.

[July]

I've had this too off and on, and have not found an answer yet. Let us know what you find out.

[kjones1]

Everyone thank you for the sound advice. I was able to make a doctor's appointment tomorrow with someone at my University. I will let you know what she recommends. I like her a lot and was very lucky to get an appointment. She is very thorough and never makes me feel crazy :loco: for being upset about my million different symptoms. This new thing hurts and feels like lots of pressure and stimulation. Kind of feels like I have to pee but I now know that thats not coming from my urethra. She seemed to think it is something I can get under control before my cysto. I'll keep you posted. Cross your fingers for me! thanx--Kelly

[traceann]

Yes, please do keep us posted and let us know how the appt goes!! I am glad to see you got one!!! :)

Hugs!

[K-lee]

Glad to see you got an appt. please post and tell us what he says. I've had the same thing.

K-lee

[kjones1]

Hi everyone.

I had my appointment yesterday and she took a bunch of vaginal cultures and inspected all my parts down there. She also took a culture of the "white discharge" even though its more like white paste or scabs and that came back negative for infection as well. She had the lab do all the work and got the results back to me within three hours. She rocks! So I am happy that its not an infection. I don't want to take any medicine or postpone my cysto/hydro on the 14th.

But now about this smegma business.:hmm: She was a bit perplexed that there was so much but seemed pretty confident that's what the gross and painful stuff is. She got a lot more out of me and I am suppose to keep an eye on it (sorry if this is too graphic). She said to either soak or better yet put a warm washclothe over it and delicately help the stuff come out. Its basically dead skin cells and dried mucus. They usually develop after some sort of injury or inflamation in the tissue. Its the body's way of healing so it produces new skin but in my case it is producing skin faster than the old stuff can get off (probably due to the fact that its dried out too). Interestingly young kids (around 3-5 years old) get smegma a lot because they are growing lots of new skin at a fast pace and it gets dried out before the new skin forms. Men who aren't cicumscribed also get this often because of the foreskin being left over the hole. As the normal stuff our bodies produce it dry up it gets hard. Usually this substance cleanses our tissues and glands with proper hygiene (blah blah blah).

So now Im trying to figure out why mine is getting clogged or hardened. We came up with a couple of theories. One it could be from not washing correctly down there. She now wants me to use no soap and just the warm water to cleanse it. She thinks the soap (even though mild) could be inflaming the area.

Another theory is that before this whole IC nightmare I was happy and having lots of sex (usually every other day or so) with my fiance. I have always been sensitive down there (but in a good way). I could have multiple orgasms and get there pretty quickly. Oh those were the days! :( Well that all stopped when I stopped having sex back in August when the awful pain started.

So in some ways it may just be that I had glands that secreted a substance normally and frequently before and then I got all dried up from not using my body in the same way. This theory :idea: may also be supported by the fact that a day or so before noticing this discharge my fiance and I fooled around a bit and there was some rubbing and friction that eventually led to an orgasm (no intercourse I'm not that pain free yet).

Even more strange my orgasm got stuck a couple of times before I could fully orgasm (probably due to the tricyclics I'm taking). I was happy to get there (remember I haven't since august) but afterwards it felt overstimulated and stayed that way for about an hour or two. It was somewhere between pain and pleasure but it went away so I didn't think much of it. I was just happy that my vagina still worked. :lmao:

But unfortunately this friction and use of a sexual organ (that has been dormant for months) may have caused the inflammation and abnormal secretions that resulted in smegma. Almost like I was clogged up. I'm sorry I am so gross. Do you people hate me yet? If my mother could only hear me now...:tsk:

Then again it might not be the foreplay but rather a side effect of medication. I was thinking after I left her office that the atarax I am taking dries mucus up right? :bonk: So maybe thats part of it?

Am I giving you guys too much info. Are you dizzy yet? :dizzy:

Let me know what you guys think? Being a psychologist and realizing that everything ususally has at least 10 different contributing factors I have a feeling its a combination of all of these things (the non use, medication, the frictional orgasm, and the showering) but I would really like to know what you guys think, especially some of you who have had similar stuff going on there?

Let me know what you think and I'll let you know if her advice on the warm clothe and heatpad work (does anyone know where to get a good one for down there?).

Its less painful now that she removed most of it. And Ill keep working on it but I am getting to the point where I feel like I can't win. Once one symptom goes away or something gets better something else comes up. I was just getting the nerve to start being more sexual with my fiance and now I don't know if I should wait. Oh what to do? :headbang:

Unfortunately I am learning way more about my body then I want to know.
And now so have you guys. :lmao:

Thanks for listening--Kelly

[marsi4]

Don't worry about the smegma, and try getting the IC symptoms under control if you do have IC. You're not gross you're just very discriptive and graphic. Just kidding.
Hope you feel better soon and can share intimate moments again with your fiance. I also hope your mother is not surfing the IC-network. Just toying with you once again.
If you are diagnosed with IC do take it seriously and do treatments right away because it can get really bad. I,ve been there, have it for 30 years and are really struggling now.

Marsi4

[kjones1]

Marsi,

Im sorry to hear you are not feeling well.Thanks for the kind words and sound advice. I switch back and forth about my IC. Its been hard to accept so some days Im so down and others I try to find some humor in my situation to lighten up the day. Im trying to eat right and take care of myself but its a bit hard. School is coming to an end (got about 2 weeks left) and then my cysto is coming up. My mom is coming to help take care of me (you are right I better keep her away from the computer :) .

Its just hard to tell if its my smegma or my IC symptoms thats hurting me. I guess Ill just have to wait and find out more info from the cysto. What kind of symptoms are you having? Has smegma ever been something you had to deal with? My IC symptoms are mostly pain, pressure, and burning.

Hope your day is as pain free as possible.--Kelly

[Graceee]

Hi KJ
I have the exact same thing. If fact sometimes it can get so bad my underwear sticks to my pubic hair (lovely I know). I noticed by logging it that it occured when I ate something that my bladder did not like. It is sort of a flair with out the pain. The doc said ( after a ton of swabs and tests) that this is definately the most external part of the gag layer sloughing from an irritation. Sort of like after a sunburn your skin peels. The fact that it can be goopy is because our body tends to attach mucus to inflamation. Just think what happens when you have a cold. It is gross, it is annoying, but it is not a big deal. I am at a point where if I eat certain things I know it will happen. Geez I should go on David Letterman with stupid bladder tricks :woohoo: !

Anyway, if I feel gross before intamacy I just include a shower to the foreplay. I to have difficuty with the big O.. I think it is my Zoloft but who knows!

Well good luck!
Joelle

[traceann]

Hey Kelly!! Actually, that was a pretty good explanation of how it comes to be... Very interesting!! (lol, I appreciate the info, and Marsi4 gave me a chuckle at the thought of "Mom" checking out these posts - glad mine is a afraid to compute!! LOL)

Anyway, I wanted to just say you sound like me -- trying to come up with any explanation you can, lol. But if your doc didn't have a simple one, there probably isn't...LMAO! I too have been told by my gyno not to use soap, but just plain water and then also recommended to me by my internist was to use Phisoderm in the area. (I get the unscented and one for sensitive skin) I have not had any problems with anything since. But, if your doc suggested only water - I'd stick with that until things calm down.

Please do keep us posted!! :)

Hugs!!!! :)

[kjones1]

Tracey, Thanks for the tip. I have been using a warm washclothe and cleansing it... but not too much. Its been getting a bit better. So far so good. I'll keep that brand in mind for later on when im feeling a bit risky and things have settled down. They have to settle down eventually don't they? What comes up must come down, right? Im trying to stay in a positive mood (getting ready for the cysto). Im a bit scared but Im trying to overcome it with a bit of positive thinking and knowing that my mom is coming to take care of me for a week with lots of DVDs. Don't you just love mommies. They are so great! Hope you are having a nice day--KJ

[traceann]

You're welcome!! We poor girls, if it's not one thing it's another isn't it?? I think a postitive attitude is perfect to have!! You are right, it's gotta get better!! And now especially since you know how to deal with it effectively!! :) Bye bye annoying stuff!! LOL.

And don't be afraid, you will do just fine!! You are so right, gotta love mommies! Even though they may drive us crazy sometimes, lol, they are the best!!!!

Hugs!!!

[indiana]

Hi there,

I personally love to see us women know our bodies and able to discuss them as you have. Maybe some will turn pink or shy away from such discussions, but I won't.

We need to examine ourselves, be fully aware of how our bodies work, and be able to share these things with each other. My husband would probably faint if he had to know everything that goes on with me...so I'm glad that I have this discussion board to share when I need to.

Wow! I'm so jealous of your previous sex life....actually, I'm jealous of my own previous sex life! haha

I wish I could just fall into bed with my husband and have the kind of love making we used to...unfortunately, my IC doesn't allow that. I'd love to be able to experience an orgasm without worrying how much pain I'm going to be in afterwards. Even my husband thinks things thru like I do. Just the other day, we were wanting to make love but knew we had errands to run and things to do that day, so he said, "No, honey, let's wait til tomorrow cause then you can just relax with the heating pad...we don't have anything to do tomorrow"! What a guy, huh? He's a keeper, that is for sure.

And whenever I go on a trip, like last weekend I went with his sister and niece to Indy for a girls weekend, he's the one that reminded to take the heating pad. I don't know what I'd do without him.

Anyway, keep the writing coming, I'd like to know how you are doing.

Indiana

[mayray518]

You may have bacterial vaginosis (BV). I got it when my hormones began to change at 37 and, coincidentally, when I got IC. It can be cleared up orally or with a cream.

[kjones1]

Hey everyone,

I haven't been on the boards in awhile. With writing a dissertation, getting married, buying a condo, and seeing clients life is a bit busy to say the least. I have been feeling a bit better though.

I have been eating more with the help of Prelief. I am trying to lower some of my meds which has helped with the energy. The "white" discharge has pretty much gone away. I think it ended up being smegma and once I was aware of it I have been better at managing it.

I continue to have discharge mostly after my period (when I get it I skip it for a couple of months) or after sex or using a lubricant during PT or exercises. I realized that some of discharge is normal in fact healthy and that has helped me not freak as much when I see it.

Granted the white stuff was itchy and painful and that hasn't been the case in awhile (knock on wood). I am careful to gently wash that area with a wet clothe.

To continue my gross reputation the discharge that I do have tends to be more yellow, green, or blue these days. Mostly from my urised tablets I take everyday. Traceann it really does make EVERYTHING change color.

I will have to research some more about bacterial vaginosis. I have always had a feeling it was yeast or bacteria but of course everything comes back negative.

My pain is controlled for the most part and my next challenge has been working with a PT to help with the sex issue since I just got married and used to be a sex maniac. Progress is slow but if anything is worth it ....

Anyways are others still getting discharge? Curious to see whats out there... our bodies are way complicated but hopefully between all of us we can make some sense out of it.

Mayray I dont think its BV but I don't know much about it. Can you fill me in? I thought I had it in the beginning and was overtreated with topicals and cremes. I dont put any meds in me. My vagina has been through too much and tends to reject foreign substances. I just have to work on teaching my vagina that my husband is not a foreign substance. :lmao:

Has anyone heard about using crisco during sex? A reliable source and good friend told me that it is "safer" for IC people since its natual PH is similar to the vagina. keep the info coming.

--Kelly

[Yogajo37]

kj,
glad you are feeling better! hey question, do you every just feel bad that you are no longer able to be the sex maniac you say you once were. I am really having a rough time right now. Lots of pain and discomfort. Most of it is Pelvic floor but some is vulvar. Sex was one of my favorite things now I am afriad to even snuggle with my boyfriend for fear he might want to fool around. Even when I do not have pain I am afraid sex will cause it.. YUUUKKK.. I just want to be that horn toad of years gone by!!!:lmao:
Jo