Diva cup? vs tampons and pads.. Help

[bluetart]

I know this is a personal subject but I have finaly decided what bc I want and will be now having regular monthly cycles. Protection for periods are hard for me tampons for me are intolerable (and I used to only use them b4ic), I think its becasue of the string brushing against my urethra. Which leaves pads, and pads are not very good for working in the out doors, to messy. I was wondering if people have heard of the Diva cup and like it or if there are any other kinds of protection out there that is IC friendly? Again I know this may be very personal but what do you guys use that is tolerable?

[Cortana-mana]

I've never tried it, but just from looking at their website, I am intrigued.

It sounds like it shouldn't be a problem. But I have had trouble with PFD and my muscle strength is not great. They do warn about the importance of muscle strength in the FAQs.

If you try it please post something! The Elmiron has thinned my blood and my flow is crazy now. Anything that could stop the leaking would be amazing!!!

[Briza]

Diva cup not an option for me even before IC b/c I have tilted cervix and that makes those types of things that fit on cervix harder to insert and stay in place. I did try them pre-IC and other related conditions but b/c of the cervix issue Diva cup would not stay in place Now along with IC I have Vulvodynia and Vulvar Vestibulitis so whatever the material Diva cup is made of would probably be intolerable to me even if I didn't have tilted cervix.

Pads I have always hated and when I got VV and Vulvodynia became completely intolerable to me. I am better in VV dept now than when it hit me full on, and have found that plain old Kotex brand pads are the most comfortable and least irritating...I might use them at night but still I don't like them and don't use them during day.

Tampons: Tampax Pearl Juniors...:bow::bow::bow:and if you can tolerate larger sizes for days of larger flows then the combo pack of super, regular, junior. Anyway Tampax Pearls regardless the size by far the best tolerated...and the ONLY thing I could even barely tolerate when my VV was really bad.
Ok, main thing with tampons, whichever the brand you use, is to wear it for the max recommended hours, or til you know it is saturated, and wear the size that is appropriate for your flow on each day...the WORST thing is to remove a tampon too soon when it is dry and then apply a new one when vagina is dry...VERY bad!!! Causes not only dryness, but also nicks and irritation to the vaginal walls...which can lead to not only inflammation and more irritation but also yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis, especially if you are prone to those things.
AND...very important...cut string on tampon short after you have inserted so that there is still enough to grab on to pull it out, but not long enough to cause you irritation...
Also applying a lube you can tolerate or lidocaine gel inside the vagina and/or on outside of tampon applicator before inserting the tampon can GREATLY reduce any nicks, damage, etc., to vaginal wall.
I have found ALL of the stuff I posted above to be of great importance and help to me make using tampons VERY tolerable....much more tolerable than pads.

Hope any of this helps!

[bluetart]

Thanx for the info. I am still interested in the diva cup but hate to buy anything expensive and than throw it away a day later becasue its to painfull...aka the nuva ring. Its a very good idea to cut the string so that it dosn't rub against my urethra.. ahhh that hurts. Of course I would measure it out and cut it before because after being forced to read books about jack the ripper and watch movies in a college class I have a severe phobia of sharp things near there.

I am not sure if I have VV or V. I discussed it with my doctor she thought I might have a yeast infection and the test result was negative. I know that I have to be careful about products and I need to keep myself very clean to feel confertable. You were very helpful. I will give an update if i try the diva cup.

[Briza]

You're welcome! Please let me know if you try Diva cup and if/how it works for you...even tho it is not an option for me I would be very interested in how it works, fits, stays in place, is tolerable for an IC patient or just any person even without IC or other related conditions since I don't know anyone personally except for my sister who has used the Diva cup succesfully in the past...she is the one who suggested it for me Pre-IC and other conditons but at the time I didn't know my cervix was tilted but FINALLY when at my first exam with my current gyn he told me my cervix was tilted and possiblity of IC (was in dx process at the time....had seen MANY gyns before that and none ever mentioned the tilted cervix and why birth control such as cervical cap would probably not be an option for me nor the diva nor IC or anything else for that matter...I LOVE my current gyn:)) Anyway, yes please keep us posted if you try Diva cup!
Well, it is almost harder to get a dx for Vulvodynia or Vulvar Vestibulitis than it is for IC, in many cases, if you can believe that! But it is true. But also many many IC patients DO complain of vulvar or vaginal burning, irritation, itching, pain....even if they are not diagnosed with one of the Vs.
LOL I was bio major in college so I was not subjected to such films and info about JTR and sharp objects thankfully!!!! I would surely be traumatized in one way or another if I had...anyway...if I cut to just about an inch before inserting tampon I am ok...even if string is inside after inserting, it can be reached and pulled out. Keep us posted about Diva cup and if and how you tolerate the tampons if you decide to try any of the suggestions I posted. Good luck and best wishes, I do know how important being as comfortable as possible is at that time of the month....trial and error for me, but i HAVE found what works for me with the least pain, burning, irritation possible.

[orchid53]

I'm on continuous birth control but previously I was using the Diva Cup. I stopped being able to tolerate regular tampons (some organic cotton ones were okay) and pads kept giving me UTIs. I absolutely LOVED the Diva Cup and it was so much easier to use when traveling (I always had a water bottle and TP on hand so cleaning was not an issue). Definitely get some water-based lube as it makes insertion easier if you are having trouble (I only put a teeny bit because a lot can clog the holes).

However, when I developed VV it wasn't as great. The entrance just felt irritated. It wasn't intolerable and I bet some lidocaine would certainly help.

[icgennifer]

Hi There,

I am beginning to think I have Vulvodynia. I noticed that the common pad brands were irritating me. I know you don't want to use pads because your job is outdoors, but I have found that Naturacare pads seem to keep the irritation down to a minimum "down there".

[an0bgobeloba]

i only use seventh generation pads and products and they ROCK! i love the ultra-thin overnights for all the time. the panty liners are a little bit too think but they are still fine.

[KaraLynne]

First, some info about me...I have yet to be diagnosed with IC (urologist is waiting to see if I get frequent UTIs or IC--urine was never cultured in the last several years). But, I do think I probably have IC. Most of my pain is in the urethra, but I do have vaginal pain after having sex.

For about a year I used the Diva Cup and it was fabulous! I loved everything about it--waaay more comfortable than tampons and much less gross. Super cheap too.

But, for the past 3 cycles, it has hurt, in the same way that sex hurts. But, on top of that, I used to not have IC symptoms during my period (sweet respite!), but I recently started to have burning during my period, so perhaps that's why the Diva cup hurts as well.

Anyway, I've stopped using the Diva cup, but even organic pads hurt too. So, I ordered some reusable washable pads off of etsy made of organic cotton/hemp. They feel much better, but I still have pain, so perhaps the Diva cup isn't actually causing it, but I feel it more because of the pain. So, reusable cloth pads are always an option as well.

Still, I really miss my Diva cup!!! It's certainly worth a try. I hope it works for you.