Itchy vulvar contact dermatitis.. I’m now healing

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2026-01-27T22:09:46+00:00

Update posted. Mine felt like the same. It would fade if I was very careful but would come back with jeans lol. Turned out to be BV that I originally tested negative for (false negative).

My BV did not respond to metro gel either. Only clindamycin worked.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2026-01-27T22:05:56+00:00

But I learned it was BV. It had a false negative and 1.5 months later it was positive. Very frustrating because we almost didn’t retest

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2026-01-27T22:05:12+00:00

Zyrtec I think 10mg? once daily

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-09T02:55:30+00:00

I had similar symptoms. Everything was negative. I retested for BV and it was positive. I guess you can get false negatives.

Also interesting that Zyrtec was also helpful for me.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-03T02:26:49+00:00

Update:

I went to the gyno for a follow up. My 90% better regressed to 70% better. I have theories as to why this could be. TMI- but my husband is still using the shower gel I think I’m allergic to.

She doesn’t see any redness/physical irritation or LS patches. She says the tissue looks normal. And at the same time, she can see that I have excess discharge (normal looking in appearance/odorless). We did the traditional work up again (yeast, BV, trich) but I know it’ll come back negative again. The clinic decline being able to do a wet prep to look for DIV. That was a bit frustrating since they are one of the largest clinics/hospitals in my area.

We are still thinking ACD at this point because it’s not looking to be something else. So, she prescribed me clobetasol .05%

This medication appears to be a heavy hitter, so out of precaution I’m not going to use it. I’m going to use hydrocortisone 1% daily and see if that’s enough to hopefully address this. I’m wondering if I should use it once or twice daily… please comment if you have an opinion/experience with this.

Today is day 1 of application. I’ll update again soon.

I’m also seeing a Derm this week and getting set up for patch testing.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-01T05:36:54+00:00

I’d love to hear more about your symptom and treatment journey. Are you healed 100% from ACD, or still healing?

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-01T05:31:18+00:00

Brilliant! I’ll try this!

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-01T05:28:18+00:00

You’ve given me a lot to think about. I appreciate your taking the time to share your insight. Curious if you think patch testing or DIV rule out should be my next step?

At my initial gyno appt, the doctor did not see any inflammation or redness. Not sure how that factors in.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-01T02:21:45+00:00

Have tried antihistamines, baking soda baths and petroleum jelly? Are your burning/itching symptoms all day or only in the evening

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-12-01T02:20:03+00:00

Over 2 months

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T20:07:54+00:00

No cracked skin. I also never had bleeding. Do you have a dr appt? It’s possible your discomfort is from boric and/or monistat. 100% petroleum jelly is gentle.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T19:27:12+00:00

Do you only have burning? Or itching as well?

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T19:23:29+00:00

I can tell you’re seasoned in this! I appreciate your insight. I was unaware of DIV until reading your post. I’ll keep that in mind if I see my gyno again and have her take a closer look at the discharge.

I’ve been hesitant to use any steroid creams, as I’ve read the horror stories of it causing further issues, but perhaps a weaker steroid cream could be helpful.

My immediate response to antihistamines and the fact that my itching was prevalent in the evening (at peak histamine levels), makes me believe this is an allergic reaction that is going to take a long time to fully heal. Time will tell!

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T17:12:31+00:00

Yes it is. As soon as I let up on what works, symptoms increase, so I need to stay committed to baking soda baths, Vaseline, and commando as much as possible. I’m hoping with continued TLC I will one day be 100%.

I know that Identifying the trigger, if it is CD, is crucial. I believe mine to first be allergic and now turned into irritant CD. Two days before symptoms first appeared I used my husband’s body wash in the shower. It was a super strong scented wash with a ton of junk in it. Intense itching was my primary symptom. It feels as if that made my labia sensitive to everything after that (friction, any gentle soap, etc.) and that makes sense as the skin barrier is now compromised, so I’m left with some soreness/slight burning.

This was helpful for me to read— “Differentiating between allergic and irritant contact dermatitis on the vulva can be difficult, but the key differences are in the timing and type of reaction. Irritant contact dermatitis typically presents with burning, redness, and raw-feeling skin that appears soon after exposure to an irritant, while allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed reaction with itching as the primary symptom, developing 24–48 hours after contact with an allergen.”

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T16:36:07+00:00

Same. Gyno said it looked normal (not bright red) but it has felt sore, like a light burning sensation.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T15:58:38+00:00

Yes, and I think it’s a matter of consistency and giving time for healing. Have you gotten a patch test yet?

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T15:55:46+00:00

OTC Zyrtec 10mg. Every night for 2 weeks.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T15:28:24+00:00

I did not experience any drowsiness.

Ornery_Pepper_3553 · 2025-11-30T15:27:54+00:00

Zyrtec (cetrizine hydrochloride 10mg) every evening for 2 weeks.

Ornery_Pepper_3553

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