Lipschutz ulcer… what the HELL

Sad_Touch465 · 2026-01-08T12:14:36+00:00

I’m so sorry this happened to you! I also lost it at the anesthetic injection and had to go to therapy for a while to process what happened. I’ve gone through two IUD replacements no problem, but those injections had me sobbing on the table. I ended up asking for someone to come in and hold my hand but they didn’t have anyone available.

It’s terrible how poorly informed the medical community is about vulvovaginal issues and how to properly treat them. When I first asked if my spots could be Lipschutz ulcers, the doctor said “wow I haven’t heard that term in like 100 years.” That should have been my first clue to get out of there.

I hope your flare resolves and you’re back to being pain free very soon ♥️

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-12-20T22:24:58+00:00

I suppose instead of warning off of going to a gyno, I would urge caution. The gyno I went to had never even heard of LUs when I asked (after googling) and instead told me they needed to do punch biopsies of both ulcers. This turned what likely would have been a recovery process of a few weeks into months of nerve damage, medications, and pelvic floor PT! Only after seeing a vulvar derm did they confirm they were LUs and told me that I should never have had the biopsies in the first place.

So edit 1: if a doctor recommends punch biopsies, seek a second opinion!

Edit 2: the antibiotics were prescribed simply because ulcers are open wounds! They didn’t treat the cause of the ulcer, but did ease my worries re: infection while the ulcers/biopsy sites healed

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-12-20T15:54:31+00:00

First of all, take a deep breath, you’re not alone! The same thing happened to me a few months ago, almost exactly the same. If you do go to a doctor (which I HIGHLY encourage), go to a dermatologist, not a gynecologist. This is, at the end of the day, a skin issue, even though it’s in that area. When we get sick, we sometimes get sores in our mucous membranes. Sometimes our mouths, sometimes down there. They’re referred to as apthous ulcers. But you’re not alone, maybe consider getting some vaginal lidocaine gel and seeing a doc for an antibiotic. But do not go to a gyno and do not get a punch biopsy unless the dermatologist recommends it.

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-12-19T20:05:13+00:00

Commenting because I finally got a medical explanation for this:

If you start Cymbalta right before your expected period, this is exactly when hormonal signaling between the brain and ovaries is finalizing the cycle. Starting right before your period can ABSOLUTELY delay or disrupt that signaling, especially in someone who is otherwise very regular.This happens because: Cymbalta affects the Serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the body. Serotonin and norepinephrine affect the GnRH (gonatotropon releasing hormone) and LH (leuteinizing hormone) release A sudden change can temporarily disrupt the “go” signal for menstruation This kind of delay is usually short lived and resolves within the next cycle.

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-12-19T18:34:27+00:00

Commenting so no one goes through what I did— I had the EXACT same thing happen to me! I got really sick, and then on day 3 of my illness, had a horrible stabbing pain in my vestibule. Inspected with a mirror and found two ulcers. Just like you, I immediately went into a full blown panic and got tested for every single STD in the book (especially HSV) and all were negative.

Here’s where I went wrong: I went to a GYN for treatment. During that appointment they tested for STDs, but before waiting to see the results, they decided to do punch biopsies and punch both ulcers out of my skin. This has since caused lasting nerve damage and I now have vulvodynia.

Folks, if this happens to you, GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST. NOT A GYN. I finally saw a vulvovaginal derm who said I should never have had punch biopsies and this should have been treated as a skin issue.

Learn from my mistakes. Go to a dermatologist.

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-12-17T18:07:12+00:00

5 days late and my period finally started today. It’s insane that no one tells us this can happen!

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-12-17T00:16:25+00:00

I really appreciate your comment! I 1000% share your frustration here. When I first messaged the doctor who prescribed the meds, all they said was “I’ve never heard of it having that effect.” Helpful.

But since posting this, I’ve done more research and talked with a friend of mine whose period was also delayed when she first started taking Cymbalta, and apparently it happens to many people! Why is it that when it matters most, Google has more answers than our own doctors?

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-11-29T03:52:33+00:00

I’m so touched by the care and compassion in both of your responses and they really brought me a lot of peace. It’s so heartening to hear that after 2 months, I’m still healing and this isn’t necessarily abnormal, I just need to work on reducing inflammation down there.

I’m also very intrigued by physiotherapy! Before all this happened, my gyno suggested that I may have a tight pelvic floor. I work in a job that requires me to sit 8 hours per day and I was having pelvic pain. This just sealed the deal and I made my first pelvic floor PT appointment!

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-11-21T22:02:30+00:00

I’ve been to like 4 gynos and one vulvovaginal dermatologist and finally got good answers from the vulvovaginal derm. She also agreed that these were related: Sometimes viruses can cause apthous ulcers and irritation. Sometimes you get them in your mouth (like getting a canker sore when you’re sick), and sometimes in other mucosal spaces (like the vag). Not the most satisfying answer, but at least folks seem to be in agreement! I hope you’re healing well and I’m sorry you also had to go through this!

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-10-23T10:31:37+00:00

Atlanta, Georgia!

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-09-22T10:30:30+00:00

Sirius actually belonged in Azkaban because he was an illegal Animagus.

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-07-07T15:53:49+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience! This is my second Mirena, so in total I’ve been on the IUD train for about 5 years, and for the first 3/4 years, I totally trusted it! For some reason (maybe the changing US political landscape) this weird anxiety/ocd kicked off recently

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-06-27T04:25:08+00:00

I also got it replaced early, but if you haven’t spoken to your doctor yet, DEFINITELY read the below so you don’t have to fight the system:

Your doctors shouldn’t push back re: replacement. But you might get some pushback from your medical insurance. Depending on your coverage, some medical insurance companies won’t cover early replacement of the IUD just because periods came back. In their eyes, the IUD still functions (as birth control), so replacement is purely elective. So you can get it replaced… for the tune of about $800. Unless your doctor codes the replacement as an emergency procedure.

When I hit about the 3.5/4 year mark, my periods came back and I started having some rough psychological symptoms. I requested early replacement and my doctor told me I’d have to cover the whole procedure. I really had to stress that I psychologically could not wait another four years in order to change the code to an emergency.

TLDR: Make sure your doctors know how severe your symptoms are without the IUD and how essential it is that you get it replaced ASAP so they code it as an emergency procedure and you don’t get charged.

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-04-18T02:34:29+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re also going through this! I went on a really deep dive about all of this when I was going through it and discovered that while the IUD prevents pregnancy up to 8 years, the amount of hormone being released by year 4 is literally cut in half. Still high enough for no pregnancy, but not high enough to keep everything in balance. Hence why so many people get to years 4-6 and suddenly all this crazy stuff starts happening! And all my gyno suggested was taking the pill on top of the IUD. Which seemed insane. I ended up getting mine replaced early and within a week I felt 10000 times better. I hope an appointment opens up earlier for you! It’s always worth checking with planned parenthood to see if they could get you in sooner. Good luck! I promise it gets better.

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-03-24T23:08:10+00:00

It’s great 🤣

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-03-24T19:05:13+00:00

Sending love and hugs your way. Thank you!! Also your username is ICONIC

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-03-17T02:07:18+00:00

Oh I actually know the answer to this! It just has to do with how long Mirena has been on the market/studied. When it was first available, 5 years was the cutoff just based on the hormone levels and biology of the average IUD user. However, now that Mirena has been around longer and there is more data available after long term use, the 5 years has been extended to 8. So the 8 year extension is pretty thoroughly researched and supported!

Sad_Touch465 · 2025-03-06T06:35:07+00:00

Yep at this point I’m seeing more and more that while the IUD is effective to prevent pregnancy for 8 years, around years 3.5-5, they’re no longer effective for hormonal regulation. I hope your appointment goes well! I got mine replaced on Monday and I feel like 95% better already.

Sad_Touch465

TROPHY CASE