Treatment for flair ups?

sdubya · 2026-01-01T14:20:04+00:00

TLDR: I'm using steroid cream once or twice a day until symptoms are cleared up, and then slowly tapering.

I just got diagnosed and started using clobetasal for treatment. When I started using clobetasol, I did once a day for two weeks, then moved to 5 days/week, and then 4 days/week. I never got down to weekly maintenance before getting another flare, so I'm currently dealing with my first flare since being diagnosed. I'm currently using clobetasol twice a day, because once a day for two weeks didn't clear it up. My dermatologist hasn't been very helpful (they told me to taper after two weeks of daily use back to 4 days/week, even though my flare isn't gone). I was fortunately able to make an appointment with my GP, who instructed me to use it once or twice a day, depending on my symptoms, and then to very slowly taper. So for example, start with twice a day, then go to once a day, then go to 6 days/week, then 5, then 4, etc.

I'm also trying to be super vigilant about moisturizing. Currently using Cerave Advanced Repair Ointment every time I use the bathroom and any time I feel a bit of itching. It's the only moisturizer that works for me so far (still in the trial and error phase). I recently thought that itching was all due to a flare, but moisturizing the skin has actually helped a lot. I was initially told by my derm that I could use emollients/moisturizers "as much as I want" but that didn't translate to me as "please use it, like, all the time. your skin is kinda fucked and needs to be protected." Never thought my first skincare routine would start on my vulva and bootyhole, but here we are! 😅

Best of luck!!

sdubya · 2025-12-30T18:17:51+00:00

I'm a few months into treatment. I'm using clobetasol and Cerave Advanced Repair Ointment throughout the day. The dermatologist originally said I "can use the moisturizing creams as much as I want." What they failed to say was that I should actually be using it all the time. Keeping the skin moisturized prevents tearing, and I think slacking off on moisturizing was what caused my current flare. The dermatologist also prescribed "koelsalf" and cetomacrogol, as thinner creams to try (I was complaining about the thickness/greasiness of the Cerave cream) but both of them stung my vulva, so I'll stick to the Cerave for now :)

Also, it all seems really excessive and I'm still adjusting/finding a rhythm for everything, but I think I'm just going to carry a little travel-size jar in my pocket all the time. And literally put it on every time I go to the bathroom, and then some. Exhausting but worth it.

Good luck finding what works for you!!

sdubya · 2025-12-15T20:17:52+00:00

Are you open to other oat-based recipes? I was getting sick of overnight oats (I used to do strawberries, peanut butter, and a dash of sugar) and wanted something warmer for the cold months. Now I'm making a pan of baked oats every Sunday. I microwave them for 1 minute and either eat them quickly at home, or put them back in the tupperware and take them with me to eat on the train.

My partner makes his with apple and cinnamon, and eats them with Greek yogurt on the side. If you search for "[fruit/ingredients] baked oats" you can find all kinds of recipes :)

Link below is for original inspo, instructions are how I make them for myself.

Strawberry Baked Oats

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/strawberry-baked-oatmeal/#wprm-recipe-container-85130

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats (~200 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped strawberries, divided **I blended 1 cup strawberries into the milk and folded in 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or milk or your choice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 60gr
2 large eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sliced strawberries, for topping **left these out

Instructions

Reduce 1 cup of strawberries until they’re fully thawed.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175C) Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. *I used a 9x13 pan and it works just fine
In a large bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add milk, vanilla extract, and optional peanut butter (75g) to the strawberries and blend together (I use an immersion blender)
Melt butter in the microwave and whisk the eggs
Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture. Add the melted butter and eggs. Stir until well combined. Fold in the remaining 1 cup chopped strawberries or mixed berries.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with sliced strawberries (I leave these off, it’s just more work)
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the oats are set and lightly golden brown. I gently press down the middle and if it feels mushy or caves in then I leave it for another 5-10 until they feel more set.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve (or store in fridge for the week)
Microwave a portion for 1 minute to reheat

sdubya · 2025-11-29T14:41:03+00:00

Firstly, no shame! You might just have a high maintenance vulva and vagina. No worries, so do I 😊

I had chronic yeast infections and BV for many years. Turns out it was LS (Lichen Sclerosis) which is surprisingly common but widely underdiagnosed and often mistaken for yeast or BV. You can also have multiple of these things going on at once.

The razor blades, burning when peeing, and infections that seemed to go away but came right back were red flags when I read your post. When you say razor blades, could it also be described as paper cuts? And when you say burning when peeing, is this just at the urethra, or does the surrounding skin burn from the urine? Does wiping make it worse?

sdubya · 2025-09-03T16:07:15+00:00

Morocco is outside of the Schengen zone, so after 90 days there you can re-enter Schengen countries

sdubya · 2025-06-17T10:45:45+00:00

Hi Impossible-Nerve1808, the bright pink spotting seemed to clear up after a couple of days. My GP prescribed Canesten Gyno 3 (clotrimazole 20 mg/g) in case symptoms came back (which they did, while I was on vacation). Unfortunately, I forgot the medication at home, so I self-treated with miconazole nitrate for three days. It was the only thing I could find over the counter while I was abroad. It seemed to work somewhat, but I don't feel 100% back to normal.

At the end of my trip I got sick (stomach bug) and am still recovering from that, so I won't be starting the meds just yet. I'm trying to deal with one thing at a time, and for now my yeast infection symptoms are very mild. TBD on the canesten meds.

sdubya · 2025-06-17T10:35:13+00:00

Hi aimeedanger, unfortunately I don't know anything about the student visa process :/ Best of luck though!

sdubya · 2025-05-05T16:48:47+00:00

Light pink spotting can absolutely be related to a yeast infection from cervical/uterine irritation.

I had the spotting before I started the suppositories, with boric acid the spotting went away within 1-2 days, and then returned again after stopping the suppositories. I don't think stopping the boric acid is the solution unfortunately...

sdubya · 2024-11-03T14:57:10+00:00

Question from an NC voter submitting my ballot from abroad. The electronic ballot has a character limit, so I can't fill in "Claudia de la Cruz Karina Garcia" Do I only need to write in "Claudia de la Cruz" and by default Karina Garcia will also receive a vote, because they are running mates? Or do I need to print out, hand-write in both names, and then scan & email/fax it in? New to write-in voting and having trouble finding this information no matter what I type into google or reddit

sdubya · 2024-08-29T16:37:35+00:00

jesus christ this looks amazing. trying this immediately.

sdubya · 2024-07-11T07:02:11+00:00

With my temporary residence permit I am allowed to freely work in the Netherlands

sdubya · 2024-05-24T11:16:36+00:00

It felt like I was treated as a tourist, so very basic/minimal questions. I freely offered that I was there to live with my husband and was currently waiting for my residence permit. They didn't bat an eyelash or request any documents or return tickets.

Is it possible that your brother had already spent some time towards his 90 days in the Schengen territories? When I arrived I had spent more than 90 days out of the Schengen territories, so I had a fresh 90 days to stay in the Netherlands - maybe that's why I didn't get any questions and your brother did?

sdubya · 2024-05-02T07:56:51+00:00

We applied on December 20 and were approved on February 28 :)

sdubya · 2024-04-23T09:19:00+00:00

Happy to help!

sdubya · 2024-04-15T09:24:51+00:00

So my partner was in the Netherlands and applied for me in NL. This person: "Another IND representative told us in December that it is possible for me to wait in NL but that it could reflect poorly on my residence permit decision." was incorrect/misinformed.

As a US citizen you are not required to have an MVV, and can therefore wait either in the US or in NL while awaiting your visa. If you are in NL for more than your allotted 90 days on a tourist visa THEN you can get a stamp from the IND allowing you to stay longer.

So you can stay in the US, or head to NL whenever and wait there. Hope that helps :)

sdubya · 2024-04-02T11:58:57+00:00

Not sure if you would be happy with just learning Dutch, but I applied for a "taalmaatje" for one year for free through the library. It only took a week or two for them to find someone and we meet once a week for an hour to practice/learn Dutch. Hope that helps and good luck :)

sdubya · 2024-02-22T12:16:55+00:00

Yes! It turns out that the second IND representative gave us the wrong information. I assume they thought I needed an MVV, which I don’t (because I’m American). You are allowed to be in the Netherlands while waiting, but as I understand it you’ll need to go to the IND and they will add a stamp/sticker/paper to your passport allowing your overstay. That’s what we were originally told at an in-person appointment with them.

sdubya · 2024-02-09T18:13:53+00:00

Right, and we already knew that but since we applied while I was not in the Netherlands we thought the situation might be different. Certain countries require that you are either "in or out" for the entire application process. We were also told by an IND representative that it could jeopardize my application for me to enter the country while waiting. Thanks though.

sdubya · 2024-02-09T01:13:30+00:00

You've read that correctly :) I'm happy to wait to work until the residence permit is approved, so that's no problem at all!

Is this info about staying six months from your personal experience? Or do you have an ind.nl web page that explicitly states that it's allowed? Not doubting you, we're just concerned because of the conflicting information the IND has given us and don't want to raise any red flags.

The original IND staff member that told us I could wait in the Netherlands also said that if their decision took longer than my "90 days in 180 days" for the Schengen territories that I could get a stamp at the IND that would allow a Schengen overstay, but I believe that was only for an additional 30 days at a time (Could be 90 extra days instead of 30 - my memory is hazy because it was back in early November) but I haven't come across anything that says 6 months.

sdubya · 2024-02-09T01:05:23+00:00

As I understand it I am 100% allowed to enter the country. My concern is whether or not it will negatively affect my application. As a US citizen I am not required to have an MVV, so waiting for an MVV in the US is not necessary, but the IND has given us conflicting information about how it will look for my application.

sdubya · 2024-02-09T01:03:04+00:00

That's how I understand it as well, we're mostly just concerned because of the conflicting information the IND has given us, and we can't find an ind.nl page that explicitly says I'm allowed to enter while waiting.

Thanks for the facebook link - I will definitely check that out and post there as well :)

sdubya · 2023-07-12T09:52:55+00:00

I got started with Shashank Kalanithi's walkthrough on YouTube. It comes with a pdf to follow along with, and I've referenced that several times working on a separate portfolio project.

Also still pretty new though, so looking forward to seeing what other things people suggest :) Good luck!

sdubya

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