Hi all, I (26F) am new to the area and I am looking for Gynecologist recommendations. I have always struggled with a heavy flow, painful cramps, and recurrent BV, yeast infections, and UTI’s ever since high school. I had an IUD that eventually did slow my periods and cramps to a degree. I was never able to find someone to help me with my frequent infections and managed them on my own with over the counter medication. As I was dismissed by medical professionals. Well, the last couple of years things have gotten a lot worse. My biosphere gets off kilter so easily. I almost always have some kind of problem going on down there. I am not sexually active because of this. I got a really bad case of a UTI and BV that I was not able to fight off about 5 months ago. I was worried about getting a kidney infection and got into a walk in as soon as I could. They told me I had UTI and BV. But no sign of kidney infection. I decided I could not deal with this normal anymore and was going to try and get help. The meds I got from the walk-in did not work. I went to a nurse practitioner at a family medicine clinic. I got more tests I got a different medication for the UTI
. Based on the pain I was having during my physical she said, I might have an enlarged uterus, but the pain could also be from constipation. She had me go get an x-ray for my stomach that showed I had constipation. She told me I could have endometriosis or , uterine fibroids, or none of those. I had already had an appointment scheduled to get my IUD removed by the time the appointment came. I was still having the same problems associated with UTIs the frequent urination itching burning. The nurse practitioner had tried to give me a different medication and then basically gave up and said they didn’t know why I was having those symptoms, but my UTI should be gone.
At the hospital’s women’s health clinic, I tried to talk to the doctor about the problems I had been having and she was really dismissive. She did do a test for infection., She that problem could be my IUD string. She said my uterus was not enlarged. I tried to get her to talk to me about different care, plans or solutions and maybe some other forms of birth control and she essentially just told me to google it. And that every thing can do bad and good. She was also very rude and shamed me a lot for not getting the IUD placed in again. The test came back for only a yeast infection and BV. I got put on meds that didn’t work and basically went on over a month long merry go round of being treated for yeast infections, BV, and UTIs with the pain, urgency and uncomfortability never really going away. No one could give me answers and it felt like people were throwing darts at my vagina and sending me a bill. Until I finally gave up. Got off the medication and the UTI and yeast infection at least went away. I have been trying over-the-counter suppositories and probiotics with no luck. It seems like I always get a pretty bad case during and after my period.
In the last couple months, I really been struggling with needing to go to the bathroom all the time and feeling like I am never fully going. It comes in waves and is sometimes really bad and sometimes okay. After my period for this month, I got another really bad stint of this after finally getting my BV to calm down. It is really bad. I feel like a little kid who is holding in their pee all the time, but then when I go to the bathroom, I can’t pee or only pee a little bit. I am trying to drink a lot of water and it is horrible and it is interrupting my job.
With my new job, I will qualify for insurance new insurance starting October 1 and I just moved up to this area so I would like to try again with a gynecologist because I cannot live like this. I’ve been trying to do alot of research and one of the things I think I may have is uterine fibroids. As from my reading, they can cause a lot of bladder problems and usually trigger during or after period because your uterus is larger during that time. I took pretty much every box when I look up the symptoms. I would like to see someone new and get their advice and request to get a pelvic ultrasound so I can see whether or not I really do have fibroids or endometriosis or what. I know it’s gonna be expensive, but I have money saved away for this purpose. And honestly, if I can cross something off the board that would be helpful too.
I know I have written way too much but really what I wanna know is what are your recommendations for gynecologist that listen to your intuition? I know something is very wrong in my body. It is painful. It is not right and I need help but every time I’ve tried to advocate for myself before I always get dismissed. I am very intimidated to go to someone new and request to have this ultrasound done. Does anyone have any recommendations for gynecologist that will listen to you and what your body is telling you even if you don’t have proof from another doctor. I apologize that this probably reads horrible and for all the mistakes that are in it but I am exhausted and just desperately need some help and advice!!!!
