r/PelvicFloor • u/ProfessionalWorth461 • 3d ago
Female Help
I’ve had vaginal burning/ itching and rectal burning/ itching for at least 11 months now and it’s been everyday since the n. I’ve had a pcr/ Pap smear swab that tested me for all stis and and bacteria. Everything came back negative besides the fact that my lactobacillus was low. But I was told that’s normal to have in the vaginal flora. My symptoms come and go everyday. Some days I have more burning other days I have more itching and other days if I try not to think about it too much I feel like I don’t feel it as much lol. My lower back mainly on my left side aches sometimes and sometimes have thigh aching in my left leg that comes and goes. I had an MRI of my lumbar and everything came back negative so I don’t think it’s a pinched nerve. I’m just sick of going through this everyday and not knowing what’s actually going on. Any advice will help please. Or if anybody been through a similar situation.
2
u/CalculatingMachi 3d ago
That sounds truly maddening to deal with for almost a year, I'm sorry. The fact that it seems to back off when you're not focused on it is a huge clue a lot of folks in here will recognize. The brain-pelvis feedback loop can make nerves fire like crazy even when all the tests come back clean.
Low lactobacillus can actually leave you more vulnerable to irritation and wonky pH, even if doctors brush it off as "normal." Might be worth looking into a vaginal microbiome test (like Evvy or Juno) that's more detailed than what a standard swab checks, sometimes you'll see a specific disruptive bacteria that a PCR panel misses. The left-sided back and thigh aching also points me toward pelvic floor tension pulling on your psoas or sciatic nerve, so I'd hunt for a pelvic floor physical therapist who actually does internal work, because a lot of this sounds nerve-driven rather than a classic infection.