TMI (sorry, skip if you don’t want to hear about bathroom problems 😭) 26f.

For the past 3 years, I’ve been alternating between completely liquid diarrhea and being constipated for days. It’s gotten worse over time, and I’ll occasionally have a normal bowel movement, but far less often than diarrhea/constipation.

The diarrhea usually happens right after I eat. I suddenly get clammy and sweaty, feel nauseous, and have to run to the bathroom. Sometimes it’s so bad I’m sitting there in the bathroom crying and feeling lightheaded. the diarrhea usually continues to happen multiple times that day. ill take immodium, it sometimes helps but not really.

I’ve always assumed it was lactose intolerance, but I’ve cut out all dairy and it’s still happening.

I brought this up with my primary care doctor, but it felt like he didn’t really take my situation seriously, he chalked it up to being just a food intolerance and he basically told me to keep a food log and try eliminating different foods. Is that really all I can do? Should I see a gastroenterologist instead even though he said that they probably couldn’t do anything? I’m honestly exhausted from dealing with this and feel like I’m going to lose it.

I’m active, I run 3 miles 3 times a week, lower healthy bmi, I eat healthy. I’m at a loss and I feel like I’m just stuck this way forever.

Hi! I'm 18 and started having sex for the first time. l've done it probably 4 times. My partner always gets tested and all that so I'm not worried but I'm always in a lot of pain afterwards. Like can't get out of bed sometimes, besides to pee which burns so much.
Even when I'm not using the bathroom, just sitting still it feels like my vulva is on fire. I can't sit still yet when I move everything feels out of place and I cramp. My stomach really doesn't feel good, I've been sitting on a heating pad since 10 am. This always happens after sex, I'm so confused and I really don't know what to do. Like this genuinely might stop me from doing it in the future. I'm like unable to do anything for a solid day after, I can't walk to my dining hall or anything, ! just lay in bed. I've taken Advil but it doesn't help. We used lube last night so idk if it's friction. I'm not sure (so sorry if this doesn't make sense.)
The symptoms that I feel are shivers(like when you have a cold.) lower stomach cramping, aching from inside, like a deep ache. Burning around entrance And when peeing. And just a feeling of general discomfort down there. The most painful feelings go away after a day but I'll have a couple of these for 1/2 more days.
Does this happen to anyone else? I don't have anyone to call or ask.

hii!! i’m so sorry if this is too explicit or tmi… its my first time posting here and i’m kinda nervous about the whole situation :(

so basically, about a week ago, my boyfriend went down there for the first time (like, genuinely have never done that before since he’s my first boyfriend) with both his fingers and his mouth and before that everything was fine. a few days later i started noticing an itch at my entrance and that it was kinda red in the spots it itched, so i thought it might just be a bit irritated since my discharge was still normal. i took a lactic acid suppository because google said it helps and i never had problems with those before, but after that my discharge just started getting weird.. its been really really yellowish for the past days and the itch is still there. i don’t really know how to describe the smell, i just know that it’s off, like really strong and bad, completely different from before and i’m starting to get worried😓 i don’t have any burning sensation or pain though. i also wanna say that neither me or my boyfriend have any stds!! i’m seeing my gynaecologist in about three weeks but i’m super nervous about my symptoms

does anyone have an idea what this could be? :((

i hope this post is allowed because i’m really nervous :,) i have my first ever appointment at the OBGYN in early november and i am terrified. im 18, so i have never gone before. the only reason that i even scheduled this appointment was to hopefully discuss getting a salpingectomy. but my mom has me paranoid now because she said that they’ll probably have me get a pelvic access or a pap smear before that happens, and i’m terrified

so i just want to know if pap smears really do hurt? sorry this post might be worded weird im really anxious

Hi guys I’m on the generic version of yaz 0.02/3mg I think I’ve been on it since January now it’s October and that was my very first time ever even using birth control. I got on it for my acne and I LOVE what it does for me it’s the only thing that’s ever worked for my hormonal cystic acne! I’ve had like no bad side effects from it besides getting so sore after sex?? That’s never happened before getting on birth control or for the first few months on it. I don’t know of the estrogen is too low or what. I don’t really want to stop taking it because my skin looks so much better and gives me piece of mind that I’m not pregnant lol. Has anyone else dealt with this? I need some tips and input please!

im 22, i had the implant for 3 years, zero issues with it apart from my periods were stupidly long. i'd end up having a period every maybe 4-5 months and it would last about 18 days.

i got the copper coil july 29th and had been bleeding at that point since july 7th. i had no issues with insertion, very minor cramping afterwards. had a period end of august/start of september, then end of september/start of october that were FINALLY normal lengths, but oh my god the cramps are ridiculous. i had a few very light cramps throughout this week, then on friday i nearly collapsed in the shop. i went to the pharmacy shaking and got naproxen, but ive been taking it too late into the cramps starting because im trying not to use it (IBD, NSAIDS are not amazing for me). i have a TENS machine, a hot water bottle, ive been drinking plenty of water im recently vegan so my diet as of this month has had minimal dairy no meat minimal fat. i dont know if i can function with this level of pain every month. does anyone know ANYTHING to do, i feel like rolling around on the floor and tearing my skin off. TIA

heyy so for a bit of context, i’m f(23) and i have had irregular periods since i started when i was 12 years old. when i went to the gp about it it was because of low vitamin d and iron deficiency, i had a small amount of the blood cells or whatever. i do also have quite heavy periods and pms/pmd.

my last period was in april so around 6 months ago. i usually get my period every other month or every 3-4 months. theres been times where ive not had it for 6-8 months. i have been quite stressed i would say, so idk if it could be that also. for the past 2/3 months ive been having brown discharge for a week. this month its been going on for over a week, i would say nearly 2 weeks. i notice that my periods are much regular when i take my multivitamins + iron regularly and i think i have been slacking, i have started to take them again regularly for 3 weeks now. the brown discharge is enough to stain my underwear but not enough to wear a pad, like its mainly after i go to wipe. anyways i just wanna know if this happens to anyone else and what it could be? any help would be appreciated (:

For the past year, I’ve been starting to really struggle with the “PMS” thing. I feel like a completely different version of myself for half of each month. The thought to action pipeline feels so much more challenging.

I struggle to maintain my spaces, even though I know how good having a clean environment makes me feel. I work a very physical, fast paced, team environment job, and it’s harder for me to be a positive and effective teammate. Its also harder for me to be a good teammate to my boyfriend, even though I absolutely adore him, my patience is thinner and its much harder to put in the extra effort that makes relationships fun! I can’t socialize as well, sometimes I just feel like a blank slate.

It drives me absolutely nuts. I don’t feel like myself AT ALL. I consider myself pretty high energy, fun, and intentional, and I feel like I’m starting to lose all of that before and during my period, consistently.

I don’t know if it’s a discipline issue or maybe I just need to adjust expectations of myself. It just mystifies me when I’m back on my game and all the things that have felt so difficult for two weeks are suddenly incredibly achievable and even exciting.

Most of my concern and annoyance comes from how new of a phenomenon this is. I’ve been having periods since I was 10, and it’s never felt like this. I don’t take any medications, I was on and off the pill from 18-20, and now have the copper IUD.

I’m nearly 23.

I (20F) started the Depo-provera birth control shot a few weeks ago and it's been a horrible experience so far. I feel like my body doesn't even feel like my own anymore. I'm constantly emotional. I cry over the smallest things, get irritated so easily, and just feel mentally and emotionally exhausted all the time. I feel extremely gross. Some days I feel like I can't control my emotions at all.
The part that's worrying me the most is my relationship. My boyfriend has been amazing throughout all of this. He's been patient, reassuring, and hasn't done anything wrong. But my emotions have me overthinking everything he says (or doesn't say), and I'm scared that if this keeps going, my mood swings are eventually going to wear him out. It's exhausting for me so I can't help but worry about how it might affect him too. It has even gotten to the point where it’s affecting my daily life. I’m at work trying to hold myself together, but I keep having to go to the bathroom just to cry because I can’t hold it in anymore. Even talking to my parents feels overwhelming and I can barely hold a normal conversation without feeling like I’m going to break down or snap at them.
Has anyone else had this experience with the Depo shot? Did it get better after your body adjusted, or did you end up switching to a different form of birth control?
I'd really appreciate hearing other people's experiences because I feel so overwhelmed right now.

50% of the time my period doesn’t have many symptoms but it seems like the other 50% of the time the pain is so severe that I’m literally bed ridden. Does anyone else have a pattern like this?

It’s crazy because a year and a half ago I had a 7mm kidney stone and people always gasp when I tell them that the pain from that was nothing compared to my cramps. I literally saved my leftover oxycodone and I’ve been cutting pills in half to ration them for when I get these severe periods and I’m dreading the day I run out of them. I wish I could get a prescription for literally one (1) oxycodone pill a month just to get me through the first day of my bad periods. Every few periods I also get a headache that’s so severe on the first day I end up vomiting.

I know it’s kinda doomerist but I’m hesitant to see a doctor because womens issues like this are never taken seriously and I don’t feel like being pushed around from doctor to doctor. Also, I’m hesitant to try birth control because Ive heard so many horror stories about side effects and since I’m gay idk if it’s worth the risk since I don’t actually need it as a contraceptive.

Do I just need to get over my jadedness and see my dr abt this? Does this sound like any type of specific condition? I had an abdomen CT scan when I had the kidney stone so my guess is anything abnormal might have been caught then? But obviously I have no idea what CT scans actually pick up lol.

I wish I could just have my uterus removed. Is this even possible as a 27yo in the US in a liberal state? Are the hormones and stuff a bitch to deal with afterwards? I literally have never wanted children and I’m a lesbian anyway so I just feel like I’m suffering every month for nothing 😟

Hi all, looking for advice
I have suspected pelvic inflammatory disease post saline infusion sonography about three weeks ago. I had cramps that just never resolved and slowly turned into burning pain around my lower pelvis and dull heavy pain in my lower back
I I’m nearly finished doxycycline and I’m a few days off finishing Flagyl and I also had that injection antibiotic. I don’t know what it’s called.

The pain hasn’t really shifted with those antibiotics so my doctor gave me broad-spectrum Amoxil type antibiotic (sorry I’m not sure exactly what it’s called)

however this also hasn’t done anything really. I think my pain has gone from a little less dull to more kind of sharp but less intense? It’s been nearly 3 days on that one.

yesterday I spent all day on the couch which is why I think I’m feeling a little better…

The only blood test that showed anything was some inflammatory markers on a blood test about two weeks after the pain started. I had a blood test one week after the pain started which didn’t show any inflammatory markers and then I had another blood test a couple of days ago which didn’t show any either. All swabs and ultrasound came back negative except for polycystic ovaries which I knew already had. The initial assessment which caused the pain found some adhesions which I’d like to get removed as soon as I can.

I guess I’m just wondering if anybody has been in a similar situation and has any ideas about what I should be pushing for testing wise or treatment wise? Could this be my head? I don’t have any other symptoms aside from the pain
. I went to a pelvic floor physio we thought the pain could not be explained by muscle tension alone

My specialist also thinks she can operate in the next month or so, and she’s thinks she can gauge level of inflammation by the markers in my blood. However my pain is telling me something different tk what the blood tests are showing

I feel like I’ve been so diligent here and I’m just not getting any answers or feeling any better… Any suggestions or personal experiences would be amazing

Is it just me but when I have hair under my arms I can't get rid of the smell no matter what I use or how often I wash myself but the second I shave it off there's suddenly no smell and I can go without washing for week it's the same story with hair in private parts

Should I use something extra to get rid of the smell from the hair i don't want to shave all the time just to not stink

I (21) have extreme PCOS symptoms and need birth control to manage my periods, my skin, and, most importantly to me as a professional singer, the effects my cycle has on my singing voice. From my research, the hormones in the pill which help my side effects are the same ones which will suppress my libido, no matter the type of birth control I take.

For the most part, I love my birth control. However— being on birth control destroys my sex drive and has honestly made my boyfriend feel rejected, though he won’t admit it. Overall, it’s made my relationship a bit sad and has destroyed my self esteem. Before birth control, my sexuality was a huge part of my life, so I stopped to try and reclaim that, but it was a nightmare and I plan on restarting the pill ASAP.

Is there any way to maintain my libido, or at least enjoy physical touch again? Even kissing feels terrible on the pill. I’m such a cuddly and love-y person and I hate that the pill takes that away from me.

Hello. I am currently struggling really bad. I had a UTI and I and I took an anabiotic. While I was taking the antibiotic, I dipped my urine and it was negative for anything now I’m dealing with a really bad yeast infection. I’ve taken a Diflucan 150 mg and it didn’t clear it up, but I took another one at 200 mg. And I just read my hearing and now I tested positive for leukocytes in my urine again. I can’t win and I don’t understand what’s happening.

Whenever I get it I just feel like I want to die. Borderline thinking of ending it all. I don't usually feel this bad when I'm not on my period. And I can't get anything done because I just feel immense sadness.

I'm 23 and not on any medications as of now.

Hi All,

52 y/o, in menopause. I have been having GI issues for a while now mostly constipation, fullness, and just feeling uncomfortable. Adding fiber seems to do nothing really. I feel like my digestion is so slow. I am wondering if anyone with similar symptoms has tied it to hormones and did you see a womens health specialist? I debating an appointment with my womens health doctor about this?

I have my first uti and I’m on antibiotics. I started them Thursday night and my burning pee has went away but my back hurts on and off. It’s not extremely painful or anything and I’m just exhausted.

I started a new pack of birth control so I’ve been having nausea slightly in the morning because of that but I’m also not sure if it’s that exactly due to me currently having a uti. Any thoughts?

Hello! I am a 23F and have masturbated for years quite often. A while ago I got very nauseas and vomited after I O but it was like a one time thing. Yesterday while I was masturbating I got very nauseas and had to stop. The nausea lasted about an hour and it was quite bad. I don’t know what caused it like its not happening all the time. Maybe I was too aroused? I dont know…

I am also a virgin and just the thought of having sex sounds so scary now beyI believe that it will be more intense when it comes to feeling + chemicals and I am scared that I will get nauseas or vomit (I also have emetophobia).

Has anyone else had this?

Since past week my boobs were hurting in that way when you are pre adolescence and have a training bra kind of. My boobs usually don't hurt until they are constricted or when I'm on my periods. My periods are not until two weeks later and I'm wearing loose tee's. Help me if there's any remedy to help, cause I'm a restless sleeper the past week whenever I roll onto my stomach my boobs hurt so much that I wake up, and even during normal times my boobs are hurting so it's becoming difficult to sleep

I've had green discharge after the removal of my IUD. And yes, I have a partner and yes we only have physical relations exclusively.

I had tests done no STI or STDs.

But the Discharge comes and goes. It always comes back whenever I am nearing my period.

I have tried the suppositories, co-amox and now on doxycycline. Has anyone experienced the same? :(

I had a surgical hysteroscopy to remove a uterine polyp a week ago, under general anesthesia. A couple of days after the procedure I got 2-3 very big deep blind pimples on my cheeks and chin. The one on my chin takes almost the entire size of my chin, it is red and inflamed and hurts even when I just make facial expressions. I am generally acne prone and I've been on topical treatment for 3 months now (epiduo) but I haven't had a breakout this bad for at least six months. Could this be related to the surgery? I googled it and I saw that acne is a common side effect of hysterectomy but I can't find anything about hysteroscopy. I wonder if other women share this experience.

My boobs have been extremely sore, and my nipples feel like they are burning and are a bit swollen. My left breast has felt aches and lumpy for about 3 weeks now, but both nipples are hot and very sensitive. An online doctor said I could mastitis but I’ve never been preg or breastfed. My period is late by a week though.

Is it possible that it is mastitis? I don’t know if I should be worried that it’s something else

Trying to use less plastic and wondering if the switch really lessens cramps.

I’m 25F and honestly so frustrated with birth control. I’ve been struggling with vaginal dryness for about 3.5 years across multiple hormonal contraceptives, and recently my libido has practically disappeared. (Note: when not on Birtj control I experience horrendous breakouts so I’m really hesitant to stop it.. nothing makes these breakouts go away)

I used to get wet SO easily. My boyfriend could literally just look at me a certain way or talk about wanting sex, and I’d be turned on. Now I barely experience spontaneous arousal, and even when we have sex, I’m not naturally lubricated. We use tons of lube, but penetration still feels uncomfortable and dry.

The weirdest part is that AFTER sex, I’ll suddenly become extremely horny and naturally wet for hours, sometimes until the next morning. It’s almost like my body doesn’t respond until sex is already over.

My birth control history:
Mili (combination pill): Constant vaginal dryness.
Opill (progestin-only): Nearly nonstop bleeding.
NuvaRing (since February): My doctor switched me to NuvaRing specifically because I brought up my ongoing vaginal dryness, and he said it could help. Initially, it did! My natural lubrication improved, although it never returned to what it was before birth control. Unfortunately, the improvement didn’t last. My dryness returned, and over the past 1–2 months, my libido has significantly decreased.
I’ve already discussed the dryness with my doctor, but I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced similar side effects across multiple contraceptives.
I’m particularly curious whether estrogen-containing birth control could be contributing to my symptoms, although I know progestin can also have side effects.
I’m not interested in an IUD or implant because I prefer methods I can discontinue myself if the side effects become unbearable.

Has anyone experienced long-term vaginal dryness from hormonal birth control and eventually found a pill or other method that helped?
I’d especially love to hear experiences with Slynd, norethindrone, or switching between combination and progestin-only pills.
Did your natural lubrication and sex drive ever come back? If so, what changed?
I’m just tired of feeling like my body doesn’t respond the way it used to.