My Pudendal Neuralgia Vulva Hell: Treatment with Dr Durtnall
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 8:21 am
At the age of 15 I had the constant feeling that I needed to pass urine, or at least that is what it felt like. I had the constant desire to try and pass urine even when there was none there. This caused a large amount of discomfort and led to multiple doctors’ appointments that resulted in being prescribed 3 types of antibiotics for various urine infections even though no infection ever appeared in a sample. During this time the pain in my vulva increased, until I was so uncomfortable that being at school was difficult and passing urine made me cry. My condition deteriorated quickly, the pain was almost unbearable and I stopped attending school. I was put on multiple strong painkillers which numbed some of the pain but made me lethargic and dazed. Once a urine infection was ruled out as a cause I was transferred to the gynaecology department at the local hospital. They were unsure what the problem was. During the next few months I had an MRI of my spine (not including my coccyx) and a biopsy on my vulva. All of these things caused me a lot of upset, physical pain and were fruitless.
Once the gynaecologist could not work out what was wrong he became angry and often said that I was clearly making this up for attention, or that I was lying about my virginity. At this point I was terrified, nobody knew what was wrong with me and I was being accused of inflicting this debilitating pain on myself. I was lonely, cut off from all my friends and in pain all of the time. As well as the pain in my vulva I began to feel it in my coccyx, my groin and my abdomen.
From then I was transferred to a dermatologist who said that it was clear my problem was eczema, after weeks of trials and tests with no improvement I was transferred to the Orthopaedic department. At this point I was bed bound, barely eating and honestly wanted to end it all. I had forgotten what it was like to not be in pain. My vulva felt like it was burning and was red raw (or as my doctor described it, it looked like a “volcano of doom”). My groin ached and felt like something was crawling underneath my skin. My abdomen throbbed and I was constantly cradling my tummy trying to hold it all together. Passing urine hurt and my bowels became painful and erratic. At this point it felt like the doctors had given up and my appointments got further and further apart as I was passed around departments who had no idea what to do with me.
I was now in unbearable pain, had missed months of school, lost all contact with my friends, been told it was all in my head and had to hear multiple times that there was nothing anyone could do to help. This “mystery” aliment was having a massive effect on my life but also on my family. My sisters barely saw me and when they did I was on too many very strong painkillers to engage with them and in too much pain to leave my room, let alone the house. I’d keep them up at night with my crying and their lack of power to help me scared my younger sisters and frustrated my elder one.
My sister and mum searched on line for hours for answers, they looked at every forum, every help site, every odd bit of advice. We tried everything but were at a complete loss. Then one day my sister came across Dr Durtnall’s Sayer Clinics website. They read the information about vulvodynia and sacroiliitis and everything clicked. All the pain, all the symptoms that seemed unconnected and had baffled all my other doctors were now being explained and made sense. We made an appointment for the next week and my mum and dad helped me into the car. I cried all the way to London, wincing over every bump in the road. It had been months since this whole ordeal had started and I had completely given up hope, but my sister was adamant that I try Dr Durtnall out. When I arrived my mum filled out a form and we went in for my appointment. As soon as we began talking to Dr Durtnall it was clear he was listening to everything I had to say and made no judgements of me.
Dr Durtnall's investigations showed evidence of previous injury to my coccyx, with sacrococcygeal joint retrolisthesis, one-sided sacroiliitis and pudendal nerve entrapment with inflammation in my bladder, vulva, lower abdomen, inner thighs and groins. At 15, I had no idea what any of this meant but it was such a relief to finally have an answer and to be looked after by someone who finally knew what was wrong with me and a possible cure.
I visited Dr Durtnall twice a week for a month and he treated me with sacro-coccygeal and sacroiliac joint manipulation, giving me regular exercises to do. Within weeks I was feeling much better, I was able to move again, the pain was less constant and I was able to wean myself off all the pain killers I was on. I finally looked more alive again. I continued to visit Dr Durtnall for two years, with my appointments becoming less frequent as I became stronger.
It is now 6 years since this happened. I sat my GCSEs on time, I took my A levels, I went to university, I have trained as a teacher and I have just started my first job. I have been able to get my life back and to return to normality. While I have had some relapses in between, I am now much better and know exactly what to do when the symptoms return.
If any of my story sounds familiar to yours, firstly I am very sorry, no one should have to suffer with such pain, and secondly please don’t give up, find people who can help and if you can, visit Dr Durtnall. While I was sceptical at first that anything could fix my problem, I dread to think what would have happened if I had not gone to see him when I did. If you are in a similar position to the one I was in I would also recommend visiting a physiotherapist who specialises in joints. While I don’t think I’ll ever be “normal” and I’ll always have painful days, I want to stress that there is an answer and that there is help. You don’t have to remain a medical “mystery”, you don’t have to be helpless and you can get better.
Once the gynaecologist could not work out what was wrong he became angry and often said that I was clearly making this up for attention, or that I was lying about my virginity. At this point I was terrified, nobody knew what was wrong with me and I was being accused of inflicting this debilitating pain on myself. I was lonely, cut off from all my friends and in pain all of the time. As well as the pain in my vulva I began to feel it in my coccyx, my groin and my abdomen.
From then I was transferred to a dermatologist who said that it was clear my problem was eczema, after weeks of trials and tests with no improvement I was transferred to the Orthopaedic department. At this point I was bed bound, barely eating and honestly wanted to end it all. I had forgotten what it was like to not be in pain. My vulva felt like it was burning and was red raw (or as my doctor described it, it looked like a “volcano of doom”). My groin ached and felt like something was crawling underneath my skin. My abdomen throbbed and I was constantly cradling my tummy trying to hold it all together. Passing urine hurt and my bowels became painful and erratic. At this point it felt like the doctors had given up and my appointments got further and further apart as I was passed around departments who had no idea what to do with me.
I was now in unbearable pain, had missed months of school, lost all contact with my friends, been told it was all in my head and had to hear multiple times that there was nothing anyone could do to help. This “mystery” aliment was having a massive effect on my life but also on my family. My sisters barely saw me and when they did I was on too many very strong painkillers to engage with them and in too much pain to leave my room, let alone the house. I’d keep them up at night with my crying and their lack of power to help me scared my younger sisters and frustrated my elder one.
My sister and mum searched on line for hours for answers, they looked at every forum, every help site, every odd bit of advice. We tried everything but were at a complete loss. Then one day my sister came across Dr Durtnall’s Sayer Clinics website. They read the information about vulvodynia and sacroiliitis and everything clicked. All the pain, all the symptoms that seemed unconnected and had baffled all my other doctors were now being explained and made sense. We made an appointment for the next week and my mum and dad helped me into the car. I cried all the way to London, wincing over every bump in the road. It had been months since this whole ordeal had started and I had completely given up hope, but my sister was adamant that I try Dr Durtnall out. When I arrived my mum filled out a form and we went in for my appointment. As soon as we began talking to Dr Durtnall it was clear he was listening to everything I had to say and made no judgements of me.
Dr Durtnall's investigations showed evidence of previous injury to my coccyx, with sacrococcygeal joint retrolisthesis, one-sided sacroiliitis and pudendal nerve entrapment with inflammation in my bladder, vulva, lower abdomen, inner thighs and groins. At 15, I had no idea what any of this meant but it was such a relief to finally have an answer and to be looked after by someone who finally knew what was wrong with me and a possible cure.
I visited Dr Durtnall twice a week for a month and he treated me with sacro-coccygeal and sacroiliac joint manipulation, giving me regular exercises to do. Within weeks I was feeling much better, I was able to move again, the pain was less constant and I was able to wean myself off all the pain killers I was on. I finally looked more alive again. I continued to visit Dr Durtnall for two years, with my appointments becoming less frequent as I became stronger.
It is now 6 years since this happened. I sat my GCSEs on time, I took my A levels, I went to university, I have trained as a teacher and I have just started my first job. I have been able to get my life back and to return to normality. While I have had some relapses in between, I am now much better and know exactly what to do when the symptoms return.
If any of my story sounds familiar to yours, firstly I am very sorry, no one should have to suffer with such pain, and secondly please don’t give up, find people who can help and if you can, visit Dr Durtnall. While I was sceptical at first that anything could fix my problem, I dread to think what would have happened if I had not gone to see him when I did. If you are in a similar position to the one I was in I would also recommend visiting a physiotherapist who specialises in joints. While I don’t think I’ll ever be “normal” and I’ll always have painful days, I want to stress that there is an answer and that there is help. You don’t have to remain a medical “mystery”, you don’t have to be helpless and you can get better.