using botox for painful intercourse?

MiniSteph

Hi, I lurk sometimes on this board and had a question.

Sex is very painful for me and I have tried physical therapy. It helped a little but it still hurts.

My urologist mentioned that botox can be used to help with this problem.

Has anyone tried this or know anyone who has?

TIA.

artbyallie

Eek! WTF? The thought of needles anywhere near there makes me hurt. I mean, I'm terrified of needles in general, but still...

I don't know how this procedure would work, but it sounds awfully extreme. Have you been assessed for vaginismus? What kind of therapy have you tried? Kegel exercise and dilators take time to work properly. Last and most importantly, are you fully aroused when you try to have sex? (Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to understand how this makes sense as the next step.)

~NB~

What? Has your doctor figured out the CAUSE of the pain? How on earth is it useful to paralyze your vagina? Somehow I don't think sex would be more enjoyable if you feel NOTHING.

MiniSteph

This is been going on for some time. For about 4-5 months I was seeing the physical therapist. Neither my PT nor my urologist know why I'm experiencing pain. Especially since it's recent and I've had pain free intercourse before.

I found this article about it-
http://www.centerforfemalesexuality.com/vaginismus-botox.html

Sorry if it's not clicky. Also, someone wrote an article about their experience using botox. It was in Cosmo, so taken with a grain of salt. 

artbyallie

From the article, it seems like it's only meant as a accompaniment to dilators, so if it were me, I would try the dilators alone for at least six months to a year before trying the Botox.

That's really unusual that you would suddenly develop vaginismus after already being able to have pain-free sex and without any traumatizing experience like sexual assault/rape. I hope you can find a solution. 

TarponMonoxide

Hell to the naw!

DO get a second opinion and a third opinion.

What you need:

A checkup by a GYN and a general practitioner.

Anytthing could be happening --- is the pain vaginal or is it higher up and in your uterus?

You could have anything from vaginisimus to a hormonal imbalance to interstitial cystitis or perhaps you simply are not lubing up enough due to not enough foreplay.

First and foremostly slow down during intercourse....LOTS of foreplay and use lots of lube. See if that doesn't lessen or diminish the problem.

 

jadeorchid21

MiniSteph:

Sex is very painful for me and I have tried physical therapy. It helped a little but it still hurts.

My urologist mentioned that botox can be used to help with this problem.

uh, OUCH!

I would get another opinion on this one. Sounds like this could be something that you have to continuously go in for. Also, the botox injections may be masking something else that could be occuring. . . 

I know tarpon touched on this but I think that there could also be endometriosis which classically presents with pain upon sexual intercourse. Besides, this is a urologist and this sounds like something your OB/GYN could help you with.

kellyt89

Do you have a diagnosis? There are a bunch of different reasons why intercourse might be painful for you and I think that you should get a diagnosis before you start treating things. If that means getting a 2nd or 3rd opinion I think you should. I'm not saying the botox is necessarily a bad idea, I just think you need more information first.

Good luck with everything.

rt4life

I read about this in marie claire.  I think once you get it done...you'll have to keep going to get it done...and it takes things other than the botox to get it to work. 

justaname

Botox is a valid treatment for vaginismus when other treatments have been exhausted. Give the PT a lot more time to work. Buy the book Healing Pelvic Pain (cant remember the author) and read what it has to say. Find a gyno or nurse practitioner who specializes in pelvic floor pain rather than a urologist. There arent many out there but it is worth finding the right one with experience dealing with this problem.

They should at least try some less invasive pharmacotherapy before reverting to botox. Some women have success with vaginal valium. It is important to find a specialist for this.

 Unlike what PP said botox does not diminish sensations, rather it paralyzes the muscles. In this application you are taken into an operating room and put under general anesthesia before they use the botox. It is often not covered by insurance so keep that in mind.

Feel free to PM if you have any other questions. 

MiniSteph

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond, I appreciate it.

I saw my urologist who has done this procedure before. She had also referred me to my physical therapist. Both her and my PT had mentioned the botox treatment.

I understand that using botox for pelvic floor disorder is not widely known and is still in its testing stage. Though botox isn't just for cosmetic purposes, it has been used for MS and bladder incontinence.

The problem for me is that the muscles around the entrance to the vagina are spasming. I'm all ready to go down there and when we we try to have sex, the muscles spasm causing the walls to tighten, causing the pain.

I have done the PT, dilators and stretching. This problem has been going on for at least four years and I am just tired. I'm tired of trying, tired of the pain and tired of not being able to have sex with MH because it hurts so much! I can see how it would be considered as a quick fix, but to me it's worth trying if it will help.

Bathlove

TarponMonoxide:

Hell to the naw!

DO get a second opinion and a third opinion.

What you need:

A checkup by a GYN and a general practitioner.

Anytthing could be happening --- is the pain vaginal or is it higher up and in your uterus?

You could have anything from vaginisimus to a hormonal imbalance to interstitial cystitis or perhaps you simply are not lubing up enough due to not enough foreplay.

First and foremostly slow down during intercourse....LOTS of foreplay and use lots of lube. See if that doesn't lessen or diminish the problem.

 

I agree with getting a second opinion. It couldn't hurt, plus there may be something else more serious going on downstairs. I've had a bad experience recently with a doctor, and it wasn't until I got a second opinion that my issue was resolved. Good luck!