I’ve had an infection for.. over half a year. I went to my doctor and they prescribed medicine for a Yeast infection. It did work, for the most part. But I fell in dirty water and it came back. So I got a refill, and didn’t use it all at once. The infection came back, strongly.
I went to Walmart and bought a weak generic version of the medicine prescribed to me, and it did nothing. Then I went to another doctor and he gave me a fix-it-all pill, which also did nothing.

I’ve been researching my symptoms and find that not all my symptoms match anything I can find. It does, however, fit Trichomonas a tad. I’m very worried by what I’ve read, because I have never been intimate with a man or woman before, and I’ve read that it’s an STD.

Can you get Trichomonas any other way besides having intercourse?
and does anyone know what else it might be?
My symptoms include:
Swelling
Burning
Slight, painful itching
Slight, rare discharge
Discomfort

Answered by: Maria/ MD Health Forum.com Team

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a parasite called trichomonas vaginalis. This parasite can live in the urinary and reproductive tract of males and females. It can infect any sexually active person, particularly those who have multiple partners and who are not using protection. It is unusual to get trichomoniasis without sexual contact.

In women, symptoms of trichomoniasis can appear between 5 to 28 days after sexual contact with someone who has the infection. These symptoms include: abundant or frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge with a strong odor, discomfort during intercourse and urination, as well as itching and tenderness in or around the vagina.

Although some of your symptoms resemble those of trichomoniasis’, they are also present in other conditions such as yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis. When a woman reports unusual vaginal discharge, the doctor will ask routine questions that will help distinguish mild from serious conditions. Your doctor can find out whether you have trichomoniasis by doing pelvic or genital examination and by testing a sample of vaginal or urethral discharge. Examining the vaginal discharge under the microscope can help rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms.

I’ve read that about 5 percent of women get four or more vaginal yeast infections in a year. This condition is known as recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) which is more common in women with diabetes or weak immune systems. This problem is often treated with antifungal medication for up to 6 months.

I would suggest that you go back to your own doctor for an evaluation. It is important to identify what has been causing your symptoms so that proper treatment can be given. You need to inform your doctor that the medications that were prescribed to you did not offer much help.

This blog entry is for your general information only. I recommend that you discuss your symptoms with your own doctor.

References:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/vaginal-yeast-infections.cfm
http://www.cdc.gov/STD/Trichomonas/STDFact-Trichomoniasis.htm

Tags: Bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis, trichomoniasis, unusual discharge