u/CardiologistMost8979

Was recommended this subreddit after posting on AskDocs.

I got my first yeast infection in November 2025. It was extremely swollen and I could barely walk or close my legs. My GP did a swab that came back positive for yeast infection and prescribed me Fluconazole. After that incident, I would get episodes of pain, itching, and swelling that would last a few days, vulvar up for a few days, than repeat. I only went to my GP one more time after the first incident and was given the same treatment. Also, the skin between the inner and outer folds had started dangling on one side. Wasn't there before I started getting the infections.

Around 2-3 weeks ago, my vulva area started acting up again. The area near my vagina opening was itchy and after taking a look, I noticed the skin was red and seemed to be peeling. Also had noticed drops of blood when wiping for the last month, but hadn't thought much of it. I have an insane amount of discharge, my undergarments get soaked less than an hour after putting them on, linears barely stay in place, and I noticed that there are wet spots left on chairs when I stand. Also, sometimes they're clear and other times they're yellow.

I went to my GP on Wednesday, she said the area only looked irritated and prescribed me terbinafine HCL 1%. A few hours after applying it, my inner folds swelled up, one more than the other, and became hard. Also, I was already in pain before but it worsened. Went back to the clinic on Friday (gave me different cream and oral medication) and asked for a gynecologists referal since this has been going on for months. Was told i can't see one since I'm not 18 and am a virgin. My inner folds have been swelling, getting better, than re-swelling all day. Also noticed there's a bunch of fissures on the inner sides of the outer folds.

Not sure if i should see a walk-in-clinic GP and ask for a referal or wait and see if the new medication work. Would appreciate some advice.

I’m 17F, 5'2, 64 kg. I don’t smoke, vape, or drink, and I don’t have any other medical conditions.

Since around November 2025, I’ve been having recurring issues in the vulvar/vaginal area that were first diagnosed as a yeast infection. The first time it happened, I had a lot of swelling and pain and could barely walk, sit, or close my legs. A swab test confirmed yeast, and I was given oral medication (one pill. I don’t remember the name). It cleared up after that.

Afterwards, I kept getting episodes of intense itching, sometimes bad enough that I would scratch until it bled. I also had occasional swelling, but not as severe as the first time. The symptoms would come and go, a few days better, then it would flare up again.

I went back to my GP during another bad episode and was given the same oral medication again (one pill), which helped for a while.

For the last 2-3 of weeks, the area down there has been red, sore, and tender, and the skin seems slightly irritated/peeling. I went back to my GP on Wednesday and was prescribed terbinafine hydrochloride 1% cream and told it only looked like irritation.

After using the cream yesterday, once in the morning and again at night. I felt tightness below around midnight and noticed a lot of swelling. One side was worse than the other, and it was painful to walk, sit, or close my legs. My discharge is still clear. Also, there's these red streaks along the skin with blood coming out along certain parts of the mark due to all the irritation (not scratch marks). The swelling went down quite a bit by the next morning.

I went back to my GP again today, wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to the cream or another flare of infection. She said it was likely another yeast infection and prescribed me fluconazole 50 mg (3 tablets over 7 days) with clotrimazole 2% (external use only for 6 days). She also had me do bloodwork to check sugar levels.

My mom also asked about a referral to a specialist because this has been going on for months now, but we were told gynecologists don’t see people beneath 18 and virgins. Also said I keep getting infections in that area because some people are just more prone to them.

My question is whether it's reasonable for me to push for a gynecologists again or if it's even necessary to see one if I improve. Also, not all my episodes feel like yeast infection (this one for example has no cottage cheese discharge and very little itching) so could my episodes be something else?

My undergarments are 100% cotton and I dry properly. Also, I use scent free products and haven't changed my laundry detergent or anything in years. I avoid tight clothing as well.