Discharge (bloody, purulent...), white wash... - general questions

I'm not sure what your take on this is... should I ask if it's possible to handle this urgently? 🤷

Look, I honestly don't know how much this is actually messing you up, or if maybe you just need to get your period started. If the pain isn't tied to your cycle, though, you can just head straight to your OB-GYN and ask for a same-day exam. That way, you won't be stuck waiting until March if, say, you have an ovarian infection or something... Also, you could always hit up your primary care doctor and ask for a referral for some blood work; that’ll either confirm a bacterial infection or rule it out entirely.

Back when I was doing my internship at the social services office, there was this unwritten rule about swabs. You didn't bother ordering them ahead of time; instead, you just had to show up by 11:00 AM because all the samples had to be turned in to the hygiene lab for analysis by noon. So... if you can, try to head in early. 😉 You can also go through your primary care physician using a referral for a urine culture. If there’s any bacterial activity going on, that test will catch it. During my pregnancy, that’s exactly how they monitored me for beta-hemolytic strep. They didn't want to mess around with internal swabs and just used the urine tests instead.
You might want to pick up the Canesten combo—the cream and the vaginal suppositories. There is honestly no point in just applying cream externally if the fungus has already moved in internally.

Thanks everyone 🙂
Will having my period start in about 3 or 4 days affect the swab tests? I'm just worried about getting a false negative result...
I was thinking about calling tomorrow to ask because there's really no point in waiting two months for this, but I'm honestly terrified of coming across as rude or acting like I think I'm more important than everyone else...
Does anyone have an idea what this could be? I've been Googling non-stop for the last three days and everything seems to point toward something sexually transmitted (I’ve had Candida before and this discharge isn't even close—I handled that one with a better diet and Canesten—but I'm certain it's not that)... I'm just scared they'll think I'm lying to them... 🤷 Is there any way it could have been picked up from sharing a towel or using a public restroom? I've been using both a bit more frequently over the last month... Sorry for all the questions, but this is my first time going through this process, so I truly don't know what to expect...

Well, nobody here has a crystal ball. Who was the one who diagnosed you with Candida in the first place?
Call the doctor and explain what's going on. I guess they'll probably see you right away if you're dealing with stuff like that.

The thing is, I’m due for my period in a day or two, maybe even tomorrow... and they say you shouldn't really be getting swabs done during that part of your cycle. Should I just wait and call them once it's over?

Just call them, explain what’s going on, tell them you're expecting your period, and ask for their advice on how to proceed. Honestly, I don't think getting a urine culture will be an issue at all. Besides, infections aren't always about sex; certain bacteria or viruses can just jump your way regardless of whether you've been intimate or not.

There is a straightforward way to handle things if you're dealing with Candida.
Head to any local pharmacy and grab the largest plastic syringe they have; it works perfectly for rinsing.
Warm up about half a cup of water and dissolve two teaspoons of baking soda into it.
Use the syringe to rinse the area once a day for a few days—about seven should do it.
You’ll likely feel some relief immediately, though real results take a few days to show.😉
One word of caution: once the Candida clears up, stop the rinsing. You don't want to wash away all the good bacteria. Overdoing it isn't healthy.

Thanks, John Thompson53, but I honestly don't think it's Candida this time...🕺
Regarding that urine culture, how does that even work? Where do I go? I really have zero experience with any of this...
I'm debating whether I should just wait 10 to 14 days and then get everything checked out by the gynecologist—assuming they'll actually see me without making me wait forever—or if I should just go ahead and do the culture right now...

So, you head over to your primary care doctor to get a referral for a urine culture. You collect your first morning sample—just the midstream flow, mind you—into one of those sterile cups you can grab at any local CVS. Then, you just drop the sample off at the lab with your paperwork, and you’ll have the results back in about five days.

I got a DM asking why I’d even bring up a urine culture if we aren't actually dealing with a urinary tract infection:
It’s because when you're collecting a urine sample, some vaginal discharge inevitably ends up in the cup. That’s more than enough to isolate bacteria and run an antibiogram. Sure, the bacterial concentrations might not be perfectly precise, but if they’re showing up high in the urine, they’re almost certainly present in the vagina too. My doctors explained it to me as a solid alternative if, for whatever reason, a swab just isn't an option. That’s exactly how they handled things for me during my pregnancy.

So, can I get a urine culture regardless of whether my period is going on?
It’s just a little awkward to ask because my whole family knows both the doctor and the nurse working there...🕺

amberpanther352 said:So, can I get a urine culture regardless of whether my period is going on?
It’s just a little awkward to ask because my whole family knows both the doctor and the nurse working there...🕺

Urine doesn't come out through the vagina.😬

Of course you can get a urine culture while you're on your period.😉

Your best bet is to head to your primary care physician or an OB-GYN and ask them everything on your mind. In the absolute worst-case scenario, there’s always the ER; they'll take you in if you show up after your doctor's office has closed. Just be prepared to describe your symptoms a bit more intensely than they actually are.
You aren't going to solve this issue here on this forum. If you keep waiting and putting off a doctor's visit, things could only get worse.

I know this isn't technically supposed to be in this section, but we already agreed that a few snippets might end up here anyway, so it feels a bit out of place 😁
Once I get everything sorted out, I'll post the cause... I'm sure someone down the road will find it useful 🙂

Sam Kim12 said:Urine doesn't come out through the vagina.😬

Of course you can get a urine culture while you're on your period.😉

Look, it doesn't matter that they aren't the same opening.😁

My doctors always told me to avoid giving urine samples during my period. No matter how careful you are, you might end up with some erythrocytes lingering on the skin, and then when you pee, they end up in the sample. Suddenly, your results show blood in your urine.

It’s better to just wait until your period is over. I give urine samples pretty often, and I care about doing it right—I check for blood or protein to make sure my kidneys are functioning properly. Honestly, I’d rather just wait than deal with unnecessary follow-up tests just because of a false positive caused by my period.

Tyler James5 said:Look, I honestly don't know how much this is actually messing you up, or if maybe you just need to get your period started. If the pain isn't tied to your cycle, though, you can just head straight to your OB-GYN and ask for a same-day exam. That way, you won't be stuck waiting until March if, say, you have an ovarian infection or something... Also, you could always hit up your primary care doctor and ask for a referral for some blood work; that’ll either confirm a bacterial infection or rule it out entirely.

amberpanther352 said:I know this isn't technically supposed to be in this section, but we already agreed that a few snippets might end up here anyway, so it feels a bit out of place 😁
Once I get everything sorted out, I'll post the cause... I'm sure someone down the road will find it useful 🙂

Instead of sitting around waiting for your period to wrap up just so you can deal with that urine culture—which is gonna take another five days anyway—why not just knock out the stuff mentioned above right now? You get those results back the exact same day you go in for bloodwork in the morning... seriously, why wait?

I don't think blood messes up a urine culture too much... I mean, the whole point is just to detect bacterial growth. I should check with the AMA. As for the blood work, those results don't necessarily have to look bad or signal inflammation for an infection to be there. By the time you actually see signs of inflammation, the infection has already taken hold.

Hello
I'll try my luck here; maybe someone can actually help me out...

I've been dealing with this green discharge for a long time, and before I started having sex, there was this strange odor—plus, sometimes my urine has a really strong smell too.
I should mention that I'm diabetic.
I’ve done every possible swab, taken several different antibiotics, probiotics, used vaginal treatments, even tried immune boosters, but nothing seems to work... my doctor is at a total loss and doesn't know what else to suggest.
Has anyone else dealt with something similar?
My last swab came back clear, yet the discharge is still there... I wonder if it might be a reaction to certain fabrics, clothing, or maybe daily liners?
It’s honestly terrible because it feels so unhygienic, and I can't go anywhere without using a liner. I don't know what else to try—maybe yogurt?
Thanks in advance🙂

I mentioned I’d follow up with the results.
The doctor told me it was just a minor inflammation, but then she handed me two boxes of antibiotics 😕
along with those vaginal wipes. I'm not sure if it was because of the inflammation, but the ultrasound
was incredibly painful and uncomfortable... I actually broke out in a cold sweat. She just said we'll see
how things go, and that was basically it... 😉