Neuropathic itch (vulva)/alcohol injections

[Violet M]

Has anyone ever tried this?

http://www.atlasofpelvicsurgery.com/1Vu ... 1sec9.html

"In patients with chronic and severe pruritus of the vulva not amenable to steroid cream therapy, denervation of the vulva is often needed to break the vicious cycle of itching, scratching, excoriation, micolacerations, and irritation of cutaneous nerves. Alcohol injection of the vulva gives the patient a temporary period of denervation. Surgical denervation should be reserved for those patients in whom medical therapy and alcohol injection have failed.

Denervation by alcohol injection requires an understanding of the innervation of the vulva.

To prevent microulcerations and infection, care must be taken to inject the 95% alcohol into the subcutaneous space and not the intradermal space.

The purpose of this operation is to temporarily denervate the vulva by injecting alcohol in a systematic fashion that will denervate each of the cutaneous branches of the ilioinguinal, genitofemoral, posterior femoral, and pudendal nerves. This denervation generally lasts 4-6 months."

[HerMajesty]

Thanks so much for this Violet I have neuropathic itch of the anal not vulvar area but am printing this right now anyhow to give to my PA at the next visit; if he is game to try it so am I!

[mom]

let me know how this goes HerMajesty. I am interested in following up on this for my daughter.
And who you use

[Violet M]

I don't know, it sounds a little brutal but if your itching is driving you crazy it might be worth a try although it is a temporary solution. If there is some underlying cause for the itch you might want to first figure out what that is -- like in my case it was most likely due to the nerve compression/irritation because since recovering from surgery I'm pretty much cured from this problem.

[mom]

Violet,
Did was nerve compression the pudendal nerve? And this is what caused you to have itch? Where was your itch primarily concentrated at? Did you itch all the time or just sometimes?

[HerMajesty]

I don't know, it sounds a little brutal but if your itching is driving you crazy it might be worth a try although it is a temporary solution. If there is some underlying cause for the itch you might want to first figure out what that is -- like in my case it was most likely due to the nerve compression/irritation because since recovering from surgery I'm pretty much cured from this problem.

Well Violet my deal is I am awaiting botox of the piriformis to rule it out as the culprit, but this is unlikely and my remaining pudendal neuropathy is almost certainly due to S2 tarlov cysts. I would have to ponder whether or not the surgery for that is worth it and if so, the whole process will be long and drawn out, probably with surgery if not this summer more likely summer of 2012. So bring on the brutal! Even though I am much better, It gets a little wearing to itch constantly for 5 years. If I could do this periodically as an alternative to major neurosurgery that certainly has its appeal too.
I think you and I differ in that your itch was a mild form of pain signal before your real serious pain signals set in; where as mine is a pain signal that is being "scrambled" by a large amount of numbness in the same areas.
Mom, your daughter's situation is different because I have already well established what is going on in my body and your 1st priority is still diagnosis and treatment of the cause, not making the symptoms go away nice as that would be. And I do think this is brutal for a child. I have had a couple of babies and lots of invasive procedures and am much more jaded than a 7 year old.

[Violet M]

Violet,
Did was nerve compression the pudendal nerve? And this is what caused you to have itch? Where was your itch primarily concentrated at? Did you itch all the time or just sometimes?

Yes, it was the pudendal nerve and Itch was primarily vulvar due to the pudendal neuropathy. I went through stages in my PN journey. One stage was a pretty constant itch stage but it eventually progressed to pain.

Dr. Antolak says that as you are healing after surgery you often go through the same stages in reverse and I think there is some truth to that -- at least I experienced that to some extent because I went back through the itching stage again after surgery but now that is gone. I think it's too soon to even consider surgery in your daughter's case because there are other options you want to consider before even thinking about surgery. Obviously she is still in the diagnosis stage. It must be extremely stressful watching her go through this.

[panaetache]

Did you have any other symptoms then vulva itching ?
Because I also started out with vulva itching and now burning and some anal itching
No that all has got better and I have terrible butt cheeks that burn all the time...
But seen a pne specialist and he said that I don't fit the pne category symptoms sine I have no rectum pain or vaginal pain..can you list your symptoms..thanks

[Violet M]

Itching was one of my early symptoms but eventually it developed into pain too. Just curious which doc told you it wasn't PNE unless you have vaginal or rectal pain. I went through a phase where I didn't have pain.

[panaetache]

What were all you symptoms ? I saw dr renny in Houston and he said I didn't fit the pne category all I have in buttcheeks and low back pain now my vulva burning and itching is mostly gone. I have been diagnosed with vulvudynia my cheeks burn all the time not with sitting constant even when I lay in bed I have no issues with having sex ..so I have had nerve blocks with no relief.... Did you have vaginal pain or rectum pain?