My 8 year old daughter's vulva is very sore, it burns (seems to be in the labia minora and clitoris). Should I use hydrocortisone and/or canesten?

Question

She has no symptoms of urinary tract infection because there is no fever and no specific pain when urinating, it is rather constant. I'm mostly looking for quick relief with what I have at home as she is unable to sleep. I even gave her tylenol. No problem with the delay, it's understandable. Indeed, after 2 hours of all sorts of attempts in the middle of the night, tylenol was the only thing that worked. The next day it was fine. Still, can hydrocortisone or antifungal medication help at the time? I changed my laundry soap but she also uses too much soap when she cleans herself, we'll review the basic rules of hygiene. I didn't think vulvitis could be so painful and make a child scream. Thanks for your help.

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Hello Ma'am, Sorry for the delay in responding. We can indeed give Tylenol™ or Advil™, but ultimately we'll need to know the cause in order to be able to treat properly. Vulvitis like this can be caused by soap deposits in the underwear, a new laundry detergent, and many other things that could have irritated the vulva. Do you have any idea what could have irritated it in this way? Yes, vulvitis can be extremely painful. Soap deposits are, in my experience, the most common cause in little girls this age. Applying hydrocortisone or Canesten™ to the vulva is not recommended no. It could destabilize her vaginal flora and cause other problems. The best thing to do is rinse with plenty of (cold) water and wait. Happy day!" Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist