Vaginismus Treatment: 250 Patients treated
The Botox program consisting of Botox injections and progressive dilation under anesthesia continues to be successful with more than 250 vaginismus patients treated. We have shared in the joys of our patients as they progress in overcoming vaginismus and their ability to raise families. We have learned a great deal from the ongoing communications of our patients and their willingness to post information and updates on the VaginismusMD Forum. The Botox vaginismus treatment program continues to have high levels of success helping to relax and stretch the vaginal muscles which interfere with the ability to consummate relationships. As more and more women became successful, even those with the severe types of vaginismus, it became apparent that this type of treatment had merit and needed to be studied further.
FDA approval for continued research in the field of vaginismus
A landmark event was the 2010 FDA approval that Dr. Peter T. Pacik received to continue research in the field of vaginismus using a program consisting of Botox injections, a long acting local anesthetic and progressive dilation under anesthesia. Since then more than 90 % of patients have been successful in advancing to intercourse. It is hoped that a blinded and randomized study will be done sometime in the future to better understand the different aspects of the program.
When Sex Seems Impossible: Stories of Vaginismus and How You Can Achieve Intimacy by Peter T. Pacik, MD, FACS
When Sex Seems Impossible. Stories of Vaginismus & How You Can Achieve Intercourse
This book and Kindle version, available through Amazon.com was written in 2010 by Dr. Peter Pacik and Joni Cole to share the many stories of vaginismus that needed to be told. Slowly the wall of silence has been broken down as women are more willing to discuss their suffering with vaginismus. This book has received recognition in foreign countries and is being used as a study guide for sexuality programs.
Stories of Vaginismus
An important part of the vaginismusMD.com website is the Stories section. With more than 250 patients treated for vaginismus, the stories section as well as the introduction section of the Forum allow women to know they are not alone with this condition. Each of you has an important story that is worth sharing. Each story empowers others. It has always been our collective goal to make vaginismus better known, to remove the secrecy that surrounds this condition. For 2014, I would ask each of you to consider writing your story, brief or long, to post in the Stories section. If you would email the story to me via the Contact Form, I will take care of getting it anonymously on the web site.
Vaginismus Treatment
Vaginismus is not something that is “in the head”. It is not willful, nor are the husbands to blame for being poor lovers. Instead it appears to be a simple reflex of the brain perceiving pain, and the vagina saying “no entry”. It is one of the most treatable of the sexual pain disorders, with far more success than the treatment of vulvodynia or vestibulodynia. A variety of treatments work but at times the condition is so severe that that “standard treatments” are ineffective.
Botox is well known to weaken or prevent the contraction of muscles by chemically interfering with the nerves going to the targeted muscles. The injected muscle is simply unable to contract. Spasm is eliminated.
The 1,2,3 punch of vaginismus treatment
The first punch is the injection of Botox under anesthesia. This is the knockout punch for the spastic muscle at the entry of the vagina (the “closed fist”). It will be unable to recover for about four months.
The second punch is the progressive dilation under anesthesia, stretching the tight muscle(s). Once these muscles are weakened and stretched under anesthesia, the continued post treatment dilation keeps these muscles stretched.
The third punch is reduction of anxiety. It is well known that fear and anxiety play an important role in continued spasm of the entry muscle. The brain says “PAIN“, the vagina responds with a protective reflex “NO ENTRY“. Once fear and anxiety lessen and women are able to tolerate penetration as well as having comfortable pain free intercourse, this protective reflex appears to diminish, and the reflexive spasm of the vaginal muscles appears to disappear.
Vaginismus cure
The entire Botox program is what appears to be so effective in treating and curing vaginismus in more than 90% patients who are treated.
The three punches described must be combined with careful post-procedure monitoring, which includes:
- Review of daily logs to help patients with their post procedure dilation program
- Counseling done after treatment is of utmost importance to help women understand what needs to be done when they return home and the steps needed to succeed in having pain free intercourse.
Botox alone, without the full program including post-procedure counseling and follow-up is a setup for failure as has been seen in several patients. Some of these patients had two or more courses of Botox and failed each time. In our practice we continue to follow our patients for a number of years at no charge to ensure their success.
Summary
The combination of Botox injections, dilation and reduction of fear and anxiety appear to be responsible for the high rate of success when treating vaginismus.
The future is bright for women suffering from vaginismus
Though progress has been slow since the first case report of vaginismus 150 years ago, there is a new groundswell among vaginismus sufferers to make this a better known condition. Amazing progress has been made since 2009 with more and more people having heard the term and more health care professionals interested in treating these women and their partners. We encourage you, our reader, to get the word out, to post this on your forums, and to participate on our forum. We can teach each other and help give definitions to our feelings. In this way we can advance the knowledge of vaginismus.
Vaginismus MD Forum
I cannot begin to describe the multiple benefits of joining this group of vocal women who:
- no longer want to feel as though they need to hide
- do not want to feel that vaginismus is “their problem alone”
- no longer tolerate being put down by their GYN doctors who too often tell them “It’s in your head” “Why don’t you just try to relax”
- do not want to feel like a freak as they watch their relationships disintegrate and their self-esteem vanish
- have tried years of failed treatments at considerable time and cost.
The power of the Vaginismus MD Forum has changed all that
Women now have a voice and they know they can receive needed advice and guidance on the VaginismusMD Forum.
Women are now arriving for treatment much more relaxed after posting on the VaginismusMD Forum in part because they have communicated with others. Buckets of tears have been replaced by smiles knowing that success is around the corner when they arrive for treatment.
In Closing . . .
Please send me a note and keep in touch. My best for a Happy and Healthy 2014! May 2014 be everything you desire!
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our Botox treatment for vaginismus and progressive dilation under anesthesia, please contact us via our contact us form.
