First yeast infection, still having symptoms after fluconazole - looking for similar experiences

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to hear from people who have been through something similar because this has been really stressful.
I’m 29 years old and this was my first yeast infection ever. I’ve never had recurrent yeast infections before, never had chronic vulvar pain, and never had pain during sex before this.

Looking back, I actually started having very mild vulvar itching over a month ago, but there was no discharge and the itching was so mild that I didn’t think much of it.

A few days later, I had a gastroenteritis, and during that time I also took several sitz baths using bubble bath (which I now realize may have been a bad idea). Around the same period, I had also started using a vibrator for the first time.

After the gastroenteritis, the itching became much worse and I developed the classic thick white discharge that looked very much like a yeast infection.

At first, I used expired miconazole cream (I unfortunately didn’t realize it was expired). It helped somewhat, but didn’t completely resolve my symptoms.

Because I was still symptomatic, I later took one 150 mg dose of fluconazole.

After the fluconazole:

the thick white discharge gradually disappeared;
the urethral burning/constant urge to urinate improved a lot;
the internal burning became much better;
but I never became completely symptom-free.
Instead, my symptoms have changed over time.

At different points I’ve experienced:

intermittent itching that comes and goes throughout the day;
itching mainly on the outside of the vulva;
vulvar dryness;
watery discharge during my period;
later, stretchy egg-white cervical mucus (which I assumed might just be ovulation returning);
a “pins and needles” or prickling sensation inside the vagina;
and now a feeling as if the entrance of my vagina has tiny cuts all over it.

The pain during intercourse was surprisingly severe. It felt like the entrance of my vagina was tearing or full of cuts, even during penetration, although the pain didn’t continue afterwards.

I also noticed that my symptoms sometimes seem to flare after stress, and once they clearly became worse after washing with soap, so I have now stopped using soap there completely.

Another strange thing is that a couple of days after taking fluconazole I developed three small blisters on my face (one below each eye and one on my forehead). I don’t know if they were related to the medication or just a coincidence.

Around the same time I also started having generalized itching over my body. Antihistamines only helped partially.

Recently I’ve also noticed tiny white specks on my vulva/labia, but I’m not sure whether they’re just smegma, dried discharge, skin debris or something else.

Because I was still having symptoms about 10 days after fluconazole, my GP requested a vaginal swab.

Unfortunately, my first sample wasn’t processed because there was a labeling problem, so I have to repeat it.

At the moment, I’m taking:

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for gut health.
Optibac for Women (vaginal probiotic).

I’m worried about several things:

Could this simply be a stubborn first yeast infection that needs a longer treatment?
Has anyone taken more than two weeks to feel completely normal after just one dose of fluconazole?
Did anyone experience vulvar dryness, a “cut” sensation, or intermittent external itching during recovery?
Could this still just be healing, or should I be thinking about something like contact dermatitis, cytolytic vaginosis, vestibulitis/vestibulodynia, or another diagnosis?

I know Reddit isn’t a substitute for medical advice, and I’m waiting to repeat the swab, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone whose recovery looked similar and how things eventually turned out.

Thank you.