It All Started After a Yeast Infection

The Pelvic Pain and Yeast Connection

If your pelvic pain began after a yeast infection, you're not alone—and you're not imagining it.

In my practice, I often hear things like:

“The yeast infection cleared, but sex still hurts.”

“I’ve been told everything looks normal, but it burns when I sit or wear tight pants.”

“Every test comes back negative, but it still feels like something’s wrong.”

This isn’t just frustrating—it’s exhausting. Especially when you’ve done everything right and still don’t feel better.

Fortunately, research is helping to explain what many patients have sensed all along: a past yeast infection can set off a cycle of pain and inflammation that lingers long after the infection is gone.

How a Yeast Infection Can Trigger Long-Term Pelvic Pain

Localized Provoked Vulvodynia (LPV) is a chronic pain condition affecting the vulvar vestibule—the area just outside the vaginal opening. It’s typically described as burning, stinging, or sharp pain with touch (sex, tampon use, bike riding, even wiping).

Researchers like Foster et al. (2007, 2015) cultured fibroblasts—connective tissue cells—from the painful areas of the vulva. When exposed to yeast-derived compounds like zymocin or even live Candida albicans, these fibroblasts produced high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially IL-6 and PGE-2, which are known to amplify pain sensitivity.

And here’s the most important part:

• These reactions occurred with fewer than 100 yeast cells—an amount far below what can be picked up on a typical culture or swab.

• Fibroblasts from painful areas responded much more strongly than those from non-painful areas.

• Candida albicans triggered more inflammation than less virulent yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This suggests that for many people, subclinical yeast exposure—too small to detect on labs—may still be enough to keep the pain going.

Your Immune System Isn’t “Overreacting”—It’s Trying to Protect You

Why is the tissue reacting so strongly?

Foster’s team found that fibroblasts in painful areas had higher levels of Dectin-2, a receptor that recognizes beta-glucan, a component of the yeast cell wall. When Dectin-2 is triggered, it activates NF-κB, a master controller of inflammation in the body.

Once this pathway is turned on, fibroblasts start producing IL-6 and PGE-2. In the lab, blocking NF-κB completely shut down this response—suggesting it plays a key role in keeping vulvar inflammation (and pain) going.

This inflammatory response appears to follow embryologic tissue boundaries, meaning different parts of the vulva may react differently based on their developmental origins—another reason why pain may feel so specific and hard to explain.

It’s Not Just in the Lab: Real-World Immune Sensitivity to Yeast

These findings are supported by additional research on skin sensitivity. In a patch test study by Ramirez et al. (2005), women with vulvodynia showed stronger skin reactions to Candida albicans antigens than women with eczema or contact dermatitis—especially at low-dose exposures.

This tells us the immune system may remain on high alert long after a yeast infection has resolved, reacting to even trace amounts of yeast in the environment or on the skin.

Why Pelvic Floor Therapy Still Matters

So if the root issue is inflammation and immune activation, why focus on the pelvic floor?

Because pain is whole-body and whole-system. When the vestibule is inflamed and sensitive, the pelvic floor muscles often tense up protectively. Over time, this tension becomes part of the pain loop, adding to discomfort and making it harder to heal.

Pelvic floor therapy can help by:

• Teaching the body to relax and trust again

• Improving blood flow and reducing muscular guarding

• Supporting the nervous system to downregulate pain responses

If you’ve been referred to pelvic floor therapy and aren’t sure what to expect, this blog post offers a gentle overview.

Learn more about Integrative Pelvic Floor Therapy

My Approach to Healing

As a naturopathic doctor and pelvic floor therapist, I work with people whose stories haven’t been fully heard. If your pelvic pain started after a yeast infection—even if that was months or years ago—it’s worth exploring whether subclinical yeast sensitivity and localized inflammation are part of your picture.

We may explore:

• Anti-inflammatory herbs and nutrients

• Vaginal and gut microbiome support

• Low-dose antifungal protocols (if clinically appropriate)

• Pelvic floor therapy and nervous system regulation

• Trauma-informed care that honors your lived experience

You Deserve More Than “Everything Looks Normal”

Your body isn’t broken. Your symptoms are real. And science is beginning to support what patients have known all along: sometimes, pain starts after yeast—and doesn’t go away because of how the body remembers and responds.

If you’re ready to stop feeling dismissed and start feeling understood, let’s talk.

Click here to schedule an appointment and start your healing journey.

References:

Foster, D.C., Piekarz, K.H., Murant, T.I. et al. (2007). Enhanced synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines by vulvar vestibular fibroblasts: implications for vulvar vestibulitis. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 196(4): 346.e1–346.e8.

Falsetta, M.L., Foster, D.C., Woeller, C.F. et al. (2015). Identification of novel mechanisms involved in generating localized vulvodynia pain. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 213(1): 38.e1–38.e12.

Ramirez, D., McCormick, T.S., Do, S.O. et al. (2005). Cutaneous hypersensitivity to Candida albicans in idiopathic vulvodynia. Contact Dermatitis, 53(4): 214–218.