Vulvar Vestibulitis Clinical Trial: Desipramine-Lidocaine

The Vulvar Vestibulitis Clinical Trial (VVCT) a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blinded clinical trial. We will study the clinical efficacy of four medical treatments for vulvar vestibulitis: topical lidocaine, oral desipramine, combined lidocaine and desipramine, and placebo cream and capsules. Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant commonly used by clinicians for treatment of several chronic pain conditions that demonstrates an optimal side effect profile compared to other tricyclic antidepressants. Topical lidocaine has also been found to be beneficial for vulvar vestibulitis treatment in small studies. It is hypothesized that the combined use of oral desipramine and topical lidocaine will be more therapeutically effective than either one by itself and better than placebo.