Hrt just for 'Gina? Worth it??

[Flickitspinittwistitbopit]

Not a taat but off the back of a thread about women who are "anti hrt" - I'm technically in menopause now (last period in summer 2024) and didn't go for hrt as beyond the odd hot flash and a bit of weight gain/muscle loss from doing feck all reduced activity and energy levels, I didn't really feel I needed it, however I'm now getting worried about the dreaded vaginal atrophy 😱 has anyone experience of using Just the topical gel for this and that alone?

Also curious as to whether, should I change my mind, one can start hrt after menopause, and what are the potential benefits/risks (& will it restore my old lady metabolism 🙈)?

Anyone help?

I just use ovestin prescribed by the GP. It's very helpful. I've never been on HRT as I've never needed it beyond the vaginal atrophy. I believe Gina is the one you can buy over the counter? No need for that, just get it on prescription.

Who is Gina? Gina Ford?

I don’t use systemic HRT as my only symptom was VA I use Estriol cream x

I’m not a doctor, but my understanding is you can start using vaginal oestrogen at any point post-menopause. I know an 80yo who has started fairly recently! Gina is ££ - prescription version will be much cheaper. Unless there are clinical reasons not to I’d expect your GP to be happy to prescribe it.

I thought she meant angina, I didn’t realise it was bought on by menopause 😂

I meant 'gina with the apostrophe indicating letter omissions 😂 IE vagina! I didn't realise Gina was a brand name 😆 and totally missed the auto capitalisation..!

You can start HRT later - my friend has just started in her mid 60s.

If you have VA your vag will tell you pretty quickly. I am taking a tube of ovestin into my coffin with me just in case.

😂😂

Guess that’s why they called it Gina 😂(although I’ve had some uncomfortable moments making myself understood at Boots - ‘Geena? gy-na? Vaginal oestrogen. The pessaries.’ while a bunch of strangers wait behind me.)

For what it’s worth - if isn’t only for the itching/burning of VA itself. It really, really helps prevent endless UTIs as well. I couldn’t work out why my peri years were marked by endless bouts of cystitis. Vaginal oestrogen sorted that out immediately. It’s magic stuff.

I'm absolutely terrified of it 😬 no real symptoms yet bar the occasional sore-sex episode but fell down an internet rabbit hole a while back and the images still haunt me 😭

Not to mention (& potentially outing myself here) the story of a friend of a friend happily single into her early 60s when she met a nice fella, they went to DTD and she was torn to shreds with blood all over the bedsheets 😱 I am currently happy pursuing the Use it or Lose it principle with DP but with life and all that's currently only every few weeks... 🙈

Can I ask what prompted said friend to go on it so late? Was it (va)Gina related?!

I only started taking the Gina pessaries about 18 months ago (I'm 65), despite knowing I had VA because I was being called for a smear test. I'm single and don't have sex so I was just living with the VA because it didn't impact me hugely, but the idea of a smear filled me with dread. So I started Gina and it has made life so much more comfortable. I wasn't getting UTIs but I did get sore after a long run or bike ride, and I just feel - better.

But I didn't need HRT because I had no other side effects of the menopause.

Erm, how do you know if you have VA and need Gina for your 'gina? I don't want to Google 🙈

I used a prescription gel and am in peri so you can use it before menopause if you need it. I was feeling dry and starting with more UTI symptoms.

Yes I can imagine that happens a lot!! 😂😂

But also, thanks.. I'm prone to bouts of UTIs and they're truly awful 😭

So, often you get soreness and itching in the vulval area which will not resolve. Also the structures of the vulva (labia and clitoris etc) start to shrink. I'd say if you don't have any itching or soreness and everything seems the same size as usual, not to worry. See a GP at the first signs of issues though as although the topical HRT will resolve ith itching/soreness and prevent further shrinkage, it won't do anything a out shrinkage that has already happened!

For me it was the UTIs ramping up, although it took me ages to work it out. I’ve heard the direct discomfort of atrophy as being like stinging nettles, or loads of itching.

You really don't 🙈🙈😭

I'm on everything!

But was initially on ovestin (Estriol) for local GUS symptoms and it wasn't fully effective, now on vagifem/ Gina (Estradiol) for internal symptoms and ovestin to rub into my obstetric scar and vagifem is so much more effective than ovestin internally.

Now I’m feeling paranoid as I would have no idea if anything was shrinking, and am so used to pain in that region that I just kind of ignore it! Can the creams be used without also having progesterone? I tried HRT and whilst it was magic, it turned out I can’t have utrogestan (I need to ask my doctor about the patches)

Again, just to be clear, I’m not a doctor. But vaginal oestrogen is topical (stays in one place) not systemic (goes through your whole system) so as I understand it you don’t need to use progesterone with it, because the oestrogen doesn’t reach your womb. I’ve read that all post-meno women should use vaginal oestrogen unless there are good clinical reasons not to. See www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/vaginal-oestrogen/about-vaginal-oestrogen/

Ooo I was weeing every 10 minutes. It was like a constant UTI. Estriol has completely changed my life x

It was purely mechanical irritation (ooeerrr, missus) for me. I do a lot of running and walking and running or walking more than five miles would make me bleed a little bit because of the chafing. I didn't have any UTIs, but I did find that even the merest thought of sex would make me feel almost ill. I couldn't bear even a hint of it. But I knew I needed a smear test - so I asked on here and got the advice to try Gina, and it's been brilliant.

Which is best if you have mild symptoms and prefer a gel that you can just smear on/in rather than pessaries?

Asking for a friend.😉

This with bells on. The pessary and kegels have (seriously) made me a new woman

Another one for pessaries only, no HRT. And also yes to kegels (even if some days its the only active exercise I do).