Sex painful and stings on entry, dry down below. Any ideas before having to go back to GP?

[crushedintherush]

Last year I went to see my GP about the painful sex I was experiencing with dh.

She agreed on examination that I was very dry and tight, though didn't suggest that I could be peri menopausal or going through the change (I'm 47). I don't appear to have any other 'change' symptoms apart from the vaginal dryness, btw.

She prescribed the vagifem pessaries which improved things just a little, but things went back to normal after I ran out. I haven't been back to see her as she is a little abrupt, not much of a bedside manner, and I don't want to see a male GP if I can help it.

I am extremely dry, even after foreplay. The sex is painful, stings like Hell on entry, and feels like my external bits are trying to go 'in' with him, IYSWIM. Things down below are normal apart from this.

Nothing has changed in our sex life, apart from we're doing it less and less because of this, and I am thinking maybe we are creating a vicious circle, that the dryness might be due to lack of sex

We made love this morning, painful yet again, and I bled, prompting me to divulge on MN.
I am having a smear test on wed, so hoping something gets 'picked up' thats causing it

Any ideas on what it could be, dear posters? Any advice will be greatly received.

Lack OF oestrogen.

25? Mine is and has always been 10mg. In fact, at one point I tried a 5mg cream instead, and although it probably had enough oestrogen in it, it was just hugely messy compared to the pessaries so I asked to go back to Vagifem.

Good luck - and, by the way, it is sooo refreshing to find a thread like this one. I couldn't find anyone in RL who could relate, when I first encountered this problem in my late 40s, and it was quite depressing. Sometimes MN is pretty damn good

Agreed, Elibean, MN is a pretty damn good site

I think I have just realised that my Doctor prescribed me the wrong stuff. She prescribed me Vagisil when she should have prescribed me Vagifem! No wonder I was a bit dubious about using it because I did not have an itchy foof and it said not to apply it internally! Silly woman. Another one of my GPs I'm crossing off my list (luckily it's a big practice.

lol pipkins

I hope you get sorted out

Nothing worse than a sore foof

Hi all, thanks for the advice, been for the smear test, and have requested a prescription via the practice nurse for vagifem. If the gp accepts it, I'll be picking the prescription up on Friday.

So its onwards and, ahem, upwards from now on

Pipkins, are you going back to your practice to sort out the correct 'vag'?

Have you tried sylk before sex, you can get it on prescription.

It does sound like lichen sclerosis, I'm afraid.

I'm just going to copy & paste what I said about vaginal atrophy & vagifem, elsewhere for you, OP. You have my huge sympathy.

I've been on Vagifem for 2 years now & all is good!

I am now post menoapuse & recently suffered from vaginal atrophy (VA). I had always thought I was a woman who knew about things & was aware of my body, but VA really took me by surprise & I am delighted to see that minty (OP) mentioned it.

It's not something that is common knowledge & I so wish it was - as it is a real curse of the late/post menopause for many women.

I've copied & pasted from another post I made about it as I do feel that women should be aware of it so they can recognize the symptoms.

Vaginal Atrophy (VA) is what happens post menopause & it is my mission to make more women aware of it.

Basically (& you can google for the finer details) the lack of eostrogen causes great dryness up your fanjo. It makes sex painful & also leads to itchiness that makes thrush seem mild. It is horrible & causes enormous discomfort. I had to rush to the loo just to scratch - the itchiness is almost unbearable. The itch is both inside your fanjo & all over your vulva

If you are menopausal or post menopause & get an itch and/or great dryness do look at the possibility that it could be VA & go to see your GP.

It is easily sorted out with topical eostrogen in the form of 'Vagifem', a small pessary that is inserted into the vagina with an applicator.

You need a 25mcg dose daily for 2 weeks & then twice weekly for 4 weeks & then a maintenance dose of 10mcg twice weekly.

There is a great deal of argument about giving women vagifem long term &, it seems to me, that many health professionals are not up to date with recent research.

I discussed this with my GP with this piece of research:

www.menopausematters.co.uk/newsitem.php?recordID=83

You do need to keep up to date with mammograms & smears but otherwise no side effects.

I tell a lie about the side effects - it has hugely helped my pelvic floor (this is well documented). I can now cough without fear of leakage.

I was lucky & had a GP who instantly diagnosed VA - but, sadly, it is not something that is well known or discussed.

IT NEEDS TO BE! (I know I am shouting!)

For post menopausal women it is a massive discomfort & indignity that they do not need to suffer, as it is easily managed, & women need to be

Well said and posted, magimedi

Hi everyone

Sorry if its TMI, but I had a look 'down there' tonight after my bath, and still a little confused as to whether I have VA or LS. Can symptoms cross over between both? Everything looks as it should, so to speak, just very dry. Also , the smear itself was uncomfortable if not painful

I am going to make an appointment with the gp (found out today there's another female gp that has started there ) so I'm going to book in with her for an opinion.

magi - Thank you for the info, can't believe not much is said of VA, it's a physical problem, ffs, just unbelievable.

Just doing a bit of catch up at the moment, but will have a look at the website tomorrow evening and come back. Hopefully the vagifem request will be accepted, and it hasn't gone unnoticed that Sylk has been mentioned, as well as other lubricants. Thank you

Speak tomorrow xx

The LS seems to involve white spots which itch, which turn into white plaques as it progresses, and then atrophy.

Hope the new doctor is an improvement

Update: The vagifem prescription request has been rejected Oh dear.

Been trying to get through to the gp surgery during the day to book an appointment, but either I've been busy, or they have. Will try again Monday.

Will update again after I've seen the gp

I've tried most of the options mentioned here after suffering in the same way. It was hard to make the doctors treat it as menopause related because it started so early so I had umpteen bouts of cystitis and soreness. I was not allowed to stay on the Vagifem as it triggered bleeding (I have endometriosis so they didn't want to aggravate it) which was a shame cos it was brilliant!

Sylk has been life changing though, and given the choice of that or a sexless existence, DH adapted very quickly to having it as part of foreplay.

I have to impress that it is very important to keep your foof active! We've had relationship issues lately so very little sex. I had a smear test last week and was climbing up the table with the discomfort (results back today and clear) and an unsuccessful attempt at piv sex a couple of days later despite copious amounts of Sylk.

I know it will become a vicious circle if I don't work through it. Won't be any day soon though as I am in bed with flu

Aw no, married, hope the bout of flu won't be a long one

Tbh, I can't wait to get this sorted out once and for all, to find out exactly what/which it is, and will be having a nice chat about Sylk too.

I started thinking, after the uncomfortable smear, that maybe I have some sort of infection, but if yours came back clear after the same thing, then things have definitely got worse over time.

Thanks. Unlimited MN time is making it bearable though I feel sweaty and look like Medusa right now.

Sylk is free on prescription- when you're over 60. I've over a decade to go! My lovely GP put 2 bottles on my prescription as she had no idea how long they'd last. Nowhere near the end of the first one and it's been over 6 months. Must try harder

Do get yourself a free sample here
I am one of those people who gets thrush just by looking at bubble bath or scented pads and it doesn't cause me any irritation at all unlike DH

Thanks to all who mentioned Sylk, I've ordered a free sample. Thanks for the link, married

Yeah, I've a while to go for the free Sylk prescription too, 13 years. I won't hold my breath. Wonder how long it will last. Dh and I really need to get physical more often, apart from last Sunday, its been months

I've been wondering why I don't itch down there like people have mentioned, and you've given me a clue. I haven't used scented soap or bath foam for years, as my skin is sensitive and comes out in rashes if I do, so I think I have my answer

Laughing at the dh part, mine is an irritant too

I've just checked my gp surgery online account, and no appointments are showing yet with the new female gp. I'll keep lurking over the weekend.

Bumping, as I've got some good news :)

The GP surgery had rejected my initial request for Vagifem because of the 25mcg dosage, not the request itself. I wasn't aware of this, until I checked my GP online account for something else, and found the 10mcg dosage of Vagifem was accepted instead, so I picked them up today.

Also, the Sylk sample came through today and so did the results of my smear, which is normal. All in all, a great result for my foof. Happy days :D

Good news indeed

What can I say - enjoy!

Great news :) I just saw this today after conincidently having seen an ob/gyn today for the same symptoms. I am only 31 so not menopausal but am bfeeding and have been totally, utterly dry ever since my DD was born. Dr didn't mention VA but told me it was hormone imbalance due to pregnany/bfeeding and prescribed the Vagifem. Am hopeful having read this post.

I also have PCOS and am wondering if there could be a link? Does anyone know?

Hi Gill, just awful, the dryness isn't it? I've been on Vagifem previously, and it worked, but I foolishly didn't keep up with it, and the symptoms came back. Do you have it on repeat prescription?

Don't know much about PCOS, hopefully someone else might be able to help, or it might help you to start a thread under the 'becoming parents' topic :)

Hth :)