What were your symptoms of vaginal atrophy

[Gerijrich]

Tell me your experience and how it was treated

Is this just a theoretical question or do you have symptoms? :)

I have symptoms and have been to docs just wondered what everyone else's experience was like xx

Hope you got what you needed?

External soreness- thought I had thrush for years - redness and sore.
Weeing more often sometimes with an 'after burn' feeling and very sore.

Doc gave me topical oestrogen cream to try for 2 weeks if doesn't work suggested upping my gel. As I only use 2 pumps currently

That's a bit of an odd thing for the dr to say. I found it took 6 months if using Ovestin twice week to really get things much better. At that stage I was not on HRT but even now that I am, I use it at least once a week.

You really need to give the cream a good couple of months; there is info online (research papers) saying it can take 6 months to reverse the changes, and systemic HRT doesn't always reach those parts.

Mine was a feeling of pressure around my vaginal opening, no itch and not sore (except with sex). Just pressure. Very odd. Anyway been prescribed vagifem every day for two weeks and then every other day. Possible I am perimenopausal but no one seems to be able to tell or seems that bothered!

I am currently having investigations for VA. My symptoms are, blood constantly in urine, episodes of what seems like thrush (actually I've found that Canesten helps relieve it although it's a different thing), some burning at times, not necessarily when I wee.

How do they investigate VA? Isn't the answer to use the treatment and if it's works, that's what it was?

Sorry meant to add, an experienced gynae can spot VA a mile off- well 6 inches away :)
The walls of the vagina look different, the skin looks pale or red and sore externally- should be easy to spot.

After months of seeing the gp and various examinations and swabs, the gynae looked for about 10 seconds before saying 'Ah, I think I know what the issue is'. Huge relief from me

Mm doc said it was red down there but didn't really day what it was. The pressure I felt thought I may have had a prolapse but it's gone now

The pressure or feeling of being swollen wasn't constant with me either but it would last for a week or so at a time. I also looked very red which is why she kept taking swabs. The gynae instantly noticed pale areas though as a pp said

i was just at the GP whining about hormones, everlasting periods, sleeplessness, misery, a few hot flushes, feeling like everything was just on the verge of breaking down and being scrapped....and mentioned a short lived possible UTI,

a few questions from her and she mentioned VA ...very much in the you're menopausal, this is happening ready or not, this will help, it's all crisping and thinning

so after self monitoring my BP for a fortnight, and eventually having my mirena replaced at a local FPclinic with the option of some oestrogen somewhere providing the BP is agreeable and an appointment at The Menopause Clinic I have vagifem
I can say now the mirena is settling and I have done the 2/52 vagifem I do think it all feels a bit more "normal/comfortable" in the location!
I was advised twice a week for maintenance

Just waiting for the hot flushes to return...I had a few in the summer which were horrid, but can go back to the FPC/Meno clinic as required.

Namechanged as tmi coming up!

Mine was noticing my inner labia were vanishing... to the point of 'gone' - then my clitoris changed too - sort of disappeared; it's there, but deep inside. Outer labia have gone thin, like two folds of paper rather than plump and soft. Soreness if I walk a lot. General redness. The idea of sex makes me want to howl .... I can hardly get the cream-dispenser thing up there never mind anything wider.

Fucking hate it and feel quite depressed about it if we're being honest. I try not to think about it now.

Very painful sexdo not want to dtd at all, never felt so uncomfortable in all my life

Jumping keep going because it can take 6 months, and also use some cream - small amount- outside too.

You can also use- wait for it- special 'medical' dildos to make things wider, gradually. Seriously- look online or ask your dr.

I'm already using oestrogel 1.5 pumps daily and oestradial cream twice a week. Progesterone pessaries for 7 days every 12 wks.

Now my GP has prescribed Replens vag moisturiser twice a week. Just started so no results yet.

Just wondering how old you all are. I'm 48 and feel way to young for my vagojo to be out of use like this!!

40 😕 I don't know if I am heading towards early menopause or if it is a temporary side effect of long term breastfeeding (just under 7 years in total but stopped completely a year ago)

I am 56 do sounds like I have been lucky so far. At least I don't feel so alone now

Hi! I had severe pain DTD. Using estriol cream for 18 months now. It is better BUT tbh want it over . I do still want to DTD. Not sure if I should go back to GP, or use the "medical" devices recommended above. I also had urgent need to pee which I never had before, not while DTD. I am 54 btw.

DTD- you mean sex?

So are you saying you are still in pain during sex? Are you using Ovestin twice a week, every week? You could try increasing to 3 x a week ( drs are happy with this.) Some women find it helps to do the 2-week load again which means daily for 14 days then go back to twice week.

If your vagina has shrunk a lot, the more you have sex the easier it will be. You could also try lube like YES which is recommended by gynaes as the best. Your GP is unlikely to help much because there is not a lot else they can do.

Hi Polly! My husband will be happy with the more you do it the better!
I have been finding it uncomfortable during sex.
I use estriol 3 x a week.
I will try the lube. Thanks for the advice.

I wear panty liners and trousers and I found that if a pad got stuck there would be a spot of blood where it wad rubbbing and its not all the time x