Vaginal atrophy - Lets mention the unmentionable

[roseenglish1969]

So, it happens to 50% to 60% of women at or around menopause time yet very few women approach their doctors about it suffering in silence with painful sex and all of the other horrible symptoms.

The sad thing is once the damage is done you can’t reverse that damage and your bits do shrink.

The clitoral hood often shrinks back exposing the clitorus which can lead to extreme pain and sensitive as you walk about or move. So tight jeans are a no no.
The inner labia shrinks sometimes to nothing and the inner labia has glands which provides moisture to the outside of the vagina. So no labia no moisture equals dry itchy broken skin. Pain in and outside the vagina, burning to the skin around the vulva and bottom,.
VA also affects the bladder causing leaks, urgency, increased frequency and nighttime trips, so Tenna pads ARE avoidable, we don’t have to accept incontinance as part of getting old.

The difficult part is getting your doctors to
a) understand what your symptoms are
b) give a damn
c) prescribe it as they think vagifem is HRT. It isn’t

Most GPs know next to nothing about VA or menopause so it’s up to you to take some printed information off and ask for vagifem.

A years worth of vagifem amounts to just two full HRT tablets. That’s how little oestrogen is in it. And most of that is absorbed by your reproductive organs as it’s a pessary not a tablet and designed that way for that very reason.

What are your symptoms?

I do wonder if some women are confusing increased libido (sex surge) with VA, I know I did, I thought the sudden sensations to my vag was some new meno symptom which it was but it was because my skin below was thinner and the nerves more exposed and sensitive. I felt arousal below out of the blue, no thoughts of sex at all and it was a very confusing time for me. It’s not a common symptom and I fell into a rabbit hole of health anxiety which I’m still not over... I thought I had some rare nerve disorder that effects the vagina. I literally wanted to die rather than live with the condition. Thanks Google.
Videos of women having 100 involuntary orgasms a day haunted me and I was sure that’s where I was heading.
As I say, still very raw to me as I’m trying to accept I don’t have the condition and have VA.

So I wanted to reach women who perhaps had symptoms and were too afraid or shy to ask,
Pm me if you wish .,,

Just watched the YouTube video.
Well done , Jane and Diane .
I know many women who refuse to take HRT in any form.
If you need it , and can take it DO IT .

Thank goodness I found this chat. I feel I have been losing my mind. I first thought I had a uti that just wouldn’t go away. I’m on hrt and have been for the last couple of years. Just recently at age 57, I started with these weird symptoms. I’m so relieved that I’m not alone. My gynecologist first said I had irritation from a soap or something and prescribed a steroid cream. It seemed to help but then became the cause of the burning and irritation. He then switched me out to an ointment but it also just seems to make it worse. The doctor did say he thought I had VA when he prescribed the ointment but it’s not an estrogen cream. I’m interested to know what ladies have found to help. I definitely don’t want to go on like this. It has been for several weeks now and I’m ready for this to stop.

I think I need a lubricant as well for sex as it’s still dry, any recommendations as I’ve never needed one before.

Coconut oil makes a great lube, as long as you’re not using condoms. I’ve tried all sorts but coconut oil acts a moisturise too, doesn’t go sticky and smells nice too. We get though vats of the stuff

@Doebird I think I'd change my gynae if he was a hopeless as yours! Is this privately or is there another reason why you see a gynae not a GP? 25% of women need vaginal estrogen as well as systemic HRT and that is possibly under reported as women don't like to mention it.
Thanks goodness I've got a dr who is clued up and says 'How's your vagina, do you need estrogen cream?'

I'm wondering what is going on with me ... I'm 52, no period since January .. but I'm getting a lot of watery discharge... it's inconvenient and I have to use a thin pantry liner ... I'm only having a few hot flushes and no dryness at all .. sex life good .. does anyone have any advice ? Should I see doctor ?? I dont want HRT as had early stage Breast cancer 8 years ago

Ha ha !!! Not a pantry liner 😂😂

Ffs .. I sound like a Victorian housewife

Alicatz66 you can get a watery discharge with VA.
Topical estrogen is not not contra indicated in someone who has a past history of BC.

@roseenglish1969 thank you for this thread. I read it, realised that the symptoms fit with what I was experiencing, and went to see my GP this morning. Came out with a repeat prescription for Vagifem.

@jinglinghellsbells a GP will refer you to a Gyn and not treat VA. But I did get in to see my gyn armed with my new information and he prescribed a vaginal estrogen tablet. In the meantime I have found using replens every two to three days very helpful along with a lubricant used on the surface daily. I do wish that someone in the office had thought to recommend the Replens as a stop gap measure. Thank goodness for the internet.

I agree @Doebird , Mumsnet helped me.

@Roseenglish1969 and everyone else who's contributed to this thread - thank you!

I'm perimenopausal and have had these symptoms for a while. I thought it was a series of UTIs or just something to put up with but reading this, everything clicked and when I saw my GP about something else earlier today I mentioned this and asked whether she thought it was worth trying topical osetrogen. She agreed and I came away with a prescription for Ovestin. I'm going to try it and if it works she'll put it onto a repeat prescription, if not then we'll try something else. Fingers crossed.

Also - I don't think anyone mentioned this - UK Mumsnetters can get private prescriptions for these treatments via an online consultation with Superdrug. Might be worth trying if your GP is a little behind the times and you want to see if it works.

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I need some advice.

About 4 weeks ago I got a burning sensation in my vagina which progressively got worse to the point where I was in agony. I went to a GUM clinic, GP and eventually hospital. I was swabbed by all 3 and came back clear for BV, thrush, gonhorrea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis. However, I was prescribed a course of antibiotics as before the swab results came back my GP thought I might have Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and this seemed to help although I also took the Canesten pessary and flucanozole oral tablet in case it was thrush.

Anyway, the vaginal pain shortly came back and after going into A&E in pain (both vaginal and abdominal cramps) I had an ultrasound which showed I have a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. I have been treating this with painkillers as per the Gynaes instructions. However, the vaginal pain keeps coming back and I am assuming I have VA as I am 44 and the ovarian cyst would indicate fluctuating hormones (I have had an estrogen blood test which came back normal).

I have just spoken to my GP who has prescribed me Vagifem and has said I have to have the tumor marker blood test because of the cyst .

What I am really asking I suppose is - is very very painful vaginal burning at entrance to vagina (but with very little symptoms on my vulva), internal vaginal swelling and a shiny vulva/vaginal skin indicative of VA? I have normal periods still but GP has said that you can still have VA with normal periods/normal estrogen etc.

Can anyone confirm similar symptoms even with absence of irregular periods/normal estrogen? Thanks.

What I am really asking I suppose is - is very very painful vaginal burning at entrance to vagina (but with very little symptoms on my vulva), internal vaginal swelling and a shiny vulva/vaginal skin indicative of VA?

Sorry to hear you are going through the mill a bit with all of this. Don't worry too much about the CA125 blood test; that's routine for all ovarian cysts and it's not accurate anyway a lot of the time ( false positives.)

Might be worth your doing some online reading about VA. A good gynae would be able to spot it, and if you get nowhere fast, that should be your next step. This is not something perhaps they would spot in A&E but an expert eye would see it.

www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/vaginal-dryness

The skin can be pale, or red. Yes, you can still be having regular periods, but some periods are anovular (no ovulation) so a bleed does not always mean you are ovulating.

Actual pain is more unusual. I think most women would describe the feeling as burning, itching or rawness, around the entrance. The pain can also be from the urethra and bladder - they are all affected by loss of estrogen.

I don't understand why your GP thought you might have PID because that would be caused by one of the bacteria in the STIs which you are clear of.

The pain you have could also be vulvodynia so it's worth looking at all possibles if you don't get better on Vagifem.

Also, is it safe to take vaginal estrogen if I have an ovarian cyst?

Ah I am so confused. I have terrible cramping pains in my pelvis and back which come and go plus discomfort and burning in my vag. Is this likely to all be caused by the ovarian cyst? I am so confused and not sure whether I should take the estrogen my GP gave me or not. I don't have another ultrasound until May to check what is happening with the cyst!

Ovarian cysts are really common. Loads of women have them , there are many different types, and don't even know ( sometimes only found when looking for other stuff.) There is a huge difference between a cancerous cyst and a cyst. Try not to panic! If they thought it was cancer, you'd be having surgery now.

Have you checked online to see if the type of cyst you have causes the pain and cramping in your pelvis?

There is no connection between using Vagifem and 'something happening' to the cyst. Vaginal estrogen is really really weak stuff- they give it to old ladies of 90. It's not even really absorbed beyond the vagina.

Use it and see if it helps but it might take a few weeks.

I have used vagifem but am worried about continuing, as I have a rather large fibroid (9cm). Does anyone have experience of this and have you continued to use vagifem?
My Dr originally said that now I've reached menopause the fibroid will stop growing and shrink. I'm worried if I use the vagifem regularly the fibroid will grow and I'll need a hysterectomy.

I'm not too worried about the cyst as have been told it is a hemorrhagic cyst (functional) but I am worried why I have so much pain in my vag and nothing is showing up as to what is causing it. The only thing they have found is the cyst and I'm not sure if cysts normally cause vaginal burning (cramping yes).

@frippet the amount of estrogen in a year's use of Vagifem is the same as ONE HRT estrogen pill ( a day's dose.)

You needn't worry- there is no way it can a) be absorbed in the womb or b) make a fibroid grow.

@JinglingHellsBells thankyou for replying so quickly. It does seem a very low dose when put like that. My fibroid is large enough, don't really want it getting any bigger! I will start using the vagifem again. Will probs get a scan in a few months to check fibroid growth.

Can you have really sore VA with regular periods and normal blood estrogen (although my hormones must be fluctuating as I have an ovarian cyst)? I need to pee every hour or so but all swabs came back negative for infections/thrush. The soreness/burning and slight swelling feeling (inside the entrance to my vagina) is very uncomfortable and I think the discharge is different to normal (I feel much drier and when it is there it is sort of white or gray and stringy). Does that sound like VA? I'm going to take Vagifem and hope it really dose stay local to my vag and won't do anything to my ovarian cyst!

You need to suck it and see. if it works, that's what you have. if it doesn't you need referring to a vulva specialist.

Not sure why you think the ovarian cyst will affect your hormone levels- they don't.

Using vaginal estrogen does not 'do' anything to a cyst. The cyst you have is very common and simply a left-over fluid filled sac from ovulation; there's a lot on the web about this. You are over-thinking and worrying too much :)

This is interesting for me. Just book marking as I don't have time to read at the mo.