Atrophic Vaginitis ........help pleeeeese

[Hellij59]

A couple of months ago, started feeling a bit uncomfortable down in the old undercarriage area (61 years old) and no periods for at least 10 years! Tried to ignore it, but it got worse, burning sensation, then the feeling like I had a uti or cystitis! Called Dr who gave me a prescription over the phone, due to Covid 19! Took the antibiotics for 3 days and it seemed to get better for around a week!! Then it started again up again - eventually called Dr again! Had an appointment and an internal examination and she said I had signs of menopausal changes! Had urine sample sent to lab for analysis, and it came back normal! Dr prescribed Vagifem! Started taking it and after about a week, symptoms felt loads better, then once I went on to it twice a week the symptoms have come back! Should I be feeling better? I expect I am being impatient! Anyone have any advice about how long this stuff takes to work, have heard conflicting reports about how long it takes to work! Guessing it's different for everyone! Will contact my GP again for a review and hopefully get prescribed some more , as this burning sensation is driving me nuts - it's got to the stage where it's all consuming and I don't think of anything else, which is probably making it worse ........... Any advice gratefully received! PS some days I feel the constant need to pee, but other's not - it doesn't burn during urination and afterwards there is some relief until the burning starts again :(

You need to do a 14 day starting dose- that's every day for 2 weeks then drop back to 2 x a week. However, the dose of Vagifem has changed not long ago, to half the strength it had before. This means some women need to use it daily. The problem might be convincing your GP of that unless they are clued up- most specialists would say use it as much as needed to get relief.

I use Ovestin which is the same but a cream. I found it took a good few weeks to get some real improvement and I still use it 14 years on along with 'full' HRT.

Keep going but don't be afraid to increase the days you use it.

If your GP refuses to give you enough, consider talking to a meno specialist privately- they are all working, even if remotely.

Thank you for your advice - Yes I was prescribed it for the 2 weeks and it was when I went down to the lower does after two weeks that the symptoms came back! My GP is very nice and quite sympathetic, so hopefully we can chat about getting some more and using it more regularly, will ask her about the cream you suggested! keeping my fingers crossed! Guess I am just being impatient!

Hi there
I'm 49 and gave used vagifem for a year and recently found it wasn't quite 'enough' at the twice a week dose. Doc prescribed a product called Sylk, it's a plant based moisuriser and I'd certainly recommend it, you can order it online and use it alongside vagifem.

thank you for recommending Sylk - will have a look for it online :)

Sylk is a moisturiser but it won't reverse the changes of VA.

Got an appointment with GP for next Tuesday - she will have another look at the undercarriage then. Asked for another urine sample, and has prescribed some more vagifem to take daily in the interim! Thanks for your support everyone. Onwards and upwards - here's hoping :)