Anyone on Vagifem?

[ChaliceAlice]

Hello, after a visit to the gynaecologist, I have been prescribed Vagifem for VA.

If you take this medication, do you mind sharing your experience of it please.

I hate the idea of the long stabby looking applicator!

Menopause is defined as the rest of your life after a final period. So no one is every past it. That's why some women use HRT for life, not just for peri symptoms.

The things you describe can be caused by loss of estrogen, but not by Vagifem because as @over50andfab says a whole year of Vagifem is the same as one tablet ( a daily dose) of HRT.

Are you an expert? I am on hrt and will be for life. On the side effects list it does state nausea, depression, dizzyness, pelvic and stomach pain among lots more too many to mention , of course it's not just the small amounts of oestrogen in it it's also any other chemicals that can affect some people so I will stop it and see what happens. I was hoping there might be someone on here around my age who has had problems with it, I've seen a few but mostly young people who are still menstruating or perimenopausal

Apologies if I missed if you are taking systemic HRT? I thought you were just taking topical estrogen eg Vagifem pessaries or generic, or Ovestin cream. This truly is a tiny dose as mentioned above with little systemic absorption. Women who've had breast cancer are able to use it - and many do.

The patient information that comes with topical estrogen is the same as for systemic HRT and is known by healthcare professionals and many of us who use topical to be largely incorrect. If you saw Sex, Myths and the Menopause a few years ago with Davina McCall on Channel 4 there was a segment on it. I think you can still watch it on catch-up.

Although a tiny dose with little systemic absorption, when starting topical estrogen some women might experience some initial effects, just as they might with any medication, however these generally settle. Sometimes it's just a case of missing a night when doing the loading dose or starting off more slowly.

Regarding expert and not sure if you were asking me...I'm not medically trained, however I do a lot of volunteer work in this area and as such try to be well-informed. The image is a screenshot of a resource for healthcare professionals

👍

@fultime Are you on systemic HRT (tablets, gel, patches?) This thread is about Vagifem so I (and @over50andfab ) assumed that you were discussing it.

Vaginal estrogen is not HRT (despite the 'novel' in the carton with side effects.)
That leaflet only applies to systemic HRT. UK consultants have been pressing for years to get the manufacturer to change the leaflet.

If you are not on systemic HRT, the issues you are having- aches, pains, depression, pelvic pain - can be a symptom of loss of estrogen. symptoms of dizziness need checking by your GP.

There are women of your age thereabouts on this thread.

It's a myth that many years after a final period all symptoms go away. I read something yesterday saying up to 20% of women have symptoms for 20 years (post meno) and my consultant told me that some women have symptoms for life (but relieved often by HRT.)

Maybe you can see your GP and discuss it all or be referred to a consultant for advice?

I’ve just started on Vagifem. I have metastatic breast cancer, but it’s not hormone driven and my oncologist started me because of repeating UTIs on my current chemo. The Vagifem seems to have prevented UTIs since starting it.

I have vaginal atrophy but didn’t really have any symptoms. I have swapped from the daily loading dose of Vagifem to twice weekly, and now I’m symptomatic, with a dry uncomfortable vulva. I’m thinking of asking to increase my dosing to every other day, although I don’t know how successful that will be. I also think I should probably be taking it at night.

Has anyone else’s symptoms got worse on reducing to twice weekly?

Im glad this popped up as per my previous posts, I still struggle to be consistent with this

But since using it I have had some awful boils, with no head on the vulva, is this caused by the medication perhaps?

Also, how do you have VA without any symptoms? Im not sure I have an actual diagnosis because I saw a private specialist who wrote to my doctor that I need the pessaries but that was based on dryness and itching etc, is that the same as VA?

I was prescribed it for the repetitive UTIs, so I guess these were my symptoms. I was not massively aware of the dryness (rarely have sex), although I have been in chemo induced menopause since age 43, now 51. I am very aware of the dryness now, just from walking about or sitting down.

Prescribed it as part of my meno treatment about a year ago maybe more can't remember. Was having awful utis and it sorted it. A daily dose for 2 weeks and now once a week. Haven't had a problem since.

Fantastic stuff.

@Mysillydog I have used Vagifem for a few years now and have never managed on the twice weekly dose. I use it every day. You can use it any time of the day.

I've also been using it for a few years. Initially twice a week was fine, with occasional "reloading", but more recently I've had to up the dose to 3 times a week, and now daily. When I was first prescribed it, I was told that I may need to use it more frequently and to use it as necessary. From what I've read on these threads, I think quite a few women have to use it more often than twice a week.

Yes I suspect I need to increase the frequency I use them, they seem to be less effective now. Problem for me is I had oestrogen positive breast cancer so I get nervous, although I know the pessaries are a very low dose.

You might need oestrogen cream or gel to use externally as well as the vagifem? You can also use a moisturiser externally to wash with, and as a moisturiser. Something like Epaderm.

I started off on Vagifem for vaginal atrophy, and your correct in saying it does nothing for the aches and hot flushes etc. I compare estrogen to WD40, it lubricates anything that’s dry. I’m now on continuous HRT, although progesterone is a problem for me, very intolerant. I’ve been told that if I stop treatment for the atrophy then the symptoms will come back, so I’m on it for life, which is allowed. I don’t mind because my poor vag was in agony and I couldn’t wee without pain never mind about sex.

What has been a game changer is Testosterone, wow, talk about getting my life back. I was knackered, within two weeks of taking this miracle gel it was as though someone had turned the lights back on. A lot of Drs are not up to speed with it, I initially saw a menopause specialist as it’s prescribed off licence. With her guidance and my Drs willingness to learn from my experience they are now confident enough to prescribe it to other women, which is wonderful 🤩

On Vagifem six months great/ now morning sickness and nausea for a week I am 80yrs help

Exactly what I thought…too much landfill with all the plastic…I’ll ask my dr to change my prescription 👍

I cry about everything 🫤