BC induced vaginal atrophy, help

[mumstuff1984]

I came off my combined pill 5 months ago. This March, I started tearing during PIV sex. I went back on my pill & I've had sex twice now with no tearing.

I went to have myself checked out just in case & have been told I have pill-induced vaginal atrophy.

I'm struggling to cope with this news as only in the past year have I managed to enjoy pain-free sex for the first time in my life (hyper mobility related, possibly pelvic floor dysfunction cleared up after extensive physio for hip problems). I can't bear the thought that I've only got to experience one year of my life with pain free sex.

I've been told to get an emolient and vaginal estrogen but not to use the estrogen yet(??? Bit unclear on this)

I've also been told I shouldn't be on combined pill after 35 really as it's too risky. I've been on for approx ten years, I turned 40 in January & looking back have possibly had dryness symptoms for four years now.

Any advice or kind words...I am a mess.

@JinglingSpringbells thanks for your reply. I am in the UK and I saw Dr Ami Shukla. I've had an absolutely crap track record with drs with regards to anything gynaecology-related (reaching a peak once when I was begging a GP for help regarding my periods and she said "I should feel lucky I even have them, as during the Victorian era women were too undernourished"). I went straight to the paid consultant this time, as I couldn't face any more being fobbed off or being made to feel ridiculous. I wasn't sure if it really was "just" vaginal dryness, atrophy, whatever - I wanted it confirmed and honestly I was too afraid of the regular GP to even try. Perhaps I should have tried, but it's done now.

I don't smoke, I'm not obese, we have no family history of strokes or heart attacks or clots. My mum and maternal grandmother have/had cholesterol issues but these are probably genetic rather than lifestyle-based as they are/were basically ascetic in lifestyle - but that's the only familial history of anything.

I too was under the impression of COP was fine until 50. It's made me worried about what else the consultant had to say. I erroneously told her I'd been on the COP for 15 years, when in fact after checking it is actually 10, but I feel like even if I'd told her it was 10, she would have still said it was "too long"... which was how she'd phrased it, that I'd been on it "too long."

Fact is, I do much better on the COP, it also has the affect of making my PMT more bearable - and it was the PMT that made me go back on my pill after the 5-month break. I don't think my risk of clots is higher than my desperate urge to throw myself into traffic for ten days out of every month. To say it's distressing is an understatement.

I do not want to come off my COP again until I absolutely have to. She was saying I needed to be on the minipill or Mirena.

@Answersunknown No, no swabs.

I clarified with the dr what she'd meant by "not taking it yet"... essentially, she said I should wait until I started experiencing tearing again to start taking it. I sort of understand this, but I don't want to have this hanging over me every time I attempt sex, and obviously neither does my partner. She confirmed I looked sore already, even with no active tearing. How she can diagnose pill-induced atrophy BUT not encourage me to take medication for it until I'm experiencing distressing symtoms of damage is a bit beyond my understanding??

Anyways... I recieved my prescription, and it says it's for either Vagifem or Ovestin (??? unsure if I get to pick??) I went to my pharmacy to collect, and it turns out and I'm no longer registered with my local NHS GP, and nobody knows why. I was last there two years ago for a smear. I can't get my items until I'm re-registered, which can take up to a week to process, and then the prescription re-sent. FFS.

Honestly this whole week has been very Kafka.

Hi. Yes it’s all been rather odd hasn’t it. Vagifem and Ovestin are two different hormones.

Oh lord that’s ridiculous. I’m pretty sure you can get a prescription from 111- might be worth a try?

Either are fine as far as I can tell. I went for the cream because of a dislike of plastic waste. The little pellets have an applicator and blister pack with each one! 😱
It’s also more flexible as it happens. You can use the cream to put in the area, rather than just all the way up 🤣

And of course you don’t wait til damaged.

I think you should repot her, that’s scandalous.

@DotWomanNeighbour Oh good grief. Thank you for confirming - I'll google and work out what best suits. Sigh.

@pickledandpuzzled I didn't know that about 111 - if this gets any more stupid I'll see what I can do, but hopefully(!!!) it should be resolved in about a week, I guess. I like the idea of flexibility of the cream, but I'll look into both... I have no idea if the pharmacy is going to ask me at-desk or what, lol. Sigh!! And I agree - it makes no sense to me to wait!

I am saying that because they can help if you go on holiday without an essential med. It’s not a guarantee!

BC meaning birth control or breast cancer? I’m presuming the former. I am 53 and 2 years into meno. I was doing ok, a little drier but then suddenly started getting BV for the first time in my life. Treatments cleared it but it kept returning. Lots of reading told me meno makes your vagina less acidic and vaginal oestrogen can return the right ph. I have estriol ( formerly Ovestin) and it’s working. Hope you can get some relief.
I have never heard of birth control causing VA.

Also Op have you watched the Davina menopause documentary? You don’t need to wait for

My 6 year old daughter suffered with severe vaginal Atrophy due to a hormone imbalance last year and was treated with an oestrogen cream (cannot remember which one) but it was reversed so I imagine it can generally be! X

@greengreyblue birth control, sorry, yes! I should watch the documentary, let me see if it's streaming somewhere...

@Hellohihola I'm sorry to hear about your daughter but glad she was sucessfully treated! That's very good news. And also good to hear it really is something that can be helped.

Ignore that.

Yes it's reversible. In most cases. I expect the not reversible applies to women not being treated or when it's progressed too far after decades.

But you have to keep using the treatment for life really.

6?

Is that a typo?

@mumstuff1984 you can order Ovestin from an online pharmacy (they will ask you some questions or might want a photocopy of your prescription).

You can also buy Vagifem- brand name is Gina- from pharmacies. Again, there are various criteria to fulfil such as being over 50 so that might be tricky unless you can show them the prescription.

@JinglingSpringbells thank you. I remember seeing the 50+ requirement when I checked the other day. I'll keep this in mind if the registration/prescription stuff drags on.

Also Ovestin is now called Estriol 1mg/1g.

Unfortunately not. She is under endocrine at the moment due to a hormone imbalance. The only reason we knew she had atrophy is because she was getting vaginal bleeds (alarming at 6) and extreme itchiness and very sore down below. Saw gynae who confirmed severe atrophy due to hormone imbalance was treated with oestrogen for 5 months.