Can anyone talk to me about starting vaginal estrogen?

[3amamama]

At quite a young age. Just that really. Bit thrown today - had thrush I’ve been unable to budge after antibiotics (horrible UTI needing four courses) it’s been a genuine misery and I’m in agony. Went to gp for swab and to see what they recommend and as well as making a plan for thrush (swab, fluconazole for 6 months, GUM clinic referral for more detailed swabs if no improvement after three tablets) she has given me vaginal estrogen on basis of how raw and damaged I look. She was lovely, she totally got how much pain I’m in and she took it seriously and I do know how hard it can be for some women to get HRT so I know maybe I’m lucky. In that respect. But, I’m only 39. Has anyone else had to start relatively young? Do you have to keep going forever? What about the cancer risk? What should I expect, I’m scared to put anything down there at the moment to be honest as just so sore. I’ve sobbed today, partly pain and tiredness but partly just upset to feel like I’m prematurely ageing. Any advice or info appreciated.

Vaginal estrogen isn't only used for low estrogen/menopause symptoms.

I was prescribed it at age 25 for a 2nd degree tear in childbirth - I was most definitely nowhere near menopausal or old!

It helps improve skin elasticity, it doesn't necessarily mean you are perimenopausal or aging, it's just used therapeutically at any age.

I had a really awful time with ongoing local pain after both my children were born. It is very miserable and isolating to have pain in that particular area.

I'm not sure what instructions your GP gave you, but I was told to wait until the skin had started healing to use the estriol cream because the base the estrogen is in can be irritating and cause an initial increase in soreness.

If it's very sore with open cuts, then hydromol ointment can be helpful. Was it cannesten with hydrocortisone which gave you the burns? I'm wondering if just using hydrocortisone on it's own might be helpful (ask GP first) in the initial stages.

It will be the antibiotics you were taking which caused the utis. Fluconazole works pretty fast, maybe you could have a couple of doses of that and then think about trying estrogen. I did find it made it worse to start with, but once things started to heal a bit more it definitely helped.

Firstly, I was your age and after experiencing some different vaginal issues was also prescribed Vaginal Oestrogen and it was a game changer. As PP have said, it’s a marginal amount of oestrogen.
There are many Drs and women’s health experts who actually believe it should be more routinely prescribed for even younger women, even in their 20’s who experience recurrent UTI’s and other gynaecological issues.
So I think your GP is more clued up than
many.