Vaginal estrogen - give me hope!

[ElspethTassione]

Hello all.

I've been struggling with severe vaginal atrophy symptoms that came on pretty quickly. I have been prescribed vagifem which I'm using. The specialist warned me it might take 3 months to make a difference.

I'm 1.5 months in and not feeling any better and am very sorry for myself. Can anyone reassure me that it will get better? Has anyone had experience of things turning upwards after a few months of seemingly no improvement?

P.s am doing the other things like YES moisturizer and only washing with emollient etc.

I'd love to hear your experiences if you have been where I am now

Thanks!

Same. Its name has changed to Estriol now OP. Honestly, it’s like a miracle. Total game-changer x

I just feel this is SO UNFAIR!! I started my periods aged 11 and suffered so much with them. Flooding , agony ..you name it I had it.

I seemed to sail through the menopause and I felt finally free. Now this.

I know @Sidebeforeself , I know. It sucks.

I had vaginal atrophy post menopause and I used the estradiol pessaries for a year. They helped a little bit but not enough. I am now on HRT and the difference is like night & day. My whole pelvic area internally and externally had shrunk, dried out and shriveled more than I'd realised. I was starting to get issues with bladder irritation because everything was so tight & dry and I'd have to get up at night to wee - sometimes twice 😩.

The HRT has made a VAST difference and I feel comfortable and plumped up and internally moisturised again now.

But you can use the cream inside.
I put a blob the size of a large grape in my vagina every few days. Plus rub on labia etc

Without it it's agony.

My gynae directed this.

@Moveyourbleedingarse ah I think I didn't phrase my comment very well. I know you can use the cream inside as well as outside. However I personally don't need the outside bit yet..... Thanks anyway.

But if the pessary isn't working then you do!

Well , I’ve been diagnosed with atrophy now and first application today so we’ll see. I’m still in a sulk about it all though!

It sort of affects the health of the whole area if you use it inside too.

My gynae told me to use it on labia daily. I hurt sitting on my office chair I was raw with the atrophy.

I smeared it all over my perineum too.

Sorry @Moveyourbleedingarse just edited my post as had inside and outside in the wrong order just to add to the confusion!

Me too. I have scarring there from several operations and the atrophy made the scar tissue super painful.

@Sidebeforeself - well I guess diagnosis is the first step so good for you. I know what you mean about the sulk - it's so vastly unfair compared to men just swanning through life with (in general) no systematically misbehaving body parts as an evolutionary flaw!

How often are you using the Vagifem? I use it daily and Estriol vaginal cream a couple of times a week. You just push it in slightly inside the vagina, around the opening is the most important area.

Some GPs think Vagifem 'should' work by using twice a week but it's not enough depending on the severity of the atrophy.

I've been using vagirux for over a year now, twice a week - and luckily it has worked for me.

I was getting cystitis type symptoms constantly without it. I only had to look at a penis and I needed antibiotics. I even started lying online to get more antibiotics. It was only when I went to the GP and she examined me and saw that I was drier than the Sahara up there. Since using vagirux I haven't had any cystitis type symptoms.

Having said that, I use a shed ton of lube too occasionally. I buy good lube, not the sort you buy from Tesco. I love having sex with my partner, and he knows that lube is our friend, and if I say to him "lube is needed" it isn't a reflection on him, and he uses it liberally.

I’ve been prescribed Intrarosa pessaries (DHEA) which I use every night as well as estrogen cream which I use externally.

I’d been using estrogen cream (Ovestin) on its own for a couple of years and it helped a bit but when I started using Intrarosa as well it was transformative.

Same experience as Tofu, using it 5 days made a huge difference. I also use vag suppositories for dryness on days I don't use estrogen. Hope you find something that works for you OP.

Am on Estriol but it itches, need to persevere. I'm not allowed to have HRT. Having sex is a real palaver, you wouldn't believe it. I have to use Emla cream to numb it, then most of a Balance active pessary then wait so the pessary dissolves. GP was OK about the Emla but it can be difficult to order online.

@realityslapsyou and @wherearethesnacks this is what I'm wondering. I have quite a bad case and I think twice a week may not be enough. This was primarily why I posted my initial question to try and guage how long I should leave it before raising it with the specialist.

Thanks for your feedback - it's really helpful.

I've used Vagifem and Vagirux for a number of years post-menopause with success. I used it twice a week and add a standard lubricant if required.

For those finding sex difficult and wanting to be intimate, I recommend the internal condom (previously known as the female condom). It doesn't look pretty so you might want to invest in sexy underwear but the difference it has made cannot be underestimated.

If you use a little on the outside now, it will ensure you don’t eventually get the external symptoms below. I can tell you that it’s extremely difficult to reverse the most horrendous symptoms once they do hit.
Initially I thought I had thrush, sore itchy nothing cleared it because it wasn’t thrush! Then the burning started followed by tiny paper cuts covering my vulva and perineum that spread to the anal area. The pain and discomfort where off the scale, going to the loo excruciating, the cuts couldn’t heal and bled. I was beyond miserable and in constant pain. The vaginal oestrogen cream used externally cured the problem. My advice is use the cream externally

Thanks @Forfogsake - you make a good point and I'm sorry to hear you suffered so much.

@Forfogsake Ouch! Your post has made me want to roll around in the stuff!

Oh, for the sake of clarity on reading more posts. My urologist told me to put a pea sized blob on the opening to the urethra. It has worked to stop the bladder infection-like symptoms, dryness and itchy-ness.

Estriol cream works miracles inside and out. If you poke a bit right inside it replaces the lost estrogen in the bladder x

I was fine for years on vagifem then my prescription was changed to vagirux. Within 7 weeks all my symptoms had come back.
They changed it back to vagifem but 10 months on I am still experiencing symptoms. I wish gps wouldn't just change meds with no discussion.