Urethral and vulval stinging after showers during menopause, anyone else?

[MissGorringe]

Hello

For a long while now one of my worst menopause symptoms has been stinging and pain in the urethral / vulval area after I have a shower. It fades after about an hour. Anyone else had this? How did you treat it and did it resolve?

I have been using a estriol cream externally for a little while now but it doesn't seem to be making any difference and in fact it seems worse. I do all the other recommended things like washing with emollient etc. been checked for lichen sclerosis and apparently not.

Id be interested to hear anyone else's experience to at least know I'm not a freak!
Xxx

I was going to suggest oestrogen cream but if you're using that already I'm out of ideas. Can you see anything there that looks sore?

I was getting constant vaginal and urine infections and needing endless antibiotic pessaries but have completely eradicated the problem by internal and external moisturising constantly, day and night. Internal gel at night with Dr Wolf anti chafe external and anti chafe external in the morning and middle if the day. I also have a very expensive soap, indont agree with all that only use water bollocks, especially if using cream. Vagigisil daily sooth and protect lotion is also good. I dont get yeast infections now either. No redness, soreness or white spots and no infections from walking, horseriding or sex.

Estrogen cream and pessaries made no difference for me either and just gave me thrush

How often are you using the estrogen cream? For many women 2 x a week isn't enough. It really sounds like you need to get it under control by using more..

You should try the 'reloading' dose again- every day for 14 days internally and a bit externally. Then after 2 weeks reduce to every other day and see if that helps. There are many women on this site whose GPs or specialists have said use as needed.

Sometimes vaginal oestrogen can cause thrush because the pH is off as a result of the vagina becoming more alkaline because of menopause. I had this and took a few weeks of Optibac For Women probiotics and it worked really well.

Moisturise. If you already have dry skin you probably have a cheap, thick, unperfumed moisturiser that you already use freely on other parts of your body with no problems. Try that. If you don’t have one, try and find one.

consider whether it is the estriol that is causing problems or the mode of application. Dont re-use an applicator; a very clean finger is less likely to carry infection. One generic pessary is absolutely tiny and less irritating than another one that is huge for some reason. (Same dose). Try to find a way of delivering it that is very uninvasive for you.

Maybe it's the shower gel and hair products irritating this area. Always rinse with fresh water before you get out the shower.

I get this too, OP, and it’s beyond annoying (although it’s only urethral). I only use the mildest products down there but still get the stinging. Oh, and that’s followed by needing (or feeling like I need) the loo quite often; worse if I’m walking around.

I tried vaginal pessaries but they didn’t help at all.

You could try using estrogen cream externally. Pessaries only work in the vagina.

It's worth trying both pessaries and cream.
OR if you can only get one, get the cream.

Pessaries sit high in the vagina and work mainly on that area.
The estrogen in pessaries and cream is very slightly different too.

Cream can be used externally too. A small pea sized blob a day or even 2 x a day. sometimes it can sting a little bit but that is because the tissue is thin. Once estrogen gets to work and thickens the skin it won't keep happening.

It can take weeks or even months to get on top of this. Don't expect an instant fix as that's not always how it is. And try using it more often initially to get some improvement.

Can I get that without a prescription?

Yes, it's called Ovesse. They have a website.

Thanks. I’ll check that out 😃

The Ovesse creams I’m seeing online are for insertion into the vagina.

I didn't get along with oestrogen cream - not sure if a glycerin issue (?) - I have a lot of weird & new sensitivities since peri. Probiotics help me, I use pessaries & phappi is my favourite product. Have found to be incredibly soothing.

It's the same cream. You can use it externally if needed.
If you're worried maybe see your GP?

I've used it for 20 years on prescription (with a consultant.)

You'll find loads of posts here from women using the cream externally, There is a long thread ( a recent one) on vaginal atrophy and how women are using these treatments.

@RemindMeIn15Minutes - that's exactly it including the need to wee feeling! You describe it really well. It's good to know I'm not the only one, particularly as a gynae is trying to tell me this is tight pelvic floor or some mysterious kind of 'nerve pain' when I know it is menopause related.

I really want it to stop because it is a horrible feeling. I've been using estriol cream for about a month now and us not helping.

@MissGorringe It can take longer than a month. It took me a good 3+ months to reverse really bad bladder issues.
In some women it can take 6 months.

How often are you using the cream?
I saw some instructions where the initial loading dose was every day fir 3 weeks (some leaflets say 2 weeks.) After using it that way drop back to every other day.

Are you using it internally and a blob externally too? You can use it externally daily.

There is another thread going at the moment on ATROPHY - worth reading. One poster uses 4 tubes a month in order to be comfortable (agreed with a dr.)

Oh and @RemindMeIn15Minutes - do you also get pain on weeing? I do sometimes particularly when I've drunk wine or coffee (two of my favourite things sadly).

Thanks @JinglingSpringbells - this is what I'm thinking that the estriol cream is not working fully yet. However I need a bit of motivation to keep using it as it actually makes things feel worse.

What you describe is vaginal atrophy. It affects all the pelvic tissues.
It's now actually called GUM genito symptoms of menopause.

Read about it and try increasing your estrogen cream.It's very weak stuff and a month is nothing - takes longer and more cream!

It can sting a bit but that's part of the healing process. Push through it.

My wee was painful, urgent and like someone had pin priched a hosepipe, it went everywhere! I was diagnosed with atrophy and the moisturising plus medication usually used to relax prostate issues has completely managed all of it and I am like a younger version of me again.

I take it that you don't actually have a prostate @Jerrybalanitis? Just checking.... What was the medication called?

A month isn't long enough.
Use double what the GP says.
Don't use applicator, smear it all over thickly with your fingers. Every day.

Give it another month. I bet you'll be fine.

I was referred to gynae because we tried evrrythhbg for me including oestrogen cream, two hydrocortisone creams and many thrush treatments.

Gynae looked at me and immediately sighed and said GP should have put me on way more oestrogen cream.

And never ever ever ever any soap in the same post code as your bits. Water. Water. Water.