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 think this is a man. The name and the male condition - balanitis.

Thank you @Autumnallaround that is very interesting to read and it's great to have some first hand experience. May I ask, did you find it hard going to begin with i.e. increased discomfort and stinging etc?

Noted re water and post code!!!

@MissGorringe i didn't ever have any stinging but I've read on here that many women do.

I love putting it on, it's cold and moisturing. But I'm a lot further down the road.

@MissGorringe The stinging is because your skin is already sore. There is something in the cream (not the estrogen) which can irritate a bit.

I've already posted that in 20 years of using the cream I have experienced stinging - sometimes when I've been a bit 'relaxed' about using it thinking all was fine then it got a bit worse.

Just use a tiny smear on the sore parts.

Yes I also wondered about the name. Even if you have got a sore todger it doesn't have anything to do with menopause!

Can you use the pessaries and the cream at the same time? I didn't realise this was a menopause thing until the GP said and the pessaries cured it. I know they have as I had to stop using them ahead of a smear and the stinging came back right away.

@JimmyBrownMadeOfStone yes of course! The more the merrier vulvally.

Great. I’ll give it a go.

Its a character from Jonathan Creek, I am not a man. The medication is called Silosin, my Urologist gave it to me to try because my flow test was so weak and we did every other test first to eliminate any urological cause, ultrasounds with full bladder and after weeing to check for residual urine, CT, bloods and urine tests and cystoscopy under GA for sterile test. My OBGYN also provided info to show no issues there except severe atrophy. I am not in the UK and have excellent insurance so was able to.do this easily. I appreciate why people are wary of people but it is actually quite upsetting to be accused of being a troll when genuinely trying to be supportive and honest. I have suffered from menopause symptoms a lot and feel very strongly that women are not treated as patients with intolerable medical conditions but rather its something you should put up with because its natural. I am very lucky to have the medical services I do at my fingertips, many of my friends in the UK are fobbed off by their GPs, many of them female and it makes me sad. Women are so unkind to each other at this point in time. Look at my history, I never name change and say what I think. You may not always agree with me but don't call me a troll please.

Thanks for that. I shared my own personal journey to try and help. I am actually really upset by your comment.

I won't engage and react to your unkind words. Just try to think before you post that there is a person behind the poster. Really not ok.

Oh well, apologies. I didn't say you were a troll. I did query if you were a man based on the username It's a bit if an odd name even if it is a TV character!)

Treatment in the US is often different as far as menopause goes.
It wouldn't be usual here to prescribe a bladder relaxant to help flow.

The usual treatment is regular and long term use of vaginal estrogen or, in really bad cases, systemic HRT. These singly or together should work. A slow flow can also be caused by a bladder prolapse and the treatment is surgery.

Women in the UK can use private treatment just the same as in the US if they have private health insurance or pay for their treatment (I'm sure you know this.)

do you use simple soap?

could it be your shampoo?

Hello @HoraceCope no I don't use soap at all. I either use just water or an emollient cream as recommended by a dermatologist. Doesn't seem to make any difference sadly.

I'm sorry @Jerrybalanitis - I genuinely thought you were a man with the mentions of prostate and your name. I think it was my disgust at the way men often try to monopolise things coming through. If you are female then you are of course welcome here.

I do get fed up with posters from the US making snide remarks about NHS care. No, it’s not perfect, but at least it’s free at the point of use for everyone, and mostly works well. We hear more about when it doesn’t, but the US system leaves millions of people without adequate care and is vastly more expensive.
I have no medical insurance and have over the past decades had excellent care for a range of conditions including gynaecological, and HRT that has been adjusted for my needs. My family too, in different parts of the country, have been well served.

Menopause care though is very patchy. If it was good, this forum wouldn't be active as women would be getting help from their GPs. As it is, many are not , some are on the incorrect treatments and some aren't being given any at all.
The vast majority of GPs have no training in menopause or HRT. It's an optional extra they sign up to train in once qualified.

Similar symptoms. It is vaginal atrophy.

Sorted by Vagirux - topical oestrogen - on prescription
Stopping shower gel/bubble bath.
Only an olive oil based soap and that not near genital area.
Non bio detergent only. No perfumed fabric softener.
Cotton underwear. Avoiding tight synthetic trousers.
Cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks and upping water.

Oh, I agree it’s patchy and needs some effective initiative to make good care available to all women. But it’s probably much better now than it used to be.
My GP leaves it in the hands of the specialist nurse, though she discusses unusual cases (such as mine) with the doctors.
I’d still rather the NHS than the American healthcare system. And I’ll stop derailing now.

I'm on oestrogen pessaries for vaginal atrophy but still never let soap or shower gel near that area as it's bloody agony. A tea tree body wash is fine for me though.

Thanks @muddyford . It's awful isn't it? I'm off on holiday soon and I haven't been since before all this started and I'm wondering how I'll react to pool and sea water - could be a bit stingy I would think.

If thats aimed at me, I am not in the US and would never go there if you paid me. Remarks are not snidey, women die because they are not listened to by inadequately trained GPs in the UK. I was able to see a specialist doctor when I lived in India, Nigeria and Kenya and in Europe as well as where I am now. The main thing is CHOICE. I can use the local NHS which is pretty much free, I can use my insurance or I can pay. But its not a faff to pay and I can choose the clinician and hospital and go immediately, usually in a high street polyclinic or large hospital. For example, Silocin is off licence so I have to pay. Its market value is about £16 a month so I paid that plus the £50 to see the consultant to get a repeat prescription. Whether you worship the NHS or not, everyone should have the choice and there isnt that in the UK and patients then face aggressive hostility by GPs for going private. Just try not t9 be so horrid to people and you night atop reading horrid from others where there is none.

Whether you worship the NHS or not

Worship? Really.