Please share positive experiences of treatment for vaginal atrophy symptoms

[FergoMcFergFace]

I joined the Vaginal Atrophy group on Facebook and while there's plenty of useful info on there, it's also a firepit of poor women who've been suffering for years with little relief. 😩

I find it really upsetting and I need someone to tell me to get a grip and/or give me some positive stories of successful treatment.

I've been backwards and forwards to the doctors for the past eight months with vaginal dryness and I'm in the middle of a major flare up of vaginal soreness.

I have a doctor's appointment in less than two weeks but in the meantime, I'm only using Hydromol because everything else stings.

I've only tried Blissel so far but both times I tried it, I had an awful reaction by day seven. Estriol is my next option.

Thank you if you got this far!

I guess so but I had no more symptoms and started HRT about 3 years ago. Unless, of course, the consultant used something else?!

I’m another user of Estriol and a big fan! It has totally fixed things for me and so long as I don’t forget to use it (which I sometimes do now
everything is so normal down there), the symptoms stay away! I’m really sorry that you’ve suffered for 8 months without your doctor already putting you onto vaginal estrogen. I think that’s appalling - you should not have had to go through that.

Vagifem is stronger than Estriol.

Estriol cream is amazing. It did sting the first few times I used it but that soon wore off and it has made such a difference. There was a thread about it a few years ago and a gynaecologist said that all women should use it.

Ahh, interesting. I might ask my GP if I need to increase from 2× per week.

Maybe...the estring is definitely designed to be used continuously like the pessaries.

Sounds like very good luck rather than intentional.

Estriol cream here, too. I buy it online as my GP doesn't feel it's essential (?!) Online chemists sell two strengths, you need the 1mg/g version in a purple box.

It's only improved my continence by 25% but the incessantly sore, itchy symptoms disappeared.

Oestrogen pessary

Oestrogen cream

Probiotics specifically intended for the vagina - oral and pessary

Kegels 3 times a day - I would see a qualified pelvic health and pain physio who can check you're doing them correctly and check your vulva/vagina internally and externally

Interesting thread -thank you!
Am 65 (about 13 years post menopause)
Am using Vagifem twice a week /doctors will not prescribe more than that and refuse repeat prescription of ordered ‘too often’
The Vagifem has kept the natural lubrication working so that sex is good, but could do with something to plump out the labia that have got thinner ..😃

You need to ask for some estriol cream too.

Thanks /have just seen brand Ovesse - is that good?

@MrsGuyOfGisbo im afraid I don't know as I get mine as generic estriol cream.
I did see its available at the online pharmacy for £25, definitely cheaper to get your GP to give you some!

@MrsGuyOfGisbo Ovesse is the only brand you can buy over the counter. The brand that was available on prescription was called Ovestin.

The patent expired on that and the manufacturer continued to make it but it's now got the generic name of estriol cream - available on prescription only.

Ovesse and estriol cream 0.1% are exactly the same but you can only buy Ovesse OTC.

How come you can buy Ovesse ofc if it is the same % oestrogen?

I have VA after early menopause and Lichen Sclerosis lucky me. Internal Vagifem pessary now and again and almost daily application of Ovestin oestrogen cream keep things working pretty well and when I have occasional LS flares I have Dermovate steroid cream. Overall it's better now in my late fifties than a decade ago thanks to these creams so just going to keep going with them forever. I feel so so sorry for older generations who had no option but to just grit their teeth and endure the 24/7 discomfort and itching.

I was put on Vagifem like a previous poster initially for 2 weeks and then maintenance of 1 every third day. I saw a gynae urologist who confirmed there was nothing physically wrong ( I was getting recurring UTIs) and said this was the correct approach. Since then I have barely had a UTI. I am also on oestrogel HRT. I haven't inspected the size or plumpness of my bits 😂 and they work just fine. The HRT is a support for all of your genitourinary system .

Why if it is less efficient ?

Some women need to apply external cream as well as internal pessaries/ cream
The official guidance is pessaries once daily for 14 days then twice weekly
do not stop or pause its continuous

Now this is where it gets interesting
I was fine until I got a UTI treated with antibiotics then wham soreness and irritation
Swabbed eventually by a sensible female GP and Intermediate stage BV
I had no discharge or smell just my microbiome was out of kilter
Even more interesting
If your microbiome and vaginal ph is disrupted it can affect oestrogen receptors and their ability to take up oestrogen
If your vulva is irritated and inflamed it can affect Oestrogen receptors

Currently Im on probiotics for vaginal health and gut health , twice weekly ph pessaries , vulval cream, I use the Tena one, it soothes nicely and my estradiol pessaries

This is soooo under researched its untrue, luckily I stumbled across a GP Registrar who is interested in vaginal health, otherwise I would be one of the thousands of women miserable and wondering why my pessaries arent working

My advice
If you feel its not working ask for an exam and swab, test your vaginal ph and get some good probiotics for vaginal health, check they are guaranteed to survive the gut, the canesten ones were useless, they need to be specially coated so they survive
Get a good vaginal moisturiser, avoid using any type of soap and shower not bathe
in short treat your vagina/ vulva as well as your face!

Lastly eat as much raw, fresh fruit and veg to ensure gut health

I also use a D mannose supplement.

@Cheese55

It was licensed for OTC sales in September 2022 - a lot in the media about it. (It's on the Gov UK website.)

That was for the pessary type called Gina.
Ovesse (cream) is now also available.

It's incredibly weak - 100 applications = 1 dose of daily systemic HRT.

It comes with some criteria and the pharmacist may ask questions if you buy it OTC. - Women should be over 50 and post menopausal. This doesn't apply if your GP prescribes it.

It's just a filtering system to try to prevent incorrect use but obviously no one can prove a woman is post meno just by asking her.

I also think oestrogen cream/pessaries are life changing. But would say use them BEFORE things go pear shaped if you can! The pain from atrophy/irritation/dryness is horrendous, and it's avoidable. My GP said she tells women to treat it like your face, you don't just start using moisturiser, etc when your skin gets dry and flaky, you use it to stop it getting that way

Me too - I look at very old ladies now and think many of them are probably still suffering.

The treatment has been around for at least 40 years but most women weren't talking about it like today. And even today there is a huge lack of knowledge and embarrassment.