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!

My mum told me her vagina has completely closed up. I had no idea.

Horrific.

Yes, that's worst case what can happen.
But depending on how old your Mum is, there was treatment around. I do know of women now in their 90s who were using it (and I've overheard very old ladies being told how to use it when waiting for an appointment.)

I’m sure I wouldn’t have the life I have now without estriol x

This is very true. I started using vaginal oestrogen because a gynaecologist diagnosed very early VA when having a hysteroscopy. I had absolutely no symptoms and was straight on here asking for advice.

I'm really glad I took the advice from the gynaecologist and MN and started using it after reading more about it.

I've been using vaginal/vulval oestrogen for about 3.5 years now and all my bits are as good as they were 20 years ago.

I know. I tried talking to her about it, but it's not happening.

How old is she?

When it gets that severe it's hard to reverse. Most women would have to use dilators to gradually stretch it all along with estrogen.

The issue is the walls get so dry,thin and delicate that they fuse together.

That's terrifying. 😳

75. I only found out when I was having prolapse surgery a few years ago and I mentioned vaginal oestrogen. She shut down the conversation and I've never raised it again.

She had a hysterectomy 40yrs ago and couldn't figure out HRT so took something herbal. She claims to have sailed through the menopause. However I remember her packing her suitcase and walking out on at least one occasion 🤣

I use both vagifem and ovestin cream on alternate nights. I had a massive fight with my GP to get both the pessary and the cream as she said it was "too much estrogen" which is ludicrous. After a visit to Newson Health which cost me hundreds of pounds, I finally got both on prescription from GP. But my symptoms are not entirely controlled by that so it was only when I went on systemic hrt that I finally felt that it was all working and I no longer had to constantly worry about my soreness and uti s. Best of luck!

To add i also use DrWolff moisturiser daily and hydromol on the outside so it's not perfect.

Oh goodness. That's far too young to be putting up with that. I somehow thought you meant late 80s+.

I'm not quite as old (!) but I've used topical estrogen for 20 years ( as well as HRT for a bit less.) She's perhaps been without estrogen for years as the ovaries often pack up within 2 years of a hysterectomy.

It would be very hard to reverse her condition unless she is willing to try lots of things. It depends how much it bothers her. I wonder if she carried on having smear tests to 64 which is the cut-off age (although it is possible to request them after that age.)

Can I can whether anyone has terrible burning using Estriol? I was prescribed it last year and it was horrific; I tried for about five days as a few people had said it needed time to settle but I couldn’t wee without being in total agony, couldn’t even sit down, it felt my skin was on constant fire. I buried my head in the sand and just tried thrush cream pressaries periodically which did temporarily relieve it but am heading to the doctors next week as it’s got so painful again.

I did develop an allergy to latex a few years ago although now I’m wondering if that was the start of vaginal atrophy, or if it might explain why it burned so badly.

Almost certainly not. She is very anti medicine so I suspect it happened and she chose to ignore it.

Sounds familiar, I use Dermovate and estrogen pessaries after an early (breast cancer induced) menopause. Unfortunately for me the Lichen Sclerosis caused some scarring at the entrance to my vagjna which has made penetrative sex pretty much impossible sigh... 🙁

Could I just ask anyone ? I'm on vagifem twice weekly also on hrt . Does any one have issues with.knicker seams ,jeans crutch seams my skin seems so sensitive ! Reading this thread wondering if estriol would help ? GP told me it was the fault of external anal skin tag nothing to do with VA( even though the discomfort goes right from back to front ) and so was not treatable on NHS basically told me to put up with it . So I have

Vagifem pessaries work inside the vagina.
They won't touch the area you're mentioning although a small amount of estrogen might seep out onto your skin.
You can use both.What a useless dr.
Ask again, or buy it online/ OTC (called Ovesse) and see if it works. If it does ask for it on prescription.

I had a similar experience with Blissel which is a lower dose of estriol in a gel base. I wouldn't say it was burning - everything swelled and was very sore for several days. This is why I'm a bit scared of trying the Estriol cream but I guess I'll have to take a leap of faith.

No I’m fine with estriol (thank God) but Vagifem is estradiol and that didn’t agree with my insides.

E-string. Amazing! Life changing. Definitely try it.

Thanks - is it comfortable? I saw a video about it on Instagram and it looked massive!

@FergoMcFergFace Id be worried about how to have sex? I used a pessary for prolapse and it had to come out for sex or bowel movements. Would an estring be the same?

Apparently you can have sex with them in. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I can't even contemplate that at the moment! 😂😭

This thread is amazing! Please help me.

I think I have something going wrong down there, it often feels like a sore dry patch, the labia are very thin wrinkled and low hanging now, my clitorous hood has certainly shrunk and I don’t feel much at all-certainly not interested in sex. I’ve asked gp for HRT again as tried it a year ago due to tiredness but I didn’t notice much change so she said to come off, and now new one wont prescribe as says I’m too young anyway? But since coming off I’ve got worse down below and still tired, but now forgetful and less patient. Also- not sure what this is-but it feels like a fleshy spongey bit is dropping lower and lower and now sits at the entrance to my vagina?? Im weeing constantly, 11 times today! I’m 42!
Am happy to pay privately but who to see? Exactly what to buy too? O

Others will have better advice for you than I have, but you could start with searching on the British Menopause Society's website for accredited doctors.

I'd consider trying a different GP too. And definitely ask them to examine you.

Go and see a women's pelvic health physio. They can usuallyndiagnose prolapse.

Sounds like anterior - bladder.

You need estriol a LOT, plus HRT plus a referral to a uro-gynae potentially. If the prolapse is hanging out it's like to be at least stage 2/3.

I have all three prolapses and was diagnosed at 44. You are not too young.