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 am also wondering whether I should stop using bio washing powder on knickers. Already don't wash with anything but water, and everything is cotton.

Thank you all for this thread! Inspired by you lovely lot, I talked about my vag issues at my (already arranged) GP appt to discuss HRT. That's a big step for me, and i cou,d easily have 'put up with it' for eons/ever.

It was all fine. I didn't have to cry or beg, or persuade mother be swabbed; just I listed out my symptoms and yes, I am starting sequential hrt + estriol. I was offered a choice of types of hrt and pessary or cream for vag. Or nothing, obviously.

So, huzzah.

That's great! I really hope you're feeling better soon. ❤️

I ended up at the walk in centre yesterday and came home with thrush treatment. I really don't think it's that but God I hope it is and the treatment works.

The nurse admitted that she didn't know a lot about oestrogen therapy or GSM. I know those services provide acute care, and she was a very thorough and sympathetic nurse, but I really think it would be helpful to have that training when they're treating peri- and post-menopausal women.

I hear your frustration about getting someone with the level of knowledge required. My GP does not have a menopause specialist, despite having a child health clinic, asthma clinic, diabetes clinic. One GP is pretty good at acknowledging their own lack of knowledge and will have a reasonable discussion and prescribe what you want to try as long as it's not outrageous. The others are just hopeless. It's a scandal that in order to get to a real expert you have to pay £220 for a private appointment with a consultant. Massive demand for their services too, I looked yesterday and the one consultant in Glasgow who specialises in atrophy and genitourinary medicine is fully booked until mid-November.

I am feeling better today after using endless moisturisers and canesten over the last few days. I have realised that when my bladder/symptoms are flaring up the only thing I can drink is water. Definitely not coffee or anything else with caffeine.

You can get vaginal oestrogen over the counter in pharmacies.

I'm under 50 - and I'm so inflamed I really don't know whether that's the right thing right now (it certainly is long-term). Seeing my doctor next week.

It's absolutely crazy. We're more than half the population and it's such a common condition once your oestrogen drops. Luckily, we do have a GP at our surgery who runs a menopause clinic but you have to wait to get to see her, which is frustrating when you're in the middle of a flare up.

And even when you stump up for a private gynaecologist, there's no guarantee the clinician will be much more help, from what I've seen on here.

I'm glad you're feeling better today. Interesting about the water - I must try that. I definitely don't drink enough.

Can anyone advise on Estriol, I’ve been using this for a week due to recent incontinence and reaction to sanitary products etc. I feel it’s a wonder drug, incontinence has improved in the week I’ve been using it nightly, only downside is in the morning I have flu like symptoms (similar to ones I get when I have periods), they’re not debilitating, just annoying and improve during the day. The only way I can describe it is my blood feels itchy, so joints ache and feel dehydrated/thick headed . Just wondered if anyone has similar. I don’t want to stop as the improvement is so good, will it reduce when I drop the dose in a week (or should I reduce now). Also should I bring the dose forward to say teatime so the affects are through the night?

I don;t think it makes any difference as to what time of day you use the Estriol and if it works taking it at teatime, do that.

The aching joints and thick headedness though screams other menopause symptoms to me - are you on HRT other than the estriol? It is very unlikely that the estriol is causing you to have symptoms as the dose is so tiny.

so I had my appointment with the GO today and she was lovely. She has prescribed me the pessary as she says it works just as well as the cream. She also reminded me I was prescribed estriol in 2021 in the cream form. I then remembered applying it and it burned for a little while, so I didn’t bother with it (i had just split up from my husband so wasn’t in the right frame if mind for thinking).
She has said if I don’t like the pessary she will prescribe me the cream.

Is this really as wonderful as the doctor made out? Does it make intimacy better, like it did when you were younger? And does it make you look better down there?

Thank you all! This thread has been a revelation. I had a hysterectomy for prolapse aged 45 in 2001. Now aged 71, I’ve been to my GP on various occasions in the last few years with vaginal discomfort/ incontinence, but have been fobbed off with “it’s to be expected at your age”. Sex isn’t an issue but the urinary urgency and general dryness and discomfort is.
Been to Boots (other pharmacies are available) and after a chat with the pharmacist have bought Ovesse cream. Hopefully it works, will let you know. 🤞🤞

I don’t think mine is just menopause symptoms as the timing coincides with starting the cream (2 days after). I spoke to the incontinence nurse today as a follow up and he thinks this should settle down as my body gets used to it. By the way I can’t praise the incontinence service enough, I self referred myself and found them so helpful, and really saw an improvement after a couple of appointments. Interested to know about Ovesse, wonder if it’s cheaper than a prescription.

The Ovesse was £19.95. Im happy to pay at the moment, if it works I’ll try and get it prescribed (which is a benefit of being so old!)

Ovesse is Estriol, 1mg/g