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!

Thanks @Additup this thread is so helpful.

That's great. Did you just apply it internally with the applicator? Or externally too?

I saw my GP yesterday and, as I'm very red down below, she took a swab just to rule out infection. She also prescribed Estriol cream and Replens.

Am I being unreasonable not to want to try the Replens? I always got on well with YES VM, but I'm so red and sore now that it burns and doesn't give me any relief once the stinging has subsided. Replens is water-based too and contains glycerin.

I had hoped she'd consider giving the Imvaggis pessary but she was insistent on the cream. The thought of any alcohol or preservatives on my sore tissue is worrying me, especially after the reaction I had from Blissel.

How can I introduce the cream slowly?

So grateful for this thread.
Have ordered the Ovesse because earliest appointment I could book with my GP is in 3weeks.
I really don’t want to lose sensation in the clitoris -real poor that GPs are not aware of this /perhaps as they are all by definition working age they think old people don’t want sex!

Personally I found the cream very soothing but I started using it before any soreness etc

You may find it soothing as well but it could get a bit worse before it gets better because you're so sore.

Replens has a bad press for various reasons. Consultant gynaecologists recommend YES products.
Surprised you can get Replens on prescription at all. It's available to buy.

There is no alcohol in estriol cream .

Just smear a tiny amount of cream (size of a smal pea) externally. It might sting a bit but it will wear off. You could try applying plain Vaseline in between using the cream as it will stop your wee stinging when it touches the skin.

I'm kicking myself for not sorting it out sooner. I was just scarred by the reaction I had to Blissel.

It's not really talked about. Menopause talk all seems to be about hot flushes and anxiety/rage which lots of women don't even experience.

Sadly, despite women being >50% of the population knowledge of menopause is generally lacking. When I went to the GP with joint pain in my late 40s I was told I probably had osteoarthritis. I didn't know it could be caused by lack of oestrogen and presumably neither did my GP.

As for menopausal vaginal/vulval changes not being discussed openly, I do wonder if this is connected to a bit of good old fashioned prudery because of the association with sex (as well as a lack of knowledge). There can't really be any GPs who think everyone over 45 stops having sex.

Also ime the NHS is less about sexual pleasure (unless you as the patient specifically raise the issue) and more about keeping you alive and in and out of your appointment in the alloted time.

I'm on a mission and I've even started telling my younger friends about the need for vaginal oestrogen during menopause and next will be my daughters, much to their embarrassment 😂

Sorry @JinglingSpringbells . I missed this earlier. I've been using Hydromol so will continue with this. The doctor said it would do no harm. I also don't want to try two new products at the same time and then not know which is the problem.

I also have the added problem of starting a new job next week and not wanting to feel worse than I do. 🥴 I'll try your suggestion though. Thank you for replying.

My Estriol cream has cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol in it, @JinglingSpringbells . Is there another formulation I should ask about?

It is dreadful that patients are told “it’s normal for your age” when that simply isn’t true. How infuriating.

I'd take the opposite approach. I'd drown my vulva in it for three nights. And it will get better.

Things that made me worse included YES VM (I don't like water based products). Also hydrocortisone.

Don't try to go gently, grin and bear it for a while. Plus a cold pack from the freezer over your knickers to help cool it down.

I've been using Gina for the internal symptoms (which seems to be fantastic) but having recently taken up horseriding again after a ten year gap, plus doing roughly an hour and half of bike riding a day I now have the most incredibly itchy and sore vulva. I don't think it's thrush, because the anti-thrush cream does nothing more than calm the symptoms for a while. I'm currently smothering my poor fanny in Sudocrem but would Ovesse be a better solution?

You are BOLD. I like your style. Maybe I just need to grow a pair.

Actually, if I could literally grow a pair, I wouldn't be in this predicament, would I? 😂

I'd try hydromol ointment over Sudacrem if you're just after something soothing for now. It's very basic and there's nothing in it that will sting or irritate. But yes, ask about Estriol cream.

Thank you. No idea where I'd get hydromol ointment from (we're very rural and I'm not doing a 60 mile round drive to the Big Town, my fanny isn't worth it), but I might give the Ovesse a go if I can get it from Boots (I have the Gina on private prescription because it was going to take me so long to get a doctor's appointment that my poor bits would have turned to sandpaper in the meantime).

I'd not assume the alcohol is going to sting. Lots of products have alcohol in them- even make up- foundation has alcohol- it's a type pf preservative.

There is a weaker version which is not 0.1% but 0.01%

I'm not sure if it's still available. Called Gynest.

It comes in a massive tube as it's half the strength so for internal use it's twice the amount. I had it once when there was a huge shortage of ovestin (as it was called then, the brand name.) I didn't really use it as it was too much, internally- oozed everywhere,

But for applying externally it would be okay.

I know you are sore but you've just got to go for this and 'suck it up'. sorry I know that sounds really harsh but there is no other way.

Use some other cream in between - vaseline, other emollients or maybe Sudacreme?

I know this may sound odd but if you have pain when using it, you could take a pain killer like paracetamol or ibuprofen for a few days to help.

You can order it online I think- there is a website.

I get mine from the Hydromol store in Amazon - I buy a tube as it's easier to carry around and it's cleaner. But as you've had such success from Gina, I'm sure you'll do well with the Estriol cream. You can buy it OTC from Boots if you're over 50 (I'm not so I had to wait three weeks for an appointment).

I've just done it.

My bits thank you.

I ordered online - no idea if it's more expensive or not but if this works then I can buy it in otc when I'm next in Boots. It's a bit of a hack to get to the shops though, so I prefer online unless it's ridiculously overpriced.

I'm 66, so you'd think I'd have got this sorted by now!

I hope you have a happy vulva very soon!

They are welcome😅

If it weren’t for the fact that I met a gorgeous man last year and was initially physically unable to ‘accommodate’ him (and had cystitis for about a month despite antibiotics from the doc) that I’d be entirely ignorant of all this. I don’t have daughters but will be embarrassing my daughters in law making them aware of this for the future 😂😂

OK, I took the plunge last night and started the Estriol cream. This is probably a bit TMI but if I can't ask a load of menopausal women on Mumsnet, who can I ask? Having had zero discharge for months, I had loads of yellowy discharge this morning. Way more than the cream itself. It may even have had a slightly green tinge. I'm still waiting for my swab results.

Is this normal?