Who knew your fanny shrivelled up and ran away when you hit mid 50s!?!

[shrumps]

I certainly didn’t and I miss it! The only part of my body to become skinny and Im absolutely pissed off. Why did no one tell me about this?? And now I feel I can’t tell anyone else in case it’s just me.

My dentist just shrugged when I asked if a recently developed gum pocket could be due to perimenopause (only ever had 1 filling, never any issues before, nothing else has changed, hugeinist always happy with my brushing, use electric toothbrush etc... etc...). Anyway, started HRT, at next visit, gum pocket had reduced in size. Hygeinist asked me what had changed, literally nothing except now on HRT. There should be more research and publicity yellung women about this!

Ooohhhhhhhhh! I assumed it was because I’ve been taking Mounjaro! Why aren’t we told this?

"Hang on to your flaps" should be a public service announcement

Ohhhh wait what so it's all your mucosa that recedes?!?

Can I just say in 5 years* in nursing school, Inc a obs-gynae placement, we did fuck all about menopause. That was 20 years ago, and I dearly hope that's changed, but I bloody doubt it.

*3 years pre-reg, plus degree and extra sprinkles in case any RGN are wondering wth it took me so damn long

Mucosa recedes and dries
Joints, mouth and vagina are less lubricated
Joints can literally be bone on bone
Blood vessels become harder and less flexible
It does piss me off that the risks of HRT are exaggerated whilst the benefits are barely mentioned

This is how I feel too. I have the pessaries - going to try Ovesse but the other creams irritated me and triggered UTIs. Pessaries aren't plumping things out though. I miss my old self.

Are you using the pessaries in the lower third of the vagina ?
There is a whole debate on this over on Reddit
The oestrogen receptors are in the lower third so it might help if you dont put it too high like they say on the instructions
Honestly there are times I want to just bloody stand in the street and scream, its so frustrating that we have to find this out for ourselves
I wont tho, they will arrest me 😂
Also if the fecking practice nurse wrinkles her nose and says " on hormones?" in that pissy voice once more , Ill have her
Yes Im on HRT because its the best thing for me and my health ... and breathe !

My top tips
Reduce alcohol and sugar
Eat as much raw stuff as possible , carrots particularly as they carry excess oestrogen out of the body, get good bacteria in your gut
Yoghurt-the good stuff with live cultures
Make your own if you can
Fermented foods and drinks
Kefir
Gut health and vaginal health probiotics

Remember you need a good vaginal microbiome to utilise oestrogen and oestrogen to support the microbiome

I’ve thought about the issiva, even my private gynae doc said and heard good things albeit indirectly as none of her patients use it. You are the first ‘real person’ who I’ve heard say it’s good- so it’s worth it then ?

I am inserting high up so will try this.

good food advice too - I have histamine intolerance so no booze or sugar or wheat - plus low histamine foods.

I've started using this to help prevent UTI (though feel like I'm about to start one now fml)

p-happi .... promises to help fanny biome

https://p-happi.com/

Very good, but expensive! It did exactly what it claims in the adverts in terms of increasing comfort and moisture; everything just seemed to go back to normal. I also do use moisturiser daily and do pelvic floor exercises, though. I decided to go all in, with no regrets.

It sounds like I spend hours on this daily, but once I'd used the Issvia for a few weeks, everything has been very easy to maintain, I use moisturiser after a shower when I moisturise my body, and do pelvic floor when the Australian lady pops up on my FB feed (and for 1 min during curling my eyelashes). Use the Issvia once a week or less now.

It's nothing once you are up and running, it took me weeks to get my core and pelvic floor strong though in the early stages as I'd never done kegals before.

I have changed my mind about menopause. I don't think it's for me. How do I send mother nature an opt-out form.

I would spend the money if it works, thanks for the recommendation.

I'm going to add one more thing on here in addition to my estriol comments.

If you have any suspicion that your core needs work, there is a super woman on YouTube called Lauren Fitter. She does post natal ten minute core strengthening.

I did them for ten weeks last autumn, 16yrs post partum! They were absolutely excellent and made a big impact on my backache and ability to do my regular core stuff (eg as part of Bodyfit by Amy or Growing Anannas)

I think the Issvis sounds like a red light gadget I bought when I was having issues accommodating my man when we just met and going through the pain and UTIs. Ir may well have been part of the solution (all working fine now). Haven’t used it for a year but may start again with all this talk of shriveling😃
Also really useful advice re where to insert the pessaries -I’ve been putting them as high s possible -will change that.

Having an issue with micro tears*, at the entrance, all going well then OUCH! Happens in an instant - it may be from stubble catching during oral or 'reinsertion' during piv for example - it's happening frequently and is an immediate end to things and very upsetting. Any specific advice?

*Amongst everything else. Never thought "hurry up" would be the go to sex talk FFS 😔

Ref my post above (micro tears and friction inside).

Currently using:

Elleste Duet 1x 1mg tablet daily (swallowed)
Estradiol 1x 10mh twice a week (right up)
CanesMeno Hydration & Comfort Gel daily (right up).
Squeezy App 2-3 times a day

What am I missing?

I think you may be placing the cream too high up, especially if you are using the applicator. Make sure to wipe some around the outer area as well using a finger and I would do it every day for 2 weeks .

What do you mean by estradiol 1 x 10mh?
Is that just a typo for 1mg? (It's not 10 mgs.)

The dose is 0.1% and it's 0.5 gms in the applicator.

It may not be what you want to do or hear but might be better to give up any type of penetrative sex until your skin has improved as it's not going to heal if you keep getting tears.

Thank you! Just checked, it's 10 MICROgrams! Picture attached...

Yeah, not the best thing to hear but that's literally what we are doing. It's not every time but when it happens it's usually 2-3 days of feeling it and a couple of weeks before we try again, random bleeding notwithstanding.

It's all shit

I was on Duet but had bits of spotting, so I'm now on Elleste Solo with the Mirena Coil. It stopped the spotting, but I think that in other respects the Duet balance was better for me.

Inspired by the thread I phoned my gp this morning. Blummin’ marvellous NHS! No face to face- prescription for vaginal oestrogen cream sent over to my pharmacy.

@lamelie I'm so glad. Honestly working myself up to ask in the first place was the worst bit. The appointment was a breeze.
I'm glad you were listened to and I hope it helps. It's really helped me.

I'm in my 70s and on the basis of this thread have just made a gp appointment (2 weeks time!). I thought the soreness was a UTI, but my undercarriage is very sore for a few days after sex, so now I think it's atrophy YES isn't doing much and I need something stronger. Thank you to the person who started this thread! I had no idea....

Just to mention Kegels
Not all women need to do them as many women have a tight and overactive pelvic floor - hypertonia
I had mine checked by a fantastic female urologist and despite 3 huge babies it was hypertonic
I had symptoms of urgency and frequency associated with intermediate BV, the constant urethra irritation caused burning and frequency and the end result was hypertonia, hypertonia causes ... burning and frequency/ urgency, incontinence 🤯
My gp also explained that urethral tissue is " trainable" so it mimics the urinary symptoms long after the issue has gone
Luckily that susceptability to training works with retraining

I saw a pelvic health physio and within a couple of weeks of starting the exercises it was also nice to lie on my bed in peace 4 times a day my symptoms improved massively
I got to the point I could feel the spasms starting and stop them
Just my hapeth worth as its way more complicated than everyone just doing Kegels