Vulval Itching ? Peri menopause

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

Hello

I have vulval itching at night which is driving me potty

I am also getting very sweaty down there at certain times of the month so wondered if it could be peri menopause.

I am 43 , have also been getting sore boobs.

The itching is really getting me down and making me feel like a dirty freak .

@MakeTeaNotWar good luck for Monday. A dermatologist sounds like the right professional for you to see about your irritation too regardless of checking out the mole.

@Blastandtroph my GP wouldn't prescribe me Vagifem ( she thinks 42 is too early...) she has told me strictly to wash my lady garden with aqueous cream.

My skin in general is sooooo dry.

Will try the aqueous for a bit and then go back .

Oh if only that is rubbish of your GP, like one size fits all! After what seemed like years of night time itching and a great reluctance to go down the HRT route, I finally mentioned it to my GP (the same age as me which might be helpful as she could be having the same issues) and she sorted me out with the vagifem and it's been amazing, no more itching so i sleep through the night now... I'd keep chipping away at her. She clearly has no idea what it's like.

I think your right @CrotchetyQuaver ... my GP by her own admission has sailed through menopause & peri with the Mirena , which I couldn't tolerate.

I will go back to her & keep asking.

Her rationale is that my periods although v heavy and going 5 weeks rather than 4 weeks, she says that is a normal cycle and not indicative of peri .

@IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls that's frustrating. I use aqueous cream or water only to wash but minute amounts mixed with plenty of water as find it can irritate.

Although I'm using vagifem it's not really giving relief yet but GP has told me to persevere.

I've been looking at YES products too for topical relief. They have a website and are available on prescription. Sainsbury's also stock. Might be worth looking into yourself as they seem popular and helpful products for women who are unable to tolerate/want to avoid hormones who are experiencing these symptoms.

Does Aqueous cream not have SLS in it? There was a to-do about using it with eczema a while back.

I use Dermol.

You can get 0.01% Estriol cream too. This is supposed to be used twice weekly like the Vagifem with an applicator (it falls out in the morning ) but I have seen it recommended that you use half as much twice as often, swish it up and round the flaps with a finger.

It might be worth asking for that if you get no where with the GP and Vagifem as it looks like it has less oestrogen in it

There are also moisturisers like Yes who also do an oily lubricant which is ok. Some moisturisers contain ingredients that force moisture into the cells, and these can cause irritation.

twitter.com/mymenopausalvag There is a lady called Jane Lewis who suffered badly and has tried everything and wrote a book - this is one of her sites.

@Melroses I am on Jane's FB group which is a wonderful source of support and information.

I was thinking of speaking to my GP about estriol when I go for a review. I get the sense that they start off with Vagifem and go from there!

Jane has been inspirational

Some GPs seem to be scared of oestrogen and offer the cream first. I was given vagifem by a consultant after surgery (very fast at the end of quick follow up consultation ) It has been really helpful. Before, I was really dry between inner and outer, and the itching was really deep - I wondered if it was varicose veins but couldn't see anything . I have learned to use it low down near the bladder (high up is where your bowel is). I use it 3x per week.

I would love to try oestriol on outer bits but my current GP is rubbish and I am trying to maintain what I have whilst plucking up the courage to try another.

Hello fellow itchers! Just had my dermatologist appointment - apart from area looking v red, she didn't see anything untoward. She suggested it might be seborrhoeic excema and prescribed eumovate ointment & an antihistamine, and to go back to see her in a month if no improvement. I hope it works, I've been trying not to claw the area for nearly 2 years. I don't have any excema anywhere else so this is a little surprising but I'm thankful it isn't anything more sinister. 🤞the ointment relieves the maddening itch

I have had this and had private referral to a dermatologist to check for lichen sclerosis too. It is not that - just a type of excema that is common in peri if you are prone (I am prone). I keep it under control with an emollient called Cetraben. You can buy it from any chemist. I also only get the itching at night and as soon as I feel it, I apply some cream which works. If I go through a bad patch, I apply it twice daily.

I also use dermol shower gel, on my lady garden. And the cream, sometimes add a couple drops of essential oils.

Please check with GP about lichen sclerosis but also VIN....abnormal cells of the vulval area which can turn to cancer of the vulva if untreated (similar to CIN in cervix). If you have raised or red/white areas you should ask. Itching at night can be a symptom (but also of many other things). My GP had no idea what VIN was, and I ended up seeing an excellent Gynae Oncologist. Particularly relevant if you have had any history of CIN cells etc, but not necessarily. Please do ask the question!