Dry fanjo?

[Fuzzyduckduckyfuzz]

I'm hoping some of you ladies can tell me what symptoms you've experienced with vaginal dryness.

Bit of a background I've been with current partner for 8 months and decided after years of not taking any contraception that I would go on the mini pill.

Since then I have had nothing but bother. I had a uti then I had thrush all of which were diagnosed and treated. I then thought it had come back again so I had full sti checks done as did my dp incase it was something like that. All clear for us both.

I keep getting what I can only describe as burning up my vagina and occasionally I'm uncomfortable around my clit. This makes me feel like I need a wee but I'm weeing normally and I have no bladder pain at all.

Couple of things I've noticed is that I have minimum to no discharge during my cycle. Also the sensations completely disappear during sex.

Can you have vaginal dryness and still get wet during foreplay? We do occasionally use water based lube as I worry it's going to hurt.

I'm almost 41 if that's relevant so I did consider it could be perimenopause. My mum was completely through menopause by 47.

Any advice much appreciated

Google vaginal atrophy. Very common in menopause and early menopause. You can get Ovestin oestrogen cream prescribed by the GP or vagifem- both similar. You can also try Replens which is non hormonal on the days you don’t use the ovestin - you can buy this or get it prescribed. When you initially use Replens you might have some white clumping, this is normal and doesn’t mean you have thrush. (I went to the gp about this when I first started to use it, it’s fine now).

Also worth considering that the mini pill doesn’t contain oestrogen- if you’re peri menopausal you’ll need oestrogen. You can either start HRT if you wish (along with the above!) - so continuing the mini pill and taking utrogestan 100mg every night for progesterone coverage and then use oestrogel. Or you can get the mirena coil and use oestrogel. Or you could even consider the combined pill if you can take that to replace the oestrogen- although the levels are much lower than with hrt.

Meant to also add you have oestrogen receptors around your bladder and urethra- if you are deficient in oestrogen it can cause UTI and thrush type symptoms and issues.

Thank you so much for your reply I was beginning to think I was losing my mind or that it was all in my head. Do my symptoms sound like vaginal dryness? My gp gave me some vagisil when it initially started which doesn't do a thing

@Fuzzyduckduckyfuzz

Thank you so much for your reply I was beginning to think I was losing my mind or that it was all in my head. Do my symptoms sound like vaginal dryness? My gp gave me some vagisil when it initially started which doesn't do a thing

Vagisil is more for itching and discomfort from itching rather than dryness. It can also be really irritating for many women. Definitely try some of the Ovestin / vagifem and see if it helps. It does take a while for the oestrogen to get working, if I remember there’s something about an initial 2 week “loading” phase where you use it every day for 2 weeks and the drop to 2/3 times a week.