Vaginal atrophy

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GP thinks I have vaginal atrophy but is doing some blood tests first to rule out other things before confirming the diagnosis. He said if it is this I will get oestrogen pessaries to treat it.
A bit down about this. I had thought I had cystitis, but there is no infection and antibiotics did nothing.

I assume you're of an age for perimenopause - it's quite a commin symptom.. HRT usually helps a lot (which is what the pessaries will be.)

I am in menopause now. I am not on HRT and no longer have any other symptoms of menopause except for this.

The pessaries just weren’t quite enough for me. Now on HRT, estrogen patch along with progesterone as I still have a uterus, oh and testosterone, which has been a godsend for energy and libido. I’m now so horny I’m banished to the spare bed some nights to give my poor hubby a rest 🤣

I thought I’d got thrush, it’s soo painful, even just having a wee and sitting down, I’d never heard of it before.

Don’t worry, there are solutions and you will be nice and moist down there once again 😬

Thanks. Yes the pain having a wee and bit of incontinence made me think it was cystitis. I had heard of it but thought it just meant you were dry. I hadn't realised the symptoms could mimic cystitis.

Please don't be nervous, correct treatment is life changing. I went to my gp because I was constantly needing to pee, getting up numerous times during the night, not being comfortable on a day out unless there was a toilet nearby, my poor husband used to watch out and note where toilets were any time we were away, symptoms similar to an uti or thrush and dryness leading to painful sex. Unfortunately my gp was useless, despite clear urine tests she insisted I had an infection, I argued that and she changed to it being a problem of my bladder not emptying completely and put me on a waiting list for tests, she refused any type of hrt despite all the symptoms, hot flushes etc. I paid to see a gp specialising in menopause and after an examination she said I had quite extreme atrophy and started my on hrt plus vagifam. Oh my god the difference was amazing, no midnight trips to the loo, days out are pleasurable again, sex is wonderful (side effect is orgasms are intense and easy to achieve), the hrt has dealt with all the other symptoms and I feel so much better. Go for it asap, why suffer unnecessarily

The nurse at my GP recommended I start to use Gina which is a tiny pessary used twice a week. I'm only using once a week now as I started to bleed after quite a few months and instructions were to stop the frequency. It's stopped me feeling as if I smell for one thing !!

I too ended up seeing a menopause specialist. My G.P had even taken swabs for thrush and didn’t twig on to the extent of the atrophy 🤦‍♀️, it was pretty bad. I’ll be on HRT for life as it never goes away, but I can live with that. I don’t drink or smoke so I’m not too worried by associated risks of taking it.

My sister in law decided to do menopause the natural way, she now wishes she hadn’t. Now at the age of 58 she has osteoporosis really bad and is considering HRT. It’s given me my life back and I’m happier for it 🤗

I did menopause naturally and thought I was through the other side.
But the GP suggested the pessary. Vaginal atrophy had not even occurred to me.
It does scare me a bit. Even the name sounds scary.
Although the GP was good and is doing a blood screen first just to check for things like ovarian cancer. But he expects that to be negative, it is just being extra careful. And then a pessary.

VA is hugely common but rarely talked about. When I had symptoms I was out of mind trying to figure out what it was and it was really hard physically & emotionally

I really hate the euphemism “dryness” that gets used about menopause, like all you need is a bit of lube and it’s fine. No it’s a massive loss of estrogen and it needs to be replaced. I use vagifem plus YES VM moisturiser and estriadol cream externally

I thought it was just dryness. I am a bit dry. I had zero idea about the real symptoms. I read last night that the estimate is that half of women with this never see their GP. Is this the real reason Tena pads are common in older women? I am having to use them at the moment!

I did the menopause thing naturally as well (though tbf I wasn't suffering like I know some do around the menopause)

I started Vagifem pessaries about a year ago. Had one every night for a fortnight to begin with then twice weekly. They're tiny and dead easy to insert.

Been brilliant for me - helped with general comfort by reducing the dryness and in turn I've had less infections and it's been easy to hold into my urine when I'm desperate. No side effects at all

yes VA is strongly linked to bladder & continence issues. It’s because all of the tissues of the vagina thin due to lack of oestrogen. The good thing is that the pessaries & creams really make a huuuge difference 😊

Do any women from menopause on not get some degree of VA?
My GP (a woman much my own age) told me I'd need some treatment at some point and to come and ask when I found I had symptoms ('dryness', uncomfortable sex and/or cystitis).

So I did, the (young male) GP I saw prescribed vagifem, no need for any further investigation. It's kid of a no brainer.

Nothing to be scared of so long as you get appropriate treatment!

There’s a Vaginal Atrophy group you may find useful, on fb, lots of different recommendations for cream and lubricants, treatments etc, natural and prescription, what works for one not always for another.

Thanks, I will look for that.

That group is brilliant isbt it @LuckyCharmz it saved my sanity!

I read last night that the estimate is that half of women with this never see their GP.

I'm not sure that can be the case at my surgery. I'll be in there for my throat or my ears or something, and they ask how things are going menopausally. I am also getting an ENT referral, as well as bloods for iron levels etc, which may result in an HRT prescription.

Replens vaginal moisturiser is really good for this.

I think I've had this recently. I say 'think' because it wasn't formally diagnosed, but when I read around I concluded that's what the issue was.

The symptom was that I went for a smear and it was too painful to be successful. Nurse spoke to GP who prescribed some kind of vaginal cream. Nurse told me I'd need to take it daily for a couple of weeks and then twice a week for a couple of months. After that, she said, the smear would be fine.

I couldn't use the cream because the syringe it came with was so thick that I couldn't insert it. I bled trying, and finally was prescribed a vaginal pill (Vagirux) instead, which has been fine.

I've not actually been for the new smear yet, but things are much less dry down there. I was so impressed that I looked into HRT and now I'm on a low dose.

I am on patches and I was on estradiol. My GP surgery has changed it to Ovestin but I seem to manage to get it on the floor instead of where it is supposed to go.