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[TropicalVon69]

Menopause grrrrrrr..... Dancing Girl havent experienced that but sounds awful...mainly psychological symptoms for me are hard....huggage to you XXX

[Morwenna]

Now back on Vagifem 10's but using one every other day.

Is your GP happy to give you a repeat prescription for this regime janm? I started the Vagifem 10's about a month ago in an effort to combat urethral burning, urinary frequency, irritable sore bladder, urgency and nocturia but on the dosing instruction it says 'twice weekly for up to six months' and there is a date that I'm not permitted to submit my prescription before. So although I'd like to use it more frequently I'm having to stretch it out to one every three nights. This works out at two one week, three the next - I hope I'm able to have it for longer than six months!! I've noticed I don't get up for the toilet on the nights the Vagifem is inserted? Also, when I was considering asking for the Estring I wondered whether it would irritate the bladder by pressing on it? Dancing Girl out of interest, have your night time visits to the bathroom increased since using it?

I have exactly the same symptoms and they sound very much like Interstitial Cystitis but I think oestrogen deficiency was probably the catalyst?

I have found bladder training to be very helpful. The problem with 'going' a lot is that it causes the bladder to shrink and then it holds less before giving the signal it needs to empty. I don't cut my drinks down in the evening but try and hang on and not visit the bathroom between 6pm and bedtime at 12 so I'm usually 'bursting' by then, but emptying the bladder of a larger amount of urine seems to help it last longer before it sends the 'empty me' signal again. One other good tip is to not let constipation take hold. A full bowel can really cause pressure on the bladder so I take regular Movicol for my IBS-C - although some ladies on the OAB forum reckon the potassium in Movicol can irritate - sometimes it's a problem knowing what's best! 

[Morwenna]

When that wasn't enough they gave me Orthogynest pessaries...brilliant..best I'd been in ages.
Then Orthogynest was discontinued, so they tried Gynest cream, which cause huge irritation to the urethra.

My story exactly! The company that manufactured Orthogynest pessaries have a lot to answer for! (And Gynest cream is absolutely not the same!!)

[CLKD]

No money in Orthogynest any more  I found it more convenient and easier to use than the applicator thingy ……….

GPs need to realise that less dosage = increase in symptoms ……...

[babyjane]

My GP has always supported my using Vagifem every other night with a 2 week every day reload once a year.  There is never any question with my repeat prescription.

Gps who question this can't know much about how topical vaginal oestrogen is absorbed only a minute amount.  You get much more from fulll HRT.

[CLKD]

As for how often 1 can re-order the prescription - my Surgery queried my order a few weeks ago because it was 'before time'  until I explained that I was going away for 3 weeks.  I suppose I could have been given a prescription to carry with me but it was OK, they fetched my supplies from the shelf once they knew the reason 

Grandma swore by salt in the bath too, lots of! or powdered mustard in hot water for sore feet.  Zinc and caster oil ointment.

[babyjane]

I must have an exceptionally good doctor surgery.  I have never once been questioned and I always order early, saves the stress of almost running out only to be told 'we're having trouble getting your......'

[Maryjane]

I drink 500ml of water for breakfast plus I have porridge made with water, I then have about 200ml of coconut milk mid morning, lunch about 500ml again water. Afternoon 200ml coconut milk, 500ml water with evening meal at 6.30pm, and then about 200ml between then and bedtime.

I am on ami that can make you thirsty, and I walk very fast so that makes me sweat for an hour plus in the am, and then thirty minutes in the pm.

I P about every four hours and I p 450 -500ml at a time. I get up once a night, but have the odd night where I don't get up at all, my last p is at 10pm and the alarm goes off at 5.30am.

Because I have had an awful UTI, and been on copious amounts of antibs my P has been at the centre of my world recently amongst other things down there.

[CLKD]

We can certainly become focussed on what is wrong with various parts of us  ……….

[Dancinggirl]

Hi everyone - it's very interesting to hear how you all cope with bladder issues.
As I mentioned I did a diary of my fluid intake and loo visits for a few days so I know I am drinking about the right amount, though throughout the summer I was sweating so much I'm sure I needed more fluids really.  I go to the loo every 2-5 hours during the day - I'm sure I'm not alone in doing the 'just in case' visit before going out.  I can easily go 5 or even 6 hours sometimes. What I do find is that I can't pee easily as my urethra feels as though it is stuck together and I'm possibly not emptying my bladder fully as a result. Night time is my problem - I don't think the Estring is putting any pressure where it shouldn't as the more frequent loo visits at night started after I came off systemic HRT before I used the Estring.
I think a lot of my nocturia is due to disturbed sleep as when I take Nytol I only get up once or twice. Hay ho, the joys of getting older.
DG x

[Maryjane]

Dancinggirl....when I had my bladder scan, it was with a probe that touched the urethra and my urethra was 7.1mm in oedema thickness, and I was having problems with getting going, the urethra is now 2.5mm and flow is normal, none of us should leave it over four hours as that is setting us up for infection,and can cause nerve damage. when my bladder was playing up earlier in the year and not emptying, one way to guarantee it empties is to p on all fours, with a bowl under you it puts the bladder in the correct position.( the things we have to do)

Since all infection has gone I don't need to do this anymore, but I now have a block of wood at the loo so when I go my bladder/bowel/ pelvic floor is in the correct position. The uro/gynae told me to do it, well he told me to buy something called a squatty potty, but my lump of wood was free and is the right height. My pregnant daughter uses it when she visits, and finds her bladder empties much easier.

[Dancinggirl]

Thank you Maryjane - some good tips there.  I'm hoping the gynae I'm going to see privately in November will give me advice about all this as well.  I think i probably need some systemic HRT alongside the local oestrogen to really help my whole pelvic region - but I will follow his advice.
BTW - though is aid I can go 5-6 hours between pees, I usually go every 3-4 hours.
I think the pressure is off my urethra when I lying down at night and that is why I can pee more freely.
DG x

[orrla]

Hi again,

I might be dragging this thread but,.. I have few questions:

Dancinggirl - why are you resisting HRT?

Firstly, from what you wrote above it sounds to me that, you are woken up by hot-flush more than your bladder.  Secondly, Gynos are specialists in working wombs and ovaries - and childbirth. Our parts are long dead! Kaput! So,..  why to waste your money on visiting a one?  No Meno clinic where you are?

Maryjane - I am impressed with how much in control you are! Just, you did not tell us - how is it? Good or bad? 

Personally, if I had to P on my all 4 but there was a slightest chance that with HRT I would not have to I'd run for it!  Would HRT interfere with some other conditions you have, I wonder?

I am so impressed with how so different we all are! 

Let's celebrate it!

[Maryjane]

Orrla......I don't need to P on all fours now, it was when they didn't no what was wrong with me and I know if you don't empty your bladder properly you are asking for big trouble.

My p infection seems to have gone........I am now taking vagifem and gynest cream on the outer bits twice a week, I have done the two week load. I have something called Pudendal Neurelga, nerve damage that effects the pelvic floor. I am 75% better than I was in January, I am only 48 it is a combination of three large babies, years of horse riding and perimenopause.

Once the bladder has calmed down from all the infection, I will see how the local oestrogen goes and will then go on HRT if necessary, I am not worried about going on HRT but I don't want to try loads of different things at once, otherwise you don't know what is and is not working.

If you look on the pelvic pain thread that explains what is wrong with me and some others, we all seem to have pudendal neurelga in some form or another.

I have had to spend a lot of money, and research everything myself to find the appropriate specialists, and at times it has been hit and miss.

Ladies who have prolapses of the bladder, have to P on all fours I am afraid, and if you have a rectocele the way they have to open there bowels is awful. Poor ladies.

[orrla]

That explains!

48 is very young. It sounds that there was a lot of strain on these parts in your case. It's good you monitor it closely!

Again, we are so different because of what we did during our lives, really! No one, magic cure!

All the best!