Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[hellen]

Hi, any ladies out there taking vagifem and amitripyline, my gyne advised, vagifem every night for three months and amitriyline one every night, anyone else doing, or have done, that regime..  the three months on vagifem is over the two weeks on the leaflet, and still seems to give me burning and soreness after the fortnight, should it have gone after two week. although i have only been taking the amitriyline for only about four days.. due to nerve pain the in the vagina, or so the gyne thinks.. so not sure if its the nerve pain or the vagifem, i have taken vagifem for years and never really had much trouble with it before.. although the ones im using are new batches dated 2017.. i would like to hear if anyone has done the same as this, and how it worked out.. thank you..

[Hattie]

Hi Hellen - sorry me again - i'm just going to write what i think here from my own small experience so please just take it or leave it as i don't want to cause you any worry - i hope that someone else will be along as well to help you.

i used vagifem 25mcg and Amitriptyline 25mg tapered down to 10mg for two years and more - this was for nerve pain.



...the amitriptyline will take longer than 4 days to become effective - it is a matter of weeks rather than days.

...the vagifem dose that you are now taking is 70mcg per week given that you are using it every night for 3 months - that is over the old old dose of 25mcg 2x a week giving 50mcg a week - could this be causing a problem ?

...7 x 10mcg vagifem is also a lot of filler from the vagifem  tablets - the white fillers may be irritating you - (if you had 2x25mcg tablets a week on the oldold regime that would be less filler in my opinion. The 10mcg tablets are the same size as the old 25mcg tablets)

 Would it be an idea to get a second opinion on the regime of 3 months vagifem and amitriptyline ? - i feel that this gynae has thrown this out at you and left you to it for three months which seems to be a standard time that i was left to 'experiment' with different things. ( i also had Eumovate cream for 3 months thrown in as well to rub on the vulva)

Maybe email Dr currie on here ?- she or someone else may have a totally different opinion. or ....

Maybe give the amitriptyline a bit more time and if it is doing nothing contact the gynae who you saw before 3 months are up to say that you are not happy and don't know which is doing what. at least you will have given the amitriptyline a good try then.

Hang on to your head as this starts to mess you up when it is difficult to know what is going on.

SuzyQ may be back from her holidays soon and be able to help you - i think i have read that vagifem has let her down every now and again and she has had throbbing like sensations. I think she has then used higher doses of vagifem like 70mcg per week but don't quote me on that.

Hattie X

[hellen]

Hi hattie, i agree with you i am going to reduce the vagifem, to every other day, as im quite sore today...  and see how i go at that. i will carry on with the amitripyline. i was only on approx day 15 of a reload of the vagifem , and wouldn have expected to have been sore...  i am starting to get upset about the whole thing, if im honest, as i seem to be going round in circles, and if it was slight pain i wouldn mind... but its very painful.. the pain has changed since i started the treatment, and i can walk now, so i think the treatment has done something. but it still so imflammed up there... , i think from the vagifem.. i dont want to introduce anything else up there, but have been tempted just some ky, as that must he harmless i would have though.. i have booked an appointment with the gyne , and cant get in till the 13th .. so hopefully something will be sorted then, but i feel most likely she will increase the amitripyline, which i really wouldn want to do.. and i feel they probably dont have a clue any way.. i sure that i shouldn be sore still , on the treatment im having, but i could be wrong... no i didnt expect the amitripyline to work as fast as it did, as i had read it take a while to work. but i was taking parcetamol to try and control the pain, but when i started to take the amitripyline, i didnt need to. i could feel it was sore, but sort of dull, but now it doesnt seem to be having that effect at all. and now im thinking of the paracetamol and amitripyline..

[Hattie]

Hi Hellen

and i feel they probably dont have a clue any way.. 

At the time i went out of county and got a second opinion with another gynae privately who let me self refer.

i knew that my GP wouldn't refer me for a second opinion as i saw our top local gynae originally and she said there is no point in getting a second opinion - she also knew the gynae socially (which she took great pleasure in telling me) so that was that for me really.

The second opinion consultant i saw didn't change my vagifem or amitriptyline BUT was honest enough to tell me that they don't really know and just throw amtriptyline at it. The original gynae i saw leaned back behind his large green felted desk and didn't mention that at all.

I would keep things as simple as possible and change one thing at a time and wait to see what happens otherwise it is difficult to know what is helping or isn't.

I am not sure that you should change the vagifem regime yet but discuss it with the gynae as to why he /she has put you on 70mcg a week for so long.

I would make a list of clear questions for the 13th and if you are not happy with answers maybe get a second opinion if there is still confusion.

i fully understand why you are going round in circles - this is not an easy thing to solve and be measured.

Hattie X

[Hattie]

Hellen

On a lighter note - what is being said in your avatar picture please    ? i can't get it to expand.

Hope that you have a reasonable day - wish i could help more.

Hattie X

[babyjane]

Hattie I am also curious, especially if it is funny and witty 

[hellen]

Hi, i missed out the vagifem last night as i thought it might help as i was really tired of the pain, i think in some ways, its a little better, and in some ways just as bad, im confused i think, but i guess if it was irritating me,  it would take longer to settle than a day. but i dont feel the bunring which is good, just a continual pain, which im sure is the nerve pain.. i tried to have a look down their and its hard to see that area, but i think it doesnt look as it used to, feels swollen and the walls inside felt bumpy, but strangly enough, doesnt hurt when i touch them as i have put k,y up there.. , very odd. i notice i have green pee as well,  would it be a bad idea to try paracetamol with the amitripyline, not tried it yet.. i wonder if the gyne would raise the amitripyline from 10 to 20, i really wouldnt want to, what dose have you been on.. i have a feeling no matter what i do, i wont get any relief from the pain now..

[hellen]

hi, reference the avatar,   


he says,...... what happened to our sexual relations,,,,


she replies, i have no ideas, dont think we even had a christmas card of them this  year

[Hattie]

   re avatar thanks Hellen

i would stick with the amitriptyline for now as i think this is better for nerve pain than paracetamol.

The gynae i saw started me at 25mg amtriptyline but i gradually came down to 10mg because of side effects - he said that you can go up to 75mg for pain relief.

If your pee is going green i would take a sample to your GP for analysis to eliminate any worry there because stress is going to make your pain feel worse.

This is all so difficult Hellen as in the end the sense of direction may have to come from you somehow - by trying different levels of vagifem, amitriptyline etc - i know all too well that it is easy for me to write this and not so easy to put into practice.

I am not sure what else to say except to question the gynae until you feel happier on the 13th.

Hattie X

[hellen]

well, feeling a bit better, left the vagifem off for two days, but continued with the amitripyline. used a little bit of multi gyn actigel on the outside, and feeling more comfy than i have done, lets see what happens now when i used a vagifem tonight.. so i have my fingers crossed, and anything else i can cross lol xx

[Hattie]

 

[Hurdity]

Green pee? Have you been eating asparagus - this causes very strong weird smelling green pee!

Have you thought of Estring - this won't have fillers as vagifem does?

Hurdity x

[hellen]

Hi, i did think of the estring, but i didnt know how it would affect the imflammed nerves up there. but pleased to say the amitripyline, i was so worried about taking, hasent really effected me, apart from my slow bowels getting slower.. lol.. im not sure that they are doing anything. , but i guess until i stop taking them i wont know.. ,, so if you are ever given amitripyline dont worry about it to much, not at 10mg.  ...  i still have sorenss, and swelling at times, other times it seems better. im still need to pee, pee pee.. but i can relax now, im not tense my nerves are more settled.. although i  still had some nights of pain that have kept me awake, i  didnt want to increase the amitripyline, as other nights seem fine,  but if i use a vagifem it seems to settle. i have found that if i use the vagifem at night before i go to bed, it dosent seem to suit me, and its much better if i use it about two hours before i get up.. im not having any days where im not in some discomfort, but not as it was, and i can drive most days.. at least to good old tesco lol x so maybe its slow but getting there, i can but hope xxx

[scriv]

Hurdity, I agree completely about the effects of asparagus - we call it the 'aspargus wee' in our house!

I do hope you get it all sorted out, hellen.

[andius]

I tried the amitriptyline.  I started at 10 and then went to 25mg.  25mg made me gain weight and have dry mouth.  I took it at night and I think it might have made me sleep a little better. I cut the 25mg in half and then took 12.5 and still gained weight.  My urogynecologist said she gave it to me to numb the bladder and urethra which can also be referred pain to the vagina and vulva.  It does work, as the drug is cleared from the body in the urine.  If you touch one of the pills to your tongue for a while your tongue will go numb at that spot. I find that I would rather take HRT because it helps the redness and raw areas rather than just numb the feeling. Also, the other benefits of mental clarity, more energy, much better sleeping, lubrication, etc. 

Are you taking any other hormones?

One other thing....it takes amitryp about 3 wks to work for depression, but it works almost immediately down there for as long as you take it.