Print

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

[Niamh]

[email protected]

I'm sorry you had such a rubbish experience! Not acceptable

[sap22]

sap22 - the problem with doing swabs is that, even if they find something like a strep infection, they will often not treat it.  Antibiotics can actually make matters worse by encouraging thrush to develop etc. and the infection will just come back once you finish the ABs anyway.  The flora balance in the vaginal changes as the area dries out with oestrogen deficiency so is far more open to infections and discomfort generally. Bacteria from the gut is easily transferred which will also aggravate. 
The burning and discomfort of VA is quite common in menopausal women - though many will not seek help.
I believe it is a combination of problems which will include the thinning and dryness of the vaginal area due to oestrogen deficiency and the VA also effects the bladder and urethra making this more prone to infection and discomfort.
Did you try Vagifem for at least 3 months? It can take some time to reverse the effects of VA.  If you are getting a burning urethra then the Vagifem will help but one also needs to adopt other strategies e.g. - avoiding all scented products, take showers not baths, drink plenty of water and avoid acidic drinks, alcohol and caffeine.
I have found I need to use quite specific vaginal moisturising gels to help reduce the chance of infection taking hold and also to keep things comfortable - I use Multi Gyn Actigel every day and often some Sylk - these work for me but there are other things to try.  The Multi Gyn Actigel is specifically designed to keep the flora balance in the vaginal area slightly acidic so thrush and BV can't take hold. If I feel something brewing then I will use it 2-3 times a day until it's settled.
In my experience very few doctors know or understand how painful and distressing VA is.  If you are under 60 then it may be worth trying a systemic HRT alongside the Vagifem as well, to really deal with total oestrogen deficiency.
Many women prefer the local oestrogen creams but I find them messy and they irritate my vaginal area too much.
I am seeing a gynae privately - a really lovely man who is based in Norwich - he suggest Vagifem as the first line of treatment for VA.  I am now 60 and still sticking with systemic HRT with some Vagifem - there is no way I would be without, at least, Vagifem as I think my life would be too uncomfortable.
My HRT regime - one pump per day of Oestrogel with 12 days each month of Utrogestan (micronised progesterone) which does mean I still have a bleed each month - can't use progesterone all the time I'm afraid as it doesn't suit me.  I tend to use Vagifem just once or twice a week as I'm on full HRT as well.  If I stop Full HRT then I would use Vagifem 3 times a week at least. I use the MultiGyn Actigel and Sylk every day.
This is just my experience and I do feel you should try the Vagifem again and use the moisturisers alongside for 2-3 months to see if this helps before pursuing the private route.  If it doesn't then work then ask for full systemic HRT.  all treatment will take time so one has to patient.   DG x

Hi Dancing Girl - just read your helpful info... I agree that I could have swabs, but it might then unbalance everything to treat anything.  The underlying problem then is the oestrogen, which I hope will help balance up things but I note that you have to use additional forces (!) like the moisturiser and actigel.  Actually you are right I should have persevered with the vagifem - I just found I was so dry that it was uncomfortable and itchy and let it go, but now things have got worse since that time. At the time I only had bladder issues, which I've got under control, but now I have the vaginal heat and inflammatory issues in the pelvis, so will take time to reverse I think.  I am prepared to use the full HRT to get the oestrogen in, but had a bad experience with one when I started bleeding, didn't expect it and it made me feel really emotional and the period was very uncomfortable and prickly.  But then again, maybe I should have persevered, but stopped after one month (femosten). I just didn't want the periods again and the emotions!  I don't think it will be a quick fix.  I don't have urethral probs at the moment and am taking lots of allicin powder capsules (garlic) plus oil of oregano capsules to hopefully keep bugs away. I have a low sugar, yeast anti acid diet.  But your point about swabs and infections is a good one as I was obsessing about whether I still have some kind of infection or not today. Although I am more comfortable (having used the 50:50 ointment which is a mixture of soft/white paraffin) and it doesn't sting or hurt at all, I still feel uncomfortable sitting. It feels hot and just generally uncomfortable in the buttock area (maybe it's the nerves). So finally, to thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[Pollie]

Surrey Park Clinic

I have only ever had my bloods done there - I have not seen a Gyne or Doctor - so you must do your own research.

However I understand that there is a Doctor there who specialises in Hormone treatment (HRT) and is less expensive per hour than seeing a Gyne who covers all other things such as Fertility treatment, Hysterectomy etc.

[Chi chi]

I have seen both Dr Annie Evans (warm, reassuring and empathetic) and Prof John Studd.

I was appalled at the rubbish customer service from Prof Studd and his team. I arrived 30 mins early, as they had said there would be paperwork to complete. But I had barely finished the first page, when I was whisked through to see Studd as the appointment before mine was running late.

This meant there were pages of paperwork uncompleted, much of it asking pertinent questions. I actually spent a maximum of 5-7 minutes actually talking to Prof Studd. He was gruff and avoided answering any questions. When he dictated some observations into his recorder I had to interrupt him.twice because he was recording incorrect information about me.

He then gave me a cursory breast exam and took my bloods (really bruised my arm badly). I was then sent for a bone scan which he did generously give me for free. Then I returned to his room where I spent a maximum of 3-4 minutes while he slapped 3 pumps of gel on one arm and a blob of testing gel on the other. Then I was whisked out of the room as the next woman (who had been running late) and arrived earlier than predicted.

I certainly didn't get my 30 mins with him. My DH wasn't even halfway through his cup of coffee in the waiting room.

We paid £650 for that experience.

Two weeks later I rang to ask a couple of questions, but Studd was away, so I was told to email. I never had a reply to that email, despite it being of an urgent nature.

I just think he dishes out exactly the same HRT regime to every single woman he sees. Money for old rope.

This sounds exactly like all my appts with him! He also gave me a "free" bone density scan, I had to pay for my second one a year later.  He has on a couple of occasions actually answered my emails but a week or two after isn't really of much use when you need to know what to do at that particular time! And then his replies are very blunt and often not very helpful  If you ring he's away quite a lot and if he is there he makes me feel like I'm bothering him or "fussing" a few times I've felt belittled and unable to ask him anything!
I don't know about everyone else but there's something about going to Harley St etc that makes you think you're getting the best and from my experience this isn't always the case unfortunately.