Print

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

[ParalysedByFear]

,................

[Joaniepat]

Hi and welcome to the Forum. What you are describing in your mother sounds very like GSM (genitourinary syndrome of menopause), often called VA (vaginal atrophy). It is very, very common in older women and is due to lack of oestrogen. There are plenty of threads on here about this, and you can also look it up on the main index.

The cream your mum has been given is probably Ovestin. She should insert this with the applicator every night for two weeks, and then use two or three times a week thereafter. If she doesn't like the cream ( a bit messy and some find it irritating) she could ask for Vagifem instead, which are tiny pessaries.

Please try not to worry, I know that's easier said than done! She is about the same age as I was (67) when VA first struck. It can certainly be controlled and will improve, but treatment has to be kept up forever.

Best wishes,
JP x

[Taz2]

Hi ParalysedByFear. I too had a vaginal hysterectomy and also a bladder repair and I have experienced microscopic blood in the urine many times and have been referred for cystoscopy and ultrasound scan twice. It has always been due to vaginal atrophy. I am on full HRT plus the topical treatment which is the cream or pessaries your mum has been prescribed. On the two occasions I've had to stop treatment the blood (not always microscopic) has returned.

Your mum is being given the right treatment and referral to make sure that this is all that is wrong and of course you are worried but many women experience this problem during and after menopause. Under NHS guidelines your mum would have to have been referred quickly due to being over a certain age so this doesn't mean the doctor thinks anything sinister is going on it's just the way it works.

It is also common for us not to know we have a UTI as we get older (I'm 64) as there is often no pain. That happened to me too.

What a lovely, caring daughter you are. Please let us know how she gets on or maybe she would like to join?

Taz x 

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome to mm Paralysedbyfear

Everything that is happening to your mum is very typical for urogenital atrophy due to oestrogen deficiency.
I am 62 and my urine usually has blood traces when tested and I've peed lots of blood in the past.

If she has been given local oestrogen cream then she needs to start using this ASAP as it can really help.  Blood in the urine is very common and if she has had standard investigations and no infection is present then I wouldn't worry. Has she seen a urologist for a cystoscopy?

UTI symptoms with no infection are very common in menopause for many women but sadly doctors are not good at diagnosing and treating this.

She needs to avoid caffiene, fruit juices and alcohol but Drink plenty of water. There are small oestrogen pessaries that may be better for your mother to use, as they are easier to use and less messy - these are called Vagifem but she certainly should use the cream as some women use both the cream and the pessaries.
She might also benefit from some systemic oestrogen but at her age they may be reluctant to prescribe this. It could take weeks or even months for the local oestrigen to help. She must use the local oestrogen for the rest of her life on a regular basis. 

To help Prevent a true UTI from taking hold it is also important to keep the flora balance in the gut and vagina good. A healthy diet, cutting out as much sugar as possible can help Maintain a healthy gut flora. Using vaginal moisturisers alongside the local oestrogen can help the vaginal flora - the best moisturisers are SYLK or the YES products and these are best bought online.  The makers of these moisturisers will often give you samples, so go to their website.
Cleaning really well after opening the bowels is also essential. Infections will usually come from the bacteria in the faeces - our anus and vagina are so close together it's easy to get transference.

Try not to worry - at least you will learn from this and hopefully know how to prevent and treat these issues happening to you.

There is a thread you can read that may also help - I start it some time ago, so look up ‘ The Burning Club'

Hope that helps. DG x

[Dancinggirl]

Your mum really must use the oestrogen cream if she wants things to improve. Do explain to her that very little hormone is absorbed systemically and if she had been given full systemic HRT after her hysterectomy then these issues may not have emerged. She mustn't be frightened of hormone treatment - all the scares were based on flawed research and the new NICE guidelines on treating menopausal problems suggest long term treatment with local oestrogen for urogenital atrophy.
I'm afraid decaf tea and coffee will still irritate the bladder as it's the tannins that can make the burning sensation. Try camomile tea instead.
I'm sure everything is fine and it is just atrophy related. So many of us suffer with this.
Keep us posted. DG x

[Dancinggirl]

Atrophy will cause the skin to thin and this can result in breaks in the skin internally and externally - sometimes it will bleed. If there was heavier bleeding from the vagina then this would be a concern - one small blob is not a true concern.
I am actually far more concerned about you - you are so stressed about this!  She has done the right thing and gone to the GP who has referred her to be checked.  All this is standard procedure and it's highly unlikely there will be anything sinister but naturally it's better to be safe than sorry.  Looking things up on the net if you suffer with anxiety is not always the best idea as it's easy to think there is something terrible going on. 

What do you do the cope with your anxiety? Do you take medication, practise CBT or Mindfulness? The menopause can really mess with our heads, so if I were you I'd be getting really clued up about your options so you can face the menopause more positively without getting too anxious.
Take care of yourself. DG x

[Annie0710]

You'd have to private message Emma (moderator) I think to get it moved

I had a vaginal hysterectomy due to full prolapse (womb, cystocele and rectocele ) and although I've not known about any blood I had paper-cuts externally down there due to vaginal atrophy.  Your mum ideally needs the pessaries plus the ovestin cream to use daily externally I think x

[CLKD]

  and well done on helping your Mum!  Now she has the info from you step back.  She may need time to absorb the differences as well as the information so that she can take what is appropriate in order to ease symptoms.

Vaginal atrophy mimics urine infection-type symptoms REALLY well  which GPs don't always recognise!  What's she got to lose?

Keep off Dr GOOGLE.  There are enough Practice Nurses, GPs and Pharmacists that will give advice. If not, keep posting here, will your Mum join in directly.  Read round the threads on VA and make notes.  I too suggest that you be vagina aware.  As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry, inside and out: nostrils, deep in the ears, skin, vagina, between the toes, scalp: also muscles may become lax = aches and pains. 

[Taz2]

She had her hysterectomy due to a uterus prolapse (caused at work as a nurse) I don't know if that increases the chance of other prolapses happening, especially seeing as she didn't have HRT at the time.

Just want to reassure you that a high percentage of women develop further prolapses after a hysterectomy for uterine prolapse. It's explained quite well here https://www.pericoach.com/protecting-pelvic-floor-health-after-hysterectomy/.

You are right in thinking that HRT will help protect the pelvic floor. My uterine prolapse worsened enough for me to have a hysterectomy after my HRT was stopped for a while.

Taz x

[Taz2]

Your mum is having all of the right investigations to rule out all possible causes of her problem. Although it is understandable  to be concerned about thre possibility of bladder cancer the fact that the urologist feels it is an infection and has started her on antibiotics is, in my opinion, very hopeful. The urologist would have been failing in his/her duty of care if he'd not asked for the biopsy to be carried out.

I hope the biopsy is soon done. Please let us know how she gets on.

Taz x

[CLKD]

A biopsy is taken as a matter of course.  It gives a base line should any further issues crop up.  Will she be let out tonight?

[Taz2]

Thanks so much for updating us on your mum. As CLKD says a biopsy is routine and doesn't mean that they spotted anything wrong. Let us know her results and pop back on here whenever you need to.

Taz x 

[Taz2]

Brilliant news! I'm so pleased for you and your mum. What a wonderful daughter you are.

The blood was probably caused by the vaginal atrophy. That's what caused mine anyway.

Maybe your mum would like to join us on here one day.

Taz x 

[CLKD]

Yes do join in!

Vaginal atrophy can cause spots of bleeding.  The tissues get very thin which causes tearing.  She should be encouraged to use the preparation for 2 weeks initially then as necessary.  Usually every 3rd and 5/6th evenings are recommended but Vagifem is now prescribed at a lower dose than originally.  Some ladies find that they need it every night.  Occasionally two at once.  It's Trial and Error.

[CLKD]

Hi!  nope.  Maybe put it into the 'search' box on here to see if any threads pop up?

How's your Mum - did she take advice on board?