Print

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

[JeanGenie]

Hi...my name's Jean...a newbie here. I've been reading the forum over the past few days and would like the opinion of the very knowledgeable ladies here. It's a bit of a palaver so apologies if it's a bit long winded.

Bit of background...I'm 61 on HRT with no problems for over ten years. Also on Vagifem past five years for vaginal atrophy. Everything in that area has been good up until now. Unfortunately over the past twelve weeks it's all gone to hell in a handcart! I sustained a back injury...herniated disc compressing on femoral nerve...I wasn't able to use the Vagifem as the excruciating pain I was in made it too difficult to comfortably insert it. About four weeks ago the VA reared its ugly head again. I had an UTI which took two lots of antibiotics to shift. Then extreme vulval burning began. I had telephone consultation with my GP who said it sounded like thrush caused by the antibiotics and prescribed me thrush cream. This made the burning worse so the GP agreed to a face to face appointment to examine me. She prescribed oral tablet for thrush and took vaginal swab and urine sample. She also thought I have lichen scherlosis and prescribed steroid cream. About ten days ago I decided to do a reload of the vagifem...I've taken it nightly for ten days. After a few days all burning stopped and I was feeling more comfortable. However for the past three days I've been having a browny/ pink discharge and mild cramping. I will contact GP again but because of the pandemic it's proving hard to even get through to the surgery never mind speak to a doctor. In the meantime I thought I would ask the ladies here....is it possible that the discharge is due to me reloading the vagifem?  The swab and urine sample the GP had taken both came back clear.  I'm a bit of a nervy wreck at the minute...still on crutches because of the disc problem and the lichen scherlosis diagnosis has knocked me for six.

Many thanks for reading and any advice gratefully received .
Jean x

[JeanGenie]

Thanks Jaypo. Sorry to hear you're having disc problems too. It's hellish. I also have neuromuscular disorder which doesn't help. I'm doing as you suggested and having a good look throughout the forum....so glad I discovered it! I think I'm just ground down by the last 3 months and my anxiety levels have risen accordingly.

Jean x

[CLKD]

Hi!  surely someone could have inserted it for you  .  Difficult with back pain as even spitting when doing teeth can be painful  .

?? Lichen sclerosis needs a biopsy for confirmation  - your GP shouldn't simply prescribe steroids as that will thin the skin ? ? which is already in trouble.  She should be referring U to an appropriate Consultant.

Was a urine sample sent to a lab to C whether it grew a bug that required ABs or did your GP simply prescribe them without examination ? They will ease symptoms of needing to P but won't help with VA.  So many GPs are totally unaware!

Hopefully using the VA treatment will ease symptoms.  You may have torn the very delicate vaginal skin when using the treatment? which will cause a discharge.  MayB break the capsule and insert into the vagina on the end of a finger?  Cramping can be a side effect.  If so take pain relief but do continue with the 'vagifem'.

[JeanGenie]

Hi CKLD, thank you for replying. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone who could have inserted the vagifem for me. Only me and my three sons in the house. Made me smile though....I've been celibate the past ten years but just before I hurt my back I met a really lovely man....unfortunately my injury put paid to the kind of intimacy required to ask him to ...ahem...insert anything!  Just my luck.  He's stuck around though and has been a Godsend these past few months.

I didn't really know anything about lichen sclerosis and to be honest after the ordeal of getting on to the examination couch and being examined I left the surgery in a stupor. Of course I consulted Dr Google when I got home and frightened myself silly. I've since found out there is a vulval clinic at my local hospital and shall ask to be referred there.

I had sent a urine sample to my GP surgery as they rarely have face to face appointment due to the pandemic.  The doctor did the dipstick and found protein, blood etc and sent a prescription to the chemist for me to collect.
Three days later I got a call to say that they had sent the sample to the lab and the antibiotics they had given me were resistant to the infection....I then got another course of antibiotics.  It's all such a saga and this discharge business has kinda sent me over the edge.    Thanks so much for the suggestion of using my finger instead of the applicator....I'll give that a try.

Jean x

[Taz2]

Hello JeanGenie. Just wanted to welcome you. 

Taz x 

[pepperminty]

Hi,

If you need a quick diagnosis your local sexual health clinic can take a same day swab and also check for lichen. They are usually very good. Explain that you have unxpained discharge and pain etc.

If the GP is noy 100% sure you have lichen then steriod cream will thin the skin. If it is dermatitis then a short course of steriod ointment may be appropriate. You need a proper diagnosis.

Taking thrush treatment is a recipe for disaster if you haven't got it. It sounds that when you stopped the vagifem it all started. If you require the vaifem to stay pain and UTI free then the district nurses should be supporting you until you are able to do it yourself as it would save then money in appoitments and the knock on effects .

The disc problems are the worst pain ever. Can you ask to be referred to your local muscular skeletal service.

I hope you get better soon.

Peppermintyxx

[CLKD]

Morning JeanGenie and  [to the Wonderful World of ] support at the very least 

R U able to self refer to the vulval clinic?  It may be worth while ringing to find out.  (Dip stick tests usually show what your GP saw in the sample.  Which is why they are pretty good as useless as a diagnostic tool.  At least by having ABs they may have helped until the correct one was prescribed, however, GPs should know by now that this is the way that bugs become resistant ............ over use  )

About 12 months ago Matt Hancock told us that 'surgeries were open for business' ............. so patients can insist on a face2face appt., or ask for a direct referral to the appropriate clinics.  Our GPs have been seeing patients throughout .

Let us know how you get on.

[JeanGenie]

Hi....I just wanted to say thank you to the kind ladies who replied to my enquiry.....and give a little update. Who knows, it may be of help to someone else.
CLKD.....I did as you suggested....used my finger instead of the applicator . I also used e45 wash after every wee...and rinsed by sitting on loo with a jug of tepid water flowing over my 'bits'.....a bit of a faff but very soothing
I'm so happy to report that all burning has stopped and no discharge either. Please God it continues!

Because of my disc injury I can't have a bath or shower yet.....can't get in or out....so frustrating !     I've been getting weekly physio which is starting to help and it's being arranged that a physio will come to the house . It has mostly been my leg that is affected....it gives way at the knee...without the crutches I end up on the floor! Stairs are a nightmare....I live in a three storey house so for twelve weeks I've been limited to my bedroom mostly. I'm going stir crazy now.

You mentioned , CLKD, that your doctor has been seeing patients face to face?  I'm in NI, Belfast.....maybe it's different over here or just my doctors practice. They operate a telephone triage between 8.30 and 10.30 am. The receptionists tàkes all details and says she will pass them on to the doctor who MAY ring you back. If you ring after 10.30 you're told to ring back the next day. I tried and tried one morning but couldn't get through, permanently engaged! I was using my mobile and when I looked at the call log it had registered 97 attempts!

Re the GP's lichen sclerosis diagnosis...I'm not 100% happy with that...but I will use the steroid cream conservatively until I get appointment with the vulval clinic. I left a message on their answering service so hopefully they will ring back.


Again....many thanks ladies.

Jean x

[CLKD]

I worked with an Indian Registrar many years ago, the girls wear knickers when they have their periods. Otherwise they carry a small wash bag and cleanse each time they use the toilet.  Much healthier.  But a phaff.  Probably 

Do U have a TV in your room, if so get on2 ITV4 to watch those  🚴 in Lycra .........   

As 4 GPs.  The NHS is open for business.  1 needs to put a note through the door if all else fails, asking for a face2face appt.; 'may' is not up to the receptionist to decide upon.  What does it say on the Surgery web-site, often it's different to what front of house staff are telling patients.  It happened early on in our Practice and my GP was furious! because a patient had been told there were no appts.; and nope, it wasn't me this time  . Sadly, not every1 has access to a computer  .

There is a triage system in place but as I can get to our surgery on foot, I can put my point across when necessary.  When I required blood tests, it wasn't a problem. 

It is safer for all concerned to be seen, because small issues will be missed on the 'phone.  As well as often patients get to the door to leave "By the way, I have X, Y, Z ..... "

[JeanGenie]

Hmmmm.....men in lycra you say... I'll have a little peep, just to be sociable you understand. Be rude not to . 

Jean x

[CLKD]

   did U find those 🚴‍♀️ 🚴‍♂️ 🚴 at all   

It was quite a good route 2day 

[suzysunday]

I wish bidets were the norm in this country. 

[CLKD]

For washing ones socks  .  There is a loo which cleanses after but I don't trust the aim technology  .  If I was designing from new I would have a urinal, hand wash basin and loo in 1 room; separatley a bathroom with 1 hand wash basin for teeth, hair, washing; no loo.  Plus a room with a loo, hand wash basin and large shower cubicle - I don't do double basins.  Never though to incorporate a bidet .........

[suzysunday]

I've never used one but they seem a good idea. 

[CLKD]

Very popular on the Continent.  Difficult with a bad back as they are so low!