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[Bungo]

For the past few months have had on and off itching in vulva, perimium, anal area. Taken diflucan, canestan but still comes back. No discharge. From this website I found other women reporting ovestin cream helped. Am almost 52 and still perimenopausal but symptoms really revved up the past year. GP said I'm too young to have VA, that only happens years after menopause. Instead prescribed daktacort. Is she right?

[sheila99]

No. How does she think that happens? It's due to lack of oestrogen which happens in peri.

[CLKD]

RUBBISH 

Read the 'bladder issues' and 'vaginal atrophy' threads on the Forum, make notes.  Is there a Nurse Practitioner at your Surgery who may have more knowledge?  VA can begin any time, it's due to a drop in oestrogen levels which causes the body to become dry: inside and out!

Ring the Surgery and ask for appropriate vaginal atrophy treatment?  Get rid of the other preparations as these may make symptoms worse.  Let us know how you get on, if you get any resitance ask for a referral to a dedicated menopause clinic - not a Gynaecologist.

[Bungo]

This was a GP in mid 50s so you'd think she would know better. Have appointment with menopause specialist in 5 weeks so hopefully the itch doesn't flare up badly in meantime. The diflucan and canestan did work for a few weeks afterwards so maybe there is some thrush there? She said the daktacort would help that and reduce inflammation and try it for a week anyway

[CLKD]

Ring your GP Surgery and ask for appropriate VA treatment.  You do not require examination .  If necessary, speak with the pharmacist attached to the Surgery.

Neither of those medications are recommended for VA. 

[Bungo]

Ring your GP Surgery and ask for appropriate VA treatment.  You do not require examination .  If necessary, speak with the pharmacist attached to the Surgery.

Neither of those medications are recommended for VA.

Maybe it is  thrush though ? That's what she was saying ( it was only a phone consultation? She said to try and if didn't work then she'd refer me to a gyne( from advice here I'll skip that!). In Ireland so have to pay 60 for a visit so just  want to hold tough now until the menopause specialist at end November. Wil the daktacort make things worse if it's VA?

[CLKD]

No one can diagnose over the 'phone, though it seems that many are doing.

Thrush is characteristic: 4 me it was intense itching high up: occasionally some suffer a smelly, yellow discharge  -  your GP is being negligent.  I know of a woman who was asked to ZOOM in the area of problem - it was her vagina. She marched into the Surgery telling any1 who would listen, "I have an itchy vagina and they wanted me to send a ZOOM photo.!"  she was seen the same afternoon ;-)

There is another vaginal condition - name escapes me - again, cannot be diagnosed without examination. 

I am not familiar with 'daktacort' 

[Dierdre]

Daktacort will help with the itchiness and soreness, it's antifungal and antibiotic and a mild steroid to help with the healing process, normally used for eczema etc.  I was prescribed once for lichens sclerosus but it wasnt strong enough. Keep in the fridge.  It wont hurt to use until you can get a proper diagnosis and if VA, the proper treatment.

[CLKD]

    Dierdre

[KarineT]

VA cannot possibly affect every single woman, whether she's peri or post.   You're very unfortunate to get it.  I hope it resolves quickly for you.   I am 51 and already postmeno, I had my last period in January 2020. I don't have VA and I do hope that I will never get it.

[sheila99]

Not sure I'd put steroids there unless there was a good reason for it (and that requires correct diagnosis).

[Bungo]

VA cannot possibly affect every single woman, whether she's peri or post.   You're very unfortunate to get it.  I hope it resolves quickly for you.   I am 51 and already postmeno, I had my last period in January 2020. I don't have VA and I do hope that I will never get it.

.
Maybe it's not VA ,just general dryness due to oestrogen decline? My mother had no menopause symptoms, bar itchy vulva, is that VA?

[CLKD]

Yep Bungo.  A loss of oestrogen may cause varying degrees of atrophy.  The whole body may become dry, inside and out.  It kind of creeps up  .  My symptoms began many years after my periods stopped, with repeated urine infection-type symptoms which tested negative.  My GP recognised and recommended treatment 

Lots of women get symptoms but aren't aware, others simply get treatment and don't discuss.  It's those in the care homes that I feel sorry for 

Karine - 'unfortunate'  .   I look on it as the body slowing down ............ it is what it is and treatable ;-)

[Lyncola]

Three months after my hysterectomy (still got ovaries) I got VA, it was my first menopausal symptom aged 45.

I’m blessed to have a doctor that understands VA, and lets me use both Vagifem and Ovestin internally, and as often as needed. And I live in Australia, none of our surgeries, hospitals, dentist etc, have stop appointments and you can get appointment quickly and face to face.

 And yes you can have VA at any age, my doctor has a patient who started VA at age 7, she now a teenager and started her periods and VA has stopped.

KarineT you are blessed not to have VA yet, and I hope you are one of the lucky ones and you don’t. Over 70% of women will get VA. And when you get it you will have it for life, and will need VA treatment for the rest of your life.

It took me over a year and a great doctor to find a routine that works for me.

[Tinkerbell]

I started with VA, it was my first symptom and main one of the peri stage, at the age of about 47, had last period at about 52. I went backwards and forwards to a female GP ,who was a few years older than me who said it was not possible to get VA until two years post meno and she kept saying it was thrush. What absolute rubbish and because of that i ended up suffering for a year.
 I then saw a male GP who gave me Ovestin and wihin a few weeks, my so called thrush disapperared!