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[Taz2]

There must be so many women suffering, all the women of our mothers' generation. How did they cope. I have a friend in her 70s who's breezed through menopause with no noticeable changes. I'm envious.

Such a difficult subject to discuss openly. I'm in my 70s and have been on hrt since I was 53 and my mum would have been 105 this year and she also was on hrt from the same age as me. I think it was the generation before which had a really difficult time. Me and my mum had candid conversations about VA, or just dryness as it was called in the 70s, so I was a bit prepared.

Taz x

[Jules]

It is Taz. You're lucky to be prepared and be able to talk to someone. The GPs should be. It can be a lonely condition to deal with.

[Sparkle]

Thank you for sharing Jules,
Reading stories like yours gives some hope that there might be an improvement with time & the information you've shared is very helpful.

[Mousie]

Such a useful thread.
I had absolutely no knowledge of VA. I'd had a very (unusual for me) painful smear test with the nurse having to use the smallest  instrument. I'd also been suffering for some months from urine leakage which i thought was due to age (63) no doubt fue to all those tena lady ads!
6mths later I felt a prolapse (thankfulness about that as my Aunt had suffered with one) and went the Dr's explaining the pain etc. The internal exam to confirm the prolapse was so painful! I then mentioned about the smear test pain. Dr said no inflammation, no idea what was causing pain and she'd put me down to see the gynea. and for women's physio.
I was feeling so old and upset that I had the pain and prolapse issues to now deal with.
I googled painful smear (I know, I know!) And that led me down the rabbit hole of VA. Armed with a load of info I went back to my gp and asked for ovestin. I'd also ordered YES moisturiser.
Fast forward 6mths after using ovestin etc and I no longer feel the prolapse, suffer for urine leakage and my last internal exam felt normal. I have my life back.
Was very shocked that the nurse doing the smear didn't pick up the signs...even tho I was apologising and explaining how normally I have no pain. If she had, I don't think I'd have suffered the prolapse.
I'm also angry that adverts for tena ladies (and other stuff) normalise urine leakage when it's not, and can be an indicator/be treated. Women are led to believe it's an age thing.

You're right...Dr's are uninformed and women just don't talk about these things enough. And if they do it's a joke about weeing when laughing.

[Jules]

You're right about the advert. It hadn't occurred to me but yes, it is normalised. My GPs have recently confirmed that menopause and women's health is now a big focus area but I'm still not aware that they've changed what they do other than be more obliging when you want your stuff or need a check. Men mention menopause more but they think its about hot flushed. When I was out last night it was hot and I happened to ask if anybody else found it hot and one man said no it's because you're going through the change!!! It was actually just hot.

[donnacrichton]

Hi has anyone had the repeated UTIs without the  vaginal atrophy. I have had them constantly since January but GP says pessaries and creams won’t help as I am not dry. Tearing my hair out x

[Jules]

Hi has anyone had the repeated UTIs without the  vaginal atrophy. I have had them constantly since January but GP says pessaries and creams won’t help as I am not dry. Tearing my hair out x

It's not just caused by dryness. It's that the tissues around that area thin with age just like everywhere else in your body and so unwanted germs can more easily get into your bladder.  Commonly it can happen after sex. I was treated for UTIs repeatedly, and they were genuine infections, but it was following sex, and it took some time before I was referred to a gyny uro consultant who prescribed vahinal estrogen.

[donnacrichton]

Thank you I will contact my gp again. Do you use it every second day?

[Jules]

In the beginning I used it according to the instructions, a pre load of every night for 2 weeks then twice a week. I now use it alternate nights and I use some estrogen cream on the outside as I needed more with age. As I've said in the original post, it takes patience. I do know younger women also get UTIs usually when they're sexually active and especially if youre not being careful with hygiene afterwards, but if yours are a new thing it's possible it's lack of estrogen. I had never had a UTI until I was 58.

[Ayesha]

Donna, you might have already read this but if not its well worth a look into the science of it all.

https://bssm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GSM-BSSM.pdf

Just to add my treatment is every day with both Vagifem and Estriol plus a moisturiser.