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[celinecelica]

Mid may, I started having issues with bladder, like urinary infection but no pain while going to the bathroom.  and after a few days, I started burning sensation...after seeing the fourth doctor, a Gynecologist this time, she said vaginal atrophy and my bladder problems were all related. I had the same thing 4 years ago and I was using Vagifem once a week..This time I was precribe Estragy 0.1%.  Treatment is: 0.5g at night for 14 days, after that, twice a week...Hope this work cause its my fourth days and it is still burning...

[Flossieteacake]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I am so sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Vaginal atrophy is very painful and needs lifelong treatment. Unfortunately, many GP's do not seem aware of this and will tell people to stop or reduce treatment. The leaflets are outdated and twice a week is not enough for many women. I personally use VA treatment daily. If I try to reduce it then my VA flares terribly.

If you found Vagifem helpful then you can always ask to go back on it but once a week will not be enough for you.

Now that you have the cream I would use it daily and not drop to twice a week like the leaflet suggests.

Do you have any vaginal moisturiser? I use Yes moisturiser that I buy from Amazon. You can apply it as much as you need to.

Do not worry, with regular treatment you will start to feel better. 

[CLKD]

Once a week is rarely enough for many of us with VA.

Get the medication into the vagina gently every night until comfortable - don't even consider twice a week if symptoms niggle.  When I get the need2P I swallow 2 Nurofen 3 times a day to ease that nip as the spincter shuts off the urine flow.

let us know how you get on. 

[Ayesha]

Vaginal Atrophy can take weeks, months to get under control and treatment is for life.
Use the treatment every day until you start to feel normal again, after that decide for yourself if you think you can reduce the dose.

I have been using Vagifem, Ovestin, moisturiser every day for two years and still can't reduce my dose.

[celinecelica]

I am very anxious now...I have been using the cream Estragy 0.1%. 0.5g every day for 14 days and after twice a week..it has been 7 days now and the symptoms are less painful but I still feel some burning and need to urinate......Is it normal to still feel like that and how long it can take to go away ?? I forgot to ask the doctor .....

[Flossieteacake]

This is totally normal. It can take a few months for symptoms to go with VA. It is really encouraging  you are in less pain already. 

[Ayesha]

Try not to be anxious, it took four months of every day treatment for me to start feeling the benefits.
It takes patience but you will get there 

[LindaC21]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to MM. Came across you as I was frantically googling cures for VA.

My GP sent me away with co-codomol and the advised me to go to A&E when I went to see him complaining of excruciating vulvar pain and UTI symptoms. When I mentioned menopause I got a biology lesson about eggs being released monthly (I'm 50 and still having periods every 23 days) and told I couldn't possibly be menopausal.

I bit the bullet and went private. I'm now 9 weeks into taking vagifem (every day for 2 weeks, fortnightly for the next 4 weeks and three times a week since week 6) and using ovestin externally but I am seeing ZERO improvement. I am literally beside myself. I cope with putting icepacks in my underwear but I can't leave the house. I can't do anything. My pain is external. Although I'm not sexually active so who knows what's going on indoors. I feel like my nerve ends are exposed and being rubbed on broken glass.

I feel completely without hope and I just don't know what to do. I honestly can't carry on like this. I have an appointment on the 16th August to discuss Mona Lisa Touch. It's my last throw of the dice.

Sorry for going on. I just feel lost and desperate.

[DottyD68]

Hi Linda,

I know nothing about VA (it seems to be one of the few menopause symptoms that has eluded me so far, and I dread it) but I just wanted to reach out to you having read your post. I just hate the fact women are left in this impossible state. It distresses me.

There are lots of helpful ladies on this forum who will no doubt be able to provide you with suitable help and advice so hang in there and please dont give up hope.
X

[LindaC21]

That's so kind of you Dotty.

Literally none of my friends or family have heard of VA. They just don't get the pain I'm in. Never, ever felt so lonely in my life.

[Flossieteacake]

That's so kind of you Dotty.

Literally none of my friends or family have heard of VA. They just don't get the pain I'm in. Never, ever felt so lonely in my life.

Hello Lisa and welcome to the forum. I am so sorry to hear you are in so much pain. You say you are now using Vagifem three times a week. You will feel more relief by using it every single day. Try using the Vagifem every single day and then apply Ovestin to the outer area every single day too. You do not need to reduce the treatment. I have to use Ovestin every day and I am unable to reduce it.

I understand how horrible VA pain is but you are still quite early in your treatment. Carrying on using both Ovestin and Vaigem daily and I am certain things will improve.

Just to say, I found baths made my skin sore so I switched to showers. I was told to apply emollient to the vulva before my shower, wash it off in the shower and then reapply some afterwards to act as a barrier. You can wash your whole body with emollient to avoid any shower gel irritating the VA too.

VA does feel so lonely. You are not alone any more. You will find lots of support on here.

[Ayesha]

LindaC21 It sounds like your VA has got to the chronic stage and the only way to feel better again is to use the treatment every day, it's the only way to get on top of this horrid condition.

Flossieteacakes's advice is a good regime to follow, unless you tackle VA efficiently and robustly you will never get to the other side. As I mentioned it can take months to feel normal again and when you do you can then decide for yourself if you can reduce the dose.

There are so many posts on here about VA, its worth doing a search and it's how I learned so much about VA, a condition I had never heard of.

[LindaC21]

Dear Flossie and Ayesha,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. I appreciate it very much. I'm going to take your advice and start using vagifem daily again. I'll also adopt the self care routine you use Flossie.

If I have a comfortable couple of hours my family think I'm cured. Then I can sense the frustration when I'm back to agonising pain, ice packs and debilitation again.

Thanks for being there for me. 

[Flossieteacake]

Dear Flossie and Ayesha,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. I appreciate it very much. I'm going to take your advice and start using vagifem daily again. I'll also adopt the self care routine you use Flossie.

If I have a comfortable couple of hours my family think I'm cured. Then I can sense the frustration when I'm back to agonising pain, ice packs and debilitation again.

Thanks for being there for me.

Perhaps it is worth showing your family some of the threads on here about VA so they have more of an understanding of what you are going through. It is not your fault you are in pain and support is so important for you. Please post as much as you wish to on here.

[Minusminnie]

My pain is external. Although I'm not sexually active so who knows what's going on indoors. I feel like my nerve ends are exposed and being rubbed on broken glass.

I feel completely without hope and I just don't know what to do. I honestly can't carry on like this. I have an appointment on the 16th August to discuss Mona Lisa Touch. It's my last throw of the dice.

As your pain is external you may find some information on this website helpful.

https://vulvalpainsociety.org/get-support/advice-for-daily-life/

If you do a search for Mona Lisa Touch on here some threads will come up such as this one

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,35264.msg564436.html#msg564436