Print

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

[Jules]

The vaginal estrogen is doing okay for me. I don't have any discomfort but I use alternate nights. The ovestin for vulval atrophy has made some difference after nightly for 4 months but nothing like as I was before. I hoped I'd get some reversal. It's actually put me off being intimate, I feel self conscious and stopped meeting the man I was friends with.

[Dierdre]

The vaginal estrogen is doing okay for me. I don't have any discomfort but I use alternate nights. The ovestin for vulval atrophy has made some difference after nightly for 4 months but nothing like as I was before. I hoped I'd get some reversal. It's actually put me off being intimate, I feel self conscious and stopped meeting the man I was friends with.

Estrogen will reverse atrophy by stopping the dry, burning and soreness inside the vagina and the vulva. It can reverse prolapses with the help of physiotherapy, also bladder issues, like needing to go for a pee all through the night and the feeling of having UTI's. It will also make it possible to have sex again without pain as you will feel moist again and the tissue will be hydrated and plumped up. 
But any shrinkage and loss of labia and  clitoral hood will not grow back or be reversed. Narrowing of the vaginal canal can be improved with estrogen and dilators.
This is why treatment should be started as early as possible, too many women are embarrassed to see their doctor or in my case and many more, had no idea what was happening as I'd never heard of atrophy.
Local estrogen is for life, it's treating an estrogen deficiency.

[Jules]

The vaginal estrogen is doing okay for me. I don't have any discomfort but I use alternate nights. The ovestin for vulval atrophy has made some difference after nightly for 4 months but nothing like as I was before. I hoped I'd get some reversal. It's actually put me off being intimate, I feel self conscious and stopped meeting the man I was friends with.

Estrogen will reverse atrophy by stopping the dry, burning and soreness inside the vagina and the vulva. It can reverse prolapses with the help of physiotherapy, also bladder issues, like needing to go for a pee all through the night and the feeling of having UTI's. It will also make it possible to have sex again without pain as you will feel moist again and the tissue will be hydrated and plumped up. 
But any shrinkage and loss of labia and  clitoral hood will not grow back or be reversed. Narrowing of the vaginal canal can be improved with estrogen and dilators.
This is why treatment should be started as early as possible, too many women are embarrassed to see their doctor or in my case and many more, had no idea what was happening as I'd never heard of atrophy.
Local estrogen is for life, it's treating an estrogen deficiency.

Okay. I feel even worse now.

[Ayesha]

 
But any shrinkage and loss of labia and  clitoral hood will not grow back or be reversed. Narrowing of the vaginal canal can be improved with estrogen and dilators.

This is not every woman's experience and certainly not mine, and I have never needed the use of a dilator.
I was at the very late stages of VA before I understood what was happening down there but since constant VA treatment I am back to how I was and feel in my 30's, I am now 74. I won't go into detail but I want to say to women that it does not mean the end of a normal sexual life when diagnosed with vaginal atrophy.

[Jules]

 
But any shrinkage and loss of labia and  clitoral hood will not grow back or be reversed. Narrowing of the vaginal canal can be improved with estrogen and dilators.

This is not every woman's experience and certainly not mine, and I have never needed the use of a dilator.
I was at the very late stages of VA before I understood what was happening down there but since constant VA treatment I am back to how I was and feel in my 30's, I am now 74. I won't go into detail but I want to say to women that it does not mean the end of a normal sexual life when diagnosed with vaginal atrophy.

I'd been examined a few times for different things and not one doctor told me I needed to use estrogen externally.  One doctor prescribed ovestin when i asked but said the increase in dose on top of vagifem might increase the breast pain i had at the time so i got scared and didn't use it.  The last one described the vulval changes but said it was normal as we age. It's not what I'd ever heard of. I'd heard about ovestin use on here so started using it every night 4 months ago. I wish I'd used it 2 years ago when I noticed changes to prevent this. I'm going to continue in the hope I get some more improvement,  as Ayesha says, it's worked for her. I hope I've not left it too late.  At present I avoid my man friend.

[Dierdre]

Dont worry about using Ovestin as well as Vagifem, Ovestin externally really does help improve this area and it's a very small dosage, weaker than Vagifem when used this way. A pea sized amount every night is enough.
Sorry I made you feel worse Jules, those changes were worse case scenario and usually happen over a long period of time.
A lot of women don't look down there often and it's only when they become very sore that the mirror comes out and then get a bit of a shock. If you haven't been having sex or don't have a partner then it would take longer to notice there was a problem.
I think my thinning of labia and darker skin happened a long while before I started getting dry and sore, that part came on quite suddenly. I still didn't have a clue why. Nobody tells you these things.
Women can be such gossips but this has definately been taboo for decades. My children and grandchildren are now aware and know what to expect so will be ready.

[Jules]

I did notice changes, just from washing, but I wasn't having any discomfort.  And the GP left me believing that it was an inevitable part of aging. I felt so despondent. I would have used some treatment had I known. I'm not that hopeful really. The ovestin has made some difference but not a great deal. It would maybe take longer.

[suzysunday]

Yes I wish I had been aware of atrophy a lot earlier,  it really is a total shock when it happens.  I was mortified, ashamed, depressed.  But constant regular use of ovestin has improved things a lot.   It took over a year or so.  I did not have shrinkage,  but sore, dry etc.   Things are better now but it is still a distressing condition psychologically.

[fiftyplus]

Thanks Ayesha you have given me hope x   So... just after reading this this morning should I be using ovestin externally as well? as I actually feel ok externally, I just have pain internally when having sex so that's why I have just been using it internally so far

As yous all say this is the best kept secret ever - nobody really talks about this debilitating and life changing condition, I was totally unware of it and thought it was just me until I met all you lovely people here x  and it gets me so down at times

[Jules]

It feels like when you get to this stage, a pea sized amount of ovestin isn't enough to cover all your bits and to sort out the problem,  even once a day. I was sexually active at the time and wasn't having any difficulties with that thanks to vagifem but the external changes sort of crept up on me. It is distressing, it's your womanhood and I don't feel attractive in the buff anymore.

[Dierdre]

Use more if necessary, a large pea size, cover the end of your finger. I have to do this every night and it wasn't until I used Ovestin externally I noticed an improvement and was plumper, more normal. Vagifem didn't do anything for me externally but is good for inside and reversed my prolapse strengthening my pelvic floor and bladder issues.
I use Vagifem most nights too and the couple of nights I dont I smear Ovestin internally as well so I get both estrogens inside. Although estriol (Ovestin) is supposed to be the weaker estrogen I think it plays an important part as different estrogens attach to different recepters, A and B. It was a game changer when I started using both.

[Jules]

Use more if necessary, a large pea size, cover the end of your finger. I have to do this every night and it wasn't until I used Ovestin externally I noticed an improvement and was plumper, more normal. Vagifem didn't do anything for me externally but is good for inside and reversed my prolapse strengthening my pelvic floor and bladder issues.
I use Vagifem most nights too and the couple of nights I dont I smear Ovestin internally as well so I get both estrogens inside. Although estriol (Ovestin) is supposed to be the weaker estrogen I think it plays an important part as different estrogens attach to different recepters, A and B. It was a game changer when I started using both.

Ok. I have noticed some difference but obviously there was a lot of change before it clicked what was going on and that I could actually address it. It's not as though my friend with benefits ever remarked on it, I've become more conscious.  Generally it's becoming a full time job, keeping on top of my aging, face care regimes, new lines around my mouth, hairline receding, once firm belly going jelly like, crinkly skin on my thighs, dodgy knees. People tell me I don't look my age. I must just be dressing it or hiding it well🤪

[Ayesha]

Thanks Ayesha you have given me hope x   So... just after reading this this morning should I be using ovestin externally as well? as I actually feel ok externally, I just have pain internally when having sex so that's why I have just been using it internally so far

As yous all say this is the best kept secret ever - nobody really talks about this debilitating and life changing condition, I was totally unware of it and thought it was just me until I met all you lovely people here x  and it gets me so down at times

I can only go by my own experience as we are all different but my regime is one Vagifem every morning. I use a half pea sized amount of Ovestin externally spread wide morning and night and always with added moisturiser like Yes or Sylk, when the latter comes back on sale! This regime has been a life changer for me.

It may come a day when you realise you need to use externally but at least you will know what to do, unlike me I didn't have a clue what was going on until I read posts on this forum two years ago.

[Jules]

Thanks Ayesha you have given me hope x   So... just after reading this this morning should I be using ovestin externally as well? as I actually feel ok externally, I just have pain internally when having sex so that's why I have just been using it internally so far

As yous all say this is the best kept secret ever - nobody really talks about this debilitating and life changing condition, I was totally unware of it and thought it was just me until I met all you lovely people here x  and it gets me so down at times

I can only go by my own experience as we are all different but my regime is one Vagifem every morning. I use a half pea sized amount of Ovestin externally spread wide morning and night and always with added moisturiser like Yes or Sylk, when the latter comes back on sale! This regime has been a life changer for me.

It may come a day when you realise you need to use externally but at least you will know what to do, unlike me I didn't have a clue what was going on until I read posts on this forum two years ago.

And how long did you follow that frequency for before it made improvements?

[Minusminnie]

...and always with added moisturiser like Yes or Sylk, when the latter comes back on sale!
[/quote]

Are you registered on the Sylk website Ayesha ?
I don't use Sylk but signed up a while ago just in case i wanted to try it and to hear of offers.  I had an email last Tuesday saying that they have a limited amount available to 'our registered and existing online customers'.  Seems to be Sylk Intimate 40g bottle.
I had a previous similar email several months ago.