Print

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

[Talli]

Hi everyone me again 

Ever since starting to use Vagifem every night (on advice from nurse) and adding in Ovestin every night (again on advice from nurse) my tummy has swollen a lot!
My trousers are tight and I feel horrible
I’m even losing weight although that could be cause I’m so damn scared that using the estrogen every night has given me ovarian cancer. Of course I read up on symptoms and I have them! Bloating, abdominal cramps, sharp pains and weight loss.
I’m so worried because I can’t do without the estrogen for the atrophy and bladder symptoms.
It went down when I did cut back on Vagifem so I’m fairly sure it’s causing it.
I’m just fed up of all the menopause stuff.
And freaking out that I have ovarian cancer which, I read, is the most lethal of all gynaecological cancers 
Any words of help much appreciated 

[Minusminnie]

There is a CA125 blood test that a GP could do or I believe you can get done privately (others may know) that might reassure you.

[Talli]

Hi there deep,breaths,it's highly unlikely to be ovarian cancer,vagifem gave me similar symptoms,bad stomach cramps etc,even though it's small dose oestrogen some people just get this side effect with it.
If you are REALLY worried (which I'm guessing you are) go back to the dr and ask for the specific blood test for the ovaries,this will put your mind at rest, if you tell her how stressed out you are about it,the dr should have no issues organising this for you x

Hi and thank you so much!
I have an app with meno nurse next Friday so I’ll mention it to her.
Honestly I just can’t handle all this meno stuff  I’m only 41!
I will ask for a blood test!
Thank you! X

[Talli]

There is a CA125 blood test that a GP could do or I believe you can get done privately (others may know) that might reassure you.

Thank you, yes I’ll ask the menopause nurse about it when I go.
I’m so worried.
I’m also waiting for the results of a FIT cause as I had some (ahem) bleeding from one’s rear so I think I’m just obsessed that I have some kind of cancer at the moment.
 
The belly notices so much as I’m not a big person and everytime I see it I think there’s something growing in there!

[Talli]

I've also had an abnormal FIT test and something like 90% of positive tests are nothing to be worried about haha tell THAT to us meno ladies. Health anxiety is the pits and so many of us suffer from it. Please do let us know how you get on x

Ha ha yes!!! Oh I never believe the positive things I read only the awful life threatening ones!
My husband despairs of me 😂

I am so bad with my health anxiety, it jumps from one thing to another.
Haven’t even heard back about the FIT test and I dropped it in a week ago :/
I’m panicking that theyve lost it or something and all this waiting and stressing will be for nothing and ill have to do another one 
I hate menopause!

Can I ask did you get a swollen tummy on Vagifem and Ovestin too? If that’s not too rude to ask? Xx

[Penguin]

I think its actually more than 90% that aren't actually the c word tbh. The 10% also includes polyps and things that can be easily removed before they become something. Only like 1-2% of abnormal fits are anything bad. Sooooooo many other things an abnormal fit can be, including internl or external piles, divertivulitis, ibd, polyps or absolutely nothing!

The CA125 blood test is a marker but also bear in mind it can be elevated for other reasons like fibroids, endometriosis etc. So don't panic about that one either. Your doctor should make clear to you that there are lots of reasons for elevated CA125 which is why its not considered a reliable diagnostic marker on its own, and is usually done with a transvaginal scan.

[Penguin]

I've also had an abnormal FIT test and something like 90% of positive tests are nothing to be worried about haha tell THAT to us meno ladies. Health anxiety is the pits and so many of us suffer from it. Please do let us know how you get on x

Ha ha yes!!! Oh I never believe the positive things I read only the awful life threatening ones!
My husband despairs of me 😂

I am so bad with my health anxiety, it jumps from one thing to another.
Haven’t even heard back about the FIT test and I dropped it in a week ago :/
I’m panicking that theyve lost it or something and all this waiting and stressing will be for nothing and ill have to do another one 
I hate menopause!

Can I ask did you get a swollen tummy on Vagifem and Ovestin too? If that’s not too rude to ask? Xx

When my fit was positive, I had a call 2 days after handing it in! My husband, who had two negative ones, didn't hear a word and only found his negative results online (weeks later for one and months later for the other)! No news is good news, but you could phone your surgery to check and put your mind at rest.

[Talli]

I think its actually more than 90% that aren't actually the c word tbh. The 10% also includes polyps and things that can be easily removed before they become something. Only like 1-2% of abnormal fits are anything bad. Sooooooo many other things an abnormal fit can be, including internl or external piles, divertivulitis, ibd, polyps or absolutely nothing!

The CA125 blood test is a marker but also bear in mind it can be elevated for other reasons like fibroids, endometriosis etc. So don't panic about that one either. Your doctor should make clear to you that there are lots of reasons for elevated CA125 which is why its not considered a reliable diagnostic marker on its own, and is usually done with a transvaginal scan.

Right! Thank you Penguin.
Honestly I’m a useless human being at the moment.
Panicking about everything!
I just wish this stupid swollen tummy would go away, it’s freaking me out!
The estrogen helps the atrophy and other bladder issues I have so much that I don’t want to stop taking it, I’d be in agony but if it’s causing something sinister than I guess I’ll have to? 

[Penguin]

I think its actually more than 90% that aren't actually the c word tbh. The 10% also includes polyps and things that can be easily removed before they become something. Only like 1-2% of abnormal fits are anything bad. Sooooooo many other things an abnormal fit can be, including internl or external piles, divertivulitis, ibd, polyps or absolutely nothing!

The CA125 blood test is a marker but also bear in mind it can be elevated for other reasons like fibroids, endometriosis etc. So don't panic about that one either. Your doctor should make clear to you that there are lots of reasons for elevated CA125 which is why its not considered a reliable diagnostic marker on its own, and is usually done with a transvaginal scan.

Right! Thank you Penguin.
Honestly I’m a useless human being at the moment.
Panicking about everything!
I just wish this stupid swollen tummy would go away, it’s freaking me out!
The estrogen helps the atrophy and other bladder issues I have so much that I don’t want to stop taking it, I’d be in agony but if it’s causing something sinister than I guess I’ll have to? 

If it was causing something sinister the swelling wouldn't come and go when you reduce or stop the medication, it'd be there persistently!

[Talli]

I think its actually more than 90% that aren't actually the c word tbh. The 10% also includes polyps and things that can be easily removed before they become something. Only like 1-2% of abnormal fits are anything bad. Sooooooo many other things an abnormal fit can be, including internl or external piles, divertivulitis, ibd, polyps or absolutely nothing!

The CA125 blood test is a marker but also bear in mind it can be elevated for other reasons like fibroids, endometriosis etc. So don't panic about that one either. Your doctor should make clear to you that there are lots of reasons for elevated CA125 which is why its not considered a reliable diagnostic marker on its own, and is usually done with a transvaginal scan.

Right! Thank you Penguin.
Honestly I’m a useless human being at the moment.
Panicking about everything!
I just wish this stupid swollen tummy would go away, it’s freaking me out!
The estrogen helps the atrophy and other bladder issues I have so much that I don’t want to stop taking it, I’d be in agony but if it’s causing something sinister than I guess I’ll have to? 

If it was causing something sinister the swelling wouldn't come and go when you reduce or stop the medication, it'd be there persistently!

That’s actually a really good point  Excuse me while I go and hide behind the sofa out of embarrassment for not thinking of that myself ha ha

[Jules]

I had increased my vagifem and introduced ovestin and started with stabbing breast pain and had a small bleed. My GP was sure it was the increased dose and i had to stop the vagifem. I was like you. Worried I had cancer, worried about the atrophy symptoms returning. I had no symptoms once I stopped. I'm having a scan in 2 weeks and I've started introducing vagifem again. I was told to break for 4 weeks but I can feel dryness again so trying the odd one. I can sympathise, it's frightening but also frustrating when you thought you'd found something that helped

[Talli]

I've also had an abnormal FIT test and something like 90% of positive tests are nothing to be worried about haha tell THAT to us meno ladies. Health anxiety is the pits and so many of us suffer from it. Please do let us know how you get on x

Ha ha yes!!! Oh I never believe the positive things I read only the awful life threatening ones!
My husband despairs of me 😂

I am so bad with my health anxiety, it jumps from one thing to another.
Haven’t even heard back about the FIT test and I dropped it in a week ago :/
I’m panicking that theyve lost it or something and all this waiting and stressing will be for nothing and ill have to do another one 
I hate menopause!

Can I ask did you get a swollen tummy on Vagifem and Ovestin too? If that’s not too rude to ask? Xx

When my fit was positive, I had a call 2 days after handing it in! My husband, who had two negative ones, didn't hear a word and only found his negative results online (weeks later for one and months later for the other)! No news is good news, but you could phone your surgery to check and put your mind at rest.

Wow! That was quick! Maybe it’s ok then and they’re just not logging it?
I’m looking on my record online and there’s no mention even of me handing it in  Lady at reception said that they don’t log it when someone hands in a test but they always do when I’ve sent of a urine sample to be cultured.
I’m so obsessive ha ha

[Talli]

Jules - Thank you so much for your message.
I’ve tried stopping the Vagifem but all my bladder symptoms return when I do and it’s horrendous. I can’t pee even. I have a narrowed urethra and I’m sure the estrogen helps with that.
I’ve tried even doing one day on and one day off and it goes haywire,
I’m so scared and fed up.
I’m over this menopause thing haha

[Lesred]

Oh Talli
This is me you are talking about, I also started using Ovestin ( not Vagifem) 3/4 weeks ago and gradually started getting pains all over abdomen and bloating to the point I now have heartburn sore tummy, nausea, the works and I know the stress of symptoms just makes it even worse, I started to realise it began after a week of using Ovestin, but, oh gosh it had worked so well with the discomfort and bladder! I had exactly the same thing when I tried it back in August but just thought I had got myself too anxious about, and you’ll laugh, a poo test as I found blood too. Turned out was just a naughty pile because when they redid it to check a few weeks later there was nothing, completely clear.

I would also echo Penguin that even when I had a score of 15, which actually isn’t very high, the dr rang me straight away to get me to repeat it, my husbands was clear first time and heard nothing at all. However if they don’t appear do check as they did lose my results  and I had to do yet another sample, however they were very fast sorting that one as they knew I was in a right state by then, once I had a clear result and had come off the ovestin all the tummy issues disappeared. Now I’m in the a similar state minus poo issue and having to worry about my va symptoms coming back, honestly it’s a wonder we’re not all carted off to the funny farm, I wish there was a pill with no side effects at all to treat health anxiety… sorry I was in cloud cuckoo land for a minute there 

Anyway just want to send hugs and solidarity and hope it helps to know you not alone.

Les

[SundayGirl]

There seems to be more and more ladies on here getting very similar symptoms, me included, when using local oestrogen.
I saw a GP last year about it and had the CA125 blood test, coeliac tests and a FIT as well.
All tests came back negative - I knew in the back of my mind that all would be ok but it didn't stop me freaking out while waiting for results. So sending big hugs.

Anyway, I persevered with the vagifem and ovestin hoping things would settle down. No luck, and about 6 weeks ago I stopped using both. Bloating, aching, discharge reduced dramatically. So much so that for a few days, I forgot all about it. My va symptoms are now returning but I have a GP appointment at the end of the month and am going to ask for Intrarosa to try.

As Lesred says - you are NOT alone and we WILL get through this with each others support.

XX