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[Garnet161]

Merry Christmas for yesterday ladies!!
For me, I am glad it's all over however!!
I know most of us in here suffer with symptoms of some sort!  Today is a bad day for me.  I have learned a lot since my menopause and VA journey began about 12 months ago.  I am almost 4 months into my daily Ovestin journey - it has certainly helped to no end.  Most days I use a little on the outside too.  I also use 2 Body Identical systemic creams (estriol/estradiol combo and a progesterone).  They have helped with the hot flushes, insomnia, agitation.  I'd be lost without them.

But some days it's like I have not put any creams on!!  Like today.  I got the most horrific bladder pressure around 10am, like my bladder was trying to exit my body.  Plenty of urine there - I am striving to hold on and not urinate more than hourly.  Not too bad when sitting down - I know on these days I will spend most of my afternoon sitting, to try to settle the pressure which is much worse when I am standing.

So, I saw a lovely female health specialist about a month back.  Very knowledgeable and happy for me to continue on as I am (I would have whether she liked it or not!).  As I am only 18 months since last period, she is hesitant to try Testogel just yet (I have heard good things about it where VA is concerned) - she wants to revisit in 6 months and then test levels to see how low they are.  She agrees that Testogel may be very useful with helping with my VA symptoms.  I am ok with her wait and see approach as most days I can settle down and make myself comfortable.  Just on days like today - and I know so many of you understand, I feel like I need HELP!

It doesn't help that it's Boxing Day, very warm (Aussie summer remember) and all my support networks are busy having family time so reaching out is not to be done.  So, I am sitting here, waffling on to you ladies while my teenagers and husband occupy themselves with iPads and xBox and pretend 'mum is fine'.  If they ignore me, they don't have to deal with my issues 

Back to the subject.  The female doc I saw said that my hormones are likely fluctuating still.  That bad days are inevitable and that I should find ways to make myself comfortable on days like today.  Sigh.  Does anyone else have this - where you are mostly good, mostly sane but suddenly have a horribly uncomfortable day where there seems to be no relief??
Going to do a half dose of Ovestin soon (it's just gone lunchtime) to see if I can settle my bladder a bit.

Thanks for listening. 

[CLKD]

Morning


It is possible that you have a prolapse which is pressing on the bladder?  As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax !  Would it be possible for you to make an appt with a physiotherapist with knowledge in womens' health?

Glad that the VA treatment is working and certainly using an 'extra' dose mid-afternoon works for me as well as swallowing 2 Nurofen tablets 3 times on that day/night.

It's 9.40 a.m. here, breakfast to hand >wave<

[Garnet161]

Thanks for the reply - I've been checked for a prolapse - 3 times actually, just to make sure.
The mid-afternoon Ovestin helped and I had a much more comfortable afternoon once that was done.
The pressure happens sometimes.  I've been keeping a daily diary and when I looked back, I saw that the same time last month, I had an uncomfortable few days.

[CLKD]

Well done on keeping the diary because we can forget the 'better' days !

What's the weather like Down Under, in. my part of mid-England it's drizzling from a blue sky as the fog clears. 

[Garnet161]

Haha, I remember English winters!  Leaving work at 4pm in the dark.
It's warm and sunny here in Queensland.  Well it was - it's night time now.

[CLKD]

With humidity levels high?

Night night 

It may be the heat that is affecting your treatment regime too.

[bombsh3ll]

There is no need to suffer like that.

In the immediate term, if you haven't already I'd get a urine dip to exclude infection - this can still happen despite adequate estrogen, which it doesn't even sound as if you are on.

Also I know this is basic, but making sure you are not constipated can really help with bladder issues.

Going forward, I know you have the impression your provider is knowledgeable, but someone in this field who knows their s*** doesn't have someone in that level of distress months into treatment, and certainly wouldn't make you wait for testosterone "because you had a period 18 months ago".

Testosterone declines steadily from our 30s, it doesn't plummet around menopause like estradiol does, so there's really no clinical basis for waiting until an arbitrary period of time has passed before introducing it, if indicated.

And it can also really help the health of the genital tissues, which have androgen receptors too.

I would also check your systemic estradiol levels and make sure they are compatible with your treatment objectives if you haven't done so recently.

Hope you soon feel better.