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[MrsMitch]

No, I didn't think I had thrush, but then again, when I was visiting the gynae years ago, she told me I had it & treated it. I do have a permanent discharge, which I know can accompany VA but on Wednesday I did pass a huge gloop of something as I got out of the shower. The speculum had a lot on it. I suppose because I've got so much going on down there, where I would have realised I had thrush years ago, now I don't.
I wish painkillers did work, CLKD, I've had so pretty hefty ones for a hip problem in the past & nothing touches the pain. I wish it was that simple! With regards to the menopause specialist,  because I've already seen her, I won't have to wait 18 months to see her again. Obviously there will be a wait but I do think because this GP is so willing to get things sorted, I'll just wait a while to see how we get on. She prescribed oral treatment for thrush because she said as I'm so sensitive & sore that a tablet would be more appropriate. She did say normally she would wait until the swab results are in but because everything has been going on a while, she suggested starting straight away. I'm not particularly bothered about all the antibiotics tbh. When I last saw her I was talking to her about how often I get BV which I treat with balance active. She took a swab which was negative but she was saying she has a lot of patients who have the same & sometimes a short course of antibiotics sorts things. Well it certainly has for me so that's one less thing to worry about!
Thanks ladies, as always, you're a wonderful help & support.

[CLKD]

Good Luck!

[Ayesha]

Do keep us updated, MrsMitch, your story is certainly a complex one and I know it will help other women who's GSM is not straight forward.
Hope you and the medics find a solution soon. 

[MrsMitch]

Well, here's an update: I'm bleeding 🤦‍♀️
No change in any HRT other than 4 days of adding vesting internally to the pessaries. But considering I used to put the cream just inside my vaginally & I'm inserting the cream only halfway, I can't see it could be anything to do with that.
I suppose I'll see how long this lasts, the meno specialist told me only to contact the GP if it lasts more than a month & I doubt it will.
We just don't seem to get a break, if it's not one thing, it's another 😆

[Northerngirl]

Well, here's an update: I'm bleeding 🤦‍♀️
No change in any HRT other than 4 days of adding vesting internally to the pessaries. But considering I used to put the cream just inside my vaginally & I'm inserting the cream only halfway, I can't see it could be anything to do with that.
I suppose I'll see how long this lasts, the meno specialist told me only to contact the GP if it lasts more than a month & I doubt it will.
We just don't seem to get a break, if it's not one thing, it's another 😆

Oh no MrsMitch, you're definitely going through it again aren't you? You're so right when you say if it's not one thing it's another, we just never catch a break do we .
Hope you don't have to go thrugh all the investigations again for pmb ....but I'm guessing by what you said this won't be an option 🤷‍♀️. Take care of yourself x

[MrsMitch]

It's seems to be a never ending cycle for so many of us doesn't it Northerngirl? I know you've been there too. I wonder if things will change for the better or worse for the next generation of women. Nice as my latest GP has been, she was also very very critical of Davina Mcoll whilst she was ripping into Louise Newsom, so I wonder if all the increased media attention to menopause won't help in the end. Probably because it highlighted the fact GPs have been appalling for too many years with women's health, they just dig their heels in. Combined with us being much more knowledgeable which I think most of us know they definitely don't like!

[MrsMitch]

Just looked at the swab results & it says this:

Spec.type/site Genital swab High vaginal
Candida NOT isolated. No significant growth

What does that mean? The GP said the visible signs of thrush were pretty bad yet the result seems to be saying no significant growth. Any idea ladies? I'm still getting the dull internal stabbing pains I was getting prior to thus course of antibiotics & I had thought this morning my cystitis like symptoms are gone but they seem to be back worse than ever this afternoon.

[CLKD]

It mayB VA which can mimic repeated urine infection-type symptoms as well as thrush.  4 me it was an itch high up that I couldn't reach to scratch  and a pessary cleared the candida.  No swab taken in the 1980s, it was diagnosed on symptoms.

MayB use more VA treatment: morning and night for 5-7pm days and see how the symptoms are.

[MrsMitch]

MayB use more VA treatment: morning and night for 5-7pm days and see how the symptoms are.

Maybe that's the best way twice daily. But if that were to sort it, no one would prescribe me enough to use extra during the course of a month to keep things under control, would they?

[Lime]

Hi everyone,

Sorry to hear Snowcat and MrsMitch that you both are still suffering with this.  I’m unfortunately in the same boat.

My question to anyone who uses Vagifem is this:   Did it irritate when you first started using it?  I have used it off and on but often feel more pain the day after I use it.   I am trying to decide whether to push on and keep trying it.  I read so many have success with it.  I am amazed when I read that using it everyday and sometimes twice a day resolves symptoms quickly.  That is so wonderful.

The reason I am thinking of continuing despite the next day irritation is I have already tried most everything else and have not found any that do not irritate.
I guess I am very sensitive.

Maybe the irritation lessens with continuous use?

Please let me know if this has happened to anyone else.

Thank you!

[Lesred]

Hi Lime

Just wanted to say I’m just like you, tried ovestin and vagirux over last few years and both irritated and made me even more uncomfortable and I’m ashamed to say although I keep trying when I have a flare I just can’t manage to get through the discomfort, so I’ll be waiting along with you on any feedback. It’s really frustrating when you hear how much better everyone feels on vaginal oestrogen isn’t it?

Thanks also to Mrsmitch for posts as it helps at least to not be alone.

Lesred x x

[MrsMitch]

I think both of you are reporting something that seems very common,  as far as posts I've read in the past in this forum. It does seem women find vagifem irritates them. I've only ever been prescribed generic estradiol & originally Ovestin now replaced with estriol 1mg cream. Those have always been no irritating & certainly haven't ever made things worse. But if you do a search on here, although you might have to read quite a lot of posts,  it does seem to come up - although it might include other brands, I don't remember.
With me & Snowcat it was years of using dermovate with is a very harsh steroid, that exacerbated our pain. I wonder if both our issues have been complicated by it's use when we shouldn't have been given it for long term use on the vulva.
Having VA undiagnosed for over 12 years & in that time repeated use of steroids making everything so much worse, you'd think that by the time I got the pessaries & cream I would find them an irritant. But for me they were the start of improvement all be it short lived.
The common denominator in all this seems to be we're in awful pain, we fight to get the right treatment/dose & then find our symptoms either get worse or don't go away & then we're in a cycle of despair not knowing what we should do.
I'm sorry that's not an answer for you, but keep posting & keep reading on the forum so that you have plenty of knowledge so you can try & get your health care professionals to help properly.

[Lime]

Hi Lesred,

Thanks so much for your post letting me know I’m not the only woman on earth having so much trouble using the medicines that we need to help us get better. 

I am sorry you are having the exact problem, It is extremely frustrating. 

Keeping fingers crossed for both of us to somehow get relief.

MrsMitch, Thank you also.  Will read back over old posts regarding Vagifem.   You are at least lucky the medications do not further irritate you.
Not at all lucky that your symptoms still persist.

It is such a complicated problem for some of us.   Sending hope for you to get relief.

xx

[Lesred]

Hi MrsMitch and Lime

Yes I think the problem is we all have various original reasons for all these gsm problems! Mine started years ago, had so many different scans and tests showing nothing really told I had over active bladder, great and not that helpful, then urologist decided va and gave ovestin which irritated! Then vagirux was going to be the answer, no just made it more uncomfortable, hrt next, 4 mths in started again, back to ovestin, still made it worse, stopped all hormone treatment and went away, tried hrt again for other symptoms, etc etc. so wondered if hormones causing it? must admit I think I must be a medical mystery. Obviously not the only one! So Lime made me think am I just being really rubbish? ie should it be worse and how long does one cope with that for?

Thanks so much for your comments and as you say either way we are all uncomfortable !!

Sorry just read through the above and it sounds like the ramblings of a mad woman, just trying to understand why the obvious treatment makes it worse. Also now have over a month before appt with menopause nurse so I’ll probably be a withered old mess by then! Anyway hey ho I’m off for a wee

Lesred x x
 

[MrsMitch]

Not the ramblings of a mad woman at all, don't worry! It helps to get it all down tbh because GSM is hugely complicated. I cannot for the life of me write short concise posts & for that I apologise to the ladies here. Do keep posting because honestly it helps to read detailed experiences of others even if it only results in us knowing we aren't alone. Then hopefully one day one of us will post something great about treatment that worked!
It's good that you're all here - not that you've got messed up bits, like me, but you're all here to listen & try to help. Ladies of MMF you are the best