Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: margaret on July 10, 2016, 10:53:56 AM
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Hi Ladies,
I was given Vagifem a couple of months ago and it was working great for about a week then I got another water infection, my third one since February, the doctor has referred me to the hospital, I continued with the Vagifem for another two weeks then spoke to the doctor on the phone she wanted to know how I was getting on. I told her my symptoms were back again, so she has put me on Estriol Cream it was working great when I was using it every night, but now I'm on every other night for two weeks the symptoms are starting again, and I keep feeling like I need to go for a wee, any advice would be appreciated x
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Was it an infection? VA mimics infections and the only way is to have an early morning urine sample sent to a Lab. for testing. If necessary, the appropriate ABs can be prescribed.
Do another week of every night? Sometimes it takes a while for the uptake to be of benefit.
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I need to use Vagifem every day otherwise my symptoms come back. I guess I would be the same with the creams too.
I would use it every night until you get to see the hospital.
I was told by my meno specialist that topical oestrogen was safe to use every day.
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It depends on how far into menopause you are I think. I eventually needed full HRT to give the same result and then, a few years later, I had to use both full HRT and Vagifem to keep things comfy.
Taz x
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I think estriol cream is weaker than Vagifem. I'm not quite clear if you're only using that, and how often? But even if you're using it nightly, I think you're getting a lower dose of oestrogen than you would be using VF nightly.
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I use VF internally on alternate nights and estriol cream externally twice a week. I am very happy with this schedule for me :)
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Hi Ancientrunner,
I was given the Estriol Cream because it's a higher dose than Vagifem, I was told to use it everyday for 2 weeks every other day for 2 weeks then twice weekly, it feels like a stinging feeling on my cervix and I'm convinced this is giving me the feeling of needing to pass water all of the time, I'm at the hospital at 4pm today to see the Urologist, see if he can shed any light on the matter, my doctor won't let me use the cream every day. :)
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How did you get on?
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Hi CLKD,
The doctor at the hospital is going to carry out a cystoscopy on my bladder and an ultrasound, and X-ray my kidneys just to make sure everything is ok, if that's fine he's going to sort out medication for the atrophy. Just waiting for appointments to come :)
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Do let us know how you get on!
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Well done
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Hi Ancientrunner,
I was given the Estriol Cream because it's a higher dose than Vagifem, I was told to use it everyday for 2 weeks every other day for 2 weeks then twice weekly, it feels like a stinging feeling on my cervix and I'm convinced this is giving me the feeling of needing to pass water all of the time, I'm at the hospital at 4pm today to see the Urologist, see if he can shed any light on the matter, my doctor won't let me use the cream every day. :)
Estriol cream is not a higher dose as such - it is just a different type of estrogen ie it is estriol whereas vagifem contains estradiol. They are designed to do the same job at the dose given - although in the case of vagifem I'm not sure whether the approx equivalence was worked out for the 10 mcg or the 25 mcg dose since both were available at the same time before the 25 mcg was stopped. Some women do find the creams work better - but it is not due to the dosage though.
You can use it every day - it is such a low dose - but glad you are being investigated anyway.
Hurdity x
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Same here, strangely my doc at the meno clinic says those symptoms are not related and took me off vagifem :'( :'( :'( >:( now I'm in here reading a lot of others have it so it wasn't my imagination when they started when she took me off the pill and put me on lower hrt...
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The Dr at the meno clinic needs educating! If there are symptoms then it is most likely hormonal!!!
Your GP can prescribe treatment for VA nothappybun
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The Dr at the meno clinic needs educating! If there are symptoms then it is most likely hormonal!!!
Your GP can prescribe treatment for VA nothappybun
You'd think that a doctor at a Meno clinic would know his/her stuff.
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You would hope so, the worry is - why didn't he/she be atrophy aware :bang: :bang: :bang: ……. might be worth having a look-see at the various medic's qualifications, are they jumping on the band wagon and calling themselves 'meno' clinics without having proper knowledge :-\
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You'd think that a doctor at a Meno clinic would know his/her stuff.
Katejo, after reading on here and her lying to me I'm going to try to change meno clinics
The Dr at the meno clinic needs educating! If there are symptoms then it is most likely hormonal!!!
Your GP can prescribe treatment for VA nothappybun
CLKD I know for a fact it is, it is getting better with the Ovestin and it all started when she took me off the pill where I was taking between 2 and 3 mg of oestrogen and lowered it from the 3mg dose to 50 microgram in 24 hours with the patch, it was a big change for my parts after being on the pill for almost a year! ;D ;D ;D
My GP surgery isn't very flexible and it can take up to 3 weeks to see a doctor you want, there are three female doctors specialised in woman's health. If I get a week appointment I'm always sent to the locum and the one last week said she could only give me Ovestin for a week as it was doubling my HRT intake. She said, us GP are not allowed to prescribe it for longer, I can only give a weeks supply. ;D ;D I've been proved on here by others that is not true and locally it's not the same and this locum had done a degree in gynaecology she said... I checked my appointment online and on Tuesday I'll see anybody/unknown/locum >:(
Thanks for you help it means a lot,
xxx
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You would hope so, the worry is - why didn't he/she be atrophy aware :bang: :bang: :bang: ……. might be worth having a look-see at the various medic's qualifications, are they jumping on the band wagon and calling themselves 'meno' clinics without having proper knowledge :-\
This weekend with all the information gathered, I know for a fact it is VA. I've looked with a mirror and even have visible signs. The consultant who saw me is supposed to be one of the top ones here :-\
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Won't go there again then? ::) Did you self refer, I can't remember :-\ or did your GP make the suggestion? (sorry I'm so tired I can't read back)
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;D ;D ;D Sorry too much info at once, I answered in the other post. I asked for the referral in January when my GP told me they wouldn't give me Qlaira any more as I turned 51 in January.
I started Qlaira in October (I was considered peri)
December I moved to a new place and in January I was referred to the meno clinic. In June they wouldn't continue the prescription and I got a friend to send me a pack of 3 and got an appointment but in another town in August. Where I live the waiting list is a year or more. :o
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You would hope so, the worry is - why didn't he/she be atrophy aware :bang: :bang: :bang: ……. might be worth having a look-see at the various medic's qualifications, are they jumping on the band wagon and calling themselves 'meno' clinics without having proper knowledge :-\
This weekend with all the information gathered, I know for a fact it is VA. I've looked with a mirror and even have visible signs. The consultant who saw me is supposed to be one of the top ones here :-\
what sort of visible signs can be seen?
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You would hope so, the worry is - why didn't he/she be atrophy aware :bang: :bang: :bang: ……. might be worth having a look-see at the various medic's qualifications, are they jumping on the band wagon and calling themselves 'meno' clinics without having proper knowledge :-\
This weekend with all the information gathered, I know for a fact it is VA. I've looked with a mirror and even have visible signs. The consultant who saw me is supposed to be one of the top ones here :-\
what sort of visible signs can be seen?
In my case I've noticed the lower lips are shrinking/retracting and the urethra is more exposed. Lets say I even feel my underwear :-\
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I have struck lucky with locums so far. The first was a man in his 50s (probably retired but doing some locum work) who got me to take vagifem for infections - I was already prescribed it after a private gynae op, but hadn't realised and this was the third doctor I had seen about post op problems...........
The other was a retired partner who put me on full hrt when I asked and said she thought I was doing the right thing. Probably her last locum job too ;)
Since then I have had to move to another surgery where they do not keep such a tight watch over prescribing, which is ok at the moment, but may be a problem in the future.............. Goodness knows what will happen after the '5 years' are up. I don't want to be condemned to incontinence and thrush/BV and antibiotics and oxybutanin.
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So go along and discuss B4 the 5 years are 'up' because in reality, they shouldn't be. HRT can be prescribed for LIFE!
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I did ask the nurse what would happen with the VA after the five years. Last time, she had said only recommended for five years, then this time she sort of said it wouldn't go away so it was up to me if I knew the risks. So I am sticking with her for the moment - doctors are overstretched anyway.
The only female gp is part time (one gp 'does not do womens things' and don't know about the other) and my friend is going through blood tests, and vit D test etc with her in an attempt to get hrt prescribed, so I think I am better sticking with the nurse for now.
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5 years is a long while …….. other preparations may be developed and approved by NICE. It is important to live in the 'now' and get treatment to ease symptoms. I don't think that VA treatment has ever been on a 5-year limit :-\ …..
Let us know how you get on!
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You would hope so, the worry is - why didn't he/she be atrophy aware :bang: :bang: :bang: ……. might be worth having a look-see at the various medic's qualifications, are they jumping on the band wagon and calling themselves 'meno' clinics without having proper knowledge :-\
This weekend with all the information gathered, I know for a fact it is VA. I've looked with a mirror and even have visible signs. The consultant who saw me is supposed to be one of the top ones here :-\
what sort of visible signs can be seen?
In my case I've noticed the lower lips are shrinking/retracting and the urethra is more exposed. Lets say I even feel my underwear :-\
Oh sweetie i hate to tell you but even with Vagifem inside and untill last November i was on 2x25m weekly with the odd extra 25m some weeks its not going to stop the shrinking
My inner labia on the left side has disolved into my skin its just vanished from the opening
Upwards it started to disolve .from my bottom area The left side of my entire body is dryer. The right inner labiia is just a flap a tiny one but the rest of its gone. I was a candidate for a labioplasty they were huge hung down. My covering of my sensitive bit was huge to it stuck out
Thats shrunk to just about covering it. Some articles say with bad atrophy your genitals almost go to prepubescent looking. I was s... scared. Taz CLKD etc explained this happened more than my gp. Im on 7x10 vagifem for life if i want it im 63 been on some sort of stuff since 1995 early ovarian failure. I took no hrt. I was put on femulen mini pill and ovestin worked till 2008 when atrophy started. I ignored it 2 years of throbbing suction feeling bits on fire almost permanent cystitis feeling sex impossible every b... day the burning throbbing talk about suicidal. Finally feb 13 2010 i plucked up courage again to try something different. Im lucky my old gp gave me with no conditions he sold his practice 2 years ago and a Brazilian doctor took over hes exactly the same you can have it as much as you need ovestin too for outside if you want hey ho 5 rpts. Hes only mid 30s
Imo it seems to me some surgeries are trusts get the money and us oldies get shafted move to a new gp or give up something and go private. To be healthy is better thsn the annual summer trip or the friday fishnchips. If you want print out the instructions the information on atrophy etc and take it with you to your normal gp. Also if the female gps are unsympathetic go to a male. Good luck dont give in dont let it go on xxxx
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:thankyou: Good advice as always Suzi Q.
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:thankyou: Good advice as always Suzi Q.
Hi bunny hunch hope your tickety boo x
I just hate someone else to go too late like i did.
Health is so important far more than oh if i pay i cant have that holiday.
You can always have another holiday x
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Yep. Health as we age is important.
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Thanks for all the replies and tips! Suzi Q, What a nightmare! :-\ How are you doing now, at least has it eased the dryness and pain?
and I diiiiiiid get to see a young male doctor ;) at my gp's he's in his thirties ;D ;D ;D he prescribed Ovestin for 3 weeks every day and twice or three times a week from then on as long as I need it :) I couldn't believe it when he was more concerned and explained everything better than in the meno clinic. I checked him out when I got home and he's done training and an exam in the Royal Collage of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians and he's interested in woman's health so that is great! not going back to the meno clinic!
So after that last week I'm a slightly happierbun :bounce:
xxx
PS: Sorry for taking so long to reply, I was on holiday!
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At Last! so use the Ovestin as suggested. Sometimes I need to have 3 nights in a row to re-plump and ease symptoms. But it works [I was going to say 'on the whole' ] in general successfully.
Did you enjoy your time away?
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At Last! so use the Ovestin as suggested. Sometimes I need to have 3 nights in a row to re-plump and ease symptoms. But it works [I was going to say 'on the whole' ] in general successfully.
Did you enjoy your time away?
Yes! after two weeks using it daily the urge to urinate and the pressure has almost gone and it is such a relief not to have that heavy dry churning feeling inside ::), I use it externally too and it's too early to tell, I'll be persistent :P.
Thanks! I did enjoy the break but found it difficult to sit on the loo waiting for the Sandrena gel to dry on my arms after a couple of drinks in the hot weather! not very romantic nights with the Ovestin and the gel! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Glad that has worked out, happybun ;D
Doctors are not always what you expect at all ;)
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Continue with a regime which suits you, or else ;D