Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: countrybumpkin on July 09, 2015, 09:48:36 AM
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Oh the joys of menopause! I was told I had caruncle at entrance to urethra 3 years ago when I was just becoming post menopausal by a urologist. I had started experiencing pain at end of urination. At that time this was mild and I felt I did not need vagifem. Fast forward to now and for past 2 years the painful wee has become constant although variable until a couple of months ago when it became much more painful and was leaving me very uncomfortable for time after a wee. Plus I felt sore down below and tingly and at time itchy although swabs were clear.
I am wary of anything oestrogen because my mother died of breast cancer BUT past 10 days have been awful, constant ache in vagina and pain at end of weeing with the pain lasting for 10 mins afterwards and getting feeling as if I am going to wee myself ;D
Got my lovely long suffering husband to have a rummage around down there last night :o and he said I had a lump at entrance to urethra and a patch of white on right side of vagine so off I went to Dr this morning.
Lovely young as in about 12 yrs old lady dr ;D who had a good old rummage and said it looked really really dry def atrophy and she could see the caruncle as well and said I really need to use vagifem. So I have got the stuff.
I have to go back to her in two weeks for another check up.
I know quite a few people on here use it and just wanted to know if I am likely to get any side effects ( the leaflet is awful as it covers all hrt) or what to expect please.
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Sorry to hear about your symptoms. I used the Vagifem and it really helped (almost immediatly) with the itch but I was still tender, but it definately improved the raw feeling. Unfortunately, it has stopped working for me but I seem to be sensitive to everything at the moment >:( There's lots of great advice on here regarding gels and creams to use for dryness.....KY Jelly, Multi Gyn and a water based moist called yes (I haven't tried that yet!)
My mother also died of breast cancer but I am taking HRT.... as weighing up the pros and cons it definitely comes out a winner!! I am 54 though and my periods have stopped for over 4 years so it may be a different situation.
Good luck with the vagifem and hopefully it will work for you
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I wish that cancer wasn't linked as often to menopause treatments >:( as it can cause ladies to wait far longer that necessary to agree to treatment.
I had breast disease in 1995. I insist on quality of Life and take responsibility for any treatments that 'might' increase the risk of recurrence. Also vaginal treatments have a local uptake so it is unlikely to affect the rest of the body but does give almost instant relief to atrophy symptoms. NO WAY could I have lived with the feeling of razor blades up there.
I rarely read the leaflets as they are printed to cover the Drug Companies ;). Give it a go, quality quality quality !
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Thanks both. Yes I am going to give it a go and fingers crossed it helps. The urologist I saw told me that they use this with breast cancer patients because the absorption is so minute.
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2 weeks initial loading at night ? then how often? Hopefully once you realise how better you feel down there you'll wonder why you waited ;)
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Yep every night for 2 weeks then twice a week after with 3 days between.
Has anyone had any side effects from it other than the improvement hoped for? Just asking so if by any chance I do get something I at least know what it might be!
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Vagifem is v low risk. Please dont worry
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Thanks Lancashirelass. Well her goes am about to go to bed and will use first one tonight, wish me luck ::)
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I now use Ovestin which keeps symptoms at bay. ALL you will notice is improvement ;)
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Country bumpkin........if the white patch doesn't go, and the other symptons remain......you need referring to a vulva dermatologist to be checked for LS lichen scerlosis.
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Country bumpkin........if the white patch doesn't go, and the other symptons remain......you need referring to a vulva dermatologist to be checked for LS lichen scerlosis.
Yep Dr already told me this which is why I have to go back at end of month before she will give me any more vagifem to make sure that things look much better. She didn't think it looked white as my husband had said, she said it looked very dry rather than white and he did say it looks sort of whiteish.
I have to say what a difference one pessary makes! You were right. Much more comfy today - hadn't realised how I was constanty uncomfy and then the pain on finishing weeing. I am still a bit uncomfy at end of wee and guess this may get worse as day goes on but I am amazed at the effect of one treatment, long may it last and have no side effects.
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Once you've had a week you'll wonder why you didn't ask sooner ;) - it is important to do the 2 week load.
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Hi
I started vagifem in April, no side effects for me and almost instant good changes, no more UTIs since starting
Annie xx
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As I thought by this afternoon the discomfort is back but onwards I go - I will make sure I do the two week loading and Dr said if at end of two weeks I am not alot better to go back rather than waiting for the month.
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So very slow absorption then ;) vaginal area only. I think you'll get relief of symptoms over the weekend ;)
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Bad as ever again by late afternoon, constant discomfort and painful when finishing weeing. IF I don't get any improvement in a week should I go back early or is it better wait the week, I imagine that if its going to work it will improve gradually but I may be wrong?
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I would go back early if you don't think you are improving. There are always oestrogen creams (Estriol and Ovestin) to try - they might even be better as they can be used underneath, as well as vaginally. Hope you'll feel better!
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I am more comfortable today BUT I might be getting side effects. I never ever get headaches but have had one since yesterday and I also am getting many many more hot flushes than I was a day. Both these things have started in past 2 days. I hope I am wrong and the headache goes away.
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I have no side effects other than what the preparation is designed for ;)
What else has changed for you? weather, diet, sleep pattern?
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Thinking about it, have a very damaged neck and yesterday I spent good hour and half in a furniture store trying out beds and mattresses which would have been hard on my poor old neck with all the on and off beds and different pillows so it could be that and my neck feels as if its in a vice so hopefully I was jumping to wrong conclusion ::
The flushes so seem to have increased alot since using vagifem but will wait and see what happens, I need to give it good try.
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It will take a good two weeks to really get your symptoms reliably better - I think you're describing the Vagifem wearing off at the end of the day as the local levels aren't properly improved. On the flushes - well, why would oestrogen make you have more flushes? It just might be a coincidence....
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No side effects here. I would definitely recommend Ovestin cream too though, to apply to the external area.
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The good effects are lasting longer each day. The leaflet that comes with vagifem lists hot flushes as a possible side effect strangely. Trouble is that because its classed as hrt it also lists every possible side effect for systemic hrt and then says as this is topical treatment these side effects unlikely. Talk about unecessary info!
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I must admit I've stopped reading the topical oestrogen leaflets. You'd think the damn stuff was crack cocaine the way they bang on about the risks. Trouble is I think it really terrifies a lot of people who really need to use the stuff .
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I agree Ancient Runner :)
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I am very sensitive to estrogen levels. I always get a hot flash or two after putting in a new vagifem and I have been on it for about 4 years. I get hot flashes the evening I change my patches also... I use the vagifem and change patches on different days.
I think it is the fluctuation in the levels and not just the low estrogen levels which gives hot flashes.
When I tried divigel (same as sandrena in UK) I got hot flashes within 2 hours of rubbing it on and also when it wore off. My baseline natural estrogen level is very very low.
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I'm a terribly sensitive flower ;)
I'm still getting some pain on weeing that gets worse towards end of day that I assume is the level falling off before next dose.
Only slightly worrying thing is that yesterday I felt mild burning inside vagina all day and I still have it today so will see if this gets worse as I go on or not.
I know you can get thrush on this treatment and hope its not that but I have also in the past had allergic reactions to other vaginal products like caneston pessary/cream so am hoping against hope that this is not going to happen with the vagifem.
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country bumpkin, if vagifem does turn out to be irritating to you there are other options. I use the Estring which is a little latex ring which oozes oestrogen out over 3 months then needs replacing. I find it's good because it's a higher dose (lower than what you're on currently though) and that it's constant - no ups and downs.
there are also creams which many people like.
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Thanks for info. I will persevere and see what happens.
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You are still in the 2 weeks loading period - the body will take up absorption so that eventually you will feel easier down there.
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I'm still perservering ;D One question, I have now got a little clear discharge which I assume is as a result of the vagifem dong its stuff. Feels strange as I have had no discharge at all for past 3 years.
Still some discomfort on weeing especially later in the day and still getting feeling as if I need to go again after a wee but its reduced in intensity from what it was.
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Drinking plenty? If you don't feel more comfy by mid-week maybe this isn't for you and perhaps your GP will prescribe something else.
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It is alot better than it was though so I need to give it the two weeks loading, today has been much better in comparison . I had got used to pain everytime I weed as it has been going on for so long because of my fear of any hormones ::)
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Glad to know that you are getting a little relief. It was the feeling of razor blades up there that sent me to the GP :-X
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Last night was end of two weeks and I have to say the difference is very very good. My husband has had a look ::) and he says the caruncle is much much smaller and everything looks all pink and healthy again. I now go down to the twice a week so hopefully I won't go backwards and I go back to GP just before the month is up for her to have a look etc.
Once on the twice a week dosage is it safe to use this then indefinitely?
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I hope so! If I find symptoms beginning to niggle I do a 3 successive nights dose (Ovestin) then leave 3/4 nights. Keeps the area plumped up.
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2 days after the end of the loading period and things are not as good, the painful weeing is much better but I now have short sharp pains inside vagine that I have never had before. I am due to use vagifem again tomorrow night and then next wednesday so will be intereting to see if this improves after I use it again tomorrow night.
I see GP again next Thursday. My husband says everything looks okay down there and the caruncle is much much smaller so not sure what is causing these pains today.
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there are a lot of nerve endings down there!
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hello, I have come late to your thread otherwise I would have shared earlier.
When I started on vagifem 5 years ago it took me a good 3 weeks to settle into it. Back then I was on the 25mg pessaries but they were discontinued and the 10mg replaced them. I have to use 10mg three times a week to keep my symptoms at bay.
Anyway as I said just now, it took a good three weeks before I settled so it sounds as though you are doing all right. Good luck with it.
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Thanks. Not as bad today. The only symptom that seems to have remained is that for about 10 mins after I wipe after a wee I feel as if I need to go again. This only bothers me from lunchtime to bedtime ::) I also seem to be slow at starting to wee but I have had this in the past well before meno and it could be all in my head of course!
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So do you need a boost maybe? to ease symptoms for the whole day?
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Countrybumpkin - your GP will probably suggest that you carry on using Vagifem every day for a bit longer before you reduce down to two a week for the maintenance dose.
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The only symptom that seems to have remained is that for about 10 mins after I wipe after a wee I feel as if I need to go again.
it was explained to me by a very knowlegeable nurse that the urethra can suffer with dryness as well as the vagina and it can become inflamed and it is this that makes you feel you want to wee even though your bladder is empty. I use vagifem but also estriol cream externally and this helps with the feelings of wanting to wee when I don't really need to go.
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Oh thanks everyone - will see what she says next Thursday after she has had rummage ;D ;D
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The only symptom that seems to have remained is that for about 10 mins after I wipe after a wee I feel as if I need to go again.
it was explained to me by a very knowlegeable nurse that the urethra can suffer with dryness as well as the vagina and it can become inflamed and it is this that makes you feel you want to wee even though your bladder is empty. I use vagifem but also estriol cream externally and this helps with the feelings of wanting to wee when I don't really need to go.
This is very interesting babyjane - when I get that feeling (it will usually be late afternoon time and particularly in the hot weather), I use my vaginal moisturiser on the underneath bits and within about half an hour that horrible feeling has gone for the rest of the day! (Fingers crossed.) I do use estriol cream twice a week and the moisturiser ('Yes' water-based) on the other days.