Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: CLKD on July 25, 2015, 12:15:27 PM
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I use the above every 4th and 5th night on alternate weeks. However, the following day I have similar symptoms as to the reason it's been prescribed for ::) i.e the need to pee more often, feeling of pressure in the bladder and vagina ……. maybe I no longer require HRT down there? The rest of the week I am symptom less.
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Hi CLKD - so difficult to know what is best. What about just filling half the applicator and see how that goes.
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AAAHHHH - could do! as it is I only need to use it once a week and when I 'missed' whilst on holiday for 2 weeks, I had no symptoms. Yet I'm scared to drop the product completely in case that awful razor blades feeling returns ::)
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it couldn't hurt to maintain with a low dose. I do that with my beta blocker. When I forget to take it I don't get major panic but I do like to maintain with a small (5mg) dose a day.
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:thankyou:
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CKLD - my understanding about using local oestrogen is that one needs to use it regularly to maintain the healthy balance - I do wonder if your current regime maintains the right levels? Having long gaps between dosing may be making things worse. If you don't use it as prescribed (twice a week) then, in between doses, the atrophy will set in and there will be more sensitivity.
Why not experiment - either try not using anything for a few weeks and see how you feel or, better still, do a 2 week daily dose to see if things improve generally. You could also switch to Vagifem instead as it may cause less irritation? Many of us use Vagifem 2-3 times a week, every week, and still do a 2 week daily load a couple of times a year to help maintain things. Hope that helps. DGx
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It does help. Any advice etc. is useful.
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I agree re the local oestrogen especially as you are not on HRT. If you stop using it then the vag tissues will gradually become more atrophied so whatever you feel you should keep up the maintenance dose. It is not meant to be an instant healer ie you feel you only need it once a week. It is a long term thing and you should not wait for any symptoms to return before re-using it! We've discussed this before!!!
I know what you mean about symptoms from using vag oestrogen though because I always find it irritates my bladder to some extent - whether the Gynest or the Vagifem (or indded when I use utrogestan = progesterone vaginally). It is a small price to pay for long term health of that area though and will be preventing you getting thin sore tissues and keeping VA at bay as well as reducing the likelihood of bladder/urine infections!
I recall that you don't use Vagifem because of your breast cancer history to minimise any systemic absorption of estradiol (there is a little from use of Vagifem although after the two week loading it is very low). The cream should do the same job!
Hurdity x
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:thankyou:
It seems strange to me that the days I don't use the product I have no symptoms, the 24 hours after insertion over-night I have similar feelings to those for which the cream is prescribed ::)
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could be you're now sensitive to an ingredient in the Ovestin? You could try a different product??
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I did wonder ……...
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well...
I think you should consider closing up the interval between doses some.....like every 3 1/2 or 4 days and see if it helps. It can't hurt!
When my vagifem stopped working before HRT, it would burn/bladder pressure the day I needed to insert, be good for 1 day, then the symptoms would start up again on day 3. To me it was a sign that the levels were too low and only got high enough to alleviate symptoms on the peak of absorption which was day 2.
Another thought...
When I first used vagifem.....it burned me like heck because I was thin/raw inside. With the long interval you have, maybe this is what is happening to you over and over, i.e.the tissue gets thinner between each dose... this would mean that the maintenance level is too low.
All the creams burn me anytime I use them.
Again....try closingup the dosing interval.
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I agree it could be the interval - I used to be really good about applying at the start because I had had so much discomfort before starting to use it, but as I became more comfortable down there, it was easier to forget or 'not bother' if I was tired. Last night I used it for the first time in just over a week and it was quite uncomfortable/sore and still is a bit. I didn't have that problem when I remembered to use it twice a week.
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Exactly Dorothy ::) - NOTE TO SELF :D
Started a 3 nights re-load last night then will put onto the calendar when to apply ;)
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If you're in that state maybe the full 2 week reload? And another vote here for doing it at regular intervals too. Don't see the logic for doing it on consecutive nights at all..
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It isn't bad enough to do a 2 weeks re-load. I am not aware of symptoms today …….. must get the calendar off the wall and make NOTES ::)
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Exactly Dorothy ::) - NOTE TO SELF :D
Started a 3 nights re-load last night then will put onto the calendar when to apply ;)
Only problem I can see is that if you have trouble remembering to use the stuff, then remembering to write a note on the calendar that you need to use it... ;D
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…… or reading the calendar ? ::) ………. if it ain't on the calendar we ain't doing it ;D