Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Ljp on July 19, 2017, 08:22:11 AM
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Hi ladies,
At last I've got some estriole (ovestin) cream to use externally to hopefully (please!!!!) help with the external soreness, prickliness and burning sensations.
A question for those of you that have both internal treatment (I have estring) and external cream, how often do you use the cream? Should I apply it daily for a while to see if things settle? Or just every other day or twice a week?
Thank you
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Hi Ljp,
Glad you now have some Ovestin for your sore bits🙌 Estring + Estrogel + Estriol Cream + Ovestin = my arsenal! I use a pea size amount of Ovestin and smear just inside and around the outside once or sometimes twice a day. Good luck🙏🙏
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Thanks Nicolcarrie, has it helped you? I have Estring, estrogel and Mirena and now ovestin too, just wondering how often to use and how long before it will take effect?
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i use it at night and it allows the cream to do its magic for hours until you get up, I've tried morning but I'm wiping it off after weeing
Now I use it @ every other day along with 5/7 vagifem and my estrogel and testosterone
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Everyday is fine , as my gynae and Mr Panay .
I have the estring and use estriol cream (the ovestin burns me ) rubbed into my scars. Before Mona I could not tolerate the creams but now it's fine.
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I've never considered estring as I have cystocele and tried a pessary ring before my hysterectomy for the complete prolapse and it kept pinging out, but I like the idea of it sitting there for a few months at a time
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Annie it's worth a go , bit of a knack getting it in as I have a slight front wall prolapse so abit of manoeuvreing is required 😜.
Mine sits high up to the left and ticks part of itself under the cervix , my cervix is retroverted so will naturally sit just under , don't feel it at all, no fillers like vagifem.
Sex no problem with it in , stays in during period. Also interestingly I had erosions on my cervix for years , last smear no erosion to be seen , only explanation oestrogen where it's needed ?
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I use it Every day!! Morning and evening!! I do not use the applicator, I use a smaller amount, it's a very light smear of Ovestin. I make sure that I have emptied my bladder first to prevent wiping off with toilet paper. Anything that is still there later on I presume is the filler so not a problem if that gets wiped off.
It took some time to ease my symptoms, about 2 weeks to be honest. Now, it seems to give me pretty instant relief of any discomfort in that area. If I feel particularly uncomfortable I just add a little extra (on top of the twice a day)! I'm at the stage where all the rule books have been thrown out the window and I will do anything just to make my bit comfortable. Not that I'm advocating the amount I'm using but it definitely helps me.
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My rule book re my vagina has also gone out the window , I have gone AWOL 😉.
I have a VERY expensive , troublesome vagina .
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Maryjane, yours is a very expensive vagina! I am eagerly awaiting your ML updates and saving my pennies in the meantime as it's next on my list 😉
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Annie it's worth a go , bit of a knack getting it in as I have a slight front wall prolapse so abit of manoeuvreing is required 😜.
Mine sits high up to the left and ticks part of itself under the cervix , my cervix is retroverted so will naturally sit just under , don't feel it at all, no fillers like vagifem.
Sex no problem with it in , stays in during period. Also interestingly I had erosions on my cervix for years , last smear no erosion to be seen , only explanation oestrogen where it's needed ?
Thank you! I'm going to look into this . Does it matter I have no cervix and uterus ? X
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Thank you ladies! I got ovestin cream from online prescription had to pay for prescription, and answer lots of questions. I understand my doctor has contacted the gynae at hospital and I'm expecting a call from her regarding whether I can have estriole cream on prescription.
The only other query that is niggling me is IF the estring may be causing the soreness/prickly/burning sensation I'm getting around vaginal entrance and surrounding skin? Although I did get small cracks in skin around clitorus the other week too … if that is a possibility then I'm contemplating going back to using estriole internally too? What are your thoughts please?
If it wasn't so costly I'd be seriously considering MLT asap!
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Just to add my YES Order arrived today, I've got a tube of the VM and a tube of WB to try … desperate for relief 😢
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So many things going through my head regarding all this… it started in 2015, no before then, with frequency and urgency, took me a while to seek help, dr advised vesicare, but I read side effects, dryeyes etc, and decided not to take… bladder so bothersome had to go see her again and after reading about local oestrogen on here, I suggested it to her, and asked if i could try low dose estriole cream… used it successfully, bladder better (although still had some days that were terrible) from May 2015 -Oct when I had a post meno bleed, only light, but not having had anything since the previous August 2014, I called Dr, she said probably nothing but referred me for hysteroscopy and gynae appointment.
Had that in Dec 2015, gynae had problems inserting the camera as she said my cervix was closed, and she said 'you're too young for this' didn't think to ask what she meant… anyway after opening cervix, hysteroscopy showed thin lining 4mm… I was surprised when she suggested Mirena, hadn't expected any HRT advise, she said it would protect uterus from any effects of oestrogen therapy, she also fitted the estring, she said she could prescribe a patch or I could think about it and see my GP.
When I got home a bit numb from all that had happened, and totally confused, I came on here seeking advise, and was strongly advised to start systemic estrogen asap otherwise the Mirena could cause atrophy of uterus lining, which scared me!… I called my GP and asked for estrogel, which I've been on ever since.
I started on one pump, which was ok, but again, reading on here and still feeling weird by all the gadgetry inside me, I increased to two pumps hoping I could do without estring… I removed estring in August last year as I wanted to see how things went… on holiday in sept, I had an attack of what felt like thrush, presumed it was, as suffered recurrent thrush in my pill days before my children were born.… treated it with canesten in Spain, and it did settle down, think I put estring back in for a few weeks, but really can't remember.… oh prior to that, bladder was still causing problems so I did go on vesicare, 1 5mg tablet per day, and I still take it, although I've managed to reduce to one every other day, and bladder is so much better.…
Hope you are still with me (thank you ) …
removed estring and all was ok until I went on holiday this March, MAJOR flare up of something! … soreness, burning, inflammation, itching, bladder was bad too, again thought it was thrush, holiday, eating out, wine etc… bought canesten, improved a bit, bought second canesten, improved more… but still left feeling sore, burning, I can only liken it to that burn during childbirth when skin is stretched
Saw GP on my return she took swab for thrush and all was clear…
And that's my story… back on estring since April, just inserted new one two weeks ago.… and still aware of my vagina all the time, sore, prickly, burning, slight irritation at times try not to scratch or rub as that can crack the skin.
I've had a new doctor since last year, my lovely lady retired… I Asked my new GP for estriole cream at my last appointment in May, she said she would have to find out if it could be used with everything else… I called three weeks ago as not heard anything, she said she was waiting for reply and that general thoughts were no, as too much oestrogen, and offered no other advice other than trying a patch instead of estrogel … I called surgery this Minday and apparently there is a reply on system from hospital gynae… I called this morning as still not heard from GP, got call back to say she'll call me tomorrow.
VA has never been mentioned to me by doctor or gynae, it's something I have come to my own conclusion about, I presume it is? I look at my bits, but really don't know how they looked before, so don't know what I'm looking for to show me it's VA.… all I know is I'm feeling very down about it … and don't know what else to do or try … thank you for reading, and for any thoughts or advise, sorry for taking your time x
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I know that I'm doing well when I 'm not aware of my vagina - thanks for sharing your story LPJ and like you say when you can feel it you know it's bad.
I 'm still doing my 14 day Ovestin/ vagifem reload but have been experiencing itching of late 😡
Agree with ladies that rules seem to go out of the window as far as maintenance is concerned.
I also when when I have a bad VA attack it's constantly on my mind, and I'm so aware of down below, it's very hard to switch off and ignore it !
💙💙Ss x
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Any ladies sweetsscarlett etc who suffer a lot with VA , there is a secret face book group ( I started it but no longer admin it handed it over ) go to the vulva pain society web page , on there is a link to a FB join that , its an interim group you will then be " interviewed" to go into the secret group.
It's not for the faint hearted , there are a few MM ladies on there .
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There are no defiante answers with this , and I have had to steer my own shop the whole way.
Lots of trial and error , have you tried an antihistamine? that does help some , although it has drying properties re vag so long as you are using local oestrogen will be fine . As our last cells / histamine release can goninto over drive with all this.
It is very important you only use thrush cream if you really do have it , as it is so over used on the assumed and it can cause skin problems also from incorrect use , there is a problem now with resistance and thrush creams like antibiotics.
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I have some thrush cream in the cupboard from last time I thought I had it ::) When I last used it, it caused a very unpleasant burning sensation and I had to jump in the bath asap and shower it off using my husband's dermol (I rate this stuff ;) ). The cream is still in the cupboard - maybe I should get round to throwing it away.
Since then, I have used the multigyn actigel if I get prickly feelings and although it stings on contact, it goes fast and seems to sort it out for me.
Anyway, I have had to find my own path through this, with a little help from the urogynae who started me off on vagifem after my prolapse repair. I have had to deal with a change of gp surgery and rely on the nurse, who keeps forgetting which preparation is continuous/sequential etc and it would be nice to have some sort of overall clarity. But I shall keep on KO for now.
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Thanks ladies, I guess it's all trial and error, but I just want to find some relief
I am worried looking ahead, at present I'm 52, but hate to think another 10, 20, even 30 years down the line, and not sure about full HRT for all that time, doubt my GP would allow it, then what chance have I got of controlling symptoms?
Another reason I'm contemplating MLT, help things now before they deteriorate further, and enabling me to use less hormone treatment?
Maryjane, I could see a link to Facebook group, and notsure I have vulvodynua yet! Dont want to think I have 😱… did you say it's for VA sufferers too?
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I just presumed I had VA, just looked up symptoms of vulvodynua and describes mine
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Hi yes it's VA sufferers also , VA if can't be treated comes under the umbrella term of
" vulvadynia" dynia Latin for pain , so pain in the vulva , caused by what ? Million dollar ?
When VA can't be sorted controlled it will then be given the title Vulvodynia of which VA symptoms are as good as identical, but I bet your bottom dollar hormones arw the main culprit especially at our ages.
But no the group isn't for the faint hearted , but lots of help info.
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How do I get onto the group please MJ?
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You need to have face book . Click onto the vulva pain society link , then request to join that group , from there one on two ladies will " interview " you to then be joined to the main secret group of about 450.
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Just had call from my Dr, she got response from gynae at local hospital who said" Mirena coil should be sufficient to protect uterus from any effects of oestrogen, however the estring and oestrogel should be enough to control symptoms and doubtful that extra cream externally will have much effect, but no problem trying it" they suggest application twice a week for 6 weeks then once a week for a month and see how I go. So off to get prescription fir the estriole cream shortly
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Well that's good 😊 However many of us on here and as told by Mr Panay and my gynae ( who will be more knowledgeable than this one ) disagree also , and many of us use it every day , Dr Annie Evans now retired said a gap of more than 24 hours for local was to much. Suck it and see as they say. 😊
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Thanks Maryjane, picked up,prescription crossed wires I think as on the script it says insert one applicator twice weekly for two weeks then once week.
I called and left message to say I'm only wanting to use a small amount if estriole cream around the outside, I wonder if that's why gynae was saying wouldn't make a lot of difference. I am happy with internal estring and comfort, I think I will have to go see GP at some point just to clarify things as would hate not to have my repeat of estring and if cream helps external comfort then that too.
How long before I can expect improvement applying externally?
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I whole tube of estriol ( not ovestin ) will probably last you a year externally , that is the equivalent of about ONE HRT pill a year so don't panic really , little girls with fused labia have this local oestrogen.
I have been at this nearly 5 years so go AWOL with it all , but I must say prior to Mona I couldn't tolerate the estriol.
I have women's health physio and she can't believe the difference internally and externally.
We are surrounded by hormones in all sorts of ways , plastics , ALL food types , water.