Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Sammiejane on September 22, 2019, 12:28:02 AM
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Hi ladies
I currently use Ovestin vaginally and have been for 9 months is it possible it can stop working ?
Last couple weeks been feeling little damp down there and in my knickers I use twice a week it's fine if I'm laying down but if I sit down my knickers are wet it's like the minute any pressure is put on down there my knickers are wet
I've had various test no prolapse no incontinence they could see through dynamics test and there's no odor just wet I also have discharge it's weird also if I press on my mons pubis I need a wee it's like my bladder has dropped or urethra but gynecologist said all fine and mri scan showed everything all in it's place except I have a batholomew cyst on the right gland inside vagina !
Do I think I need to use 3 times a week ?
Thank u
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Hi Sammijane i have just started using this instead of vagifem, but i haven't noticed any wetness, and i was surprised because i have read other posts on here which said the same as you, maybe not putting it high enough ?
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Hi Jaycee
Can I ask why u swapped from Vagifem ?
The wetness is there constantly even days not using Ovestin it's like I have symptoms of urethral syndrome or urithitis ?
I don't know but driving me insane
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The medication is doing its job. Plumping up the vaginal area, stopping the dryness. How often are you using the Ovestin?
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Sammijane, i stopped the vagifem because of my hairloss and others saying they had hairloss on it, might not be caused or exacerbated by vagifem but i can't risk losing any more, so just be safe ,not sorry
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I stopped Vagifem for the second time as I find it really affects my hair( on my head). It becomes really difficult to style and manage. I did ask consultant and she said as it's such low dose it should not have an impact but I really think it has. This is the only variable I changed.
Is Ovestin okay.
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Hi nuclearscience
I had my initial shedding 5 weeks into starting Vagifem I swapped to Ovestin although hair still shedding so not sure if it was the Vagifem as I stopped it about beginning dec last year and then started Estrogel along with Ovestin and it's still thinning now I've lost 50 percent and can see my scalp in areas on the top I'm currently on Estradot patch but find it's not as good as the gel for VA I think the gel helps the vagina too but again not sure if this caused me hair loss too and the more estrogen I have the more shedding I get I was on 2 pumps of gel and as I wasn't obsorbing on 2 pumps my levels dropped but my hair wasn't shedding as much it's worse on the patch ! I'm considering birth control as I'm only 40 I certainly need a hormone balance I think of all 3 hormones !!
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I have only used it twice Sammijane, so no results yet really, but no wetness so far
I am beginning to think most HRT causes hair loss, there are so many women complaining about it
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Never had hair loss. But I do get relief from using appropriate VA treatment. 4 me it was like razor blades up there :o
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I have only used it twice Sammijane, so no results yet really, but no wetness so far
I am beginning to think most HRT causes hair loss, there are so many women complaining about it
I think we have a distorted picture on here - women often only come on here if they have problems - thousands of women are using HRT no problems. It is well known that the testosterone derived progestogens can cause androgenic effects such as hair loss. Also that declining oestrogen as we approach and reach menopause also causes the same - which gets worse as we age. Also that some other hormonal disturbance such as hypothyroid conditions case hair loss and other nutrient and vitamin deficiencies. Unless there is an allergy to one of the constituents it is not a usual side effect of oestrogel or vagifem.
Sammiejane Why not try three times a week and see how you get on?
Hurdity x
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Never had hair loss. But I do get relief from using appropriate VA treatment. 4 me it was like razor blades up there :o
No hair loss for me either.
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Hi hurdity
I had low estrogen for 4 years or lowering estrogen over the for years low enough to get VA but all that time never had hairloss now I've had a surge in estrogen ie taking hrt I'm getting hairloss yet never suffered on microgynon 30 combined pill I've had 3 Uti since being on estrogen gained a load of weight and now being on estradot 75 patch my boobs are so sore my nipples and areolars are hard and lumpy yet never had this on pill it's very weird I must say,
I will try Ovestin 3 times a week
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Hi hurdity
I had low estrogen for 4 years or lowering estrogen over the for years low enough to get VA but all that time never had hairloss now I've had a surge in estrogen ie taking hrt I'm getting hairloss yet never suffered on microgynon 30 combined pill I've had 3 Uti since being on estrogen gained a load of weight and now being on estradot 75 patch my boobs are so sore my nipples and areolars are hard and lumpy yet never had this on pill it's very weird I must say,
I will try Ovestin 3 times a week
Then it sounds like it's the Estradiol Sammie, that's exactly what happened to me when I started HRT. Tried various formats but it made no difference to the hair loss. Common denominator Estradiol! X
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Isn't Vagifem Estriadol? i have started Ovestin, but it says take for one month then once a week, i'm sure at the chmist when i picked it up they said every night for 2 weeks, but obviously i will use as it says on the box
I was a bit itchy when i started it, still a bit itchy,but early days yet
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Yes I think it is but a very low dose compared to HRT. Jaycee have you heard of Imvaggis, quite a new product. Asked my doctor for it last week and she said it had been discontinued . :(
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Yes Tracy,i heard about on here i thibk a few days ago, i wonder why it is discontinued?
never heard about it before though
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Ovestin should be every night for 2 weeks then as necessary or every 3rd and 4/5th nights.
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Isn't Vagifem Estriadol? i have started Ovestin, but it says take for one month then once a week, i'm sure at the chmist when i picked it up they said every night for 2 weeks, but obviously i will use as it says on the box
I was a bit itchy when i started it, still a bit itchy,but early days yet
The instructions for Ovestin are:
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5384/smpc (detailed product info on web)
" Adults and Elderly
• Treatment of atrophic vaginitis
1 application per day for the first weeks (maximally 4 weeks), followed by a gradual reduction, based on relief of symptoms, until a maintenance dosage (e.g. 1 application twice a week) is reached. "
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5384/pil (Patient leaflet on web)
"For vaginal problems
The usual dose is 1 applicator up to the ring (0.5 mg estriol in 0.5 g of cream) a day for the first 2 to 3 weeks (maximally 4 weeks).
Then the dose is 1 applicator up to the ring twice a week.
Your doctor will prescribe the lowest dose that relieves your symptoms. Your doctor may want you to stop from time to time (every 2 to 3 months for a period of 4 weeks). This is to check if you still need treatment."
So you see the daily loading phase is 2 weeks up to a maximum of 4 weeks and thereafter twice a week - it doesn't say once per week anywhere :-\ .
CLKD I've no idea what your every 3rd and 4th/5th night is but twice a week is the usual instruction which would translate into: every 3rd (or 4th) and 7th night ( if you were sticking rigidly to the days). I now do mine every 3 days rather than twice a week - same as patch change day - and put a reminder on my phone so I don't lose track.
Hurdity x
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I use ovestin alternate nights on my gp's advice. I sometimes worry if it's too much but it keeps symptoms at bay. I do worry about most things!
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I thought the [man] who i have never seen before in the chemist said every night for 2 weeks then once a week, but on the box it says every night for 1 month
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Hi Tracey e
With regards to you saying estradiol u think caused your hair loss did u take utrogestan too ? Did this not help balance it out. ?
I'm considering the contraceptive pill as I had no probs on microgynon 30.
I've had to go back on the gel becAuse the patch made my boobs so sore couldn't cope but am going to try progesterone because I feel to wired all the time and struggling to fall asleep but I also need testosterone too x the patch cause more shedding!
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Yes I did take Utrogestan too but only for 7 days per month and yes I do think it was the Estrodrial. No shedding at all now Sammie. :)
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Hi Tracey e
What do u take now Tracey ? To enable your hair to stop shedding !
Have u ever taken the combined pill ? How was your hair then?
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I don't take anything Sammie, my hair was fine on the combined pill..
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Is your hair better since you came off HRT Tracy? sorry if you have said before, but a lot of women have said their hair has improved since taking HRT but everyone is different i expect
I am surprised though how many are complaining of hair loss
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Hi Jaycee my hair has stopped falling out since I've stopped taking the Estrogel and Utrogestan. I too thought HRT should help with hair but obviously for me it didn't.
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Hi Tracey e
Thank you for your reply I just don't know what to do I'm only 40 so ideally need something
But when I swapped from the gel to patch it shed more and now I've moved back from the patch to the gel it's was I'm first couple days now on day 5 shedding is more and it's funny because increased from 2 pumps to 2.5 and then more shedding , menopause won't give me testosterone till estrogen optimal which I think is wrong since I've had my ovaries removed so I either combine progesterone and see if it levels out estrogen effects because I'm so hot tempered I'm moody snappy irritable foggy headed tired fatigue just want to sleep on the gel the patch was a bit better in that respect but hair didn't improve and vaginal area felt dryer and my boobs were incredible sore but then I'm not onsorbing the gel that well my estrogen levels have dropped over the 7 months being on it and I know they said increase estrogen to 3 pumps but I felt worse. So I don't know whether to stay on gel and add progesterone or go back on patch and add in progesterone or swap to combined pill although at high risk cause of being 40 and smoke !
My GP said to try the patch estradot and progesterone utrogestan and see what happens but I'm worried about hairloss being worse and gaining more weight again I never did on the pill please offer any advice or what u would do in my situation
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Do you have a womb Sammie? I would give the patch and Utrogestan another go. Everyone's different and some folk absorb the patches better than the gel and vice versa. If it still causing you an issue after a couple of months then there are other alternatives you can try. That I'm sure the menopause clinic will duscuss with you. :) X