Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: KaraShannon on March 01, 2021, 10:40:32 PM
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Hi ladies
In the last month I've had the odd twinge /ache in the vagina area, it only lasts seconds each time but it's telling me something is amiss. From what I've read about a rectocele, I'm thinking it might be something like that. Another thing to go to the doctor's about :'(
Question, did anyone find vagifem or anything like that helped this? And is there anyone on a high dose of vagifem.
I'm curious though also because I first felt this sensation after using vagifem, I thought it was all my tissues plumping out inside so I ignored it, but now wondering if it's helping or hindering. Or helping, but feels like it's hindering because things were worse before.
I've been very bad with the diet. Strangely enough when I was having porridge every morning I noticed a sensation of everything inside 'lifting' and I don't just think that would be fibre. I wonder if there is something in oats (and blueberries?) that assists the hormones. I'll start back on the porridge anyway.
thanks for any experience / advice :)
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I'm not taking it daily, I was getting migraine, but seemed to cope with every other day. I may try daily now I'm more used to it, but a bit worried because I have different breast issues since using the vagifem, although that might be a coincidence. Thanks.
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Yes, aware these things happen as we age, it's just when it's sudden or new I tend to jump to the worst conclusions.
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Have downloaded the Squeezy app and set reminders ;D I figure if something has gone out of place the exercises might put it back if I start now :-\ ;D
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Thanks Jaypo, I had a benign lesion in the breast a long time ago, but was never given advice about hrt etc as it was well before all that. I was told it was benign and no other risk factors, but I don't look the thing up online because I see there is some debate about it. I don't know what else they test for to tell me there was no other risk factors either.
The GP I saw just nodded and said I'd be fine with hrt, but considering what I had in the breast is rare, I'm not sure she even knew what it was, even the breast surgeon didn't know with 30 years of working in the field. He said he'd learned something.
So it's always a concern, but you've reassured me a bit about vagifem, I think I'll take it again tomorrow, hopefully I won't get all sound sensitive and migrainey, which was happening, but in theory, if I do it gradually I might be ok.
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I listen to my body way too much as well, but then am phobic about going and getting checked out. Have to deal with this, not a good strategy going forward. :(
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Tonight my mood has lifted and strangely, the ache down below has gone as well and the 'problem' I noticed, like a swelling inside, has gone.
Now wondering if the problem is a temporary one based on what hormones are doing. Also I was on a much lower dose of my thyroxine over the weekend because I'd ran out, and now I've had 2 days normal again, whether that's turned it around and my mood as well. Don't know, but feeling happier that it's resolved for now.
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thanks, it's really weird, I never thought I would have VA, as no dryness, etc. It's more about a feeling of mild prolapse, which reverses, but this week these new symptoms.
Last night it all resolved and my mood lifted, this morning mood low again. I don't normally get depressed, I'll see what's happening in a few days, it might be temporary and hormonal. But I've taken another vagifem today, so far no side effects (migraine), so hopefully all settled on that score. :)
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Hi Karashannon
I had a cycstoceke and rectocele repair back in 1997 and the rectocele has returned. Vagifem helps LOTS with being able to pass a BM and with that ‘lifted’ feeling you mention. I always thought it was proper emptying that allowed everything to feel ‘right’ as opposed to always feeling pressure and discomfort.
If you do think you have pelvic floor damage do see your doc, as there are things you can do to stop it progressing.
Best of luck
Sparkler.
X
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Thanks Sparkler and Jaypo, I've completed a eConsult today, and will receive a call by 6th March. I guess if they want to examine me I'll have to bite the bullet
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Sparkler, sorry to hear it's returned, is it manageable without further surgery?
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I hope to avoid further surgery Karashannon as it’s manageable at the moment. A squatty potty (aligns the rectum on the toilet) and careful diet make it ok. I will probably have it surgically repaired again in a few years - balancing being young enough to heal properly but old enough that it’s the last time for it to be done.
To be fair, at the time I was told the repair would ‘last’ 10 to 15 years, so I am grateful i’m still basically managing 24 years later.
If you are diagnosed with a rectocele, it’s worth doing some reading and working out what you will do if constipated, as you have to avoid this if possible.
Best of luck and let us know how you get on.
S
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Thanks Jaypo and Sparkler
Sparkler did you have discomfort when you were sitting down? I've had that for 3 days now, and it's vaginal discomfort. It's not really bad as such, but I'm aware of it and so concerned what it is. I don't think dryness would just do that? I've never experienced dryness, maybe it's the start of that. Anyway, we'll see what they say.
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Hi Karashannon
It can happen that you have vaginal discomfort, but generally only if the vagina in ‘falling out’ or if there is constipation. Or if either of those things have caused irritation. Vagifem does increase discharge which could cause irritation.
Sorry I don’t have more answers. In my case (and I know we are all different) I only ever got discomfort when the vaginal wall was actually bulging in. Mine was about 10cm in diameter (quite large). I’m not a doctor so I don’t know more than that really.
I so hope you feel better soon. It’s just horrible to feel uncomfortable.
S
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Thanks Sparkler, I'm just over worrying. Mainly because I don't like having to go to the doctor, lol. I'll report back.
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So, after a week of being depressed I've worked out this morning what I think is going on. I keep telling myself if something is wrong it'll only get worse and worse, that everything is a disaster, that nothing will improve.
I know if it's something requiring surgery that can improve things, but that doesn't help because of my general phobia of all things medical since an event that happened some years back. That said I'd do it if necessary.
Anyway, question, can anyone tell me of any symptoms they had down there that did seem to improve spontaneously, or with diet, exercise, hrt or anything? And if not, anyone who's had good improvement since medical treatment (even the thought of treatment bothers me, the stories might help, thanks Sparkler for your's <3)
I just keep waking up each morning telling myself I'm doomed, bit dramatic, but worried that pelvic floor stuff leads to incontinence, since last weekend I've been like this, going on a bit too long now, lol. I was like it once before when I noticed I'd leaked without even being aware of it. It was just a few days of it and that was over a year ago and it's gone, so I seem to sink down the minute I think I'll have anything that could affect me socially.
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I've got the Squeezy app, better start how I mean to go on, figuring whatever is wrong this can't hurt. Thing is, it's not sending me any reminders at the moment ;D
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Hi there
I bought an exercise vid called ‘inside out’ made by an Australian physio for women. It’s so mild it can be used from 2 weeks post surgery. I find it helps keep me calm as I can do all the exercises and they are ones which cannot do more damage.
If you do have a prolapse there are some exercises you should never do. It’s only a thought but doing the vid 2 or 3 times a week makes me feel like I am keeping everything working as best I can.
S
xx
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Hi KaraShannon
Even a slight prolapse can be uncomfortable to sit on, I used to need a medical doughnut for work (deskjob). Also if its protruding it will get sore and chafed even if you're dry or not. I had days when it seemed better, especially if I'd emptied my bowels without a lot of pushing. Bad days would be after I'd lifted something heavy without thinking, usually my grandchildren when they ran to hug me. A bad cough was not good either and I dreaded a sneeze!
Nowadays surgery is a last resort, local estrogen and physiotherapy are first treatments. It worked for me, it took about 6 months with very gradual improvement.
Prolapses, vaginal atrophy and bladder problems are nearly always because of estrogen deficiency. As Sparkler said doing pelvic floor exercises without the estrogen and if you're not doing them right can actually make things worse, ask to be referred to a physiotherapist. I took Vagifem daily, now reduced to 5 per week and have Ovestin every night for external use for the atrophy, sadly thats never going away but very managable for the last few years. The sooner you get started the better.
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Hi there
I bought an exercise vid called ‘inside out’ made by an Australian physio for women. It’s so mild it can be used from 2 weeks post surgery. I find it helps keep me calm as I can do all the exercises and they are ones which cannot do more damage.
If you do have a prolapse there are some exercises you should never do. It’s only a thought but doing the vid 2 or 3 times a week makes me feel like I am keeping everything working as best I can.
S
xx
Interesting, thanks Sparkler. I want to do regular exercises, so I will look this one up.
Meanwhile the Squeezy App (which is recommended by the NHS) doesn't give me any reminders. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. I quite like the idea of my phone pinging and being told to squeeze, while no one knows what's going on ;D
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Hi KaraShannon
Even a slight prolapse can be uncomfortable to sit on, I used to need a medical doughnut for work (deskjob). Also if its protruding it will get sore and chafed even if you're dry or not. I had days when it seemed better, especially if I'd emptied my bowels without a lot of pushing. Bad days would be after I'd lifted something heavy without thinking, usually my grandchildren when they ran to hug me. A bad cough was not good either and I dreaded a sneeze!
Nowadays surgery is a last resort, local estrogen and physiotherapy are first treatments. It worked for me, it took about 6 months with very gradual improvement.
Prolapses, vaginal atrophy and bladder problems are nearly always because of estrogen deficiency. As Sparkler said doing pelvic floor exercises without the estrogen and if you're not doing them right can actually make things worse, ask to be referred to a physiotherapist. I took Vagifem daily, now reduced to 5 per week and have Ovestin every night for external use for the atrophy, sadly thats never going away but very managable for the last few years. The sooner you get started the better.
Thanks Dierdre
I've started to take vagifem daily. When I first did that I had headaches, ringing in the ears, noise sensitivity, hair falling out. None of that is happening now, and I hadn't read about these side effects, I didn't read anything or know anything, they just happened. It wasn't a lot of hair coming out but enough for me to notice.
I'm so glad all that's stopped, I've taken vagifem every day this last week and so far no side effects.
This is probably tmi but I've always noticed a fullness in the vagina before a bowel movement, I mean having gone in there and checked, even when I was a teen. Now I'm wondering if I've had a rectocele all that time, or if that's normal. I've certainly had no problems or symptoms until this week. The other thing that's gone through my mind, having googled is a gartners cyst , as the discomfort may be coming from the front of the vagina, not sure, it's hard to tell, it seems to change. I've been a bit unwell with my throat also, I'm just wondering if it's a mild infection that will go away, but you don't normally have gynae issues with an infection and I don't have a urine infection.
I know before I started vagifem I wondered about prolapse, the main symptom being slight loss of gas without warning, thankfully not much and not all the time ;D but things like that still bother me. With vagifem I'd say it's a lot less noticeable now.
Thanks for your advice, I'm going to ask to be referred to a physiotherapist if necessary, I expect she'll want to examine me first.
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It does sound like a prolapse. Keep on with the vagifem and ask for referral to a pelvic floor specialist clinic where you will be assessed and given the right programme of exercises to do. This staved mine off for a good ten years before surgery was necessary. A lot of it depends on your own muscle structure too.
Taz x :)
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Thanks Taz, when you say it staved things off, are you saying I could get this improved without surgery potentially?
Also do the exercises all improve things or just prevent them getting worse. My fitness is not good at the moment but I'm hoping to get fitter and wonder if all my muscles work better, maybe the pelvic floor will improve as well. I've been very bad in how I sit at the computer desk, balanced on my coccyx with feet up. Terrible posture. I've decided to stop that and wonder if everything will just fall (not too much ;D) back into place.
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I feel really rubbish, I think I've had tonsilitis all week, that might be why I've let this get to me
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It kept things manageable for around ten years but then, following a nasty chest infection with a really persistent cough which took three different types of antibiotics to clear, also coinciding with being asked by my GP to take a break from HRT, I developed a uterine prolapse. I already had a cystocele which I'd been given the exercise programme for. The uterine prolapse was very uncomfy but it did help with the cystocele (positive result!) as the womb was pushing the cystocele out of the way! Every cloud and all of that ;D I had a hysterectomy for the uterine prolapse (not something I really wanted to have done) and the cystocele was repaired at the same time. That was six years ago and the cystocele repair has just begun to fail which is about right time-wise.
If you improve your core strength then this can help with the pelvic floor health I believe. There are a lot of exercises you can't do with a prolapse as this puts strain on the pelvic floor making things worse. Have a good read up on it so that you can improve things early on. My history of being small (4ft 11in) and having had three babies (two fast deliveries) and also having had an episiotomy hasn't put me in a good place pelvic floor wise.
There is the Kegel 8 machine which is advertised as having great results but both my consultant and my pelvic floor specialist practitioner gave it a thumbs down but I there there are women on here who have had good results with it. Maybe search for Kegel 8 and see what comes up?
Taz x :hug:
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Thanks Taz, I hope things remain stable for you.
I haven't had kids so I have no excuse, I also wouldn't even know how to talk about this stuff to anyone, as everyone I know who has an issue of some sort usually starts with the kids they've had (which kind of makes it acceptable, and I too am cheering them on). I thought my worst menopausal thing was flooding, which decided to happen while visiting someone I'd not seen in years, thankfully not noticeable but still had to explain why I had to keep going back to the bathroom. What will it be next time I wonder, sorry I'm taking so long in the bathroom, all my bits are mixed up and interfering with one another ;D
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I thought I'd add here rather than start another thread.
I've had an awful throat all week, which I think is improving now, but taken vagifem all last week too, the weekend was pretty stressful with neighbour noise, yesterday I felt so stressed. Thankfully I got a good night's sleep and feeling a bit better but still really pent up stressy. I'm just wondering if vagifem everyday helped do this. I know I'm not well and there's other stresses, but before it made me very noise sensitive. I don't think that's happened, all those symptoms have not happened and calmed down, but perhaps still a bit stressy? yesterday my heart started skipping as well which is usually a hormonal thing rather than stress with me.
Anyway, today giving myself a break from vagifem but will try and take it more than every other day and see if that helps. Doctor has texted to get me to make an appointment for an examination. Things feel a bit better in the last two days, not fully but better. I will make the appointment, but feel I'm dealing with a lot of different things at the moment and yesterday felt very mentally overwhelmed, and I usually handle things well. Thanks anyone that read this, lol.