Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Nas on June 05, 2022, 11:09:30 AM
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Yes, the bladder irritation is back with a vengeance.
Currently on 75 patch with mirena, daily vagifem and daily Ovestin.
What an earth is going on?
Lost count of wee trips last night and back to work tomorrow! 🤦♀️😥
Why is this happening?
My only saving grace is I have an appointment with the M clinic on Thursday and I hope to be examined.
Jeez wiz, such hell 😟
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Nas, mine is still causing bladder frequency even though I’m on daily vagifem and blissel. It’s definitely low Estrogen for me. How often do you use local Estrogen?
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Hi Floo,
Daily vagifem and daily Ovestin, which is why I don’t understand what’s going on ?
What’s blissel?
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When I get the Need2P I take 'nurofen' - 2 capsules 3 times a day until symptoms ease. MayB add an extra 'vagifem' every 3rd night for 7 to see if that eases symptoms?
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Unless it’s an embedded infection from Easter ( the last horrific episode of bladder frequency)
I can feel the irritation as I sit and walk. I’m thinking my patch isn’t sufficient either as my hands are dry and cracked, lips are cracked, downstairs is dry again and I’m irritable.
All in all, a mess 😟
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What's your Plan? Could you insert some 'ovestin' in the morning to top up the lack of oestrogen?
I get irritable when I'm tired >:(
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I think you are right Nas, definitely more/ better absorption is required - very frustrating. Do you take testosterone? I have found that made a huge difference to the extent I no longer need any topical oestrogen x
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CLKD the plan is to ask menopause clinic to ask GP to prescribe vagifem daily not twice weekly. Same for Ovestin.
Then increase oestrogen
( maybe switch product)
Finally, request testosterone.
This is going to a challenge. Primarily as I’ve had breast cancer and even meno clinic are not happy prescribing higher doses of hormones for me.
No, I can’t see another specialist. I’ve paid hundreds already for the privilege of having cancer 13 years ago 😬
Sarcastic undertones I know, but seriously I’m so fed up with it all.
Gnatty, does t help with bladder issues then? I do have some from a previous prescription.
Xx
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So sorry Nas.
I wonder if you’ve got a flare up of a residual infection post Minerva insertion?
Might be a good idea to get urine dipped and sent off for testing tomorrow.
If so, you could try d-mannose to treat and you might have to stay on a maintenance dose for awhile. X
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My experience if testosterone is that it stopped me leaking by improving muscle tone everywhere including pelvic floor. I'm not sure it would control the urge to wee but probably worth trying (fortunately no experience as I don't have va yet).
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Oh I’m sorry Nas, this sucks for you and it’s so unfair. I wish I had something useful to add, I don’t know much about it. I can only recommend things like d-mannose, I have used as I used to get cystitis so much! Mirena insertion may indeed have played its part in this flare up. All that dryness isn’t good and definitely needs resolving. Do you have digestion issues? I have had eczema and psoriasis a lot, my husband too, figured out a lot of it is digestion related. We drank green smoothies for a good clear out and fibre boost and it massively helped. This could be nothing to do with that though and entirely meno related so ignore me if you wish! Just hoping I can help you.
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I would be ringing my GP in the morning explaining that I will be using the products daily. Sorry, though you were already using nightly :-\
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I would think it would as it plumps up everything and muscle tone too so generally less irritated.
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Thanks all.
Just feeling very sad and fed up today. It seems there is no end to this hell at times.
ATB, you could be right re: the mirena having a part to play. I will ask the consultant on Thursday and see what she says.
I don't suffer from digestion issues generally, but thanks for the supportive message, trust me, right now, it means alot.
CLKD, I am going to ask the meno comsultant to write to GP to prescribe the vagifem ect daily. Until now they have refused, but enough is enough now. My quality of life is seriously compromised.
Gnatty, I may as well dig out the T then. Can't feel any worse than I do today. I mean I just don't even know how one can wee so damm much and so often?
Sheila, I hope the VA never comes your way. It is hell on earth once it rears its head.
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Poor you. I have nothing useful to add with regard to the HRT, but I use vagifem and ovestin alternately daily, and usually do a 2 week reload of vagifem every 3 months or so, and still sometimes have flare ups. Regarding your dryness, i am not able to take HRT but I have found Sea Buckthorn oil capsules are useful for your vagina, skin, ears, eyes, nose and dry skin generally. Have a look at the Pharma Nord website for general info on it. It sounds as if it could be something to do with the mirena coil though, rather a coincidence otherwise.
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You could ask for a blood test to check your estrogen levels because it might be that even though you have a 75 patch, you're just not absorbing the estrogen well? Some women don't absorb well from patches. In which case it doesn't matter what you stick on yourself, it really matters what your blood estrogen is (in terms of what they should be happy to prescribe) and you might then be able to get them to prescribe 100 for you.
Estrogen should be above 250nmol for bone protection and health generally so if it's under that, you could rightly request an increase for lots of reasons.
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Thanks joziel
Something tells me that I’m not on enough oestrogen yet again. Reason being, the bladder was starting up a couple of days prior to the mirena fitting. I must have gone numerous times before 11am!
Also, I was grumpy days before mirena. Like PMT.
Anxiety was also lurking prior to Mirena . I had the most awful driving anxiety at one point. It went eventually but now I can feel it returning!
I’ve got a blood test on 13th June. My last one was March time and level was 300 ( but that was when I was on 1mg oral) Prior to that, I was 460 for a long time on my 75 patch and didn’t feel too bad.
I’m stressing because I’m already in the hands of a specialist and she’s already told me that she’s not comfortable prescribing high doses of hormones.
My life feels over 😪
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Nas, it's defo not over :) Even if this particular person won't prescribe more, you can go private if you need to. I see Newson Health via video consults but I'm also in the process of trying to find someone locally and get that set up. It's been a bit of a quest and I have an appointment at the end of June with someone new now - but I feel like even if I do find someone locally, I will always keep Newson Health going - because I know they are liberal with prescribing on the whole and I worry about putting all my eggs in one basket and then getting a 'computer says no' at some future point if something crops up. So I might end up with some kind of stockpile of HRT at this rate and two doctors for it. ;D
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Thanks joziel,
Already been privately and now see her on the NHS.
I’m also under Chelsea and Westminster clinic so may have to contact them if I don’t get any joy out of current specialist.
It’s been such a messy journey as Chelsea wouldn’t let me have a coil ( past cancer diagnosis) so had to put up with persistent bleeding on oestrogen, even though utrogestan didn’t work for me. But yes to higher oestrogen
( transdermal only!)
New specialist said yes to coil but no to higher doses of
oestrogen.
🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
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Sorry to hear you are suffering Nas. It’s so awful having problems in that department, no one seems to understand how bad it is unless you’ve suffered in this way yourself and when it happens to you it feels very desperate and lonely! It sounds like you’ve got a good plan of action now though and that always makes you feel a tiny bit more positive despite the miserable discomfort.
Have you had your general oestrogen levels checked recently just to check you are absorbing from the patch ok? Hope you get some help next week and start to feel more comfortable soon x
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Thanks Blue.
So miserable today. The bladder and the anxiety are the 2 things i just cant deal with.
My blood test isnt until June 13th and my appt with MS is on Thursday, so not sure how I'm going to play this one.
Bladder has truly gone awol today for sure. I dont know whether to remove patch and dollop on the gel instead. Or stick on 2×50 patches and see if the extra helps? 😕
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Get tested for an infection Nas. Don’t rule it out as a possibility.
Big hugs to you tonight x
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Ignore me if this is completely not useful for you ... I was constantly going to the loo, drove me mad, meant I couldn't get a night's sleep, and during the day this intense and irritating half-need, all the time, it was like I never actually finished weeing, there was always a little bit more, and my bladder had to be completely empty no matter what. I even remember posting on here because (I think as I recall) cat flaps were like sandpaper and hubs was kind of getting 'burned' whenever we had relations. It wasn't an infection. I was on HRT back then. In desperation, and due to other issues, I saw a herbalist. She said it was my adrenalin function, part of fight or flight, because that's what animals do, feel the need to empty their bladder. She gave me some herbal medicine and within a couple of weeks (after months of come and go discomfort) it had gone, including all the dry as dust stuff. I carried on seeing her for a couple of years.
Anyway, these days, whenever I get a sniff of that fight or flight looping one of the things I do is drink Twinings Sleep (valerian and orange blossom) x 2 before bed for a week or so. However, valerian is a pretty strong herb, maybe even in a Twinings thing from the supermarket, I don't know. I'm not suggesting you take it, just saying what I found useful.
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Thanks Elk, will give that some thought. I honestly don’t know what’s going on. If vagifem and Ovestin don’t work, I’ve got no hope!
March, I will get tested for an infection for sure, thank you x
What an awful day. Just weeing non stop and no sign of it letting up 😟
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Nas, you must have hope! These things are not quick fixes and acceptance of the situation will help your adrenals to ignore that fight or flight situation.
It’s very hard and something I’m going through at the moment for different reasons.
But time and again I very very slowly realise that this is what occurs with me with every new symptom crisis.
Step back if you can (like I’m also trying to do!) and feel the true you beyond these symptoms.
Then get testing!! xx
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Thanks March
Trying hard, trying not to just give up on life.
X
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Let’s not I’ve up Nas, coz we’re worth far more than our hormones, bless ‘em! xxx
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What was the reason for refusing a mirena because of bc? I can't see why it should make a difference.
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Sheila, who knows. They have it in their head that all should be 'body identical' regardless whether it works or not.