Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hugsneeded1958]

Could we have more recent advice please .seems some views are 2007 and may not be up to date.unless which is likely. Not useing post correctly tha ks .

[Joaniepat]

Hi Hugsneeded1958, welcome to the forum. What is it you need to know?

[Hugsneeded1958]

I am 61 have used. Vagifem and ovestin on and off for years.now use vagifem but seem to need 2or3 week as estrogen drops and I seem to be getting bloated and having tummy cramps .feel windy too.i have put on weight but that is metabolism slowing down.as I have posted this before.i have in passed 2 years had all test c.t. poo samples gyny exam and ovarian blood test.no uti. could I become sensitive to fillers in vagifem. Anyone else have it.because of covid19 appointment with dr difficult. 🤯

[sprocket]

I agree that a list of all things that may help
dryness/atrophy would be really helpful.
I use Ovestin, V Magic and Yes Moisturiser ( although it stings externally when Im having a flare up ) Ive also just started taking Seabuckthorn Oil capsules but its too soon to say if its working.
Would love to hear if anyone has found a good anti-swelling type cream for just outside the vagina as it can feel quite swollen at times.
Appreciated.

x

[CLKD]

Is the vagina swollen?  Get a mirror and have a look-C because what we feel with fingers may be the product working and plumping up the
 area ;-).

[sprocket]

Hiya CKLD,
God yes, it feels sore and swollen. Just not its usual happy self. Im sure it flares up when Im at work on a Monday as Im sitting on a hard office chair for 8hrs. Im looking for a cream to apply that will help reduce the swelling. My V Magic cream doesnt really do that.

X

[CLKD]

Feeling swollen isn't the same as actually being swollen.  Get that mirror out ;-).  If I suggested sitting on a swimming ring or similar? would you know what I mean, you should be able to buy suitable pads from a mobility outlet.  Have a look-see on line?

[sprocket]

CKLD- you mean like a rubber ring-type device thingy?
The girls at work actually got me a blow up thing but its awkward to sit on all day.
Its not the whole vagina that feels swollen its the introitus/entrance. It feels like pin hole size. I did have a look and I think it just looks sore. I could really be doing with a gynae person having a proper look down there as my Gp just doesnt specialise in things outwith the usual.

[Southern Girl]

Hi Fluffy and all,

I have just started to read this amazing helpful but very long thread!

I wondered about your experience of dong quai now ? I am 48 and have just hit proper meno - and EVERYTHING has dried up including my libido and sex is now painful for the first time in my life.. :'

I really don't want to use estriol / local oestrogen as I was prescribed it before and think it massively ramped up my adenomyosis (similar to endo) after a few months using from moderate pain to making my life unbearable for 3-4 days a month .. I know its not meant to affect you systemically but my hugely swollen breastfeeding like boobs told another story!

so VERY interested in any other remedies anyone with endometriosis or adenomyosis as found which haven't led to a flare up.

Have seen sea buckthorn mentioned as well and bit scared as have seen leaky gut mentioned and other nasty side effects possible...

Any help very gratefully received !

Lunalowe

Hi there,

I'm new and have been going through peri since Oct 2012 (now 52).  There is a company online called Healthspan who sell products especially for women pre and post menopause which have certainly worked for me.  The products are called 'Replenish' and they do a Silk Comfort Gel that may help with issues down below. I've used it and it seems to be fine (although to be fair I haven't suffered unduly).

Cheers
SG

[TnToast]

Hi

Things which helped me for a while include:

Washing with Dermol 500 and being VERY careful not to let any shower gel or shampoo get down there.

Applying a layer of Hydromol over the inner area to act as a barrier - after shower and after going to the loo.

Using YES VM - single dose applicator every two nights and a few drops from tube instead of Hydromol overnight, every night.

Avoiding trousers all Spring and Summer, never wearing jeans anymore and wearing loose trousers around the house in the winter.

However in spite of this things have got worse lately and I have got very sore (and on inspection very red and raw) so after taking advice on this forum I am finally using the Vagifem I have been prescribed and am going to ask for some cream to use externally too. The information on the Jane Lewis video clip (conversation with Dr Sarah Ball) which someone on here pointed me to was very helpful and made me accept that this won't get better without a bit of (local) hormone help.

[Loo53]

I’ve given up on mine.

[Bluesky]

Hello! I am in peri menopause. I started noticing pain and irritation in my labia and no vaginal discharge at all like I use to. This lead to thrush. I went to GP and gave me treatment for thrush for 3 months. A thrush pessary every week. This did nothing cause thrush was a consequence of vaginal atrophy. Eventually GP gave me ovestin. Stayed on it for 2 months but I noticed that still have thrush and irritated a lot my urethra. My urine test always comes back with no infection but with blood(not visible) which I think is a sign of VA. Switched to Vagifem, which didn’t give irritation but I need it at least 4 times a week but still get thrush. Swap came back positive for Candida/thrush. I went to private and DR gave me letter for my GP to prescribe HRy systemic and a king course of thrush med for 6 months. My GP still hasn’t prescribed the HRT yet wants me to have an ultrasound scan.... I don’t understand why delay the prescription until I have my ultrasound ( private again cause nhs sexual clinic I got referred to has huge backlog due to Covid. I was referred Nov 2020 still waiting)
Truly desperate. I use probiotics cotton underwear mutygyn gel, yes vaginal moisturiser plus vagifem. Nothing seems to keep it at bay. 

[Ellie2]

I´m in peri and it was urogenital symptoms that finally made me start HRT.

I had been experiencing frequent trips t the bathroom and getting up at night to pee, but then I got something that could be a UTI but a bit asymptomatic. I was first treated for vaginal infection (that helped because I had that), but after 2 days the urethra burning came back. I then had 3 successive batches of antibiotics that did almost nothing for me. Bacterial growth tests came back negative.

In the meantime I had been reading all about painful bladder syndrome and was starting to slightly panic. But - in all those terrible articles I also saw people mention vaginal dryness and lack of estrogen, so I started Vagifem (OTC in Scandinavia). My GP never mentioned neither dryness or menopause as a possible cause...

After 2 weeks I felt way, way better. The burning sensation diminished and as a pleasant side effect I felt really content and somehow relaxed, and I connected the dots - estrogen!
TMI here, but my vulva changed visually as well and looks healthy (if you understand...)

I went to my gynaechologist and got a prescription for HRT and after 2 weeks on Lenzetto in addition to Vagifem (use it every 3 days now) all my urogenital symptoms are gone. All in all it took 5 weeks. My gyn advised that I could use estrogen cream in addition to relieve dryness, she saw no issues by using all 3 at the same time as long as I tolerated it. In the ned I didn´t need to

I did experience mild discomfort with Vagifem in the very beginning, and I think that was because the area was so dry and sore. I also had some very slight spotting. All that took about 10 days to resolve.

Symptoms that resolved:
- bladder pressure
- burning urethra
- pain sitting down
- thin, dry skin down there
- soreness
- frequent urination
- nocturnal urination

[CLKD]

Girls - vaginal atrophy can imitate thrush symptoms.  So continue with the appropriate VA treatment, if necessary every night.  Sometimes ladies require two Vagifem at the same time, it's such a small amount of active ingredient.  Candida thrives on sugars all the way through the digestive tract, I use LIVE yoghurt [Greek] when I have niggles which mayB thrush - which 4 me is itching really high up in the vagina. 

Your GP is checking the lining of the womb but if she doesn't want to prescribe until the results are back, ring and ask her to request an urgent appt. Bluesky ?

2 stop the need2P sensation I take 2x'nurofen' 3 times a day to ease the spincter as it shuts off. 

Nowt is TMI ;-). Every experience can be read, taken on board, shelves until required ........

[CLKD]

Also - thrush lives in the back passage and can be drawn forwards into the vaginal area by wiping the 'wrong' way.