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[Blot]

Hi DG. No I don't feel like I need to wee all the time. Well not as much as I did when this all started. This had lessened in fact before I started the vagifem and I mainly started using it for the soreness. Now it's mainly the soreness and irritation inside and outside the vagina but when I do need to wee things are more uncomfortable. When I stopped after the first attempt, the symptoms were still there. I just got it into my head that the vagifem had make things worse and kick started everything , but maybe they would have just gotten worse in any case.

I am 8 years post menopause and never had any hrt or anything before this.

My anxiety is dreadful and I can't seem to distract myself at the moment. I don't want to meet anyone or do anything much, it's just too much hard work.

I will try the nytol to help with the sleep but will probably stick to mornings until I go onto the twice a week. Hopefully when I go to twice a week, and I'm back at work I won't be thinking about it so much.

It's just the thought of what I'm experiencing doesn't seem to fit in with the majority of other users and I'm catasrophising that this will never end.

[Dancinggirl]

Ahhhh! If you are that post meno, then what you are experiencing could well be everything waking up with the oestrogen - and this is not a bad thing. When I started back on systemic HRT after a one year break, I got all sorts of tingling, aching and itchiness around my intimate area - the gynaecologist described this as “ the body waking up”.   I suspect your atrophy may have been quite advanced so now that whole area is going to take some time to plump up and start to be more resilient again. Oestrogen deficiency makes the skin thinner and more sensitive, it doesn't heal so well and will also react more to all irritants. It may take some weeks for your intimate area to restore so you've got to be patient and use Vagifem for the long term.
IT might be wise to do every other day for a couple of weeks once you've done the 2 week load to really get the full benefit more quickly. I've even heard they are giving ladies in their 70s-80s Vagifem because they keep getting UTIs!!

If you are awake at 5am to use the Vagifem then I'm not surprised you are feeing tired and stressed. I still think using it at night, taking a Nytol and then getting a good 6-7 hours sleep ( even if you have to get up to pee once or twice) would be far better than setting the alarm for 5am to use the Vagifem! 

You sound so tired and stressed - I think you need more quality sleep to be able to get through this. 
It might be worth considering something to help with anxiety - did you discuss this with your GP? DG x

[Blot]

I'm an early waker and don't wake up especially to use the vagifem. It's just that if I wake up, I go to the loo then use it after.

I am very stressed and emotional. I did bring the anxiety up with the gp but didn't really want antidepressants and tbh I was crying and couldn't really say all I wanted to say, just trying to hold things together. She gave me propranolol which I haven't really taken properly.

That's interesting about waking everything up. I'd never even heard of atrophy till I came here with my bladder problems initially and had no symptoms - sex not a regular thing in my life for various reasons so didn't experience any unusual soreness.

Thank you for trying to help me DG x

[Dancinggirl]

I have heard that Propranolol is quite good for anxiety so perhaps for a short time it might be worth trying it properly.  To be suffering so badly with anxiety in this way isn't good.  DG x

[daska86]

Blot my anxiety reached overload and I am back on meds including propanolol. The Vagifem appeared to be working but when I reduced it everything flared up again and the burning spread to my buttocks. I'm back on 14 days loading and it's like starting over, and the GP wants me to reduce it again.I need the nice guidelines to take in to the surgery. Anyone know where to find and download. My life is pretty crap right now

[Blot]

Sorry to hear that daska. I hope the meds start having an effect soon and give you a break from this.

I've finished the 14 days and have had 2 nights off and I'm on the 2/3 nights a week now. I'll see how I get on.  I'm pretty up and down. Sometimes the vag feels ok, not 100% but better than it has been, then it gets worse again. All the moisturisers seem to make me worse as well so having a break from them too, unless I'm desperate and I will try anything.

I'm pretty depressed though and do think the anxiety about it all is making things a lot worse.

[daska86]

I tried the Facebook group but some of the posts made the anxiety worse so I had to leave. I have read Jane's book though which is very helpful and at least I have options to try.

[Robin]

I think I might have found what  you're looking for daska86. I don't know how to recreate the link here but will describe where to find it. If you look under personal experiences there is a thread near the top coloured purple titled how do you cope with vaginal dryness. Look on Page 68 at the post by dancing girl. Hope that helps

[Katejo]

Blot my anxiety reached overload and I am back on meds including propanolol. The Vagifem appeared to be working but when I reduced it everything flared up again and the burning spread to my buttocks. I'm back on 14 days loading and it's like starting over, and the GP wants me to reduce it again.I need the nice guidelines to take in to the surgery. Anyone know where to find and download. My life is pretty crap right now

  Is this what you are looking for daska86?  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs143/resources/menopause-pdf-75545477829061

[daska86]

Thanks ladies think it might be

[Blot]

I was the same Daska. I had to leave the Facebook group as it wasn't helping, quite a few negative comments which is not what you want to hear.

It's so difficult to not think about it 

[Blot]

I'm still waiting for things to improve here. I'm now onto the twice a week vagifem but think I might try every other night for a few weeks. I have had times where I feel ok but then the symptoms come back again and are still moving around, sometimes feeling like I need to wee all the time, then changing to soreness just inside then soreness outside, then aching. My gp told me it could take 2 or 3 months to see an improvement. I feel totally weird and like a freak as I'm sure I'm the only one with random aches and soreness and the only one not to see much improvement 

On the plus side, I haven't cried for a whole week. That's a bonus.

[Dancinggirl]

You are not a freak and what you're experiencing is not unusual. Your GP is right - it can take some months for things to improve and settle but I can tell you that it is something that will need constant management. I am comfortable about 90% of the time these days but before Vagifem I was constantly sore. Keep going - you are making progress. DG x

[Blot]

Thanks DG. It's good to hear that because it's very disheartening when you think things aren't so bad but then symptoms come back and seem worse. I'm really sore today and trying to figure out why but I will keep going. I've read it can take many months to see an improvement so I'm hanging onto that.

[Tinkerbell]

I need to use Vagifem every day, twice a week might not be enough for you, I have never been able to manage on the prescribed dose of two even in the peri stage.