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Author Topic: It's not working  (Read 3426 times)

Tc

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It's not working
« on: January 13, 2019, 08:06:42 PM »

Hiya.
Almost 3 weeks on estriol 0.01 now continously. Inside and out at night.
 Its just not working. Very slight improvement bladder wise but still very dry at entrance and just inside. Lack of sensation and feeling of inflexibility even inserting the applicator 

Shouldn't it be working by now?

I've only been in surmeno  for 5 months how can VA ihave got that severe that quick. I thought being on patches would at least mean if VA developed it wouldn't be as severe. But. 
.
After 4 months on patches test showed my E is as low as it would be without any treatment  gutted!! Wasted 4 months.

Ive not absorbed the E from my patches. The P  has made me I'll and I had such high hopes for this topical treatment but it seems I've failed at that as well.

I feel like a failure and I hate my body right now.

 I hope and pray it gets better than this. Surely my body has to respond to something eventually.

Any advice 're the estriol cream? Does it just not work for some.?
 Do I need to keep taking it continously for longer?. .
Thanks for any advice ladies.
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CLKD

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2019, 08:09:18 PM »

Vaginal atrophy is different to other problems and requires specific treatment.  I find Ovestin eases symptoms and many use Vagifem with success.  Have you tried two doses up there every other night?  Sometimes there isn't enough in the product itself to help.
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CLKD

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2019, 08:28:27 PM »

The trick is to keep the whole vaginal area as supple as possible, treating with 'yes' or 'sylc' products as well as your vaginal application of choice.   So putting moisturiser around the outer lips several times a day, drinking plenty to ease any bladder niggles; some find adding bicarb of soda to a glass of water helps that.  Taking a pain relief tablet can also ease bladder feelings [at least 3 times a day until that eases. 

Vagifem was initially made in 25 ? doses, now it's as low as 10 ...... which is why some find they need nightly use.
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AgathaC

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2019, 08:45:51 PM »

You're not a failure, Tc, and so I don't like hearing you use that word. No failures here. Just ladies doing our best to wade through the shit show of the menopause.
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Tc

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2019, 09:22:21 PM »

Thanks ladies. Birdy it has comforted me to know that I'm not alone in not responding to the patches at all. I guess I had read when ladies have said they weren't working for them it was side effects or levels not raising enough. But for levels not to move at All?  It did feel like I must be failing especially with the topical cream not working either

 sorry to use that F word. It was aimed only at myself Im just proper down on myself at moment. Chastising myself for not being able to pull myself out of depression this time and be thankful for what I've got  telling myself im stupid, useless, ugly, a let down to everyone.
I have never thought that about anyone else in my life. Just myself. I looked in the mirror this evening and thought "I hate you"

It's hard to get perspective but the replies tonight  have helped. Calm, practical advice and encouragement. Will try to take those thoughts away with me.thank you all so much.xxx
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Tc

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2019, 09:50:36 PM »

Thanks birdy. When you said hang on in there love it will get better I felt so comforted  i realised it's what I've been lacking someone to put their arm around me and say it's gonna be okay  it's what my wife would've done. Unlike others in my life she never went in for the tough love approach when I was down. Just the love love approach.god how I miss her.
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Tc

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2019, 10:00:46 PM »

Thank you so much. I've just made a cuppa and will go to bed with your words of comfort. Love what you said about a soft place to land. So true..
Sometimes that hug and it'll be ok is realy what's needed most. I don't have that physically but I do feel as though I have tonight through you
It realy means so much.xxx
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Joaniepat

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2019, 10:16:41 PM »

Tc, perhaps you need different products? I didn't absorb enough oestrogen from the gels, so have been switched to patches. It seems you just don't absorb very well from the patches so need to try something else. Also, as I think I might have said on another thread, you may do better with Vagifem and Ovestin for the VA. Is there any chance you could change to different products? I'm sure you'll feel better all round once you can find the right regime. Not easy I know.
Take care,
JP x
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Tc

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2019, 10:32:55 PM »

Thanks JP. I will ask my doc about vagifem. My gp has been a nightmare with the hrt thing. They wouldn't even prescribe the estriol without gynae letter.
They also then only gave me tube to last 2 weeks which it clearly doesn't. I had to go back and ask for another tube.
Their attitude is certainly not helping the stress of trying to sort symptoms out
I'm picking up scrip for gel and utrogestan tomorrow. So here's hoping.
I read on another thread that sometimes ladies in early or surgical meno can react differently to some hrt. At 53 you could hardly call mine early but I  terms of where I was b4 on the meno scale I'm not sure I was even properly into peri as I had no symptoms.
Best wishes to you. I have to just hope for the best on the new regime and try to not be negative.
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Annie0710

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2019, 11:14:46 PM »

If you get the vagifem insert only halfway up and towards tummy, that should help in and out

Really hope the gel works for you, I can tolerate higher doses of gel much better than i could moderate dose of patches x
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EnglishRose

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2019, 12:15:39 AM »

Thanks ladies. Birdy it has comforted me to know that I'm not alone in not responding to the patches at all. I guess I had read when ladies have said they weren't working for them it was side effects or levels not raising enough. But for levels not to move at All?  It did feel like I must be failing especially with the topical cream not working either

 sorry to use that F word. It was aimed only at myself Im just proper down on myself at moment. Chastising myself for not being able to pull myself out of depression this time and be thankful for what I've got  telling myself im stupid, useless, ugly, a let down to everyone.
I have never thought that about anyone else in my life. Just myself. I looked in the mirror this evening and thought "I hate you"

It's hard to get perspective but the replies tonight  have helped. Calm, practical advice and encouragement. Will try to take those thoughts away with me.thank you all so much.xxx

It depends on whether your VA is purely dryness or deeper uterine issues.
I have no dryness nor does it hurt when I have sex but my discharge has been watery for years and peeing too much too and little air bubbles escaping which indicates thinner vagina walls
The dryness will go almost immediately as Vagifem provides lubrication.
But if you hsve bladder and deeper organ irritation then you hsve to understand that it's taken years and years before your va symptoms appeared. We get subtle signs and ignore them but then at some point the lack of Oestrogen to the reproductive organs creates more troubling symptoms and that's when we seek help.
So years to develop months to treat,
Vagifem website states 3 months before you can expect benefits I've known of some ladies using it daily and it took six months
As Hurdity said if your Oestrogen is still low then essentially it's as if you've not been on HRT at all,
Until your blood serum levels are proven to be normal and or increased then it's common sense to accept the symptoms will be the same,
I'm on HRT and Vagifem 10 weeks
I'm on 4 pumps of Oestrogel which is the highest official dose, I've booked blood tests as I feel my Oestrogen is still very low based on symptoms
I won't expect results until my oestrogen is considerably higher than 400.
It was tested in May and showed <18 ( next to none)
Focus on getting the Oestrogen levels increased then see how your symptoms feel-
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allie007

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2019, 07:38:35 AM »

EnglishRose....you mentioned that yoy have booked blood tests....have you gone down the private route to do that? My GP won't do any blood tests despite me asking for some to check my levels.
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Tc

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2019, 10:20:08 AM »

Thanks englishrose. I hadn't realy considered that although I had no probs with dryness whatsoever VA might have still  been starting without symptoms before my surgery. I'm blaming it on the surgery but you say it takes years so I guess after only 5 months it may not just be down to that. It just seemed so sudden.
Can I ask about the level. I find it somewhat confusing.  It seems there is an expected level of E, P fsh etc.post meno but what about post meno on hrt?Is

. You mention 400 is that pg/ml. Mine was measured in pm/ol.

I know my gynae thinks we shouldn't get too caught up in blood tests alone but hey if I felt ok the levels wouldn't realy be relevant to me 

In my case the test backed up my symptoms that I wasn't absorbing the patch so I feel it was important

Just wish it was a little clearer about pg/ml and pm/ol and that there wasn't so much apparent variation when trying to research what the normal range is.

The most confusing thing to me is
 its realy not clear even though I've tried to research it what the goal of Hrt is in post meno.is it to return levels to reproductive years or just to increase them a bit.?

Maybe it's just me whose confused about it. But as I said in my case the blood tests did turn out to be important.
Maybe someone can help us clear up the confusion englishrose.
Thanks for your reply.best wishes.
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Conolly

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2019, 10:57:48 AM »

Hello Tc,

Hope you're feeling better today.

The conversion of estradiol is 1 pmol/L = 3.671 pg/mL.

I understand that there is no normal levels post-menopause. Without HRT the levels may vary amongst women but will be always lower than during fertile days. The goal of HRT in post-menopause is not to achieve specific hormone levels, but to control symptoms, as the 'optimal' level may vary. Blood tests are important when you're on HRT and your symptoms are not being controlled but the interpretation of levels will be relative to prior results, the absolute numbers are not so important.

Regarding lab normal ranges, it's important to ask for them along with the results, as they may vary between labs.

Conolly X
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CLKD

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Re: It's not working
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2019, 11:03:15 AM »

Blood tests are reliably un-reliable as hormones rise and fall constantly.  My Gynae works on symptoms.  So does my GP who has been great thus far.

Maybe the HRT isn't working because your body doesn't require it despite your symptoms - clear as mud  :-\

Also the body doesn't get where it is suddenly unless surgical intervention is required so any uptake may take a while. 
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