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[EnglishRose]

Hello Ladies

Sorry to bother you all on your bank holiday week-end, no rush to reply and I apologise for the long winded post.

I started Oestrogen/micronised progesterone in Nov 2018 and Vagifem not long before that. I use vagifem 5 nights a week and cream too for the outside.
My initial symptoms were different to the ones I am having now.

I just feel like its one set of horrid symptoms replaced by another set of horrid symptoms and I am wondering if Oestrogel is not for me and I should try something else, even a synthetic HRT as I feel like the oestrogel is not working. I am on 3 pumps or the 75 patch of Evorel .

I have just finished my period I am bleeding very lightly so at the end of my period and today I feel soo depressed and hopeless. I cant stop crying, I feel tired like I have not slept. but I did sleep 7 hours with 2 pee breaks. I am starving hungry just like I am BEFORE a period. I feel depressed and anxious and cant stop crying, I FEEL hormonal! Yet I am on high HRT.

I feel there is no way out of this nightmare.

I keep peeing sometimes its very strong the urge but only a few drips come so I know its not a genuine need to pee. Other times like yesterday I was able to drink a tall glass of water and a mug of decaf coffee and hold it fairly comfortably for 2 1/2 hours so I thought I was doing better. Then I went for a pee last night and the urge to pee remained for 2 hours, I eventually fell asleep and it woke me up in the morning and Ive had the sensation on and off all day and this has been going on for a month now.

I have had tests for UTI and a 3 day course of ABs which did nothing. Urine was sent off for further testing not heard anything from them.
 
I bought some patches Oxybutynin (Available OTC in the USA and prescribed here too) I cant see my doctor for 2 weeks so thats why I bought them. They have been on me for 10 days and I thought they were working yesterday but after last night I don't think they are and Im taking pumpkin seed extract which is meant to be good for over active bladder. Stopped the large weak home ground latte I had every moring ....
Im so down with it all. I can have good days where the peeing doesn't bother me at all and days were I'm constantly peeing.
Actually before this particular symptom started I was noting how long I was able to hold it these days and now its all come crashing down. 

I kind of accept one set of symptoms and then they vanish to be replaced with another and I am on HRT and vagifem so I feel I have no other options left.

My symptoms before HRT were horrible and I have learned from living with them a while that I what had happened was that I developed intense libido spikes. Not a nice feeling of feeling frisky but rather an all consuming have to stop what I am doing because I need (yes need) sex.
It was terrifying for me to have my heart pounding and mind full of thoughts and desires so strong....  from absolutely no where! Sex did sort the immediate issue out the impact it had on my self confidence and our relationship was profound because I had never had a "drive" before, I was reactive not proactive and besides, this was something on a whole other level and more like animal instinct. My partner started avoiding me and I could tell he was afraid of me incase I asked for sex (he's no drive anymore and would be happy if we never had sex again, as was I until that happened) It usually happened the week before my period sometimes at the end of a period and thankfully left me alone for 2 months then appeared again. Its been about 3 months since that particular symptom has plagued me.

I started with arousal without desire then the desire kicked in but the arosual went (thank GOD because that sent me down the rabbit hole of health anxiety as some of you know) I also had acute restless legs, hyper sensitive skin to my upper buttocks legs and up my spine like clothing touching me was Hell, thats gone.

Now I'm dealing with discomfort vaginally but nothing I can't handle but this urge to pee symptom is TRULY horrible and I don't want to go down the rd of being diagnosed and having invasive treatment if its something related to menopause only.

Will it pass?

Will ANY of it ever pass?

Are there any women here who are post menopause ?

I am thinking I should try another type of HRT... I'm so very low and. desperate for relief from this nightmare

Oh and I am having a mammogram on Thursday as I found a large lump in my breast last week which seems to have come from no where... the GP had a feel and said she did not think it felt like cancer (not hard enough and it moves apparently) but I wont know until Thursday.

Thanks for reading xx

[CLKD]

Up the use of Vagifem to every night for 2-3 weeks.  Hormones can certainly affect urine output, as can anxiety.  After an attack of anxiety I pee a large quantity every 10 mins for hours 

Kidneys will work harder if they are denied fluids which may mean getting up more often but not passing as much urine.

[EnglishRose]

Up the use of Vagifem to every night for 2-3 weeks.  Hormones can certainly affect urine output, as can anxiety.  After an attack I pee a large quantity every 10 mins for hours 

Kidneys will work harder if they are denied fluids which may mean getting up more often but not passing as much urine.

Thanks CLKD its good to know others suffer too. I appreciate your advise. I may even double the dose for two weeks. (2 pessaries) after your. feedback. xx

[EnglishRose]

I meant I am glad to know im not alone

[CLKD]

You're not alone on here, there's usually someone around 

I have found that a pain relief helps too, relaxes the muscles down there.  3  a day for 2-3 days to ease symptoms.

[sheila99]

I had a similar large lump in my breast that I hadn't noticed developing. Turned out to be a cyst. Try not to worry, yours will probably be a cyst too.

[Dancinggirl]

Do look at the ‘Burning Club' thread and there are other threads on this site about urinary problems.  Urogenital atrophy is very common as we get older. You do need to drink enough water though.  I get up at least twice at night and sometimes more.

What you are describing is very normal.  DG x

[Jemp]

You could be describing my symptoms. Vagifem does help but I still get spells when I need to pee every hour night and day. I drive myself round the bend trying to identify a trigger in what I have eaten or drunk and cut out so many things from my diet that I don't know what causes it. I ended up on antidepressants because of it and have not long weaned myself off them. I find distraction helps during the day but obviously not at night. I tell myself it will pass eventually and that it does not mean I have something seriously wrong. I really thought I had survived the menopause unscathed when this kicked in!

[donnacrichton]

Hi English rose I've not been on for a while. Just to reassure you I also have very little control of the bladder. I either don't need or I'm desperate can be tricky when your out. Sorry to hear you are still struggling we both know a lot of awful symptoms hit at this time. I also have had the arousal back on and off but waiting on ovary removal now x

[EnglishRose]

Hi English rose I've not been on for a while. Just to reassure you I also have very little control of the bladder. I either don't need or I'm desperate can be tricky when your out. Sorry to hear you are still struggling we both know a lot of awful symptoms hit at this time. I also have had the arousal back on and off but waiting on ovary removal now x

Oh Donna what a nightmare for you

Look with regard to the arousal, I tell you what I learned after living with it for a few months.

The vaginal arousal without desire (as I call it) for me it happened at the same time as I had massive spikes in my libido. I would explain to my hubby had he been at home during that time I would have begged him for sex and actually had to on several occasions so much so he started to avoid me as his sex drive is 0 (As mine was before this nightmare)

Having never had a libido in my 50 years I did not understand it or recognise it and anyway I am not talking about "feeling horny" this was on a WHOLE other level...I am talking one minute sat working at my PC and literally the next minute heart racing breathing faster and mind filled with thoughts of sex....I NEEDED sex and it had to be sex...self relief only took the edge off and actually made the need for sex worse. Sex DID work it gave me the relief my mind and body was screaming for.

These "attacks" for want of a better word could last for a couple of hours and I tried walking my dogs, having a bath...but no amount of distraction took my mind off sex... it was an absolute physical and mental need and the most bizarre feeling in the world.... probably TMI but I could reach O very fast and the O was very intense. Some women may think "Lucky cow" I don't think I was lucky, I felt cursed and I lived in fear of those spikes all the time. They usually happened the week before or during a period but it took me 3 months to piece it all together.

It was like I went from 0 to 100 in sex drive and it wasn't who I am as a woman. I am old fashioned about sex, believe the man should be the instigator etc so it caused a LOT of confliction for me mentally I hated who I had to become to feed this insane demand my body was putting on me. Its not enough to say "Go buy a sex toy" Unless you have experienced it you cant imagine how intense it is. I can live with an increased sex drive but THAT was something else.

These episodes gradually faded with each period and I would get the occasional "spell" which would cause me anxiety but nothing as crazy as when it all started in Oct. At the same time as the above I also developed VA so yea juggling both was a nightmare! The "arousal without desire" symptoms lasted 6 weeks but the "crazy desire" went on for some months. Its not been an issue for 3 months really.

So what I am saying is please REALLY think if the arousal is JUST unwanted arousal or part of a bigger picture...it may not occur to you that its all part of spikes in libido if youre not the type to be in tune with your sexual side (I certainly wasnt!) and it drove me to have a mini breakdown right here on these forums. I was a wreck and wanted to die "because" it was unheard of and no one could relate or worse they told me to "think myself lucky because they had no libdio!!" The point is, whats abnormal for one woman may be totally normal for another but if its not normal for you its distressing either way....

Ive since been diagnosed with breast cancer and had the lump removed and lymph nodes on the 12 June. So I had to come off the 6 months HRT cold turkey and Im having a rough time with bladder irritation and moods. If I could I would still use HRT but I have to say even on HRT AND Vagifem (which I still use)  I was having the desire attacks and bladder issues and VA symptoms..

It's been the worst 6 months of my life.

[EnglishRose]

You could be describing my symptoms. Vagifem does help but I still get spells when I need to pee every hour night and day. I drive myself round the bend trying to identify a trigger in what I have eaten or drunk and cut out so many things from my diet that I don't know what causes it. I ended up on antidepressants because of it and have not long weaned myself off them. I find distraction helps during the day but obviously not at night. I tell myself it will pass eventually and that it does not mean I have something seriously wrong. I really thought I had survived the menopause unscathed when this kicked in!

Does it come and go? I have VA and its like the symptoms move around when it settles on my bladder I have no vaginal issues and when its on or in my vagina I dont have bladder issues!
I prefer vaginal over bladder.
I was fine last week....no urgency nothing now I have a constant urge to pee almost all the time to some degree or another. I have had to come off HRT cold turkey on the 17 May so im sure thats not helped. I am still using vagifem and oestrogen cream.
So does yours come and go too?

[CLKD]

R U drinking enough?  The kidneys will work over-time if they are denied liquids.  How often are you applying the 'vagifem'?  It's a small amount so you may require 'extra' a few times a week?

That 'arousal' state is under-estimated and is apparently 'common' but not many talk about it. 

[Waitykaty]

Vagifem was a godsend for me for similar symptoms. But after 4 months it stopped working so I did the reloading dose. Then it stopped working again. Despite using it every day it's stopped working entirely now.
You have my sympathy.

[CLKD]

Have you tried doubling the 'vagifem', if that doesn't help; i.e. two doses every night, go to your GP and ask for 'ovestin' Waitykaty?  Same idea and it might be more helpful.  'Vagifem' is such a small amount!!