Print

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

[Ayesha]

MrsMitch, that's a true horror story, I also learned everything I knew about the condition from here, it gave me the courage to phone the surgery to ask for Ovestin when Vagifem was not enough on its own to ease symptoms.

[MrsMitch]

Yes, CLKD, I read it and have been passing it around since, particularly to my step daughters who although only in their late 30's, still need the info. They were horrified about not only the condition but also the lack of knowledge in the medical profession. 
Interesting about your bowels. I agree about possibly being pressure exacerbating bladder urges because when I took co-codamol for my hip pain, that made me constipated and I did feel the need to pee much more. Hadn't connected the 2 until I read what you said.
I do wish that sometimes the 'professionals' would occasionally listen to their patients more. I know they dislike it if we say 'well I've looked online and I think I might have...."
but maybe, just maybe, sometimes we're right.

[MrsMitch]

Ayesha how many more times will we read on here posts from women who can't get a correct diagnosis or if they do, like me, can't get prescribed high enough doses. I'm daily estradiol and I'd say my VA is 60% better. Not as good as my meno specialist says it can be, but ant amount of better is a step in the right direction!
It's still surprising though considering all the publicity recently about Menopause.

[CLKD]

Bowels are slower this last 36 hours  = VA symptoms niggling.   

[sfreesto]

CLKD, I get the iffy bowel thing too. When I’m having flare with bladder pressure my abdomen is visibly distended, and this can happen quite rapidly. I kind of moves about so I think it’s an inflammatory reaction that gets the bowels and it all just builds up more pressure. I’m with you right now, having an unexplained flare that’s been going on for 8 days now.

I’m at a bit of loss what to do to be honest, I’m already like a pharmaceutical factory with all the HRT I take - 100mg Estradot, cyclical utrogestan, testosterone, Intrarosa. The only thing I’m wondering is whether I’ve stopped absorbing the oestrogen from my patch so well because my skin has got a bit more oily on the testosterone…? So far very dazed and confused looks from GPs with offers of antibiotics.

[Elizabethlovejoy]

Getting back to the original question of why does VA affect the bladder, I suppose there is a clue in the name Genitourinary symptoms of menopause  or GSM as VA is now called. I was fortunate that my GP immediately twigged that  my urinary symptoms were caused by lack of oestrogen and prescribed vagifem. He was in his sixties too- why are some GPs so informed and others so ignorant!!!!

[CLKD]

sfreesto - R U using appropriate vaginal treatment to ease atrophy sympomts?  My regime of one in the morning and another in bed at night has worked thus far, plus nurofen twice a day . 

I still don't understand the mechanics though - it may be lack of oestrogen but why does it affect the bladder  . I probably need a diagram 

[sfreesto]

From what I know the bladder and urethra are covered in both oestrogen and testosterone receptors, so makes sense that the urinary tract is impacted.

[CLKD]

I wonder whether, a post mortem, those receptors are evident.  Still need a map 

[pkstracy]

The frequent urination is getting me down, I have been going about every two hours, I know that going 6-10 times a day is normal, but I am used to only going 2 to 3 times a day, I know I know, I don't drink a lot of water, but for the last two days I have been drinking 1.5 liters of water each day and I feel like I have been peeing a lot, I don't wake up in the middle of the night to go, my anxiety is high thinking it's something else, and I keep telling myself this is normal and it's normal to go a lot when going through menopause. Ladies how often do you go?

[Ayesha]

Are you using topical oestrogen and if so, how often?

[CLKD]

No logic in anxiety: however - U have upped the amount of liquid intake without considering where the body sources water in general, i.e. food stuffs.  = going to the loo a lot more.

The 1st P of the day will be darker and possibly smelly.  As the body hydrates during the day urine will become lighter in colour - straw coloured is recommended.  Any paler and we are drinking too much.

[pkstracy]

@Ayesha no I am not using any creams or anything. CLKD thank you for your reply, you are correct, anxiety can take over, I do have a bit of discomfort down below and am suspecting a mild UTI, though am not 100 percent sure. Yes my P was very light almost clear.

[CLKD]

Too hydrated.  Get some VA treatment ASAP pkstracy!  VA mimics repeated urine infection-type sympt0ms really, really well!

[Ayesha]

If there is nothing else going on with your bladder like an infection for instance, then topical oestrogen will relieve symptoms massively.
Time to have a word with your GP about your symptoms and in the meantime research here all about vaginal atrophy (GSM).

None of us are medics here (as far as I know) and its best to rule things out through the proper channels, we can only advise on our own experiences but most of us here are more qualified than medics to give advice on the dreaded vaginal atrophy.