I think about this almost 24 seven. Some days I just sit around the house trying to avoid symptoms.I feel like i'm stuck as I still don't know how bad it will get,can I deal with this or should I give in and start the hrt..so many unknowns
View 97 RepliesAnyone else feel depressed about this situation.My husband is the type that wants to be busy all the time.With this new problem..well realtively new..the atrophy,I have anxiety every day I wake up not knowing if I will feel good enough to go to the store,out to eat,trips etc.He on the other hand wants to be constantly on the go.I still have not decided to take HRT yet,so thus the confusion.I am really scared I will make the wrong choice as what to do about the therapy as well.I have had 3 different doctor opinions so far and that is depressing as it only confused me more,plus all the money its costing.Guess I could use some encourageing words.Thanks.I thought I sailed through menopause and it was over,didnt even know about atrophy..what a surprise and not a good one!
View 44 RepliesHave posted before this Xmas saying things haven't been too bad, and that's right. But things changed earlier today when I felt a fire building up in my Vagina! Anyway I used one of my Suppositories and sat quietly for half an hour and the burning was easing! It's about the quickest I have ever known a suppository to work! It's not perfect but before I used the suppository my discomfort, on a scale of 1 - 10 was 10. After using the suppository, it's down to about 1.
View 26 RepliesI really don't know what to do, i just made another apt for second opinion on hrt. I have alot of symptoms and much anxiety and don't know what to do. Both success and unsuccessful tries of these hormones will be much appreciated.I
View 24 RepliesI suffered with this terrible condition and went through hell till I was prescribed Climagest 2mg and Vagifem which has now been changed to Ortho Gynest as Vagifem was discontinued. The medication changed my life. I am like a new woman. My consultant told me it was only safe to take for five years and now a month away from being taken off it. I am getting in a state of panic thinking of going back to suffering. What is my future ? Is there anything else I can be offered. I am also looking at natural alternatives. Read a lot about carlson's Vit E and DHEA caps. Any advice from anyone that could help ease my mind about the future of my condition would be helpful
View 5 RepliesI ordered four packs of the Key E suppositories from US because they were so much cheaper ( then got walloped with £18 in import duty so no they weren't) and ordered some Tea Tree suppositories at the same time as I had read how these were soothing.
Tried one yesterday and as expected very tingly but by last night I was dry as a bone, sore and today burning up like crazy so will not be using these again. Back to the Key E and coconut oil for me
I saw my doctor last week and she said she had just been to a menopause seminar where the continual use of vagifem was discussed to treat VA. She said that there have not been any long term effects and that patients could use it twice a week for an indefinite time.
She also said that if a patient stopped taking it the recurrence of VA could be severe and much harder to treat going forward.
I asked about the Mona Lisa laser treatment but she had not heard of this.
I have just started using vagifem and was pleased to find it did not irritate me (I have extremely sensitive skin down there and can only tolerate natural oils). However, after the second day of use I got thrush. I am susceptible to thrush and during the perimenopause, with hormones in chaos, I would get it every few months despite being on a no sugar diet and taking lots of anti-candida supplements. I had been getting slowly dryer down there. I have not had a period for 51 days and since my last period suddenly became completely dry down there. Sexual intercourse has to be short, careful and aided by loads of oil based lube, but it still hurts and I am sore after. Having suffered from vulvodynia caused by repeated and persistent thrush I am wary about thrush and damage in that area. Water based vaginal moisturisers sting me and oil based doesn't rehydrate the cells. So, after trying various things without success and my GP warning me it will get worse, I have bitten the bullet and tried vagifem. However, I am worried that it may have caused the thrush. Has anyone else experienced thrush caused by vagifem? Did it persist? Or did it settle down once your body had adjusted to the oestrogen, or once you had dropped down to twice a week doses (I am still on 1 a day).
View 96 RepliesBurning vagina constantly like sensitive burning bit itchy in vagina. No thrush no infection. One test bit blood under microscope. Pressure to pee and good flow each time. Doc referred to specialist. Very worried. Postmenopause.
View 5 RepliesI went to my doctor today,again got a few answers but not many.This is about my sixth trip about vaginal atrophy.I would ask her questions,got a few..i have never heard that..vitamin e,costs of HRT treatment,I mentioned the Mona Lisa's Smile treatment.She has not heard of that either.She wrote it down and I believe she was quite anxious to look it up.I wonder why some doctors don't like us looking up things on the net,they should be doing the same.I would think they could learn many new things from the computer.
View 9 RepliesI have been having lower abdominal discomfort, burning and mild itching for the past three years. It seems like I have got a urine infection but tests came clear. I also seem to have slight vaginal discharge. My GP referred me to a gynae and he could not find anything wrong, vaginal swab and urine test came normal. I asked about AV and he did a blood test for oestrogen and this cave normal and he said I have not got AV. Everything seems quite healthy down there except I keep suffering from this burning sensation and discomfort. I keep going to my GP and she said I have got AV and prescribed me Ovestin cream which I used last year & did not help, I was having hot flushes and sore breasts. Today I went to see her again as this burning sensation was driving me crazy. She prescribed the cream again, I do not know whether it will help or should I give it another go.
I was also surprised that I had blood in my urine and suffered two urine infections without me knowing. Although I suffer from burning sensation, it does not burn when I pass urine and I have got a good flow. She also treated me for thrush with no effect. In the end she took a swab and it came negative although the nurse said she could see thick white discharge up. I have come to the conclusion the slight discharge I suffer does not mean I have thrush. Looking at the symptoms of AV, it does seem I have got it. Now who do I believe the consultant or my GP. The consultant did quite a few tests like ultra sound and probing my vagina with something I cannt remember what it was last year. Strange when I was on holiday for three weeks, no symptoms, it only bothers me when I am idle and watching TV. I am also concerned I might suffer with urine infection without me knowing due to this burning sensation. Aftet two lots of antibiotics for urine infections and cream for thrush, I am still the same.
Saw my Doc earlier and spoke about the Vit E Capsules and how good they are for VA. Said I know they obviously aren't poisonous but I told her I had been using some up inside even though there were some concerns about the gelatin shell. Straight away she was very eager for me to stop using the capsules because she said the shell wouldn't break down. Then of course there was the subject of not using something inside that's meant to be swallowed. But thing is, how does she know the gelatin shell won't break down?! Anyway she gave me a prescription for R.....s and I am using it now so I will see how I get on.
View 95 RepliesI am not sure whether I suffer from AV GP thinks so but have never asked the gynae. Was discharged 2 yrs ago. Problems are constant burning abdominal discomfort feeling of having urine infection and since yesterday spotting brown discharge and I feel so uncomfortable down below something is not quite right. Just want to know whether spotting is one of the signs of AV. Been in and out of A&E due to a trip and hurt rt shoulder and not too keen to go and see GP again, it seems I am there almost everyday.
View 3 Repliesi have read on here that Vit E suppositories can be very helpful in treating the dryness in the vagina. I have had numerous treatments off my doctor but suffer from side effects making it difficult to continue with treatment on a regular basis. I have given up on intercourse altogether and am only 57 and live with my partner who is very patient but I know misses the physical side of our relationship. I would love to find something that would make it possible for us to return to a more physical relationship again. Has anyone been successful in using this treatment?
View 67 RepliesWhen i drink..sometimes urethra burns..irritation vulva etc..anyone else?
View 4 Replieswhen I had vulvodynia in 2013, I researched everything that could be contributing to it. One thing was the chemicals in toilet paper. In order to produce the pulp from the wood to make the paper harsh chemicals are used, typically caustic soda and sodium sulfide. This "chemical pulp" is then bleached, the colour or scent may be added. Could these residual chemicals in toilet paper be contributing to the irritation experienced with VA? Would you put caustic soda (drain cleaner) or bleach on your vulva, even if you didn't have VA?
Since I had vulvodynia I have used toilet paper that is made without nasty chemicals and without bleach to wipe after I've had a wee.
Does anyone have any coping strategies that they could share with me. I have to have a cleaner because I'm too exhausted to even wash my clothes and a carer to shower me. My body is killing me with pain from top to bottom,especially in my back. The pain relief isn't working. I feel like bursting into tears. I can't go on like this any more.
View 3 Repliesi've been REALLY stressed out lately. when i stress out i break out then i stress out even more and i don't know what to do.... any ideas on how do deal with stress (besides eating)?
View 2 RepliesWhat has helped you ladies deal with the nausea? Lately it has been getting really bad for me. I cant eat at all and i just don't know what to do anymore...
View 11 RepliesHas anyone found something to deal with the increased smells? I could barely stand going in a grocery store because I could smell EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. I never realized grocery stores smell like cardboard. Stinky cardboard. Lol I won't even go into the smell at the meat counter...disgusting. I was wondering if I could dab an essential oil under my nose or something to help.
View 4 RepliesLong story short I went to urgent care about 5 months ago because I was feeling lightheaded and disoriented. The NP told me I had an inner ear infection and gave me meds.
About 4 days later my symptoms had not improved and I went to the ER. They ran tons of tests and all were clear, then told me they also thought it an ear infection. I was diagnosed with a middle ear infection and sinusitis, told to stop my old meds and take some new ones.
I took a full round of antibiotics to clear the infection and after the bottle was empty i noticed no improvement, and may have felt worse.
I made an appointment for balance testing and an MRI with my ENT. The MRI come back squeaky clean. The balance test revealed that I had sustained "low frequency nerve damage in both ears". I now realize he probably meant vestibular nerve damage.
It's been close to 6 months now, I do feel much better than when this started but I still have constant brain fog and a feeling of imbalance. I also seem to feel worse when I go to stores or busy places. (oddly enough this excludes the gym, it's the one place I feel normal some times, I believe due to the fact working out releases endorphins, i'm not sure). I took an auditory test and they said everything seemed normal which is why I think it is neuritis and not labyrinths, as labs usually also causes hearing damage?
What do you guys think, sound like vestibular neuritis?
P.S. I'm doing some at home vestibular exercises, I meet with my ENT on the 22nd and am going to get him to refer me to VRT. At the moment the hardest thing to deal with is the brain fog, and anxiety it causes. I was thinking about asking to be put on Zoloft as my mother takes this and says it does wonders for her. I'm just nervous that it could make my brain fog worse, or slow down compensation. Do you think either of these could happen?
P.P.S. if you have a success story in dealing with this or know someone who has I would love to hear it. I'm beginning to feel that my life will always be like this and it's <seriously depressing> to be honest.