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[Tingly]

Have been to see a private gp ,who has said in order to help reverse my symptoms of vaginal atrophy more quickly i should take oestrogen cream as well as my usual oestrogen/ prog

Normal doc said 6 weeks for oral oestrogen to work. Am now 3 weeks in and v slightly better but to be honest some mornings i wake up and cry because of the uti symptoms.although i am only 3 weeks in i had had these symptoms a good 4 weeks before seeing the doc, and to be honest, i feel i am never gonna get better...i guess i am just ground down.
So what do we think, do i try the cream as well or is it dangerous?
Maybe if it works i could eventually reduce the oral stuff cos i ont have any other symptoms.

[Taz2]

I'm on full HRT (patches) plus vagifem which is an oestrogen pessary rather than a cream. It is normal to take both if you need it. I hope it works quickly for you.

Taz x

[honeybun]

I am on the same as Taz. Well to be honest I have let the Vagifem slip a bit and need to re order.

It does take a little while to work but given time it will do.

Honeyb
X

[Tingly]

Thanks taz. I wonder if same applies to oral cos it gets in ur bloodstream
Am on hormonin tablets and have been given ovestin cream
Am frightened of cwusing any more probs
Cant think straight cos its gone on so long and evry day is a grind
My only joy these days is sleep!!

[honeybun]

You can combine either patches or pills with vaginal oestrogen. It's perfectly safe and will help you get better quicker. Some of us need both to keep things comfortable.

Honeyb
X

[ann123]

I am also on HRT and vagifem, been on vagifem for nearly 5years.
Sorry, but I think your GP is an idiot, you would get better sooner with vaginal oestrogen rather than oral.
Taking both is fine, do it, you won't cause more problems.
I hope you get better soon. Vaginal discomfort is really horrible, was my worst symptom, now I am all good!!

[Tingly]

Thanx anne and honeybun, you have given me some hope.
I will go and have a go now with the cream( presume i can use next week when i have my withdrawal bleed?)

I agree regarding my gp, i went to the private one and he has written to my normal one today to say i should be referred to a meno clinic

Also i know i am moaning a lot ( and to be honest some days i wish i wouldnt wake up...and i inow thats a terrible thing to say too ,so i hate myself) but the last two times i saw my gp she was 50 minutes late and for my 9.40 am appointmegnt she didnt see me till 10 to 11.
As i care for myelderly mum this causes some problems

Am that mixed up i dont know whats right n wrong anymore. Am getting on my own nerves!

[ann123]

I don't know anything about the cream as I use vagifem which you insert.
Can you try and get the very first GP app in the morning or after lunch? That way they won't have built up any back log. They only give 10 mins appointments, so a few running over causes problems!
You will get sorted and feel better. You can always print information from this site and take with you to the GP.
I think we forget that they are GP's and don't have in depth experience of any subjects! So they will still be learning all the time!

[Tingly]

UPDATE!!

Went to see doctor this morning to take letter from the private gp i went to out of desperation a fortnight ago ( which recommended i be sent to a meno clinic)

Well it wasnt my usual gp, but boy o boy she was hacked off

I was in tears anyway explaining my symptoms which ive had since may, and she said i just had to wait and see what happened. When i explained i cant function and that between these symptoms and the progesterone, i truly sometimes wish i was out of it, she said she didnt know what i expected her to do,


Anyway i asked about the meno clinic and she said no, they wouldnt tell me anything different
So i gave her the letter drom the private doc who had also said to go to a meno clinic, and basicaly i begged her

She said there was no point at all, shed do it but that i was wasting everyones time, and who knows when shed get time to send it!!

I am truly desperate. Iveq had this urine thing with me since may, andthe utrogestan makes me feel terriblle for at least 7 days

Nobody wants to know really do they. Theres just no point battling

[Taz2]

Sorry that you didn't get the sort of answers and help you needed. What exactly were you asking her for? Was it to have some topical oestrogen to help with the dryness and urine problems as well as using HRT? Did you ask her for either Vagifem or the cream? This is what I think you need for rapid relief.

As for the meno clinic. I too had to battle with the docs to get referred. I finally got a referral and attended my clinic every four months. It's an almost 100 mile round trip and, to be honest, they didn't really tell me anything different to the GP. They were very  nice - appointments lasted around fifteen minutes. They have been much quicker to say I have to come off HRT at age 60 than my GP though. I have gone back to seeing my GP and have access by email to the meno consultant if I need to check anything.

Did the private consultant give you any idea of what they thought you needed? Sorry if I haven't caught up with everything. It's all very well to say you need a meno clinic but surely they must have given some indication as to what is wrong.

Taz x

[Tingly]

Hi taz

The private gp had told me it was likely to be vaginal atrophy and had said i needed topical cream or oestrogen ring thing as well as the hormonin tablets the gp had prescribed me.he had also suggested the meno clinic as they are sometimes more in the know than the gp's....as have a few people on here

I would eventually like to explore coming off utrogestan, i literally feel like hanging myself 7 days a month, then afterwards am always shocked about ow low i felt
So that was what i was after really, and i got it eventually (apart from the utro problem) but she sure was cross that i wanted more help.
Xxx

[ann123]

Can private GP's not write a prescription?
Did your own GP refuse to give a prescription for vagifem?
Apologies I am getting confused!

[Tingly]

Yes , first gp said no to cream , took me off patches, put me on estrogen tablets and doubled the amount ,
Every time i see a gp in the practice they tell me something different, thats why i wanted to see a apecialist

I understand your confusion, i havent been very clear!

[Tingly]

Ps i wanted the gp today also to give me some reassurance that the cream or the tablets would cure my symptoms ..but she just shrugged and said "who knows" 
I then asked if it could be something else causing the problems, and she said "like what?"

I suppose i want to know is it
A. Suspected v a or defineteky va
B if it is defo va will the current treatment work and could i see a specialist to make sure
C. If it isnt va could we look at what else it might be.

[Taz2]

It seems that you are looking for concrete answers but unfortunately where meno symptoms are concerned it's not always that easy to give them to you. Even at a meno clinic you would still be told that you have to try both to see if it will work for you. I would say start the oestrogen cream or pessaries (not sure which you have been given) and that together with the tablets should begin to sort out the VA for you. If that doesn't work after a few weeks then you will need to go back to the GP (sorry!) and see what else can be done. It is important to try things for a while before giving up even though it is frustrating if you feel it isn't working.

Taz