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[BBloggs1]

I am 48 yrs old and suffer from perimenopausal vaginal atrophy with vulvodynia.
I would like to share so I can hopefully help ladies out there.
The symptoms are UTIs burn when peeing, lower abdo pain,severe burning and stinging but especially when walking, generally feeling awfull!



Started up a few years ago with recurrent urine infections, I couldnt understand this as I was doing all the regular things to prevent them, now, Im a nurse and am aware of all preventative measures known to man. Then the burning started when I peed, my GP decided to send me to a urologist and also thought I had vulvodynia. Whilst awaiting referrals the vaginal dryness set in when having sex,low abdo pain, sore when walking only relieved by sitting with a hot water bottle and feeling  awful. so I went to my local sexual health clinic and was diagnosed straight away with vaginal atrophy which she said was pretty severe. I had never heard of this condition and certainly no one I knew had ever mentioned it, this was a taboo subject I realized! I cancelled the urology appointment, the GP was barking up the wrong tree!!!!

Treatments were the mini pill, replens vaginal moisturiser twice per week, vaginal estrogen  pessaries for two weeks, amazing felt much better, then reduced to two pessaries per week, symptoms returned. Then given estring vaginal ring which lasts for 3 months at a time, I FELT LIKE A NEW WOMAN, a daily estrogen delivery system had plumped up my bladder and urethra, vulva and vagina, stopped irregular bleeding no more  UTIs.However I did notice a monthly burning feeling just before my period which is a drop in estrogen before menstruation, for this I took codydramol painkillers.
Nine months later my period stopped and some symptoms recurred, I presumed this was a further decline in estrogen and my vulva burned, it felt like my vaginal estrogen was not reaching the outer parts,  Off to my GP again who has prescribed estrogen cream for my vulva along with the estrogen ring, and also a daily amitryptaline tablet to combat the nerve pain Im having due to all the damage that has occurred due to this awful condition.I still continue replens twice per week, this gets rid of all the dead skin cells and keeps my vagina clean and healthy.  I am feeling great again and feel like I have my life back on track, no more burn or pain,  fantastic!
 
This condition isnt well publiced and certainly  is not a subject women like to discuss, also im not sure doctors are aware of how much pain this condition causes and how to treat it properly. I hope my story can help you get the proper treatment you deserve!


 

[Maryjane]

Hi I am another VA,UTI ,vulvodynia etc etc etc. Also 48. I am 10 weeks into the eastring plus full HRT and yes suddenly the last week everything is going good, the specialist said some ladies ne d all of HRT thrown at them . I also use hyalofemme. It's the GUM clinic that also I had bad VA. My three daughter definitely no about it and are prepared as and when if it happens to them , which I sincerely hope it doesn't .

[BBloggs1]

Hi Maryjane

Thanks for your reply. I am very interested that your GP prescribed HRT along with your estring, I wasnt aware that this could be done, wow no wonder your feeling better, just brilliant. My daughter is also aware of this condition, and hope just like you that she never has to suffer with it, the only good thing is she understands the symptoms and will be able to get treatment sooner.
When I try to explain how bad the pain is, I always get the feeling other women think Ive either got a low pain threshold or exagerating! However, I am going to keep telling women because they need to know just in case it happens to them.
I hope you continue to keep well and receive the best of treatment. 

[Dancinggirl]

BBlogs1 - welcome to MM.  Thank you for sharing your story
The are quite a number of ladies who post on MM who also suffer - I'm one of them.  I'm afraid women are too embarrassed to go to the GP about this and when they do they are often not given the right treatment.  I have actually seen gynaes at meno clinics who have not taken my pain seriously!!!
I started a thread called "The Burning Club" some time ago so do seek that out.   There are so many women who come on this site with similar issues and fortunately we can support and offer advice.
Fortunately the new guidelines that came out last year do highlight some of these issues around VA etc. and instead of saying just 2 years of local oestrogen it is now accepted that long term treatment is necessary.
I have to say you are too young to be oestrogen deficient so your GP really ought to have discussed the option of systemic HRT??!!  Many of us find that systemic HRT together with the local oestrogen works even better - so I would seriously consider this.
Do keep posting.  Dg x

[CLKD]

 

 

[Hurdity]

Hi BBloggs1

  from me too and here's Dancinggirl's Burning Club thread!

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,22886.0.html

Hurdity x

[BBloggs1]

Hi thanks to everyone for the welcome. Yes dancing girl I suppose  I am to young for l this, however I feel now Im getting to grips with the condition and understand it more. Trying to explain it to a non sufferer is hard, Im sure they actually think Im making it up because they just dont understand. Interestingly, my 40 yr old sister has started to show the early symptoms I did with burning urethra before her period. She is currently under the sexual health doctor with these early signs  and started off using replens.  So it seems early perimenopause is in our family. I can remember my Gran on my mums side, telling me she was menopausal at 42, and my cousin, my mums sisters daughter is menopausal at 48. Has anyone else found a genetic link ?

[Maryjane]

The burning urethra before a period is a drop in oestrogen I would consider local HRT if I was her to nip it in the bud ASAP .

[Dancinggirl]

Hi BBlogs1 - My mother and grandmother had early menopause so there must a a genetic link - though my two sisters haven't had the early meno.
The whole issues around VA and bladder/urethra problems is still widely unrecognised.  There was one lady who posted on MM that was told by her gynae to go home and have lots of sex to toughen things up!!!!!

Do have a look under TREATMENTS, at the top of this page, and also read through the new guidelines ( they are on this site somewhere but I believe there is also a link on NHS choices under Menopause) - doctors are now supposed to recommend systemic HRT as a front line treatment and at your age the benefits should definitely out weigh any risks or side effects from using HRT. It's possibly worth giving it a go? 
You are definitely not alone with all this - we are here to support you - though as a nurse you are probably used to supporting others.  DG xxx