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[Sissy123]

Hi there
I'm a new member!  In shock as just returned from a female GP appointment having been told that the burning and cystitis agony I've been in for two months is caused by my mind As I squirmed around on the chair unable to vocalize coherently as it's a bad pain day -  she didn't even examine me - she said vulval pain is complex and offered me antidepressants and psychologist. She'd never met me before.  I have already seen a urigyneacologist who saw some atrophy and wants to do a cytoscopy as I was having bladder symptoms , but am having to wait 8 weeks (not told why) before this test. She put me on Ovestin cream which brought me up like a baboons bottom .. ouch and vagifem which gave a blissful week of relief until I was ‘over sensitized' on the vulva bits (felt weird!) and had to give it a break, but the pain burning etc had started up again anyway... I went today to try and see what else I can do and get advice etc.  I feel pretty ill all over but maybe pain can do that. My legs feel all weak and weedy and digestion awful. I've had to defer a course I'm doing as sitting down doing an essay wasn't possible and had to cancel a job I was starting... find it hard to exercise due to the pain, I refuse social invites as I'm so boring talking about vaginas and bladders and how my life is ruined. Can it really be coming from my mind and anxiety??? It did kick off around the first anniversary of my mums death but I wasn't feeling anxious ?? Anyone else been told this?!!! Thanks for reading... no idea how I will know if I get any responses but will work it out hehe

[CLKD]

Nope.  The only effect on your mind is probably because you have vaginal atrophy and your GP doesn't recognise it!  You are not being listened to.  You are being fobbed off!!  Her time will come ;-).

Do read the threads on vaginal atrophy, i.e. my thread "My Bladder etc.". 

As oestrogen levels drop so the body may become dry: inside and out!  Deep in the ears, eyes, nostrils, vagina, skin.  Also muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  So many GPs are totally unaware the effects that menopause may have! 

There's a Waiting List for most procedures these days.  Chronic pain can cause tiredness and the feeling of illness.  Go to a Practice Nurse and ask for appropriate treatment for vaginal atrophy, i.e. Vagifem or Ovestin.  Both give relief in the vaginal area as they replace oestrogen to a certain extent which needs to be used every night for 2 weeks followed by as necessary if necessary: the usual advice is every 4th and 7th night each week after the initial two weeks.  Some ladies find that they need nightly ....... which again, GPs seem unaware of.

[Sissy123]

Oh dear I replied then posted and it disappeared ? Wanted to say thank you so much for replying. I've browsed the site a bit (weeks!)and your posts are so useful and helpful. I have used Ovestin which made me swell up and will try vagifem again after a break as it made the whole region weirdly sensitive and on edge.. Can vagifem take a while to work and can the healing process go up and down?? As I got a bit better then worse again. It varies daily. I would like to read your bladder posts , how do I access?? Thanks so much been feeling so isolated and that doctor finished me off today

[Dancinggirl]

Hi and welcome sissy
Your GP is the one who needs her brain sorting!!!!
You have urogenital atrophy that has to be managed:

Vagifem used regularly and probably for the rest of your life. It can often irritate at first and it can take 3-6 months to really work it magic.

Vaginal Moisturisers daily but not at the same time as the  Vagifem. SYLK or the YES products are the best vaginal moisturisers.

Cut out caffiene, fruit juices and alcohol but drink lots of water.

To reduce the burning try half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water morning and evening for a few days.

Never use scented products in your ‘lady bits'.
Wear loose clothing - keep your intimate are cool.

Do look up ‘the burning club' thread - I've had this problem since my early 40s and didn't get help till my late 50s when a nurse I saw at my GP practise finally understood my problem!! what you are suffering with is quite common and GPs and even gynaes need to get better at helping women with this problem.
Keep us posted. DG x

[Taz2]

Welcome from me too Sissy. I agree about your doc - what an appalling way to treat you. It may be worth your while also researching about vulval pain - lots of details and advice here http://www.vulvalpainsociety.org/vps/index.php/vulval-conditions/vulvodynia.

I found that vagifem also made me very sensitive for the first few weeks but this gradually lessened so it will be worth having another go I think especially as you have got the cystoscopy coming up.

Let us know how you get on.

Taz x 

[Sissy123]

Thanks:))I m so happy to hear vagifem can take a while and burn to start after my Ovestin red and swollen reaction! Today I woke up feeling awful and did a urine test strip which shows infection but not my usual infection it has leukocytes but also showed up blood. In all my previous uti's I never had blood, am a bit worried. Called doc and they giving me trumethropin and doing a culture. I haven't had uti last couple of months just the pain of cystitis with no infection. I have been shoving tons of stuff in that area! Vit E capsules, those Carlson E pessaries , sudocream, steroid cream... Replens etc as well as vagifem -so maybe I set this uti off??? I'm all shaky. But it's not from the blinking anxiety that GP (what a waste of £150 but was desperate) said was responsible.  >:(Utterly exhausted with it all tbh. But am worried about the blood showing up when I never usually have that. I should let that doctor know she didn't even test my urine and said it was eczema due to anxiety WITHOUT looking!! I went to M& S after and was crying by the bakery counter. So now down to surgery in the freezing wind and rain with a warm specimen in my pocket  life is fun

[Dancinggirl]

Your paid to see that awful GP? Was it a walk in GP service???  If so, you need to complain - outrageous that she didn't even examine you.  How old are you? What is going on with you periods?

Do not use steroids on your ‘intimate area'- these will make you skin more fragile and make things worse.  Sudocrem will irritate!!!
Coconut oil can be soothing, so worth trying, but I wouldn't use anything else except SYLK or the YES vaginal moisturisers - plus the Vagifem.

Blood in the urine is common and is another sign of urogenital atrophy.  When you get to see the urologist you may well get a diagnosis of interstitial cycstitis, which a general term they give when they don't really know what is wrong but gives UTI type symptoms and blood in the urine.   When I was burning so badly I couldn't do anything, I was actually peeing blood but there was no infection!!!! If you do have infection ( they need to send your sample off to be properly tested) then it will need a good dose fo antibiotics but if there isn't infection then ABs will actually make things worse as it kills all the good bacteria in the gut which will then cause an imbalance in the flora of the vagina which can then cause UTI infections.

Drink the water with bicarb a.s.a.p to reduce the burning - why not get a 500ml bottle of water and put a teaspoon of bicarb in it and drink that all over 4-6 hours.  Try using some Multi Gyn Actigel( this may burn a bit at first) to help get you flora balance back to normal - you can buy this online as ti is rarely at the chemist.

Keep drinking the water to relieve the discomfort.  Keep us posted.  DG x

[Deborah1967]

Hi,
I'm so sorry you were treated like that, it's disgraceful. Sounds like my old gp.
I suffered from the burn alot last year and found adding a drop of Apple cider vinegar to my water really helped and quick too. I hope your discomfort eases soon.

[Sissy123]

Thanks so much for the tips.  I actually wet myself on way back from doc omg lucky it was raining! I didn't see a doc today because she spoke to me on phone and prescribed the trimethropin. I paid to see a private doctor yesterday as it was nearly a month wait at my surgery... and I just couldn't wait, didn't know I had a UTI though. She laughed in my face when I mentioned interstitial cystitis!  I've  only got baking powder and it's got other stuff in it, will have to buy some proper bicarb. I've got canestan cystitis sachets which I notice are full of sugar which doesn't help the flora does it?! We have to be SO vigilant don't we?!! I'm having d-mannose but not sure how well it works even though it's raved about I wouldn't rely on it. I'm 59 so post meno by 5 years. The peri meno was kind of ok for me, learnt to live with the flushes but my brain was fried and had elderly Mum, teenage daughter to attend to. My husband took brunt of the hormone rages and despair... then it all calmed down. All this does come as a shock just when you think you can have a bit of a life again. I hope the antibiotics work , for some reason feeling very neurotic about this latest UTI and I'm home so much since January as can't do much with the pain going on, can't sit for long either I think the doc who said it was anxiety made me feel like I've brought this on myself and I know there's a mind body connection with pain... but she was looking at her phone to find out what Ovestin was when I was talking. Not a young woman either! Said she'd send me up to her friend in Harley St. Ugh! I must complain or stop getting cross about it!!! I'm not a big drinker and haven't had a drop since Dec but will I ever be able to have a glass of wine again?? Just to feel ‘normal'. Don't want it now obvs but sometime?!  I'm eating healthyish and avoiding acidy foods but had a bag of hula hoops as the salt makes me drink more water:) I can't help thinking that this just isn't talked about much? Post meno bladder vulva issues? And women all over the world must get it... thanks again. Not feeling so alone.

[CLKD]

The ABs will ease symptoms but if you haven't had a fresh urine sample sent to a Lab., the only way to know if there is an infection.  You have been given a broad spectrum AB, something your GP should not be doing.   The World is getting a problem with ABs not killing bugs, [see about the man with gonoreea that can't be cured!].  A dip-stick test will not show infection.  I had blood in urine and my GP picked up that the samples hadn't been sent to a Lab., he was FURIOUS!

Over the counter pain relief will ease symptoms.  If you find that 'ovestin' reacts then do try the 'vagifem' and other products as DG suggests.  It really is Trial and Error  . 

Hula hoops?  Haven't eaten those for years  .  Hormone upheaval may well cause us to reach for food stuffs, last week it was crisps  .  Don't beat yourself up about it. 

Canestan made me burn!  Let us know what you decide?

[Dancinggirl]

Sissy - don't beat yourself up about what you eat and drink - once things are under control you will be able to have the odd glass of wine but you will have to drink lots of water alongside.
The GP you saw privately was really not professional and clearly ignorant of female complaints - I think she was negligent actually and should be reported!!!
Anyway - use the Vagifem regularly and try some of things I have suggested.  Do avoid anything scented around the intimate area, especially shampoo, so no washing hair in the shower standing up!

Keep us posted.  DG x

[CLKD]

Private practinioners are on sticky ground if they suggest seeing 'a friend' or 'a colleague', not ethical and very un-professional.  Maybe when you feel better see if they are on the BMA web-site or associated with a local Hospital or GP Practice.  Anyone who works privately cannot work for the NHS unless they part-time.  It's a conflict of interests.



Let us know what you decide.   We all know that we should eat heathly foods, exercise more but quite honestly: I'm out of bed, what more do they want?