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[suzysunday]

Poor you, it sounds bad. I was like that when first diagnosed and after 3 months on local hrt I went on systemic tibolone.  It did help everything a lot including VA but after pmb from the tibolone and biopsy and stress, although given all clear I was so frightened. So I am reluctant to try systemic again, lime you say it is hard to get right. But many on here say they need systemic as well as local for VA.  I am going to plod on and it may take a year to feel ok.  These are hard decisions to make and it can get depressing.  All the best!

[Katejo]

Thank you suzysunday that gives me hope that ive got to keep going im just so sore still ,cant walk very far ,or sit for very long  burning ect  the only thing that has improved is less frequency in going the loo .
My GP did mention systemic hrt also but i feel that being post menopausal 3 years ive got over the worst of my hot flushes ,migraines ,joint pain mood swings ( didnt click this was all menopause ) so really wanted the viginal estrogen to sort my VA out as ive been reading loads on here and Hrt isnt easy to get right xx

I am 56 and 4/5 years post meno. I have been using Vagifem for 7 months but have just started systemic to see if it adds to the Vagifem but also to try and relieve muscular/joint pain and prevent osteoporosis.

[Pookie1959]

Hello ladies, I am new to this site so excuse me if I am in the wrong area. I have had VA for 2years now and like many of you have had many doctors tell me different things! I am currently on vagifem 3X week and HRT after trying DHEA suppositories for a few months.  The DHEA was ok but I think the vagifem is better for me, so very hard to tell sometimes😩 I live in Canada so not sure if I can buy all the vaginal moisturizers here but will look for them when I visit my daughter in Surrey in May. My gynaecologist (who specializes in Meno) tells me that 3 pills weekly is enough and to use coconut oil as a lube. However my pelvic floor physio therapist informed me today that she was at a conference recently and the speaker said “why is it that doctors think that 2X week is ok when our hormones work daily?) I also read through all of the pages of the “Burning Club” as that rears it ugly head sometimes!! I just wanted to let you know that this site is wonderful and I have learned so much and from reading through posts, keep up the fantastic work💕
So I guess in a nutshell we are all different and it takes alot of trial and error with what will work the best. My life changed drastically 2years ago and I am slowly learning how to live with my new normal, people dont always understand when you tell them the symptoms especially the feeling of needing to pee 24/7. Only those with VA know and I am learning there are way more than we realize,
God Bless us all XX

[Annie0710]

Lovely post Pookie x

[JaneinPen]

Thanks for your post Pookie

[kimmyi]

Yes spookiest this VA is something that can change your life, it has for me literally over night nearly two and a half years now, some days worse than others...sometimes it even feels like it's gone!! Silly me 😉

Us ladies do go through it but things could be so much worse really...it's the only was to deal with it all xxx

[kimmyi]

I meant pooky not spookiest  my meno brain 😊 Xx

[CLKD]

Or predictive text 

   Pookie1959 - we have weather thread - do let us know whether you still have feet of snow  .

If you feel that your vagina requires nightly Vagifem then try it for a couple of weeks to see if you get benefit.  Love the quote: Hormones work daily : 

[Tinkerbell]

I am 3 years post memo now, my only menopause symptom has been the VA, apart from some palpitations, which started 4 years before my last period. I have had control of the VA for about 2 years now but to do that I have to use Vagifem daily and I am also on systemic HRT, 3 pumps of Oestrogel, so quite a high dose.

[suzysunday]

I really don't want systemic hrt for reasons mentioned earlier, but then I get doubts that the local will be enough.  I hate this condition!  Aaargh!

[Tc]

I did a 3 week loading dose instead of two. I did it off my own back as I was told 2 weeks. I'm now on every other night with estriol outside. The thing is we are told it doesnt just add moisture  but helps the body to increase natural lubrication which is why it is favoured over "moisturisers" which just add superficial lube but .I dont feel it's doing that. I'm not as dry as I was but I dont feel I "produce" any lubrication myself. Even when "excited" and I have no natural healthy discharge..I know it's a treatment for life  but whilst you are using it eastrogen therapy is supposed to not just replace moisture but get the cells working again and just dont understand how the eastrogen I'm on (systemic and local) isnt encouraging my body to do it's own thing.its like my vagina isnt getting the message.

Having said that I'm having a absorption problems with the systemic and It's only been almost 5 weeks on vagifem (i switched from estriol inside) so maybe I'm expecting too much too soon. Or maybe I have lost the benefit of the loading dose by not continuing with every day. It's so upsetting.

[CLKD]

Trial and Error then.  If you feel symptoms are bothersome, up the dose as well as taking a pain relief.

[Tc]

Possibly stellajane. I have never had an issue with natural lubrication before, a bit like you quite the opposite. But it disappeared overnight
 I just feel like the local E  should be working to help me regain some of that but if you say systemic has worked in that way for you it gives me hope.i just need to get my eastrogen up.
My whole body is dry from inside out.
I just cant seem to absorb eastrogen.  I'm on one 100 and half a 75 patch now and it's like I'm on nothing meanwhile getting worse and worse. 
And the docs dont know why I'm not absorbing. It's so depressing.
Thank you for your reply and for sharing your experience with me. X

[Wrensong]

Someone asked about placement of Vagifem - I was advised by a meno clinic nurse to alternate high & low as it has a very localised effect & many women find they are sorest just inside, so the low placement can really help with this.  Maybe experiment to see what works for you.

Tc - I'm like you - topical alone, even at 5 a week Vagifem + external Estriol is not enough.  Some of us do need systemic as well.  If you are having probs absorbing from patches, have you tried Oestrogel or Sandrena?  Also wonder whether you think it might be Sjogren's?  You say you are dry all over.  Perhaps worth asking GP about that?

P.S. Ah - I now see from another post you have tried the gel.  Sorry to know that was hard to get into your system too.  I know oral HRT is considered less desirable for the risk profile, but you know what I'm going to say here - have you tried that to see whether you get any more oestrogen from it?

[Turkish delight]

Hi team!

Just a quick question.

What about sex and Vagifem? Do you have to wait any amount of time before having penetrative sex?

I've read the patient info leaflet from back to front and can't see any guidelines on it.
Should I be worried about my husband getting oestrogen on his bits if you get me?

TD