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[CLKD]

Tnx for the explanation - little girls' urinary problems are rarely discussed  and GPs don't seem to know much about causation at that age than they do about peri.!!

Let us know how you get on.

[MrsMitch]

Zoe: I have played around with the utro and I've taken them with food - didn't make me drowsy at all. Took them an hour after eating and that night I didn't sleep well. Last night I waited 3 hours after eating then took them and had great night - a least for me!! I slept deeply and only got up to wee twice.  No idea why it didn't make me sleepy taking it with food though.
Kathleen: I can't use anything other than coconut oil to moisturise. Even that has to be the flavour and scent removed. I tried Yes and it burnt like billy-o. I've tried so many things and they all burn. Yes the pessaries are prescribed. I had them from about a year ago. When I initially contacted the GP about my burning it was following an impossible smear test with the nurse. I was given the pessaries and hydrocortisone cream and the combination was really good. But once the specialist saw me she refused to let me have more saying they weren'twhat i needed, and the GP refused as I was now with the gynae.
I managed to get some this time after begging my GP saying the gynae had discharged me and I was desperate.  She said to only use them for a few days at a time due to the HRT and stupidly i obeyed.
Ladies, again, a huge thank you.

[CLKD]

Which specialist I wonder ? 

[MrsMitch]

Well, when I say specialist,  that's what the GP said she'd refer me to : a 'specialist' who was in fact a gynaecologist at the local hospital. She's the one who misdiagnosed me with vulvadynia. She asked how old my mum was when she went through menopause. As she was 60 - very late - she told me daughters always go through menopause later their mothers and dismissed anything menopause related with regards to my issues.

[CLKD]

Your GP was remiss.  Gynaes often don't know any more about peri/menopause than GPs seem to 

I wonder where she gets that information from .......... genetics can certainly play a role in when a lady might go into peri. 

[Zoe]

Utrogestan - one of the wonders of the world! I don't know why it doesn't make you sleepy with food because it absolutely knocked me out...but I think we all have such different reactions to it. Some can't tolerate it, others love it. I really hope you find a way of making it work for you.

Just being blunt - your GP sounds clueless and as for the gynaecologist saying women go through menopause later than their mothers...unless she can produce some definitive evidence on that it is utter tosh (willing to be corrected). So many things can influence menopause in addition to genetics. Many of us in our fifties right now have mothers who had hysterectomies then had HRT, so we may never know when they might have gone through menopause.

You really need to see an up to date menopause specialist re this VA. It is affecting your quality of life to such an extent. Would you consider paying the small fee (£30) to email Dr Currie via this site and get some advice? Alternatively, you may need to look at going private if you can't be referred to a menopause clinic on the NHS. Then the private specialist can write with advice to your GP. It is not cheap, but if you can scrape the money together it would be a good investment in your quality of life and health.

How easy would it be to change to a better informed GP do you think?

Hoping you see some light soon at the end of this tunnel.

[CLKD]

'tosh' - great word. -

as is 'piffle', a favourite of my Dad's 

[MrsMitch]

Thank you Zoe. Unfortunately there is only one GP practice where I am (edge of the New Forest) and as is par for the course since Covid, I haven't had any mire than a phone conversation with a GP and it's a different one each time. But even in the shirt time I've been on thus forum, I feel much more knowledgeable and I'm going to make some notes tonight and call the GP tomorrow and talk things through. The GP who is my own one is lovely so it may be I can make an appointment with her. She initially said I had lichen sclerosis which was also incorrect, but she was keen to get me to a gynae for all the good that ended up to be!
I will ask to be referred to a menopause specialist if there is one here but I can pay to email Dr Currie and can pay to see a private specialist- my husband gets very upset seeing me in pain and just says get help by whatever means.
Prior to being on here I'd bought into the lie from GPs that nothing can be done to help me.
You know what they say- knowledge is power 

[CLKD]

Did your GP diagnose lichen sclerosis without referral to a dermatologist ? 

Let us know how you get on.

[MrsMitch]

Yes she did. She prescribed a steroid cream that made everything so much more inflamed resulting in a cyst. Out of desperation I lanced that myself as it was so painful over one Christmas holiday I had to do something drastic to relieve the pain from the pressure in the cyst. The relief when I dud was fantastic 😆
I'm currently waiting for a call back from the GP.  I've made lots of notes and am going to ask her to refer me to a menopause specialist too.
One other thing, I don't know if anyone has the answer to this though. After using Oestrogel/utrogestan for 2 weeks I noticed under each arm, round about where the edge of my bra sits, started to become tender. I'm guessing that's where my lymph glands are (don't know for sure). I will tell the GP but I read in the notes with the meds that it can cause tenderness but of course, being HRT I do worry what it might be.

[CLKD]

I believe that Lichen Sclerosis should be diagnosed by a Consultant. 

How R U feeling today?  The tenderness should ease as the body takes up the HRT, is there any info. in the leaflets in the boxes?

[Zoe]

MrsMitch, sounds like you might have a bit of a plan. And good that your husband is supportive. It may be that your GP (the lovely one) will appreciate some advice from a menopause specialist. Mine certainly did and she is already well informed.

Don't worry too much about the tenderness. It is your body adjusting and should settle. Obviously if it goes on for more than 12 weeks then you might want to reconsider the dose, but it does all take time to settle. The key is to keep things as consistent as possible so the body can adjust. And be really kind to yourself. Your body is dealing with A LOT.

[MrsMitch]

Thank you both, you're very Encouraging 
I would say the tenderness is probably less noticeable today now than when it first started so it does sound like it will decrease. The info in the boxes was huge - all the risks and side effects so although I skim read them enough to notice about tenderness around the breasts, I didn't want to focus on the negatives.
Today I feel tired, sore and tender but very positive because up until coming to this site I thought I was going to be feeling like this forever. So I know things will get better, I really appreciate you all.
Spoke to the GP and I've actually got a face to face apt with her tomorrow,  they are as rare as hens teeth at my practice. But she listened to my long diatribe and then asked why I thought I had VA not vulvadynia. 
I told her it was after coming here and doing a lot of reading. Apparently my notes say that last time I was examined in 2021 there was sign of atrophy and yet no one told ME!!!
However she said she doubted I had it.
There is a menopause specialist in my area but there is a year's waiting list. I asked if I could go on it and she asked why I would want to see them! *sigh*
I'll report back after tomorrow but I get the impression she's going to be obstructive.

[Flossieteacake]

Thank you both, you're very Encouraging 
I would say the tenderness is probably less noticeable today now than when it first started so it does sound like it will decrease. The info in the boxes was huge - all the risks and side effects so although I skim read them enough to notice about tenderness around the breasts, I didn't want to focus on the negatives.
Today I feel tired, sore and tender but very positive because up until coming to this site I thought I was going to be feeling like this forever. So I know things will get better, I really appreciate you all.
Spoke to the GP and I've actually got a face to face apt with her tomorrow,  they are as rare as hens teeth at my practice. But she listened to my long diatribe and then asked why I thought I had VA not vulvadynia. 
I told her it was after coming here and doing a lot of reading. Apparently my notes say that last time I was examined in 2021 there was sign of atrophy and yet no one told ME!!!
However she said she doubted I had it.
There is a menopause specialist in my area but there is a year's waiting list. I asked if I could go on it and she asked why I would want to see them! *sigh*
I'll report back after tomorrow but I get the impression she's going to be obstructive.

I am shocked they recorded you had signs of atrophy but did not tell you or give you any localised oestrogen! That is appalling. I really hope your appointment goes well. It is infuriating the GP is insisting you do not have VA. 

[MrsMitch]

So GP apt over and I'm in so much pain as she obviously wanted to thoroughly examine me internally.  It was nearly impossible because of the pain but she did make to get a tiny speculum inside my vagina to where the sore area is. She said there are signs of atrophy but she said the entrance to my vagina was only slightly pink and my vulva was pretty moist. She found a fissure there too, ouchie! I explained I've been applying coconut oil multiple times a day plus 4 days of pessaries so clearly all that has helped the appearance but not the pain.
The outcome is a prescription for pessaries and oestrogen cream, increase to 3 pumps a day for HRT and she's referring me to the menopause specialist but that'll be 12 month waiting.
She thinks when I originally felt slight pain during sex back in 2007 it wouldn't have been atrophy, hence vulvadynia diagnosis 6 years later, so she thinks that is still an issue. Also she says I really tense up even when she examined me externally then worse when internally so she thinks that's contributing even though I told her I wouldn't be likely to do that if I didn't have pain. But she says I have vaginismus and so there are 3 issues- VA, vulvadynia & vaginismus as she is adamant my problems are not solely VA so for now, I must bow to her medical expertise. 
At least she is trying to help. Apparently my own GP (this one was a locum)is the women's health GP at the practise so I get on really well with her so I can make an apt in a few months if I need to. Plus she said the thinks a physio would be a good idea (really don't like the thought of that) and a cognitive therapist for vaginismus (don't see the point, get rid of the pain ^ it'll go)
Also I mustn't wash with the dermal 500 the gynae gave me, just water, and she's ordered blood tests to check thyroid etc etc incase there is anything else underlying.
I'm again grateful to you all for giving me the 'get up and go' so I felt like tackling this again. I'd gotten so tired of it I'd given up.
Ladies....you rock 😆😆😆