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[VioletAquarius]

Hi

I've been prescribed Vagifem to hopefully help with my prolapse and urge incontinence.

It is one tablet nightly for 3 weeks, then twice weekly.

Do you think this is okay/enough, or should I see how it goes first and if no improvement use it every night? What do you ladies think/recommend?

If you think I should see how I go on twice weekly, how long should I give it?

Thank you

[Joaniepat]

After you've done the loading dose, see how you feel. It can be better to lower the dose more gradually than just drop to twice a week. Perhaps try every other day first. Some women manage on twice a week, but some need it daily, so it can take some experimentation to find your therapeutic dose. (For me it's 5 a week.) Good luck, hope it helps 😊.
JP x

[Cara999]

As the other ladies have said reduce gradually, I went every other day for about 12 months and now I'm settled on 2 x week xx

[VioletAquarius]

Thank you.
So, after my initial 3 week load, do I go to 6x a week? And how long do I keep on this before I drop to 5x a week? Is it a few weeks or a few months between each drop?
Thanks

[Worrybeads20]

I’m new here and still finding my way round.  Saw your mention of prolapse which I have too plus the joy of haemorrhoids!! Was prescribed Vagifem and this helped a lot but didn’t like breast pain and cramps in legs, which may have been coincidental, so I stopped using it.  GP said it would be okay to just use once per week in my circumstances but what I don’t get is all the discussions around dosage etc. and the fact that it is supposed to just work locally and not systemically.  My question would be then, if it’s only working locally how come this brings on leg cramps, breast pain, thinner hair, weepiness etc?  Doesn’t add up to me and as I’m struggling alone with this I joined this forum in the hope of finding someone who is having similar doubts but also has similar symptoms.  Haemorrhoids are a taboo subject despite the fact that when you research online you are told 1 in 3 people has them but I don’t know anyone at all that has them!! Just hoping to get some feedback and experience from others - that would be so useful.

[CLKD]

Worrybeads - love it, you'll fit right in 

Vaginal atrophy is due to a loss of oestrogen when the body may become dry: inside and out.  Sufferers are prescribed either 'vagifem' or 'ovestin, some find using both keeps the condition under control.  'vagifem' can cause symptoms initially which should settle after a couple of weeks.  I have had no problem with 'ovestin'.  The idea is to plump up the vaginal tissues with 2 weeks loading, then 'manage' the condition.  Some require nightly applications, others can manage 2/3 times a week. It's Trial and Error.

 I wonder why you were advised that once a week would help  .

If U don't get on with 'vagifem', mayB try 'ovestin'.   

[pepperminty]

Hi,

 weekly dosage of vagifem per year is equivalent to 1 tablet of HRT .   So the dose is very low.

PMx

[Worrybeads20]

Thanks for replying! Due to see GP tomorrow and she had advised the Vagifem regime.  Haven’t heard of Ovestin though but I’ll enquire.  Sounds like I’m a lightweight though when I see what some ladies are taking and are obviously finding beneficial.  I have anxiety so anything new rocks my boat but your responses so far help as I feel less isolated already.  Before I joined as a member I saw a lot of posts which helped a lot and looking forward to getting more involved.  By the way I’m post menopausal, went through menopause with no medication (thought it was grief and upset of husband passing away causing anxiety etc- I was 58 then so very late going through menopause when I see much younger women struggling.

[VioletAquarius]

Hi WorryBeads, I haven't heard of anyone having these kind of symptoms with vagifem, or any local estrogen, as only a very minute bit of it gets into the bloodstream.
How long were you taking it before the symptoms started? And how long after stopping the vagifem did the symptoms stop?

[pepperminty]

Hi,

it is amazing how anxiety can make everthing more difficult.  The brain is very complex, and our feelings can effect how we are physically. Try " Box Breathing" ( loads of info on google). Also get a free mediation App and try to do 5 minutes everyday, or there are ones on utube . 

PMxx

[Inky]

I don't think vagifem will be causing these problems for you  - its a tiny dose - but I think its better than ovestin for dealing with VA/uti's IME. After the two week loading, I have taken two a week and it does most of what I want it to do on that dose.

I am also struggling with hair loss but I thought it might be more to do with a thyroid issue or just aging - rather than vagifem - cos I've been on that for a good long while before the hair loss kicked in.

As for piles, I have just had mine surgically removed - which was excruciatingly painful at the time...but I am glad I had it done now that I have fully recovered from the op. I found that people don't want to talk about their own piles because it's considered embarrassing for some reason but when you start to talk to your friends about it you will soon hear them talking about their sister or mother or whoever who had them banded etc etc. While I was not prepared to tell work what my surgery was for, I was OK with talking about it to family and friends, largely because it was so so painful recovering from it that I couldnt keep quiet about it. But... I am glad I had it done - its all a bit tidier down there now...

[Jules]

I had blood spotting the first time i tried vagifem and period type of pain after about 4 months. The second time i tried it i got breast pain. I know it was vagifem as my GP told me to stop and see if it goes, it did. The third time I tried it, I've been ok. I too have worried a bit about how these symptoms come about if it's not systemic estrogen.