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[SundayGirl]

I've been using vagifem and/or ovestin or various combinations of both for a couple of years now. Initially everything was fine and I was so much more comfy.

However... The last few months I have had the most annoying and uncomfortable aching in my lower abdomen. At it's worst I can only describe it as toothache like, right in the middle.
Doubling up on treatment for a few days made things so much worse, but I persevered thinking I needed more oestrogen.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I decided enough was enough and stopped using both vagifem and ovestin. I was expecting a huge flare up and to be in agony but it's been the total opposite!

I am the most comfortable I have been in a long time. My mood feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

The only downside is now feeling slightly dry and yes VM is helping a bit.

My GP is really good and will prescribe as much va treatment as i want (need) so am wondering whether to ask for intrarosa. Just a bit worried it will cause the aching to return but then again it's not actually oestrogen is it?

To all the ladies who use intrarosa, should I give it a go?

[sfreesto]

Hello SundayGirl,

I started on Intrarosa at the end of December after my Imvaggis treatment seeming to no longer work and having a long, awful flare up. It took 6 weeks to work, but now I’m feeling more normal than I have for a long time. For me it seems to have done the trick.

 Intrarosa is DHEA that the body converts into oestrogen and testosterone in the vaginal cells.

Xx

[kathryn22]

This is so interesting
I’ve had to stop my Vagirux/estriol this week as I was burning every time I used it and it was unbearable My GP said that if it wasn’t improving then it wasn’t going to so just use the YES
She’s referring me to a dermatologist and has given me mid strength steroids to try to calm the inflammation
Hadn’t heard of intrarosa wonder if it would be better. I’m worried that the VA will get worse with no treatment

[SundayGirl]

sfreesto - your experience is encouraging. Can I ask did you get abdominal aching? I can't really find many references to this side effect at all.

kathryn22 - I didn't have any burning at all. I just had the horrible aching. I also had increased discharge which irritated.

[CLKD]

B4 a flare up I have a heavy sensation around my belly button so I add an afternoon 'ovestin' dose as well as at night.

It mayB the fillers or packaging that affects some vaginas, interesting that after long-term use that there has been a reaction.   

Let us know how you get on.

[Hurdity]

I have had abdominal/pelvic aching/dragging when my oestrogen is low. When I stopped HRT for 3 months back in 2011 it was the pelvic pain/ache that was one of the symptoms that led me to restart HRT ( as well as return of flushes and sweats). Once I had restarted these symptoms went.

Also is it possible you had a UTI - did you get checked for this? Infections can cause those symptoms as well as discharge, though you would have probaby experienced urinary frequency as well, if so.

I use Vagifem/Vagirux as well as systemic HRT (every 3 days) and I always experience slight irritation and increased frequency on the day I insert it, and I wouldn;t like to have to use it every day.

During my withdrawal bleed when I have to use tampons (horrible at my age) I coat them with estriol cream instead of the Vagirux, but not Ovestin.

May I suggest, rather than Ovestin, trying the generic estriol cream which is 10 x weaker than Ovestin, so can be used more liberally and perhaas may sting less? I have never had stinging with this estriol cream - and in fact have used it externally and near the vag entrance to relieve stinging.

Can't comment on Intrarosa ....

It may be also if you try various things without success, that you might benefit from systemic oestrogen - but I don't know your history re menopause, age etc.

Hope things improve for you

Hurdity x

[SundayGirl]

Hi Hurdity
Definitely no UTI. Sample was sent to the lab and came back all clear. I've also had a swab of the discharge to rule our any nasties and that too came back all clear.

The irritation I was getting was down to the discharge due to the amount of product I was (to put it bluntly) sticking up there  No irritation now and no discharge as I'm not using anything at the moment. I still have a very slight aching feeling but very much reduced. And I've never had any stinging.

I'm currently using 2 sprays of lenzetto along with nightly utrogestan. This has stopped my overheating/flushing along with letting me get a full night's sleep as I no longer wake up roasting hot. Definitely postmeno by several years.

Interesting what you said about your symptoms when oestrogen is low. Maybe I could do with an increase. I know Lenzetto is supposed to be not as 'strong' as other things but I had huge watermelon size boobs for a while on 2 sprays - settled down now thank goodness.

You've given me food for thought Hurdity. Thank you

[fiftyplus]

Sfreesto do you have to take anything else alongside the intrarosa or is it ok to just take by itself? xx

[sfreesto]

SundayGirl, I never had aching, for me it was more urinary symptoms, bladder pressure and urethral burning with no apparent infection (although on occasion would have a negative dip stick test but still had symptoms relieved for a time by antibiotics).

Fiftyplus, I am also on Estradot 100 plus utrogestan 200 cyclically. I also have Ovestin that I use externally - daily for the first two weeks and now about twice per week as more seems to burn. I was taking HRT systemically for about 1.5 years before the VA symptoms appeared so I’m obviously one of the unlucky that needs topical treatment on top. I am only 49 and peri, so try not to think too much beyond feeling good right now!

[SundayGirl]

sfreesto - you've now got me wondering whether what I am calling aching is actually pressure. I live in jeans and feel worse when sitting down especially when I'm watching telly at night. And jeans have a nasty habit of shrinking during the day   
Then again it's not as bad now I've stopped using any treatments. Hmmmmm

Sorry, rambling again.

[CLKD]

Oh Sunday Girl - U have the problem of clothes shrinking too  .  And there was I thinking it was 'something that I ate' 

[SundayGirl]

Just thought I'd pop on here and give a little update.
The past couple of days I've upped the Lenzetto to 3 sprays and, touch wood, I think I may be a little better. The slight ache I've had since stopping the local oestrogen seems to be diminishing. Whether that's because things are now settling down or whether it's the increase in Lenzetto who knows.
Fingers crossed.

Thanks to Hurdity for making me think