Just reached home after a long commute and can sit down and share my own story. (Some of you may recognise it from the VA thread)
Warning: Long Post for Insomniacs Only
I had sudden ovarian failure at 42 - thirteen years ago. It felt like being run over by a truck with every symptom under the sun. The most distressing was a painful and incredibly ghastly cystitis feeling that lasted 18 months. I saw gynecologists and urologists and two endocrinologists (I also have no thyroid and am on thyroid replacement). I was given several different oral HRTs, none of which alleviated the range and severity of symptoms. I left work (I ran a research department with 15 people) and it was a depressing mess.
Finally the last endocrinologist I saw prescribed Estrogel (for those who dont know, its estradiol that is similar to that produced by our bodies, and its applied to the thighs or arms). I slowly improved and ALL my symptoms went gradually away. I was on it for about 9 + years and never had a bladder issue or a cystitis symptom.
About a year ago my same endocrinologist told me to switch to Tibolone, as its not an estrogen, but only mimics it and does not work on the breast tissue or uterus, and I was now 55 and presumably needed less hrt.
Everything seemed fine until we moved countries and I think the extra stress was too much for the dose I was on. I developed a massive UTI (proven by culture) and after that, terrible burning and pain in the urethra. I assumed it was thrush from the antibiotics I'd taken for the UTI, but nope, it was eventually diagnosed as a bad case of VA.
I cant get Vagifem where I live (India) and had to resort to the only cream on the market, Premarin (yuk). Needless to say, I also ditched the Tibolone and ran screaming back to Estrogel. I now have a Vagifem stock for a few months that a friend got and handcarried for me, which so far hasnt worked but I will up the dose based on the advice I've seen here.
My whole pelvic area / bladder is supremely uncomfortable at best and achey/draggy at worst, with burning inside and out.
Thank you all again for sharing such useful information; its literally been a lifesaver.
KKay