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[QueenieG]

Hi there

I think I'm in denial, so please hit me with the truth.

I adore running canicross with my dog. This consists of my harnessed dog running ahead of me, attached to my waist-belt via a bungee cord. I enjoy a bit of tow!

I have some anterior and posterior prolapse. I get stress incontinence, but currently only while running. A super incontinence pad covers this. I can feel that the pelvic floor weakness has worsened in the last year (I'm 52 and still perimenopausal). I've been on Vagifem since May 2020.

From what I've read, high impact sports are a really bad idea. We try to run mainly on tracks and grass, but there is some hard surface running. I currently run about 15km per week.
This is my chief form of exercise, along with pilates and body combat, although the latter 2 have fallen by the wayside since gym classes closed for Covid.

I really don't want to give up running, it's the main joy in my life, plus is pretty much the only social event I take part in.

Am I deluded to think I can keep doing it?

[CLKD]

OK what breed of dog - lets get the important news over first 

   have U taken advice from a womens physiotherapist? 

Running - not on my 1st line of exercise: I'm out of bed, what more do they want  . I think that canicross is dangerous, we had a lurcher that would have taken off after a mouse without any 2nd thoughts  in fact she pulled DH off his cycle once.  Ran across the front wheel in front !

[QueenieG]

Hi CLDK and thanks for your welcome...you made me laugh! She's a 6 yr old labradoodle. 75% standard poodle/diva. We've had her 3 yrs. We do get issues with suicidal squirrels but somehow I've remained upright. There is NO WAY I'd bike alongside her though :O

My women's physio advised me to not go overboard on the mileage and to avoid hard surface running where possible. She gave me kegels and PF strengthening exercises, but that was about 18 months ago.

Things have declined despite taking these on board.

I paid to see a lady gynae May 2020, hence the Vagifem. She advised hanging fire on considering surgery, unless my life was being greatly impacted. I'm kicking myself for neglecting to ask about the running, although I think it up briefly in conversation, she didn't comment and I didn't ask her outright if I had to stop. My PF feels like it's declined further since then. More leakage on runs and more feeling like I'm sagging inside.

[Taz2]

Hi QueenieG. Sorry to hear you have prolapses. I'm older than you (67) I had a cystocele (bladder/anterior) prolapse and was given a tailored pelvic floor exercise plan to follow. I was advised to stay on full HRT and to avoid any high impact exercise. Also not to lift anything heavy such as shopping bags etc. I didn't really take the advice seriously and my job did involve lifting at times. I had to stop full HRT for a while and then suffered a womb prolapse which meant I needed a hysterectomy and anterior repair. That was six years ago and things have been good up until a year ago when the cystocele returned and the vaginal vault is beginning to sag too (a common happening after hyster for prolapse). I restarted full HRT on the advice of the consultant gynae straight after the hysterectomy and have been careful to follow advice.  I guess I would suggest that you take the advice you have been given seriously as, even after surgery, prolapses can recur but I can understand you don't want to have to give up running with your dog  Have you considered a ring pessary to 'shore' things up while you decide about surgery?

In the meantime keep up the pelvic floor exercises!

Taz x 

[sheila99]

I haven't had a prolapse so don't know if it will help you but testosterone has strengthened my pelvic floor. I haven't had to do pelvic floor exercises since being on it.

[Dierdre]

I had a prolapse 4 years ago when my estrogen levels had hit rock bottom and  i also had severe vaginal atrophy. I was referred to a physiotherapist and prescribed daily local estrogens, Vagifem and Ovestin. It took about a year to reverse the prolapse but i avoided surgery and i no longer have a prolapse. I was told not to lift anything heavy, if i did i would feel the prolapse pop out. I stopped lifting heavy things!

[Taz2]

This is a lovely positive post Deidre. Thank you for posting it. Can you say what had prolapsed? Also what did you do to actually reverse the prolapse? There's hope for me yet 😁

Taz x

[Dierdre]

It was the bladder that prolapsed. The main culprit was lack of estrogen so replacing that was the main thing to do. The physio showed me how to do pelvic floor exercises properly, not to lift anything heavy, even coughing would put a strain on the pelvic floor. It is a long process that takes months but once the local estrogen did its job things improved quickly.  Simple yoga exercises, cat cow also helped.

[Taz2]

Thank you! Sadly I've done all of these things but I think your prolapse may have been at an earlier stage than mine. My physio is excellent and I found the bio feedback very helpful too. I agree that oestrogen is imperative in keeping tissues strong. Thinking back it's around 15 years at age 52 since I first noticed a little stress incontinence and was referred to the specialist pelvic floor clinic and that worked well in strengthening everything for quite a while. There needs to be more education about this I feel. It's all very well being bombarded with Tena Lady adverts but nothing is said about what we need to do to stop things sliding ever southwards! 

Taz x

[QueenieG]

Thanks you for all your replies, it's lovely to have found this forum. Supportive ladies who are or have been going through similar experiences.

I shall look up ring pessaries, bio feedback and testosterone. Making cat/cow a regular routine is easy to fit in, along with the kegels.
Husband now knows that I shall be avoiding heavy lifting too, so no more humping sacks of feed for me!

As for running, I realise it should stop, but I need to get my head around this and find another suitable hobby that lights my fire. For now there will be shorter/less frequent runs.

Thank you for your help and kindness.

[CLKD]

? Nordic walking ? with poles. Has to be done correctly or there is no benefit at all.  If you live in a hilly area mayB increase the heights that you walk up - enjoy the scenery then a brisk stroll down.  Regular walking is important for bone health too.

Labradoodle - does she moult?  We have a cockerpoo  next door who loves me to bits 

[QueenieG]

Update: I went to see my GP today and had a pessary ring fitted. I can't thank you enough, Taz2, for suggesting this to me. Before coming onto the MM forum, this was something I was totally ignorant of, as being a potential option to surgery. When I discussed this with my GP by phone last week, she was trying to steer me towards surgery, especially when I mentioned reading about pessaries on this forum! "Oh you don't want to believe what you read on forums!!"

I was then tipped off about this feature on R4's Women's Hour. It told me about new clinical guidelines that came out this month, where the medical profession are encouraged to look at helping patients explore the use of vaginal pessaries, as a way of helping support them rather than defaulting to surgery. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t02z (from 32m 38 secs onwards). This gave me the confidence to try again with my GP, quoting Radio 4 and 'new clinical guidelines' was talking her language! She popped it in painlessly and got me to jump about a bit. If it moves she'll try a larger one.

It's actually shocking to me that out of 3 gynaecologists, two GPs and one physio I saw, not one of them suggested trying this. It is, after all, far less invasive, with less potential to cause harm and very cheap too!

Anyway, I'm fair bouncing off the walls now. I can already feel it's helping. I need to pee far less frequently already. I'm going to have a run with it this weekend, so that will be the acid test. Thank you all for your support, guidance and sympathy 

[CLKD]

I would jog gently initially  running is alien to me 

As with the book 'Me and My Menopausal Vagina', this device needs shouting from the rooftops! 

[Taz2]

Hi Queenie. I'm so pleased you've managed to get your GP to listen and that the ring is making a difference to you! The Radio 4 article has hopefully helped others too. I actually posted a link to it on here as it is so important that women have as much info about this distressing condition as possible.

Let us know how the running goes!

Taz x 

[QueenieG]

Hi Queenie. I'm so pleased you've managed to get your GP to listen and that the ring is making a difference to you! The Radio 4 article has hopefully helped others too. I actually posted a link to it on here as it is so important that women have as much info about this distressing condition as possible.

Let us know how the running goes!

Taz x 

Hi Taz    Ooh it was you with the R4 link, sorry I'd forgotten where I'd seen it! I've run 3 times since and have to say that it feels good and supportive. The leakage still happens, but I can manage that with a pad and forgoing my cuppa beforehand. I can definitely go for longer between toilet visits at other times too, bonus!