Vaginal Atrophy Options

[Grammy2be]

Hello,

I am going through Menopause and having quite the time of it. I was on birth control pills until about a year ago. I was advised to discontinue them from my General Practitioner because I had not had a period in 2 years. Within six months of stopping I have not regained my monthlies and began to have horrible issues. Pain when with my husband and urinary issues as well. I saw a GYN finally in November. I was diagnosed having Vaginal Atrophy. Which she put me on Premarin and was sure that this would be the ticket for me to get well. I had numerous infections in my urethra tube and vagina. So she put me on Estrace. Again the infections continued but I must admit that being with my husband has gotten better. So yesterday I again had another visit to my Doctor.

She put me on Estring 2mg which is a vaginal estrogen ring. I am not so sure I like this thing. Very expensive and I hate to have this inside of me for the next 3 months. I can't tell for sure if I have it in right. I am so irritated anyway there and it may be because of this that it feels odd or maybe it is in head because I am bugged mentally by having to have this thick goofy thing up inside me.

She doesn't want to put me on estrogen pills unless there is no other option because she says that the estrogen vaginally just helps that area and if you take estrogen in a pill form then it is in my entire body. I hope she is right.

I have no hot flashes no mood swings but just this burning, itchy, dry, uncomfortable feeling in my privates.

[larafalcon]

Hello,

I am going through Menopause and having quite the time of it. I was on birth control pills until about a year ago. I was advised to discontinue them from my General Practitioner because I had not had a period in 2 years. Within six months of stopping I have not regained my monthlies and began to have horrible issues. Pain when with my husband and urinary issues as well. I saw a GYN finally in November. I was diagnosed having Vaginal Atrophy. Which she put me on Premarin and was sure that this would be the ticket for me to get well. I had numerous infections in my urethra tube and vagina. So she put me on Estrace. Again the infections continued but I must admit that being with my husband has gotten better. So yesterday I again had another visit to my Doctor.

She put me on Estring 2mg which is a vaginal estrogen ring. I am not so sure I like this thing. Very expensive and I hate to have this inside of me for the next 3 months. I can't tell for sure if I have it in right. I am so irritated anyway there and it may be because of this that it feels odd or maybe it is in head because I am bugged mentally by having to have this thick goofy thing up inside me.

She doesn't want to put me on estrogen pills unless there is no other option because she says that the estrogen vaginally just helps that area and if you take estrogen in a pill form then it is in my entire body. I hope she is right.

I have no hot flashes no mood swings but just this burning, itchy, dry, uncomfortable feeling in my privates.

Hi there:

Sorry to hear of what you are going through - I too am on birthcontrol pills and very happy with them - but I get my period or "withdrawal bleeding" (which is what a period is called when you are on the pill) every month - so were you not getting this for the two years. Or did you stop the pill occasionally to check to see if you were getting your periods. Also how old are you if you don't mind my asking - I am 52 yrs old. I started taking the pill at 48 and have had no problems with dry vagina, hot flashes etc. - I stopped it for a month when I was 50 yrs and 2 months - and I was told that it would take my periods a while to resume and may be they wouldn't because of my age - but I got my periods right away - I did not miss a month - so I think that I will have a late menopause - which I am thankful for - we don't have any cancer in our family so I don't have to worry about the extra exposure to estrogen. I do think that estrogen is more of a friend than an enemy to women - and I have seen posts on this board where women have been sad to end their periods and also how terrible they feel when they are post menopausal because of lack of estrogen. So I definitely intend to take ERT or HRT when I go through meno - I've heard good things about the e-string - it definitely helps with itchy dry vaginas - and be patient about this - it may take a few days to work. Good luck and keep me posted on this

Lara Falcon

[Grammy2be]

Hi there:

Sorry to hear of what you are going through - I too am on birthcontrol pills and very happy with them - but I get my period or "withdrawal bleeding" (which is what a period is called when you are on the pill) every month - so were you not getting this for the two years. Or did you stop the pill occasionally to check to see if you were getting your periods. Also how old are you if you don't mind my asking - I am 52 yrs old. I started taking the pill at 48 and have had no problems with dry vagina, hot flashes etc. - I stopped it for a month when I was 50 yrs and 2 months - and I was told that it would take my periods a while to resume and may be they wouldn't because of my age - but I got my periods right away - I did not miss a month - so I think that I will have a late menopause - which I am thankful for - we don't have any cancer in our family so I don't have to worry about the extra exposure to estrogen. I do think that estrogen is more of a friend than an enemy to women - and I have seen posts on this board where women have been sad to end their periods and also how terrible they feel when they are post menopausal because of lack of estrogen. So I definitely intend to take ERT or HRT when I go through meno - I've heard good things about the e-string - it definitely helps with itchy dry vaginas - and be patient about this - it may take a few days to work. Good luck and keep me posted on this

Lara Falcon

I didn't have the withdrawal bleeding at all for 2 years. Nothing nada. I was in need of renewing my prescription and my GYN left town. I spoke with my family doctor who told me that I should stop them all together. I never have had a period since. While on the pill I had no issues like I have now. I will be 50 March 1st, I was told by my GYN that I probably am through the change entirely. I have so far not had too much good experience with the estrace but reading this board maybe it is normal to use the estrace and still be itchy, burning and sore. So maybe I wasn't really allergic to it after all. But that PREMARIN! Yikes that gave me horrible problems.

How is a person to know if they have it in right? I can't feel it but do have a crampy tummy feeling something like period cramps though not bad really. I was sore to begin with so maybe that is what I am feeling.

[larafalcon]

I didn't have the withdrawal bleeding at all for 2 years. Nothing nada. I was in need of renewing my prescription and my GYN left town. I spoke with my family doctor who told me that I should stop them all together. I never have had a period since. While on the pill I had no issues like I have now. I will be 50 March 1st, I was told by my GYN that I probably am through the change entirely. I have so far not had too much good experience with the estrace but reading this board maybe it is normal to use the estrace and still be itchy, burning and sore. So maybe I wasn't really allergic to it after all. But that PREMARIN! Yikes that gave me horrible problems.

How is a person to know if they have it in right? I can't feel it but do have a crampy tummy feeling something like period cramps though not bad really. I was sore to begin with so maybe that is what I am feeling.

I'm so surprised that during the two years you did not even once have withdrawal bleeding - when you started the pill were you still getting your period - and what was the name of the bc pill you took? was it the low dose pill?

best

lara falcon

[Grammy2be]

I'm so surprised that during the two years you did not even once have withdrawal bleeding - when you started the pill were you still getting your period - and what was the name of the bc pill you took? was it the low dose pill?

best

lara falcon

I was on Lo Ovral for 12 years. I was on them for fibroid tumors. Yes at first I had normal withdrawal bleeding but a couple of years before the two years I had no bleeding my periods were so light that I only wore a mini pad. Then they just stopped all together.