Ladies: How are you managing vaginal atrophy as you age?

@sharonba AND, I do all my own yard work and house cleaning (inside and outside) not to mention other heavy duty work. What my doctors told me works for me.

@llynch17056 Thanks, I'll look into yoga!

@beanlisa56 Maybe I've asked this already and can't remember. It's a long thread! What delivery method are you using for your vaginal estrogen: Vagifem/Yuvafem, Imvexxy or cream? How often?

@greengold

using estrace (estradiol) twice a week, it helps a little but the game changer is botox injected into the bladder by a urogynecologist. Covered by Medicare. First one lasted five months, then got another one. Not painful. You are numbed up beforehand, and you don’t feel the numbing. My urogynegologist office also gave me a handout of a few bladder retraining exercises. Aazing what our mind can do. Nothing huge or difficult. You may want to check this out!

.

@mannism How often do you use Vagifem?

@blueskies1530 I don’t use VagiFem. I only use organic coconut oil.

Yes coconut oil is great for comfort and for sex. But and here's the biggest but, it does not stop the vaginal tissues from thinning like estrace does. It also prevents UTIs which is very important as we age. Very little gets absorbed systemically

@llynch17056 good for you you do not need estrogen. Statistics show that Approximately 50% of women over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture due to postmenopausal estrogen loss, with roughly 1 in 3 women affected by the condition overall. Within the first 5-10 years of menopause, women can lose up to 25% of their bone mass. This leads to fractures, chronic pain, and immobility. This is a serious condition that will affect the rest of these women’s lives. Everyone should make an informed decision re: Estrogen therapy. It’s not for all, but it is for many.

@sharonba I probably do “need” estrogen. I also “need” statins whichI don’t take. I always weigh the benefits against the risk. If I wanted to sit in a recliner all day eating unhealthy processed food I’d probably need a lot of drugs to stay alive, but I choose careful eating and exercise. I am 78 years old. At the last high school reunion I was in the 1% of very healthy active people. Others not so much. A lot of those take drugs instead of being responsible for their health. Now, before you and others go nuts over that statement, I do believe you must take drugs for certain conditions and disabilities that you cannot help with diet and life style, but a lot of conditions can be improved through diet and life style. It’s not the easy way, but it’s the way I chose. Comparing myself with the others from my high school class of 1965, I would say that I’m on to something good. I take thyroid meds. I cannot improve my thyroid function through diet and life style so I take them.