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Vaginal atrophy and painful intercourse: What helps?
Seems like vaginal atrophy is a taboo topic, yet so many women are suffering with this. It’s a subject so difficult to discuss with your husband, partner, doctors, etc. Many women have told me estrogen creams don’t work, Mona Lisa type treatments don’t help, and our sex lives are non-existent.
Honestly I feel almost worthless when it comes to being intimate. It’s really sad and I wish I could have normal sex again without feeling like I’m being stabbed by a knife, hiding my face crying, and swollen.
Have you found anything that helps?
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@rmcguinness
I am going to tag 3 members (@jkh, @mpeters, @kathy5645) who mentioned they have had the procedure in the past. Some have not been active for a while, so hopefully someone responds.
I found a reference to the procedure in a few comments on Connect, but not a separate discussion on the topic. You might want to create a new discussion about the Mona Lisa procedure and see if you get responses from members who have had it.
@roch thanks for reaching out. The Mona Lisa procedure was very helpful but…as I have continued with anastrozole the dryness and pain came back rather quickly. It might have been 3 months or less. I started on estrozle tablets inserted into the vagina to be most helpful. There was a study in 2022 that showed safety even for those with estrogen positive breast cancer.
Here is an interesting paper on the role of testosterone in hormone treatment of these issues.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11361464/
@naturegirl5 I have not tried it. I’m hoping someone can tell me they have and what the results were. If I do I’ll let you know.
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1 Reaction@roch thank you for the reply. I’m not sure how to start a separate discussion but I’ll try.
@rmcguinness
From How to Use Connedct Guide - creating new discussion:
1. Select Support Groups.
2. Click a Menopause support group.
3. Click "Start a new discussion" - it is right under the Search area)
4. Ask a question, phrase your topic as a question, or describe it briefly to help others find your discussion more easily.
5. Write your message - share your story, adding any relevant information to help others understand.
6. Click Post Discussion.
If you still have problems, let me know, and I will create the discussion for you.
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2 ReactionsWhat a great topic. I agree that vaginal health seems taboo while there are so many solutions for men! Add in the expectations that men have for us to perform and it can be very wicked. I hit menopause early and started using young living’s Sensation oil. It’s worked really well for me and my partner enjoys it too. All natural and the benefits are numerous, including the smell of the oils:) It’s almost like an aphrodisiac for me. LOL. Good luck finding something that works for you.
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2 ReactionsGravity3 is right;
Vaginal Estrogen!:
Top 20 Questions about Vaginal Estrogen:
https://open.substack.com/pub/drstreicher/p/top-20-questions-about-local-vaginal
Dr. Rachel Rubin on Vaginal Estrogen:
https://www.rachelrubinmd.com/gsm
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3 Reactions@roch I have used the Mona Lisa for lichen sclorous. It helps some for discomfort but still must use clobetasol twice a week.
I feel exactly the same way! Can anyone help us? I’ve just been told to use vaginal estrogen 2 x week and lube. It does nothing!!! Sex feels as if I am being ripped apart with a knife.