1. < Women's Health

Vaginal Atrophy

Posted by daisysocal @daisysocal, Sep 27, 2022

Seems like vaginal atrophy is a taboo topic, yet so many women are suffering with this. I had breast cancer and was on anastrozole for 7 years. I’m not sure if my Intercourse pain is due to lack of estrogen from the estrogen blocker or from menopause or both. I have opened up about this with female acquaintances and have found there are so many women who suffer from 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. I was a very sexual woman, wife, enjoyed sex so much. I am very active, attractive and fit at 60 years old. But quite 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. In fact, I stopped having sex altogether about 2 years ago. It just really stinks.

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pb50 | @pb50 | Jan 6 8:30pm
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@pb50. Pam, I figure it could be worth a try. Estradiol, by the way, isn’t considered..." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@pb50. Pam, I figure it could be worth a try. Estradiol, by the way, isn’t considered HRT. The estrogen is “unopposed” by progesterone which could be considered a contraindication however the gynecologists I have talked with tell me that very little estrogen is absorbed by the blood stream since Estradiol is applied transdermally (to the skin). It’s a good question to ask the provider who prescribed your Estradiol. Still, why not try a non-estrogen product and see if you like the results.

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Coming back to say thanks Helen - it’s stunning how uninformed I am about hormones

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Mentor
Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Jan 6 8:47pm
In reply to @pb50 "Coming back to say thanks Helen - it’s stunning how uninformed I am about hormones" + (show)
@pb50

Coming back to say thanks Helen - it’s stunning how uninformed I am about hormones

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@pb50. Pam, so are we all uninformed about hormones. This includes many of the primary care doctors I have seen locally. They place Estradiol in the same category as HRT and I only learned differently after talking with gynecologists, and the medical staff at Mayo in the Women’s Menopause and Sexual Health Department. It’s really terrible how we suffer as women because of some poor advice.

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marjou | @marjou | Jan 6 9:05pm
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@marjou I posted the link to Hyalo Gyn for a non-estrogen vaginal moisturizer above these posts...." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@marjou I posted the link to Hyalo Gyn for a non-estrogen vaginal moisturizer above these posts. Another option is Good Clean Love. You can order online or go to a Target store as they carry this brand.

Good Clean Love
— https://goodcleanlove.com/

Both of the above products are paraben-free and contain hyaluronic acid which is recommended by medical providers as a good vaginal moisuritizer.

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Thank you for info.

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pb50 | @pb50 | Jan 6 9:08pm
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@pb50. Pam, so are we all uninformed about hormones. This includes many of the primary care..." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@pb50. Pam, so are we all uninformed about hormones. This includes many of the primary care doctors I have seen locally. They place Estradiol in the same category as HRT and I only learned differently after talking with gynecologists, and the medical staff at Mayo in the Women’s Menopause and Sexual Health Department. It’s really terrible how we suffer as women because of some poor advice.

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I was fortunate to find a woman doc in Providence RI who had a specialty gyn/uro practice who told me what I had going on. The gyn in NYC had treated one vague infection after another and clearly had no idea what the issue was.

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celia16 | @celia16 | Jan 6 9:30pm
In reply to @pb50 "I don’t have material urinary issues - just old lady “give me a minute” syndrome 🙄" + (show)
@pb50

I don’t have material urinary issues - just old lady “give me a minute” syndrome 🙄

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I hear ya! Glad you’re ok.

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conireland | @conireland | Jan 7 12:55pm

Great information. Was on antibiotics for 2 months and my Urogynecologist has not done any tests. Same thing happened last year. I have a prolapse as well. Finally doing bladder function test.
Currently looking for Dr at Mayo.

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sbrown293 | @sbrown293 | Jan 7 1:13pm
In reply to @celia16 "Did you see a physical therapist for the training? I’m not sure if I need the..." + (show)
@celia16

Did you see a physical therapist for the training? I’m not sure if I need the therapy, but would like an evaluation. Maybe, I’ll try the intercourse to see how it goes.

So glad you had good results with that therapy! My mom has had 2 surgeries for prolapse years ago. I have done kegel exercises before. I became concerned that I might be hypotonic, since I’m such an anxious person and discontinued them. Perhaps, I’ll resume them.

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Yes, I saw a physical therapist who trained me in the exercises I needed and how to do them. I noticed a difference within 3 weeks. (No undressing). She gave me printouts of the exercises. I leave them in plain sight as a reminder to do the exercises.

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celia16 | @celia16 | Jan 7 1:37pm
In reply to @sbrown293 "Yes, I saw a physical therapist who trained me in the exercises I needed and how..." + (show)
@sbrown293

Yes, I saw a physical therapist who trained me in the exercises I needed and how to do them. I noticed a difference within 3 weeks. (No undressing). She gave me printouts of the exercises. I leave them in plain sight as a reminder to do the exercises.

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Did you need a referral and did insurance cover it?

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2 replies
sbrown293 | @sbrown293 | Jan 7 8:56pm
In reply to @celia16 "Did you see a physical therapist for the training? I’m not sure if I need the..." + (show)
@celia16

Did you see a physical therapist for the training? I’m not sure if I need the therapy, but would like an evaluation. Maybe, I’ll try the intercourse to see how it goes.

So glad you had good results with that therapy! My mom has had 2 surgeries for prolapse years ago. I have done kegel exercises before. I became concerned that I might be hypotonic, since I’m such an anxious person and discontinued them. Perhaps, I’ll resume them.

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I asked my primary care person if she would write an order for pelvic floor training. I probably went to 4 sessions and she printed out the pages of exercises with instructions and told me to continue them at home. I am scheduled to see my Gynecologist on Tuesday and I am hoping to have a discussion about why he didn’t recommend PFT. The therapist I saw said he probably wasn’t even aware of it. I am so thankful I didn’t have surgery to correct because there can be pretty bad side effects. Good luck!

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sbrown293 | @sbrown293 | Jan 7 9:29pm
In reply to @celia16 "Did you need a referral and did insurance cover it?" + (show)
@celia16

Did you need a referral and did insurance cover it?

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I asked my primary care doctor to write an order for it. Apparently my Gynecologist is not aware of Pelvic Floor Training. My annual appointment is this Tuesday, and I’m going to bring it up. It’s such a better choice than surgery.

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