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.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Women's Health Support Group.

Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Jan 6 11:58am

In reply to @celia16 "I appreciate that very informative post! And that link. I’ll check it out. So glad you..." + (show)

@celia16 I like silicone too but it's messier. There are some products that are hybrid water-based and silicone-based. You can find Sliquid on their website and I believe it's also sold through Amazon. I first purchased this product at the Mayo store as it was recommended by the nurse educator. It's a trial and error as you'll want to find what works best for you. On the advice of my radiation oncologist nurse I use KY Jelly as a lubricant with my dilator. Silicone-based products are not recommended and the other water-based products dry out too quickly.

Sliquid

--- https://sliquid.com/shop/sliquid-naturals/silk-sliquid-naturals/

Any other advice you'd like to share will be so appreciated here. I'm so glad you are doing well with the methods that you have chosen.

dragonspark | @dragonspark | Jan 6 4:22pm

In reply to @naturegirl5 "@marjou I agree with you that vaginal atrophy is not addressed in the medical community. I..." + (show)

I would love those links!

Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Jan 6 4:27pm

In reply to @dragonspark "I would love those links!" + (show)

@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.

celia16 | @celia16 | Jan 6 5:07pm

Do you how Replense moisturizer compares to those above?

pb50 | @pb50 | Jan 6 5:55pm

In reply to @naturegirl5 "@celia16 I like silicone too but it's messier. There are some products that are hybrid water-based..." + (show)

May I ask a likely elementary question? I had a hysterectomy at 38 and was not offered any HRT of any kind. At age 64, I developed a sticky, sour smelling discharge and learned it was vaginal atrophy sloughing off dead cells. The GYN prescribed a 10mg estradiol suppositoryi insert twice a week. And after quite a while that seemed to resolve it. After a few years I stopped the HRT. but recently I had to resume. So apparently the condition doesn’t get fixed… just managed.

So here’s my stupid question- would moisturizer do just as well? I’m reading about many of you using non hormonal moisturizer and am wondering if that’s an option for me. I am somewhat worried about HRT forever.

Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Jan 6 6:36pm

In reply to @celia16 "Do you how Replense moisturizer compares to those above?" + (show)

I don’t however I looked up Replens. It has glycerin in it and I know that Hyalo gyn does not have glycerin. None of these products have fragrances which is important as fragrances can be irritants. I’m allergic to fragrances used in this way so I avoid anything with a fragrance.

Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Jan 6 6:38pm

In reply to @pb50 "May I ask a likely elementary question? I had a hysterectomy at 38 and was not..." + (show)

@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.

pb50 | @pb50 | Jan 6 7:27pm

Thanks for your insight. My experience seems a bit different. I guess I don’t understand HRT definitionally, but I get enough estrogen to give me an increase in facial hair. I will hold off making changes until I see a new woman GYN since I am changing docs.

celia16 | @celia16 | Jan 6 8:22pm

In reply to @pb50 "May I ask a likely elementary question? I had a hysterectomy at 38 and was not..." + (show)

I really wish the message these female Urologists are so passionate about could be more accessible. They seemed to say that the locally applied estrogen addresses the urinary issues that result from lack of estrogen. It was my understanding that it’s about more than moisturizing the tissue. I’ll need to research that more. I’m just learning about this.

And, that the local estrogen works to maintain that area, similar to when your own body produces it, so it’s a maintenance thing, not a cure, which you wouldn’t need but once. I don’t know if you are supposed to take HRT and local estrogen at the same time.

If I had known more about the local estrogen option earlier, I would have gotten it immediately upon menopause. I hope I’ve intervened in time so there isn’t any damage.

The Replense that I have tried is unscented. I haven’t gotten but one box (Has 6 individual applications.), because I didn’t see the need. After the Estradiol, everything seems plenty moist, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt. I was afraid being too moist might cause a yeast infection.

I suppose gynecologist are supposed to be experts on this, but I have seen several and they never informed me about menopause properly, options for treatment, expectations, etc. I never had any bad symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, etc. And, I recently took my mom to see one and it was a big disappointment. I won’t go into it here. But, the urologists on you tube seem to be the ones advocating for women and their pelvic health.

I guess I’m super charged about this issue, because almost every woman I know who has gone through menopause has urinary issues! Usually, prolapse, incontinence, weak bladder, urgency, frequency, etc. I am shocked that I don’t! I’m not sure why. This is an issue that needs attention. Thank goodness for this site!