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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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@jar11 , have you had a thorough gynecological exam? That might help rule out various issues. If you haven’t been active, there are professional dilators that one can gradually adjust to accommodate the size. There are also specialists who focus specifically on this problem.
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1 Reaction@jar11
I agree with @celia16 , if you have not seen a gyn provider, you should. My gyn provider helped me so much more than my primary provider.
My provider suggested the same as you're trying, but also recommended I use vaginal moisturizer regularly. Just like you use moisturizer on your face, vagina mosituizer helps with dryness.
You may want to check this Mayo Clinic page that discusses treatment options, including suggestions for moisturizers.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vaginal-atrophy/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352294
I hope your partner is understanding about what you're dealing with.
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I wonder if you would benefit from hrt/bhrt including testosterone?
This paper talks about this very issue.
Check the conclusion portion. Sometimes women forget or have never been told that along with estrogen receptors we have testosterone receptors.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11361464/
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