vaginal atrophy

Hi Mindy.  To be honest I would drink horses urine straight from the horse if it helped my symptoms or anyones elses urine for that matter but I can understand your sentiments.

With regards to your lack of sex drive hurray another woman has finally admitted that she doesnt have a sex drive or very little.  I am 59 and went through a nightmare menopause from around 48-52 and my sexual feelings went.  Not diminshed, not a little bit, the whole caboodle.  I only started to regain them about 18months ago and then VA kicked in - ironic.  So now I occassionally have sexual feelings but can only tolerate intercourse once a week because of the VA.  

No wonder men go off and have affairs with younger women or leave their aging wives  I can sympathise with them (well to some extent)

My gynacologist did say that I needed to keep having intercourse otherwise my vagina would shrink making it nigh on impossible to go back to a sexual relationship.  Not sure how true that is or if it is an urban legend circulated by frustrated men doctors.

Hope you have success

 

Hi Linda, I too am 59 and I never lost the desire but the atrophy made it so painful we just quit! BIG MISTAKE cos it's true-USE IT OR LOSE IT! I'm back on the Vagifem and only need it twice weekly but my labia has been itching like no tomorrow. It's a side effect and the only discharge I have is the day after I insert the tablet. KEEP having sex until he can't or won't. You'll be glad you did

Hi Linda, my objection to preparing is the inhumane way the horses are treated in order to obtain it. Some advice I would give you is to yes, have sex as often as you can tolerate. And/ or use a dilator( dildo).as often as you can to help keep the atrophy to a minimum and delay it from getting worse . Use it or lose it is very true in av.. I didn't and I haven't been able to tolerate intercourse or even a finger inserted for these past 11 years

I too, have a problem with the shrinking. My Gyno uses a pediatric Speculum on me because the other just won't fit. My husband and I have had marital problems over the last few years and sex is the one department that hasn't been resolved yet. He's 51 and had never had erection problems. However, he had quite a scare in April, having two aneurysms within two weeks. He's recently been released by the surgeon and thru general conversation, I've discovered he hasn't really had THE URGE. I guess that doesn't say much for me. I'm not sure what to do next. I've been told that I still, `got it going on ', but I'm completely stumped as to how I get HIM to WANT ME, AGAIN. ANY IDEAS, LADIES?

I don't personally have the experience of my spouse having aneurysms. My dad had an abd aneurysm, and repair. After, mom told me he was unable to sustain an erection long enough to have intercourse. This upset him terribly. I have the atrophy, for over 2 years. Attempting intercourse feels like I am being cut with razor blades, so it's a no go. Estrace cream did nothing. I am now on premarin, but no sex partner, so I dunno. The doctor did have to use a pediatric speculum for my pap.

Wow, Mindy! I'd say we're in different stages re personal needs. I felt the same way you do now when I was younger, but I made a concious decision around age 50 to focus on getting my life together without dissipating my energies on men. It was difficult at first (old habits die hard & I still desired sexual contact), but removing men as a focus has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Fortunately, my eventual lack of hormones has worked in my favor It's very freeing to not be ruled by hormones.

I understand that you were forced into a premature menopause and probably feel you were robbed of having a sexual life. However, you say you would "like to get my desire for sex back".  But why wish for a desire you don't have? Sounds self defeating. Focus your energies on what you'd like to accomplish that doesn't require a sexual relationship. If you happen to find a man you are attracted to maybe you can start on hormone cream and go from there. Even if you take the hormones now to solve atrophy issues, don't consider your life dimished if there isn't a man in it. There's more to life, not to mention there are many miserable people involved in relationships. You are not an IT. You're a maturing woman who can focus on improving your life & exploring interests. Who knows what will happen??

Hi Beverly,

Love your attitude 

I just hit across this site because I was looking for instructions re the Vit E capsules (I know someone had mentioned on another site to pierce them but then I wasn't sure if I was supposed to squeeze them out or leave the whole capsule but I'm guessing from here that you leave the capsule) but I've noticed a lot about Vagifem and other hormone creams.  My doctor gave me Vagifem, at three times the recommended dose for a year and I got endometrial cancer.  It was only then that I looked at prescribing information for Vagifem and there are warnings all over that page (prescribers information for Vagifem) about any estrogen - even at the dose they recommend,  when there is a uterus, and it not being balanced by progesterone.  So please, ladies, before using estrogen topically, check out any dangers from the manufacturers websites.  There ARE alternatives that are much safer.  All that Vagifem didn't actually help me at all, anyway!  And gave me chronic itching and discharge.   I'm now using hyalaronic acid pessaries and as far as is known, they don't have the same dangers.

Chris, always caution and buyer beware.  A point about hyalaronic acid:  "One of the chief components of the extracellular matrix, hyaluronan contributes significantly to cell proliferation and migration, and may also be involved in the progression of some malignant tumors.[3]"

Search for "hyalaronic acid wiki" to get the write up in wikipedia.

Phew!  WOW! thank you for telling me that!  I'm certainly looking that up right now!!!!  I even told my surgeon I was using it and they didn't seem to know that!  Thank you!!!!!!!

Just had a quick google, both on wiki and generally.  There seems to be a lot of useful info on hyalaronic acid pessaries generally, as a plus, but that aspect does concern me even if I can't find any other sites mentioning it, so I am going to try the Vit E because that also has SO much good press, but while looking I came across quite a lot about estrogen being used topically and the risks even at recommended dosage, so I think that does need to be taken into account.  Doctors just don't mention side effects, and it was looking up 'prescribers information' on Vagifem that was a shocker to me, especially after finding I'd got endometrial cancer!  It's a minefield really, isn't it!