Anthropic vaginitis

Thanks Margaret, I've seen the nurse, totally useless, I knew more than she did! I will try the K-Y. I'll keep you posted. 

I sent away for Yes it was good used both water & oil both were fine I did every thing as I was raw but have been very comfortable now for months my regime is vagifem 10mic with applicators every 5 days replense I developed an allergy to that so use a differant assortment in between the vagifem K.Y, Yes, always every day Vaseline I'm 79 so you're in for the long haul.but I am comfortable now how many women are suffering & never talk about it these forums are brilliant

Thanks Margaret, thats all really helpfull. I will get th Vagifem next time i go to the doctor. And I've ordered Yes & K-Y. Lets ope I can get on top of this nasty problem.

You are so right, it is going to be a long haul. So little information & help is openly available. Everyone is too embaressed to talk about it, so thank god for these forums. I just want to be well informed so that I can keep myself as fit as possible. I can't believe there is not an up to date cure for this, so many women are suffering. My doctor really wasn't much help, I think even she was embaressed.

Tell me; where do you put the vaseline, around the outside back & front? And are you taking any sort of HRT now? And how long have you had this problem?

No not on HRT anymore I'm not so sure the Doc will give you Vagifem as you are still on HRT maybe ask for Replense one Dr put me on both vagifem & replense & another said no way should you have both together that's why I'm only on the vagifem , vaseline goes front & back, I've also kept very fit good diet etc & although I have many problems I will not let them get me down have just taken my last antibiotic from a bout of neaumonia & am about to move so am very very happy that at the moment I'm comfortable down There. I've had cystitis for years and joined C.O.B. they are very informative google them good luck 

Margaret, Thank you very much, such a help. I'll keep you posted on here. 

Good luck with your move.

Beverly, I have been using various creams for 6 months but mostly to treat thrush, which clearly I don't have. The doctor has given me an oestrogen vag cream, no good & anyway I'm on HRT. I haven't had sex for ten years which I have no problem with. Haven't been interested since menopause & I'm single so it's not a problem. I had a bladder infection in Jan which I had anti biotic for, it cleared up but since then I have had sore & red vag, very fragile skin & itching back & front, it is a constant irritation. I need some sort of lubricant I think. So people have said Yes is good & has helped them. Is there anything you can suggest. My doctor hasn't really been much help, I have found out far more from these forums. Can't believe that so many suffer with this & yet there is so little help or effective treatment. It was bad enough during menopause & now this, it's utterly depressing. 

Ms. Monty, I am not used to these types of message boards and am confused by who is saying what to whom! Despite this I am happy to have found this information source. I have posted in the past that sometime before menopause I started getting unidentifiable infections if I had sex with a new partner. My gynecologist eventually prescribed Flagyl which worked.(That doctor retired.) Later, when menoapuse hit the infection returned. My gyn at the time would not prescribe Flagyl , said it was not indicated and instead prescribed many antibioticss and many creams for 5 long years. Thinking back I am amazed I was willing to go along with this "mis"treatment. I finally discussed the problem with my GP who immediately prescribed Flagyl and all the agony ceased. That was 10 years ago. Since then as each vag. exam became more uncomfortable the gynecologists would point out that atrophy was taking place and hormones would help. I was reluctant to use any as I have no problems otherwise and assumed this was a natural process. I was not having sex so it didn't seem to matter. However, I have just seen a new gyn (they keep retiring!) who has prescribed Premarin due to concerns that the atrophy can lead to problems in the future that could be mistaken for other problems which would lead to unnecessary testing. That seems like a convoluted reason to me. But after reading posts re the misery women are experiencing I am beginning to think perhaps the hormone cream would stave off "possible" future problems. However, I do have a sister with stage 4 estrogen driven cancer (she was the only one in my family to have taken HRT). This keeps me from going ahead with the Premarin. Also the side effects are everything I experienced while having periods and would hate to go through again.

I just don't know how serious the issue of atrophy will be (I'm 66) in the future. I haven't read any posts citing concerns similar to mine.

I do hope your problems can be resolved. I know how awful and psychologically debilitating it can be. I have read that atrophy affects 20% of post menopausal women. Perhaps this has been a taboo subject as women have not have an opportunity in the past to discuss this openly.

Thanks Beverly, Sorry you have been suffering with this for so long. Thank goodness for these forums. I'm not very good with working out this messaging system either but am muddling thru! I hope you have been able to read all the other comments on this thread becuse they seem useful. I've answered in some of the wrong boxes tho! I think it's more like 50% of women that suffer with this, it's mad that there is not more help. My doctor has not been much help & certainly has never mentioned that I may have AV, yet my symptoms are text book.

What is Flagyl & Premarin, hormone pill, cream or pessary?

I am going to get Vagifem, seems like the latest thing. It is a hormone pessery. I will start to stop my HRT. Also I have ordered Yes lubricant on line.

As Margaret said we are in for the long haul with this problem!

I will keep you posted on here as to my progress! Good luck & keep me posted, it's a real help to keep taking about this.

Ms. M, I am in the US not UK so the medicines are not the same; at least the names are not. Premarin is a hormone cream. I have read about Premeno (I think it was) on this site and it sounded very interesting as it was not hormone based but was effective for some who posted here. My pharmacist could not find it listed in this country.

Unfortunately I had problems trying to print the PDF file which I wanted to send to my gyn as I assumed she could find the US equivalent.

I think what I have is vaginal atrophy withput the vaginitis. The vaginitis was cured by the Flagyl also known as Metronidazole ( used to treat bacterial infections of the vagina, stomach, skin, joints, and respiratory tract. This medication will not treat a vaginal yeast infection.) I have been sypmtom free since taking it around 10 years ago. But the atrophy persists.

I have posted the Flagyl info several times on the chance that someone else may be helped by it. My gyn at the time would NOT prescribe it. It was my GP that readily agreed to. He said there are bacteria in our bodies unknown to us, but that does not mean they don't exist. Whatever I had the Flagyl cured.

Now my issue is the atrophy which is the thinning & shrinking of tissue.

Beverly, that's why I haven't heard of Flagyl, I did google it, it's an anti biotic so that's why you can't take it all the time. Good that it cleared up your problem. As you now have vaginitis, which here is still called Atrophy Vaginitis. People on here suggest an oestrogen hormone pessary plus some sort of lubricant like Yes. That's what I'm going to try. If you can't take a hormone replacement your doctor may suggest something else, but the lubricant is important. It also is something that can't be cured as such, we just have to now manage our vaginas because as we get older most women suffer with these changes in one form or another. The skin around my vagina is so delicate now, sore & red & itchy it's awful, I must find a soloutions. It's not something I ever thought would be a problem. There doesn't seem to be any straight forward soloutions, we just have to try all these things & share. 

I will let you know how I get on. 

Thanks Jeda, I have my list to take to the doctors, I will try Vagifem, and I will order some lubricants too.

I have no problems with the ageing process. I just want to keep myself fit & well informed to deal with these changes so as my quality of life doesnt become inhibited. If this problem can be solved I will feel considerably better in myself.

I was ill prepared for the menopause, I thought I was invinsible! I was wrong, it hit me like a sledge hammer. I had been lucky & always been so very strong & fit, I just couldn't understand what was happening to me.14 years ago I didnt even have a computer, being able to go on line & join these forums has been a huge help. Having got that sorted I didn't expect this new condition to manifest itself. Being old is a whole new education for me! Must stay sharp!

I'll keep you posted on my progress.