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How do you deal with the anxiety of this day to day?

Posted , 7 users are following.

lee12629
lee12629

I think about this almost 24 seven.Some days I just sit around the house trying to avoid symptoms.I feel like im stuck as I still dont know how bad it will get,can I deal with this or should I give in and start the hrt..so many unknowns.Any words of advice.Its almost Christmas and I need to focus on things besides this.Thanks.

1 like, 97 replies

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  • lee12629
    lee12629

    Posted

    Yes uretha and and bladder i guess can share the atrophy.Thats why so many people feel the need to go to the bathroom often,infections etc.hrt is also supposed to help this.I must have both
  • lee12629
    lee12629

    Posted

    Went to my general practicioner.got 25 min of my 45 for my physical..get this..i had a 9 thirty apt and he had 25 patients to see after me.I brought up my anal itch..poor guy took a look,just saw a small amt of dry skin..that was all he did . Did say it could have to do withVA.I then asked what he usually prescribed for estrogen therapy..premeran cream was about it.I asked about the vagifem.Acted like he didnt have a clue and said gynos were the experts.so there ya have it.If you're thinking about hrt go to a gyno!oh and then there was the bladder stuff,didnt say much.asked if i should go urologist,said wait for urinalisus.Might ask for referell to urologist from gyno.The docs make my head spin..no time for us and pretty clueless.Thank heavens for the internet.
    • chris00938
      chris00938 lee12629

      Posted

      That must have been incredibly frustrating!!!!!  What can I say!  Do you need them to refer you to a gynie?
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 lee12629

      Posted

      That's terrible, he doesn't even sound like he cares! How do you go about getting an appointment? Thankful that my Dr did a quick referral within 2 weeks once I asked.
    • lee12629
      lee12629 chris00938

      Posted

      No i dont need a referrel at this time..different ins jan so have one in a week and a half.
    • lee12629
      lee12629 tracy12090

      Posted

      If anything shows up on urinalisis i will ask for referrel then.Im pretty sure i can get one from gynocologist if he doesnt give me one
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 lee12629

      Posted

      Thats reassuring at least it's not too long hopefully you will get some answers
    • chris00938
      chris00938 tracy12090

      Posted

      I SO hope you get something from this that will help Lee.  I can imagine that you feel this is taking up the whole of your life at the moment, so to have an expert give you a plan that they can tell you will work, will be so good!  I'm hoping before long you'll be back on this group telling the ladies what's worked for you, so they can then try the same thing.
  • lee12629
    lee12629

    Posted

    I guess the nain thing that frustrates me is this constant appointment situation i have to go through.in the old days my doctor gave me an hour if i needed it..and guess what they usually figured it out,now its time after time to get one problem solved,plus all the worry and money.i truely understand why so many dont make it once they get a cancer diagnosis.It takes forever to find out you have it,then the wait in line to be treated etc .I told my gp about my gynos and derm not agreeing on my situation.All he said was thats quite common.I think i should be billed for my 30 min instead of 45.i have ben to 2 different gynos id say 6 times, a dermotologist once and now a physucal Scared to get tests back,iv ben pre diabetic for about 18 years and the thought of another issue..well this is hard enough to handle.
    • chris00938
      chris00938 lee12629

      Posted

      We have a fast track system here for cancer Lee.  The first problem I encountered with that though was when my GP told me I'd hear within two weeks for a scan appointment and when I didn't hear anything within that period she discovered the request for the scan was still on her desk.  Then they sent me for a scan at a private hospital because it was quicker, so when I saw the NHS doctor he said he couldn't get the scan results so sent me to the NHS hospital for a scan, and so it went on so it was just under 4 months from start of enquiries to the op but it was made slightly longer because I had a closed cervix, so when they went to do the colcoscopy (take a sample of the uterus via the cervix, that couldn't be done so they had to arrange for a general anaesthetic and it be done in theatre).  But I was lucky in that it was Grade 1, stage 1, so less likely to reccur.
  • tracy12090
    tracy12090 lee12629

    Posted

    The whole process is frustrating and I do think they don't recognise how this all takes its toll along with dealing with the actual symptoms. But I do think it's obvious by now there is a recognised problem that the average Dr should be educated enough about how to deal with it without the need for a specialist.

    I don't know if you have heard of nortriptyline 10 mg but I've just been prescribed it to help to deal with the urethra pain. I'm just investigating it first a lot of people have said it has brought them relief but without the sleepyness of Amytripyline. Obviously with the relief comes side effects and that is what's I'm concerned about. But I may try the month trial offered and hopefully the pain might of subsided. I could do with the sleep actually lol!

    • lee12629
      lee12629 tracy12090

      Posted

      I have thought about that..i had a good day yesterday..felt pretty normal..now today,some burning again.
  • lee12629
    lee12629

    Posted

    Ok,so ive read on here,most of us have a few good days..then wam..back to irritation,burning,feeling of having to go to the bathroom.I personally am starting to think its mostly because all our tissues get so dry..some days worse then other because we arent hydrated enough.Than we eat or drink something that is passed out of us through the ureatha and anus..that something has acidic qualities,or spicy etc.sooo it sets off the nerves..irritates them which starts the burn and irritation cycle.I noticed coffee today may have set it off,very acidic and dehydrates,i only had one cup and it was decaf..but..now i just chugged a glass of water and put some a and d ointment on my parts hopeing to calm it.my point is,i thing the dryness from the VA makes anything we eat or drink set us up for the awful burning etc.
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 lee12629

      Posted

      Sorry to hear it's not been a good day :-(

      I do think there is some truth in how our body reacts to foods etc. Our hormones also go up and down too. I now drink fruit tea and extra water to keep hydrated, avoid caffeine and white wine.

    • lee12629
      lee12629 tracy12090

      Posted

      Me too all i drank was wine..seems to irritate me now.just started to about a month ago.i miss relaxing with friends.Have you found any alcoholic drinks that dont bother you?
    • lee12629
      lee12629

      Posted

      I was drinking white wine
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 lee12629

      Posted

      I love a drink with friends on a weekend. Low alcohol drinks are good to be sociable like Bacardi Breezers and Bulmers flavoured ciders. Otherwise I find sweet drinks don't affect me as much such as Disaronno and coke , peach snapps and soda water and red wine seems OK if it's mellow.

      Thats made me thirsty :-D

    • lee12629
      lee12629 tracy12090

      Posted

      Lol well my wine always made me relax now it just m akes me tense wondering if i will get symptoms.ba humbug.I am not on any hrt yet.I cant remember..are you?if so mabe that gives me some hope i can have some fun again someday.
    • lee12629
      lee12629 tracy12090

      Posted

      Have you gone to a urologist for the urretha pain or just a gyno or gp? I think the uretha thing bothers me just as much as the other stuff.sometimes i have troubke telling if my discomfort is from the ureth or the vulva ir both.does that ever happen to you?
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 lee12629

      Posted

      Morning I've been taking Livial and 30mcg daily of Vagifem. (this is without ovaries). It has slowed things but VA is still progressing and now urethra pain has occurred intermittently. I have been getting UTIs the last few years regularly though.

      It was the Gynae I saw recently, he changed me to Ovestin to use on the skin and 10 mg Nortriptyline for the pain. I just want to be comfortable downstairs again! You do worry changing treatments about side effects and if your going to go backwards!

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