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Mona Lisa treatment one year after

Posted , 5 users are following.

peg30370
peg30370

Just wondering how many of you who had Mona Lisa treatments are having lasting effects? I used Estrace cream for about a year before I had the first of 3 ML treatments. I was perfect for a year, aside from a few twinges that responded to a couple days of Estrace. I had my yearly maintenance treatment, and about six weeks after that, all my symptoms returned as if I never had anything done at all. Back to the frequency, burning. Took about 6 mos of Estrace, and I’m starting to finally feel some relief. We moved since my maintenance treatment,  and my Gyn here says less and less Drs are doing it since they don’t have a lot of facts on the long term effects of it, PLUS it’s way too expensive to have to keep doing repeatedly. Guess I will just stay on the Estrace cream now ..1 gm 2-3x a week. She says to just continue to get yearly exams and mammograms, and not worry about the Estrogen since such a tiny bit is absorbed. So disappointed in the Mona Lisa., after feeling so good for a year. Even though the Estrace is ridiculously $$ as well, it’s not an outlay of $1,000’s at a time, and not knowing if it’s going to work.

1 like, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • kellys3
    kellys3 peg30370

    Posted

    I am a breast cancer survivor so my menopause and desert like vajay Jay was induced by my treatment. After chemo was finished the doctor put me on lupron shots to keep my ovaries shut down. I opted to have them removed in Feb 2017 and discontinue the shots. It was after a few lupron shots that sex became painful. No non hormonal over the counter stuff worked. I had finished the 3 ML treatments by end of 2016 before my surgery and all was good but with no sex for 8 weeks to heal, well it came back. Since then I have had 2 more and if I was going to continue I would have had another one last month. The last ML treatment in Dec had zero effect. I finally got my oncologist to agree to compound a very low dose estrogen cream. I am not happy to see it took 6 months to fully work. At this point my marriage is taking a major hit and it isn't helping my depression. Just like you Peg30370 I was very hopeful when ML came out.

  • nancyo
    nancyo peg30370

    Posted

    I had the treatment two years ago and it was great for a year like you said… Then I had the maintenance on sic months later the pain started again So I have another treatment and then another treatment so I understand your frustration

    However without the Mona Lisa I get recurrent UTIs so so far I just had to put money out the Estrace or none of the hormones work for me and the older I get the more frequent and I need the treatments

  • beverly52803
    beverly52803 peg30370

    Posted

    This is helpful to know. I have held off on hormone cream, and after reading about the Mona Lisa thought it would be a better option as I have breast cancer in my immediate family. I got a cost of $337 for 42 grams of Estrace, but I'm not sure how long that would last. I thought the three standard ML treatments ran around $5,000. I was willing to pay more for the ML if it meant avoiding hormones, but your experience isn't too encouraging. I have no doubt my doctor will push the hormone cream.

    • nancyo
      nancyo beverly52803

      Posted

      I have had 5 treatments in 2 years at 1000 a treatment   No choice as it works for a period of time and hormones don’t   Surprised your dr advices you to use as a breast cancer survivor.    I still would do Mona Lisa and now something called Diva.  Good luck it’s a long road 
    • kellys3
      kellys3 nancyo

      Posted

      Nancyco, what is Diva?

      Also ladies I had my insurance paying my ML treatments because as a BC survivor hormone treatments are not a first defense.

    • beverly52803
      beverly52803 nancyo

      Posted

      nacyo, I haven't had breast cancer, my now deceased sister did. As that increases my chances I want to avoid hormones if I can and the Mona Lisa seemed the better option. Up till now I have done neither, but judging by my current symptoms I'm going to have to do something...soon.

    • nancyo
      nancyo kellys3

      Posted

      Canada is much more in tune with their population than the United States.  Not covered here under any conditions yet.  The Diva was what my doctor called the new machine she has, that has a stronger laser than the ML, I was told

       

    • kellys3
      kellys3 beverly52803

      Posted

      I have read the longer you wait the more difficult it is to treat. I guess because it gets really bad and takes longer to heal
    • kellys3
      kellys3 nancyo

      Posted

      Good to know. I will have to try to find this new treatment. I liked the idea of a non hormonal therapy. My thought is if it is not offered by a gyn or urogynocologist there is no way my insurance is going to pay even though it is a medically needed treatment and not for cosmetics purposes
    • nancyo
      nancyo kellys3

      Posted

      My gyn In California offers itbut not cold Ceres by insurance.  Good luck.  It’s a debilitating issue 
    • beverly52803
      beverly52803 kellys3

      Posted

      My gynecologist suggested a couple of years ago that it could get worse and presribed the hormonal cream treatment, but my sister's cancer really was a warning sign for me. She had had HRT for menopausal issues and I have no doubt it was the cause of her cancer as it was estrogen driven (or whatever the term is).

      My thinking was it was possible the atrophy may stop at a certain point and I believe the doctor said it was possible. So I have had several years with barely any discomfort. That appears to be changing, so it's time for me see the doctor when I go back home this summer.

      I had been banking on the ML laser treatment, but if it isn't very long lasting maybe I should give the cream a try. I have no doubt insurance would not cover the ML in my case.

      My sister made me promise I would not use the hormones before she died so this is not an easy choice.

    • peg30370
      peg30370 beverly52803

      Posted

      My understanding is that the creams have way less estrogen than standard HRT treatment for menopause symptoms (pills, patches). Can still understand your reluctance though. Everything nowadays seems to be a trade off. Nobody sang the praises of the ML more than I did...it was in the “miracle” category. If I had unlimited funds, I would probably be having it done monthly! I think for me, I am so low in estrogen that even though the tissue is restored to a nice healthy state, my lack of estrogen is competing against it, and wins again over time.  I read that the Diva is supposed to go even deeper into the tissue, and the wand spins by itself, so nothing is missed, as is possible with the ML.  Seems so many Drs. offering these treatments, are Plastic Surgeons instead of Gyns, and their prices are sky high. 
  • nancyo
    nancyo peg30370

    Posted

    That what doctors say about the creme... I don't believe it... lost my best friend to breast cancer, she took HRT for menopause, I did not, and boom estrogen based breast cancer.   My faith in docs statements is always something I have to research.

    I am proof that this condition does not subside.  So I throw money at it as I have no choice... it works for me for awhile..

    • beverly52803
      beverly52803 nancyo

      Posted

      Did you try the hormone cream at all? 

      According to Dr. Love's site there are new sustained release products, Estring and Vagifem. Estring is a low-dose estrogen ring that is placed in the vagina (much like a diaphragm) for three months at a time. It releases small amounts of estradiol over time. The estrogen dose is so low that it is NOT absorbed into the rest of the body. Newer products like Vagifem involve placing a tablet in the vagina rather than a ring.

      These sound much safer than Premarin if it is not absorbed into the body, but I don't know if it strong enough to stop atrophy.

    • nancyo
      nancyo beverly52803

      Posted

      Tried the bag item n Premarin for awhile. Doesn’t help me
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