1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Atrophic Vaginitis

Side effects

Posted , 9 users are following.

shirley84100
shirley84100

Hi everyone again, I have got some Ovestin Cream to help with my VA but I made the mistake of looking at the side effects on the paperwork. And its put me off using it.

Has anyone suffered any serious side effects from using HRT creams and suppositories etc?

One of the side effects mentioned is strokes. My mum had a bad stroke when there is no history of stroke in the family. It totally disabled her till she died 2 years later, 8 weeks ago today sad

I thought that as I got older my fears would be less but they are getting worse.

1 like, 140 replies

140 Replies

Prev Next
  • totallytiffy1
    totallytiffy1 shirley84100

    Posted

    Hi. I haven't had any side effects buts the risks scare me as well even though the cream works. Wish there were other options though. I use it twice a week.
    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 totallytiffy1

      Posted

      Is it Ovestin you are using totallytiffy? Glad the cream is working for you. I thought I was the only one who was scared of the side effects. Yes I wish there were other options too.
    • lynn53651
      lynn53651 shirley84100

      Posted

      There are other options to use. Have any of you tried just natural Vitimin E gel capsuls about 100 IU  or  200 IU or whatever you need. If you are not allergic to Vitimin E, you just buy the capsuls, stick a pin in one or two every night before bed and squeeze the gel and apply it all up inside your vagina area. Some ladies insert the entire vitimin E gel capsul up inside their vagina and that works too. I cannot use HRT creams because my mother had breast cancer from HRT. She is okay but never can use that again. I am very happy with the natural Vitimin E capsuls. No more blood, no more dryness up there and the Vitimin E heals as well. Hope you try it? How will you know unless you try something else that is natural. Again, as long as you are not allergic.

                                             Blessings to all of you

                                             Lynn

    • totallytiffy1
      totallytiffy1 lynn53651

      Posted

      Does this help and really solve all the problems up there? No more estrogen cream? Vit e cap every nite?
    • lynn53651
      lynn53651 totallytiffy1

      Posted

      Hi totally tiffy

           If you have dryness, soreness or chafing or even a little bleeding because of thinning of the tissues up inside, then yes if you use the natural Vitimin E and I must stress it has to be the natural Vitimin E capsuls, at least 100 IU and I open up 2 of them every night before bed to spread the gel all up inside. Once you lay down for the night it absorbs and helps heal your insides of the vagina. Now the Vitimin E must say on the bottle d alpha tocopheryl acetate or it is not the all natural Vitimin E. I have no more bleeding and no more itchy dry vagina by applying this every night before bed. No side affects or anything. Make sure you are not allergic to Vitimin E and don't over do it. Too much is not better. Just start with a low dosage and see how it works for you.

                                              Blessings to you

                                              Lynn

    • lynn53651
      lynn53651 totallytiffy1

      Posted

      Your welcome Tiffy. Vitimin E is very good. Like you, I am really not comfortable taking anything that is not natural when it comes to all the different, what if, side affects that comes along with them.

                                                       Blessings to you

                                                       Marilyn

  • beverly52803
    beverly52803 shirley84100

    Posted

    I think if we better understood the science we might be able to make a more educated decision. How many people using the cream had strokes, how long were they using it, how exactly does estrogen cause blood clots, what percentage of women in that age group have strokes that aren't even using the cream? My initial concern was cancer as my sister has stage 4 breast cancer. My doctor said using the cream is very safe, but I have not taken the plunge as my symptoms are not extreme. If I were attempting to have sex that would be a different story. There is also the chance, however, that the condition will worsen causing more problems (my doctor's warning), but it seems very hypothetical when I am not suffering anything but mild itch and use the Vit E when that happens. The chance of having to bear all those premenstrual symptoms listed as possible side effects really turned me off from trying the cream. Sure don't want that misery back. This is a conundrum for a lot of us, isn't it?
    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 beverly52803

      Posted

      Hi Beverly, Yes I know what you mean. Definitely we would be able to make clearer decisions if we better understood the science. Sorry to hear about your sister. I understand you not using the cream, it would put me off too if I had a relative with breast cancer. I get soreness and the feeling of wanting to wee all the time, plus UTI's when nor using the cream or pessaries. I've had 2 UTI's since a week ago. And of course I don't want any side effects either. Yes a real conundrum.
    • chris00938
      chris00938 beverly52803

      Posted

      Beverley, you've just reminded me of something.  At the time my GP sent me for a scan because suddenly this risk of endometrial cancer had arisen, I came off the vagifem - I went there telling her I felt ill and was not taking it anymore and I'd been feeling ill for a couple of months, so I think her brain started working and hence the scan.  Two months later (BEFORE the hysterectomy) my nights were plagued with hot sweats.  It was HORRENDOUS!  I was buying nightdresses that were made for this sort of thing, but everything was drenched.  I'd never had anything at menopause but it just had to be linked with coming off the vagifem at the dose she'd had me on!  It did eventuall settle around January time but just brings home about how much is generally absorbed!
    • Suki_girl
      Suki_girl beverly52803

      Posted

      Hi, I am new to this discussion. My understanding is that the side effects for topical HRT are not known yet, there is not enough data to come to any conclusions - the side effects they list are based on oral HRT which is absorbed into the whole system. With targeted topical application there is much less systemic absorption, but there is a little, so they list the side effects, just in case (covering their arses). See https://patient.info/doctor/hrt-topical for more info.
    • chris00938
      chris00938 Suki_girl

      Posted

      Suki, apologies to those who have heard this already, but my view is that if a manufacturer puts up warnings on their website about a medical product, it's because IT CAN HAPPEN.  I got endometrial cancer after vagifem.  It might be rare, but if it happens to you it doesn't FEEL rare.  I was worried about using it from the start, but my GP said there was NO risk, over and over again, and a friend said exactly what you said - 'they just cover themselves by the warnings' but they wouldn't put these warnings up if there was no risk.  just look at prescribers information for vagifem.  It's a shocker.
  • pat24235
    pat24235 shirley84100

    Posted

    Holy mackerel Shirley84100...no wonder you are afraid of the side effects.  Did you talk with your physician about using the cream?  If you did and they were aware of your family history, then the dr would have probably said that the risk for you was not too high.  If you did not discuss with your dr. then you probably should before you use it.  I've used HR cream with no side effects.  My dr told me that the cream stays very localized and does not travel through the body so the risk to me was very slight.  But the cream did not work as well as the Vagifem so I am back to that.  I am so very sorry for your loss Shirley.  I also lost someone to stroke just last week...I truly send you my most sincere condolensces.  I am leaving today for a 5 day vacation - Disney Land in Orlando Florida.  I am a nervous wreck...between the VA and a few other issues I just am so nervous.  I hate flying so that is causing a lot of my nervousness I suppose.  But the VA issue ... I keep wondering how I am going to be able to walk around so much for so many days.  My daughters get very impatient with me.  I probably should not have agreed to this trip.  But I am committed and have to just plain DO IT.  I keep telling myself that I can handle it.  I will sit when I have to and if I am not feeling well enough to go walking around, I will just stay at my daughters house with the dog.  I hope that some day I can actually take a vacation that will be a vacation - relaxation and what I want to do.  Just to enjoy the sun and birds.  To read and sleep when I am tired.  That is my idea of a vacation....

    My best to you Shirley.  I have fears too ... and they do seem to be a little worse as I've gotten older.  

    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 pat24235

      Posted

      Hi Pat, No I didn't talk to the doc about using the cream. But if I had seen the info slip inside the box when I was still at the docs, I would have spoken up without hesitation. The only "Good" thing is that I have got an appt at the docs on Thursday morning so I can talk about it then. The Vagifem and GINEST didn't work for me and ive not used anything since about 4th Aug now. I need to put a stop to these UTI's. Had one last Sunday that I thought was gone on Wednesday but it came back on Friday. I've taken my last antibiotic now and I don't think the infection is gone. It's scaring me. Thank you for your kind words re my loss. Very painful stuff. Going to take me a while to fully take it in that I will never see mum again. Sorry to hear about your loss too. I hope you have a great time at Disney World in Orlando. I was there a long time ago. It was fab but I can understand your concerns about the VA, and flying as well. I don't like flying either, or more accurately, I don't like take off and landing. It makes me feel really dizzy and disorientated. I dread it. Having said that, I've not flown for ages but if I were to book a seat on a flight, I would be scared to death of the take off for starters. Anyway, you seem to have got some good ideas re your VA, sit down when you have to and stay at your daughters house if need be. Yes I know what you mean about a relaxing vacation to enjoy the sun and birds etc. That's a great idea. In the meantime I hope you are enjoying your time in Orlando and I hope the flight was OK for you too.

      Thinking of you. :-)

    • chris00938
      chris00938 pat24235

      Posted

      I'm so sorry Shirley - I've missed a post somewhere and didn't realise that you've lost someone from a stroke!

      When I was worried about vagifem and spoke to someone I knew about having discovered all the side effects they told me that medication companies put them on there just to cover themselves, but it won't happen.  The truth is, they put it on there to cover themselves because it CAN happen.  It might not, but it might, and it might happen to you.  Like it did to me.  We contacted vagifem and they were horrified and wanted all the details to keep notes on.  They also contacted our GP who had over prescribed.  I just want everyone to be careful and be able to weigh up the risks with the possible benefits, and try alternatives that might be safer.

    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 chris00938

      Posted

      Hi Chris, Yes my mum died two months ago sad.

      Thank you for warning us of the risks there are when taking HRT. So sorry you suffered like you did. Yes it can happen to anyone. I will talk it out with the Doc this afternoon.

    • chris00938
      chris00938 shirley84100

      Posted

      Oh I'm SO SO sorry about your Mum.

      I hope you can get a proper discussion with your doctor and you don't just get the 'it's fine' that I got.  I think any doctor that doesn't admit there IS a risk, whatever that risk may be, isn't very trustworthy now.  But I am cynical about GP's because of so many issues where they have been negligent (and I do mean negligent), so it might be that I trust them less than most.

    • shirley84100
      shirley84100 chris00938

      Posted

      Hi Chris, I totally understand your being cynical about Docs and I suppose I got the "Its fine" response too. I do understand you trusting Docs less than most.
    • chris00938
      chris00938 shirley84100

      Posted

      I know there are some really good doctors around though - I do hear from others in various places that their doctor sits down and explains side effects etc.  It's just where I live that they seem so bad.  I'm going off topic now, but went with back pain and without the GP looking, was told it was arthritis.   6 weeks later, went back, told it was arthritis by a different doctor, still not looking.  Then when I was at hospital for an Ehlers Danlos appointment, mentioned it, they looked, told me I had scoliosis and sent me straight off for x-rays where it was confirmed and they discovered one leg was 2cm shorter than the other.  I was told to raise a shoe urgently or I'd end up with a rod in my spine.  Easter time one side of my face was swelling and the pharmacist told me it was a virus and I needed to go to the GP urgently to get anti virals.  I got 'I'M the doctor, not the pharmacist. It's a bite'.  Two days later when one eye was blown up like a baloon and the earache was shocking went back to be told it was shingles and I should have had the antivirals two days earlier and it could  have seriously affected my site, although I was lucky in that aspect.  That's just a few instances.  We hear of people who have died because they've been overdosed with medication locally and all sorts.  You really have to look out for yourself round here LOL!
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.