Using a patch.

I was about to give up hope because everything I tried either stung me and made the burning worse or made me swell up. Replens, water based moisturisers, anything containing hyaluaronic acid - all no good. Vagifem made me swell up inside so much I couldn't fit a finger or the applicator in, let alone a penis! The only thing I could tolerate was natural oils, so I managed with coconut oil and vit e oil and used tonnes of yes oil based lube during intercourse for a few years. But then came the point that the oils didn't help anymore so I bit the bullet and tried ovestin cream and, much to my surprise, I am getting on with it really well. No stinging, no swelling and intercourse is great again. So, what I am saying is don't give up, there will be something that helps you. If the ovestin hadn't worked I was going to try an estring (a ring you insert and leave there and it slowly releases the oestrogen), then patches. All of the local oestrogen products have different ingredients so it may well be that you find something that helps. I thought I was definitely going to have to go for patches but luckily I didn't.

You must feel really desperate and I really sympathise.  I've been diagnosed a year with what you have and was given Vagifem at first.  It did not burn like you have had but it didn't help too much.   You don't sound as if you are getting much help from the medics and this must make you feel worse.  I've seen a gynaenocologist  and after the vagifem I was given Ovestin for internal and external use.  Slowly this has helped and for 6 months I've been on Tibolone (Livial) oral HRT.  this is for post menopause.  I still need the Ovestin for external use and the HRT has helped also.  Not sure about patches as I've not tried them, but the ovestin helped the burning.   It's all a slow process and really distressing and your doctor doesn't sound much help.  After a year of this I feel a bit more on top of things and confident, but the whole thing really knocks you back.  Really hope you get some good help.

 

It is not uncommon for Vagifem or any other vaginal preparation to cause burning. A special Vaginal Tablet or Cream can be compounded to see if you can tolerate better. You may need to check with a local compounding pharmacy. Also, when dryness and burning is severe, Vagifem may not work well because it needs some moisture to work. A vaginal Cream may be better for you but before doing that you first need to heal the tissue. Try using Vitamin E oil 3 x/day for a week before doing anything else. As far as the patch is concerned, I would not recommend it because they would have to give you an awful hi dose of Estrogen thru a patch just to get rid of vaginal dryness. Please let me know if you have any questions.