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

Vagifem reassurance. Update from my doctor

Posted , 8 users are following.

linda87515
linda87515

I saw my doctor last week and she said she had just been to a menopause seminar where the continual use of vagifem was discussed to treat VA.  

She said that there have not been any long term effects and that patients could use it twice a week for an indefinite time .  

She also said that if a patient stopped taking it the recurrence of VA could be severe and much harder to treat going forward.

I asked about the Mona Lisa laser treatment but she had not heard of this.

3 likes, 126 replies

126 Replies

Next
  • jean0078
    jean0078 linda87515

    Posted

    My Ob/Gyb had not heard of this either. It makes you wonder how they much they are keeping updated! Major institutions are starting to use this. I can understand why some clinics are still waiting for more data, but never having heard of it I think is not a good sign.

     

  • chris00938
    chris00938 linda87515

    Posted

    Sorry to be so cynical, but do you know if it was vagifem or a company with a financial interest in products like vagifem who ran the seminar?  Again, I apologise for being cynical, but I can't understand why vagifem would put warnings all over their site saying about the risk of using it and saying it should be used for the minimum possible time if there was no risk.  It baffles me why a GP would say thre's no risk for an indefinite time, but then if someone does use it and then stops they are likely to have severe problems, possibly worse than they would have done without using it?  Implying that someone needs to start on this and use it forever, which is totally against the directions on the vagifem site?  Am I understanding this correctly though?  I'm wondering if I've got the wrong end of the stick?
  • carmarie
    carmarie linda87515

    Posted

    I totally agree with you Chris. Sounds like there may be some self interest going on at the seminar from a pharmaceutical company. I have come off Vagifem expecting some kind of repurcussions. There have not been any. As long as an alternative remedy is sought, there is no need to agree with the doctors.. Linda once you have VA you have it for life so I am not sure what you mean my re-occurrence, but I can certainly assure you that I have had no repercussions and I would advise you to read up on the side effects of long term use. Where is that doctor getting her statistics from?
    • chris00938
      chris00938 carmarie

      Posted

      Yes, this thing about VA being harder to treat puzzles me too.  I was on it for 16 months a triple the recommended dose, but never felt it was doing anything to help, and when I came off it and started using the balance active menopause plus pessaries they did more for me than the vagifem ever had.  I've a feeling I was either allergic to something in the vagifem or the applicator was causing problems because I used to get a bad discharge with it but all my GP did was put me on a higher dose, which gave me even worse discharge but I don't get discharge now, even though I've got a prolapse pessary, as I had then.  I don't know if it's because the prolapse pessary is made of a different product or if it's because I'm not using vagifem!
  • tracy12090
    tracy12090 linda87515

    Posted

    I've been told the same about Ovestin by a specialist, if I want to continue. Every medication has risks attached and it's good to be informed but each individual should assess them for themselves as each case is different.
    • chris00938
      chris00938 tracy12090

      Posted

      I absolutely agree Tracy - you read up on it, you read manufacturers instructions for use as well, and then make up your own mind.  An informed decision is the best we can do for ourselves.  I was SO stupid - I accepted my GP's word that it couldn't hurt me!  That was something I (thankfully!) lived to regret.
  • beverly52803
    beverly52803 linda87515

    Posted

    Linda, are you in the UK or US? Wonder if that  makes a difference in what doctors are aware of. Secondly I would want to know exactly what was meant by "long term". As scientists they should be using exact  language; the doctors attending the seminar should been given and  required facts. And thirdly how she could not have heard of the Mona Lisa treatment if gynecology is her specialty when we all know about it?  Doctors are pressed for time and a good deal of their off time is spent reading the latest findings in their fields. If any gynecologist in the developed world has not heard of the Mona Lisa treatment I would question their competence. Did you mention that it was a laser treatment? Could it be that the name is the issue?

    Of course, is there is no pharmaceutical salesperson in their ear pushing it the way they do drugs. But I should think someone would be pushing the equipment. To be completely ignorant of it is scary to me. We put our bodies in the hands of these "experts".

    Chris, you are not being cynical, you are being responsible and smart. More than can be said for a lot of doctors. My last GP (who unfortunately left the group) would google right in front of me. I loved him for that. No pretense. We got along great and actually laughed quite a bit. It's the thin skinned ones you have to be leary of.

    We should start a mini campaign here and have everyone who posts ask their gyn's about the Mona Lisa and let us know their responses. I'll not be seeing mine for at least 6 months so I can't contribuite anything pertinent. But when I last saw her she said that using Premarin cream (which she prescribed, but I chose not to use) was very safe. I believe she even said it was given to women with history of breast cancer.

    • chris00938
      chris00938 beverly52803

      Posted

      I do like the sound of a doctor who is prepared to look something up rather than arrogantly tell you they know it all.  Something very weird still puzzles me - when my GP knew I was having the hysterectomy because of endometrial cancer  after I'd had triple the recommended dose of vagifem for 16 months, she wrote to the consultant at the hospital that I was under and asked if I could go back to vagifem straight after surgery!  I wouldn't have touched it with a bargepole, so I'm still trying to puzzle out what she was thinking of achieving by asking the question.  The consultant told me clearly what the answer was - NO!  I can only wonder if she was thinking if they said yes, it would relieve her of any guilt about prescribing it.
    • nancyo
      nancyo chris00938

      Posted

      Hi Chris:  I so agree with you ... we have to monitor ourselves and doctors are to be questioned.... they are not aways or even sometimes right.  I want off this premarin.... checking out mona lisa after christmas.... at my wits end with Uti and yeast infects (Yeast I believe from the premarin)..
    • chris00938
      chris00938 nancyo

      Posted

      This Mona Lisa treatment really sounds so interesting.  It wouldn't be any good for me because I think prolapses rule it out, otherwise I'd be tempted to go to the States for it!  Having said that, the coconut oil sorts my mild issues out, so it's not that desperate for me.
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 nancyo

      Posted

      On the note of yeast infections when I mentioned this to the specialist he said sometimes you it can be resistant and needs a longterm treatment. If I get another within 3 months he recommended 6 weeks of continuous treatment which I believe he meant using the tablet weekly.
    • nancyo
      nancyo tracy12090

      Posted

      I took one tablet yesterday, still in pain, I have another tablet (pharmacist gave 2 instead of one)....  will wait a few days and take it if I need to.  
    • jean0078
      jean0078 chris00938

      Posted

      At my pre-Mona Lisa checkup the NP said I had a slight prolapse. It does not disqualify you from the procedure automatically. The NP said only if it was falling into the vagina so the laser couldn't go in. I was ok.
    • jean0078
      jean0078 tracy12090

      Posted

      A side effect of Vagifem is yeast infection also. Says so on the website and on packaging insert.
    • beverly52803
      beverly52803 chris00938

      Posted

      Chris I think it originated in Italy so there must be countries closer to you where doctors perform the treatment.
    • beverly52803
      beverly52803 chris00938

      Posted

      Hi Chris, I imagine we have all been informed of a new dicussion on fenugreek seed for AV. The moderator has removed my comments (again)b but I wondered if  you had checked that out. Might be doable for you(?)
    • chris00938
      chris00938 jean0078

      Posted

      I'm so glad you were OK.  I think mine would prevent it though because the vaginal vault is coming down into the vagina as well as the bladder and bowel.  But since prolapses tend to get worse over time, if you intend to get the Mona Lisa, I'd get it while you can:-)
    • chris00938
      chris00938 beverly52803

      Posted

      I did check it out Beverly, but what would put me off personally is that it appears to be an estrogenic plant - increases estrogen, which is something that isn't recommended for me because of having had the endometrial cancer.  While the uterus was removed, there's still the chance of uterus endometrial cancer drifting about somewhere so estrogen isn't recommended in any form.  It's like Black Cohosh - that's supposed to be very good too, but has the same effect.  But I'm OK with the coconut oil at the moment - that's doing really well.  I realise there might come a time when something else is needed though, so it's always good to have possibilities to turn to in the future:-)  I think if things get worse and the coconut oil stops working though I'll go back to the hyalaronic acid gel or something because that worked well for me and I only stopped because I found the pessaries difficult to use alongside the prolapse pessary, but they do it in a gel as well, so I'll do that:-)
    • beverly52803
      beverly52803 chris00938

      Posted

      Yes I'm sure it is, but isn't it what they call bio-identical or something like that? I thought it was safer in plant form, but to be honest I've a bit OD'd on all this stuff and can't keep it staright. I was in an Asian market today and noticed a bag of fenugreek seeds for less than $2. I almost bought it, but remembered reading that it was also recommended for constipation. Last thing I need is for something to set off my intestines more than they are ordinarily.
    • nancyo
      nancyo tracy12090

      Posted

      so I think the yeast infection is from the premarin cream... my doctor said no the literature that comes with premarin says yeast infections can occur, go figure...
    • tracy12090
      tracy12090 nancyo

      Posted

      I haven't got any info about it with Ovestin. The unbalanced flora from the menopause can cause more occurrences of thrush. I've certainly had more boughts than normal.

      I have had less since taking one a day 2mg of odourless garlic extract it's said to kill the yeast.

Back to top
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.