Vaginal Atrophy

lindanb ruth49273 · 2018-08-20T19:13+00:00

I also have a severe case and am using estrace, which does make me bleed. It was quite a shock buying pads at my age!The doc said if it hurt to just use my finger, so you might try that. I also coat the outside of my vagina with either vagisil or lidocaine before putting anything in.

I get relief from epsom salt baths. I use a brand with moisturizers and also put in coconut oil. Before I get prescribed the lidocaine, I slathered on vagisil as well.

The initial diagnosis was a shock. She also told me I had an abrasion and that might be why I was bleeding. So be prepared for some mess but hopefully the estrogen will help. VA hits us at the core of our femininity, so don't be surprised if you find yourself depressed. It seems to me that as we get older our body attacks us in little ways. Menopause isbad enough: who knew your vagina could close shut?

beverly52803 ruth49273 · 2018-08-24T21:34+00:00

To all you ladies who never thought to do so (I hadn't) if you google "vaginal atrophy videos" you will find quite a few. The moderator has blocked the one I tried to post. Some are on the Mona Lisa laser, some not.

beverly52803 ruth49273 · 2018-08-25T12:48+00:00

Don't know how many of you have access to AARP, but their recent newsletter has an article on menopausal issue. Here's a little piece of it. :

And though menopause medications that can help alleviate discomfort — and perhaps prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease — have been around for decades in various forms, research indicates that just a small minority of menopausal women are receiving the medical care they deserve. A Yale University review of insurance claims from more than 500,000 women in various stages of menopause states that while 60 percent of women with significant menopausal symptoms seek medical attention, nearly three-quarters of them are left untreated.

“Doctors are not helpful,” says Philip M. Sarrel, professor emeritus of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive services, and of psychiatry, at the Yale School of Medicine. “They haven’t had training, and they’re not up to date.”

“Nearly one-third of this country’s women are postmenopausal,” says gynecologist Wen Shen, an assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. “Many of them are needlessly suffering.”

Most medical schools and residency programs don’t teach aspiring physicians about menopause. Indeed, a recent survey reveals that just 20 percent of ob-gyn residency programs provide any kind of menopause training. Mostly, the courses are elective. And nearly 80 percent of medical residents admit that they feel “barely comfortable” discussing or treating menopause.

“Do most practicing ob-gyns have sufficient nuanced knowledge about menopause and how to treat its symptoms?” asks gynecologist JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). “I don’t think so.” Pinkerton surveyed more than 1,000 medical professionals (including doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners) regarding their knowledge of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause symptoms. Only 57 percent of physicians were up to date on their information, according to the survey’s results.

Every woman’s menopause experience is different, and many cruise through the natural decline in estrogen without significant discomfort. But for too many women who are experiencing serious symptoms, the response of the average doctor is simply, “There’s nothing we can do.”

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Incredible to me that the AMA wasn't ready for this. It was no secret that huge numbers of baby Boomers were about to turn 65. 10,000 a day!!!

Vaginal Atrophy

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