Hello all,
I have been suffering from Atrophic Vaginitis and bladder related symtoms for over a year now. I have been using the Premarin cream, however if I do not use it a minimum of every other day I am sore and miserable. Like others I am concerned about the side effects on my body but my quality of life is not good without it. I decided to do some online research and came across the information on the Mona Lisa Laser they insert in your vagina to restore your lining. I know it has been FDA approved and many women say they are getting complete relief from this. Sounds to good to be true.
Hi Lynne
can your Gyno give you Estriol like Ovestin Vaginal Ovules and ovestin vaginal Cream.
my Gyno suggested this for me the vaginal Ovules i halve and use twice weekly and the cream for outer bits to keep plump - and help thinning skin and the urethra inside .. Amazing stuff - Ovules are opague and very silky and moisten and hydrate and repair ..
no way would i use Premarin ( pregnant mares urine - equine HRT ) we are not horses. ( personally i wouldnt touch that at all ) hope your doc told you it was equine ..
Ovestin or Ovestinon its called here, where i live ..
Estriol is the weakest - kinder Estrogen
Its helped me no end - been using since sept last year and been amazing .
in between i use half a premeno duo vaginal Ovule ( non hormonal ) but dont need very often now ..
i cant use and wont take oral HRT .. I am age 51 and almost 2 years post meno .. Like you had atrophy and it was affecting my life - now all is good .
jay x
Sorry, never heard of this
Hi Lynne,
lim sorry for your discomfort--I know about that. I haven't heard about the laser treatment you mention. I did some research and found after menopause, hormonal changes create a change in the vaginal micro flora and sets ups a revolving cycle of tissue thinning, dryness, tissue abrasions and inflammation. Several alternative practitioners recommend using plain yogurt (with abundant beneficial bacteria counts). You use 1/2 of an insertion tube with the yogurt twice daily for 1-2 weeks (yes, it's messy and you need to wear panty liners), then taper off to once daily (night can be more convenient) and then occasionally. I also used a natural aloe water based vaginal moisturizer daily as well ( you can even add vitamin E--break a 400 mg capsule into the moisturizer before inserting into your vagina).
i have eliminated most of the discomfort doing this and don't need the yogurt anymore but I do use the moisturizer and vitamin E every other day. I stopped washing with soap and use only water. Also, a practitioner told me that orgasms 1-3 daily help :-)
i am also using homeopathy under the guidance of a practitioner to help.
i agree with Jay that a less powerful estrogen is best; plus, I don't like how they treat the mares to get the urine for Premarin.
hope this helps. Feel better soon-- you're not alone.
I think I read something under the lichen sclerosis forum about this treatment, so you might want to try using the search term on that forum. LS is a severe autoimmune disorder, with soreness and white patches around the anal and genital regions, and very painful, The genitals shrink and disappear if it is not controlled, so the treatmernt I believe would be given in the circumstances of severe atrophy where sometimes the bladder and urethra are involved.
Hi Jayneejay,
Thank you for the reply. I have never heard of Esteiol, Ovestin or premeno duo vaginal Ovule but have a doc appointment next month and will discuss, Are these creams? It seems alot of women use the Premarin Cream here but I have not tried anything else. I am so tired of this pain and constant burning. It is really effecting my quality of life. Thank you again for the advise I will certainly folllow up with my gyno in a couple of weeks and let you know how I come out. Had you ever heard of the Mona Lisa Laser treatment I mentioned?
Hi carmarie,
I googled atrophic vaginitis and this came up. There is a video of the procedue. If it works it would be fantastic. Are you a sufferer?
There is a very detailed video on you tube about this procedure. Also testimonials. Definitely has piqued my interest. My immediate question is does insurance cover it? Also I would think the insertion of the laser would be pretty uncomfortable if the problem you're having is atrophy. Apparently no one on this site who has the problem has tried the procedure as no one has posted so far.
Hi Joy,
I am going to go get the vitamin E supossitories today and begin using them daily. The yogurt is an interesting concept. I will give it a try. I am with you I do not like the treatment of the mares either and am anxious to find another method. Thank you for all the great advice it would be so wonderful to be able to manage this natuarlly. I will keep you posted "OH THE GOLDEN YEARS"
Hi Beverly,
I am unsure regarding insurance but I am definately going to inquire. If I can get this covered I am going to seek out the treatment. The feeds say the discomfort is very minimal however I am sure it would depend on the severity of inflamation at the time of the procedure. As I get more information I will post as I hope everyone finds relief from this awful condition.
I did look on the lichen sclerosis board and there are discussions about this treatment, including women who are actively getting it. As some women are in UK and others in US not sure what the insurance situation is. There was mention of it costing $2000-$2500 I think. Also a yearly treatment is required to keep the tissues from regressing apparently.
Hello I have also researched online this particular treatment and it actually seems like a better solution longterm longterm. It I'd being offered in clinics here Harvey Street I believe believe. Cost is a bit of a problem and the fact maybe more than 1 treatment maybe required. I have considered asking my Dr about it and possibly having the treatment. It doesn't mention side effects though and this could make a big difference to that decision.
Let us know if you find out anymore concerning the treatment. :-)
Hi Lynne
I was referred to a dermato;ogist to check for Lichen Sclerosis but it seems that I do not have it. I do however have vaginal atrophy due to the menopause. I was prescribed Vagifem and I have started using this once a week instead of twice as I prefer natural solutions. I use a product called Yes which is a lubricant if I ever have relations with my husband which is not often as the shrinking of the vaginal area put me off sex. I think the Vagifem has helped though as last time Mission Impossible became possible! I also find extra virgin coconut oil great for moisturising the area, and also as a lubricant during sex., My dermatologist said the soreness around my anus was due to friction from garments rubbing and prescribed Hydromol which looks like Vaseline but turns soapy when wet and is used for showering and can be applied direct to the area. I hope this helps.
Will Look forward to your comments Lynne.
Hmmm. Friction from garments? That sounds like a guess on the dermatologist's part. What are you wearing? When I had bacterial vaginitis I was increibly sore and any sort of pants bothered me, but the cause was due to the sensitivity of the skin, not the clothing making it sensitive. I can wear jeans again even with the atrophy. At my age I've heard a few things from doctors that have proven to be well intentioned but erroneous at best. That's why I love the internet.
Hi Beverley
What treatment did you have for bacterial vaginitis? I also love the internet as I do not have a huge amount of faith always in doctors.
Hi Tracy,
I am going to my Gyno 8/7 and I am going to get as much information as I can on this procedure. I am also going to call my insurance company today to see if this has been put out there yet. For all you gals using the vitamin E capsules you can go online and find a pharmacy in your area that handles the vitamin E suppositories and they will order them for you. I just ordered some yesterday $10.08 for 24 I cannot wait to try them as sounds like lots of sucess stories for women using them.
carmarie, I have written about this several times on this site, but to be honest the discussions branch out in ways I do not understand, Around the time of menopause I had a reoccurance of a vaginal infection which I had had 2 maybe 3 times in my life. I had a new gynocologist at this time and asked her for a prescription for Flagyl, She refused to prescribe it saying whatever I had did not indicate using that drug. I foolishly believed maybe she was correct and this was a different type of infection. I suffered terribly for 5 years taking all sorts of antibiotics to no avail. Finally I mentioned it to my GP who was somewhat mystified by my gyno's actions and prescribed the Flagyl (which had worked for me in the past when I had this"non-specific" infection). In other words the bacteria was not identifiable, but in my GP's words there are untold bacteria that have yet to be identified. The symptoms I experienced were identical to many that people with severe atrophy describe. I now do have atrophy with very mild discomfort. My biggest problem was enduring exams (I'm not involved in a sexual relationship). My latest gyno has recommended I use Premarin Cream to reverse the atrophy, but I have a sister with stage 4 breast cancer and I am not comfortable using hormones (she did). One woman on this site strongly recommended that I use it before things got bad, but I have felt fine for many years now despite the atrophy. Only occassional mild itching. This is why thae laser treatment is of great interest to me.
Hope this was informative.