So I saw my PCP yesterday. Hadn't been able to get in to her for two years. She was great at listening to me. Finally after 10 years with LS she is referring me to a gyn at the hospital.
I want to ask for an estrogen cream. So my question to you all is what do you use on your vulva and do you have it compounded in something. If so what is it compounded with.
Shari
I'm using estrogen that is called Bi-est. Via my naturepath. In combination with progesterone; at first that was a cream to be put on the skin, later I received capsules to take orally.
Like Hanny does, I use a bioidentical compounded cream called Bi-Est (estrodial, estriol). I also use a compounded bioidentical cream for progesterone and for testoterone (the latter helps maintain muscle, helps the heart, helps with libido, etc.). My practitioner suggested moving to an oral bioidentical progesterone, because the absorption may be better, but my blood tests indicate a good level of progesterone and I'd rather do topicals than oral due to frequent medication reactions and allergies. I have a nurse practitioner who prescribes these creams and checks my hormones via bloodtests at least annually. I am 58 and have been on them for about six years. I like having them and can't imagine life without them. I came to this practitioner who found that I had a very low thyroid, low adrenal functioning, and low reproductive hormones. I was a mess and I feel much better now! I like that these creams are natural and not altered chemically like synthetics are. But if I couldn't get bioidenticals, I would use the synthetics, because I like maintaining my hormones and feel better with them. That's why when I started getting pain with intercourse and some atrophy last year, I was confused about whether I was getting menopausal changes (which the hormone creams prevent). Then we finallly figured out more recently that it was LS. I still feel that the hormones help maintain vaginal (and systemic) health as best as the LS will allow. I've never had any itching, and my vaginal tissues (though not vulva which has white spots) are normal, at least. I like taking the natural hormones too because they help maintain heart health, bone health, skin health, and premenopausal health overall. The study that raised concerns about hormone replacement therapy was seriously flawed and has been refuted--it was on women who went through menopause years ago and who took oral synthetics. Maintaining our bodies on natural hormones earlier in menopause seems to be associated with good health markers. --Suzanne
So you both are using it for hormone replacement due to menopause?
curious Susanne, do you use the cream on the vulva skin for LS? Some women swear by it for improving the LS skin, such as color, elasticity and over all health of the vulva skin. I have not yet entered menopause so im not sure they will prescribe it.
I wasn't in menopause either apparently until last year. They can assess your blood levels and see if adding some hormones could help at any adult phase of life. Also, low levels on your vulva would not raise your blood levels significantly. I use higher levels for menopause now because I want the systemic effects, not just the local effects. Yes, I have used them on my vulva. I think that the estogen cream likely helped me, but since I was on it when my LS developed, I don't know what it would have been like without it. Someone suggested that all of the creams on my vulva could be what might be irritating it, so I went changed from applying them on my vulva all of these years (and the creams felt soothing), and I've been applying them elsewhere the last couple of months. But guess what? My LS has gotten worse when I stopped using them on my vulva! Unknown if that was just a coincidence. So now I'm applying the estogen creams again on my vulva starting the last few days and I think that the tissues are improving again.
I have been prescribed the above well after menopause and due to LS. Menopause was for me an abrupt thing around age 42, when I had a total hysterectomy. Premarin drove me already nuts at that time, so I stopped using it, not knowing what the alternative would be so many years ago. Perhaps it should have been treated differently then, but what did I know. Did I get LS because of this? Hard to tell.
Interesting that your LS symptoms worsened when you stopped it all together. I have yet to get a dr that will actually test my estrogen levels. I have heard several women say that estrogen cream helped the vulva skin a great deal. It's been mentioned by some to only use the estrogen cream on the days you don't use the steroid cream. One other person said the estrogen cream irritated their skin. Perhaps if you think it is irritating your skin you could use it on the vulva just a couple times a week and then elsewhere the rest of the week. I can never tell what is irritating me, the creams, ointments or the LS itself. However, I have neglected to put anything on my vulva the last few days and I have dryness and an irritated raw spot. So for sure the LS this time.
The creams never felt irritating before I got LS. But now the tissues are just irritated generally, so not sure that it's the creams causing me to feel the irritation when I put them on, but maybe just the LS causes this. The clob ointment irritates me, too.
Hanny, do you mean that you wonder if you got LS because of NOT using hormones, or because of the hormones? --Suzanne
I just recently switched to the clob ointment from the cream, so far it's been better for me. I haven't gotten any bruising or tears since using it. And the white skin is disappearing . So fingers crossed it continues to be good to me.
I think we all question what may have caused it. I swear getting my tubes tied caused mine since that's when it started. But maybe I would have gotten LS anyway.
I just started on clob a month or so ago, two weeks on the cream (which was really irritating), now ointment. Hoping that it helps. Glad that it helps you. How long did it take to start working?
I was wondering whether not using hormones made that I got LS.
I used the cream for ten years and realized it was irritating the raw spots. Once on the oinment my symptoms cleared up within 3 days. The cream never worked that fast on my symptoms, it used to take weeks for things to clear up. So definately know the oinment works better for me.
I find the Bi-est was/is irritating, but thought is was part of some sort of 'healing'. Not?
The Bi-est has only become a little irritating to my tissues when I first put is on since my LS started this past year, and mostly just recently. I also switched compounding pharmacies recently , so I wondered if their different carrier cream was the problem.
I'm using a tiny pea-sized bit of Premarin cream on my vulva on the days I don't use Clob ointment (which is working better than the cream for the month or so since I switched). Reading these comments, I'm optimistic.
That's a good question, a question I did not ask yet - different carrier. Should make another apointment with my naturepath/doctor who helped me with the Bi-est.
Just went through a painful episode. Nothing seemed to help anymore and going to the bathroom became so very painful and almost impossible. Then I remembered the vitamine D cream for pain and lo and behold, it worked. I'm over the worst now I hope.
A person sometimes forgets the various 'helps' that were tried. Vitamine D cream was one of them. But it does nothing for the fusing.
Where do you get vitamin D cream? I am a great believer in Vitamin D!
I received that via my naturepath. He came up with this idea. Perhaps you can tell me 'what you believe in' with vitamine D. I have just followed my naturepath's suggestion and don't know much about it.