His and Her Health

I don't know if it is because of a stomach exercise that I did and if I damaged the nerves in my "pelvic area" from "holding" a position too long, but I have been experiencing this horrible aching and burning of the vaginal area and the inside of my pelvic area feels "raw" and "achy". I have been to two Gyns and they have taken tests for infections, etc. and everything is negative except to say that the area is "red and thin tissues". I have tried Estradiol cream which I am no longer using because it is not "natural" and am switching to "Estriol" which is more natural. I have tried vaginal moisturizers, etc. to no avail. CAN ANYONE HELP ME? HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THIS? It is driving me nuts because it is interfering with my everyday life. It is a very uncomfortable feeling. I have never had this before and I am "64 years old". THANKS!

It sounds like you may be experiencing vulvadynia which is inflammation and irritation of the small nerves in the opening of the vagina. The treatment includes medical therapy, topical creams, anti oxidants and vaginal physical therapy. The good news is you are not alone and I do think you can be helped. Don't give up hope.
Jennifer Berman, MD

<small>[ 09-08-2007, 08:01 AM: Message edited by: Moderator ]</small>

i had that and my Dr gave me some topical creme nothing hormal though. It does hurt I also changed underwear too to help during that time. But even the creme cleared it up and it can come back too she told me but so far nothing.I hope you get some relief soon. Heidi

Oh my. I don't quite understand why you think estradiol isn't natural. Estradiol is the primary estrogen produced by your ovaries from puberty until menopause, and is a profoundly powerful hormone. It's the reason you developed breasts etc at puberty. It reaches extremely high levels at pregnancy to aid in baby development and delivery. Estriol is indeed a "natural" estrogen, but it is made by the placenta. If you aren't pregnant, you don't have estriol, and you don't particularly need it. It is a very weak estrogen, without the proven benefits of estradiol.
What you need to try is Vagifem. It delivers a small dose of estradiol right into the vagina, and get soaked up right in that area. My mother was going to the bathroom 6 or 7 times a night and had the burning sensation you describe in your pelvic area. After using the Vagifem every day for a week, and then twice a week or so, she stopped feeling like she needed to urinate constantly, and the pain stopped. It took a few months for the pain to completely go away, but that's because it takes nerves a long time to recover.
A lot of women have problems with an estradiol cream, particularly an Estrace cream , because it has polyethylene glycol in it, which often burns sensitive vaginal tissues. Vagifem has a slower release and seems to work better for that reason.
Because the dose is low, and it does not affect the body on a system wide basis, like oral estrogens, this therapy is not thought to have any of the dangers of an increase in endometrial cancer or stroke (stroke risk is increased with oral estrogens). Still, watch out for any spotting or bleeding, and have it checked out with your doctor. Once the problem is fixed, you may find that you need very little to keep the area healthy. I would also strongly recommend that you go to the library, check out a book called Screaming To Be Heard, by Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD, and look at pages 310-337, for a lot more information. Good luck!

Amber - I feel for you because I am going through the same thing. What I initially thought was a bladder infection has turned into this pain that is affecting my life!!! I've had cultures, examinations and am now waiting for the results of my ultrasound (however, I think it will be normal). I was hoping I could just take a pill for 10 days and it would go away. I do take comfort in knowing that I'm not alone in this. I am a newby to all of this so I haven't received anything yet to alleviate the pain and it's awful. I'm going on vacation Sunday and don't know how I'll stand it. Maybe a warm bath with baking soda? A tranquilizer? Advil is not working. I'm almost 55 and post menopause. My urologist did mention when he examined me last week that it looked like I had muscle spasms and I looked "thin". Getting older is not for sissies!

lorianded,you may find more information about your problem on www.redhotmamas.org and www.menopausewise.com