Bladder Matters
Bladder Discussion => All things bladder related => Topic started by: Sandypiper on May 16, 2010, 06:51:28 PM
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I wondered if anyone had any comments on Vagifem. I am 64 and have recently been prescirbed Vagifem. I had several Bladder infections this year and last year. Always wanting to go to the toilet. My Doctor prescribed Vagifem for me 6 weeks ago, and after inserting 3 of the applications over 3 nights, I started to feel better. I have to go back in another 6 weeks, but hope that I am not taken off Vagifem. I now realise how bad I had been feeling. Passing water probably up to 9 times from waking at 7am to Noon.
Anyone else taking Vagifem ??
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HELLO
Is Vagifem this vaginal oestrogen cream I have heard about? Sounds very interesting so I shall ask my GP and gynaecologist about it.
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I wondered if anyone had any comments on Vagifem. I am 64 and have recently been prescirbed Vagifem. I had several Bladder infections this year and last year. Always wanting to go to the toilet. My Doctor prescribed Vagifem for me 6 weeks ago, and after inserting 3 of the applications over 3 nights, I started to feel better. I have to go back in another 6 weeks, but hope that I am not taken off Vagifem. I now realise how bad I had been feeling. Passing water probably up to 9 times from waking at 7am to Noon.
Anyone else taking Vagifem ??
Dear Sandypiper
After reading the 'Menopause Matters' website about dry vagina, cystitis & Vagifem, and having had, as you have, repeated bladder infections and cystitis (I think) - the surgery seem utterly bored by post menopausal irinary problems - I asked my GP to prescribe Vagifem.
I've been on it for about 9 days now and the cystitis is finally subsiding - Allelujah! - and though I've been avoiding sex (another subject!), which always seems to make the cystitis/UTIs worse, the one time we had sex the v.unpleasant initial pain I've had for several years was absent - Allelujah!.
I just thought I'd write about what I've found about the prescribing of Vagifem:
The initial dose is one a day for 2 weeks, then just twice a week indefinitely, because menopause problems don't just go away, with an annual review with a health professional.
So far I do recommend it.
Postscript:
I do get migraines, about 3 a year, and after 10 days on the Vagifem, I got a persistent headache which didn't respond to Paracetamol or Iboprufen, so I stopped the Vagifem. It does warn that a side effect could be migraines; the headache then did go away. I'm intending to now just use the Vagifem just twice a week. Put one in this morning, and the headache is back, but I'll persist and see if it settles down. Not having the Cystitis or intercourse pain is worth a lot.
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Ienjoylife said "I do get migraines, about 3 a year, and after 10 days on the Vagifem, I got a persistent headache which didn't respond to Paracetamol or Iboprufen, so I stopped the Vagifem. It does warn that a side effect could be migraines; the headache then did go away. I'm intending to now just use the Vagifem just twice a week. Put one in this morning, and the headache is back, but I'll persist and see if it settles down."
I was kind of worried about migraines especially as I am on oral HRT anyway: but you don't say whether you have ever taken anything migraine-specific like the Triptans to ease the headaches. I'd be interested to know if those still work. As you say, life without endless UTIs and the chance of a sex life would be great!
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Hi Sandypiper,
I am 53 yrs old and post menopausal. I also began taking Vagifem about 1 year ago due to vaginal dryness (twice a week) along w/bio-identical HRT and it helped immensely. They are now taking it off the market per my mail-order drug company so my doctor is now prescribing estriol 0.5 mg in a cream which is inserted vaginally twice a week. A compounding pharmacy prepares it for me. It has also worked very well and per my doctor, it should work better than the Vagifem. You may ask your gynecologist about it.
I also had bladder infections about 2 yrs ago in spite of taking oral HRT and finally saw a urologist and he ran all of the tests and told me there was actually nothing wrong w/my bladder. His physician's asst (female) told me to always urinate after sex and use Summer's Eve cleanser for washing the vaginal area before and after sex. Ever since I began using the Summer's Eve cleanser, I have not had another bladder infection.