vaginal atrophy

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juliebell
juliebell Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
This is my second go-round with breast cancer (new occurence), and I experienced menopause with the first episode 9 years ago. Now they have added Tamoxifen to my 'diet', and what little strength I had left in my vaginal lining is gone. Intercourse is out of the question, even with copius amounts of lubricant. My gyn wants me to use Vagifem, a very low dose estrogen suppository, twice a week. My oncologist wants me to use it only as a very last resort. Has anyone else experienced this degree of atrophy, and/or used any sort of vaginal estrogen following ER postive breast cancer? I am halfway through radiation and would love to think that one of these days I could resume a normal sex life.

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  • billandpatty
    billandpatty Member Posts: 86
    #2
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    I have a different situation; my b/c was estrogen negative, had chemo and radiation and went into menopause at 48. It seemed like almost immediately I started to experience vaginal atrophy/dryness and tried the lubricants without any satifying results and a lot of frustration (after going through all the treatments saving my life, not enjoying the life I had!)...I am now using the "e-string" ring (small amount of estrogen) and things have improved -- not completely back to normal, but so-o-o much better!

    I hope you get some answers and get back to living the life you want to live ...

    Patty
  • jhope
    jhope Member Posts: 58
    #3
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    billandpatty said:

    I have a different situation; my b/c was estrogen negative, had chemo and radiation and went into menopause at 48. It seemed like almost immediately I started to experience vaginal atrophy/dryness and tried the lubricants without any satifying results and a lot of frustration (after going through all the treatments saving my life, not enjoying the life I had!)...I am now using the "e-string" ring (small amount of estrogen) and things have improved -- not completely back to normal, but so-o-o much better!

    I hope you get some answers and get back to living the life you want to live ...

    Patty

    My breast ca was estrogen negative also, chemo, rad and menopause at 38. I have horrible vaginal dryness and have been prescribed e-string. Im afraid to use it! Guess I'll talk to onc but embarressing. Do you know more patty? Julia
  • billandpatty
    billandpatty Member Posts: 86
    #4
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    jhope said:

    My breast ca was estrogen negative also, chemo, rad and menopause at 38. I have horrible vaginal dryness and have been prescribed e-string. Im afraid to use it! Guess I'll talk to onc but embarressing. Do you know more patty? Julia

    Julia:
    I haven't used the e-string for too long a time -- since December 2003. You call it in like a pill prescription every 3 mos. I found taking out the old one to be a little tricky, I almost thought I was going to have to go see the doctor to change it, but I did get it out and inserted the new one. (can you believe we're talking about this kind of stuff?!) I don't feel it at all after it's inserted ... and like I say, it's a great improvement. It took awhile for my doctors to agree that I could use it. I would say the longer I've had it, the better it's working. The directions say it takes about 2 weeks to get things lubricated again, but for me it took longer to start feeling like it was working.

    I don't know if I really answered your question, Julia. Write again and I'll try to be of some help.
    It can be embarassing to bring these things up to your doctor. My doctor happens to be shy and younger than me ... I've learned with him that I just have bring up what I want to discuss and then he's ok about telling me more about it.

    Take care.
    Patty
  • juliebell
    juliebell Member Posts: 4
    #5
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    billandpatty said:

    Julia:
    I haven't used the e-string for too long a time -- since December 2003. You call it in like a pill prescription every 3 mos. I found taking out the old one to be a little tricky, I almost thought I was going to have to go see the doctor to change it, but I did get it out and inserted the new one. (can you believe we're talking about this kind of stuff?!) I don't feel it at all after it's inserted ... and like I say, it's a great improvement. It took awhile for my doctors to agree that I could use it. I would say the longer I've had it, the better it's working. The directions say it takes about 2 weeks to get things lubricated again, but for me it took longer to start feeling like it was working.

    I don't know if I really answered your question, Julia. Write again and I'll try to be of some help.
    It can be embarassing to bring these things up to your doctor. My doctor happens to be shy and younger than me ... I've learned with him that I just have bring up what I want to discuss and then he's ok about telling me more about it.

    Take care.
    Patty

    Hi Patty,

    Thanks for sharing your experience with the e-string. My oncologist isn't at all comfortable talking about 'such things' either, but I talk at length with my gyn about them. The confusion is that they can't agree on what is safe for me. I used the estring for awhile after my first cancer but before my second one. It really helped a great deal with the health of my 'innards', until I developed a yeast infection that wouldn't go away. I think the foreign device up there became a haven for the yeast, so I had to give it up. But I also had success with Estrace cream and with Vagifem suppositories. After getting ER+ breast cancer a second time, I got scared off from using these things, but I certainly can't keep going the way I am. Thanks for your ideas on this. I'm glad that you have found a solution.

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