Dangerous Chemicals in Vaginal Lubricants!

RoseyR
RoseyR Member Posts: 471 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
Dear Ladies,

While I try to make most of my messages to this Board uplifting and affirmative, I am vexed by being sent home after pelvic radiation advised to use any of "the following vaginal lubricants" on my dilator three times a week."

These lubicants include AstroGlide and a few others--which ALL, upon investigation, contain compounds we were warned ten years ago never to use in SKIN products.

These ingredients include the following:

parabens
(methlparaben, propylparaben, etc)

glycols
(propylene glycol, butylene glycol, etc.)

Entire books on "toxic cosmetics" have warned us not to use toiletries, body lotions, or makeups containing these dangerous substances (some of them CARCINOGENS), yet here I am three nights a week--worrying about vaginal vault recurrence yet entreated to use these products on my dilator.

The lubricant I was given samples of at the treatment center was called "Surgilube" but is NOT available at CVS or Rite Aid and I am out of those samples. Nor am I sure that even its single dominant chemical is entirely safe.

Again, I hate t alarm us as we all have neough stress, but shouldn't the oncological community do BETTER by us than blithely prescribing lubricants that contain hazardous substances?

Are any of you using a product that is FREE of any parabens or glycols?

Alarmed but not Suprised (given how often WOMEN have been the subjects of careless med research, from estrogens to osteoporosis drugs that are more harmful than helpful),

Rosey

Comments

  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980
    #2
    Try amazon.com
    You can get Surgilube at amazon.com. If I remember right, it qualifies for free shipping if you place it within a $25+ order.
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #3
    Rosey
    One trusted site many of us use is EWG.ORG...go there and you can plug into the site the name of a product and it has a rating scale you can follow. Yes parabens are very bad and have to admit my lubricant doesn't have it. My main concern was lubricant without hormones.

    One you might want to check into is ASTROGLIDE GLYCERIN AND PARABEN FREE, which is rated very low "1", but does contain Glycol...can't win can we.

    I'd like to know the ingredients in the Surgilube Linda mentioned. I googled but couldn't find it, have to dig further.

    Remember all our facial products, lotions, cosmetics, hair care, toothpaste, etc, etc...all contain many harsh chemicals. Add on the household products, too. I've done my research and changed many of these categories to ones that are less harsh. Happy to share what I've learned. My suggestion, get on the EWG site and gain more information, also the book you mentioned.

    We have to be our own advocates and can't always trust the docs. Remember they're trained and schooled to understand Medical not alternative and supplemental options. I'm always one step ahead of my doc by doing lots of research.

    thanks,
    Jan
  • Becky444
    Becky444 Member Posts: 29 Member
    #4
    jazzy1 said:

    Rosey
    One trusted site many of us use is EWG.ORG...go there and you can plug into the site the name of a product and it has a rating scale you can follow. Yes parabens are very bad and have to admit my lubricant doesn't have it. My main concern was lubricant without hormones.

    One you might want to check into is ASTROGLIDE GLYCERIN AND PARABEN FREE, which is rated very low "1", but does contain Glycol...can't win can we.

    I'd like to know the ingredients in the Surgilube Linda mentioned. I googled but couldn't find it, have to dig further.

    Remember all our facial products, lotions, cosmetics, hair care, toothpaste, etc, etc...all contain many harsh chemicals. Add on the household products, too. I've done my research and changed many of these categories to ones that are less harsh. Happy to share what I've learned. My suggestion, get on the EWG site and gain more information, also the book you mentioned.

    We have to be our own advocates and can't always trust the docs. Remember they're trained and schooled to understand Medical not alternative and supplemental options. I'm always one step ahead of my doc by doing lots of research.

    thanks,
    Jan

    Rosey, this is what I use...
    I use K-Y Sensitive which is rated a 2 (0-2 is low range) on the EWG website. You can find it at WalMart or drug stores too. Good luck with your research on this.
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #5
    Becky444 said:

    Rosey, this is what I use...
    I use K-Y Sensitive which is rated a 2 (0-2 is low range) on the EWG website. You can find it at WalMart or drug stores too. Good luck with your research on this.

    Olive Oil?
    I've been told by a friend who's also fighting cancer, use olive oil as a facial moisturizer....it's great!! Just found out via another venue I go to, use olive oil as well for vaginal lubricant. Dah! well yeah!

    Think I might give it a try as I use a dilator. No chemicals in it, just natural. If we are told to use it in our bodies, how about on outside as well???

    One thing I learned, go to www.youtube.com for ideas on making your own facial products such as toners, cleansers and microderm abrasion.

    Hugs,
    Jan
  • maggie_wilson
    maggie_wilson Member Posts: 596
    #6
    jazzy1 said:

    Olive Oil?
    I've been told by a friend who's also fighting cancer, use olive oil as a facial moisturizer....it's great!! Just found out via another venue I go to, use olive oil as well for vaginal lubricant. Dah! well yeah!

    Think I might give it a try as I use a dilator. No chemicals in it, just natural. If we are told to use it in our bodies, how about on outside as well???

    One thing I learned, go to www.youtube.com for ideas on making your own facial products such as toners, cleansers and microderm abrasion.

    Hugs,
    Jan

    rosey
    i use a product called "yes" water based, also comes in oil base. my acupuncturist recommended it to me, and is a survivor of breast cancer twice; she is particularly careful what she uses and what she recommends. yes is 95% organic, has won prizes in u.k, and is free of parbens, gylcerin, hormones, silicons and petroleum products. for actual ingredients check out : yesyesyes.org. i've found it very mild and soothing.

    sisterhood,
    maggie
  • soromer
    soromer Member Posts: 130
    #7
    maggie_wilson said:

    rosey
    i use a product called "yes" water based, also comes in oil base. my acupuncturist recommended it to me, and is a survivor of breast cancer twice; she is particularly careful what she uses and what she recommends. yes is 95% organic, has won prizes in u.k, and is free of parbens, gylcerin, hormones, silicons and petroleum products. for actual ingredients check out : yesyesyes.org. i've found it very mild and soothing.

    sisterhood,
    maggie

    Thanks for the thread and the suggestion, Rosey and Maggie!
    I just went to the site and found it quite appealing.
    I'm about to go through radiation treatments, so knowing about a good and safe product to use is very timely for me. I've been using something else which has been OK but not great, and honestly it didn't even occur to me to be as careful as you in checking the ingredients. Thank you both.
  • HellieC
    HellieC Member Posts: 524 Member
    #8
    jazzy1 said:

    Rosey
    One trusted site many of us use is EWG.ORG...go there and you can plug into the site the name of a product and it has a rating scale you can follow. Yes parabens are very bad and have to admit my lubricant doesn't have it. My main concern was lubricant without hormones.

    One you might want to check into is ASTROGLIDE GLYCERIN AND PARABEN FREE, which is rated very low "1", but does contain Glycol...can't win can we.

    I'd like to know the ingredients in the Surgilube Linda mentioned. I googled but couldn't find it, have to dig further.

    Remember all our facial products, lotions, cosmetics, hair care, toothpaste, etc, etc...all contain many harsh chemicals. Add on the household products, too. I've done my research and changed many of these categories to ones that are less harsh. Happy to share what I've learned. My suggestion, get on the EWG site and gain more information, also the book you mentioned.

    We have to be our own advocates and can't always trust the docs. Remember they're trained and schooled to understand Medical not alternative and supplemental options. I'm always one step ahead of my doc by doing lots of research.

    thanks,
    Jan

    Have you heard of SYLK?
    There is a natural lubricant available in the UK called SYLK. It is a paraben free lubricant with no drugs, hormones or animal products. It was recommended to me at the time I was given the dreaded "pink sticks". I have used it and it is very good. Perhaps if it is not available in US drug stores, you could get it on the internet or through Amazon?
    Kindest wishes
    Helen
  • Northwoodsgirl
    Northwoodsgirl Member Posts: 571
    #9
    Lubricants and Dialators
    WOW! I have learned a lot on this posting. Once I was given the dialator I thought to myself- "Great, now what is this white plastic dialator have in it which has materials that may leach out over time into my radiation fried vagina?!!!"
    My dialator was handed to me in a white box with no written instruction for use material nor product information.
    I don't even know who the product manufacturer is or what materials are in the thing! At the time we are given a dialator we have been through so much that we aren't even thinking about the dialator. I also have wondered about the lubricant ingredients.
    Thanks for the information ladies! (I have been using Astroglide but I doubt the manufacturer did testing on women who have had as many radiation treatment as we have.)
    Lori
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    #10
    Northwoodsgirl said:

    Lubricants and Dialators
    WOW! I have learned a lot on this posting. Once I was given the dialator I thought to myself- "Great, now what is this white plastic dialator have in it which has materials that may leach out over time into my radiation fried vagina?!!!"
    My dialator was handed to me in a white box with no written instruction for use material nor product information.
    I don't even know who the product manufacturer is or what materials are in the thing! At the time we are given a dialator we have been through so much that we aren't even thinking about the dialator. I also have wondered about the lubricant ingredients.
    Thanks for the information ladies! (I have been using Astroglide but I doubt the manufacturer did testing on women who have had as many radiation treatment as we have.)
    Lori

    Has anyone tried calendula
    Has anyone tried calendula ointment? It's amazingly healing & I've seen great results when used with patients who had anal fissures.
  • RoseyR
    RoseyR Member Posts: 471 Member
    #11
    carolenk said:

    Has anyone tried calendula
    Has anyone tried calendula ointment? It's amazingly healing & I've seen great results when used with patients who had anal fissures.

    THANKS FOR TIPS ON LUBRICANTS--WILL DO MORE RESEARCH!

    Thanks to all of you who have commented on vaginal lubricants.

    I will check out the ingredients in Surgilube, as suggested. Its consistency seems better to me than those of other lubricants I've tried and will report back on ingredients.

    Will also consult EWG.ORG as two of you suggest.

    Will try to find "yes" and "Sylk" and "KY-Sensitive" after checking their ingredients as well.

    As for OLIVE OIL and CALENDULA?

    Love the IDEA of using these natural substances but instructions with the dilator emphasize it must be water-based, not oil-based, lubricant. I believe there is good reason for that. Yes, I know that calendula is soothing and healing but an ointment is quite thick compared to a water-based lubricant.

    If nothing else, I hope that my concern underscores our need to be vigilant about what we are often cavalierly sent home with--and to start questioning our oncs about these careless prescriptions!!!

    Love,
    Rosey R

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