vigina problems

PainInTheBum said:

vagina stenosis

My treatment starts tomorrow and I do not have that problem yet but anticipate it.  Search for "vagina stenosis".  I have read others having this problem and you may find some helpful tips.  So sorry.  It is one of my fears, not so much for myself but my husband.  I'm 67, married 39 years....we are still sexually active and I do not look foward to giving it up.  I have read that dialators can help.  I hope others that have experienced this will give you some answers.

Now may be a good time to talk with the Radiation oncologist or the nurses in radiation oncology about dilators. ..which type is best and how to use them.  Some people have been able to use them in the first week or two of treatment before the area  becomes too sore.

Hi Brenda, no one told me I would have vaginal stenosis, in fact my radiologist acted as if I was an idiot for asking about it. I am post 15 months, and I use dilators. I found a good GYN who recommended it, and I have used them ever since. I do still have pain with sex, even using the dilators often. I've tried several kinds, and the ones I found were the best and most comfortable were from a company called Soul Source. Check out the online site. I started with the smallest and after several weeks, or months, when I was ready, I would do the next largest. You have to use lots of lubricant as well. I got to where I was able to have sex again, but I still have some pain and penetration has to be sort of slow at first. I have to use them regularly. But at least my sex life still exists. Also, if you're not using it already, you might want to talk to your GYN about estrogen cream or pills to restore your vaginal walls. See what your doctor says.

Brendaklein said:

vigina

Thank you very much. I see my GYN tomorrow.

 

I am having problems as well.  Seeing by OBGYN on May 20th. 

Yes I tried it. On the positive side my therapist was able to work out a lot of the stiffness and stenosis in the vagina, showed me exercises to do at home, including those that strengthen the sphincters. On the negative side, it was invasive and painful. Therapist has to have her fingers in your vagina and rectum to break up scar tissue and be able to feel if you are doing the exercises correctly. I also had to travel 2 hours to get to her. And since my husband and my sex drives are not that high my motivation was lacking. So I stopped going and lost all the ground I gained. One of the things that distresses me is that you can’t just work towards the goal and stay there, you have to keep using the dilators forever or the stenosis comes right back. At this point all I can make myself do is use a tampon instead of a dilator (seems less yucky to me for some reason) about once a week and use estrogen cream once a week in an effort to keep things open enough for pelvic exam and PAp smear. I hope you are more motivated than me and get great results, I don’t mean to sound discouraging, just relay my experience. It seems like there are women in this site who are motivated and diligent and get back to being able to have a pretty normal sex life.

Ohmy said:

My doctor gave me a dialator

My doctor gave me a dialator to use during treatment.  Two years later and I still use a dialator a few times a week with a lubricant.  You may have to start with a smaller size and work your way up.  I have a set with different sizes I ordered from Amazon.  It's also important to keep it open so your doctor can do a Pap smear every year.

No one mentioned the dilators or vaginal problems to me during radiation.  I learned about vaginal stenosis on this board. I have been in remission almost a year, but still bleed frequently from my vagina, which burns, kind of like a yeast infection. my vagina is so tight, i only can get a Replens lubricant inserter a little way up. I bought the dilators, but can’t imagine inserting them. Even the (oncology) gynecologist could not insert her finger too high. She didn’t seem too worried, but it’s the bleeding that really concerns me. Red blood almost every day for six months or more. Does this happen to anyone else?

Pelvic floor therapy is definitely the answer along with doing some of it on your own and using vaginal dialators. I went to 10 therapy sessions to help break up the scar tissue vaginally and in my hip. I also did the same internal pressure point therapy on my own. I still use a vaginal dialator in the shower about 3 times a week but no longer need to do any further internal therapy. The Urogynecologist informed me that I will have to use dialators the rest of my life in order to have Pap smears and intercourse.

The therapy might seem uncomfortable and embarrassing but it will be worth it. Also, there are silicone dialators in graduated sizes that are much more comfortable than the hard plastic tube I was given by the radiologist!

During my first year of recovery I was diligent about using the dialator and the Estrace hormone cream and I also went to a pelvic floor PT.  I built up to an xl dialotor, (hard plastic type)  but I fell out of the routine and perhaps I just needed a break.  Anyway, I'm starting it all up again because it did work for me in the past, and my scan on Monday marked 2 years NED. My husband has been very supportive too.  I started with the Estrace today, am ordering the Soul Source dialator recommended above, and made an appointment with my pelvic floor PT (she's awesome and helped keep me motivated).  Thank you for the insipiration to face this again. 

Mollymaude said:

Brendaklein

Yes I tried it. On the positive side my therapist was able to work out a lot of the stiffness and stenosis in the vagina, showed me exercises to do at home, including those that strengthen the sphincters. On the negative side, it was invasive and painful. Therapist has to have her fingers in your vagina and rectum to break up scar tissue and be able to feel if you are doing the exercises correctly. I also had to travel 2 hours to get to her. And since my husband and my sex drives are not that high my motivation was lacking. So I stopped going and lost all the ground I gained. One of the things that distresses me is that you can’t just work towards the goal and stay there, you have to keep using the dilators forever or the stenosis comes right back. At this point all I can make myself do is use a tampon instead of a dilator (seems less yucky to me for some reason) about once a week and use estrogen cream once a week in an effort to keep things open enough for pelvic exam and PAp smear. I hope you are more motivated than me and get great results, I don’t mean to sound discouraging, just relay my experience. It seems like there are women in this site who are motivated and diligent and get back to being able to have a pretty normal sex life.

Mollymaude, what type of therapist do you see? I'm in the Houston area and none of my doctors have ever mentioned such to me. I am 7 years out and feel like it may be too late for me.