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Lisa (Los Angeles, California) on 01/25/2015
5 out of 5 stars

I'm so happy to find this site. I'm in menopause and just turned 50. I'm also a newlywed. On our wedding night I experienced painful sex for the first time ever! We abstained from sex for a month before our wedding. Nobody ever told me that could bring on vaginal atrophy! I never even heard of this term! I didn't realize I had vaginal dryness. I saw my Gyno and she told me this. I just started using bio identical Estradol cream. I'm on day 4 and I can tell it's helping. I'm hopeful it will reverse the atrophy and I can have sex with my new husband soon without any pain. It's crazy that this issue hasn't been talked about more! None of my friends had heard about what could happen as we age either.
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Replied By Mary (N.c) on 02/15/2016

Lisa,

Yes, age makes a difference. I sympathize with your situation but let me tell you what I've learned. First off though, I just turned 80 years old, and for the first time in my life started suffering with severe vaginal atrophy (va). My doctor immediately wanted to start me on Premarin cream.....of all things... and even as uninformed as I was about va, I knew instinctively that estrogen applied to the vagina is not a good idea because of the cancer risks. The doctor told me not to worry because when used topically around the vaginal opening and very little applied inside, it would not pose a problem. She never did offer any information as to what caused this condition or if there was any cure. I was so skeptical and even angry with her cavalier attitude that I decided I would go by my own gut instincts and not fill the Premarin cream prescription. I also set about doing my own homework about the condition. But to add to my woes, I also have Pelvic Organ Prolapse, which is not surprising since all five of my children were born vaginally, and the births were a terrific strain on the muscles which certainly accounts for the prolapse. But the vaginal atrophe is due to the depletion of cell and hormone production as we age. To my surprise I also learned that sex actually helps keep the vaginal canal lubricated and thus is beneficial.

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