Just adding my ten cents worth, having read everybody's different experiences. I was seeing pink streaks of blood on the toilet paper after urinating, and at first thought it was a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics for that didn't make any difference. Then I tried to determine if it was really urinary, or perhaps vaginal instead. It seemed like it was both which seemed crazy and impossible and scared me half to death. And it was only apparent when I wiped after urinating. It wasn't like I was bleeding like with a period or anything like that. Long story short is doc explained that the urethra and the vagina share a wall, and that as I'm nearly 65 and about 13 years past menopause, it was probably that shared wall that was atrophying (drying out) and causing the light bleeding. Which made sense as my husband had major surgery about a year ago and as he's 78 years old, we just haven't gone back to regular sex which had probably been keeping my vagina well lubricated. Anyway, doc prescribed a pea sized amount of Estrace externally three times a week. I tried that for four weeks and it made no difference at all. I did some research and as I trust the Mayo Clinic, I went with their recommended dosage of 2 grams daily, some just inside the vagina with my finger, the rest externally, for one to two weeks. Halfway through the second week the bleeding had completely gone away. Mayo then says half that dosage for the next one to two weeks, which I'm trying now, and then 1 gram three times a week for three out of every four weeks as a maintenance dose. I'm going to try the pea sized amount three times a week instead and see if symptoms come back - hopefully they won't. I want to use the minimum amount possible, yet keep the problem under control. Only side effect I noticed was when I went to the 2 grams daily, my nipples were very sensitive but that has improved.

I have had vaginal atrophy for several years and it is so painful that I stopped having intercourse. Not a big problem since I am single but it is a problem because I would still like to be sexual but it's difficult to explain to someone you date the reason you don't want to have intercourse. Men just think you can add a little lube and it will be fine, but that doesn't work for me. I had breast cancer at age 40 and the chemo and other estrogen blocking meds put me into early menopause . My doctor prescribed me some vaginal suppositories but they cost $300.00 for a thirty day supply. I'm looking for other options and suggestions.

For others reading this board/faced with Vaginal Atrophy: At least for me, nothing moves quickly, in regard to healing Vaginal Atrophy. I most likely would be able to engage in intimacy, if the opportunity struck. However since trying a dilator (which confirmed narrowing and dryness), I am now aware of this sneaky little challenge of VA. I am using a vaginal moisturizer, which (like many) has claims to reverse VA. If that, the dilator (and to be added in a couple of weeks bio-identical progesterone) fall through, then I shall test for my estrogen levels. According to Dr. Lee, Atrophy is a sign of estrogen deficiency (By the way estrogen of any type, should never be taken without progesterone), and I may indeed have to do a minimal dose 2x week of estriol, once those tests come back. While I am not eager to go on any estrogen, not even this safer, weaker estriol, I am not going to be in pain due to irritation that dryness was presenting. I've also heard of the Vulva shrinking over time due to VA. There is a point where a fraction of the estriol, may at least maintain what I have, while being comfortable and infection free down there. I have not had the pleasure of an infection yet, but the dryness had been presenting irritation, the type of itch and pain that you feel before a Vaginal Bacterial infection. Is that how I want to live my years? I should think not! So I have reordered a book I believed I didn't need anymore... Dr. John Lee's. For the next few weeks, I will use the special Vaginal inserts which are by NeuEve, and they are indeed having a moisturizing effect which lasts for a good 4 days. Let's see what happens. I already shared that information on the NeuEve with a friend, and she and her hubby had painless intimacy... Lucky she has a husband who is interested! For all you VERY lucky ladies that have an interested partner, that may be something to try. Here's my thinking. I want to maintain my health. I may indeed find intimacy again, and in the meantime I deserve to be pain free and comfortable. The above is just my way of sharing, and not just taking from this message board, for we are truly all in this (life) together and should share.

Thanks for the well wishes, HU-536588320. Sorry to hear about your alternative doc. My wife had a scare years ago, while she was using Prempro (or Premarin - forgot which.) Doc said she had a non-atypical hyperplasia in one of her breasts. Scared the crap out of us both. She then discovered Dr. John Lee's books, and that's why she started using natural progesterone cream. We learned about terms like unopposed estrogen, etc. Quite a journey that launched us both onto. I think you're right about DHEA being like a building block. I think some of the books we read called it a precursor...so instead of a woman deciding that her body needs more estriol, or estrone, or estradiol, or progesterone...if she supplements with some DHEA...then the body will turn that into whatever it needs. That's why I was so eager for my wife to try it some time ago. So, I was bummed to find out that she didn't respond well to it. It's been a while, but I think it irritated her tissue. I did some research, and turned out the provider or manufacturer of this particular DHEA suppository used a base that contained glycol (maybe even ethelyne glycol - been too long ago.) Well duh - that's what's in antifreeze! So the questions I asked and reading I did seemed to suggest it wasn't the DHEA my wife had a reaction to - it was the base they used. Not long afterwards, my wife came across the bezwecken cubes. They didn't bother her. So I read up on it a bit, trying to understand why she reacted favorably to that, but not the DHEA suppositories. Well surprise, surprise - the base used by the hydration cubes was kinder or more gentle - didn't contain that crap glycol chemical, lol. I wondered if we kept looking, and just tried a different supplier or manufacturer of DHEA suppositories...that also used a kinder or more gentle base...how would she respond to it? But since the hydration cubes did the trick...I guess we never pursued it any further. Wow - thanks for passing on the tip that, the DHEA does exactly for you what my wife and I are looking for. :-) Maybe I should get that recipe from you for the DHEA after all! :-) You know, you can spend a lot of time studying and researching all this stuff...but the human body is so complex and interesting...it still surprises you. It remains to be seen what kind of approach this OB/GYN will come up with. The first step was for my wife to get an ultrasound. I think that's in like a couple of weeks.