#symptoms of vaginal atrophy

[fidicuswomen]

Call : +917997101303 | WhatsApp : https://wa.me/917997101505 | Website : https://fidicus.com

Signs and Symptoms of Vaginitis Treatment Cure Medicine Surgery | Gynaecology Women | Dr. Bharadwaz

Discover the key signs and symptoms of vaginitis in this informative video. Learn about common indicators such as unusual vaginal discharge, itching, irritation, burning, pain during urination or intercourse, and abnormal odor. Understand what these symptoms could mean and how to identify when it’s time to seek medical attention. Stay informed and take control of your health with trusted insights. Watch now to learn more about managing and preventing vaginitis effectively.

Dr. Bharadwaz | Gynaecology Women Female | Health & Fitness | Homeopathy, Medicine & Surgery | Clinical Research

#Vaginitis #WomenHealth #HealthAwareness #VaginalCare #Homeopathy

#DrBharadwaz #Helseform #Fidicus #Clingenious

#ClingeniousHealth #HelseformFitness #FidicusHomeopathy #ClingeniousResearch

#Women #Gynaecology #Female

#Treatment #Cure #Prevent #Relieve #Medicine

#AlternativeTherapy #AdjuvantTherapy #AlternativeMedicine #AlternativeSystem

Speciality Clinic Fidicus Women highest success with homeopathy No Sideeffect | Permanent Result | Personal Care

[oysterie]

tmi but abt 50% of the time that I cum for the last few weeks I've gotten these horrible cramps that feel like period cramps but worse than I've ever had them. Most of the time they go away but sometimes they stick around for hours so idk

[nothorses]

hi sorry to bother u about this, i searched around transmasc subreddits for an answer to this and while i saw a few people joking about getting dry cramps, nobody seems to know what this is. and i vaguely remember seeing a post by you mentioning "mystery cramps" in a post also about vaginal atrophy, but I didnt pay attention to the post much at the time bc at that point i wasnt experiencing atrophy or mystery cramps.

but now I'm a bit over a year on T, (my periods stopped only about 4 months ago though, because i was on a much lower dose than most for a lot longer time than most. that ~4 months ago time frame lines up with upping my dose from 0.2 to 0.3ml. i'm on 0.4ml tho now as of about 3 weeks ago) and suddenly i'm getting "mystery cramps" sometimes, it seems to happen especially the night before my T-shot day, (but i cant say that with certainty—i know i'm having them right now and my shot day is tomorrow morning, and i think thats been the case, but i dont know for sure) and they feel exactly like period cramps. to the point where i feel super paranoid that maybe i've been injecting improperly and the testosterone isnt absorbing right and my period is actually coming back. (something i often have nightmares about)

i searched your blog again for that post and did find it, (the one about estradiol cream treating it) but the wording of it is a little unclear and i wanted to just clarify that this is the same thing youre talking about? or if what im experiencing is different than the "mystery cramps" you meant and i should see a doctor

I am for sure not a doctor, and I think you should see one either way!

My personal understanding of the "mystery cramps" is that it's a part of "vaginal atrophy" that some, but not all trans folks who go on T experience, and it usually doesn't start until a couple of years on T ( which is also, to my knowledge, based on more standard doses as opposed to "low-dose" T).

Mine started about two years in, and was happening occasionally at first- always at night, and often the day before my T shot- then progressed to several nights a week over time. Nowadays I tend to experience cramping almost every time I so much as miss one dose of estradiol. Ibuprofen and Midol are the only OTC pain relievers that seem to do the trick, and the cramping will keep me up through the entire night untreated. It also tends to come in fairly predictable waves (spaced maybe 15-30 minutes apart) and right before I started estradiol, I remember getting some light spotting as well.

iirc, I talked to my PCP when it was just starting up, and their response was along the lines of "that's weird, let's keep an eye on it". I moved and didn't have a PCP for a while, so when the spotting started, I went to a walk-in urgent care clinic and talked to them. They gave me a referral for an ultrasound, and encouraged me to go to a "women's health" clinic that had long history of specializing in trans care as well. When I talked to the folks at that clinic, they encouraged me to go through with the ultrasound (I didn't), and prescribed estradiol cream because I asked them to and they didn't see a reason not to try it.

If you think it's possible this is what's going on with you, I would really encourage you to talk to a doctor, specifically bring up research around this issue and estradiol cream as a treatment option, and ask them if there's a reason not to try it just to see if it does anything for you. If nothing else, estradiol cream also treats vaginal dryness, tightness, and inflammation (other symptoms of "vaginal atrophy"), so it might be worth a shot for those reasons anyway!

And don't do what I did; if they want you to do an ultrasound or whatever else, go with it, and rule out other possibilities. Listen to medical advice from medical professionals who know your medical history and who you trust are listening to you & know what they're talking about.

[butchpeace]

Pelvic Floor Health for Detrans Women

A disclaimer before we start: I am not a doctor, a PT, or an expert of any kind, I just noticed there was a lack of information about pelvic floor health in the detrans (and trans) communities and I wanted to compile the information that I’ve gained. If there are any issues or you have any wisdom to share, please DM me! I plan to add to this post and edit it over time as I learn more.

95% of females who have been on testosterone report pelvic health issues, which can include urinary leakage or retention, bladder pain, difficulty emptying the bladder, general pelvic pain, pain with sex, vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, vaginismus, anal issues, and more. (Source)

Here’s a discussion with a pelvic floor expert on the issues faced by females who have been on testosterone.

If you’ve experienced any of these problems, you’re not alone, and there are things you can do!

Vaginal Atrophy

The vast majority of detransitioning women (and females who are transitioning) have vaginal atrophy, which is a thinning and weakening of the tissues that line the vaginal wall. Atrophy can lead to pain during sex, or with regular movement, bleeding due to small tears in the vaginal lining, narrowing of the vaginal canal, urinary issues, and more.

Because testosterone affects our ovaries, we can think of this issue as something similar to GSM (Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause). Many of our symptoms mirror what happens to women as they age and their estrogen production decreases.

Treatments for Atrophy

1. Vaginal estrogen comes in the form of creams, suppositories, and insertable rings.

2. Vitamin E suppositories have been found to be as effective as vaginal estrogen in some studies. (Source)

3. Sea Buckthorn oil capsules have been shown to be effective in vaginal health. (Source)

4. Regular sexual activity can help by filling the vaginal wall tissues with blood, which can help to revitalize those tissues.

There are also many options for dryness, including vaginal moisturizers, aloe, coconut oil, and more. Sometimes the simplest natural options can be the most effective! Always talk to your gynecologist and do your own research on products you’re considering buying and make sure the ingredients are safe. Some people may experience yeast infections and other issues when using certain products.

Vaginal atrophy itself is to blame in many cases for the urinary symptoms that many of us report, and treating the atrophy may be all that’s needed in order to improve the urinary symptoms.

In other cases, we also need to look at overall pelvic floor health. I would argue that taking care of your pelvic floor is essential for any woman at any stage of life, since it can help with so many things!

Pelvic Floor Muscle Issues

Pelvic floor health issues can be divided into 2 types - Hypotonicity and Hypertonicity. Both types can lead to bladder issues, among other things.

Hypotonicity is the classic type many women experience after having children or during menopause. It’s also described as having a weak pelvic floor, and kegels are often the best treatment. The YouTube playlist at the end of this post includes videos for beginner and advanced kegel exercise methods and yoga.

Hypertonicity is the opposite type, where the pelvic muscles are chronically tight. For this, the treatment is to use muscle release methods to relax the pelvic floor. Remember - Relaxed muscles are the best at doing their job.

Anxiety can also be a factor in hypertonicity! If you’re often anxious, get used to checking how that feels in your pelvic floor. Many young women experience bladder leakage or discomfort, feeling like you have to go when you don’t, or pain with sexual activity, due to anxiety which causes overly tight muscles.

You wouldn’t think at first that Hypertonicity could lead to urinary symptoms like leakage, but when your muscles are overly tight, they just don’t work the way they should.

Sitting a lot and generally not getting much exercise also causes muscles in the pelvic floor, hips, and hamstrings to tighten and become shorter, so stretching these areas is very helpful.

And when you have a urinary issue, or you’re dealing with the aftermath of childbirth, surgery, or any other medical trauma to the pelvic floor, there can be a tendency to reflexively tighten your muscles all the time, for fear of what might happen if you don’t. Some people with hypertonicity also experience their symptoms getting worse if they do a lot of kegel exercise. In these situations, kegels can become counterintuitive.

That said, using methods to address both types can be the best option for some people. As long as you listen to your body, keep track of how each method makes you feel, and talk with a doctor or pelvic floor PT if you have serious concerns or don’t understand how to do something, you should be able to figure out something that will help!

Vaginismus is also a very common condition that’s connected to hypertonicity and potential mental causes. You’ll know you have Vaginismus if you’ve always had trouble inserting things into your vagina, or if your partner has had trouble with it. Many women describe it as a sensation of the vagina closing up when faced with something trying to get in. You may find that at certain times or with certain objects, you have no problem, and at other times or with other objects, you do. Stretches and massages for hypertonicity can often help with Vaginismus.

Prolapse is a relatively common issue in women who have had kids and older women in menopause. This can also cause urinary symptoms. The incidence of pelvic floor prolapse in females on testosterone is not known, but due to atrophy weakening the walls of the vagina, it’s possible that testosterone will increase your risk. It’s also more common in people who have had a hysterectomy.

Tools

1. Vaginal dilators can be helpful for people who have trouble with Vaginismus or feel like their vagina is small. These are also helpful for people who have difficulty inserting fingers

2. A pelvic wand or vibrator can help you with massage to loosen muscles, if needed

4. Kegel trainers come in various types and can help you perform kegels more effectively if you know that your issue is hypotoniticy

5. Pessaries can help in cases where atrophy has led to pelvic floor prolapse. Make sure you get diagnosed before using one!

6. Your hands! Don’t underestimate the power of using your hands for external or internal massage

The biggest thing to take away from this post is this - Don’t be afraid of your vagina or pelvic floor! Don’t be afraid to try things that may help you improve whatever issues you’re having.

Your vagina is a normal part of your body, and especially when you’re experiencing issues, that’s when it’s time to really learn about it and understand what’s going on. If you’re anything like me, you’ve gone your whole life being too afraid or too uninformed to do certain things or explore your body in certain ways. We need to reduce the fear, stigma, and awkwardness of vaginal and pelvic floor issues, and the first step is to get to know your body. 💪

Exercises

I’ve put together a playlist of YouTube videos that have helped me in this process, which I will continue to add to. I hope they help you too!

And again, please DM me with any information you think is helpful or stories about what worked for you.

And if you’re a medical professional, I would love for you to review this post and suggest edits or additions.

Please share this with all your friends! My intention is for this to be a community resource we can use to spread awareness✌🏼

[scientia-rex]

I got home from work today sneezing my head off with a right eye that won’t stop watering, took a hot shower, climbed into bed, and I haven’t climbed out since. I’m grumpy and I have a headache and if I’m not testing positive for COVID or debilitated by symptoms tomorrow I’ll still need to go to work because that’s twenty patient visits that would need to be rescheduled, usually with someone else, and that’s twenty people I’m letting down. Today I did one of my patented 45-second Pap smears (if it takes longer than that, your doctor needs to get better!) for someone with vaginal atrophy from menopause (it is both very common and very treatable) and she was in disbelief. (This time it was more like 30 seconds.) I saw a suicidally depressed patient who’s clinging to life with both hands and I changed their meds last week and I am not making them wait to see me. I cleaned a wound no one else gave a shit about and I saw a bitter pissy Republican Party bigwig who has terrible anxiety and depression she doesn’t tell anyone about, who’s alienated everyone but who I can still convince to try treatment.

I do my job on hard mode on purpose. I like being important—who doesn’t? I like being legendary, I like that when people move to town and ask for doctor recommendations on Facebook so many people mention me that other patients feel compelled to tell me about it. I got nominated for best doctor in our local region last year. (I didn’t win, out of 5 nominees.) But when I’m sick, when I’m the kind of sick that can be hidden easily, the kind of sick I was always expected to go to school and rotations and residency with, it’s so hard. I hate exposing patients, even to a cold, but the benefits of receiving care are probably enough to outweigh the chance of transmission. I wrestle with myself: if I call in, it starts a ripple effect. Can they get a per diem from their “pool” (of three) to come in? Can they reschedule my patients with me? I don’t have any open spots for five weeks. Can they open same days? None available for three weeks. Can they open blocked spots? That’s going to make my life hell when I come back from being sick. That’s clinic staff calling twenty patients, trying to reach them. That’s twenty patients who feel abandoned. They can know intellectually that doctors get sick too, but they don’t believe it. They take it personally. I have seen this over and over again, until I had to believe it.

It is so EASY for people who don’t do this job to tell me how I’m doing it wrong. “Just stay home!” Oh, okay, you want to tell the person whose chronic opioids I’m supposed to write for that I can’t? You want to put the nurses through getting the on-call to write a bridge prescription? I write more ADHD meds than most of my peers—usually a lot more. You want to tell my colleagues to write meds they’re uncomfortable with? How about tell my suicidal patients (which is a lot of them!) that the provider they know and trust after months or years will be replaced today by a 70-year-old white man who still thinks they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps? Tell my queer patients that they have to wait until I’m better and back to get their hormones and their STI screenings, reschedule a Pap someone was dreading. Every day is a kaleidoscope of opportunities to make a real connection with “difficult” patients. I’m good at it. I may be the best at it at my clinic.

I don’t hate calling in sick just because the clinic manager is a judgy bitch, though that doesn’t help. I hate it because of what it does to my patients. And it’s not simple. Pretending it is does all of us a disservice. I am not a widget. I am not easily replaceable. You can’t plug any of our per diems (all men, 2/3 white, 2/3 old, 1/3 a Bitcoin bro) into my place and call it an equivalent, and my schedule is already so packed that if I call in sick, patients will be guilt-tripping me about it for months. I’m not kidding. That happens every single time.

Christ alive, I wish it was true that doctors never got sick.

[antiterf]

i keep hearing anti-trans people citing studies claiming that trans men who take testosterone always get pelvic floor dysfunction and now i'm afraid to take testosterone

TW: This post has a lot of talk specifically of genitalia and reproductive healthcare, with specific focus on cis women since that's where the research is. It's important to know but I want to give a fair warning for dysphoria.

It's weird that you sent this legitimately when I was looking for stats on that. This is oddly convenient. That never happens.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is incredibly common and while it can get to a point of being severe (prolapse) it's usually constipation, straining, bladder control and regarding mostly AFAB people, pain during vaginal sex.

From what research there is, it does seem that pelvic pain is incredibly common with trans men on testosterone. There's also not a pre and post testosterone question which... should be important. There's also no control group.

There is a recent study that reports that 94.1% of trans men have PFD, but it seems to be lower quality. I'm not saying that to try and completely dismiss it. There's no control group when it would be completely doable for this sort of study. They also don't ask if these symptoms had occurred prior to starting hrt or after.

(Sorry sci hub doesn't have it)

So we can't be positive, but what evidence we do have points to trans men having pelvic pain and PFD while on hrt. Both are honestly really general, and don't inherently mean that prolapse will happen (or "Your vagina will fall out, into the toilet, and you'll flush it down and never get it back. Then you die." Which I'm being partially satirical with that but wouldn't be shocked if some transphobe tried using it).

PFD is treatable with therapy and medication, sometimes surgery, but usually its not needed. There are plenty of trans men and trans mascs who use vaginal estrogen cream to help with dryness and atrophy. PFD is, again, common:

For women of childbearing age, PFD and POP are very common, and 65.8% of women over 40 years report at least one complaint of sexual dysfunction.

And it's likely you'll get it at some point regardless of starting HRT or not.

It's honestly upsetting that such a common, treatable, issue is described as apocalyptic. Like, it's still an important issue to be aware of, and in the studies I link there is mention of participants getting a hysterectomy specifically for pelvic pain. There are a lot of unknowns or barely knowns we have to accept when we start HRT. But don't let people tell you that the worst possible scenario will happen or give you fear mongered healthcare.

If it helps, I fall into the group of PFD and have for my entire life due to IBS. When it comes to intercourse, I do bleed a lot more easily, but often it's just being lubricated. I also take lactobacillus as a probiotic, which is the bacteria that we usually have less of compared to cis women while on hrt. Mainly because it's the best probiotic one for my ibs, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's also helped with vaginal health.

I hope this stuff helps!

[d3nt4l-d4m4g3]

This is a morbid question, but after going through your medical malpractice tags, I can't help but to wonder how many women have died from T? And also, does every TIF who does stay on T for long periods of time develop some sort of chronic pain/illness that you've read or seen?

It seems like its rare to hear from TIFs on T after 6+ years. It seems like they almost all quit or lower their dose substantially.

it's probably impossible to estimate how many women have died from taking T. Legally, many of these women are male and are registered in medical systems as male. From looking at a piece of paper, it's impossible to separate these women on testosterone from men on testosterone.

I don't know every trans person so I can't say with certainty that every single trans identified woman develops chronic pain or illness on T. That said, the sheer number of systems that testosterone touches—bones, heart, reproductive organs to name a few—means that the likelihood of developing at least one chronic illness/source of pain is extremely high. And it can happen over a short or prolonged period of time. You might never have the symptoms of vaginal atrophy, but your cortisol and blood pressure could be climbing every year. You might not have a heart attack, but you could develop psoriasis. Maybe your bones are dense enough but your pancreas is fried. Maybe your pancreas is fine, but you have shooting pains every time you orgasm.

if you think about it, it's like a box of chocolates.

I don't want to accuse all TIFs who profess perfect health after 10+ years of taking testosterone of being liars. Statistically, that's not true.

However, I think that there is a lot of pressure to uphold the narrative that cross-sex hormones are healthcare, and not a lot of incentive to admit those exact hormones can ruin health.

There isn't this same reservation when you're talking about chemotherapy, for example—would you tell a cancer patient that she might not puke during treatment? That she might not lose her hair? That her fertility may not be compromised? All of those maybes are technically correct. That patient may not suffer all of these things, or possibly any of them. But as a medical professional, as a friend, as a family member, as a patient, is it not responsible to say that what the medication does, is designed to do, "might not" happen.

Of course, chemo is temporary. It is a poison given to sick people to kill the bad hopefully before it kills too much good. Giving testosterone unnecessarily to healthy women, and indefinitely to boot, can only worsen health.

Even if there was a percentage of women who take large doses of testosterone with no pain or chronic illness over years—a percentage I doubt is significant—would you put diesel in a gas car? Would you drive on the highway like that? Would you be able to live with yourself knowing your family and loved ones are holding their breaths every night, waiting for a phone call that you have crashed? objectively, it's highly selfish to pretend the benefits outweigh the potential cost, the cost being one's life.

Going back to your point about the 6+ year mark—yeah, I do think by that time a lot of women detransition, live miserably as trans, or die quietly, away from the spotlight. Like an old dog not wanting to bring vultures to her body. There's no longer any thrill from being trans, but rebuilding your life, community, and body is terrifying and has real social consequences, so many stay in that limbo.

[thecandyclusteragain]

Holy shit major pelvic floor breakthrough

I have vaginal atrophy from T, but before starting T I had some significant pelvic floor issues. The things (besides medication) that you might do to help with vaginal atrophy or temporary symptoms are things I was already doing to treat my pelvic floor dysfunction so that worked out.

When it comes to medications though, I cannot take topical vaginal estrogen. My doctor who prescribed my T and my gyno both suggested this thing called a vaginal moisturizer (the specific brand Replens). For a long time (like years, almost two years to be exact) I just didn't because I didn't think something OTC would actually be helpful. But I finally started it a few months ago after trying the replens vaginal moisturizing lube and really liking it and this whole time not really noticing any difference BUT TODAY I was able to marathon masturbate for 3 hours, orgasm multiple times, AND DIDN'T HAVE CRAMPS AFTER ORGASMING

If YOU have vaginal atrophy and can't or don't want to use topical estrogen, GET A VAGINAL MOISTURIZER

CHANGE YOUR LIFE

[uncle-fruity]

for me vaginal atrophy started with getting recurring utis when id never had one before, less/no normal discharge, my skin felt really thin and like. loose? and any type of penetration felt like a burning feeling.

im not sure where u live or what ur doctor situation is, but i went to planned parenthood, explained my symptoms, and they quickly did a swab and tested the estrogen levels in that area and said they were really low and prescribed a localized estrogen which works really well

I've had this anon in my inbox for a long time. I just kept forgetting to answer it until so much time had passed that it seemed silly to post it. But I felt guilty about deleting it, too, so here it finally is!

This was in relation to some posts I was doing about vaginal atrophy that I was experiencing a year or so ago. I am happy to report that all I had to do was go to my local Planned Parenthood, get a prescription, and administer estradiol cream as instructed and the pain I'd been feeling for months nearly instantly went away. (Okay, maybe not *instantly* but like... over the course of three days I'd gone from having terrible cramps especially during orgasms to little to no pain at all.)

All this to say, if you're on testosterone and you're experiencing a lot of pain similar to bad period cramps, it might be as easy as getting some estradiol cream. Straight up, my doctor knew exactly what was up when I told her about my pain & the prescription really took care of it completely.

Do not suffer in silence! If you're experiencing pain, don't be afraid to say something to your doctor! You can save yourself a lot of pain by speaking up! Best of luck out there, cuties~☆

[jadedbirch]

Hi i know this is kinda random and i found your post through @certifiedsexed but !

Your post made me realize i was right, i am basically going through a menopause on the new in store birth control ( called o pill ). Which i know some prescribed birth control pills do that but this is my third and wow. Its horrible.

I'm actually considering going off of it and going back to prescribed, I've had pretty much everything you described.

Dry bits

Cold / hot flashes

Night sweats / heavy sweating in general

The sudden worse memory / memory issues

Brain fog thats worse ( keep in mind i have mental disorders that can cause both of those issues- however i thought it was weird that its been really hard for me lately )

Low libido. Like very low.

Not to mention the bit THAT NO ONE TOLD ME until i found out through the horrible doctor google ( and other links ) that birth control shrinks your dink ( apologies for being blunt but i mean the clit so others who read this know * )

Context: I'm a very young adult, drinking age in america.

I didn't have THIS big of a problem with the prescribed birth control pills. If you know anyone or anyone who reads this has taken o pill i would like to hear their experiences.

I thought i was just being dramatic because I'm disabled , but it turns out I've just been making myself miserable. Thank you for that post, i know it wasn't really your original intent but it still helps a lot, at least i can now take care of myself.

Should i tell the doctor that it basically put me through menopause "young" and made me feel miserable or do you think thats a bad idea?

Hi Anon,

I didn't want to just pull an answer out of the proverbial butthole, so like the recovering scientist that I am, I tried to research this. For context, the O Pill is an over the counter, progestin-only birth control pill sold in the US. It works a lot like other BC pills, in that it prevents ovulation and embryo implantation. The big difference with progestin-only pills is that - fun fact - they prevent the build up of tissue is the uterus, so you're essentially supposed to stop bleeding eventually (has this happened to you? How long have you been on it?). Your symptoms sound terrible and while they do sound like menopause, birth control isn't known to "put" someone in menopause. Just because something looks like a dog, doesn't mean it's not actually a wolf, right? But you're right - birth control can lead to clitoris atrophy (ack!), loss of sex drive, and vaginal dryness. Super yay 🙄

The first thing I would do - for science - is get off the O Pill and see if your symptoms go away - at least then you'll know if there's a causal connection to the O Pill. If you've had similar symptoms with other birth control pills, you might not be able to take BC pills. In any case, I would definitely speak to your doctor because there might be a different underlying problem causing all of this distress and maybe it can be treated.

To answer your last question, it's generally not a great idea to antagonize doctors (most of them are already assholes - just kidding - not really - but #NotAllDoctors). But for real, you want them to take you seriously, so you need to advocate for yourself very clearly. Tell them about your symptoms but don't label it as "menopause". Doctors will respond better to just facts. (I've worked with many MDs so just take my word for it - most of them are not out of the box thinkers, and it's not their fault; it's just not how they're trained.). Tell them how you'd like them to help, i.e. what your main concerns are. You may not get a lot of answers about how or why you're getting these side effects (again, our medical system SUCKS at diagnosing anything - which is why we have "diseases" like IBS and fibromyalgia - those are just ways of the doctor telling you they are bad at their job and don't know what's wrong with you), but you might get suggestions for better forms of BC that could work with your unique chemistry.

Finally, I want to say that it really sucks that you're going through this and I really hope you get some answers soon! As someone who spent 15 years getting gaslit by doctors who never could diagnose my chronic illness, I really feel you and hope you don't have the same annoying ass journey! 💖

[kinkykinard]

It’s over.

It’s finally over.

I’m free.

Had my final appointment at the cancer clinic today.  It was a pelvic exam and colposcopy to make sure that I was all healed up inside after the hysterectomy and that there were no traces of any abnormalities.  I’d been anxious about the appointment for WEEKS.

It wasn’t my surgeon who saw me, it was one of her associates, but she was so kind and understanding and empathetic that I felt good about it going into the procedure. The procedure itself was super un-fun given how one of the symptoms of menopause is vaginal dryness/atrophy.  All the lube in the world didn’t make that speculum go in any easier and it hurt like hell, but once it was in place it was fine.

After a thorough look and feel and a LOT of anxiety on my part, the doctor pronounced me fully healed and fit to return to all activities.  She said that there is no need for them to see me again, that this is it, but that if I have any concerns come up or any questions in the future or issues related to any pelvic health, to give them a call back and they’d take me back on without question.

That said, though, I never need another pelvic exam.  I never need another pap test.  I never need to deal with all of the menstrual bullshit again.  I can bid cancer goodbye and good riddance.

It’s actually, finally over.

[melancholiaenthroned]

nobody on discord wants to hear about this anymore so im putting it HERE. oversharing tmi etc etc. anyway its crazy the over the counter cream for vaginal atrophy (no one will prescribe me topical estrogen. i have an appointment in may w the THIRD doctor ill be asking (my endo wasnt sure if it would interact badly w my t and is just referring me somewhere else which. whatever) and im sorry but i need this fixed NOW) relief includes like a scary little piston you have to use to shove it up there cuz ud think u know one of the main symptoms is that shoving smth up there hurts bad and that there basically isnt even a hole like its caved in ok there was a rockslide and nothing is getting in there. and its dry as hellll and i dont want to be lubing up this piston cuz also its impossible to take apart to clean and yet i have to reuse it for the whole 20 uses or whatever which is CRAZY. like im washing it but idk if im getting it as clean as i could if like. i could actually disassemble it. or if they were disposable like ok i hate plastic waste too but its basically a huge tampon u have to reuse. is that not nasty to anyone else

[swordshapedleaves]

I was misdiagnosed with vaginismus and actually had vaginal atrophy my entire adult life, which has similar symptoms of painful insertion, but my muscle function was great. It wasn't until I started transition and it went from mild to Very Bad that I got treatment for it.

We all know what erectile dysfunction is but literally no one is ever taught what vaginismus is and it can cause people to feel extremely lost, broken, and cause people to take their own lives. Raise. Awareness.

[nothorses]

Wait do most guys on t not 'get soaking wet'? I mean I've always 'overlubed' a bit, but but I've been on t a little while now and I feel like I get wetter now than I used to, which is saying a lot. Am I that abnormal?

I'd say it's abnormal in the sense that it's not the common experience, but I don't think that means you need to be concerned about it.

"Vaginal atrophy" means a lot of things, but essentially, it's the same thing that happens during menopause (which also means that resources for people experiencing menopause are often helpful to people with vaginas on testosterone HRT). The hormones that keep that tissue healthy are no longer present in the way they used to be, so the tissue is atrophying over time.

My personal experience has been that while my libido went up & I experience arousal more frequently/intensely, my body's physical response to arousal- lubrication & relaxation of pelvic muscles for easier penetration- is pretty significantly reduced, and takes a lot longer to happen to the degree that I need it to in order for penetration to be comfortable. i.e., I am dryer and tighter. I also have found that I'm dryer overall, and sometimes feel itchy because of that; a little lube helped me go about my day when it first started happening, now I don't really notice it.

During my last pap smear, my doctor noted minor redness, inflammation, and irritation, which she said was typical of folks on testosterone HRT & wasn't anything to worry about. The skin is more delicate and easier to irritate, and that's about all.

You might be experiencing some but not all of the symptoms of vaginal atrophy, or you might be experiencing them more mildly, or you might be early enough in the process that it hasn't been noticeable yet. If you feel like you're actually lubricating more than you used to before HRT, I would also wonder if maybe your libido is just higher? But I'm not a doctor, let alone your doctor, and I have no way of making a worthwhile guess here.

If you're getting the changes you went on T for, like... "vaginal atrophy" is not typically one of the desirable changes anyway, and unless you actively want that, you probably don't need to worry about it. You can and should talk to a doctor if you're feeling concerned about any of this at all, though- I'm just sharing my own personal experiences.

Also, for everyone reading this:

"Vaginal atrophy" can sound scary, but

It's normal and natural, and it happens to everyone with a vagina who gets old enough for menopause to start,

It's entirely- and easily!- treatable, and

It's a reversible effect of testosterone HRT, and things will return to normal given a little time should you ever choose to stop.

You might consider asking your doctor about topical estrogen cream if you want to reverse the effects of vaginal atrophy without interfering with your T. This is also a common treatment for folks who go through menopause.

There are lubes out there specifically for folks experiencing vaginal atrophy as well; they're designed not to irritate fragile skin, and they can be helpful if you're experiencing a stinging sensation during penetration with normal lube (though again, talk to your doctor!! Please!!)

And as a side note: some people who go on T experience cramping (a lot like menstrual cramps) after a few years, and you can also often treat this with topical estrogen cream. I had some pretty severe recurring cramping that went away after a few weeks using topical estrogen cream. If a doctor tries to tell you that the only way to stop this cramping is by getting a hysterectomy, I would consider researching topical estrogen cream and getting a second opinion.

And lastly:

Talk to you doctor!!

[kaiboone]

Today my endocrinologist gave me a tip that I wish was more widespread knowledge (definitely would have saved me a tonnn of pain), so I thought I’d share!

So basically, when you go on testosterone, it becomes likely that you will experience vaginal atrophy due to the decrease in estrogen. This can feel similar to very bad cramping in your pelvic area, so you might not recognize it at first (bc it is a little bit like period cramps), but the pattern is really what to look for— if you’re getting pain/burning in that area during or after times of sexual arousal, that means that it likely has something to do with vaginal dryness or atrophy. It can be really, really painful and can lead to infections, so you shouldn’t ignore it— naturally, I implore you to talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing these symptoms. This is just a little bit of a home remedy to help with the pain, not at all a diagnostic or treatment.

Anyway by looking online, you’ll get information about over the counter topical gels and creams, and that’s what I went with at first (it helped a little bit, but stopped working after only a few days), but at my appointment today my endocrinologist told me that those (specifically vagisil) can actually do more harm than good because they alter the PH of your vagina, which is already sensitive while on testosterone HRT.

She told me that pretty much any plant based oil (almond oil, coconut oil, etc— as long as it’s safe to go in your mouth) is a cheaper and healthier alternative (not to mention, it doesn’t have all that plastic waste of the applicator and individual packages and stuff)— once a day, before you go to sleep, applied internally using your finger is what she told me. And once again this is from a licensed and reputable endocrinologist who has been helping me with my medical transition for years :0

[melancholiaenthroned]

i wish i could bond with my mom about going thru menopause symptoms but she hates when i talk about any physical aspect of my transition so u guys are getting it instead. wish me luck to have the confidence to ask my doctor to presrcibe me topical estrogen for vaginal atrophy