Guest guest Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 Ok - so my latest diagnosis is Atrophy - urethral and vaginal . Isnt THAT sexy sounding???? The definition of atrophy is..... " Waste Away or Shrink up. " If that was the case. then WHY is everything bigger and redder and MORE painful, rather than becoming insignificant ???? Two questions.....I am a young 56 and back on Estrace after 2 years off and have forgotten how long this stuff takes to start making a difference? And how long does it take to stop burning? This kind of reminds me of fighting real forest fires...sometimes you have to start some to stop the big one. Ok - I was wrong - 3 questions = is there an on-line group somewhere for older women? I have been here with all of you for 3 years and supporting and receiving support , but maybe there is another resource I am not aware of. Thanks - as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 Heck I'm no expert, but my understanding is that atrophy can lead to vulvar disorders, inc what you describe and probably lots of other painful symptoms. And " atrophy " is in my view more of a description, as you aptly provide, not a diagnosis in and of itself. In the links section of this group Dr. J Willems claims that estrace should provide significant improvement in 6 months but should not be used during a flare. How long did you use it before the reprieve? I just turned 56 and I don't feel shrunk up, but I do have atrophy/dryness. Pain doesn't exactly make me feel sexy though. I am greatly affected by this V disorder but don't feel that it defines who I am as a person, tho it sets many unwanted limitations. Maybe others can give a better answer, I'm relatively new here. All good questions!! Janet --- momjohnna jmm2253@...> wrote: > > Ok - so my latest diagnosis is Atrophy - urethral and > vaginal . Isnt > THAT sexy sounding???? > > The definition of atrophy is..... " Waste Away or Shrink up. " > If that > was the case. then WHY is everything bigger and redder and > MORE painful, > rather than becoming insignificant ???? > > Two questions.....I am a young 56 and back on Estrace after 2 > years off > and have forgotten how long this stuff takes to start making a > difference? And how long does it take to stop burning? This > kind of > reminds me of fighting real forest fires...sometimes you have > to start > some to stop the big one. > > Ok - I was wrong - 3 questions = is there an on-line group > somewhere for > older women? I have been here with all of you for 3 years and > supporting and receiving support , but maybe there is another > resource > I am not aware of. > > Thanks - as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2008 Report Share Posted April 8, 2008 My understanding is that the atrophy is the thinning of the tissues, possibly due to hormone issues. Once the tissues are thin, they are more easily irritated, resulting in secondary redness, pain and swelling. When I went on Estrace I was told it would take at least 6 weeks just to start to improve, although I think I improved a bit earlier than that. The burning decreased after a few weeks. I was also on a low-ox diet, drinking only water, and going to PT, so I'm not sure whether to attribute to the decrease in burning solely to the Estrace. I did feel a physical difference in the quality of my skin (not so dry) after a few weeks, and that I am sure was due to the Estrace. Melinda W. > > > Ok - so my latest diagnosis is Atrophy - urethral and vaginal . Isnt > THAT sexy sounding???? > > The definition of atrophy is..... " Waste Away or Shrink up. " If that > was the case. then WHY is everything bigger and redder and MORE painful, > rather than becoming insignificant ???? > > Two questions.....I am a young 56 and back on Estrace after 2 years off > and have forgotten how long this stuff takes to start making a > difference? And how long does it take to stop burning? This kind of > reminds me of fighting real forest fires...sometimes you have to start > some to stop the big one. > > Ok - I was wrong - 3 questions = is there an on-line group somewhere for > older women? I have been here with all of you for 3 years and > supporting and receiving support , but maybe there is another resource > I am not aware of. > > Thanks - as usual. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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