Re: Dee's story & what 'I' used to get well

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this post; This really is fantastic. I have been using

Estrogen cream the past few weeks in preparation for surgery, and I

am seeing a notable difference.

This is after 6 weeks on a steroid & prozac combo that was a total

bell curve- seemed miraculous after 3 weeks, then another 3 weeks it

was worse than ever before.

So my doctor recommended a surgery to remove those very specific

areas of " nerve damage. " I have scheduled the surgery tenatively for

November 18, because I am only 26 years old and I don't want to be

messing around with this for years and years. Not that surgery is a

cure-all option! So I have been torn. Feeling I owe it to myself

and my husband to do the surgery if it will really be the solution,

but also not wanting to undergo surgery if there are other less

invasive options available. Also there is the time-crunch having met

our insurance deductible already this year with a baby.

So I will keep watching and praying and evaluating my pain level over

the next few days as I decide what to do. Then I might ask for an

additional prescription of testosterone cream. Plus I have begun

stretch exercises at home for my extremely tight hip muscles and am

going for a massage this week for some trigger-point therapy.

So thanks again to all of you for your time and effort to share what

has worked for you and given me such hope!

suffered for 5 years, got a diagnosis of VVS in September!

>

> (3 small quotes from abstracts here as to why the E & T creams

together in combination can be so beneficial for tissue

restoration. )

>

> Hi Mindy...

>

> Hon that Estrogen cream (preferably Estrace since it's bio-

identical and not Premarin) has been a miracle for many people (as

long as the problem was in the V. skin itself and all infections

ruled out or other causes like pelvic pain, diet, radiating pain,

lyme, etc. were ruled out).

>

> It is basically nourishment and food for the V. tissue to get it

healthy again. To give it back it's elasticity, tone, color, and

esp. it's stretchability to prevent those tears, fissures, rips etc.

Why we have that loss of 'receptors' who knows but many think it is

genetic.

>

> I'm so happy to hear that it's been so great for you too and in

such a short amt. of time. It was definitely my answer after

suffering for 10 yrs to completely restore me to normal. *grin* and

that was almost 8 yrs ago that I finally got well...and I see you

wondered about adding the T? Hon, but believe me it was the addition

of 'adding' that T. cream TO the E cream that put me over the top.

The icing on the cake. *grin*...

>

> I used it in a ratio of 3 to 1 with 3 days of E alone then added

the T cream right on top to another 3 days of E alone again then

added the T. so approx. every 3rd night I'd add the T.

>

> Without getting really technical here let me try to explain why the

E and especially adding the T can help in 'my' opinion.

>

> When we add the T cream topically (just that peasize) it enhances

the Estrogen 'receptors' (which many lose or have less of) especially

with vulvar pain. (up to 50%)

> but let me add several quick abstracts and how 'I' tied it all

together. Stay with me here. *smile*

>

> Estrogen receptor expression in vulvar vestibulitis syndrome

>

> Abstract

> OBJECTIVE: A pilot study was performed to investigate the

relationship between vulvar vestibulitis syndrome and estrogen

receptor expression.

>

> STUDY DESIGN: Women with a diagnosis of vulvar vestibulitis

syndrome had tissue samples taken for vulvar estrogen receptor-a

expression and this was compared with a control group.

>

> RESULTS: The study group showed a significant decrease in

estrogen receptor expression, and 50% of the samples did not

exhibit 'any' receptor expression.

>

> CONCLUSION: There appears to be a subgroup of women with vulvar

vestibulitis syndrome who exhibit 'abnormal' estrogen receptor-a

expression. This may be helpful in explaining why some women are

resistant to medical treatment and may allow treatment to be

prescribed more effectively.

>

> So that's a big part of the picture (to me at least) so many women

with V pain do not have E receptors working properly .... And as I

said the skin thrives on estrogen so that makes sense why adding it

just topically (locally) can be so beneficial. (blood levels won't

help here)

>

> Then another study I have states this, that women with V

pain ''also'' lack the T. Receptors..... and keep in mind it's

the 'Receptors' that open the door to make all of this work and if a

bad key like progesterone or a progestin 'blocks' that lock or cell

door.. they simply cannot work as they should.

>

> " What we found is that the specimens from women who had

vestibulitis had significant inflammation, squamous metaplasia, and

were completely 'depleted' of androgen receptors — while the controls

had no inflammation, and normal staining for androgens, " noted Dr.

Munarriz. " This makes us believe that there is a link between genital

pain due to vestibulitis and androgens.

>

> " We believe that there's another subgroup of women,

particularly young women, who as a consequence of being on the birth

control pill have very low androgen or testosterone levels, " said Dr.

Munarriz, noting that these women also tend to have a higher

incidence of genital pain. " This may be one of the pathophysiologic

mechanisms [explaining] why women on the pill get pain — because they

lose their ability to express androgen receptors in the genital

tissue, " he said.

>

> " On the basis of this premise, it may be that in this subgroup

of women genital pain can be effectively treated with hormones, "

concluded Dr. Munarriz, adding that future studies may evaluate the

benefits of testosterone therapy in this population.''

>

> So those are just two papers I have but you'll see how one talks

about the loss of E receptors and the other about the loss or lack of

T. receptors with V pain.... AND you'll note that Birth Control can

play a big part in it since BC blocks or hinders both our E & our T

receptors.. (other studies about that as well) AND by the way so

does Soy block those receptors and even yeast.)

>

> But this 3rd one I'll add was the kicker to 'me' as to 'why' adding

the T is even more beneficial.

>

>

>

> Topical T. increases the number of E. Receptors.

>

> Receptor modifications in vulvar dystrophies before and after

treatment with topical hormones:

>

> .....After treatment with TP 2 %, (testosterone propionate) we

observed an increase of immunohistochemical `'positivity for ERs''

(estrogen receptors) even in cases that were negative before

treatment, and a ''lack of PRs (progesterone receptors)'' even in

cases that were positive before treatment.

>

> Conclusions: These data demonstrate the efficacy of androgen

therapy with TP 2% in vulvar dystrophies with increased 'trophism'

due to the increase of ERs. "

>

> (NOTE* Trophism is definied as 'nourishment' and health, just as

atrophy (or atrophism) is the exact opposite, not fed and withering

away. And shows how T increases the tissue health, but... it's

because or due to the increased E receptors when using it. (Dee)

>

>

> My thoughts:

>

> What that means to me is when they added the Topical T.... it

increased (showed that positivity) the Estrogen receptors. Even in

women who were were lacking them previously Also note that adding

the T, it showed a 'lack' of progesterone ones... And P is what

blocks the others and ones " I " would want reduced. (since it blocks

the E & T receptors and P. is a big part in birth control meds.)

>

> So my final thoughts are: knowing that women with V pain have less

or no E 'and' T receptors as in the first two above... and by adding

the T AND the E topically it can be so beneficial in restoring

those. And then we could get into birth control (which is mainly the

progestins) and how those 'block' our good hormones too.

>

> But that's way more than enough in trying to simplify it. A tough

one to try to explain. I hope that helps and is what I know certainly

did the trick for me after those years of suffering and why today

almost 8 yrs later, I " STILL " use both the E & T in a small dab

topically once or twice a week for maintenance to make sure I stay

well.... and it's not likely to have systemic results at all with

that small amt. 'I've' never had any side effects only wonderful

benefits. *wink*

>

> BUT being that topical use isn't systemic that is also why I make

sure I still 'add' the E & T in a sublingual form for the 'rest' of

my body and the wonderful benefits...(and the E & T topically for the

vulva) but it 'must' be applied topically if you want to it to

benefit the genital area. Blood serum amts of E & T even if normal

generally does not help with the genital ''receptors'' (in my opinion

and experience of course) And for those 'not' menopausal.. they won't

need to add any systemically, topical alone sh. be enough.

>

> That time comes soon enough. *grin* but I definitely would suggest

getting a hormone panel done so when the time does come you'll know

your 'own' levels and what is normal for 'you' as a baseline

comparison down the road.

>

> And that's all she wrote folks, LOL More than enough and again just

MY opinion and thoughts on it and hope I didn't make it too muddy to

understand.

>

> Hugs Mindy and thanks for stirring up my brain hon.. *grin*...(or

maybe not *grin*) but if you find using the E alone isn't quite

doing it? Yes 'I' would add the T.

>

> Dee~

>