dddaqueen
01-28-2008, 09:03 AM
I have been told I am menopausal and peri menopausal. Either way I have this severe itching that bothers me mostly at night. It has mainly been the external vaginal area and now it has moved to the anal area. I have had it on my legs and hands at times but that hasn't kept me awake at night. I actually didn't realize they could all be connected until I started reading more about this. I have tried prescription treatment for yeast infections & hemorrhoids and estrogen creme. So many different things but nothing seems to help completely. It keeps me up at night when I might actually get some sleep between the insomnia! I read a little about formication and am thinking it could be that. Has anyone heard about this or experienced this?
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tmh
01-28-2008, 11:46 PM
I have the same problem. It's been 8 years since I first noticed it, which was exactly the time I noticed I was having mood swings and hot flashes. I was at the beginning perimenapause. I have tried a few creams, but no help. It doesn't itch everyday. It seems to come in cycles, but I have not figured out the pattern. When it does itch, it's always at night. I do remember being told estrogen would help, but that can't be true because I am estrogen dominate. I am with the first poster. Help!
kazy68
01-29-2008, 08:10 AM
Hi all,
me to i also have this problem,and just like you it is not all the time,and mainly at night,it starts with the vaginal area,i become very dry and itchy,then for no aparent reason it goes to the anal area aswell this lasts for a few weeks(sometimes longer)then it just goes away and i can go months before it comes back,i have had this for a 12-18 months,i havent yet seen my GP about this,but have tried various creams and none of these work for me either i wish i could find an answer to all of this.
karen
x
me to i also have this problem,and just like you it is not all the time,and mainly at night,it starts with the vaginal area,i become very dry and itchy,then for no aparent reason it goes to the anal area aswell this lasts for a few weeks(sometimes longer)then it just goes away and i can go months before it comes back,i have had this for a 12-18 months,i havent yet seen my GP about this,but have tried various creams and none of these work for me either i wish i could find an answer to all of this.
karen
x
removedone
01-30-2008, 04:58 PM
I have a similar experience, and it seems to change from time to time. I'm 64 and I was on HRT for years. I've been off of all hormone therapy for several years now, (since the Women's Health Initiative), but I'm still having menopause symptoms, ie: hot flashes and night sweats. For the past several months I've had the same itching that you are talking about. It bothers me at night also. [Hey, I've even thought about pin worms {YUK} because the symptoms seem the same...but it's not that!] I've tried every over-the-counter ointment, lotion and cream. Vaseline seems to sooth it for a while, but nothing has cured it completely.
Because I had 'complained about' having pain with intercourse ( a burning sensation very deep in the canal), my GYN prescribe Premarin Estrogen cream. I must insert it into the vaginal canal every 5 days. She also told me that the external dryness and itching, like the dryness in the vaginal canal, is also a typical menopausal problem for some. I've only 'been on' the Premarin Estrogen cream for two weeks, so I don't know if it will solve the problem. My fingers are crossed (when they're not scratching..LOL.)
Another MD suggested that the external rectal irritation and itch, could be related to my diet. After I heard that, I noticed that I am more often affected after eating certain foods. In my case, it seems that I'm most affected by very spicy food and acidity in food, like vinaigrettes, some wines, and tomatoes. (I was not allergic to anything as a child or young adult, but I've developed some sensitivities over the past 10 years, and this problem seems to be one of them.) I eliminated these foods completely, and then I re-introduced them into my diet, one at a time, a week at a time, over a period of several weeks. I do notice a difference. I've just recently discovered that almonds seem to irritate me as well. So it's a 'trial and error' thing.
Perhaps you can explore this to see if it's a food thing with you. Do it by the process of elimination. Eliminate some items from your diet, for at least a week, and see what happens. I'd suggest starting with the items that I've mentioned, as apparently those are the most common irritants. 'See' how you feel after a week. If the problem seems relieved, add the food items back, one by one; about one a week. You'll be able to tell which foods may be affecting you.
Also speak to your GYN if you haven't already done that.
Hope this has been helpful.
Because I had 'complained about' having pain with intercourse ( a burning sensation very deep in the canal), my GYN prescribe Premarin Estrogen cream. I must insert it into the vaginal canal every 5 days. She also told me that the external dryness and itching, like the dryness in the vaginal canal, is also a typical menopausal problem for some. I've only 'been on' the Premarin Estrogen cream for two weeks, so I don't know if it will solve the problem. My fingers are crossed (when they're not scratching..LOL.)
Another MD suggested that the external rectal irritation and itch, could be related to my diet. After I heard that, I noticed that I am more often affected after eating certain foods. In my case, it seems that I'm most affected by very spicy food and acidity in food, like vinaigrettes, some wines, and tomatoes. (I was not allergic to anything as a child or young adult, but I've developed some sensitivities over the past 10 years, and this problem seems to be one of them.) I eliminated these foods completely, and then I re-introduced them into my diet, one at a time, a week at a time, over a period of several weeks. I do notice a difference. I've just recently discovered that almonds seem to irritate me as well. So it's a 'trial and error' thing.
Perhaps you can explore this to see if it's a food thing with you. Do it by the process of elimination. Eliminate some items from your diet, for at least a week, and see what happens. I'd suggest starting with the items that I've mentioned, as apparently those are the most common irritants. 'See' how you feel after a week. If the problem seems relieved, add the food items back, one by one; about one a week. You'll be able to tell which foods may be affecting you.
Also speak to your GYN if you haven't already done that.
Hope this has been helpful.
kazy68
01-30-2008, 08:15 PM
Hi there removedone,
thanks for the advice i will certainly give it a try,something i never thought of before,like you i have never been alergic to anything so never thought it could be certain foods that dond agree with me now,i am only 39 but my GP says i am going through early menopause so i better get these things sorted now or i will scratch my self to bits by the time i reach 50 lol,thanks again for the advice i will give it a whirl and see how it goes.
thanks for the advice i will certainly give it a try,something i never thought of before,like you i have never been alergic to anything so never thought it could be certain foods that dond agree with me now,i am only 39 but my GP says i am going through early menopause so i better get these things sorted now or i will scratch my self to bits by the time i reach 50 lol,thanks again for the advice i will give it a whirl and see how it goes.
dddaqueen
01-30-2008, 11:15 PM
Thanks for your posts! I wish I could have seen something new to know but it is nice to know that I am not alone in this nightmare battle! I have seen two different docs about this and they tried scripts for fungal, hems, pinworms and then tried another steriod with the suggestion I visit a Derm doc if that didn't work. The steroid helped but it was back within a few days of completing the 1 week dose. I decided a new doc was in order and that one suggested the estrogen creme which I did for a week and it helped some but not enough and I don't want to be on that for prolonged time due to the risks. Very frustrating! I am an early menopause at 43. It's time to call back the doc but I'm not too excited about a biopsy which is her next approach. If any of you find any other answers/suggestions to this lovely issue, please advise!
Thanks!
Thanks!
removedone
01-31-2008, 09:16 AM
Hi dda,
Apparently the risks from Premarin Estrogen cream are very minute. But that's not for everyone. It would, of course, depend on your personal history.
But I don't understand why and what (?) a GYN would biopsy for this problem. You are talking about a biopsy for the itching, right? I'd suggest that the GYN or a dermatologist 'take a swab put it on a slide' and send that to a lab for analysis. That's not a big deal.
OK, having said that, please read again what I said about diet. I really think that is key. Add 'going off sugar' to the list of the items I said to eliminate. That's also one of the foods that is more likely to cause this kind of irritation. Go thru the process of adding the foods back to your diet, one by one, a week at a time, 'see' what happens!
(Just a side-line: I went off sugar, and all white stuff [ie potatoes, white bread, crackers etc] and I lost 3 lbs in two weeks...So, that was an unexpected side affect!)
Apparently the risks from Premarin Estrogen cream are very minute. But that's not for everyone. It would, of course, depend on your personal history.
But I don't understand why and what (?) a GYN would biopsy for this problem. You are talking about a biopsy for the itching, right? I'd suggest that the GYN or a dermatologist 'take a swab put it on a slide' and send that to a lab for analysis. That's not a big deal.
OK, having said that, please read again what I said about diet. I really think that is key. Add 'going off sugar' to the list of the items I said to eliminate. That's also one of the foods that is more likely to cause this kind of irritation. Go thru the process of adding the foods back to your diet, one by one, a week at a time, 'see' what happens!
(Just a side-line: I went off sugar, and all white stuff [ie potatoes, white bread, crackers etc] and I lost 3 lbs in two weeks...So, that was an unexpected side affect!)
dddaqueen
01-31-2008, 09:37 PM
Hi dda,
Apparently the risks from Premarin Estrogen cream are very minute. But that's not for everyone. It would, of course, depend on your personal history.
But I don't understand why and what (?) a GYN would biopsy for this problem. You are talking about a biopsy for the itching, right? I'd suggest that the GYN or a dermatologist 'take a swab put it on a slide' and send that to a lab for analysis. That's not a big deal.
OK, having said that, please read again what I said about diet. I really think that is key. Add 'going off sugar' to the list of the items I said to eliminate. That's also one of the foods that is more likely to cause this kind of irritation. Go thru the process of adding the foods back to your diet, one by one, a week at a time, 'see' what happens!
(Just a side-line: I went off sugar, and all white stuff [ie potatoes, white bread, crackers etc] and I lost 3 lbs in two weeks...So, that was an unexpected side affect!)
Thanks REM!
I will be more patient and try your suggestion. Did you notice if white wine vs. red made any difference?
The pamphlet from the estrogen creme mentioned a risk for ovarian cancer so I guess I assumed it was more of a concern. Come to think of it, the birth conrol pills I used to take had the same statement and it didn't stop me from using them...maybe I should rethink that one! ;)
Thanks again. I'll see what I can experiment with on the foods for a few weeks.
Apparently the risks from Premarin Estrogen cream are very minute. But that's not for everyone. It would, of course, depend on your personal history.
But I don't understand why and what (?) a GYN would biopsy for this problem. You are talking about a biopsy for the itching, right? I'd suggest that the GYN or a dermatologist 'take a swab put it on a slide' and send that to a lab for analysis. That's not a big deal.
OK, having said that, please read again what I said about diet. I really think that is key. Add 'going off sugar' to the list of the items I said to eliminate. That's also one of the foods that is more likely to cause this kind of irritation. Go thru the process of adding the foods back to your diet, one by one, a week at a time, 'see' what happens!
(Just a side-line: I went off sugar, and all white stuff [ie potatoes, white bread, crackers etc] and I lost 3 lbs in two weeks...So, that was an unexpected side affect!)
Thanks REM!
I will be more patient and try your suggestion. Did you notice if white wine vs. red made any difference?
The pamphlet from the estrogen creme mentioned a risk for ovarian cancer so I guess I assumed it was more of a concern. Come to think of it, the birth conrol pills I used to take had the same statement and it didn't stop me from using them...maybe I should rethink that one! ;)
Thanks again. I'll see what I can experiment with on the foods for a few weeks.
removedone
02-01-2008, 08:41 AM
DAA, Kazy,
I want to be clear, the Premarin Estrogen Cream that I'm talking about is inserted into the vaginal canal. It's prescribed for vaginal dryness, that causes pain on intercourse, that may come way after menopause, as a woman ages. THERE IS A MINIMAL RISK IN USING THAT CREAM. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES THAT ARE OFTEN IN A CREAM BASE, THAT YOU RUB ON YOUR FOREARMS, OR WHERE EVER. THAT TYPE OF HORMONE TREATMENT CAN BE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TAKING HRT. (I'VE BEEN TOLD). DAA, I 'see' that you're only 43 and Kazy, 39. Seems unlikely that you'd have a vaginal drying problem, (exhibited by painful intercourse) but then, I'm not an MD, so I don't know.
If you do, then the itching that we're talking about may be connected to that same problem, ie: the tissues in and around the genitals drying out because of low estrogen. In that case the Premarin Estrogen Cream would be indicated.
But if you don't have the 'internal' vaginal drying problem, (painful intercourse), it could be food related. So try the diet thing. OR YOU COULD HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS, AS I DO....BUT I'M 64...( A YOUNG 64) So I'm doing the estogen creme and the diet thing, and I do feel so much better. Itch free last night!
Oh, DAA, I don't think there is a difference related to white or red wine, as it seems to be the acid in the wine that affects me. I've come to that conclusion because I'm also affected by vinegar based products, a similar acid.
I hope that's all helpful.
I want to be clear, the Premarin Estrogen Cream that I'm talking about is inserted into the vaginal canal. It's prescribed for vaginal dryness, that causes pain on intercourse, that may come way after menopause, as a woman ages. THERE IS A MINIMAL RISK IN USING THAT CREAM. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES THAT ARE OFTEN IN A CREAM BASE, THAT YOU RUB ON YOUR FOREARMS, OR WHERE EVER. THAT TYPE OF HORMONE TREATMENT CAN BE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TAKING HRT. (I'VE BEEN TOLD). DAA, I 'see' that you're only 43 and Kazy, 39. Seems unlikely that you'd have a vaginal drying problem, (exhibited by painful intercourse) but then, I'm not an MD, so I don't know.
If you do, then the itching that we're talking about may be connected to that same problem, ie: the tissues in and around the genitals drying out because of low estrogen. In that case the Premarin Estrogen Cream would be indicated.
But if you don't have the 'internal' vaginal drying problem, (painful intercourse), it could be food related. So try the diet thing. OR YOU COULD HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS, AS I DO....BUT I'M 64...( A YOUNG 64) So I'm doing the estogen creme and the diet thing, and I do feel so much better. Itch free last night!
Oh, DAA, I don't think there is a difference related to white or red wine, as it seems to be the acid in the wine that affects me. I've come to that conclusion because I'm also affected by vinegar based products, a similar acid.
I hope that's all helpful.