Early menopause

jojoc

Does anyone have any advice re vaginal creams a delicate subject but a painful one without, now that I have been pushed into an early menopause post chemo.
Also does anyone know of alternative HRT as I can't take oestrogen due to a previous medical condition associated with pregnancy?

Dieseldrinker62

Hi Jojoc,

I'm afraid I can't help with advice about the cream or oestrogen alternatives but I was surprised to find that there is such a thing as early menopause for men too and that the treatments we've been through can cause this.

I had concerns about my virility since treatment and a recent late effects test showed that my testosterone levels are indeed low suggesting that it is likely that I've gone through the male menopause early (I'm currently 50 years old)

I've yet to see my consultant since the results of the late effect test came back but the letter I received was also suggesting HRT treatment. To me this sounds quite daunting and I am nervous about any side effects so will be discussion alternatives such as **** with my consultant to maintain some male pride!

I hope somebody can provide some advice on your queries.

Regards,

Steve

Meerkat

Hello Jojoc and others. I have been following this community forum for several months, though have never contributed before. I am 15 months post transplant following an AML diagnosis in Spring 2015. Compared with some of the experiences I have read about on the forum, my post transplant experiences have been relatively straight forward. Or maybe I just have selective memory loss!!
However I'm contributing because I too developed vaginal symptoms last summer, and I was referred to a gynaecologist, having been advised that genital gvhd is quite a common symptom post transplant. She told me I didn't have gvhd, but did have lichen planus. She said this was a condition common in post-menopausal women (tick), and with women who are immunocompromised (tick again). She prescribed some steroid cream with a clear application regime. This did the trick and the symptoms went. However she advised that whilst the condition was treatable it was not cureable, and in my circumstances may well flare up again. This may be a complete red herring for you, but probably worth sharing, nonetheless.

Hayley_Anthony Nolan

Hi Jojoc

I am the specialist nurse in the patient services team, thanks for posting on the forum.

Meerkat is completely right in that before anyone suggests any creams for you, you should be seen by a Gynaecologist. A specialist can tell you if its vaginal GvH, symptoms of the menopause or something else and will ensure you receive the correct treatment. Ideally you would want to see a gynaecologist who has experience of vaginal GvH and knows what it looks like.
You should also be referred to an endocrinologist for a discussion about HRT and what is suitable for you. Both of these referrals you can get via your transplant consultant or your GP.

Often women and men post transplant suffer with genital problems and low libido that they do not report because they are too embarrassed or they do not realise it can be a side effect of the transplant and treatment. Its really important to speak about it as in most cases the symptoms can be treated and improve preventing unnecessary pain and negative effects on relationships and quality of life.

Best wishes
Hayley