Sexual dysfunction - somewhat graphic

[YayaMommie]

So how can you tell the difference between peri menopause and MS?   I have been complaining about dry and painful vagina for couple of years. OB/GYN gave me a short prescription and ran blood tests. All came back with normal hormones so she refused to refill the scrip and told me not PM but probably just aging and now i am putting pieces together.  

About 2 years ago I lost about 1/3 to 1/2 the hair on my head in about a month. Just coming out everywhere. Shortly after that was told I was anemic after routine bloodwork.  About same time my periods got to become very rare and the vaginal dryness just awful. Painful intercourse. And like someone flipped a switch and the "waterworks" just completely stopped. I mean nada!  Not a gradual decline or some days better than others but just gone.  Hard to explain the grief of having to tell my husband it's not him and I want sex and I don't know why things don't self - lubricate even a tiny bit. I miss it.  I know sounds weird.

And I miss my periods!  The rhythm of my life is gone.  I was so used to it.  I feel it a bit but then no period.  

So bloodwork for peri menopause is negative. Is this all ms?  Sigh.

And - avert your eyes if you're shy - but when I finally climax I can feel it only on the right half of my body.  About 25% of the time I can't climax. I have been chalking this up to hormones age and infectious disease or the herniated disk in my back.  I've not talked to doctors about this other than the dryness issue.  

Yes I know and do use lubricants - just wishing my body go back to normal.  

[supermum_ms]

Alopecia is also associated with peri and menopause, as are cognitive issues, I too trust science but blood tests for peri and not reliant because of the fluctuations with peri, consistent patient symptom type is usually more reliant in the beginning stages. Coming up normal may have just been a timing stage issue, it can take years after a women's periods have stopped, before the blood work match's up to what the patient has been experiencing.

This is a good article that explains the stages and mentions the blood work issues..... http://www.ion.ac.uk/information/onarchives/perimenopause  

Cheers..........JJ

[HVAC]

It is definitely the change. Doctors do not even want to talk about. There are suppositories with estrogen you can get from the GYN for dryness. I was in a research study for it. Any medication which causes dry mouth also causes dryness other places. You can get dilators over the internet to stretch. If you do not use "it"  it shrinks fast. You can use coconut oil, unfragranced or canola oil inside after a bath or shower. It is normal for orgasms  to change. Many women lose internal to external. Basically everything takes more work. I went to PT after my ovarian cancer were I learned a lot of this stuff. It saved my marriage. He felt badly for me. I also felt bad for him. I am sorry if this is graphic but I have had friends who thanked me for talking about it because they did not any of this stuff. You can always ask the GYN. Unfortunately for me when they took my ovaries that was it for me. I miss my ovaries.At least with men when they have prostate surgery they tell them what to expect. My doctor when I mentioned it said well you should not be having sex anyway.

Alex

Oh and the time frame thing. Perimenopause affects MS and makes the symptoms worse.

[YayaMommie]

Thanks for the comments.  The period might be related to this horrible medication I'm taking (and about triple the normal dose) for the infection separate of MS.

The vaginal dryness is something I've have for a while now.  I think I'm just trying to put pieces of the puzzle together.   Around the same time that started, I also lost a ton of hair and my brain fog started.  It was around 2 years ago.  At that time my period was typical for me.  I'm wondering now if that wasn't the beginning symptoms of this disease for me.  I believe my doctor about the blood test results.  I trust the science.  If my hormone levels don't indicate anything close to peri menopause then they don't.  (She is one of the areas best GYN and rarely takes new patients.  Very hard to get into and widely respected among her peers.)

[supermum_ms]

oops sorry typo correction...

Sexual dysfunction or sexual issues directly related to MS don't usually have anything to do with the stopping of your periods, so from that perspective 'MS just doesn't seems' the most likely culprit to me.

[supermum_ms]

Hi there,

Um your idea of 'graphic' and mine are poles apart :D the majority the things you've mentioned experiencing are definitely related to peri and menopause, with the exception of anaemia which is very common in women. The anaemia if it was iron deficient anaemia may still have been related to menstruation but it could even of been your diet, an absorption issue, medications eg aspirin, ibuprofen etc etc    

I would suggest you either return to your OB/GYN or get a second opinion,  because despite what those blood tests came back as, the symptoms you've experienced are jumping up and down trying to get some attention. If your doc isn't listening, then i'd highly recommend finding someone who'll actually do something that helps you!

Sexual dysfunction or sexual issues directly related to MS don't usually have anything to do with the stopping of your periods, so from that perspective it just seems the most likely culprit to me. Although some of your sexual issues are recognised as being related to MS to, you may have a chicken and egg dilemma trying to work out.......this is an informative msfocus article that's well worth reading for some tips etc

http://www.msfocus.org/article-details.aspx?articleID=37  

Cheers......JJ