I have been prescribed Vagifem for vaginal dryness and discomfort. How long after taking the tablet is it ok to have sex?
Also, I have taken my first dose, and noticed a good amount of moisture, and am wondering if I actually need to take the recommended dose ( every day for 2 weeks, then twice a week for 10 weeks ) as I don't have intercourse every day, so could I just take it before I have sex?
Is it ok to take Vagifem before intercourse only, and not as often as prescribed?
Question posted by Westlake118 on 23 Dec 2015
Last updated on 27 October 2016
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5 Answers
SHEsevEN4
24 Dec 2015
I would say go by the direction on the box, I do twice a week right before bed and no sex that night, that has to have time to get into the tissues.
chuck1957
24 Dec 2015
Westlake; yes that could be but you said when you had inserted one that you had gotten the results you needed so seems okay now if it stopped working as well then go back to the orig directions until you are getting the response you need by just using it a few times a week. have a good day. You should be the best judge on this.
chuck1957
24 Dec 2015
Westlake from what it was saying I know you can insert in the morning for evening use but you could also give it a try for the next day because as you have used it for a while the directions work where you are only using a few times a week. So it would be worth a try both ways. hope that helps good luck
Westlake118
24 Dec 2015
Hi Chuck. Many thanks again for your advice. I am due to have a review with my GP in three months to discuss how I'm getting in with Vagisil. I will tell her how I've been using it, ie not as often as prescribed.
My only concern is that because it is a form of HRT, I could be using it incorrectly by not following the correct dosage, and maybe the body should have the correct dosage of the hormone as regular as te leaflet says. Hopefully over these three months my body will just get used to a dosage just now and then and it won't cause any harm.
chuck1957
23 Dec 2015
Westlake118 Chuck again what I'm trying to get at if your not having hot flashes etc or any hormone problems you could just buy a good lubercant at the pharmacy and avoid all the problems the hormone is causing or could cause.In which case using mid day of the day you are going to be sexual active should be just fine and when these are gone just buy from the pharmacy one of the many types of vaginal lubricants ask the Pharmacist about them.
Westlake118
23 Dec 2015
Hi. Thankyou for your comments. I am not having any other menopausal problems apart from vaginal dryness and discomfort during intercourse. My GP prescribed Vagisil as I told her I wanted a longer lasting lubricant for comfort and confidence during intercourse. Over the counter lubricants in my experience need to be applied every few minutes which is embarrassing and a nuisance. Vagisil is long lasting, so I'm pleased with it, but wonder if it's ok to just take one pessarie say the day before intercourse and not as often as the recommended dose. I don't have intercourse every day, so don't see why I should take it when not having intercourse.
zue
28 Oct 2016
I know this post is 10 months old but I cannot believe what I am reading. Why do people feel inclined to answer a post with so called factual information when they clearly do not know what they are talking about? Jezz Chuck... really?
Vagifem is not a quick fix, use as you go treatment for a thinning vagina with dryness due to lower estrogen during perimenopause and after menopause. You need to take it as directed for a period of time (usually 2 weeks daily then twice a week maintenance dose) so that the vaginal walls thicken again and starts producing its own natural lubricant. So Westlake, please... if you are given medication of any kind by the doctor and for some reason were not told how to use it or how it works ask them or your pharmacist, don't rely on someone prepared to give out information willy nilly without knowing what they are talking about which chuck in this instance clearly doesn't have a clue!
in closing, using vaginal moisturisers can help with dryness issues, but they will not help with the vaginal walls thinning. Sex can still be painful even with lubricant when the vaginal walls have thinned. Its the combination of the two when its at its worst. Low dose vaginal estrogen such as 'Vagifem Low' addresses these concerns. It is not used to treat hot flashes etc like other HRT's. Side effects with 'Vagifem Low' are minimal, with most women not experiencing any at all.
It is best by the way to wait several hours before sex, after the tiny tablet has dissolved and has been absorbed through the vaginal wall.
chuck1957
23 Dec 2015
What is estradiol vaginal (local)?
Estradiol is a form of estrogen, a female sex hormone that regulates many processes in the body.
Some estradiol products placed directly into the vagina are used for "local" treatment of vaginal menopause symptoms involving the secretions and surrounding tissues of the vagina. Other vaginal estradiol products are used for treating menopause symptoms affecting the vagina as well as other parts of the body (such as hot flashes). This type of vaginal estradiol has "systemic" effects, meaning that it can affect parts of the body other than where the medicine is placed or applied.
The information in this leaflet is specific to estradiol vaginal products that are used for local treatment of symptoms. Estradiol vaginal (local) is used to treat vaginal symptoms of menopause such as dryness, burning, and itching.
Estradiol vaginal (local) may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.It also says you may Insert at anytime during the day and well continue to keep moist. But this is to make you more comfortable also. If your not having any real Hormone problems you could skip this to avoid any risk of hormone cancer's etc and just buy a regular lubercant like KY OR trojan makes lots of different ones also. It is more what you are using them for if it is not for Hormone replacement I don't see why you could not use one of these other products and avoid hormone all together. But I would ask the doctor or his or her nurse so they know what you are doing
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vagifem, dosage, sex, prescription, tablet, vagina, discomfort
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