? I. C. helped with estrogen

[Bev A]

I am 49 and was 47 when my bladder urgency,
frequency started. Urologist thinks it is
not I.C. but does not know what it is or the
cause. I have tried every possible thing
for my immune system. Wonder if anyone has
been helped with Estrace cream, etc. for
bladder symptoms. Dr.'s will not order
estrogen orally for me because of my history.
My mother died of breast cancer at age 42 after taking estrogen. I tried Estriol
cream--from compounding pharmacy (a more
natural form of estrogen), but I must be
allergic to something in it. It burned!
I have read that in some people, the estrogen
cream can help with bladder problem. Wonder
if that is true for any of you. I have no
hot flashes at all. Bev

[carrie s]

Dear Bev:
You sound like me. Natural estrogen cream almost killed me. They say it is hypoallergenic, but with all the people who have problems with it, I wonder. I have found that estrogen has helped me. There was a message on this board about a new kind of estrogen called Vagfem, or something. It is not supposed to cause as many problems. You might want to go back a few weeks to check it out. Estrogen has helped me a great deal. Also, your doctor can have the natural estrogen compounded with something that you are not sensitive to, like mineral oil or aloe. Most GYNs have some formulas that they can have compounded for you. If you cannot get the right info, you can call a compounding pharmacy and see what they usually use in situations like this and then you can pass this on to your doctor. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me anything that can help you, I have been through the mill.

[Bev A]

Carrie,
Thanks so much for your reply. I just would
like to know if the Estrogen has helped your
urgency, frequency symptoms. Thanks, Bev

[Sherry from GA]

Bev,

First, many IC patients react to propolyn glycol which is in Estrace cream and many other traditional HRTs. I tried everything but here is what is now working:

My pharmasist is compounding my hormones in a dye-free capsule. Most compounded prescriptions are mixed with lactose so if you are lactose intolerant let the pharmasist know. Also, many equine estrogens (horse estrogens) are found in many of traditional HRT. Equine estrogens are known to provoke allergies in some women. I am now on natural hormone replacement and it has not bothered my bladder at all. Traditional preparations like Premarin nearly killed me! Now, here is how my pharmasist is mixing:
TRI-Estrogen Compound at .125MG Estrone
.125MG Estrodiol
.1 MG Estriol

Also if you prefer a cream, have the pharmacy mix the cream minus all dyes, fillers, and propolyne glycol. Keep in mind that the above combination is only a starting point and the levels may have to be adjusted up or down. Also, testosterone may have to be added to increase your libido if it is suffering. Basically, natural hormone replacement "exactly" fits the estrogen receptors in a woman's body. Equine estrogens do not! Also, some women tend to cross react to sulfates that are in many traditional HRTs. Finally, natural hormone replacement utilizes and 80% estriol, 10%estrodiol, and 10% estrone combination which is how nature makes us when our ovaries are producing estrogens. I highly recommend compounding your estrogens in a natural form. Please post if you want my phone number and I'll be happy to speak to you personally. Until my hormones were compounded, everything caused a flare. At 37 and with a complete hysterectomy, I was beside myself to find something that worked.
Praise the lord for a knowledgeable compounding pharmasist!
Sherry

[Bev A]

Sherry, thanks for all your helpful information. I guess my question is and
has been--is lack of estrogen part of my
bladder problem. M.D.'s are hesitant to
order estrogen for me because I am still
having regular periods, do not have hot
flashes and my mother died young of breast
cancer. I did see a Holistic Nurse Practitioner who said that if the natural
estriol cream did not work that she might
need to order estriol my mouth. My GYN's
are the ones who will not order it. Has
the estrogen helped bladder urgency or
frequency for you? Bev @ [email protected] (you can E-mail me if
you like) Thanks so much. Nothing
has helped me. I have tried many meds, diet,
anti-candida treatment and more.

[JaneP]

Bev,
I don't know if the estrogen would help your bladder symptoms, but my gyn says that it does. She says that the cells that line the vagina also line the bladder and urethra and they have "estrogen receptors". Women who are low on estrogen have thinning of these cells that causes dyness and irritation. I have been on estrogen for about three years since I had a hysterectomy at age 38. The only side effect that I have is lumpy, cystic breasts. I am monitored very closely. I also worry about long term use of hormones, but my doc says my IC would be worse without it and I am at risk for osteoporosis because I am thin and relatively young. I guess that we must weigh the risks and benefits of hormone therapy, and decide with our doctor what is best for us. Good luck to you!

[Sherry from GA]

Bev,

I am e-mailing you directly with my phone number so we can talk. I would really like to explain in full detail what is helping me. Personally, I think you could benefit also. Please give me a call this evening or this weekend. I would be glad to offer my knowledge gained during my HRT saga.

Sherry

[Sherry from GA]

Bev,

I tried e-mailing my home phone number to you so we could talk directly but encountered an error with your e-mail address. Please e-mail me at:

[email protected]

I will then directly reply back with my home number.

Thanks,
Sherry

[rinnie]

Dear Bev, I had been on bio-identical hormone implants for 8 years to try to undo all the damage that 5 years of Premarin had done. As a newly diagnoised IC person, my uro and gyno took me off the implants right away as any kind of injury to the abdomen is not good for IC. When my uro told me that pregnancy often makes IC go away, I immediately went to my compounding friends and asked them what a pregnant woman has that I don't have and they said 200 times more progesterone. They gave me some vanishing (no oil base) progesterone to insert vaginally. I came home from school last night crying from 3 days of unbearable burning and inserted the progesterone. Wish me luck, but I haven't burned at all today. Maybe the answer is progesterone cream and not estrogen cream. I did try Estrace and Vagifem with no luck. Just a suggestion! My uro wasn't too sure about this, but my gyno told me to go for it. She prescribes progesterone suppositories all the time for at risk pregnant patients so it must not be too harmful. Good Luck

[Cheries]

I have been through the ringer will all of this estrogen stuff. I am so much better than I was a year ago, but still having episodes of yeast. I am on a climera estrogen patch which I change twice a week. It is a very low dose of .0378. But I know that somehow I shouldn't be getting so much localized yeast and irritation. Is there anything for that? I am going crazy with it. Fortunately my bladder has been relatively calm not too bad,,,,not too good. Sherry, email another Cherie at [email protected] and I can give you my phone number. I know thate has to be an answer to all of this.

[liznazz]

I have been using estrace cream for almost a year now. (3x a week, 1mg). It has helped me with my pain and urethral discomfort. When I was newly diagnosed, my uro recommended this. I went to the gyno and after examination told me that my vaginal wall were very thin, and that the bladder sits directly behind the walls. That was one of the discomfort factors for me. He also recommended the estrace cream and I have to say, it has helped me a lot. Before, when I had my period, I couldn't even insert a tampon because it was too painful. Now I have no problem with that at all. Both my doctors recommended it to me and I'm glad they did. Hope this helps. liz

[sedavis]

Hormone Replacement helped me greatly with all my symptoms. I was off of it when my IC was diagnosed and with my doctors consent have been back on it for over a year and am symptom free. It's probably not for everyone but it was worth the risk to me. I'm very careful about having mamograms and pap smears. Sue

[marye]

Bev
After 20 years of bladder problems at 47, I got much worse, mostly urgency increased. Estrogen (in the form of birth control pills at that time) helped me back to where I was within 48 hours. I'm now 58 and while I am concerned about side effects feel I need some form of estrogen to function. Of course your history has to be considered. Hope they find a solution for you. Mary

[Dianne]

I order a 1/2 order of preservative free estriol cream from here: http://rmpharmacy.com/ every month. It doesn't burn me and everything else does. I use one gram three times/week. It takes the edge off the hot flashes although they said it wouldn't. It keeps me from getting paper cuts in the vaginal folds. Doesn't help the bladder. May help the urethra a little, not sure. Does help with sex a little too.

[sami4]

Vagifem, Estrace, Progesterone

My Gyno gave me Vagifem but it seemed to irritate my vaginal area and caused bladder symptoms. I think maybe it was something in the product that I may have been allergic to. Progesterone put me into one of the worst flares I ever had in my life. I avoid it at all costs.
Best thing for me was Estriol or Estrace vaginal cream which seems to soothe the urethra and vaginal area. I also take transdermal E 1.5 mg daily.
Sammie