yeast infection; need for estrogen?

I had irritation in the vaginal area for about a week and a half. Kind of felt like UTI, kind of felt like yeast infection. But didn't feel like full symptoms of either, if you know what I mean.

Tried Monostat I on my own and it liked to have burned me alive. I have taken Monostat before, never noticed that.

Doc called in Diflucan pill but feeling continued. Sometimes feeling worse than other times, always seeming to feel better when I was urinating a lot and boy, am I urinating a lot at times.

Anyway, went to family doctor. He tested urine and then he looked down there. He said I did have some yeast but that I was extremely irritated. He tested me for diabetes -- I'm fine. Then after exam, in which he just started to look in the vagina, he said that I was really irritated and he thinks what is happening is that I'm starting to have decreased estrogen.

Well, my gynecologist had mentioned that last year during my pap smear appointment. Said it was dry and thinning. When I asked what would happen he mainly talked about sexual stuff and since I'm single I thought, "Big deal." <G>

Anyway, my family doctor gave me a prescription for three days of a vaginal suppository for yeast, and told me to use gynelotrim lotion for areas around the vaginal area. Told me to come back in a month and we'll talk about the need for maybe a low-dose estrogen pill or estrogen creme.

I've taken one day of the suppository. It was OK. At least not burning like the Monistat. The vagina is where it's most burny and a little itchy.

Between that and the IBS that I have, I'm feeling real good below the waste.

I guess what I'm asking is whether this is all similar to some of your all's experiences? Does it sound true to form for need for estrogen. I guess this means I'm in menopause or premenopause even though blood work a few months ago said I wasn't?

Any suggestions? He also told me my hot baths -- which I love and give some relief to the burny -- are very drying and bad for all of this. My Diet Coke diet apparently doesn't help either with the dryness. I'm beginning to feel like I'm drying up all over. Doctor a few months ago looked in my ears for an infection and said I was really dehydrated.

Oh, I'm 44 and I had my hysterectomy about 2 years and a few months ago. Kept ovaries.

Help? I'm not really in pain but am uncomfortable.

When I had may ovaries before my hyst, I had symptoms of menopause. The tests don't always match how we are feeling. The ovaries can sometimes start to fail after a hysterectomy, so it is not uncommon to start to have symptoms.

I get itchy and uncomfortable if I don't have estrogen in that area. I did start having some problems with that before I had my ovaries removed and I had bladder infections which I never had before.

I would do what the doctor has given you to do and then see about the estrogen. The tissues down there have problems if the estrogen is not sufficient.

Good luck and hope you feel better.

s

Thanks. He also said hot bathes add to drying. I do so love my long, hot bathes. I'm trying to cut down on them and my diet colas. It's hard. But I'm trying to put it all into perspective -- it's not an earth-shattering problem. But I get whiney. <G>