Gynacological question

[hairyfairy]

This is an embarrassing thing to have to ask, but is it usual for women to have shrunken inner labia with underactive thyroid. Iv`e noticed this in the last few years, & When passing water, I find that it often goes everywhere, a bit like a garden sprinkler, & I have to clean up with wet wipes or wet some toilet paper& clean up with that. it`s so annoying. Could this be down to thyroid, or just my age?

[Angel_of_the_North]

Women are all sorts of different shapes and sizes down there. Changes to urination "control" can occur through fat loss during pre menopause (loss of estrogen, I think). Sorry, don't know if there are any other reasons.

[Finola]

The garden sprinkler thing is something I have noticed too. As far as the labia are concerned, I can't say for certain, but there is no doubt that with an insufficiently treated underactive thyroid the aging process speeds up because other endocrine processes can scale down. It may be that the labia shrinking is also something to do with the falling female hormone levels of menopause. I have noticed a distinct decrease in bodily hair - it alls seems to have migrated to my chin!

Lots of things in the nether regions seem to become problematic as we age - life's not fair is it!!

[Hidden]

Welcome to the joys of mature woman's problems.

Are you menopausal?

[hairyfairy in reply to Hidden]

Long past.

[Hidden]

lifestrong .com website states.....

A number of skin conditions associated with menopause and skin thinning exist. These include atrophic vulvovaginitis, which causes thinning in the skin of the vagina, according to DermNet NZ. A condition known as vulvar lichen sclerosus also occurs on the skin and can result in white, thinning skin around the vagina. Finally, thinning skin in general can take place on the face and body, as estrogen receptors begin to produce less and less of the hormone.

[Jazzw]

Is it shrunken labia, or is it possible you have a degree of prolapse (as I do - makes me feel ancient!). That too contributed to the spraying thing and things feeling different down there.

[hairyfairy in reply to Jazzw]

I do have a rectocyle, & that is possibly contributing to my bowel problems, but I`m due to see a specialist again on the 27th of next month. Iv`e had a hysterectomy, otherwise things could have been a lot worse down there.

[greygoose in reply to hairyfairy]

Well, actually, no. It could very well be the hysterectomy that is causing hormone imbalances - hystérectomies certainly make thyroid problems worse.

I, too, have your 'problem'. But I put it down to low testosterone. I have read somewhere - can't for the life of me remember where, but it could have been one of Thierry Hertoghe's books - that low testosterone causes shrunken labia in women. Well, it would be difficult in men, wouldn't it! lol

[hairyfairy in reply to greygoose]

I have thought about that, & have wondered whether testosterone therapy could be right for me, but I used to suffer from adult acne, & I`m scared that it could return if I use testosterone.

[greygoose in reply to hairyfairy]

It certainly could! I got acne when I took DHEA because it all turned to testosterone. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium.

[spongecat]

Hi Hairyfairy.

Horrid isn't it? I have vulval lichen sclerosus and yes things are rather shrunken in that department and sometimes can be annoyingly itchy as well as the "garden sprinkler effect". At first I thought the itching was thrush but one of my lady GPs had a peep and said it looked like classic lichen sclerosus and it's related (I think) to the wonders of autoimmune problems.

I have been prescribed a very potent corticosteroid called Dermovate (clobetasol) which is used sparingly for a couple of days or so when I have an occasional flare-up. I believe it can be something you have to put up with and is not "curable" as such.

Sorry if this is TMI but it may help others:

Due to shrinking, post menopausal and having thyroid problems my libido is zilch (I have a lovely sympathetic hubby, bless him!) it is also excrutiatingly painful to have the Pap Test as the vaginal opening is now tiny. The last time I had a smear I needed hormone therapy with pessaries before the Pap Test could be done and it had to be done by the GP rather than the practice nurse. It was agony as I also have a retroverted uterus which makes reaching the cervix for a sample a little more challenging than normal........at my age I'm seriously wondering whether I should go through this again 5 years down the line and chance it. Quite a shock when Pap smears have been nearly painless all my adult life.