Women's health taboos

I will discuss anything in the appropriate place and with the appropriate person by that I mean I wouldn't discuss health at all except in the most general terms at a social gathering or at the meal table UNLESS with other clinical folk when anything goes. If I couldn't tell my GP anything I wouldn't go to him but I can and I do. I don't mind if anyone wants to discuss anything with me and I will keep that confidential.

You're being asked because of the Chief Medical Officer's report, published this morning, which she has devoted to women's health methinks LaraGransnet.
Apparently she uses the rather coy phrase "below the waist" !
I think the problem is not taboos - its a lack of funding and research interest.
If men suffered from PMT, flooding periods, peri-menopause and post menopause symptoms (including vaginal drying and atrophy), stress incontinence etc there would be a great deal more research. Sexism strikes again. And when you add in that many of these things afflict "old ladies" agism adds to the problem. But we are living longer, and living longer with these problems. Sock it to them Lara.

I was going to start a new thread on the report. But seems I can't find the right button to start a new thread. Am i suffering from a senior moment? Help!

Drinking gallons of water will give you nice clear urine but it won't necessarily relieve constipation as it's not all absorbed into the large bowel - fluids end up in the bladder.

You might need something like Lactulose which draws water into the bowel and will help soften hard stools.

Well now that we're on the subject, here goes........

I eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. I drink water and diluted juice.

I eat dried apricots and prunes (recommended) but I still only "go" once or twice a week.

I am sure that this is more of a psychological problem as I can only use the toilet (for poos) at home and would make myself ill at work rather than use the loo (it is clean as I clean it myself).

I have a problem with;

The smell of poo (someone might smell me)
The sound of it possibly plopping into the bowl (someone might hear)
The fact that it might not flush away and someone might see it (????)

I know I am complete nut job !

Quick example Lara is that there is very little research into the effects of using vaginal creams containing oestrogen to combat vaginal drying and atrophy. It is a form of HRT - but the extent to which it raises the risk of breast cancer is unknown. Those of us who have had breast cancer, or have a high family risk, are left not knowing whether these creams are safe to use. And they are of course the only really effective treatment for the condition. And it is a condition that causes discomfort to celibate women as well as those who would still like a sex life with their partners.
Hope the interview goes well.

Bit off topic, but the Embarassing Bodies TV programme always amused me, in that people who were too embarrassed to go to their doctors with an intimate problem were quite happy to show all on TV.

No, gillybob you are not a nut job - I think there are lots of people who feel the same as you. I, on the other hand, really do not have a choice about having a poo in a public toilet, because of the way my innards function (or malfunction). But, if I can manage it, I will sit and wait till someone in another cubicle flushes, which will mask any sound from my cubicle . And I always try to get into and out of the cubicle without anyone seeing me, so that no-one knows which one I was in. How mad is that?

My friend aged 72, recently diagnosed after exhaustive tests with vaginal atrophy was given oestrogen cream and told she may experience "spotting". She had bleeding just like a period for several days complete with menstrual cramps. She was very upset and has refused to continue. She is trying Replens for the discomfort but has no sexual activity so is not too troubled with symptoms at present.

This is interesting for me, as i was prescribed oestrogen cream to help with my prolapse. I asked about side effects and was told there would be none as the cream was administered locally and not orally. I then read the literature that came with the pack and couldn't make my mind up whether to use them or not. I have been on hrt in the past with no ill effects, but this time my doctor never asked me whether there was any history of breast cancer in my family - which there is. Anyway, i decided not to use them, and i suppose at some stage i will have to go back to my doctor and 'fess up' as this thing is not going to go away without intervention of some kind.

gillybob if you place a sheet of toilet paper in the bowl before you go it will not make a plopping noise. And flush while you are doing it to get rid of any smell as you go. HTH.

"If men suffered from PMT, flooding periods, peri-menopause and post menopause symptoms (including vaginal drying and atrophy), stress incontinence etc there would be a great deal more research."

I would think there has been a lot of research on these problems. And consequently, there is a lot of help available.

I guess you have to bear in mind that there are more pressing, even life threatening, conditions that need research too. (vaginal drying and atrophy? - please!!!)

Greydustr do you do your pelvic floor exercises? (madly, enthusiastically, and often!)

jings

I'll talk to anyone about anything but I have the horrors of having to have an 'internal' now!

I was once given and internal examination (whilst pregnant) by a 12 year old doctor who suggested that I might like him to get the 'lady' doctor to do it as we met, very occasionally, at social events. As it was baby number 4 I told him that I'd be quite happy to have an examination by any doctor and 'by the Clock Tower' (Leicester grans will understand!) if necessary. I don't feel quite the same nowadays.

jingl i asked the doctor about them and she sort of dismissed them. She muttered something about them being too much like hard work. . I don't know if she meant for me, or in general! I'm not overweight (in my estimation!) and quite fit for my age. I've looked them up online and i might give them a go.

They definitely got me out of trouble gd. I was terrified at the thought of having an op (scaredy Mary) so I went at them hammer and tongs for months. They worked! (Have to keep reminding myself to do maintenance once every so often now)

i would discuss anything with a female doctor, but at our surgery they work part time and are always full booked so it is not easy to get an appointment.

For constipation I would recommend not eating meat, especially red meat, and eating lots of greens and onions - roast onions along with potatoes with the Sunday roast if you want to eat meat. A few chocolates can help (they used to say sugar in a baby's bottle helped if they were constipated), do they still make Ex Lax? When I was a child we got a free sample through the door and mum shared it all out and we ate the lot thinking it was just chocolate!

Glycerine suppositories can help - as a 13 year old with my first Saturday job in a local newsagent shop I sold a lot to elderly people. If these don't work you may have an underlying problem and need to seek professional a advice.

I can't think of anything I wouldn't be comfortable talking about to my GP who is a lovely young man at the moment. I will talk to my Mum about most things too.

But if I have one complaint, it would be that I don't like having to repeat myself to a different GP because I can't see my usual GP. I do try to plan what I want to say to the doctor and when it is something a bit embarrassing, then it's bad enough saying it once, let alone two or three times with follow up appointments.

I know people say doctors have heard it all before, but not from me. I like the idea of surgeries running women's clinics in the same way as asthma or diabetic clinics.

As a child I had a mild form of Hirschsprung's disease. This disease can (and did) caused constipation and diarrhea (how do you spell it?) and faecal incontinence. I suffered these problems from before I can remember untilI was 13 and was in and out of hospital. The problem re-occurred after DD was born.

I can discuss almost anything with anybody. In fact I cannot think of any bodily problem I cannot discuss with a doctor or part of my body I am unwilling to expose in a clinical situation. I can also discuss them with other people where appropriate. At one point it looked as DGS might have the same bowel problem I had and I discussed my problems in great detail with DDiL.

Of course there are do not think the problem lies with women but with men. They are the ones who are embarassed by any discussion of what are considered 'women's problems'. Perhaps Sky's enquiries should be put on some appropriate men's health site.

Last para should read 'I do not think the problem lies..........................'

Never was very good at proof reading.

Dear Gilly you are not alone, you could have been describing me.
Sometimes I worry about going away for a few days because I know I'll have problems 'going'. It also worried me that I only go once every 3-4 days. I did talk to the doctor about it though and he said in the absence of any symptoms like bleeding it was ok.
Like you I drink loads of water, eat copious amounts of fruit and veg including prunes and dried apricots and nothing seems to make any difference.
I turned to Mr Google and discovered that the problem is probably poor gut motility, ie the poo does not move quickly enough through the gut.
I also read somewhere (Dr Malcolm Kendrick I think) that if you are constipated and your gut is full of faecal matter, eating more fibre can actually make you worse - rather like trying to stuff a cushion that's already full of stuffing, IYSWIM.
Since finding this out I have been a lot more relaxed about the whole thing and take Senna occasionally - maybe once a month or so - which I don't think is harmful at all.

My dietician friend recommends a tablespoon of oil in your daily diet to help with constipation. You can use it in salad dressing, stir fry, roast veg etc. A hearty bowl of porridge for brekky also helps.

I do all that too, katek

I Use Senna occasionally as well. Usually if I've got dehydrated while sitting on tribunals. I also find that fresh figs help ( briefly microwaved and served with fresh cream! Really yummy)