| Tara Langdale
Estradiol is a form of estrogen (the female sex hormone responsible for regulating various bodily processes). Estradiol is available as oral tablets or topical applications such as gels, patches, and vaginal creams. In some cases, doctors may offer estradiol injections. Vaginal estradiol cream is a low-dose hormone replacement cream that is usually prescribed to women who suffer from symptoms of vaginal atrophy or menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal changes.
If you use vaginal dilators (or plan to start) and have also been prescribed Estradiol cream, you may be wondering if using vaginal estrogen cream with dilators is okay. The answer is yes: it is perfectly fine to use estradiol cream with vaginal dilators. We will go into more detail about estrogen creams and expanders below…
Why and how is Estradiol vaginal cream used?
General a low dose estrogen cream may be prescribed for women suffering from menopausal or vaginal atrophy symptoms such as:
- Vaginal dryness, itching, burning, inflammation, thinning of the skin
- Dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
- Urinary dysfunction (urgency, frequency, incontinence, UTIs)
Vaginal estrogen cream is generally inserted through a plastic applicator that can be cleaned and reused. Your doctor may ask you to place it near the vaginal opening or deeper into the birth canal. The estradiol cream will then be gradually absorbed into the vaginal tissues. It can then do its job of increasing lubrication, reducing itching and burning, and lowering the pH level of the vagina to reduce inflammation.
Over time, hormone levels may normalize and you may be able to reduce or stop using Estradiol Vaginal Cream altogether. In fact, doctors usually don’t recommend it for long-term use because of potential side effects, including:
- Breast tenderness or pain
- Dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Depression and anxiety
- Heartburn
- Leg cramps
- Vaginal discharge
- Hair loss
- Extra hair growth
- Back pain
It is wise to check with your doctor regularly, especially if you experience any of the above changes. You may need to change the dosage, reduce the use or stop using the cream.
Using vaginal dilators with estrogen cream
Vaginal dilators are used to restore the normal function of the vagina, which is why they are a successful solution for all kinds of pelvic disorders. Vaginal dilator therapy often results in adequate vaginal capacity for intercourse and a reduction in painful physical and psychological symptoms. Dilator therapy is often incorporated into physical therapy, sex and pelvic floor psychotherapy because of its high success rates.
Women with vaginal atrophy are usually prescribed a vaginal estrogen cream, so it is perfectly normal to use dilators in conjunction with this cream. If you are using dilators with estrogen cream, it is best to do so when the cream has not yet been fully absorbed. However, dilators often work best when used with vaginal moisturizers or lubricants, and it’s generally recommended that you use moisturizers on a different day than the day you apply the estrogen cream. Therefore, you may want to dilate with lube on days when you are not using the cream.
The bottom line is that vaginal atrophy or difficult menopausal symptoms can be easily treated with a combination of treatments, the most popular being vaginal Estradiol cream and vaginal dilators. For some women the process takes a few weeks and for others a few months but with persistence, these problems usually become manageable – or non-existent! We hope you found this article helpful… if so, check out our blog for regular articles on a wide range of women’s sexual health topics, as well as tips and solutions.
Do you need to order vaginal dilators to start the pelvic floor healing process? Made in the USA. Visit www.vuvatech.com
Useful VuVa Links:
How do neodymium vaginal dilators work?
7 reasons for a tight vagina and how to relax
How to use vaginal dilators
How to relax vaginal muscles, vagina and sex
Vaginal Stretching – Keeping in shape with dilators
Do dilators really work? Yes, and they can improve your sex life!
Buy VuVa Vaginal Dilators
Tara Langdale Schmidt is the inventor of the VuVa Dilator Company. She herself has pelvic floor dysfunction and wanted to create an American-made dilation kit that women can trust. VuVatech has been in business since 2014 and has helped more than 40,000 women worldwide. He patented it Neodymium vaginal dilator, clinically proven to help with blood flow and nerve pain.
