Last update May 16, 2019

Vaginal Dryness

Compatible

Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.

Insufficient vaginal lubrication causes urinary discomfort, vaginal itching and pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) (MedlinePlus 2017). The most frequent cause is estrogen deficiency (MedlinePlus 2017) which produces a temporary or permanent atrophy or hypotrophy of the vaginal wall.
It can occur in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (Cordeau 2014), diabetes (Carati 2016), Sjögren's syndrome (Romão 2018), endometriosis, depression, stress, some anticancer and hormonal drugs (eg tamoxifen), pelvic radiotherapy and also appears in circumstances such as breastfeeding (Agarwal 2015, Anzaku 2014, Solana 2008, Barrett 2000) and menopause (MedlinePlus 2017).

Irritating soaps and perfumes should be avoided. The treatments used are non-hormonal (water-based lubricants or vaginal moisturizers), non-hormonal topical applications such as creams, gels or ovules), and whether they are topical estrogens (Zsolnai 1982) or systemic, they are compatible with breastfeeding.

Oral estrogens have very low (<10%) oral absorption (O'Connell 1995).
The vaginal absorption of estrogens can be minimized using low/minimal doses or certain preparations (Santen 2015, Del Pup 2013 and 2012, Tan 2012, Bhamra 2011, Eugster 2010).

Estrogens have a high (98%) binding to plasma proteins (O'Connell 1995), so they are not excreted in breastmilk in significant amounts.


See below the information of these related products:

  • Estradiol (Fairly safe. Mild or unlikely adverse effects. Compatible under certain circumstances. Follow-up recommended. Read Commentary.)
  • Non-Hormonal Vaginal Lubricant (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Promestriene (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)
  • Sexual intercourse (Safe substance and/or breastfeeding is the best option.)

Suggestions made at e-lactancia are done by APILAM team of health professionals, and are based on updated scientific publications. It is not intended to replace the relationship you have with your doctor but to compound it. The pharmaceutical industry contraindicates breastfeeding, mistakenly and without scientific reasons, in most of the drug data sheets.

Jose Maria Paricio, Founder & President of APILAM/e-Lactancia

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Other names

Vaginal Dryness is also known as


Vaginal Dryness in other languages or writings:

Group

Vaginal Dryness belongs to this group or family:

References

  1. Romão VC, Talarico R, Scirè CA, Vieira A, Alexander T, Baldini C, Gottenberg JE, Gruner H, Hachulla E, Mouthon L, Orlandi M, Pamfil C, Pineton de Chambrun M, Taglietti M, Toplak N, van Daele P, van Laar JM, Bombardieri S, Schneider M, Smith V, Cutolo M, Mosca M, et al. Sjögren's syndrome: state of the art on clinical practice guidelines. RMD Open. 2018 Oct 18;4(Suppl 1):e000789. Abstract
  2. Carati D, Zizza A, Guido M, De Donno A, Stefanizzi R, Serra R, Romano I, Ouedraogo C, Megha M, Tinelli A. Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of differential treatment to prevent and treat vaginal dryness and vulvovaginitis in diabetic women. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2016;43(2):198-202. Abstract
  3. Agarwal SK, Kim J, Korst LM, Hughes CL. Application of the estrogen threshold hypothesis to the physiologic hypoestrogenemia of lactation. Breastfeed Med. 2015 Mar;10(2):77-83. Abstract
  4. Santen RJ. Vaginal administration of estradiol: effects of dose, preparation and timing on plasma estradiol levels. Climacteric. 2015 Apr;18(2):121-34. Abstract
  5. Anzaku A, Mikah S. Postpartum resumption of sexual activity, sexual morbidity and use of modern contraceptives among nigerian women in jos. Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2014 Mar;4(2):210-6. Abstract
  6. Cordeau D, Courtois F. Sexual disorders in women with MS: assessment and management. Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2014 Jul;57(5):337-347. Abstract
  7. Del Pup L, Di Francia R, Cavaliere C, Facchini G, Giorda G, De Paoli P, Berretta M. Promestriene, a specific topic estrogen. Review of 40 years of vaginal atrophy treatment: is it safe even in cancer patients? Anticancer Drugs. 2013 Nov;24(10):989-98. Abstract
  8. Tan O, Bradshaw K, Carr BR. Management of vulvovaginal atrophy-related sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women: an up-to-date review. Menopause. 2012 Jan;19(1):109-17. Abstract
  9. Del Pup L. Management of vaginal dryness and dyspareunia in estrogen sensitive cancer patients. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Sep;28(9):740-5. Abstract
  10. Bhamra RK, Margolis MB, Liu JH, Hendy CH, Jenkins RG, DiLiberti CE. A randomized, multiple-dose parallel study to compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of synthetic conjugated estrogens, A, administered as oral tablet or vaginal cream. Menopause. 2011 Apr;18(4):393-9. Abstract
  11. Eugster-Hausmann M, Waitzinger J, Lehnick D. Minimized estradiol absorption with ultra-low-dose 10 microg 17beta-estradiol vaginal tablets. Climacteric. 2010 Jun;13(3):219-27. Abstract
  12. Solana-Arellano E, Villegas-Arrizón A, Legorreta-Soberanis J, Cárdenas-Turanzas M, Enzaldo de la Cruz J, Andersson N. [Women's dyspareunia after childbirth: a case study in a hospital in Acapulco, Mexico]. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2008 Jan;23(1):44-51. Spanish. Abstract
  13. Barrett G, Pendry E, Peacock J, Victor C, Thakar R, Manyonda I. Women's sexual health after childbirth. BJOG. 2000 Feb;107(2):186-95. Abstract
  14. O'Connell MB. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacologic variation between different estrogen products. J Clin Pharmacol. 1995 Sep;35(9S):18S-24S. Review. Abstract

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