Hi ladies. I came across the following recent 2014 article:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/13/unable-have-penetrative-sex-with-husband-vaginismus
This is a very interesting article and also has many recent comments (126 total) from others affected by vaginismus.
Excerpts include:
“Over the past year I have been unable to have sex with my husband. The problem began a year ago when penetration started to be painful. It now seems I completely tighten my lower muscles and my husband is not able to enter me. I’ve never had this problem in 30 years. I am past menopause and have never had children.”
Regarding menopausal vaginigmus, Dr. Pacik has written:
“Menopausal Vaginismus, which is a common cause of painful sex at midlife and beyond, is initially caused by the dryness and thinning of the vagina due to a drop in estrogen. When a woman has less estrogen, there is less vaginal lubrication; the vagina is less stretchable and more prone to tearing. This results in the menopausal woman feeling vaginal tightness during sex with pain, burning and/or soreness. In many cases, the problem starts with small tears called microtears that cause inflammation and irritation leading to more discomfort and bleeding of the tissues with any penetration of the vagina. During this time, intercourse is possible but often results in pain and burning after, which is called dyspareunia. Artificial lubricants seem to do a poor job replacing natural lubrication. As the condition gets worse, the patient appears to develop vaginismus, and when examined, appears to have the same spasm of the entry muscle as seen in the primary vaginismus patients.The spasm can be treated with the Botox program, which includes Botox vaginal injections and progressive dilation under anesthesia together with post procedure counseling as is done in our primary vaginismus patients.”
For the ladies who have experienced menopausal secondary vaginismus and have gone through Dr. Pacik’s treatment program, what have been your experiences? Would you recommend it to others? Also, what dilators would you recommend using and why?
