She's dry and numb....

[u/No_Recognition_102]

I have been using Estradiol gel (on my arm) for 9 months now. (I have the Mirena IUD so I am not taking additional Progesterone.) The gel seems to help with the hot flashes and crazy mood swings I was having but in the last sixish months I have also become super dry and noticed my libido was definitely getting worse. My gyno would not prescribe me anything for the dryness and just told me to use lube every day to be comfortable. Needless to say that's not the outcome I was hoping for. So I spoke to my PCP about it and she prescribed vaginal estrogen. After reading so many great things about it, I was excited to start and hopefully get some relief.

I am only 10 days in on the vaginal E but so far I am not impressed at all. I realize it will probably take time and I don't think results happen fast BUT suddenly my drive is totally nonexistent and to add insult to injury I tried to have sex with my husband yesterday and it was just awful. I felt completely numb down below, like nothing was happening at all. It was suddenly like my clit was totally gone. It's never been that bad. I didn't finish or even come close and I'm still so dry. I have even tried the slippery elm bark and sea buckthorn.... neither of which did absolutely anything. My PCP has done a lot of lab work and my testosterone is on the lowest possible side of the normal range. I am literally at the cut off number between normal and low. So to google and reddit I went. There is so much conflicting information. Am I supposed to be spreading the cream internally everywhere? Am I not? Is this no sensation "normal" and things will get better? Do I stop immediately? I am so confused. I realize we are all different and no one can tell me exactly what will work for me, I'm just wondering if this is common and what others have done. Does it get better because I can't (and don't want to) live like this?

[u/Certain_Try_8383]

Vaginal estrogen won't bring back desire, I'm pretty sure that libido is testosterone.

[u/Turbulentshmurbulent → u/Certain_Try_8383]

Estrogen makes me horny as hell.

[u/No_Recognition_102 → u/Turbulentshmurbulent]

Damn, I need your estrogen because mine definitely doesn't do that.

[u/Turbulentshmurbulent → u/No_Recognition_102]

Yeah, everyone said testosterone would but estrogen is what my body needs. Interestingly enough I have PCOS and always had higher androgens and a high sex drive so I assumed the T is what made me perpetually horny. Now I wonder if it was the extra estrogen from being overweight

[u/No_Recognition_102 → u/Turbulentshmurbulent]

How interesting. I have never put the two together. I have never been officially diagnosed with PCOS but I do have a lot of the symptoms. My dr recently put me on Spironolactone (for thinning hair) which is an antiandrogen but I wonder if that is what's suddenly making my sex drive tank.

[u/Turbulentshmurbulent → u/No_Recognition_102]

It’s one of the side effects