I have been on Arimidex since August 2009. The vaginal dryness is extreme. The tube to insert the lubricant can cause bleeding. Any ideas? I don't want to go off of Arimidex but sex is currently not an option.
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3/19/10 6:50pm
This is a tough one. Ask your doctor about E-string - it's topical estrogen, kind of like a suppository. Apparently the little bit of TOPICAL estrogen is enough for lubrication and to ease the pain, but not enough to be absorbed to any great extent, thus being safe even though your cancer is hormone positive. Worth asking about, anyway. Solution #2 that I've heard women talk about is plain olive oil, simply applied around the opening and just inside your vagina. I know, "Are we making love, or making salad?!" 
But supposedly it's a help - and cheap! Good luck- PJH
3/19/10 10:22pm
I am 32 and my treatment consisted of monthly goserelin shots (to shut down my ovaries temporarily) and a daily dose of letrozole (Femara), I struggled with vaginal dryness , until my oncologist suggested Replens. It is an estrogen free vaginal moisturizer which you apply once or twice a weak, it has worked wonderfully for me. You may want to talk to your doctor about it.
btw, it is available OTC so once you doc approves, all you need to do is walk into the nearest pharmacy...:)
Hope Replens works for you.
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Yes, Replens, Astroglide, all the usual OTC moisturizers are worth trying, too, if you haven't already. They're the first thing to try, before moving on to the more involved remedies I suggested above. Thanks for the suggestion, WFI - PJH