admin
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Medications and VaginismusSometimes women are put on anti-depressants (muscle-relaxants) to help fix their vaginismus. Does anyone want to share her experience with those medicines so that we can write a general pros and cons list to add to the website ?
So far the medications we are interested writing about are:
Valium
Xanax
Ativan
Lidocaine
Beta blockers
Hormonal creams
These are some of the questions we'd like you to reply either here or by sending an email to:
team @ vaginismus-awareness-network.or
________________
Drug:
Who convinced you to take the drug?
For how long were you put on it?
(If it's an anti-depressant) Were you depressed before taking it ?
Were you encouraged to attempt sexual intercourse while you were on it?Were you aware of the possible side-effects to a foetus if you got pregnant?
Did they work for you or did you experience side effects ?
Did vag. come back when you stopped taking the muscle-relaxants ?
Would you recommend them to other women or not ?
Please let us know..
Thanks..
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lca
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Not quite on topic, but relatedA few years ago, when I first started working on my vaginismus, my gynocolygist prescribed lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication, that I was to take (if I felt like it) only when I tried to dilate or was with my boyfriend (we were long-distance, so at every meeting the physical took some getting used to). It was very mild (she prescribed the lowest-dose-pill available), but I did notice I was relaxed more easily when I took it. I didn't refill the prescription (or even finish the bottle) because by that point I was usually able to relax to the same amount without the drug.
I appreciated the prescription because I was in control of it (taking it when needed, as opposed to constantly). Because it was such a low dose, I didn't experience any side-effects. I'd compare it to drinking a glass of wine: just a boost towards relaxation. However, I would never want to take anything stronger than that.
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admin
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Thank you Ica for sharing that (and welcome here).
I'm glad you never took anything stronger than that or for longer periods.
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Annabanana
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My gyno gave me a medication called Serepax to use before attempting intercourse or dilation. I did find that they helped me relax slightly, quite a pleasant sensation actually! But overall they didn't really do much to help. I had no side-effects.
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eephemerid
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I just found my miracleBupropion, or Wellbutrin as it is better known. It was prescribed to me a week ago for mixed state depression, as I have had bad luck with Zoloft and other ssris. It's a dopamine agonist, and is also prescribed off label to reduce the sexual side-effects of ssris.
I've had vaginismus on and off since I lost my virginity some 20 years ago. It's very unpredictable; sometimes it is only slightly uncomfortable, and other times, intercourse is impossible. In all cases, i couldn't consciously control it.
I noticed things feeling different "down there" within four days of taking bupropion. I started reading up on it, and discovered that dopamine relaxes the tone in smooth muscles, including those in the vagina.
Not to be vulgar, but a finger test proved what I suspected...the gates had opened. I had very little discomfort, and was able to put in *four* as opposed to two. Can't wait to try it w my boyfriend this weekend. 
While doing research, I also read about nitroglycerin (Glyceryl nitrate) ointment being prescribed. Nitroglycerin causes arterial smooth muscle relaxation, which is why it can prevent or slow a heart attack. It's also used to relax the uterus when a breech baby is having difficulty exiting the cervix.
In the case of the treatment for vaginismus, the cream was applied locally, and relaxed the smooth muscles of the vagina enough to allow comfortable intercourse.
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Mercy
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medications threadInteresting! If dopamine helps smooth muscles relax, then eating a piece of dark chocolate every day and taking fish oil would help vag, because both of those things increase dopamine.
Mercy
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Gracie
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Hi all, I was prescribed a low dose (25mg) of amitriptyline to help with my treatment today. Will post on how it goes.
From reading these posts, I feel encouraged that this might help.
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YankyGirl06812
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MedicationsHi, After 22 yrs in "therapy" I have been a cocktail of meds that my doctor feels will "cure me." I am on Welbutrin (usually helps with spoking cessation and OCD), Lamictal (mood enhancer), Cymbalta (anti-depressant) as well as Deplin, a "B" vitamin used to boost seratonin. At my visit yesterday, I asked her to start weaning me off them; I feel like a drug addict between the RX's and my regular vitamins. Today is Day 1 and I'm already crashing and have to--reluctantly--up my doses.
I would stronlgly recommend to other's with Vag to NOT go on anything if they can help it. My meds started with my opening my moth to her about "anxiety" and sex; now I'm trapped (or so it seems).
A good doctor will work diligently and not prescribe prescrib prescribe in order to meet their quota! 
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admin
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Thank you for sharing this and best of luck for going off those drugs.
You can do it. But I understand it must be hard. I hope there are support groups for women doing that so you can get someone who can give you good advice.
Unfortunately I have heard of other women who ended up
having a bigger problem than vaginismus, once they were put on antidepressants.
So it's important to keep sharing the dangers so others can be warned.
All the best Yankie..
Let us know how you're doing if you wish..
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Gracie
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Am now on my anti depressant 3 weeks. Dont feel very different and was doubting the difference it was going to make. Last week I went to see my physio and had been feeling a lot of discomfort in my past few treatments. HOWEVER, this treatment was great!! The physio was able to examine me very easily and I felt zero discomfort/pain. The medication is a low dose so I think I will stick them out until Im sorted, and Im determined that 2008 is the year that i sort out vag once and for all 
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Becky
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I have been on an anti-depressant for 3 years now. It's called Oxactin, it's just a different name for Prozac. I have suffered with depression since I was 13 and I was taking Oxactin back then too for about a year until I came off of them because I no longer wanted to take them. Oxactin has suddenly stopped working for me lately and I have been suffering with more and more nightmares. I can't say that this has actually helped me with Vaginismus but I know that it has helped me over the past few years with my depression. I have been told to up my dose to two tablets a day so I'll have to see if that does anything.
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