Yes, I had constant UTI's being on arimidex:( lubricants helped a lot!

I had many bladder infections treated with antibiotics which is not good. I've been on Vitamin C tablets and they have subsided. I don't know if they ran their course, but the research is favoring Vitamin C over cranberry to keep the bladder acidic.

Talk to your gyno. When I was going through chemo and dealing with chemopause, I used replens. It doesn't have estrogen (I don't think). But it does provide long lasting lubrication down there.

There is this belief that we don't need lubrication if we're not having sex, but atrophy also means that the skin has thinned due to lack of moisture and estrogen. Using a lubricant, for me, was kind of like using lotion on other dry skin.

Replens is meant to be used every 2-4 days (so it is long lasting!). It does tend to leak a bit, so consider getting some thin panty liners if you try it. It worked for me, but I also never used aromatose inhibitors, so I'm not sure if it will relieve stronger symptoms like what you're going through.

Maybe your gyno will have more suggestions. Good luck!

Hi KimB, you should be checked for a condition called "Painful Bladder Syndrome" also called "Interstitial Cystitis". It is a condition that mimics UTI's but the main difference is there is no bacteria in the urine when it is cultured. You can also have pelvic floor pain with it along with many other uncomfortable symptons. If you haven't gotten relief yet or been diagnosed with a specific condition, I would go to my urologist and have tests done for PBS or IC. I have suffered many years from what I thought were UTI's only to find out it was IC all along.

The vaginal pain and dryness I was warned about never happened. The oncologist doesn't believe that vaginal hormone creams are a risk since its localized and only 1% is absorbed. He feels that if a patient is miserable enough that the 1% may be a risk worth taking. Anyway, I didn't need it but I liked that he didn't just disregard that kind of discomfort . As for UTI, I did have more than usual after starting Aromasin but Cranberry suppliments helped,