Healthista spoke to Remi, 60 who reveals how her menopause symptoms ruined her sex life but was cured after using the Issviva X Joylux device for just 12 weeks
Menopausal symptoms affect more than 75 per cent of women, according to the British Menopause Society
Although not all women going through the menopause will experience a wide range of menopausal symptoms, the majority will.
What is most challenging about dealing with menopause symptoms, is that the menopause can last for a long time, around seven years to be precise, with 1 in 3 women experiencing symptoms beyond the seven years (post-menopause).
experts believe there are around 34 symptoms of menopause
Whilst most women attribute hot flushes, night sweats and changeable moods to the menopause, many are unaware that there are a plethora of other menopausal symptoms.
In fact, experts believe there are around 34 symptoms of menopause.
To name a few – tiredness, anxiety, poor memory, brain fog, irritability, itchiness and even painful sex can all be linked to the menopause.
Healthista spoke to Remi, 60, who reveals how several intimate health symptoms associated with the menopause left her avoiding sex and intimacy with her partner for years and how she got her sex life back after the menopause…
‘The pain during sex was unbearable’
Painful sex, vaginal dryness, heavy periods – I had never experienced intimate health struggles before, but just before I turned 50, my periods became extremely heavy.
At the time, I was in an incredibly stressful job, so I put my heavier periods down to stress. I didn’t for one moment think that this was the start of the menopause, as it wasn’t as widely spoken about at the time.
Little did I know that heavy periods were to be the least of my worries.
Not long after my 50th birthday, I was offered a job in Kuwait, which I took. I was dating my now husband at the time, who agreed to move to Kuwait with me.
After we moved there, my husband managed to get a job, but after that job finished, he moved back to the UK.
It was during this long-distance part of our relationship, that I noticed sex had started to become painful.
At first, I thought sex was painful because I was only seeing him every six weeks, as when you haven’t had sex for a while that can happen. But sex progressively became more painful.
Vaginal dryness was a major factor causing the painful sex, and I have never had a problem in the past.
But I also started to have thoughts of ‘oh gosh is it me, do I not desire my husband anymore?
‘I constantly made excuses not to be with him because I didn’t want to have sex’
Aged 54, four years after my heavy periods began, the pain during sex was unbearable, to the point where I would constantly make excuses not to have sex with my husband.
Even when I came back to the UK, I didn’t want to have sex, and if we did, it was only the once.
My husband and I would meet up and go on holiday to relax, but in the back of my mind I was constantly stressed and anxious, thinking about how much sex was going to hurt – and it did, a lot.
I even started staying in hotels instead of at the flat so as not to endure painful sex
At this point, it was clear that my husband was starting to feel dejected, as I had made up so many excuses as to why I couldn’t stay with him when I was back in the UK. I even started staying in hotels instead of at the flat so as not to endure painful sex.
When I explained why I was avoiding intimacy, my husband felt bad as he didn’t want to hurt me.
‘I didn’t realise it was all related until we had seen the article’
In 2018, my husband saw an article about titled ‘Is the menopause ruining your sex life?’, which of course resonated with both of us.
The article mentioned many tips such as changing your diet in order to cleanse your body. So, cutting out coffee, sugar, alcohol and gluten. It also suggested taking supplements and multi vitamins.
I started to make some changes to my diet, but I wasn’t consistent with it.
I was also having heart palpitations, experiencing brain fog and of course intimate health issues
When I moved back to the UK in 2020, I signed up for a 6-week menopause course. At the time I was having about ten hot flushes a day, I wasn’t drenched during these hot flushes, but I would constantly feel hot throughout the day.
I was also having heart palpitations, experiencing brain fog and of course intimate health issues such as painful sex, vaginal dryness and a loss of libido.
I hadn’t realised that all these symptoms were related to the menopause, until we had seen the article.
After just four weeks putting what I learnt during the menopause course to work, the hot flushes had gone. I also learnt that I was magnesium deficient, which is why I was having the palpitations.
I started taking Omega 7 and sea buckthorn, which is supposed to help with the lining and lubrication of your vagina, but it wasn’t working, and the painful sex remained which was still a huge concern.
READ MORE: Menopause Mandate Chair Mariella Frostrup unveils their new campaign on World Menopause Day
‘I bought the device and used it religiously’
Looking around for other remedies, I came across an operation called ‘Mona Lisa Touch’, a type of laser therapy to treat symptoms of vaginal atrophy like vaginal dryness and painful sex.
I was desperate for help, so I was willing to go through with the operation, despite the money and possible side effects.
resurfacing vaginal tissue and rebuilding collagen to tighten and rejuvenate
Luckily, at around the same time, I heard about a cheaper alternative to the operation. The Issviva X Joylux device – which also uses red-light therapy, aimed at resurfacing vaginal tissue and rebuilding collagen to tighten and rejuvenate.
I bought the device and used it religiously, once every other day for 12 weeks, and progressively increased the red-light therapy.
The device looks a bit like a vibrator, and was slightly uncomfortable at first, but I think that was my anxiety as obviously you’re inserting it, but once I relaxed and used the lubricant photonic gel, it was fine.
REAC MORE: ‘I’m a skincare scientist – here’s 4 things you need to do for menopausal skin’
‘I no longer felt pain during sex’
After the 12 weeks, my intimate health symptoms had significantly reduced. I felt I was around 75 to 80 per cent there where pain was concerned, but there was still some discomfort.
So, I used the device for another 12 weeks and amazingly I got to the point where I no longer felt pain during sex, I couldn’t believe how well it worked.
Another thing noticed was a tighter pelvic floor after using the Issviva X Joulux device.
I had never had a significant issue with my pelvic floor in the past and I wasn’t one of those people who would go to the toilet multiple times in a night, but I has started to notice that my bladder function had become weaker.
So, not only had the device given me back my sex life, but it also brought my bladder function back to what I was used to.
Physically I was cured after using the device for 24 weeks, but unfortunately, I still had some anxiety towards sex after dealing with painful sex for so many years.
not only had the device given me back my sex life, but it also brought my bladder function back to what I was used to
Mentally it took me a while to get past the anxiety, but now I have come out the other side and no longer feel pain or anxiety surrounding my sex life.
I still use the device once every week, to ensure the lining of my vagina is kept healthy.
I’m so thankful and amazed that this device that only cost me less than £200 has given me my sex life back.
I recommend it to everyone who is experiencing painful sex or vaginal dryness – it has truly changed my life!
The Issviva x Joylux device costs £299 and can be bought from issviva.co.uk
SPECIAL OFFER – Save £100 now available for £199
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