Vaginal dryness due to medication
A variety of drugs can affect the intimate area and lead to vaginal dryness. These include the use of contraceptives. In particular the micro pill, i.e. a combined preparation of gestagens and estrogens, can lead to the mucous membrane drying out.
Vaginal dryness can also be caused in the course of breast cancer treatment, which reduces the oestrogen influence on the body through anti-hormone therapy. Other examples of vaginal dryness can also be caused by some antibiotics, allergy medicines (antihistamines), heart medication (beta blockers) and diuretics. After taking antibiotics, not only does the pathogen that is actually being fought and is the cause of the disease often decay, but also important, naturally occurring bacteria are often killed.
These include the lactic acid bacteria found in the female genital area. These so-called lactobacilli are crucial for a proper vaginal flora and contribute a large part to intimate health. If these beneficial bacteria die in the course of antibiotic treatment, infections can be caused by fungi or other bacteria, which gain the upper hand in the natural bacterial balance of the vagina.
Yeast infections caused by Candida in particular can lead to vaginal dryness. Therefore it can be useful to apply lactic acid cures in the intimate area after taking antibiotics or to supply lactic acid bacteria to the vagina to support the development of a healthy vaginal flora. Regular use of the pill can lead to vaginal dryness as a side effect in some women.
This is particularly the case with low-dose micropills, a combined pill containing the hormones progestin and estrogen or their derivatives. In some cases, vaginal dryness occurs due to the intake of only small amounts of estrogen by the pill and when the body’s own production of the hormone is insufficient, which can be reduced by the external supply of estrogen. This is caused by a lack of estrogen, which leads to reduced tissue blood flow in the genital area and to a reduction in the mucous membrane, thus causing vaginal dryness.
If this side effect is associated with taking the pill, the gynecologist should be consulted. If necessary, he or she can either change the dose of the preparation or prescribe the pill from another manufacturer to see if the symptoms can be eliminated in this way. If this is not the case, a switch to alternative contraceptive methods may be advisable.
