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[Trufflecat]

Kaye, you might get a local NHS referral for orthotics for your foot. I did last year and it has made a huge difference to me, well worth trying.

[Kate50]

HI Trufflecat
I have one next week! That was the first of my checks no 2 is an ultrasound.  Have been under podiatrist for a year with 2 insoles and got no where. Got some OA on big toe but that's not what they thought it was!  That's extra!
Bloody hell just falling apart lol!

[anais]

Stellajane, I'll write up my story in the Personal Experiences section because looking back I'm astounded by the fact that it took a 2WW referral for PMB before anyone mentioned HRT.

It's been bad enough trying to communicate with the GP practice that I need a repeat prescription of Vagifem! As far as they were concerned Estrogel + Utrogestan = all that's necessary. Meanwhile the consultant has advised me to do another 2 week reload of Vagifem and use one every other day indefinitely. "We haven't received anything from your consultant yet" = I'm making it up! They didn't even see the need for me to have it repeated at the old dose, so it was a case of me having to ring the consultant's secretary to tell her all this because I'm just about to run out of Vagifem the day after tomorrow! Anyway, I'm told the prescription has now been issued and I dare say it will all be sorted out once the letter from the hospital reaches the GP. But honestly! Do they think I've been putting the Vagifem in my tea or something?

OK, on to my question and I'm sure it comes up a lot, but how do you apply your Estrogel?

Same place every day?
Dosage applied on both arms or legs every time?
Do you rotate the locations?

I take 1x pump in the morning and 1x pump at night.
I use half on one side, half on the other
I apply to both upper/outer arms a.m. and both inner thighs p.m.

However, I've read different things online.
One set of instructions says one arm only
One opinion is always use the same site because you build up a reservoir under the skin
One opinion says apply where you have body fat – but I'm a skinny bird

My leaflet says either thighs or outer arms and shoulders and do each side, but those instructions are for 2x pumps applied once a day. There are no diagrams and I always prefer pictures as I understand things better that way.

I don't know if the information I read online is out of date or just someone's own idea. I just want to know what other people do because I never feel sure if I'm doing it right. Thanks.

[Dancinggirl]

anais - I have used Oestrogel for many, many years and it is very effective.  Oestrogel is really easy to use - don't make things complicated.  You simply apply it to either your inner thighs or upper arms and shoulders on clean dry skin, allow it to dry for about 10 mins and then dress. I have always preferred to apply it to my inner thighs; I squirt the gel on to the palm of my hand and smear it in a circular motion over my skin covering about 6 - 9 inches along my inner thigh.    Depending on how much you use you can apply it either morning or before bed - up to 2 pumps at a time. If you eventually need to use 3-4 pumps per day then it is best to split the dose, so some in the morning and some at bedtime. So if you start with one pump per day for the first 2-3 weeks just apply to arms or legs either morning or evening but the same time each day - you don't need to rotate where you use the gel but there will be a general build up within your whole body of the oestrogen. I do think it is good to start on one pump per day and if symptoms are not reducing after 3-4 weeks, increase to 2 pumps per day for the next 4 weeks - this allows your body to gradually absorb and adjust to the oestrogen.   If you increase too quickly you won't know what amount you really need. 
This transdermal application is really good.  Good luck  Dg x

[EllaM]

Hi everyone, I started estrogel yesterday but am a bit in the dark as my GP is pretty clueless when it comes to all things peri/menopause even though she is a woman in her early 50s, and just goes by what I ask her for. I have contacted Dr Currie but am awaiting a response. Estradot 75 has not stopped the awful peri fluctuations which I can generally predict to the day! A blood test showed 383pmol of estradiol on day 26 of my cycle but I still have awful symptoms from days 5 - 14! Dr Currie suggested that I may not be absorbing sufficiently from the patch.
My question to all you ladies is should I start on 1 pump a day or should I go straight for 2-3 pumps to equate to the estradot dose.
The last 3 weeks have been really awful and I'm suffering dreadfully with anxiety which is something I have experienced previously during my peri years (5 now 😢) and I thought I was over the worst. Have been on sick leave this week as just unable to cope with work but am desperate to get back to 'my normal'!
Have been reading posts just to keep me going and get some reassurance xx

[EllaM]

Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply. I feel so anxious and down today after a better day yesterday so think this may be down to the smaller dose of gel. I will try 2 pumps tonight and pray that my emotions improve.
Estrogel feels like my last option as have tried everything else apart from a chemical menopause.  I want it to work so badly.
This site has truly been a lifeline for me and has kept me going when it feels so hopeless.

[ruthae]

Hi

I've been on the gel/ Utro regime for 4 weeks now - starting with 1 pump of gel for a week then 1.5 whilst I took the Utro and now back to 1 again.  Generally better on the Utro than other progesterones but had v. sore breasts since been off the Utro.  I thought my bleed would start when Utro stopped 5 days ago - but though it feels like it should it hasn.t.  So feeling really tired, and work has been stressful.  Then Weds I started to go down hill, couldn't concentrate and yesterday I really hit rock bottom with anxiety - had to leave work and go to Dr.  I couldn't stay in the waiting room as there was a baby screaming its lungs out and I started hyperventilating.  Dr gave me betablocker type meds and said just stick with regime for another 2 months.  Hoping this is just a blip... and that it will get better.  I think I am still in peri so bound to be ups and downs I guess.  I have meno clinic apt in a month so hopefull they will do some tests and adjust dose if it is still not settled.

Do you think I should stick with what Dr says or up dose to 2 pumps to see what happens...

Rx

[Kate50]

Hi
I think you should be on at least 2 pumps.   I recently had utrogestan and didn't bleed much and it has left me feeling like the oestrogel isn't working! ?

[catlike]

Niamh.... I have noticed that any form of prog moistens my sinuses and for me it can irritate my ears and make me sneeze. One of the reasons I now take vaginally.

[Cassie]

So relieved night 12 of Utro so can get some sleep again from tomm night hopefully so tired from sleeping so badly the past 12 nights.....

[ruthae]

Thanks Kate50 will give it a try, is that the same whether you are peri or memo?  Got to do something  I feel awful my low 

[ruthae]

I increased to 2 pumps last night (gel only) woke up with headache but think that could be sinus infection, had very vivid anxiety dreams and I haven't remembered dreaming for ages.  Will report back after a week when things have had chance to settle... Fingers crossed...
R x

[Trufflecat]

Stellajane, that's the regeime that I am on at the moment. My GP agreed to let me give it a go for 3 months. Half way through the second month now and feeling good, but no bleed as yet, so that may be a concern

[Niamh]

Stellajane I'm really interested in upping ostrogel whilst taking utro. I see Studd and I'm 2 pumps daily and 7 days of utro 100mg v route. I'm severely intolerant so feel dire by day 5 and from day 1 suffer with exhaustion vivid exhausting dreams nausea then comes the depression anxiety and irritability by day 4/5. I wonder if while I took it I upped to 3 pumps....do you stop the increased dose as soon as you stop the utro? I'm peri btw and 41 saw Studd for crippling pmt, prog intolerance, pnd etc

Thank you X

[Mary G]

Stellajane, I think too many women have been brainwashed into believing that HRT is bad and dangerous and any HRT regime must be cut to the barest minimum - this is all because of those wretched, outdated and dangerously flawed studies that need to be consigned to the bin, immediately. 

I need loads of oestrogen to feel good and two pumps is the right dose for me, any less than that and I feel half baked and not quite there which is not a good feeling at all.  It is only when you up your oestrogen dose to the right amount that you realise how inadequate low doses are. 

I began taking DHEA tablets just over a year ago and I am now producing my own oestrogen again and that has helped - DHEA only works properly when used in conjunction with HRT.

The beauty of the gel and the reason it is so successful is because it is flexible and you can adjust the dose.  It also delivers oestrogen into the blood stream very efficiently.