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[Badga]

Hi folks
I have a Mirena and have now been prescribed Oestrolgel instead of Estradot patches as, due to my sweating through exercise, the patches were not sticking.  The patches deliver 50 micrograms (0.05 milligrams) of estradiol per 24 hours.  I am prescribed two 'pumps' of Oestrogel daily which delivers 1.5 milligrams of 17-beta estradiol.

Is there a difference between the 17-beta variant in the gel at that in the patch, or is there something different about the absorption characteristics of the two products?  A 30-fold increase seems a lot!

Badga xx

[Sarah2]

I can't link- sorry!- but I did read the comparison between gel and patches in a scientific paper on HRT , not too long ago.
A 37mcg patch is equivalent to 2 pumps of gel: 1.5mgs.
I don't know how this works because like you I find the correlation confusing, but it's certainly documented that this is the equivalent dose. A 50mcg patch would be the same as 2.25 mgs Oestrogel - which is 3 pumps.

I use somewhere between 1.5 and 2 pumps a day. I've gone as low as 1 pump but found my symptoms coming back. Beauty of gel is you can chop and change the dose- give it a week at least before you start altering it- and see how you feel.

[Hurdity]

Hi badga - sorry I've not got time to answer in detail as off out soon, but patch doses of estradiol are always given in the amount per 24 hours which is different from the total amount on the actual patch. So Estradot 50 delivers 50 mcg per 24 hours but contains ) 0.78 mg estradiol - more than 3.5 (days) x 50 mcg ienot all the oestrogen in the patch is absorbed.

Gel information unfortunately only gives the total amount per measure, and the way the data given in the SPC (the pharmacokinetics) makes it impossible to compare! However this has been discussed several times and as far as I remember 2 pumps may deliver more than 50 mcg (but might be misremembering!) - but I think is more widley variable between women? This means that most of the estradiol in the gel is not absorbed.

As far as I know there is no appreicable difference in the oestradiol in either patch or gel. 17 Beta oestradiol is the name of estradiol as we know it - the main one. Sometimes it is as estradiol hemihydrate - but still becomes 17 beta estradiol in the body.

Hurdity x

[Badga]

Thanks Huridity xx