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[buttons10]

Hi everyone I'm new to this so please bear with me..
Had hysterectomy 2010 with ovaries retained..two years ago I began the hell that is 'the menopause' after much trying of this that and the other..I was doing well on the Estraderm MX 100 patch.. After not having a life for the past two years i am now having a girly holiday and a couple of hols wth the hubby this year.. It's my 50th..so after doing so well on the patches..I now decide to rock the boat and try some tablet form ..( I just don't want the 'faff' of patches on my hols) and it's not working!!.I know all about the absorption of the patches versus the tablets..I am now just a week in taking Premarin 1.25. And it's not great..I know I'm not getting enough from the tablet.so my question is can I top up the tablet with say...some gel or something..
The doctor said I'm on the highest tablet..any advice would be great fully received ..Thankyou

[Dancinggirl]

As you have had a hyster then you can use as little or as much oestrogen as needed.  Why did you change to pills?  The oestrogel gel or patches are great and if the patch was working for you then I'd go back to that or ask for the gel.   You could top up with the gel if need be but I'd just use the gel on it's own - maybe 2-3 pumps per day - transderamal seems to absorb better generally. Good luck  DG x xxx

[Taz2]

Hi buttons10. I'm not sure about topping up the tablet but I would say that if you have found an HRT which works for you - and I do understand about the faff of patches (good word!) - then I would be inclined to stick (no pun intended lol) with that one. Premarin is one of the older HRT's  but there are other pills on the market which might suit you better if you decide not to return to patches.

What symptoms are you experiencing on the Premarin?

Taz x 

[buttons10]

Hi thanks both..I'm having dreadful flushes although they have never gone away altogether tbh,  generally feeling dreadful, achey all over, and my hubby said there is "no along to me without me flying off the handle", I am feeling quite agitated though.
The problem I have with the patches is keeping the blooming things on..I use a clear sticky dressing over the top of them to keep them on..I have tried quite a few of the patches and the Estraderm MX was one of the better ones...so like I say with the 'faff' of the patches, and I'd just like to be patch free on the beach and in ,y nice clothes on my hols..
I might look into the gel avenue though..

[Mary G]

buttons10, welcome to MM!

I understand exactly what you mean about the patches.  Many women get on well with them but I didn't for two reasons.  Firstly, I couldn't get enough oestrogen out them and secondly, they didn't stick well enough and left a horrid mark.  I find the gel much more effective and more flexible because you can adjust the dose.  I would recommend you switch to it asap.

Premarin 1.25 is synthetic and not bio identical which is another problem.  They don't work as well for symptom control and much of it gets lost in your digestive system.  I didn't get on with oral HRT at all so much so, I might as well not have bothered taking it at all. 

Hope you can sort it out before your holiday.

[buttons10]

Thanks Mary ..yes I'm going to ring the GP in the morning...do I ask for a particular gel ..or say...strength of gel?...Yes I totally get the 'bio identical' thing..and I can actually feel the difference from the patch to the tablet that makes sense...not just the fact that the tablet isn't helping..i just feel different..
I've got a month b4 my girly hol.x

[Mary G]

It's called Oestrogel and you don't have to ask for a particular strength, the dose is determined by the number of measures (pumps) from the container.  Most women start with 2 pumps every day and see how they get on and either increase it or reduce it depending on how well it controls their symptoms.  You are lucky that you don't have to ruin it with progesterone!

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[buttons10]

Lovely ..thanks Mary 😊

[Taz2]

Hi again buttons10. If you were having to keep the patch in place using a sticky dressing then this may well be why you were still getting flushes as the hormone is contained in the adhesive and if the patch isn't sticking to the skin via the adhesive then you wouldn't have been getting the right amount of hormone. Evorel stick well for most women and if you did want a patch then Estradot is really tiny and I've found it to stick really well and it comes in 25, 50 or 75 strength.

I've never used the gel but it does seem an excellent way of delivering the right amount of oestrogen so I hope it goes well. Let us know how you get on.

Taz x 

[Hurdity]

Hi buttons10

  from me too.

I agree with what's been said re - if it aint broke don't fix it! If the patch was working then keep on with it. Also as Taz says re the dressing - but clearly some hormone was getting through if you felt OK!

As for wearing nice clothes - how is that affected by patches? As Taz - I've used Estradot for nearly 9 years and they are tiny - what I wear is irrelevant unless you've got a G-string bikini. As they are so small you just put them on alternate butt cheeks and no-one sees the black marks (I don't bother to remove them). Re the gel - if you are looking for less faff then gel is not the answer because you have to spread it on your thigh every morning and wait for it to dry - patches are only changed twice a week! I know this because I use testosterone gel daily ( as well as the oestrogen patches) and I do get fed up with not being able to dress straight away!

Having said that if I'd been used to it (gel) from the start I would have thought OK - and I could probably have had a higher level of oestrogen from the start (too late now for me - I'm 62) but you specifically mentioned faff - and gel is the most faffy!

Hurdity x

[buttons10]

Thanks everyone ..I have gone back to the patch..the particular patch I have is half the size of an i phone! So to have that stuck on your arm or wherever when you want to wear strappy tops/ strapless dresses and bikinis on holiday kinda doesn't look too good..these are not small patches..they stick to my skin fine although without a dressing over the top they usually end up somewhere in the bed by next morning,,and I also like my baths, again this doesn't help its stickiness..where as with the dressing over the top I usually find I get the required three days out of them...I am on 100mcg patches..I did not know or have not been given the option of Estradot...if they do those in 100's..that would be great..

[Dancinggirl]

buttons10 - there are smaller patches you could try but I have used the gel for many years and though it can be a phaff to have to apply it each morning or evening it only takes 5-10mins to dry and then I know have had the proper dose each day. DG x

[Taz2]

It does come in 100 patches https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/15649

Taz x

[Taz2]

Are you actually putting your patch on your arm buttons? Instructions are to place them below the waist

"Administration: Estraderm MX should be applied immediately after removal of the protective liner (see Figs.), to an area of clean, dry, and intact skin on the trunk below the waistline. The site chosen should be one at which little wrinkling of skin occurs during movement of the body, e.g. buttock. Estraderm MX should never be applied to, or near the breasts"

Taz x

[buttons10]

Hi all thanks for your replies... Hi Taz...my GP Told me to put it on my arm...
Clearly wrong info...TBH my doctor has been of little help through all of this.its been real hard work, one doctor said that ' he could not help me" and could not get me out of the room quick enough when I when I was at a real low ebb, and was upset..but he just didn't want to know..I've since been going to see a lad GP but she's now on Materninty leave! You can NEVER get to see the same person...I will change the site and I'll look it to the size of the ESTRADOT and have a look at the gel option too..c