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[Oolong65]

Ah well, it was worth a try.

Flushes are now every 15 mins so I spoke with my GP. Have to stop taking the gel and see what happens.  Whoever heard of oestrogen gel making hot flushes worse?

Despondent does even begin to describe how I feel

[Dotty]

Are you on Oestrogel or Sandrena?

[Oolong65]

The brand name is Estrogel containing 0.75mg oestradiol per pump.

[Dotty]

It could be that your flushes were going to increase anyway.  It will take 4 -6 weeks for the Oestrogel to get into your system and for you to feel the effect.  I don't know what to suggest about your flushes getting worse. I would say persevere and see what happens.

[Hurdity]

Hi Oolong65

Sorry to hear this.

Remind us of the type of HRT you tried for 10 years that suited you - couldn't you have asked for the same oestrogen that is in that one? ALso how long is it now since you stopped?

Personally also I would suggest you've started at a much too high dose - I presume this is two pumps? You should have been started on one pump if you are trying to take the lowest dose to eliminate flushes Some women absorb this so well that they achieve very high oestrogen levels only on one pump (which is 0.75 mg oestrogen) - and higher than I get on a medium dose patch. For some other women it seems to be absorbed barely at all.

It is paradoxical that an increase in oestrogen can cause hot flushes or make them worse but it seems that this can happen. When I tried to increase my patch dose in the past I got increased flushes - although I have since increased by a small amount and all is well. The key thing is slow and steady.

I have used Sandrena gel which is different and my flushes came back - in my case I think it was because the dose was too low but I didn't wait to let it stabilise - as I knew from 11 years experience that patches worked for me.

In your position I would immediately reduce to 1 pump or even less and take it slow - each dose for a week or two and see how it goes....hopefully an experience oestrogel user will be along to give their direct experience of varying doses and flushes.

If it is going to work though you should feel the benefits within a few days - but as Dotty says your body must acclimatise. Anecdotally, from what I read on this forum,  I am wondering if it takes longer for the body to adjust to gel application than patches but that may be way off women's actual experiences?!

Hurdity x

[paisley]

I think you might need to persevere. It can take 6-8 weeks for your body to stabilize on a HRT or increase one & yes in my experience things can get a lot worse before they get better.

[Oolong65]

Hi everyone,

I was on the Evorel Conti patches which were 3.2mg Estradion which gave an absorption rate of 50 micrograms each 24 hours. I'm not brilliant at metric but the new gel is 0.75 mg per dayx 2 pumps. That would make it 6mg if equating it to the life of one patch which is double what I was taking before.  I stopped the HRT on 1st September 2017.

So reading your responses I am realising that 2 pumps is just way too strong for me. Too much and too soon. I am very sensitive to medicines etc so yesterdays experience of 24 severe hot flushes between 09.00 a.m. and 11.30 p.m. may just be a reaction to the amount of oestrogen.  So, no gel today or tomorrow and if normalised on Monday I will start with a half pump for a week and titrate up very slowly. My GP thought it might be something in the gel that I am reacting to and suggested we switch to patches.  However, I want to control the amount going into my body so I think I'll stick with the gel. 


Isn't HRT and the many ways it can affect women so differently quite incredible.  In 2007 when I went on the patches, just slappped it on and came back to life 3 weeks later so this episode of gel and increasing my hot flushes has been somewhat of a surprise to me.

Its going to be 28 degrees today so might just have to move into the freezer!!

Thanks for all your replies, they have been very helpful.   I will let you know how I get on.

Oolong65

[Dotty]

It is very difficult to compare the amounts of gel, patches and tablets as they are all absorbed differently.

If the patches give 50mg per day that is about the same as 2 pumps a day. It isn't double what you are taking on the gel. From what I have read it's about the same.

All you can do is stop taking it and see what happens. However, it could just be your normal symptoms breaking through and nothing to do with the gel. Good luck x

[ban-sithe]

Hi Oolong65,

I managed to get an appt (4.5 month wait) at Integrated Sexual Health Services in Chesterfield. What I'm not sure is if you have to be living in Derbyshire to access it. They also have ( or at least had) an office in Buxton.  Hope that helps!

[Zara69]

Hi I have swapped from Evorel sequi patches (so med dose) to Oestrogel... I am a bit cautious so started with just one pump thinking that if it wasn't enough I would soon feel it ,realise and up the dose...however so far after 1 week I'm feeling better than ever and think 1 pump is enough for me at the moment so I must be absorbing well x

[Oolong65]

So, I've not used the gel today and hot flushes have reverted to every 45 mins - 1 hr.  Still not great but better than every 15 mins.  Tomorrow, I will start with the gel again, only this time I will just use 1 pump and see what happens. Easy does it!