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[Flossy]

Hello

I have been on Estradot patches and Utrogestan (cyclically) for about 7 weeks. I have noticed a fair bit of improvement but I have been having fluctuating symptoms (some great days, some bad) and I am wondering if could be partially to do with heat. The patch is always covered by clothing but I cycle a lot wearing tight fitting shorts and I have noticed in the sun the shorts can get very hot and therefore the patch underneath will also be. Also on one occasion when I foolishly put a hot water bottle on my lap. It may be coincidental but the fluctuations seem to have occurred in the days following the heat exposure. Has anyone else experienced similar?

I am thinking of trying gel instead, somewhat reluctantly as I am a bit anxious the change from one to the other might cause more fluctuations as I get used to the new application method especially as it is early days in the use of hrt for me. I wondered if anyone has experienced it being problematic or has it been a relatively smooth transition? I know the idea is to trial one method for 3 months but what with the hot weather I just foresee this happening more if indeed the heat is affecting it.

Thank you so much for any thoughts on this. 

[joziel]

Hi Flossy

I've just switched from patches to gel. I was on 62.5 patch but my estrogen was only 198pmol on it and I had a lot of low estrogen symptoms. I'd been on patches for over a year, trying various things. In case absorption was an issue, I was switched to gel. I actually noticed a significant improvement in my symptoms just from 1 pump of gel. Even though that is supposed to equal only a 25mcg patch. It seemed to be doing way more than a 62.5 patch was for me!!

I'm now on 2 pumps of gel and waiting to see what happens. It's thought I will need more but we'll see.

Which is all to say, I don't know how far the comparisons hold because some of us absorb one way better than the other.

I was put on patches in the first place because I was told they provide a steady and constant supply of hormones which would be better for me and that the gel is a once-a-day thing which would lead to more peaks and troughs. But I'm doing way better on the gel IMO....

[Flossy]

Hi Joziel

Thank you for your reply, that is reassuring that you felt an improvement so quickly and interesting that you weren't absorbing well from the patch. I think I do as I have felt a lot better but it is quite up and down, they say it is more constant with the patch but I wonder if it is affected by heat and then it isn't constant. Were you advised to start on just one pump of gel even though you had been on 62.5 patch?

[joziel]

Flossy, yes I was told to start on 1 pump but then quickly moved to 2 pumps. I think just because if there are absorption problems, we can't reason that 1 pump = 25 and 2 pumps = 50 for me. It might not work like that.

[jadenatalie123]

Hey,

I have just switched from patches to gel as my patches kept sweating off with this new burst of heat were having! But, i did read something somewhere about heat and patches and to avoid baths, hot tubs etc because of something called 'patch dumping' i think it was called. or estrogen dumping. it said the heat makes the patch release more estrogen than usual. whether its true or not im not sure, but it made me weary x