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[DCBH46]

Hi, really hoping for some advice as finding personal Healthcare not particularly helpful or quick to support. I started HRT in March this year and began on 200mg of Progesterone cyclical for 12 days a month plus 2 pumps of 750mg, so total of 1500mg a day. I wanted to increase my dosage due to continuous fatigue and constant tiredness plus low mood. Also wanted to change from gel to patch. However I was then given Estraderm MX50 patch to change twice a week. Now I’m no mathematician but that does not sound like the same equivalent dose I was on using the gel🤔.
So I’ve now been on the patch for about 2/3 weeks and my original/classic symptoms have returned and the tiredness is unbearable. I’ve got to wait 3 weeks to see a doctor (even though they may have given me a lower dose).
So my question is can I use 2 patches at once, so 100mg and then still change it once a week and still be okay to take 200mg of progesterone cyclically?!
I hope someone may be able to help.
Thanks DCBH

[sheila99]

200mg utro is good for 100mcg patch or 4 pumps gel. 2 pumps gel should be equivalent to a 50 patch though of course you may absorb differently so end up with a different dose. I absorb next to nothing from estraderm, 2x100 and still had symptoms. If it's the same for you I'd ask for a different type of patch, perhaps evorel as there are still supply problems for estradot. Don't know if it's a typo but estraderm should be changed twice a week. Normally it would be a mistake to double your dose as it's too big and increase but for estraderm perhaps it's different.

[DCBH46]

Hi Sheila99, thanks so much for getting back to me. So in summary I have been given the correct equivalent but I may not absorb like the gel did?
In terms of changing the patch I believed twice was Monday and Friday for example?! So that’s what I have been doing, perhaps I need to give evorel a try or return to the gel then🤷‍♀️. And finally what do you mean by the final part about doubling the dose would be too high? I thought some patches were 100mg in total?!
Thanks again
DCBH

[sheila99]

Yes, in theory it's an equivalent dose. Changing it twice a week is correct and you say so at the beginning, then later you say 'so 100mg and then still change it once a week ' so I was just checking. Normally if you were on a 50 patch you'd increase it to 75 and only go to 100 if this wasn't enough. Some symptoms such as anxiety can be caused by both too much and too little oestrogen and increasing slowly means you don't miss the sweet spot. Some patches are indeed 100 but if you find one you absorb better you may not need this much. I find I absorb best from estradot, gel and evorel are the same and estraderm next to nothing but we're all different and you may have a different experience. Estraderm 100 are 7x7 cm and a couldn't find a patch of skin that big that didn't move when I bend, I think they're the biggest. So the advice would be to increase to 75 though if it was me I'd be tempted to put 2 patches on as that might give you the equivalent of 3 pumps gel which is probably the right dose for you if you'd stayed on gel.