Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: donnacrichton on August 06, 2014, 04:06:30 PM
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Hi I am sorry but looking for some advice again :'( previously I have gone from 4mg Estradot to femseven patches 50. The switch was a bit hard but coped and was feeling hopeful. Two days into patches and all my bleeding had stopped and still is hooray at last. Everything was ticking along until Saturday when I started noticing a rise in symptoms again. Went to the bathroom and checked the patch which had started to peel off. Not sure when that had started. Went home and read instructions which said apply new patch. Did that on other side of buttock as not to apply to same area. A couple of hours later felt something jaggy. On checking patch it had completely srunched up. Went home asap and applied another patch but put it on stomach so i could check that it was still in place. I new I would get a rough couple of days until it kicked in again. I am now back having painful breasts tingling back and tearyness. I have heard you get better absorbtion on buttock and don't know it is rougher as have applied patch to tummy. Does anyone have any advice to keep these in place. I had waited until was dry then held down for 30 seconds. Gratefull AGAIN for any advice would be lost without the support x
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Not settling but seems mostly to be anxiety. Will this settle with time? Only started femseven 10 days ago. It started really well but not sure if I still had tablet form in my body. Trying hard to just accept it is only anxiety doing cbt and mindfulness but struggling. :(
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Hi Donna - Femseven is notorious for not sticking. It's a real pain as the product is usually good. I find that I get sore breasts when I start it so not sure whether your sore breasts are because of the patch or not. The manufacturers deny there is a problem but so many comments have been made on here that we know that's not true! I used to put mine on the top of the buttock holding it in place for a full two minutes with a really warm palm. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. The hormone is in the adhesive so if it's not sticking properly to your skin then you may not be receiving the full amount of hormone.
As for the anxiety - I'm not sure whether you are on the sequi or the conti patch? The conti patches can sometimes lead to a feeling of anxiety but it's worth persevering for the three months to find out if this HRT will suit you. Anxiety is such a horrible feeling.
Taz x
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I was coping fine then symptoms started knew to check patch as i was on a different one and that's why I came off it. Specialist said femseven stuck better.I am estrogen only as have the coil. Its so disappointing as bleeding stopped and adgitation all cleared in 3 days. I know I am being irrational with time scale. Been off work for summer holidays and due to return. I can usually talk myself out of anxiety and gi places I know will test me. Just can't seem to shrug it off. I am hoping it bas just a dip in the estrogen when patches came off as don't know how long they were off.Thank you for the reply so many stories in here I am very lucky x
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Hi donnacrichton
I'm not clear about what you were on before the Femseven - you said it was Estradot 4 mg but Estradot is a patch so doesn't come as 4 mg and then later you say you thought you still had tablet HRT in your body? Perhaps you were on Elleste?
Anyway all I want to say is that Estradot (which is patch HRT) is very good at sticking and is changed twice a week so no worries if it comes a bit unstuck as it's soon time to change. They are very small and as you don't have to worry about the progestgoen because you are on the coil I would highly recommend these if you find you don't get on with the Femseven.
Also if you were on 4 mg tablet this would be a high dose and even though more oestrogen is absorbed from patches changing to a 50 mcg patch may well cause a resumption in symptoms, aside from the sticking problem.
I would find a patch that sticks well - and if the doc says 50 mcg - stay with it for a couple of months but if your symptoms return then you may need a higher dose eg 75 mcg.
I've always applied them to my buttock cheek (alternately) - out of the way of elastic and jeans waistband and they are mostly fine
Hurdity x
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I find Femseven sticks best if you put a patch on before you shower so that your skin is completely dry. It also seems to help if you make sure you're nice and warm (say when you first get out of bed) so that the patch is sandwiched between a warm bum/tum/thigh and a warm hand when you first put it on. Seems to need holding in place for a minute or so. I find that it then welds itself to me! Toodlepip.
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Hi everybody, finally got my GP to prescribe Patch HRT and have been on Femseven sequi now for 10 days. I maybe being over optomistic but I do feel it is really helping. My problem is the same as many other posters on here and that is getting the patch to stay on for seven days. I have taken to putting plasters all way round which means it stays on even if not completely flat but what I wonder is if this is okay? Any advice would be gratefully received. :-\
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Hi katem
Glad you are feeling better! I don't use Femseven, but it isn't usually recommended to do this! It's important that all the patch is in contact with the skin to get maximum absorption of hormones. if you stick it down with something else, it can come unstuck in the middle and then the dosage drops.
Someone on here once recommended a special type of clear tape to put over all of the patch but cant remember who or what - and still not sure whether this would be adviseable!
Hopefully someone else will be along soon!
Hurdity x
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Hurdity is right katem. The hormones are contained in the actual adhesive and need to be stuck down onto the skin to be released into the blood stream. It's a question that's been asked lots of times about Femseven. You do need to follow the instructions exactly on how to apply it - although I used to hold mine down really tightly with a warm palm for at least two minutes and I'm not sure whether they say less than this in the leaflet? I also found that if I brushed my hand over it while in the bath it would float off. A couple of times when this happened I put the patch to dry out and it then restuck quite well!
Taz x
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Been on femseven for about 10 days starting to feel more human. Unfortunately I have taken a reaction to the patch my bottom looks like I have been scalded. Waiting on consultant again
Was thinking of requesting gel. Gutted it helps but going to need to change
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Tagaderm is the clear stuff you can put over your patch - it works fab and stops those marks you get with patches.
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I am now getting fair bit of relief from femseven but allergic to patch could I still use it then treat area with cream alternate weeks ? Reluctant to change as best relief in months
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Completely gutted femseven was great with relief of symptoms no bleeding either. Unfortunately I am allergic to patch and also tacderm. Been put back in Estradot 100. Body in shock again burninng all the time just like before you have a flush then having about 2 an hour. Feeling the tears all day at work and really sore breasts. I an taking evening primrose oil recommended by consultant. Is there anything i can do or take to help system settle a bit?
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Hi
Changed from Evorel to Femseven patches recently and was dreading it, as I was going on holiday with lots of swimming in the pool. Despite holding the patch with a warm palm for the recommended time, I did struggle with keeping them on and had to resort to using strips of waterproof plasters to hold them in place. Not a good look when some of the ends hang out of your bikini bottoms! Why oh why can the manufacturer not take on board that either changing these patches each week is too long or the adhesive is just not man enough for the job >:(?
I have now had to use the fourth week patch a little earlier and I am wondering if it will last a week and 3 days or if I should put a new one on for just 3 days?
Marshall
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Hi everyone. Now on my 9th week of patches and the problems with making them stick have continued. So, i got a repeat prescription from the docs and i now tend to replace my patches every three or four days rather than every seven days. I want to continue with the patches for at least 12 weeks to see if they are best way of dealing with my menopause problems, so far its been really very positive and I am hoping that things continue to improve. I have tried to get tagiderm but neither boots or superdrug sell it and I don,t agree with dealing with Amazon. So, this is where I am at the moment and will keep posting as time goes on just in case this helps anyone else. Keep positive cos whats the alternative?
Katem
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Hi, I've had been on Femseven Conti for 10 years and apart from the problem that they don't always stay stuck they have been brilliant and transformed my life. However, for the past 5 months none of the local pharmacies have been able to obtain it - I've even tried ringing other pharmicies around the country and they all say they are unable to get it. So for the past 5 months I've been on Evorel Conti and the side effects - headaches, feeling sick, unable to sleep etc. have become unbearable so reluctantly I'm thinking of coming off HRT. PLEASE HELP - it seems quite a few of you ladies are currently unsing Femseven - where do you get yours from?
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Hopefully someone will be along who uses this but if you can't get hold of it you don't need to come off HRT! There are other alternatives.
You can use oestrogen only patches and a seperate progestogen. The various types are listed in the menu on the left. There are Femseven 50 mcg oestrogen only patches - the same dose as the ones you were on
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.php
The progestogens are listed here:
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.php
There are only two - a synthetic one, provera and the bio-identical Utrogestan ( micronised progesterone. Alternatively you could try a Mirena coil which delivers progestogen directly to the womb with very little absorption into the system. This contains the same progestogen as in the Femseven conti.
Hope you manage to locate some Femseven soon!
Hurdity x
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Hi katem
I got tegaderm waterproof dressing from ebay
Hope that helps
WA
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Hi I got it from my local chemist worth a try it worked quite well unfortunately I had an allergy to it x
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Hi ladies, I have discovered the patches stick better when applied just inside the hip bone area. They also don't seem to snag on underwear in this position. You def need to keep a warm palm on them when first sticking them on too.
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My grateful thanks to 'Hurdity' for all the information. I feel I probably know more about hrt treatment than my doctor does now! If I can't get hold of the Femseven patches I'll go back to my gp armed with your info. Many thanks.
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Getting really frustrated once again with these Femseven patches. Gone is the pleasure of lolling in the bath >:( In desperation, I have been looking around the internet for best priced Tagaderm 6 x 7 film patches to stick over them, or it is going to cost a fortune in repeat prescriptions keep replacing them before the week is out. Femseven......if your listening, sort out your adhesion or make the patch be changed ever 2-3 days - suspect this is falling on deaf ears!
I was sitting on the sofa at the weekend and felt the old anxiety creeping back, so checked patch and it had gone. Had to laugh ;D or I would have cried :'(. Believe it must have rolled off with the first sign of winter and the 60 denier coming back out.
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hi marsha
just wanted to let you know that I have tried a number of hrt with no success, at the moment I am on femseven conti and mine wont stick. I feel great on days one and two then the patch seems to go hard and I can feel it losing contact with the skin by day four I am usually in a state of anxiety and sweats are so bad that the patch just drops off. The longest I have kept one on is five days but I am a jittering mess, I have been told I have to persist for three months I have also used estraderm patches in the past which stuck well but they are supposed to be changed twice a week but I could not tolerate utrogestran
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Hi ladies - I'm just about to start changing to Oestrogel for this very reason. I couldn't get the patches to stay on, wherever I put them. I'm fairly active walking my dog for two hours a day and the patches always seemed to life at the edges or come off completely. Just been prescribed Oestrogel as an alternative so going to try that next week once I've used the last of the Estradot patches.
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Thanks Welshangel, I am going to try and get some Tagederm off ebay. In the meantime I am persevering with the very user unfriendly patches as best I can because I really do believe they are working!!!!!! :) I agree with some of our other posters about manufacturers ignoring our problems because they know we have very little alternatives and because the dreadful bloody menopause(no pun intended) drives us to desperation and beyond. The only thing that makes it bearable, is knowing I am not alone, so thank you once again to all my fellow sufferers. :-*