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[sheila99]

When my body contributes I have a normal bleed. When it's an hrt induced one I can get anything from nothing at all to approx 3/4 of a normal bleed (lighter and shorter) or anything in between. If yours is light it's most likely there has been little build up. It takes 3 months to get the full benefit so your mood swings may settle.

[PeriWhat?!]

It's good news about the sleeping. Makes you feel so much better overall doesn't it.

Ive just read your post re bleeding. Usually
the bleed is at the beginning of the new pack as it's the withdrawal of the progesterone which triggers a bleed. You will probably find this is what happens over the next few months and your cycle settles. I found the first two bleeds were quite crampy and painful but by month 3 it was much better.

Thanks for the updates. 

Taz x

That's really good to know, thanks Taz. Actually, that's a bit weird, because it started  before the end of the progestogen patches, but maybe things are just settling.
I'm never sure whether my updates are useful or not, but figure I'm always looking for people's experiences about my specific type HRT, so other people may be too.

When my body contributes I have a normal bleed. When it's an hrt induced one I can get anything from nothing at all to approx 3/4 of a normal bleed (lighter and shorter) or anything in between. If yours is light it's most likely there has been little build up. It takes 3 months to get the full benefit so your mood swings may settle.

That's really helpful, thanks Sheila99.

Four days into the first HRT patch 'bleed' and it's finally changed from gross brown lumps to proper red blood that flows. So something has been cranked into action, hasn't it?

Thanks for the advice re: mood swings, those and sleep are my main priorities that I hope to tackle with this treatment. Fingers crossed! xx

[Mogster71]

Hi PeriWhat?!

Great thread, thank you for sharing. I'm in the exact same spot as you, working through month 2 of Evorel sequi. I switched to this from Femoston 2/10, just trialling to see if patches suit better than the tablets as I was starting to get more headaches.

I think I noticed mood swings too, definitely in month 2. But like you say, there is so much going on in life that it's hard to pin it down to it being because of the HRT! Did you get any queasiness?I had this more in month 1 but it seems to have settled a bit in month 2. With Femoston my pack change day was a Thursday, and you could guarantee my bleed would start Friday night/Saturday morning. Proper full-on. So I was surprised to start a "weak" period on the Tuesday before as well...and you're right, it did seem to rev up a bit as the days went on, although I don't think it was as much as on Femoston. Hopefully it will settle down.

I'm glad to say that it has reduced the headaches, if I get them they are not quite as bad. It doesn't seem to control the dry "bits" as much as before, but I have a stock of Vagifem if need be.

I think the worst thing about the patches are the patches themselves? Not sure about you, but I am not always certain they feel very stuck, yet when it comes to removal - OW!! Picks up every bit of colour from your knickers so you have a horrid black sticky outline  I saw a tip about using oil to remove which is helping though.

Hope you're still feeling good x

[PeriWhat?!]

@Mogster71 that's great news about your headaches. I'm really interested to hear how you find the patches as you adjust to them.

Overall, I am still seeing improvements, thanks for asking - I'm halfway through month 2 now - and I'm hoping the mood swings will be next to be dealt with. Being able to identify them has helped me a lot, but they are still terrifyingly dark. I have to keep reminding myself that they can't be 'real', by which I mean permanent, because they are cyclical.

I don't think I have had any queasiness tbh.

And I know what you mean about the black residue from the patches! People say baby oil removes it, don't they? A make-up remover wipe seems to work as well.

[Mogster71]

Glad you're seeing improvements PeriWhat?!
It absolutely does help to be able to identify what is happening with moods...keeping a diary helps, I'm going to start that again. That way you can flick back a month and see if there's a pattern to it all...

Thanks for the tip about the make up wipe! I've been covering the patch with coconut oil and then rubbing the skin with the same, it does help. Someone suggested acetone but that doesn't sound quite as friendly!

Have a great Easter x

[Cookie25]

Hi Ladies

I've just started on these too, however my first one unstuck too soon.I'd had it on a lotion free bottom but in the shower this morning it came off. I've put the new one on my tummy near my hip.

Any tips on getting them to stick as well as yours obviously are?! Xxxxx

[Mogster71]

Hi Cookie

Ahhh good luck

I usually put mine on after a bath/shower, not straight away but after I've cooled and am completely dry. I hold my warm hand on it for a little bit as well once it has been applied. Not had one come off yet..mine go on either bum cheek or top of thigh.

Hope you get on ok xx

[PeriWhat?!]

Hi Cookie, perhaps try top of the thigh/side of bum where it won't crease up when you walk or stand up? I'm sure everyone's spot will be different! I've got it wrong once or twice and had to redo it.

[Cookie25]

Thank you ladies for your encouragement and tips. So far Friday's patch is still in place, so fingers crossed its there until Tuesday! Hard to know if I'm feeling any different yet. I'll keep you posted, but it'd be great to hear how you are all getting along in the meantime xxxxx

[PeriWhat?!]

That's good then, Cookie! Just a thought, you're probably already aware of this and have placed your patch accordingly, but I've just realised you said yours was on your tummy near your hip - according to the leaflet it needs to be put below the waist.

I'm not sure I know why, tbh, but thought I should mention it. x

[PeriWhat?!]

I really hope these patches help with my anxiety at some point. It's felt very bad in the past few weeks, to the point where I can't even get my work done, and I just stare at my screen and get increasingly anxious about doing the actual work that I know I'm more than capable of doing! I've always been a bit of procrastinator (hello, online forums...), but it's getting ridiculous.
The patches are helping my sleep though, so hopefully once I get used to getting proper sleep again the anxiety levels might drop. Shame about all the deadlines I've missed and clients I've potentially pissed off in the meantime. This is not normally me!

[Cookie25]

That's good then, Cookie! Just a thought, you're probably already aware of this and have placed your patch accordingly, but I've just realised you said yours was on your tummy near your hip - according to the leaflet it needs to be put below the waist.

I'm not sure I know why, tbh, but thought I should mention it. x

Thanks PeriWhat?!

Yes it is well below my waist. Sorry I'm maybe not good at describing my body but I am trying to pick spots according to the leaflet.

I am due to change patch tomorrow so fingers crossed the next one sticks as well as this one did.

Any suggestions when I might get an inclination whether I feel any different? X

[PeriWhat?!]

I think it's a slow process. I realised my hot sweats/night sweats has stopped fairly quickly, took me a bit longer to realise I was starting to sleep a bit better. I'm hoping it's going to keep improving.

[Mogster71]

Well I spoke too soon on the headaches, just spent most of Easter weekend alternating paracetamol and aspirin like a boss.....  GP phoned yesterday and he's keen for me to continue the trial for the whole 3 months because I have felt different both months so far. We think my headaches are possibly caused by the fluctuations in progesterone; when it starts and stops with the HRT (and of course, in peri, with my own partying hormones). I moved to the progesterone part of the pack last Thursday so it would figure. Today I feel better but I do have what I describe as a "fizzy" head. Like I'm wired and almost a pins and needles feeling in my face.

Month 3 everything could fall into place. I'm motivated by Taz in that things settled for her after a couple of months. We have to have hope, right??

Glad to hear you managed to keep the patch on Cookie! Have you started to feel anything changing for you?

Periwhat, sorry you're feeling anxious. I hope it soon passes and you feel some benefits from your extra sleep x

[PeriWhat?!]

Oh no, the headaches sound awful Mogster71. I reckon it's worth keeping a diary of symptoms to tell the GP when they check in. I've been using the Balance app, which is dead easy and can produce a chart you can show your GP but I still forget to fill it in every day.