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[pepperminty]

My stress levels have hit the roof,

my surgery has sent a text stating they have changed my vaginal estrogen cream from 0.01%  to 1% because it is cheaper and clinically interchangeable !!. Apparently all estrogen is the same obviously!  . In which case lets only have 1 product as they all work the same with every woman!

I can't use 1% as it causes a reaction and it is 10x the strength.  This is so stressful. Last time they did this with  the vagifem and it took many phone calls and emails and finally an appointment to get it back. I have an email from the meno clinic saying what i need. It took about 4 weeks and a lot of worry last time.

Sorry for the rant.

PMXX

[bombsh3ll]

That's rubbish - something 10 x  stronger is not clinically interchangeable.

As they would quickly find out if they switched everyone the other way.

I hope you manage to get it sorted quickly. These changes are often computer generated and may not necessarily have passed a set of human eyes, or at least not anyone medically trained.

In the meantime is there a moisturiser or other product you tolerate, that you can dilute it in 10:1? The pharmacy may be able to advise here, if it takes some time to get your original treatment reinstated.

[CLKD]

    tell them that the cheaper version makes you ill, I had to do this when prescribed cheaper ADs earlier this year. 

[Dramy3]

My stress levels have hit the roof,

my surgery has sent a text stating they have changed my vaginal estrogen cream from 0.01%  to 1% because it is cheaper and clinically interchangeable !!. Apparently all estrogen is the same obviously!  . In which case lets only have 1 product as they all work the same with every woman!

I can't use 1% as it causes a reaction and it is 10x the strength.  This is so stressful. Last time they did this with  the vagifem and it took many phone calls and emails and finally an appointment to get it back. I have an email from the meno clinic saying what i need. It took about 4 weeks and a lot of worry last time.

Sorry for the rant.

PMXX

You can buy it online if you’re running low. Enough to tide you over until the surgery sorts you out. Takes the pressure off a bit.

[Penguin]

Hi
No advice unfortunately but wondering does your new one say 1mg/g as I have just been given this and trying to work out if it is the high dose or low dose, as I really wanted to start with the low dose.
Thanks
Penguin

[pepperminty]

Thanks Ladies for the solidarity, x

I spoke to a really nice receptionist , who stated that she felt it wasn't right or fair that the pharmacy change things like this without consultation as it can really effect people!  She said they wouldn't change other meds like this so why one that effects women! Apparently all the lady receptionists were with me on this one! I told her I was really impressed and thanked her for her support. She said she would message the GP.
This creates more work for everyone.

To answer your question penquin- the low dose is  .01% in a big white and green tube. It has a totally different composition to the stronger and contains peanut oil. Anyway I suspect that it may take a while and a further appointment to get it back on my repeat prescriptions. We shall see. Luckily i always order on time , so have enough to last until they sort it. But that is not the point - they shouldn't do that with a totally different product.
No doubt it was a man who changed it.  or someone without  a menopausal vagina.

PMxx

[bombsh3ll]

It's all a low dose penguin, it's minuscule and not systemically absorbed in any meaningful amount.

If you are just starting it, the 1% is standard and I would normally say anything below this really isn't worth bothering with, however I believe pepperminty had a reaction to the 1% product hence turned to blissel as an alternative.

As we all produced estriol as fetuses, and those of us who have been pregnant have had it in our system at high levels then too, it is difficult to see how the estriol itself could cause irritation - it is likely to be one of the other ingredients.

[Ayesha]

There are a lot of women that can't tolerate the 'high' dose as miniscule as it is which is another kick in the teeth trying to fight a vile condition.
I'm afraid I use as much as is needed but how lucky I am I'm not allergic to any of the ingredients. I will be buying extra Estriol and possibly Vagifem online as I don't want any interference from GP's telling me no I can't have, too old to bother either way what they think, quality of life while I still have one!

[pepperminty]

It's all a low dose penguin, it's minuscule and not systemically absorbed in any meaningful amount.

If you are just starting it, the 1% is standard and I would normally say anything below this really isn't worth bothering with, however I believe pepperminty had a reaction to the 1% product hence turned to blissel as an alternative.

As we all produced estriol as fetuses, and those of us who have been pregnant have had it in our system at high levels then too, it is difficult to see how the estriol itself could cause irritation - it is likely to be one of the other ingredients.

Agreed it is a miniscule amount 0.01%  (Estriol in the large Green and white tube )but used daily and liberally around the vulval tissue ( gynae approved) it takes about 6 months for improvement  but has restored the area back to it's former glory.  Lots of ladies have skin conditions down there , red raw , sore , due to drying and thinness and anything sets them off down there. So my advice is start pea size of the lower dose  one if needed- not daily if your worried. And increase the dosage slowly until you are using a good amount all around daily .  I use vagifem as well, but that just does the inside. We are all different .

PMxx

[MillieMoo10]

Terrible pepperminty !  I recently started on Estriol cream 1mg as I was clueless at the time about different doses and noticed after about a month of using it I was getting palpitations - stopped the cream and 4-5 days later these stopped so it definitely gets into your system to some degree (I know I'm sensitive to Oestrogen).  I went back to the doctor (after researching on here) and asked for the 0.01% and he said its the same dosing as the 1mg because of the amount you put in with the applicator but I explained I wasn't using it internally (got Vagifem for that) only externally so therefore a pea sized amount of the 1mg was a higher dose than a pea sized amount of the 0.01% - anyway he changed it thank goodness.  As CLKD said you have to really enforce the problems the 1mg is giving you and they should change it back. Good luck

[pepperminty]

Terrible pepperminty !  I recently started on Estriol cream 1mg as I was clueless at the time about different doses and noticed after about a month of using it I was getting palpitations - stopped the cream and 4-5 days later these stopped so it definitely gets into your system to some degree (I know I'm sensitive to Oestrogen).  I went back to the doctor (after researching on here) and asked for the 0.01% and he said its the same dosing as the 1mg because of the amount you put in with the applicator but I explained I wasn't using it internally (got Vagifem for that) only externally so therefore a pea sized amount of the 1mg was a higher dose than a pea sized amount of the 0.01% - anyway he changed it thank goodness.  As CLKD said you have to really enforce the problems the 1mg is giving you and they should change it back. Good luck

It is the inequality and ignorance between women's health care and men's. ( another area of example is the treatment of UTI's).
 The estrogen creams also have completely different ingredients. The vulva is a very delicate and temperamental area of skin . Unless the ingredients are exactly the same they not identical. 

The active substance of Ovestin cream is estriol. 1 gram of Ovestin cream contains 1 mg of estriol. The other ingredients are octyldodecanol, cetyl palmitate, glycerol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, sorbitan stearate, lactic acid, chlorhexidine dihydrochloride, sodium hydroxide and purified water.

The ingredients in 0.01% estriol vaginal cream include:
Estriol, the active ingredient
Benzoic acid
Arachis oil (peanut oil)
Glyceryl monostearate
Glycerin
Glutamic acid
Purified water

I rest my case    PMXX