HRT PATCH ALLERGY?

Hi Sheryl

thanks so much for replying.  I am not normally allergic to tape, latex etc so not sure.  To be honest it is the bruising that is bothering me but that may be to the scratching!  Am going to see my GP I think for an opinion x

Hi Maisie  thank you for replying.  Yes I change the site regularly.  In fact sometimes twice a week as the patches keep falling off!   Will give the baby oil a go when removing.  thanks for the tip 

I just realised your patches must be 7 day patches.  If so, ask your dr to change to 2 smaller patches a week, same strength, then you don't have to keep them on for 7 days, but only 3.5 days.

I had to change too.

 

Yes they are, and to be honest I am changing those twice a week too.  Will ask them about the other strength though thanks.  Have you tried tablets at all?

Never - transdermal is the safest form of hrt.  The other option is to chase up a compound chemist who makes oestradiol pellets for implant.  They are the best thing since slice bread.  You still need a dr's script to get it.

Your body takes only the oestrogen from the pellet that is needs at the time, and our body's rhythms and needs change during the day and night.  So it is happier to feed itself rather than getting a fixed amount at one time.

I went off them because all of a sudden the oestrogen was not working.  I thought perhaps I was given a pellet that was not good enough quality.  The compound chemist blamed my dr for not inserting it properly.

In the end it came down to the Ralovera/Provera progestin that my dr insisted I take (tablet form) because she considered me oestrogen dominant and progestin is an oestrogen antagonist thus reducing its affectiveness.

There is no such thing as oestrogen dominance for surgical menopause and I did not need it.  If the body requires more oestrogen to prevent symptoms of menopause (I was having night sweats and head sweats), then it is ok to have as much as it takes (according to a reseach professor of gynecology at Liecestershire) to reduce the symptoms of menopause.  I had nearly two years of this misery until I did some extensive searching and reading myself, then took this information to my dr.

So I stopped the progestin altogether and bingo, my oestrogen was working again.  So I am waiting to be sure, then I will order another oestrogen pellet for implant, and no more worries of rashes, peeling off, forgetting to replace the patch on time, the unsexy look, etc till the pellet runs out.  Once I feel the pellet getting weaker, I supplement with a patch or gel, until I can get another pellet.

Some women fear having something implanted (it is like a small tablet the size of a matchstick head) and I can feel it under the skin.  So if they think something can go wrong, it can easily be removed.

 

Hi Sheryl

thanks so much for all your helpful advice and information, I really appreciate it and am so glad you got the right hrt for you.  I may well consider the pellets if I need to.  Strangely I just got back from my GP.  The small round bruising all around the patch had turned into a dark red large bruise all around and the itching was a pain.  As I am not keen on tabs she has given me a months supply of the only other patch available which is Evorel Conti.  The progesterone is 170mcg as opposed to 7 mcg in the Fem 7 but she says it is a different type of progesterone, so basically it is suck it and see!  To say I am nervous is an understatement but it has to be done!  I did say I thought patches were better because if I dont like it I can just rip it off unlike tablets.  She told me that patches are slow release and so it takes longer to get out of your system whereas tabs are out in 24 hrs.  

Best wishes

xx

The patches are slow release but in my experience the effects run out in 3 days.  They do not last the 3.5 days for me at all.  If I do not replace it in time, I get a waves of depression or anxiety which is a signal to me that I have forgotten again.  If I left it, I would be sweating and irritable.

Tablets have their own problems which I am sure you have checked up on.  I use Estraderm MX oestradiol patches which are oestrogen only.  If your Evorel Conti does not work, you could try an oestradiol patch and the progesterone separate.  There is now a bio-identical progesterone called something like "Prometrin" available by script.

Good luck with your new script.

 

Hi Sheryl   well the tale goes on lol!  I got the prescription filled for the Evorel only to find the GP only prescribed for 1 per week instead of 2!  So am back today trying to sort that out.  She is trialling it for a month.  My leg is still sore bruised with dark red marks so she is being cautious.

Apparently the hospital have referred me to the Meno clinic but no appts till end October!

Thanks for the tip on Estraderm and Progesterone tabs, will look into that just in case.

Thank you for your help xx