HRT gel - has anyone swapped to patches?

[Firefly45]

Ive been using gel for about a year. 4 pumps.
Its been great for about 10 months and now it feels like maybe it's not working anymore.

I am so angry and ratty and emotional and tired and headaches and achey and zero libido. Its horrible. My family all commenting on me being grumpy and angry. Im not a grumpy person.

My friend said sometimes the gel stops being absorbed so switch to patches.

I hate idea of patches. Think they look awful and I do a lot of swimming but im so fed up.

Just wondered if anyone had had any experience of this?

I'm about to start on the spray. Have you tried that?

Watching as I’m finding it isn’t absorbed as well as it was and considering patches.

I love patches as you only have to change them 2x a week. I do a lot of swimming and have no issues with them. Stick them on your bum then you can't see them!

Love the patches ! Super quick and easy. Cured my hot flushes

That said, some patches did come off when swimming. Estradot, which I am on, is tiny and has great adhesive

Stick patch on your bum
Swim daily, never had one fall off
How often do you have your bum out to say they look awful 😅

Did anyone find the patches better than the gel?

Yes, got loads better. I've put them on and forget about it and much easier if you travel.

I started on patches two years ago, they worked well for about a year, then I felt really emotional and also annoyed with the marks the adhesive left. I switched to gel, which worked really well for about six months, then changed back to patches. (All the same dose). I’m getting on well with the patches again- so it’s probably worth a try.

Estradot when I asked for them was really hard to find because the factory was something or something. But the regular size ones are fine and unless you have your bum out all the time who cares? If you're having sex, just take it off.

I was on the patches before, I did hate that they left sticky residue on my skin on the odd occasion I did have one or two fall off before they were suppose to.
I then had coil fitted and was switched over to the gel and I hate the gel I’m finding it’s not helping me at all that and it’s a pain having to remember to put it on every day I thought it would be better but now I wish I was still on the patches I’ve got appointment with GP next week so will ask to go back onto the patches.
My mood has not changed and seems to be getting worse and I don’t feel myself so hopefully going back onto the patches will help again.

Also I preferred how less messy the patches are for applying compared to the gel I’m so paranoid about getting it on stuff that my children will accidently touch or pets.

I had to swap from the patches to the gel. The patches worked better and were much more much easier to use. I also swim lots just put them on my bum cheeks.

I was using estradot patches , never tried the gel , I didn’t find the patches much good after 1.5 years on them .
I switched to lenzetto spray , it was a game changer for me .

You should try lenzetto spray PP .
I was switched from Patches to spray .
The spray really improved how I was feeling, like you I wasn’t feeling myself either .

I've also just been switched to gel from patches after a coil change and want to go back. I'm on 2 pumps which I'm finding a pain. Patches were so easy in comparison (and easier to take on holiday!). Slap them on your butt cheek and forget for a few days.

I was on the gel for 3 months and have just swapped to patches, haven’t had any problems at all. I was sceptical that it would stay put for a whole week but it’s survived baths, showers and going swimming with my grandson and quite a vigorous bout of conjugal relations! I put it right in the middle of my bum cheek and it was covered by my cossie.

I can’t use the gel as I’m sensitive to the alcohol in them. The patches stick on really well but I would have break through bleeds regularly. I now have estrogen tablets daily, best thing I ever did, they have saved my sanity, along with testosterone, 😝

I was the other way round swapped from patch to gel. I was so fed up of being covered in black sticky residue and having sore skin trying to scrub it or pick it off. Gel suits me much better. Pop it on whilst brushing my teeth and taking make up off and its dry by the time i get into bed. Seems to be absorbed just as well for
me if not better.

I'm on patches now as forgot to apply the gel half the time, it's a small square clear patch that you stick on thought or bum cheek, no problem with it coming off and I like a bath every day, so much less faffing, change 2 per week, I'm hoping to benefit more than I did the gel which I didn't find did much for me.

I switched from tablets to patches. Find them ok but have recently heard I shouldn't wear them in the sauna and I do enjoy 20 mins in sauna 3x week. What to do??!

Take them off?

I don't know what brand you lot are using to be covered in black sticky residue

I was allergic to the patches' adhesive. But, that's not the only reason I wouldn't recommend swapping, it's more likely that your dosage needs tweaking, something that is far easier to do with a gel/cream than a patch.

During my time on HRT, the levels of each individual hormones needed tweaking several times, often at different points from each other, over the years I used it. Go back to whomever is prescribing and talk about changing your dosage.

Estradot
And if you want to wear black pants/ jeans forget it !