AIBU to go back to the GP yet again for HRT medication?

[Sam9769]

HI,

I would appreciate your views and advice on this please.

I was given 50mg estradiol patches by my GP to relieve the effects of the menopause, mainly having a very short fuse especially when dealing with my husband! She increased the dose to 75mg and this seemed to work well until I developed nasty rashes from the patches.
She then gave me a gel but that was too messy and far less convenient than the patches as it had to be applied daily.
She has now given me 75mg of estradot which I have been using for about 6 weeks but I haven't seen a noticeable difference when using these. They don't seem very effective. I still feel that I have a very low frustration threshold and am liable to fly off the handle at something that in the past would have irritated/frustrated me but not bothered me that much.

AIBU to go back to the GP again or should I just put up with the effects of the menopause as part of life?

I would put up with the inconvenience of gel if that relieve the symptoms of the menopause well. Surely that's a small inconvenience in comparison.

TBH I wasn't on the gel long enough to know if it worked but I take your point. Thank you for posting.

Is the gel the kind you rub on your skin or put in your vagina? I’ve been on Oestrogel that I rub into the inside of my thighs when I’m putting my pjs on at night. I also take oral progesterone for uterine protection. The gel does take a minute or two to absorb into my skin but it really isn’t messy at all. Works a treat!!!

I do the gel as part of my morning routine now and it's not an inconvenience at all, just slots in with the rest. Brush teeth, gel, brush hair, get dressed, etc.

You're not unreasonable to go back!

There's also a menopause topic here on MN, just in case you didn't know. Lots of helpful advice and information.

Is edtradot the small patch? If so, I have found that less effective than the other patches.

There are loads of different oestrogen patches (I seem to get a different brand every time) so it's worth trying a different one. Unless your GP has specified a specific brand and not to substitute, your pharmacist should be able to give you a different brand next time you collect your prescription.

On an aside, are you also taking progesterone? If you still have a uterus, you should be taking both.

There are different sorts of gel too. I find the Sandrena sachets (my username demonstrates my enthusiastic use of these) dries much faster than the Oestrogel did. It also seems more concentrated so each dose is less gel - but I that perhaps depends on your personal dosage.

I use the gel and don't find it inconvenient at all. It's just another step in my morning shower routine. Dry legs, put gel on and dry rest of body. By the time I'm ready fo get dressed the gel is dry.

Took at least 10 wks before I felt the benefit of HRT. Maybe just need to give it time .

Not unreasonable to go back if it's not working but I'd probably leave it a little longer to be sure. I don't know if there is any logic to this but if you're chopping and changing all the time, it may take a bit of time to settle.

I’ve been prescribed the spray, Lenzetto. Is that an option for you? You get a little applicator and the only thing is you have to wait a minute for it to dry before you get dressed. I hate stickers / sticky things, so the doctor gave me this instead.

Thank you for all your posts.
Having read the posts, I have decided to go back on the Oestrogel and see how it goes.

Thank you again.

Sam.

I'd go back. I was on 150mg patches and then moved to tablets which eleviated a lot of my symptoms immediately.