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Menopause

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Gel sachets - can I use half?

2 replies

Summerhillsquare · 10/03/2022 18:16

Sorry for the daft question but am on my last nerve with the GP - again.

Switched to Sandrena plus Utrogestan a few weeks ago, from Elleste 2mg, but they prescribed 4 months worth of the latter and only 4 weeks of gel at 1mg sachet per day. Symptoms returned even stronger and I was already struggling.

Getting an appointment is a nightmare, and they won't put anything on repeat prescription. When I finally got to speak to the nurse just as my sachets ran out she says they prescribe a pump bottle instead and I can go up to 1.5mg per day. When I pick up the prescription lo and behold it's another 28 sachets of 1mg gel.

So, can I open one and use half at a time? Does it decay once opened and left overnight? Shall I stop pissing about and use two? And spend my life continually begging for prescriptions...

OP posts:
JinglingHellsBells · 11/03/2022 09:31

Gel is alcohol based. You won't do any actual harm by using half a sachet BUT I think you'd need to fasten it somehow, or the alcohol will evaporate and then it will be harder to apply/ and be absorbed.

BUT if you were using 2mgs of tablets, why aren't you going straight into 2 mgs gel?

I think some of these nurses talk rubbish half the time,

Really, if you were on 2mgs before, why not 2mgs now? With gel in a pump bottle, 2 pumps= 1.5mgs. To get it to 2mgs, you'd need 2 pumps and a little bit more. With Sandrena, you can go straight to 2mcgs using 2 sachets.

problem, solved.

Summerhillsquare · 11/03/2022 19:56

That's a good point about the alcohol being likely to evaporate.

I have seen that the equivalent dose is less on the gel, although not being a clinical person IDK why, presumably something to do with bypassing the digestive system:

www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=46933.0

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