what is the point of HRT? (Evorel patches)

[goldfinchonthelawn]

After a 5 minute telephone consultation with a GP I've never met because our surgery seems to have abandoned face to face since Covid, I've been prescribed Evorel patches. Chatted to friends who were horrified. Said I should have had blood tests, heart scan, bone density etc etc first. Don't even know whether what;s prescribed is what I need.

Then I read up about the patches and it seems they can cause irritability, mood swings, headaches, bleeding, acne, weight gain and more. I thought HRT was supposed to help with symptoms, not create them. I'm feeling very baffled and suspicious of stickiong on a patch that might make me even more anxious and ratty and under the weather than I already am.

Can anyone tell me their experience of Evorel patches

Everol patches are miraculous. I feel a million times better since starting on them. I didn't think my menopause symptoms were that bad but now I don't have them I realise just how white they were.
It's fantastic to have a body thermostat that actually works. I think I've been having hot flushes my whole life.
The main thing is not feeling tired all the time. Im so happy that I gave them a try

My Evorel 50 patches contain estradiol which is body identical.

I don't know what they'd have seen - that's their province. They know to look out for or check up on things. I don't. It felt odd to be prescribed something with such a cursory phone chat.

Thank you to all the women on here who have told me their positive experiences. I feel reassured by the good news stories but I am concerned when people don't seem to care if they even meet their GP before having drugs prescribed. It seems like a dangerous route to go down.

It’s great to hear that GPs are not sending women for unnecessary blood tests at last.

Of course get them if you have symptoms of disease but classic meno? What would they be looking for?

patches are great - the issue is stock at the moment as so popular! Also that they cost so much…

It was strange. I had two phone appointments two or three weeks apart and in the gap I had to take my own blood pressure and read some leaflets. GPS just don’t have the time they used to have. But thank goodness I am feeling better.

You can ask for a face to face if you are worried? But yes what physical signs do you think will show? I guess the GP trusted what a grown woman had to say which ia good news.

I was prescribed patches based on symptoms only by a lovely Dutch locum GP years ago, when most GPs would have fobbed me off. I’ve progressed through different forms of HRT over time (still get unpleasant symptoms if I stop) and still feel so grateful to that locum as she near enough saved my life at the time.

What’s wrong with a phone appointment? The doc you are talking to is as highly qualified as the one in an office.
I love the fact my consultant phones me, it saves an entire morning of travel , and the cost of getting to the hospital.

I was quite surprised at how readily it was given and the looseness of advice - I spoke to two HCP one said taking it forever seemed a good idea the other said not to.

They were both keen to subscribe easily, plus mention of Newson

They were both very pleasant generally so no criticism, just wondering how much marketing is playing a role

I guess the picture was different to what I expected given threads on here about reluctance

I appreciate the positive posts though as I have the patches already

Everol is life changing . Your GP has your full medical history in front of them during your consult . Though I see the practice nurse 6 months for blood pressure check aaa I take HRT so they may bring you in for that .

Interesting thread. Can anyone explain the difference between the patches and the gel?

I find I am better at talking to the gp on the phone. It's more direct and I don't feel rushed.

you would have to prise Everol patches from my cold dead hands before I give them up.

If I forget to change for a day I can feel symptoms creeping back - they are life changing.

I’m 44 and saw my GP as perimenopausal symptoms. Normal bloods but started on evorel. I’m 8 weeks in . Apart from a few weeks of breast tenderness I have had no problems . Better sleep and mood, better heat tolerance, reduced appetite , boobs fuller . Generally I feel a bit better.

Hi!

Both are body identical (not synthetic). Gel and spray tend to need to be applied daily. Patches generally applied twice a week. It's really down to preference and availability. Some women prefer gel as they have issues with the adhesive of patches on their skin.

I was given them 3 months ago. Based on my age (47) and lots of symptoms.

after 2.5 months i binned the last few patches.

i didn’t feel any better, and some days i wanted to kill my husband. Enough was enough. I had to come off them. They made me feel worse

That's a shame your doc could not do a review to look at balancing your hormones. Were you on the combi patches?

My appointment isn’t for another 2 weeks. Yes i was on the combi. Another relief is my boobs dont hurt.

remember when they aches when your milk came in? It was like that. I run, and I couldn’t run. It hurt so much

Is anyone who did have a good time with it on the combination?

I was on Everole 50mg conti (the ones with the progesterone patch two weeks a month) for the last 6 months till I took them off a week ago. I am 44 and possibly perimeopausal but equally possibly just suffered some random one off symptoms last year that mimicked peri menopause symptoms. Anyway, I felt very level on them and all seemed to be going well. Alongside this I have recently been put on a new drug for acne which works by blocking certain hormones and I have been feeling increasingly concerned that noone had really explored the fact I was on both. I didn't feel my possible symptoms were grave enough that staying on the patches was vital so I am having a period of time off them to see. On the patches I just couldn't lose a wobbly belly (I was 8st 6 and a size 8 so a bit of a belly was quite noticeable)... Within 2 days of coming off the patches I have lost 4lb and my belly is really looking lean again which had now made me really disinclined to go back on. (Call me shallow, certainly for bikini season I'm staying off!). However I don't feel as 'level' as I did on them so that's bothering me slightly. I'm wondering about trying a contraceptive pill instead.... One thing I really did want to try and address was lack of libido and I saw no improvement at all in this area in the 6 months I was on them.

I was prescribed evorel conti with a phone conversation aged 50. I was asked if I knew the risks.

It hasn’t got rid of my insomnia or brain fog but has stopped my hot flushes. I would find it hard to give up now.

I am concerned when people don't seem to care if they even meet their GP before having drugs prescribed. It seems like a dangerous route to go down

Why? Video/phone is fine for things like this (provided you have regular weight and BP checks with an HCA).

i got a basic blood pressure machine and now take mine at home myself - I send it to the GP when I need a reading.

All medication has risks. Read the leaflet that accompanies paracetamol or aspirin.
But that doesn't mean the benefits don't massively outweigh the risks.
There is a lot of misinformation about HRT so I wouldn't worry about what your friends are saying. If you have concerns talk to your doctor.

I feel the rage without HRT.
It's made me much calmer.