Estradot in short supply

[Pablova]

I started on Estradot patches in September for perimenopause, 37.5mg and utrogestan 200mg for 12 days monthly.
Estrodot increased to 50mg in December and I saw a really significant improvement by January.
Went to pick up repeat prescription on Monday and was given Evorel 50mg patches as Estradot is in short supply.

I don’t feel like the new patches are working, all my peri systems are back, exhaustion, headache, low mood, feeling weepy and irritable.

Separate to this my cycle was all over the place and by December appeared to be returning to a normal 28 day cycle due to the progesterone but this
month I seem to have missed a cycle and currently on day 42. Which is also day 9 of 12 of my progesterone cycle.

I’m gutted to be honest, feels like the change in brand has set me right back to last summer.
I’m due another review with the clinic that prescribed the Estradot this month and will discuss with Dr. but in meantime curious to hear has anyone else had this happen ?

Will it just take time to adjust to
change of brand or is it due to having missed this months period? both ? Arrrghhh really fed up tonight.

I've been using Estradot since late 2022, since September 23 they have been v v hard to get hold of due to manufacturing issues. I like them because they are smaller and the glue is easier to get off.

There are brands other than Evorel but it seems to be the one GPs default to.

I would also say that you are quite early in your HRT journey so (depending also what is going on with your peri menopause) all or any and all of the following are possible:

• Evorel isn't working quite as well
• overall levels haven't built to a level where you're more settled
• there are very significant fluctuations in the your natural hormone levels

It was 6-8 months before I started to feel more like myself again after starting HRT, but felt immediate relief on starting at a very low dose because I could sleep and because I could cope a bit better.

Thanks all,

I’ll give it another few days and see how I get on. Spent the weekend in a very low mood and irritable which the Estradot had definitely been making a big improvement on in last two months.

Still no period either so I guess that’s not helping.

Estradot is the only one that stays glued on for more than a day!!!

Yes! The Everol patches are really big and are not taut against the skin, and curling at the edges.

I've moved to the Sandrena gel sachets, as there never seem to be shortages.

^^ That's probably the kiss of death

I had to switch to Evorel because of the endless supply issues with Estrodot.
The bad news is that they're bigger and I definitely felt shit for a while after switching.
The good news is that it all settled down (I think we're sensitive to any change in the hormones even when in theory it should be exactly the same dose) and it's fine now. I miss the neat size of Estrodot but apart from that, no problems.