Amazing tip for HRT patch irritation

[HermioneWeasley]

After 18 months on Evorel sequi I developed an irritation to the patches (presumably the adhesive). GP suggested spraying the area with asthma inhaler before applying the patch (brown old school aerosol one, she prescribed it) and it works! I do 3 or 4 sprays on the skin and then apply.

Depends on having an asthma inhaler!

That's interesting thanks, I've started getting really bad irritation with them.

will remember this!

Try switching to gel?

My GP prescribed the inhaler

Yes but most of us on hrt patches aren’t prescribed inhalers!

Her GP prescribed the inhaler for the patch.

Thanks for the tip! I have outlines of squares everywhere on my thighs. I’d actually made an appt to look at non-patch solutions but I’ll try this on my next one to see if it works for me!

For asthma or hrt patches?

if the latter, thank you and I’m going to contact go tomorrow!!

Where do you all stick yours?

I alternate butt cheeks

to use with the patches - it was her suggestion

What a waste of an inhaler. There must be better alternatives than that. Not only a waste of medication but all that plastic as well.

i too have outlines of patches sheets all over me and feel embarrassed when i go swimming every week!

The black marks come off with an oily eye makeup remover (I use the Nivea one for waterproof makeup)

Op, you are an asthmatic. Hence being prescribed an inhaler.

Women on HRT patches who aren’t asthmatic won’t be prescribed inhalers to treat irritation.

and the Op is prescribed inhalers for asthma because I’ve been on lots of threads as a fellow sufferer with the Op talking about her asthma!

People talking about the black squares around the patches - that's not irritation! That's just fluff stuck to the glue. An inhaler isn't going to stop that . Please don't go asking to be prescribed an inhaler to avoid glue marks (which can be removed using oil as pps have suggested).

Just wipe with baby oil and it comes off. It’s easy.

That’s not what the OP is talking about. She’s having a reaction to the adhesive. I get the same thing with some bandages or plasters, it’s an allergic reaction.

I’m on the Estraderm patches which are much larger sized after Estradot have had such severe shortages. I’m really suffering from raw itchy spotty skin under any of these oestrogen patches and from losing the whole top layer of my skin every time I take off these patches. I can't use gel for different reasons.

So I can really understand the desperation to take away the skin irritation. But there’s got to be something better that a GP can provide than using an expensive asthma inhaler on a skin problem.

Why? It's NOT to prevent unsightly sticky lines, it's to dampen down the irritation/reaction she's getting in relation to the adhesive. (I get this whenever I have to use a sticking plaster on one area for more than a few days, so I'm glad I'm not on patches!) In other words, using a medication (albeit off license) to treat a symptom.

I’ve switched to patches after gel (everol) and the itching is driving me mad. I really want to make the patches work as gel is so impractical (applied every day, the long wait for it to absorb/dry), especially as I camp a lot and I’m going away soon on a trek which is mountains and desert, staying in tents.

But I also get a reaction to ECG stickers, so worried this might happen.

Brown inhalers are steroids aren't they? So you could probably get the same effect by using a mild hydrocortisone cream before applying (let it fully dry so it doesn't stop the patch sticking).

But you have asthma! A dr isn't going to prescribe an inhaler unless you have asthma 🙄

I suppose a kind friend may let you try their inhaler on your thigh or tummy or whatever (Perhaos not your bum cheek though lol) to see if it works? I don’t think my gp would prescribe an inhaler for me if I used patches thought my mum has one…

I’m not sure that the OP is asthmatic. Many GPs prescribe steroid inhalers to non asthmatic patients to reduce the irritation from their HRT patches. It’s an unlicensed use of the inhalers but fairly standard.