HRT patches not sticking

[EclipseOfTheHearts]

I've only just started on these, Friday morning I put one on. Yesterday on getting ready for bed I could hear it wrinkling (I've put it on at the top of my bum, so it won't be impacted by sitting, but it's protected by my knickers) I had a look in the mirror & it had like a huge wrinkle through it so I straightened it up & hoped for the best.

Nope, it's crinkling away when I walk on getting up & it's wrinkled up again.

Am I putting it on wrong or something? The box says twice a week, I can't change them daily, can I?!

Should I try it in a different place?
Where does everybody else wear theirs?

I had a quick Google last night & it said nowhere with hair or where you may sweat excessively, so that's the entire front area a 'No' then as it's a sweaty, disgusting mess.

I found the best way was to peel just a corner, turn it over and stick it down, and then peel away the rest of the backing. So you’re not touching the patch at all until it’s in contact with your skin.

Hard to describe! But they don’t like being touched too much.

If you struggle with patches, you could ask to change to the oestrogen gel or Lenzetto oestrogen spray.

You’d then take your progesterone orally or via Mirena coil if you’re not using the combi patches.

Thank you SoScarletItWas I did do this, I peeled just a little then used the mirror & didn't really touch the sticky side with my hands at all.

Where do you put yours?

I wear mine at the top of my thighs which is usually ok. Make sure you have no creams on your skin and if it does start to peel off, which they sometimes do I just put some micropore tape over the top. I’d say in the 2 years I’ve been using patches I’ve only had to resort to the tape method a handful of times.

In the bin as I hated them! If they stuck, they left horrible residue that I rubbed my skin red trying to remove.

I used to put them towards the outer top of my thigh or top of my bum/back of my hip type area.

I use the spray these days, have done for a few years now.

Don't touch them ever. If you have a wrinkle, live with it. Don't try and pull the patch taut, it will then lose it's stickiness.

I put mine mid bum cheek. Bend over to the skin on the bottom is mildy taut top, then roll the patch on. Never readjust it.

Dont worry about it coming away at the corners a tiny bit that's normal from skin and clothes fluff.

I've only had one or two come off in three years, I use Everol. I did get changed to a different patch which was like trying to attach loose cellophane, so they gave me everol again.

I absolutely love the patches. Couldn't give a toss about the residue - who sees my bum anyway? Even I don't look!

I also have testosterone gel which I always forget to apply, so I know I would be useless with the oestrogen gel

Me and gel didn't gel, so I've been on patches a couple of years. I've had some boxes where the stickiness was useless and they came off immediately, but it's quite normal (on me) to get a wrinkle or a loose edge. I put mine on my bum, hold my hand on it for a minute to sort of warm up the glue and make sure it's stuck then ignore it (to the point I often forget to change it).

When I was using them, I put them at the top of my outer thigh, just under hip area or on my hip itself (though they tended to rub and catch there). I generally put them towards the front so I could keep an eye on them. I didn't really have any problems with them except sometimes the edges would start to peel a tiny bit about the day before I was changing it.

Notsurewheretostarthere But it's crinkling when I walk. I didn't notice that yesterday so is that due to the wrinkling?!

I've not touched it today, I adjusted last night after Google said that you won't get the right amount of hormones if it has a wrinkle. Is that wrong?

SoScarletItWas I'm glad you found something better for you!

Livedandlearned Thank you. Do yours go wrinkly & you just leave them?

I did think about putting tape over the top but I was worried about going swimming & the tape won't stick... Well I'm worried about the patch not sticking too now.

I used to put mine on my tummy rather than bum, the big ones are less adhesive, pharmacist suggested I use medical tape to keep them in place. I’d still get the horrible residue though, which is easily removed with baby oil. If you can get them Estrodot are smaller and stick well, but often disappear for months on end. Eventually I got fed up with the whole process and now have the gel.

My first set of patches stuck fine but when I altered the dose the next set kept peeling off. I use these to cover them up and haven’t had a problem since even on holidays with lots of swimming and running around.

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Thank you everybody.

I'm so glad that I asked the question!

Maybe I'll just have to let the wrinkles be!

SydneyCarton Thank you, Those look great! I think I'll get some but just put one on if I'm planning to go swimming, as otherwise they will work out expensive.

Estrodot are better as they seem more stickier and are smaller. When on the others I resigned myself to using at least 3 per week and my Dr doesn't seem to mind prescribing more frequently.
Placement is key, I put on thigh but definitely it rubs off with certain clothes.
I dont worry too much about wrinkles!

And patches are brilliant otherwise as so easy no faffing waiting for gel to dry !

Do you use body lotion? They won't adhere well if put on after any lotion.

I put mine in after a bath or shower on dry skin. Then once it's on I hold my flat hand over it, just to get it to the same as my body temperature. But I live in a hot country and we keep ours in the fridge, so there is a bit of a temp difference. I have never had one come off yet.

Do you all keep yours in the fridge?

Is it Evorel? I had one pack that had stickiness issues but since then I've had the opposite problem, and unless I'm soaking in the bath I can't get the damn things off.

isthismylifenow Not in the fridge, should I?!
No I don't body lotion my bum.

I didn't go anywhere/do anything much yesterday apart from an hour's walk, so I thought that was the perfect time to start trying them.

I didn't do the holding my hand over it to get the right temperature thing though, I'll definitely try that with the next one.

Whyherewego I don't really want to make a fuss with the GP as I've been trying to be listened to about peri/menopause for 4 years now, she finally said that I could have one box of the patches & then contact her again (made me feel like I was being a right nuisance) but so I don't want to have to contact her & ask if I can have some more as I had to use extra!

(Obviously I will if I need to though)

I put mine on my outside thigh. I had one that came off and my GP are reluctant to prescribe a box for spares, so I wore the remaining oestrogen patches for four days each before the combined patches. If I feel cold before applying I use my hairdryer to warm my hand and thigh before applying.

When I get mine they are kept in the fridge at the pharmacy. When I collect they are in a bag with an ice pack. And they have a bloody great bright sticker on the box saying to keep refrigerated.

I'm on a continuous combi patch, so estrogen and progesterin.

Maybe have a read of the pamphlet to see what the storage instructions are. Mine need to be kept at between 2 - 8 degrees.

I think holding the hand over works quite well as it's pretty imbedded onto my skin after that. The sides might start to lift slightly when I'm getting on towards change day.

isthismylifenow They must be different then, mine says room temperature.

It's Evorel Sequi.

Has anybody been on these ones where their periods had seemingly stopped & this caused them to start again?
My last period was in December.

I don't care about the residue either! Saw a thread on here about how to remove it. I just thought life's too short 🤣. Only my husband sees it.

I wonder if it's different for those of us who are single & might be dating.

I wouldn't care about the sticky residue day to day but if I was dating then I think that I would.

You need to warm them up first. Take the patch out of the outer packet, stick it in your bra for 5 mins or hold it between your hands and rub it. Then shove on a clean dry not lotioned bit of skin - if using your bum put your foot up on the toilet seat or something to stretch the skin a bit. Then take the backing off and slap it on and then cover it with your hand for a bit again just to activate the glue.

I had real issues in the first month with them falling off but warming them up makes all the difference.

I’m on Evorel 100s which are quite big and will wrinkle, so I cut them in half and stick the two halves on separately. They used to come off all the time if I got sweaty at the gym or running but I’m not sure if they’ve changed the glue but I haven’t had any come off for a while. I do get a reaction from them - sore, itchy red blotches. I hate them and can’t wait to go back onto Everodots.
I put them on my abdomen over where I think my ovaries are. 😆

I put mine top of thighs where I can see without contorting!

Residue just wipes off with nail polish remover and cotton wool. No scrubbing.

Evorel Sequi is sequential so some patches have progesterone and some don't, which will give you a breakthrough bleed - if your periods had stopped then continuous HRT (like Evorel Conti) is normal. NB If you started bleeding after not having a period for a year that should always be investigated but doesn't seem to be your situation.

I wouldn't apply a new patch as you risk getting a higher dosage than you should. Hopefully some of the tips here will help them last longer, but if not have you considered other transdermal options? I personally prefer Lenzetto spray - far less messy and much quicker-drying than gel but no residue or worry about patches coming off! You'd need to take progesterone with gel or spray though.

And sorry your GP makes you feel like a nuisance, you shouldn't have to push to get what should be a routine treatment!