Anyone changed HRT from patches to gel and prefer it?

[SilkieChick]

I’m on patches and they’re pretty easy to deal with - just need to change them twice a week.

However, I’m struggling with my dose - 75 feels like not enough - my mood is lower and I struggle with focus and motivation - but 100 causes headaches and I feel physically ‘off’ even though I feel better mentally, more energised and creative.

Wondering if I could find the sweet spot with gel - but I like the simplicity of patches, gel seems like a faff.

Anyone find it easier to control their dose with gel, and glad they made the switch?

I’ve only just started HRT today - but I was put straight onto the gel as I’ve had quite bad allergic reactions to the adhesive on other medical matches. I wouldn’t say the gel was particularly a faff if it helps you to know that.

Remembering to put the gel on daily was a pain. And 75 is 3 pumps so you are standing around waiting for it to dry.

I went back to the patches

I also got headaches on the gel. It is a listed side effect. My Gp said she I’m the only one she has encountered. However, I don’t get them on the patch.

I did for the same reasons as you, but didn't get on with the gel. It worked, but it was a bit of a faff.

I'm on the spray now & I love it.

I went from 4 pumps of gel to patches. Hated hanging around waiting for it to dry, it’s also a pain having to take bulky bottles on holiday.
You could use 75mcg patches but also get some 50mcg and experiment with cutting them up so you get between 0 and 25mcg.

I read that some people cut their patches in half to tweak their dose. Not sure if that works or is recommended but you could ask the GP.
The people I know on gel have, without noticing, gradually applied less and then wondered why their mood was affected.

I went from gel to patches. I kept forgetting to put it on daily and then the faff of having to wait for it to dry. I camp (all year round) and trying to spread gel and wait for it to dry in a campervan was not fun!

I use the 50, but it's a bit too much for me, so I cut a slice off about a quarter of the total. As far as I'm aware, the product is evenly distributed across the patch and it works for me.

I use lenzetto - neither a gel or a patch. It's an alcohol based spray through a wide funnel shaped nozzle thingy which is placed against the skin. Use between 1 and three puffs. Dry in less than 60 seconds. No glue and I'm actually absorbing this as patches didn't work for me.

I went from patches to gel because after about 6 months I started reacting to the adhesive and was covered in various shades of red squares.
I live alone so I can walk around naked and make my lunch whilst waiting for the gel to dry!

I wore 2 patches at a time. So each was on for 7 days but I canged one every 3.5 days. It helped. On the gel now and often forget to put it on.

I'm using the patches but they come off. Thought about the gel, but the faff of waiting for it to dry and remembering to actually use it puts me off. The patches are easier but I find they just don't stay on my skin.

Ok, nothing convincing me to switch so far, sounds like gel really is a faff. I live in Scotland, where it is freezing about 10 months of the year, so wandering around naked waiting for it to dry is definitely not an option!

I get on fine with the patches, I’m just wondering about the dose I guess. Maybe I’ll hang on and see if things settle down a bit - as much as can be expected anyway, in my experience peri is not a particularly consistent beast 🙄

I don’t find the gel a pain at all? one squirt rubbed into each inner thigh. I do it first thing when I get out of the shower, along with roll on deodorant. Whilst both of those dry I start my make up/ choose my clothes for the day, it doesn’t take long. If it’s cold I wear a dressing gown for five mins

The patches used to come off a lot and I was covered in red squares from the glue

Me.

i swim a lot and the patches just came off every time.

I do Duolingo while I wait for it to dry. That and cuddle the cat.

Oh and the spray is applied to inner forearms.

On sandrena...

Its a gel but I just squeeze the 1mg out, rub it on and its dry in seconds.

Whats the fuss? Am I missing something?

I was on two squirts, that is a lot of gel!

For me it’s remembering. I’ve never used moisturiser or anything, so I kept getting dressed and forgetting.

I switched and I much prefer the gel. I don’t see it as a faff at all. I put it on after my shower then might brush my teeth while it dries a bit but it really has dried within a minute.

i had trouble with the patches though. They fell off, I found them itchy etc

I am so envious of these people that don't live in cold houses who can swan around in the buff waiting for the gel to dry!

When I changed from gel to patches I was using Evorel 100 but then went on Estradot 100 as they are about half the size. I found the dose was too strong to start with even though they were supposed to deliver the same amount of oestrogen so cut them down on the advice of my fabulous GP, and then gradually built up to 100 again as my obvious peri symptoms returned. Night sweats are the signal for me that I'm not getting enough. Then Estradots went out of production and I had to go back to Evorel but had to add another third/quarter of a patch to get the right dose. I am back to just a single patch now.

Aside from the practicalities, do any gel users prefer it in terms of dosage? Do you vary the dose? And if so, how often, and do you feel the benefit fairly quickly?

I did for exactly that reason and the distribution of the oestrogen felt like it decreased towards the end.

I use sandrena gel, and have 5 minutes quiet at bedtime to rub it in. It isn’t a faff. It’s the same every day. I am already applying androfem.

The patches irritated my skin. The gel is a faff but I think it's better absorbed. I do one pump in the morning and two before bed. Only slight drawback is you shouldn't have anyone touch the Skin for an hour so... occasionally might want to put it on earlier.

I am so envious of these people that don't live in cold houses who can swan around in the buff waiting for the gel to dry!

You don't need to be in the buff!

My routine was in the bathroom straight after a shower.
2 pumps a day but split morning and bedtime.

1 pump divided between each upper arm. Dries in less than 5 mins while I clean my teeth or do my face etc.

1 pump split between each inner thigh (at bedtime.)

In the morning I was fully dressed other than a jumper/ T shirt

You're not supposed to vary the dose daily or weekly. Each dose is supposed to be tried for 3 months (give or take) depending on symptoms.