Help: just got HRT and I'm confused

[catspyjamas1]

Feeling a bit overwhelmed and would appreciate some guidance.

I have just got my prescription for HRT. Is there a specific day in the 'cycle' I need to start? I haven't had a period for three months so am a bit confused about when to start the estraderm patch + day 15 progesterone. The information for the patch is to change it twice a week on the same day.

I am worried I won't be able to keep track of days. Any suggestions on how to manage this?

Also, I shower most days but like a bath a couple of times a week, the instructions say it will be fine with a patch. How?!

Thanks for your help.

I had the exact same worry with the progesterone because my cycle was unpredictable. In the end I decided that if my period hadn't started (which would allow me to count days in my cycle), I would start taking it on the 1st of the next month. Otherwise I'd never start!

Also, the patches just magically stay on! It's important to put your palm on the patch FF or a while after you've applied it for maximum adhesion, but if I'm honest I've often just slapped it on without doing the palm thing and it's stayed on.

If you haven’t had a period for three months I’d just choose a day as day 1 and start. You might get some odd spotting but the advice I was given is not to worry if your natural cycle and the hrt “cycle” don’t match up and this might happen on the first few months anyway. It’s more about getting the right amount of hormones in that cyclical way.

The patches are super sticky! But I will admit that every now and then one will start to come off too early maybe because of swimming, a bath or getting sweaty at the gym etc. You just put a new one on but stick to your days (e.g. Monday and Friday or Thursday and Saturday) so you don’t get mixed up.

For remembering my progesterone days, I have a recurring calendar entry in my phone.

As your periods are irregular you can just start whenever and call it day 1. There should be a calendar strip on your patch box to show you which days to change. If you start tomorrow as day 1 you will always start your progesterone on a Tuesday too. I used my phone as a reminder too.

My doc once told me to take progesterone 1st -15th every month, made it so much easier to not forget when my 14 days on/ off were

If you haven't had a period for a few months, the Estraderm leaflet says you can usually start the patch on any day, and that day becomes day 1. The pharmacist can confirm if your GP had a particular day in mind. The progesterone then starts on day 15, so it helps to put the dates in a diary or your phone calendar for the first couple of months.

For the twice weekly changes, pick a fixed pair of days three and four days apart, like Monday and Thursday, and set a repeating phone alarm for both. Some people also write the change days on the box.

On baths, the leaflet says the patch should stay on in the bath or shower. Very hot water, bath oil and rubbing with a towel are what tend to loosen it, so put it somewhere that won't get scrubbed, like the upper buttock, and pat that area dry. If one does come off, the leaflet's advice is to put a fresh one on. If it keeps happening, ask the GP about a different patch or a gel.