# Estrogen Patch



## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

I'm just rounding the bend from perimenopause to menopause. My gyn doc prescribed the Vivelle estradiol patch. Has anyone here used it? What was your experience?He said to watch out for heavy bleeding. My symptoms are getting difficult to handle - lots of hot flashes, difficulty sleeping because of them, and all the other typical menopausal symptoms.Thanks so much for your help. Deeply appreciate it.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2005)

Hi Gail, I tried the Estradiol patch for 2 weeks and was a menopausal witch, crying, irritable, my ovaries hurt like when I used to ovulate and spotting after almost 3 years of no periods. He said he had a few other women that had great results.I am currently on bio-identical hormones, Progesterone for hot flashes and night sweats and estriol cream vaginally for dryness etc. I've really had to play around with doses and strengths. Just recently went on testosterone cream and wow, what a difference. I am totally happy with that. Too much progesterone cream or too little can cause hot flashes, it's a real hit and miss thing. I hope you have some good results with just the patch, it's so much easier than all that cream!! Let me know how you make out okay, Linda


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Hi Linda,I just switched doctors. The previous one had tested me and found that I had zero testosterone. When I went on the testosterone/estradiol cream it helped me tremendously. This new doctor said he would test me for testosterone after much prodding by me, but I was pretty surprised that he jumped right to the patch solution. Please explain to me how bio-identical hormones are different from estradiol. I asked my doctor if the estradiol was natural and he said yes, but I suspect you are saying there is a significant difference between natural and bio-identical.Thanks,Gail


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## Guest (Feb 3, 2005)

Hi Gail, sorry for the confusion. Here is a good web site www.womenshealth.com/patientinfo/NHRT.pdf That estradiol patch is natural, it's just a different kind of estrogen - a stonger estrogen than the estriol I think. I looked up all the different types of estrogen on the internet and read about them. Kind of interesting. Estradiol just wasn't the right estrogen for me. I've read that a natural hormone has a chemical structure that is identical to the hormone naturally produced by the body that's why natural hormones are also called "bioidentical hormones". So natural and bioidentical are the same I take it. Just one was a patch and the other a cream??? So confusing hey.I am glad the estradiol patch is working for you. I tested fine on a blood test for testosterone. Then I read some of Dr. Suan Rako's online stuff and all the defeciencies of testosterone were me to a T. So I made him give me some to try, and what a difference. They are slowly getting to a place where they are recognising women's problems, not just the mens'. Here's to us for a great menopausal experience!!!!! Right. ha ha Let me know what you make of all of this okay.


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Linda,Terrific guide on HRT. I'm printing it out now and will read it. I'll also check out the website, but right now it's 2:30 AM and I need to back to bed (unremitting hot flashes woke me up so I'm on the computer now).I haven't tried the Vivelle patch yet. I have to wait until the third day of my next period.Thanks so much.Gail


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## rlo (Jun 3, 2001)

GailSusan:Welcome to hot flash hell!! I've been on Estraderm patches for 10 yeras now and still suffer horrendous hot flashes 24/7 (as the saying goes). I've not tried any progesterone or testosterone. I had a hysterectomy 6 years ago and things got even worse. When you add anxiety, they get even worse. Oh joy!! I'm going to look up the information that you got here and maybe my ob/gyn and I can figure out something. I do get extremely tired of being able to fry an egg on my forehead and living in little cotton dresses even in Winter.Take care and cool thoughts to you.Renee'


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Hi Renee,Good to see an old friend here.Ten years! That's a long time. I suffer from anxiety as well and have hot flashes for 7 years, but nothing to the extent of what I've been feeling in the past few months. I can't sleep through the night.How is Estraderm different from Vivelle?Take care,Gail


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## rlo (Jun 3, 2001)

GailSusan:I believe that Estraderm has the same estradiol as in Vivelle. It just has a different delivery matrix. I tried Vivelle for a couple of months when Estraderm wasn't available several years ago and I didn't respond to it as well. Estraderm patches do help me a bit but I'm still a red-faced, hot-flushin' lady every day. But, it's much, much worse without the patches for me. I get so tired of my doctors telling me that I'm "just special" when I ask why things don't work as expected for me. (a bit of a rant here!! sorry.)I hope that you have good luck with Vivelle. When I first started Estraderm, it took about a month to notice a difference and then I had a few months when I felt fabulous. For some reason, it stopped working as well as it had and I've been "hot and bothered" (not in a good way - lol) for almost 10 years now. Some days I could just cry while I fry out of sheer frustration.Take care.Renee'


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## Guest (Feb 8, 2005)

rlo, you know I don't think it's rare that these hormones quit working or work differently some days. Women's hormones fluctuate on a daily basis so when we have a constant dose maybe sometimes it works good and some days not?? I don't know for sure. It would be great if they could figure out a way that our bodies would just take what it needed and left the rest on the patch!! lol. We'd be rich if we could do that. Does anyone on this board deal with vaginal dryness atrophy such as thin vaginal walls? Linda


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Aaahh, Renee, I'm so sorry. I haven't noticed a difference yet. I'm still having terrible hot flashes. I will see if it is better in a month. It is so frustrating. At this point it doesn't matter to me what the risks are with HRT. I can't get enough sleep because of the hot flashes, so I must take something. do you think you might need more estrogen than you are getting? Linda gave me an article that said saliva tests are more accurate than blood tests in determining how much estrogen you have.Linda, I think that's the real problem -- our hormones fluctuate. Thank you so much for that article. I found it very helpful.


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## woodstock (Mar 3, 2002)

I was on the Estraderm patch for awhile but hot flashes came back. I needed more mg. I've been on the Climara patch, 0.1 mg. for years now and it's been better for me. I still have hot flashes once in ahwile when I'm under great stress. Also, I have no ovaries or uterus. I haven't had any sexual feelings for years. Tried testostrone but made me mean and I retained fluid. It would be so nice to be horne & feel alive again. I have IBS/C and stay depressed.I've been on Celexa for about 3 wks. but I think it's making me hungier than usual so I might stop taking it. Well, I guess I've bored everyone enough.Thanks for listening.


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## rlo (Jun 3, 2001)

GailSusan:I use the 2 strengths of Estraderm pataches worn at the same time, so I get 0.15 estrogen at all times. It still doesn't stop the warmies for me. My OB/Gyn doesn't want to increase the dose any further. I'd kill for a decent night's sleep. Sometimes I think that I don't fall asleep, I just pass out from exhaustion at night. I look at the beautiful winter fashions with sweaters, coats, warm slacks and wish I could wear them. I have to live in little cotton knit dresses around the house and when I go outside, I wear lightweight cotton slacks and a cotton-knit top. If it's chilly, I can manage a flannel shirt over the top and tolerate a coat from the house to the car. Before this inner hell, I was so stylishly dressed. Style definitely gave way to comfort here.Good luck and take care.Renee'


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2005)

Woodstock, that is a frustrating feeling, not to feel alive. Do you think you were on too high of a dose of testosterone? It doesn't take much for women apparently. Maybe try the lowest dose and go from there? It certainly has worked for me and worked fast. I had absolutely no feeling in the nipples, the vagina or the clitoris. But it's all back already. I also have IBS-C. I just recently had an IBS attack, haven't had one for ages and it really knocks the romance for a loop. I hope you can find something that helps. LindaGailSusan, I am glad you liked the article. Getting old really sucks, hey. Linda


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