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[allie007]

Was just wondering if it is "safe" to use both patches and the gel at the same time?
I have a Mirena coil and am using 100mg Estradot patch and have been topping it up every now and then with a pump of gel. I feel really flat, moody, no enthusiasm and don't sleep well just using the patch. I haven't been using the gel daily because i'm worried its too much with the patch.
I've recently changed GP's because my last one was useless. When I was using the gel she didn't want me to use more than 2 pumps and very reluctantly changed me to 100mg patch. I had 2 bottles of gel left over so without her knowledge have been adding a pump of that and I think its made a bit of a difference but like i said, i haven't used it daily.
I have my first appointment with the new GP in 2 weeks and am nervous about telling them what Ive been doing just to feel human again. I genuinely don't feel the patches are enough.

[Sheanie]

Birdy, I'm curious because 2 pumps made a huge positive difference to me after only a few weeks. Are you not absorbing the estradiol perhaps? Have you had a blood test to see if you are? Do you think the estradiol is making you sad?

[allie007]

Thank you for the replies.
I was on the gel before, was on 3 pumps before changing to the patches. I have found similar absorbtion to the patches using just the gel but my hair was falling out and ive got to be honest, i found waiting for the gel to dry such a pallarva x

[Sheanie]

I put the gel on after a shower, faff around for 5 minutes, and it's dry. I think my hair is getting thicker on gel! It's really working for me. I think Oestrogel should pay me to be their poster girl! 

Birdy, have you had a blood test to check if you're absorbing the oestrogen? I'm having one soon. I'm pretty sure I am, but I want to know what my levels are as apparently there's an optimum level for maintaining BMD.

[sheila99]

I don't know the answer but I can't think of a reason why you shouldn't. I'd be interested to know as I may do the same. In the Arctic conditions in my house waiting for gel to dry is a pain in winter but I'm still peri so vary the dose depending on what my body is doing.

[allie007]

I also found that of i used all 3 pumps at night despite sleeping through the night i couldn't keep my eyes open by teatime and if i used 2 in the evening and 1 in the morning i couldn't sleep. Was getting about 3 to 4 hours a night. So then exhausted all day every day.

[Anjia]

Yes I was doing this 50 mcg patch and every other day one pump of gel then when I ran out my gp said I could only have the patch and she wants me to come off that soon ! Ab fuming there's no way I'm stopping the patch.

[Anjia]

Hoping to see a different gp soon the last two agree with each other disgraceful I no.

[akarena]

Hi there. very interested to see your post - and would like to hear how you go on with this or what you decide to do...

Just 10 days ago I decided to try a small (1/2) pump of estrogel alongside my Evorel 50 patch, and that afternoon I had about 4 hours of feeling normal, human again - something I had forgotten I could feel!!!

Excited by that, I thought I would try and move onto the gel long term so as I was due to change my patch the next day I used 2 pumps of gel - the next morning I felt dreadful, dizzy, sick, unbalanced - tried again the next day too but resorted back to my 50 patch 72hrs later, as very unwell but still using 1/2 pump of gel - since then I have had 6 better than previous days so think I will continue for the time being with patch and gel.

Previously I tried to move to the estrogel alone - 2 attempts 6 months apart, but felt so wired, strange with increased anxiety etc even after trying it for 8 weeks - I am not sure the gel in larger amounts agrees with me, but suspect I should try to move on to it completely. Would be interesting to know if other people have had the extreme wired, stressed, unbalanced, unwell feeling on the estrogel? Do I just need to ride it out? or does it upset some people?
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[Anjia]

I felt exactly like you on gel akarena I have tried twice I found that I did have more energy but very unbalanced  feeling like a hundred miles an hour and just couldent settle,with just half a pump of gel though every other day and the patch I felt better.I don't see a problem with both if it works surely ?

[allie007]

Its more to do with the amount of HRT as I'm on the 100mcg patch which my old GP was reluctant to give me. I don't do the gel every day, just when I need a boost. Sometimes ive been doing it every day for 2 or 3 weeks and then stop but then the low mood and tiredness comes back. Not exhaustion but tired enough to feel like I can't be bothered doing anything. Ive been using it consistently every day for 3 weeks now and ive managed to exercise daily and im not reaching for the coffee every few hours x