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[Saffy]

Hi everyone. I'm just coming out of lurking mode to pass on a retweet that I received earlier from the Menopause Matters twitter site:

.@NovartisPharma have advised @BrMenopauseSoc that there may be a disruption to supply of #Estradot patches in UK over next few months #HRT

I wonder sometimes if Novartis actually want women to use their products  .

[Mandyw]

i gave up staffy, am now on elleste solo. no problem with the supplies.

[Hurdity]

Thanks Saffy - I don't use twitter much but if this sort of info is being passed on quickly by the MM team, then I'm following them - but must just remember to look at the notifications on my phone!

I agree I can't understand why there seem to be regular problems with this product - the only one of its type (compared to the other patches). It's the only "Dot matrix" type available in UK - at least I think that's what it's called.

Hurdity x

[Glitterface]

Hi....I wish GPs would be informed of this as I was prescribed estradot patches and have wasted a couple of days trying to get hold of them. Have now got a prescription for Estelle solo patches but I have heard that they can cause weight gain.....does anyone know about this?

[donnacrichton]

My pharmacist phoned the company direct and have managed to get 1 box per month   worth a phone call x

[Hurdity]

All oestrogen patches contain the same active ingredient - estradiol so you are no more likely to put on weight with one brand than another - even though the patches are different sizes.

Hurdity x

[Letmein]

resurecting this thread. I've been on hrt for a little over 2 months on Evorel patches 50mg. I went to get a repeat prescription, went to the pharmacy and came back finding that I'm been given Estraderm rather than Evorel. Does it matter? I was happy on Evorel. To be fair, my prescription only says Estradiol. It's bad enough getting used to hrt when starting it, the last thing I want is to mess it up if indeed, my skin can react differently to this brand compared to the other. Should I go back to the pharmacist and asked for Evorel instead?

[Hurdity]

If you want to find out the difference between the two products - if you Googgle the name of the patch and "SPC" ie Summary of Product Characteristics, you will get the full product info on EMC. The first section gives the size of the patches and how much total oestradiol they contain. The 50 mcg relates to the average restradiol released per day irrespective of the total amount actually in the patch. If you jump to section 6 it tells you the "excipients" on the patch ie what's in all the sticky stuff as well as estradiol.

Hurdity x

[Letmein]

Thanks Hurdity, but that doesn't tell me whether I'm likely to react to it differently or not. I guess my question is, should I take it back and ask for Evorel instead, or can I go ahead and use Estraderm because it won't make any difference. Surely if there are differences in composition as opposed to just a difference in name, the GP should be specifying the name of the brand on the prescription?

[KStar777]

Hello all

This thread is old but has been truly enlightening!  Thanks to all who have contributed their wisdom.

It's 2020 now and there are STILL HRT shortages but I'm wondering if it still works (on a regular basis) to get one's pharmacist to call Novartis direct? Or is it just to stressful to keep having to try and source Estradot?  Very interesting to read about the extra greedy wholesalers causing so many problems!  They might be relatives of Tesco's!  Haha!

I'm about to start surgical menopause and wondering which application (and dose) to ask for/hope for.  I'm keen to try Estradot but have been concerned that I might keep having supply issues if I go for that.  Although the new spray sounds interesting too.
 

[Foxylady]

My recent prescription is for Estraderm 100, start it next week, been on progynova for the last 4 months, will see how the change goes, not entirely great on progynova so hopefully might be an improvement, waiting on appt for meno clinic. x