Hi Blue Kingfisher - re the Oestrogel a few hours after I applied I would feel pretty rough, faint, headachey, spaced out and generally unwell. Considering I clearly was not absorbing the oestrogen element I wonder if there was something else in it that was affecting me - maybe the ethanol content possibly or one of the other ingredients. Either way although I had been on it previously for all those years the product now really did not work for me in any way. As I said I am now on Estradot patches and am changing them every 3 days as for me they don't seem to last the 4 days - at the start I was changing them every 2 1/2 days but that seems to have levelled out more as the dose got larger. I was advised due to my non absorption of Oestrogen on Oestrogel that to change to patches as they seem to give a more sustained and even dose level to start on a 25 patch - then up to 37.5 then up to 50 and then I worked up to 62 and now 68. Bit of a long process but had to increase slowly but it does seem so far to be paying off. I hope to go up to the full 75 in a couple of weeks time. Like you I tend to rely on symptoms but it was helpful to have the blood tests which confirmed that at least my levels are going in the right direction. Hope so much that is of some help to you xx Hope so very much you start to feel better soon. Such a rollercoaster for us all xx