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[discogirl]

Ive been on it for about a week and so far so good xxx

[joziel]

I'm on green square at the moment. But seeing orange square is stronger and I am battling trying to find the right dosage at the moment with symptoms, adding in more confusion isn't going to help so maybe I will try to request green square.

I just thought this probably originally happened last year when there were gel shortages and Besins imported one of the squares from Europe to help with that. And that maybe we are now all getting the same squares. But alas this doesn't seem to be the case....

[RebJT]

Morning

I know this an old thread, but the whole green and orange square thing passed me by at the time.

I have had a month of feeling terrible, unable to sleep, low mood, tearful, hair falling out (I also have iron issues, upped the iron, thought it was that), really really tired, impaired cognition etc.  I have my E gel privately, and sometimes have all my repeats all at once, and keep my stockpile in a box, I always try to have more than I need as I live in fear of running out, what with supply issues.  I confess I just wang it in there and grab one when I need one.

Last night I was lying in bed too hot (I never get flushes, been on E since mid peri), raging vaginal soreness, miserable, tearful, restless.  And had a lightbulb moment.  I've just done two bottles back to back of the old shape - green lid, green square.  I've binned the remainder this morning and used a new cylinder one with the white lid and I'm sitting here typing with that slight rushy jittery feeling of a big influx of E that you get when you start E or increase the dose. 

I am convinced that there is defo something up with that batch.  And thinking back I had a period last year when blood tests were showing that I was suddenly low E, and then by summer it was right up in the range again.  In hindsight, I am sure that the same happened then. 

I've got one green square green lid left and it's going in the bin!  I'm behind on work, been feeling utterly rubbish, not doing that to myself again!

Reb
x

[joziel]

Hi, well that's kinda the opposite of what most people are complaining about really 

Most people are saying it's the new cylindrical bottles which are causing the probs and the old green/orange squares were good. Although there was at the time a 'orange squares better, green squares bad' thing - that predated the cylindrical bottles.

Someone should write a book about this 

If you are in peri, your own estrogen levels will fluctuate anyways. So higher levels don't necessarily mean all is okay, it might just mean your own body made some extra estrogen that day but it's not going to stay up... But if you get a low result, it is something to take note of - because your body can't take away from what you're getting from the HRT, if you see what I mean. A result which is too low, means you're not getting enough from the HRT. Even if you're in peri... (My bloods on day 16 of a cycle were only 283pmol on 4 pumps of gel. Anything my body makes can add to that (probably some of that was from me) but not take away...)

[RebJT]

I'm not quite sure why you felt this reply was necessary?

Yes I'm perfectly aware of how the menopause and HRT works.

The thread is about green and orange packaging, my comment relates to a sudden vicious surge of returning symptoms on a particular batch - symptoms that have all disappeared in four days now I'm now no longer on that batch.  Given I've been on HRT since early 2019 with very regular blood testing I think I know my own symptoms and how they relate to my blood levels better than anyone.

I didn't suggest HRT 'takes away' from my own levels, why would I? 

[joziel]

I thought it was necessary because it was posted on a public forum and I had something to say in response to it.

[alibeau]

Well my experience is that I did well on the Orange/Amber square but my symptoms returned with the Green square?!?

However, I am glad to report I am doing well on the new cylindrical bottle    Been on these bottles for months and all is well (hope I haven't jinxed myself  )

Ali x

[Grheliz1]

I've been noticing that the new cylindrical pumps don't disperse as much gel. This sounds unlikely, but apparently some people have been weighing doses, using jeweller's scales, and found a discrepancy between old pump doses and new pump doses.

At first I wasn't sure, but I noticed that a few night-time temperature issues were coming back on the cylindrical bottles, so now I have to add another quarter pump to each of my two pumps.

[joziel]

Grheliz1, I thought I was going crazy but I agree - the new bottles don't dispense as much gel. But I thought they'd have taken that into account, ie, that tthe active ingredient is simply more concentrated... no?? Are you finding adding the extra quarter pump is working?

[Grheliz1]

Yes, it seems to be working--sometimes even a little bit less than that helps. I suppose the test would be if you get to the end of the bottle and have extra left. I have two pumps a day so should finish a bottle in 32 days. If it's not empty at that stage--not enough is coming out. I must remember to write the date on the bottle I've just started this morning!

[Gnatty]

Although that sounds logical it's not strictly true unfortunately. The number of pumps set at 64 is for metered doses which means that after 64 pumps the amount that comes out won't necessarily be the right measurement. Even on the old style pumps you could always get a bit more out of them! It's just the accuracy is no longer assured. x

[Penguin]

I've been noticing that the new cylindrical pumps don't disperse as much gel. This sounds unlikely, but apparently some people have been weighing doses, using jeweller's scales, and found a discrepancy between old pump doses and new pump doses.

At first I wasn't sure, but I noticed that a few night-time temperature issues were coming back on the cylindrical bottles, so now I have to add another quarter pump to each of my two pumps.

Do you continue using right until the end of the bottle? I bin it when it starts feeling really light as I always feel it is less effective towards the end. I can get away with that I guess, as I only do one pump and GP gives me enough for four so I never run out.

[Gnatty]

I know it wasn't me you were asking but yes I do this now and I think it makes a difference - not using the last few scratty measly pumps towards the end!

[Grheliz1]

Although that sounds logical it's not strictly true unfortunately. The number of pumps set at 64 is for metered doses which means that after 64 pumps the amount that comes out won't necessarily be the right measurement. Even on the old style pumps you could always get a bit more out of them! It's just the accuracy is no longer assured. x

Yes, the old bottles used to do this, I remember. But if there's proportionately more than there used to be left over after 62 doses, I'd suspect that it meant the metered doses in the new bottles weren't accurate. 
I've just found a Twitter/X thread by Louise Newson on this, in case anyone is interested. https://twitter.com/drlouisenewson/status/1705471806696562978

There's also a similar one on Threads, too.

@Penguin, I do find the 'ends' of bottles don't work as well--and this was true with the old ones, too. I used to think this was just psychological but perhaps it's not!