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[Sfifties]

Wondering if anyone can advice .
I have been on estrogel and getting very high estrogen blood test results :
August 22 : estrogen was 262 pmol
On 2 pumps , gp prescribed 2 more pumps to reach 400-500 for more bone protection and moods .
August 23:estrogen 2312 ! on 4 pumps
Since then gone back to 2 pumps and today reading is 812 .
Isn’t that too high ?

Gp said that’s fine , but I don’t understand How i can go from 262 to 812 with the same dose as postmeno( confirmed by gp as no period for almost 3 years and blood test initially before starting hrt).
Now to my question and search for advice :
I once last year when  estrogel was scarse was prescribed estradot patches 100, I didn’t didn’t end up using them as got hold of gel but i am thinking now that maybe they will be better at releasing estrogen consistently than the gel and i know i can cut them in half, however i have just noticed that they have just expired this month.
Would it be wise to use them or completely contraindicated?
thanks

[pepperminty]

Hi ,

it is highly unlikely that medication would stop working immediatley on the date issued for expirey.  But if you feel uncomfortable then maybe speak to your GP? 

PMxx

[sheila99]

Personally I'd use it but the medical answer is probably not to. As above, it won't become completely ineffective overnight.

[Dierdre]

No, don't use if expired, they will have degraded and not be fit for use.

[Hurdity]

Hi

As per the others, they won't have degraded if they have only just reached the expiry date. If this were the case, how could they be fine the day before the expiry date, and then suddenly degraded the day after? The same with food. There will be a long time period following the recommended use by date and potentially a gradual decline. This is of course provided they have been stored in recommended conditions and not subject to very high temperature eg that we have been experiencing some of these summers.....

There is absolutely no harm with using them so if you are concerned about the inconsistency of your gel application then by all means give them a try - but probably sooner rather than later.

Hurdity x

[Dierdre]

I've had a problem with an old box of vagifem before, it was still in date but not a lot and had been in the back of my wardrobe for about a year. I used it for about a week but it was like I was using nothing. I assumed it was because it was stored in  the hot temperatures of the summer.
Also I have to renew my Clobetasol if it's been opened 3 months regardless of the expiry date as it degrades and becomes weaker. It states this on the leaflet but I notice it not working as well. Bit of a waste as I probably open a tube and need it for a couple of weeks.
Had a tube of Ovestin stop working well at the end of a 2 week holiday in high temperatures too. Put in the fridge now during the day.
Think it depends on where and how the medication has been stored. Probably won't do any harm just not work as well.

[pepperminty]

Just remembered ,

I had a sealed packet of a type of tablet medicine and the medical proffesional said it woould be fine to take well after, infact a year of so  the expiry date . But it does depend as  others say on type and storage . See link below.

https://patient.info/news-and-features/when-did-you-last-check-your-medicine-cabinet

PMxx

[Sfifties]

Thank you all for your replies.

I have started using a patch and i will be monitoring how i feel, i guess any return of symptoms especially hot flushes would mean that the effectiveness of it would have definitely been compromised after expiry date .

May i ask if anyone has experienced  having very different blood test results   with the same estrogel dosage ?
I was on 2 pumps a year ago and my pmol was 262 and now 812.

I am postmeno with no periods for more than 2 years . Thanks

[Epona52]

Hi
I had the same problem with estrogen levels, then someone said I was putting the gel on my arms then having a blood test maybe the reading is too high,
So next time I will wait to put the gel on until after blood test,
Has anyone else got any thoughts on this 🤔
Thanks

[Dierdre]

Thank you all for your replies.

I have started using a patch and i will be monitoring how i feel, i guess any return of symptoms especially hot flushes would mean that the effectiveness of it would have definitely been compromised after expiry date .

May i ask if anyone has experienced  having very different blood test results   with the same estrogel dosage ?
I was on 2 pumps a year ago and my pmol was 262 and now 812.

I am postmeno with no periods for more than 2 years . Thanks

Can you ask your GP to prescribe some patches if that's what you want to try instead of using expired ones.

[Hurdity]

High temperatures will also have more effect depending on the nature of the medicine - so the more liquid they are the more likely temperature could have an effect on the whole bottle or tube. So liquid medicines, and gels will surely be the first to be affected and hard tablets (like Vagifem) the least - I think this is obvious if you think about it.

Hurdity x

[pastie supper]

I expect you will still get the full dose from the older patches if it's only just run out this month, the use by date is the earliest date that the patches might fail to give the full dose, that happens gradually not overnight, you've probably got perfectly good patches there.

I'd give it a try if you haven't before because I simply couldn't believe the difference between a 50 patch (Evorel or Estradot, with or without combined progesterone) and oestrogel, even one pump gives me more, I'm happily on three pumps now, the patches would not work for me.

The flip side there is that you might be opposite to me, perhaps if the gel isn't working, the patches might be better for you?

How do you feel? That is usually what HRT is prescribed for, I wish my GP cared about my bones!

Funny thing is,
I was told I couldn't have HRT just for my future health (nor a bone scan neither), it has to be treating symptoms that I have now, otherwise I'm not allowed it because even though I'm a low risk individual, HRT is a high risk treatment and they have to keep a closer eye on their HRT patients.

At that I burst out laughing, I'd been trying to get speaking to her for literally months because of all the unusual bleeding after starting HRT and she was never available.

Keep a close eye? My backside they do.