Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[joziel]

Mahoomie, you could either try a higher dose of patch or you could use more gel to compensate for the reduced dose effect of the new bottles. If you were fine on 3 pumps of green lid for eg, then you might need 4 pumps of the new crap cylindrical bottles....

Currently I'm on 5 pumps of the new crap cylindrical bottles. Even on 4 pumps of gel my estrogen was only 283pmol on day 16 of my cycle, in peri - and I've no idea how much of that is mine (some of it must be) - so I was hardly getting anything from the gel. I am running out of skin to apply gel to, what with my Testogel as well. I am pretty slick, of a morning 

I also wasn't getting much from the patches which is why I was switched to the gel in the first place.

One other option y'all might want to check out is the Sandrena gel, which comes in little sachets like Testogel does. There is also the Lenzetto spray, but that is quite low dose so you might need many sprays of it... I think I'd check out Sandrena next if I can't get high enough with oestrogel.

[Hurdity]

Evorel Conti is the cheapest HRT that many women are given at 12 months into menopause in the hope it works enough and they accept it and don't come back.

Evorel conti is not cheap at all! Patches are way more expensive than tablets and estrogel is comparable.

There is nothing at all wrong with Evorel as a patch - I happen to think it is the best pacth that I have used and prefer patches to gel - it is all very individual and depends on each women's absorption - and presumably her skin and where on her body she applies it, temperature of her skin, what she puts on her skin, time of day etc etc.

Some women do have to try several types before finding one that suits.

Like you pastiesupper I was given Evorel sequi initially (15 or 16 years ago!) during late peri-menopause and it worked perfectly for the flushes, sweats and general well-being - but I didnt like the progestogen. Then for many years was on Estradot 50 mcg which again I was perfectly happy withm and then when the shortages hit, tried a couple of others until I was given Evorel and have stayed with it, even though Estrasdot is now available again....

Joziel have you tried higher dose patches?

Hurdity x

[Mahoomie]

Quick update- I took my patch off, and used the remainder of the gel that I have left, and I feel loads better. Not 100% yet but a lot better. Those patches are clearly not for me! How weird!

[Moog77]

Quick update - I feel much more settled now and noticed the difference the end of last week which was about 8 days after swapping to a patch. I also very luckily managed to get my hands on 3 months of Estradot 75 patches - apparently every other strength is out of stock.

The difference in how I feel is quick remarkable so its always worth giving any changes time.

[pastie supper]

Just goes to show how important it is to have a cooperative and available GP who is up to date and knows these products have wildly different effects in different women!

I hope you both settle into your new regimens and feel better soon 

[Bass1979]

Hi
Am new here

I want to go the other way I have been on the patch now for nearly 5 weeks evorel 25 but am having the worst headache/migraines.

I was feeing better with my mood and other symptoms but because my headaches are bad am not sleeping can’t concentrate properly that it’s making me very irritable and emotional and moody.

Am only 44 but had a hysterectomy last year so just on oestrogen .
I want to take the patch off and ask the Gp if I can try the gel do u think that would be a good option for me ?

I have tried my hardest to persevere but the headaches are getting too much, I thought they would get better but they are not.

Please advise
Thanks

[pastie supper]

Hi
Am new here

I want to go the other way I have been on the patch now for nearly 5 weeks evorel 25 but am having the worst headache/migraines.

I was feeing better with my mood and other symptoms but because my headaches are bad am not sleeping can’t concentrate properly that it’s making me very irritable and emotional and moody.

Am only 44 but had a hysterectomy last year so just on oestrogen .
I want to take the patch off and ask the Gp if I can try the gel do u think that would be a good option for me ?

I have tried my hardest to persevere but the headaches are getting too much, I thought they would get better but they are not.

Please advise
Thanks

Yes to switching to gel. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll find your HRT whether it's gel or the HRT you try after that. You need it more than an older woman according to the doctors, so you need to persevere, yes, but you don't need to persevere with Evorel if it's giving you migraines as a side effect.

I had my first migraine during my second pregnancy, then occasionally until menopause when they stopped, so I knew they were hormonal. Sounds like you can be pretty sure as well it's the hormones.

I've seen a lot of women being helped by HRT for their migraines, but for me it was one of the worst symptoms that Evorel Conti brought back.

I was already post meno so I was started on the 50 strength and the migraines started up again a few weeks later.

My advice is to ask for a different brand or type of oestrogen, you have more choice than women with wombs do, so that is a good starting point. Go to your GP and ask for oestrogel, it's very popular around here, I don't get migraines or any headaches on it and the weird feeling that comes with a migraine, visual disturbances and so on, doesn't happen now either.

On Evorel I sometimes would get aura with no pain, as well as the full blown migraines.

It can be the non active ingredients that mess things up, or a different oestrogen might be the answer.

GPs normally take migraines seriously enough to switch you before you've completed your three month trial of Evorel Conti.

[Mary G]

Bass1979, I'm surprised you are using such a low dose patch at such a young age.  Basically, it's not enough and you need a higher dose of oestrogen.

I agree with pastie, definitely try Oestrogel and I would start with two pumps and work up to three because as pastie says, you need more at your age. I found patches too weak and too inflexible.

My silent migraines (aura without headache) started at the onset of the menopause and they are mostly caused by low oestrogen and low seratonin levels.  Too much progesterone, bleeds and generic hormone instability also triggers an aura. This type of migraine does not improve post menopause.

Did you suffer with migraines before the hysterectomy?

[joziel]

Goodness, if you've had a hysterectomy and you're only 44, you need a much higher amount of estrogen than that. You could be on 100-200mgs of estrogen, really....

This is not (just) about symptom management, it's about decreasing the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Why are you on such a low dose?

[Missfitz]

Hi all, I realise this thread has been quiet for a while, but it was the first search result when I googled "symptoms returning at end of oestrogel bottle"!
I too thought I had long COVID until I noticed a pattern appearing in my symptoms - I'd developed PMDD in my late 40s and began HRT in march 2022 (on my 49th birthday !) Long story short- lots of trial and error - I don't tolerate progesterone so went for the lesser of the evils and had the mirena coil placed (but would still rather be without 🫤) and I can just about manage on 4 doses of oestrogel per day (am not "allowed" to take more despite my levels being well within "normal" range) I also use testosterone. Anyway, I've  noticed in recent months that I'm generally overheating (not flashes), issues with motivation, cognitive function, mood, headaches and bladder urgency keep reappearing periodically. Again I thought it might be me- either my ovaries having a final hurrah or environmental factors. But my migraines which have been very well controlled by a low dose (25mg) of amitriptyline started up again. I still track all my symptoms over various apps, and don't always make a note of the more subtle symptoms, putting them down to the ups and downs of daily life, but my migraines are very specific and definitive, and they're coinciding with the last couple of days of each oestrogel bottle. A few months ago I had one of the old conical shaped dispensers amongst my prescription and remember feeling so much better, but again put it down to coincidence. Today, a friend whom I haven't really spoken to for some time got in touch and I asked her if she'd noticed a change since using the cylindrical shaped bottles, and she said she'd yellow carded it months ago (but it was rejected).
Now that I feel sure these new bottles are related to poorer control of symptoms, I've submitted a yellow card report AND sent an email outlining my concerns to Besins. I'm sure to be gaslit by the patriarchal minded medical mindset (if they even respond at all) but if there are more women noticing a change in symptom management with the new bottles and we all report it, at some point they may be forced to take note. 🙏 I feel there's definitely something going on with the new bottles - either the smaller nozzle is dispensing less or changing the properties of the gel.
Has anyone got any further with this issue, such as an acknowledgement that it's actually real? X

[Christine79]

Check out bloomingthroughthemenopause on instragram. She has been doing daily weighing of dosage and the new bottle dispenses upto 20% less! No wonder I've had a return of symptoms!!

I have emailed besin healthcard and reported my concers with yellow card scheme and I urge anyone else have the same problem to do the same.

[Banjo1973]

Hi all, I realise this thread has been quiet for a while, but it was the first search result when I googled "symptoms returning at end of oestrogel bottle"!
I too thought I had long COVID until I noticed a pattern appearing in my symptoms - I'd developed PMDD in my late 40s and began HRT in march 2022 (on my 49th birthday !) Long story short- lots of trial and error - I don't tolerate progesterone so went for the lesser of the evils and had the mirena coil placed (but would still rather be without 🫤) and I can just about manage on 4 doses of oestrogel per day (am not "allowed" to take more despite my levels being well within "normal" range) I also use testosterone. Anyway, I've  noticed in recent months that I'm generally overheating (not flashes), issues with motivation, cognitive function, mood, headaches and bladder urgency keep reappearing periodically. Again I thought it might be me- either my ovaries having a final hurrah or environmental factors. But my migraines which have been very well controlled by a low dose (25mg) of amitriptyline started up again. I still track all my symptoms over various apps, and don't always make a note of the more subtle symptoms, putting them down to the ups and downs of daily life, but my migraines are very specific and definitive, and they're coinciding with the last couple of days of each oestrogel bottle. A few months ago I had one of the old conical shaped dispensers amongst my prescription and remember feeling so much better, but again put it down to coincidence. Today, a friend whom I haven't really spoken to for some time got in touch and I asked her if she'd noticed a change since using the cylindrical shaped bottles, and she said she'd yellow carded it months ago (but it was rejected).
Now that I feel sure these new bottles are related to poorer control of symptoms, I've submitted a yellow card report AND sent an email outlining my concerns to Besins. I'm sure to be gaslit by the patriarchal minded medical mindset (if they even respond at all) but if there are more women noticing a change in symptom management with the new bottles and we all report it, at some point they may be forced to take note. 🙏 I feel there's definitely something going on with the new bottles - either the smaller nozzle is dispensing less or changing the properties of the gel.
Has anyone got any further with this issue, such as an acknowledgement that it's actually real? X

 Hi Missfitz

Many many people have reported to Bessins their issues, I'm not sure they are acting upon it.

I am also very sceptical about the '20 %' smaller dose' explanation as I increased from 3 pumps to 7 pumps (133% increase) and still didn't feel great. (BTW I believe the pump dispenses a smaller amount, I just don't believe the product is the same)

In my opinion, the only way Besins will listen is if they lose revenue.  And I think they will, because Oestrogel simply is no longer working for many women.

I'm now happy on Sandrena. I have one ex-oestrogel fan who didn't get on with Sandrena but is very happy with Evorel.

There are other options out there worth trying x

[Missfitz]

Thanks - I have asked my pharmacy if it's possible to only have the conical bottles in future - but with a certainty that I'll most likely switch to Sandrena at prescription renewal.
It's SO VERY frustrating that I've had a decline in recent months and blamed it on anything and everything else, too trusting that it couldn't possibly be the HRT preparation. When it became irrefutable in my mind and I googled it, finding many others experiencing the same 'phenomena' it was such a relief, so huge thanks to everyone for their confidence and sharing 🙏
I'll not let these gaslighting b'stards pull me down!! 💪💪💪

[Missfitz]

I've had email responses from the MHRA and Besins, both confirming that they've had a lot of complaints and are looking in to it! 🤞🤞🤞

[Christine79]

I've had an email back from besin and they are wanting me to return a bottle for analysis and had a response email from the yellow card scheme to say they have contacted basin also.
I urge everyone that has had an issue with oestrogel and return of symptoms on same dose to do the same. We need voice in numbers.
I'm back to the gp next week to ask for a swap with patches or sandrena gel....I just can't decide what to ask for. I'm currently on 4 pumps of oestrogel.