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[Alli8]

Hi Ladies,

I am asking for my sister who is rubbish with the internet. She was 49 when she had a total hysterectomy last July (ovaries and cervix) and was prescribed Oestrogel. She takes 2 pumps a day but works weird shifts and sometimes just forgets to take it. She's suffering horribly with the usual symptoms but doesn't know if it's because she doesn't always remember on time or because she needs more.

I suggested she try 3 pumps to start and go from there.

I am on patches (Evorel 50) and they suit me very well (I still have all my bits and pieces) and I suggested maybe she ask about patches too in the hope she couldn't forget about them so much but I'm confused on the dose she needs. I'm only asking as she can't get an appointment with her doctor for ages.

Now, I never was any good at maths so PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong...  My patches say they contain 3.2 mg estradiol and deliver 50 micrograms of estradiol a day. The Oestrogel says each metered dose of 1.25g of gel (1 pump) contains 750 micrograms of estradiol. Whaaaaat??? Does that mean she's on 1500 micrograms a day as opposed to my 50?
The largest dosage patch I can find is 100 micrograms so I assume she's out of luck. In theory she'd need an A4-sized patch to deliver the right dose 

Like I said, I may have this all wrong or am just being a bit thick  but I said I'd ask for her so if anybody has any info I know she'd appreciate it!

[CLKD]

Not thick.  I can't add up or take away either.

As for your sister: if she doesn't keep to a regular HRT routine, there's probably little point in using any ........ she's a Big Girl,  : mayB if she had an alert on her phone?  or a calendar to tick off ?  Until she gets the regime into a regular routine she won't know whether she requires a hike.  It can take several months B4 1 begins to feel better.

I suggest that she speaks to her prescribing practitioner for advice on amounts required .  It's all Double Dutch to me 

[Joaniepat]

Hi Alli8,
I'm not much good at sums myself, but hope this will help:

If your sister is on 2 pumps of Oestrogel, that is equivalent to a 50mcg estradiol patch. It is a low/medium dose, so if your sister has no ovaries and 2 pumps is not controlling her symptoms, she should ask her health provider to let her try a higher dose, say 3 pumps, for a while. If there's no improvement after a couple of months she could go up to 4, which is the highest licensed dose for that product.

3 pumps of Oestrogel = 75mcg estradiol patch
4 pumps Oestrogel = 100mcg estradiol patch.

Sounds as though she would find the patches easier to use, and would get a more consistent dose.

Hope this helps.

JP x

[sheila99]

As above. In her situation patches might suit her better, she could take thenm to work and change there if she needs to too. She may benefit from testosterone but usually they want the oestrogen dose correct first.

[bombsh3ll]

Personally I would suggest oral tablets as the most convenient and reliable option.

Doesn't matter what time of day you take it, comes with the days of the week on the pack so you know if you've taken it or not, no mess, no coming off and it takes a second to swallow a pill and doesn't dictate when you can shower etc.

Much better for someone busy with an active lifestyle.

She could try a 1mg estradiol pill and increase to 2mg if not enough.