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[kdee69]

I read here with interest that some people put their gel on in the mornings as they feel a surge of energy so prefer to do it then. The Newson clinic also advised me to put it on in the morning but I can't remember why 😂. I currently put four pumps on in the evening and am considering changing to the am but am not sure how to do it without missing a dose or getting too much. Anyone done this they can advise?

[Bobidy]

Hi, I also use Oestrogel and I'm with Dr Newson. I've just upped my dose to 3 pumps and Louise advised splitting am and pm, I didn't ask why. I've found it such a faff though. I'm trying all 3 at night as I find it easier then. I've noticed I'm not sleeping very good again though but this may just be coincidental. I'll give it another week and then go back to am and pm. If I do that I'll just do 1 pump the following morning and 1 pump that night (2 pumps that day), then do the 2 pumps the following morning and 1 pump the following night (3 pumps that day).

I don't think there is a definitive method that's best x

[allie007]

Since the end of July i changed from putting my gel on in the evening to the morning and did it for a month. I spent that month in a foul mood, couldn't understand why. Then it dawned on me the only thing that had changed was the time I put the estrogel on. Started putting it back on in the evening and within 3 days I was back to my normal self.

[Bobidy]

How many pumps do you use allie? I'm wondering why she said split the dose. I'll have to email and check I think. If we are all being advised different things then I'm sure each is ok. I wonder if there has been come sort of study on absorption, Hurdity may know? X

[Hurdity]

As far as I can recall there have been studies on different application sites on the body, and the size of area to spread the gel but I don't remember reading anything about the effect of splitting the dose. That's not to say there isn't as I am very sporadic in my searches as v busy! Sorry! Best just to try and see kdee69? I agree it sounds like a faff splitting the dose - that's partly why my gel trial was so short having to hang around so long waiting for it to dry and applying two gels ( T and oestrogen) - and that was only once per day!

Allie007 - strange that morning application put you in a foul mood - i would have through the opposite would occur being as oestrogen is the feel good hormone. Just shows the dose has to be right and the way it is absorbed - peaks and troughs affect us differently. eg with patches I change mine every 3 days and always apply in the morning so that I'm awake as the new dose gets into my system!

Hurdity x

[allie007]

Sorry for delay, back to school prep.
I only use the 1 pump, I use patches aswell. Before the patches I used 3 pumps of Estrogel and I tried splitting the dose but found my moods and tiredness were all over the place daily so I changed to patches. When I was doing the 3 pumps at night I was shattered by 2pm. When i split the dose to a pump in the morning and it made very little difference, just shattered by 5 or 6 pm and falling asleep.
I forgot my pump of gel the night before last and wasn't in a good mood yesterday, very irritable.
I don't think theres any right or wrong way to use the gel, it just takes time to find one that suits you. For me personally, once I'd gone up to 3 pumps, like Hurdity I was fed up with the faffing round. Stil not perfect but 18 months of trial and error, this suits me better.

[kdee69]

Hi. Thanks all. My post was not so much splitting the dose more moving it from evening to morning and how best to do it without overaging the first time ( as it would only be 12 hours between applications)

I think I'll calculate a slow approach with 1 pump then 2 moving slowly to the 4 in the morning 

[Ladybt28]

I am on 4 pumps and I do them all in the morning when I wake up.  Now it is interesting what ladies are saying because my body doesn't seem to react in any way if I don't put it on at the same time everyday?  Even if I miss a dose, there appears no discernible difference - I have assumed (rightly or wrongly) that my body levels are sufficiently high all the time to accommodate any time change or missed dose.  I suppose it may make a difference if I lowered everything for quite a while and my levels were only borderline to keep my symptoms at bay. I think mine must be above and if I miss then it doesn't have any impact.

I still had symptoms, tiredness, nausea, shakes anxiety whilst I was below 4 pumps.  Who knows we are all different which is why there is no "one size fits all" for this stuff.  Its really what suits and you can only experiment.

[allie007]

Wish I was like that Ladybt28. I notice within about 12 hours.
Ichanged GP's because I had very little support when I was using the gel. Wouldn't let me use more than 3 pumps despite still having symptoms.
My new GP has referred me to a gyni clinic because of me having to use a 100 Estradot patch and a pump of gel. The clinic contacted him to tell him to do blood tests and if my estrogen level was above 300 to stop using the patches and use 3 pumps of gel 🙄🤬.

[Ladybt28]

Have you had the bloods yet allie007?  Some ladies don't absorb some hrt treatments very well.  Some have problems with gel and some with patches and really the general theory is.... there is no hard and fast rule on bloods because what dose controls some women's symptoms can be doubled or halved for others.  What's the point of being on a preparations max dose if you still have symptoms or if you bloods say you are ok (in theory) but in practice you are not?

I need 4 pumps but there are ladies who only use 2 and I have never had any bloods done.  What good would they be if my blood tests said my levels were high and they wanted me to reduce my pumps (I have tried and my symptoms just come back on 3 pumps after a week - that's how long it takes for my levels to drop down) - I know I cant keep my symptoms away on 3 pumps and if my levels dropped they would be there all day every day.

GP's are a pain cos they really have no idea and sometimes gynae clinics should know better - oh don't get me started  xxx

[allie007]

I have. I had 2 lots done, about 3 weeks apart. First lot were done without the gel and just patch, result was 352 pmol, 2nd lot was taken using the patch and gel, result was 431 pmol. Ive been through the forums with a fine tooth comb and feom what I've read its nonsence that my results should be under 300.
I've got an appointment with a different GP in the practice next week so am hoping she's going to be a bit more clued up and allow me to continue with the dose I'm on.

[Bobidy]

Well I think I'm going to give up on the 3x pumps at night, which is disappointing. I just can't sleep properly with it, I feel wide awake and not as perky in the day. Oh well, back to doing what I'm told!

Kdee - I'm going to swap around by doing 2 pumps Wednesday night, 1 pump Thursday morning 1 pump Thursday night, 2 pumps Friday morning 1 pump Friday night. Hopefully it won't cause too much havoc with my body. 

Maybe the split is to get an even dose or something and reduces oestrogen surges. Who knows? I'll check with Dr Newson later this month and report back.

I might try all 3 in the morning again at some point and see how I get on with that. I feel like a lab rat! Xx

[Ladybt28]

Hey bobidy - its all trial and error as to what works for you - nothing is going to go wrong changing times, its just it might be any other time of day other than nightime might suit you better.  I tried splitting doses but it didn't make any difference to me...all 4 are in the morning (I use the term "morning" loosely ) I never get out of bed the same time and sometimes, its nearer lunchtime and if I get distracted and forget to do the pumps, I just do it when I remember with absolutely no ill effects - just lucky maybe

Yep LabRats r Us" ..join the "see if it works club" the membeships huge   Shame the people who should know how this stuff works don't read the forum! Us menopausal women spend most of our time as "lab rats" maybe that's why we are "ratty" at lot of the time