A change of HRT?

I was driving towards Hereford a few days ago when my mobile phone rang. Luckily there was a lay-by coming up, and I was able to turn into it, stop, and answer the call. It was Boots in Burgess Hill. They still couldn't get hold of my usual 100mcg Estradot patches - I was presently owed eight weeks worth of those, and there was no word as to when they might be available again - but they had sourced a supply of 100mcg FemSeven patches. FemSeven? Hmm. OK, I said, let's give them a go.

So the day after I got home from holiday - yesterday, in fact - I picked up a four-week pack of FemSeven. It's on the basis that I will trial them. If I like them, and if my doctor approves of them when I see her next week, then we can continue with them until the Estradot patches are available again.

I opened the pack and read the instruction leaflet carefully. I couldn't see anything that warned me that they might not be suitable. I can take oestrogen-only medication, because I haven't got a uterus and there is therefore no risk of the womb lining becoming cancerous. I imagine the majority of women on HRT do still have a uterus, and need to have oestrogen-plus-progestogen medication, which seems to be in particularly short supply just now. So I may lack a womb, but at least I can get my HRT.

There are important differences between FemSeven and Estradot: the FemSeven patch is larger, and stays in position for a full seven days, whereas the Estradot patch is smaller and is changed twice a week. Which raises questions on effectiveness - how efficiently and evenly does FemSeven 'leak' its oestrogen into the skin, and onward into my blood system? How does it compare to the way Estradot does it? I can only find out over time.

I've heard, too, that the adhesive used in the FemSeven patches isn't that great. Well, we'll see.

There may also be an issue cosmetically. After three or four days, the rectangular Estradot patches acquire a narrow fringe of black fluff from my knickers, which has to be rubbed off with cotton wool and baby oil. It's possible that a patch that's been in place for seven days will look tattier, and need a longer clean-up job. Fortunately it won't be on sight.

The bottom line for me is that if the FemSeven patches give me no trouble and perform as well as the Estradot patches do, then I might well stick with them. Especially if Boots can get them without difficulty. And if the FemSeven patch doesn't actually look tired and tatty after a week, it's obviously more convenient to use than the twice-weekly Estradot patch. So it's worth a fair trial.