Patch problems

If you turn back to early February, you'll see a post on how I had come to the end of my supply of Estradot HRT patches, and was about to switch to FemSeven, by another manufacturer. This was enforced on me because Estradot had become unobtainable - for vague and unconvincing reasons, but whatever they were, I couldn't have it any longer and must try a substitute.

Boots at Burgess Hill knew me well, and had sourced an initial supply of FemSeven for me back in November. I gave these new patches a two-week trial, and found them satisfactory. So, once I'd used up my remaining Estradot, I was content to go forward with FemSeven, if necessary on a permanent basis.

If you don't use patches at all, I'd better explain that they are thin, very flexible rectangles or discs of clear plastic, with adhesive on one side that you stick to the fatty parts of your lower abdomen, most commonly on your bum cheeks. (They need to go where they can't be rubbed off by clothing) The adhesive side leaks a set amount of oestradiol (i.e. a form of the female hormone oestragen) directly into the skin over a period of days. In the case of Estradot, this was half a week; with FemSeven, the delivery of hormone lasts an entire week. Once the patch has been on the skin for its proper number of days, you peel it off, use baby oil to clean up any dust or fluff that may have gathered around the edge of the old patch, and then apply another patch on the other bum cheek. And so forth, changing cheeks each time so that the skin can recover.

The little Estradot patches were very kind to my skin. Never any trouble throughout the ten years I wore them.

But not so the FemSeven patches. All was well for two months. But lately I'd been getting soreness and a hint of redness under the bottom edge of the patch.

I wondered why. Was the edge of the patch somehow digging into the skin when I sat down? The week-long FemSeven patches were pretty big. Was the skin underneath, held fast by the adhesive, being stretched or otherwise pulled about as I moved? But the same thing happened, even if I stuck the patch higher up, on an area of skin that wouldn't flex much whatever I did.

Would it help if  I cut the patch in two, and stuck the halves in slightly different places? Being smaller - almost as small now as the old Estradot patches - the skin irritation might disappear. So last Saturday (my weekly patch-changing day) I did just that: I cut a patch in half, and stuck both halves near to each other.

But this most definitely didn't improve matters! Redness quickly developed under each section of patch. It now spread to the entire area under each half. It felt warm to the touch. And from time to time it itched rather badly. Evidently I'd grown more sensitive to them.

This was a shot I took yesterday, four days after that Saturday application. I'd say that in places there was some puffiness or swelling of the skin underneath the patch.

And there were still three days to next Saturday, and the chance to try a fresh patch on my other side.

This wasn't working out! I went into Boots and explained. The chronic HRT-supply difficulties hadn't got better, but they could presently get me another make of patch which might suit me better: Estraderm MX100. OK, I said: let's give that a go. I had to put in an online order to my local practice, and then the usual arrangements with Boots should get me this new patch within days.

Back home, I fired up the app, and placed a custom order with my local practice, and I'm now awaiting a text from Boots, to tell me they can be collected.

Meanwhile the FemSeven patch halves are 'quiet' most of the time - say when I'm sitting or lying down, and not moving - but will itch a lot if I change position. And the skin underneath the patch halves remains red and occasionally tender. This is now the fifth day after application, and I'm hoping that I will feel less and less discomfort as the patch halves naturally 'run down' and lose their effect.

I haven't looked up Estraderm on the Internet. There's no point. Estraderm will either suit me or it won't, but I haven't got a choice. I don't want to see adverse user comments before I've tried it.

My friend Angie is very happy with gel, rather than patches. I'm keeping that type of HRT in reserve. Who knows, I may end up joining her.

As I was giving up on FemSeven, but had four unopened packs at home, all usable until the end of June. I offered them to Boots so that somebody else could use them. But they couldn't have them back - it was a rule that once all medications left the pharmacy, they were bound to destroy them if returned, and not reissue them. So it was best if I kept them. (They might irritate my skin, but they did provide HRT to my body, and I might be very glad to have something to fall back on, just in case the supply of Estraderm dried up and there was nothing else available for a while)

Rapid sequel
Later, same day. Things have moved very fast, and I've now collected a month's pack of Estraderm MX100. As with Estradot, you use two each week, so it's a pack of eight. That regime might suit me better. I will commence with Estraderm in two days' time, on Saturday. Fingers crossed!