5 weeks out and question about hrt patch

Has anyone removed their hrt patch and had no side effects. I really don't care to be on estrogen. I had a total hysterectomy on Aug 8th and I am wondering if anyone else has removed their patch and been able to deal with the side effects. I was on climara for 4 weeks and switched over to vivelle-dot yesterday. I am feeling my feet swelling. Are the hot flashes and night sweats which I never had any before the operation manageable? Also can you try to go off and go right back on if you have a problem? Any info on your experience would be appreciated.

I don't know that I have "the" answer - but I can give you some insight based on my limited (one week!) experience. I have been on the .1mg Vivelle dot since surgery. I have not gone off, but was miserable, depressed, crying, and having an anxiety attack. My symptoms started on Thursday and got progressively worse each day. I went to the doctor today and she immediately knew my dose was too low, so she had me double up on the patch. I felt better before I got to the parking lot!

So, while I did not have the hot flashes and all the symptoms, I had enough to know that for me, HRT is necessary. The good news is that once I added the second patch (in the doctor's office) I was feeling better almost immediately. Last night I was bordering on psychotic and tonight I feel fabulous!

I think for you, this means you may notice the symptoms pretty quickly and be able to determine if you can tolerate them. Also, if you go off and change your mind, I think you will feel the effects pretty quickly after resuming. Do keep in mind that it often takes a lot of trial and error to get just the right mix!

Good luck and I hope you find the right answer for you!

Lsib,

I have not attempted to remove my patch, but can say that I got a bad lot, from a mail order pharmacy.

After this experience, I have no desire, what so ever, to discontinue my patch.

Yes, upon replacing the patch, you can feel the effects within a few hours.

Estrogen has more affects than what you feel or see on the surface-for your bones, heart, teeth, etc. I do believe that it keeps you young from the inside out.

It's a hard question.

I have been told that our bodies store estrogen and it can take some time after surgery to notice the difference.

I would suggest calling your doctors office and letting them know that your feet are swelling. in there. Our doctor may have another suggestion.

Best of luck