8 mos. postop & not doing well

I am on the v dot .125mg (was on only .1mg. for 4 mos. with great success, & then came all the symptoms of low estrogen. My doc upped my patch strength which seems to help except I cannot go the full 3 1/2 days before changing patches. I need to change it every 2 1/2 or 3 days. Is this OK? I'm so frustrated. I felt much better before having surgery than I have since having the surgery. I'm hoping the 1 year anniv. is the magic moment when I'll feel good again. thanks so much for your help!

Debbie

Debbie,
I don't use the Vivelle dot but I have read posts here from women who have to change their patches more frequently than the instructions suggest. If it's working for you and your doctor is okay with it I would keep doing what you're doing.

I do use a duragesic patch for chronic abdominal and pelvic pain and the instructions on the box say to change every 72 hours. The patch wasn't working for me the full 72 hours so my pain doctor wrote the script to change every 48 hours and that has worked out well for me. Different patch but same circumstances.

My pain doctor told me that she has seen that alot. For some the box instructions work, but for others they seem to absorb the patch more rapidly, thus needing to change more frequently.

hi Debbie,

I'm at the 8 mos. point too! I use the V dot as well, but different dose.....075mg. It seems to work for me. My doc changed the dose about 3 months ago after I had blood tests done to check hormone levels and estrogen was showing low. I feel so much better and have not at this point had a problem.

YOur system just may be absorbing more quickly than mine. I would call your doctor and ask him/her if its ok to change it more often. Chances are it will be fine. As the time goes on our systems are a changin' and I expect that the same will be happening to me soon to have to up the dose again.

Do you like using the patch? I really do like it.

I hope things work out for you...be patient with yourself, as hard as that may be. We are still not a year yet so things are still going on. good luck!!!

CoryAnn

Thank you Kim & CoryAnn - I do like the patch, & will definitely check with my dr about changing it more often. CoryAnn, you mentioned it not being quite a year yet, so I'm wondering if that's the appproximate time it takes to have things on a more even keel?? I still have moments of feeling like maybe the anethesia is still lingering in my body - which I did find out I was given a little too much of...or if it's common to feel lightheaded/dizzy every so often.

Thanks so much!!

Debbie

Hi Debbie,

I am consistently told by my Gyn & Urologist that the year point is THE point when one should really look at where they are in the healing process and should be feeling themselves again . I do believe that too. I once in a while get that dizziness as well. You are not alone. Everyone is so very different and your system may be telling you that things are not done healing yet.

I hope this makes sense. It seems foreign to me but I feel that I am pretty much on schedule (with the exception of bladder spasms...ouch they've been painful)

Good luck once again to you with the V. Dot! Its been good for me!

Please let me know if I can help you anymore....Have a great one!

CoryAnn

I hit my first anniversary March 4,2003 and I can honestly say that I still have unresolved issues....the bloating and hard feeling in the abdomen area, which gets worse if I do more strenuous activity...for some unkown reason my Doctor reduced my hormone dosage (which I was doing fine on) and now the nite sweats are back and so is the insomnia....you know the old saying "If I knew then what I know now....." well, I am not so sure that I would have had this surgery.... Hopefully you feel better on your anniversary....
lynnj

LynnJ, I know how you feel. If I had know then what I know now I don't think I would have had it. I can't believethis could go on gor a year or more. I'm really hating it.