New Sister Question Climara or Vivelle Dot??

What are the benefits or side effects from each? I have never done well with hormone therapy and this is the first time I've used any hormones in over 15 years.
I'm 35 and I had a complete hysterectomy 3weeks ago. The Dr. gave me Climara to start and then Vivelle Dot and said I could chose.
I have no idea which to use. I'm super sensitive and I CAN'T afford to take anything that will cause me to gain weight or keep me from losing weight. Due to my extreme sensitivity to hormones, I really want something that can help even me out, keep me from crying, stays on more then a day, won't eliminate my sex drive and keep me from having mood swings...
Any help and advice would be so so so appreciated.

I think Vivelle dot is smaller, and stays stuck well. Haven't tried Climara.

It will be trial and error as it's been for all of us. Usually it does take a while to get adjusted to any type of ERT and find out if your body will tolerate it.

Good luck! Keep reading. Keep a journal of symptoms.

My personal preference would be to try the Vivelle Dot first. I have read that it tends to stick better for most than the Climara. I did use Climara for awhile post op. At first it adhered okay, but after about 4 weeks I started having major problems with keeping it stuck for the entire week. The Vivelle Dot is a much smaller patch and is changed 2x per week.

Weight gain from ert is one of those falsehoods that is said about using ert. Weight gain isn't always necessarily from the ert, but from an imbalance of the hormones. Too much or too little estrogen can cause weight gain. There are many factors that can cause weight gain, but too often it is blamed on the ert itself. You can read more about this issue and much more in the articles at www.hormonejungle.com

I am on Vivelle .1 patch. I had my TAH almost 5 weeks ago. I feel good on it. The only downside I have is a minimal headache the day I change it. Of course, now I expect the headache, I take tylenol with it, and am fine...and it could all be "in my head". My sex drive is HIGH...I was VERY tempted to have sex this weekend when my husband was home off the truck.... Guess I will wait another month when he comes home for TG. I am really happy with my hormone levels. I actually was losing weight on it, but I had quit smoking and started gaining...I started smoking again...and have lost five pounds in a week....I am sure the weight gain/loss is different for everyone...I can afford to lose a bunch of weight so hopefully I lose alot more!
Good luck to you. I think with anything it takes time for your body to adjust. I have had no menapause symptoms..and really...my sex drive is ALOT higher than it was before the surgery.

I started on the Vivelle Dot and it is much smaller and sticks a bit better than Climara. That being said I just feel better on Climara. Who knows why. Vivelle is changed twice a week and Climara is changed once. Everyone is different so try one and see how you feel.

I have lost weight since my surgery!