Anyone using hormone GEL?

Hi there,
I want to ask for gel instead of cream and would like to know exactly what to ask for...can someone please tell me exactly what the base is? also is there a fragrance...I hate having fragrance in my hormone cream....it is in the hrt cream and I don't care for it.
thanks bunches

Becky in OHIO

Becky I changed over to the gel and like it alot better then cream it lasts longer for me and leaves no residue. I have to order mine right now from College Pharmacy they are wonderful as far as helping you. As soon as I can find same thing local I will go there probably. www.collegepharmacy.com if you call ask for Pete Hauseman he really knows his stuff but then they all do there.
I like the syringe they give you to measure out an exact does also. As for the base just ask them to tell you whats in it I am sure they will help you with what you need there is no fragrence to it at all. Ok, hope this helps some. Blessings

Hi Becky,
I am as of tomorrow! I called my compounding pharmacist and spent about 20 minutes talking to her. There are about 20 types of gels and creams. You can even get a combo of gel and cream!....She and I discussed what *I* need.

Since I have had enormous success with the Climara patch, right up til the time the adhesive started to irritate me, she and I decided that the fact that I place the patch on the fatty portion on my body (ok, my hip or butt)....means that the estradiol is slowly being dispersed into my blood stream/body, versus a quicker application say with drops rubbed between the wrists or a similar less fatty area. I even had the patch off for a week and never had any symptoms. So we both assumed that the residual estrogen was still working.

I have talked to a couple of Sisters here and found out ALOT!!!!! about gels AND that they work just as well as the patches. The Compounding Pharmacist told me she has many satisfied
ladies using the gel and other combinations of creams and gels. It works and it works well.

She told me to apply the gel once a day in the morning. I am getting a syringe/measured amount each time (I had to ask for the syringe). So I will use the estradiol gel in the morning and my lovely progesterone cream in the evening. She says I should stick with the .05mg as I had in the Climara patch.

I am so relieved that I will not have to suffer this itching anymore and that I am still getting the same benefits.

I will let all of you know how I like it. I can not thank all of you enough for your advice and most of all for your support!!!!!

NoNoLoLola

Lola,
I am Soooooo happy that you finally got in touch with your compounding pharmacist...she sounds wonderful...I wish mine would CALL ME BACK!!! grrrr. I hear wonderful things when I do get to talk to mine but they leave something to be desired in the organization/ and followthrough.
Love
Becky in OHIO

Becky I am not sure what the gel is actually made of but do know that it is hypo allergenic. Well mine is anyway. There could be other gels but I use the hypo gel. It does not have a fragrance but does leave the skin silky when it dries. It is really cool. My pharmacist also puts mine in a syringe and it makes dosing a breeze. Just squeeze the 1 ml out and thats it. I am very forgetful nowdays though so I put some medical tape on the side of the numbers on the syringe and wrote the days on it to ensure I take them. I can never remember. Brainfog bad. At least with the pills I could put them in my pill box.

Brenda,
thankyou. I still am waiting for my compounding pharmacist to get back to me!!! I have called twice now. grrrr.... That is a great idea marking the days...I had such a moment this morning when I had NO EARTHLY IDEA whether I put my progesterone on last night.
You should try to market your idea of putting the dates on the syringe...maybe a paper tape that could be added that you could write the dates on. I think I will do that from now on, but wouldn't it be cool if it came that way?

love
Becky

Hi Becky,
As you know I'm not in the States so my situation is slightly different to yours. My gel is made in Europe and just a standard prescription, marketed here. As you know I tried everything:hair: and I give the gel the Like any hormone, you have to fiddle with dosages etc but with a gel it's easier to do this. It clears my body fast, hence the twice a day dosing for me. I know my 2mg dosage sounds high but at the moment that's what I need. Without it I'd still be and probably a divorcee with no children