My .1mg Vivelle Dot has stopped working update: back on the patch

Ladies, here is my update on my patch saga. I stopped the oral Estradiol on Thursday when I saw my surgeon. They gave me samples of .025 V dot and told to use two to bump me to .05. I have not had a single migraine and my racing heart and depression are pretty much GONE! So this morning when I went to change the patch I looked again at the lot number and it is in the 40000 range. I noticed also that these were hard to remove where before the .1 patches came off really easy. This is the best I have felt since March when the .01 patches stopped working right for me. I had weekly 2/3 day migraines with the oral and I am so relieved. I am going to call Novartis and complain about the previous patches which were all in the 50000 range.

I've had a eureka moment: the ARNP I saw isn't experiencing what I am on this lowered dose of estrogen. I don't know if I can or should put myself through a full 2weeks of .05 Vivelle Dot (especially when I was relatively stable on the .1mg patch- when I had good boxes.) I have to function at work and at home. So I'm in tears now. Not sure why. Mother's day is a hard day for me anyway because of losing my mom the Weds after Mother's day in 08. So honestly not sure if its grief stuff- which I know if for another section of this website, or my estrogen dose. Soo... I don't know if I will go the full 2 weeks on the .05 vivelle dot. I already feel myself descending into that dark hopeless place I felt when I went my 1st 5 weeks of surgical menopause without any hrt.

Vonnie123 and MistyLou- I might just try a 1/2 pump of the gel on my arm today and transfer to the gel. Confused, but not too much to know that I have to make the day and the next two weeks of work. Doctors, ARNP's and other prescribers sometimes treat clients like we have nothing better to do than try things that we may know don't work. I know she means well, but this is a "trial period" for her and could be a month of hell for me.

Hiya there

I was using a 0.1 vivelledot patch (uk name estradot 100mg) before i had a defective batch and now for me to feel good i had to use at least 6 pumps of the estrogel...not sure if that helps you or not...in the uk we are told that as a guide 4 pumps = one 100mg estradot patch and we are allowed to take up to take up to ten pumps of the gel. I do know that you need more of the gel though because of the way its carried, ie the amount of estradiol and the subtance its carried in.

i currently use 4 pumps as well as my implant of 50mg( but thats prob because its my first implant and im one of the women who is doesnt work for straight away.

x

	Quote:
Originally Posted by MistyLou Hiya there I was using a 0.1 vivelledot patch (uk name estradot 100mg) before i had a defective batch and now for me to feel good i had to use at least 6 pumps of the estrogel...not sure if that helps you or not...in the uk we are told that as a guide 4 pumps = one 100mg estradot patch and we are allowed to take up to take up to ten pumps of the gel. I do know that you need more of the gel though because of the way its carried, ie the amount of estradiol and the subtance its carried in. i currently use 4 pumps as well as my implant of 50mg( but thats prob because its my first implant and im one of the women who is doesnt work for straight away. x

Thanks MistyLou- I did just a half pump today because I have on the .05 patch and thought I was probably low estrogen. Basically I did April with pretty much worthless patches (which I went through quickly thinking each one would be better than the last- even though they came out the same box!) So I was out for 3 days- on the pill for 4 days, back on a new box of patches .1mg for 4 days- and now back down on the .05patch starting yesterday because my ARNP (that I respect the same as a doctor) is worried about too much E. I explained that the headaches didn't start until the pills. I almost think she felt she had to do something because I was there? But I think all of this has been too much changing around for my body to adjust. But thanks- when I did the gel I was supposed to start with one or two pumps and possibly go up from there. But that was after 2 weeks on the .05 which I'm not sure I can do.

Little Chief- I too am on 2 meds for anxiety. I leave for vaca wed and dont know what to do to get me on track asap. if the pill takes a bit to work do i stick with patches that dont work either? No sleep crying spells and I had a major melt down at work, to the point where im at take this job and shove it. not good. lolol. Whats the gel everyone is talking about can i get that from my doc pretty easy? i plan on calling in at 8am tomorrow and telling them i need something STAT. I cant deal with this...this is the worst feeling in the world...I havent been this "off" since I hit surgical menopause a year ago.

Everytime you change add decrease you arw going to feel fluctuations. Tge.5 was way to low and thats when all hell broke loose about 3 weeks after surgery. My problem was they added prog. And that drove my e down then they upped to .75 then .1 I was a mess I finally said stop..... Leave the .1 alone for 3 weeks no adding changing and then I added slowly the gel each week I let my body adjust. Until I wasnt flashing. So go slow and low. Leave the patch and start with a small dose of gel for a week. See how you feel take notes are you flashing getting anxity ect. Then add a lil more. Or decrease. Until you feel right but give each dose time lol

The boxes I have right now are 58032 and 58068...anyone have numbers around these?

I did. I now have 59000 just started today. I was feeling low the only way I can tell is my heart beats hard at night when its to low. The gel has proably saved me from feeling anyrhing dramatic. I eeported it to the fda and enoufh people do this they will investagate

GIJAQUI- I can attest that the pills do take 3-4 days to work. The gel I got on Friday was Elestrin. Each pump is .52mg of estradiol. I did 1/2 pump today because I lost it and felt like I needed to try something to help pull me together. I'm not sure how long it will take to work. I probably will just do one or the other eventually. But back to the gel, coupons are available on their website for $15 per prescription. If this works, it would be preferable to the patch because I could put it on before work, while at work and still take a hot bath or shower in the evening. I was also given Evamist to try. I was told both were expensive because they don't come in generic form yet.

I use estrogel but I'm in the uk. I think it gives you shout .37 of e with each pump but don't qoute me on that.

When I tried oral I do remember getting a lot of headaches. Especially when busy and rushed.