Patch just WON'T stay on..

I am so bummmmmmmmmed out. I have now tried 4 Climara patches and when I put them on in the AM.. after shower and no oils, no powders etc.. by the end of the day it is only sealed on the very rims of the patch, the rest on the inside of the patch is just air. I need help badly, my insurance will only pay for one patch a week. Can anyone relate to what I am going through? I really like the patch better than 1.25mg of Premarin. Would like to stay on it but I just can't keep it on... Please respond ,,
Thank you!!

Cathyjo,
Perhaps you received a bad batch of patches. Give the pharmacy a call and let them know the problem. I have heard of this happening.

If that's not the problem, here's a thread with some tips for keeping the patch stuck http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/sho...?threadid=3323

If the patches still won't stick you could ask your doc about the Vivelle Dot. From the posts I've seen her, the stickiness seems to have a better success rate.

good point about it being a bad batch. If they still won't stick though I would ask your doctor to let you try the vivelle dot. It is about half the size even with the same dose and most women find it sticks much better...plus the prescription includes two for each week.
best wishes to you

Becky in OHIO

what i am finding that works,before a shower i put saran wrap around the patch,then get some good waterproof 2 inch tape and tape around the saran wrap,works great ,patch on 5 days now and looks just like i put it on monday.the best spot for me is to put the patch on my lower tummy.when i go to my 6 wk check up im going to ask about the dot and see if that works better,so a person doesnt have to saran wrap it before a shower.but i figure it only takes 30 sec to do this,after shower make sure and dry the tape and saran wrap before takeing it off.i had surgery aug.5, the climara is working so great that i dont want to really change,no hot flashes,i feel great,i hope you find something that works for you,peggy

Hi there,
I also had great difficulty with the Climara patch sticking. I didnt have to change it as frequently as you though. I did notice that I needed to apply firm pressure when putting it on, but if I applied too much pressure that seemed to push the glue to the edges and it lost it's stickiness. Also, if there is one spot that isn't stuck it seems to get air in it and spreads.
Finally I decided to switch after about 4 weeks- I was paranoid all the time about the patch sticking. I was constantly feeling it to make sure it was there! I switched to Estradiol 2 mgs, which is equivalent to 1 mg climara patch (according to my dr) I had great luck with the patches working hormonally, and even better luck with the pill. I have no hot flashes or mood swings, atleast not that I can relate to the hormone.
At first I was very concerned about going to a pill but now I don't even think about it. Most of the time I have forgotten that I even had surgery and am different hormonally (surgery July 2, 2002)
I wish you luck.
Sharon (MinnieSC@aol.com)

Thank you girls for all the info. I have taped my Climara down with this paper tape that seems to be working. Still I really don't want to put 5 strips of tape on me for the rest of my life. I have an appt on Thursday I will ask about the VDot..
Have a great day..