Quote from: zirconia on May 02, 2019, 02:11:36 PM
Hi, Liz
Like Bobbiesj, I also was not told to keep rubbing in until dry, but to just spread it evenly on an area about 10 * 20 cm and wait until it dries. (The package instructions also don't tell to keep rubbing...)
Did your doctor explain why he wanted you to rub for so long after application? How does it help?
Just to clarify my experience I wanted to say that (and I wasn't clear about this) my Dr asked me to try rubbing the gel in until it was "Practically Dry" similar to what
@Alice (nym) describes. If you have tried to do this you will realise that it takes awhile and I was always left with a slightly sticky residue. The actual instructions by the manufacturer for the gel are set out below along with a link to the patient information leaflet.
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/1048/pil"Follow these instructions:
1. Apply the gel once a day to the skin on your lower body or thighs.
2. Spread the gel over an area 1–2 times the size of your hand.
3. Allow the gel to dry for a few minutes.
4. Wash your hands after applying the gel. Avoid contact of the gel with your eyes. The gel may irritate your eyes.
5. Do not wash the area where you have applied the gel for at least one hour."
I cannot explain why I had the issues I did with my blood tests, however I
posted here (the entire thread about the issue I was having) asking if anyone knew why this may be happening and was directed to this
information.
Once I shifted from my arm to my inner thigh my levels remained very low, so it is at this stage that my Dr re-evaluated the way I was applying the gel(which was per the above instructions) and increased the dosage to a larger volume of gel. She also asked me to try and rub the gel in until "practically dry" With this amount of gel it takes some rubbing to even get it too the point where it will begin to dry. Simply spreading it out over a hands width left a thick layer that can take longer than a 1/2 hour to dry well enough that I didn't get it on my clothes. It would not be inconceivable that each of us have different rates of skin absorption so the old adage applies YMMV.
I would have been quite happy to stick with Gel if I had not had the issues I did and these issues only arose after a long period of time. The thing that kicked this off for me was that I noticed changes consistent with low Oestrogen levels which prompted me to get my levels checked. It was the 4 screwy blood results that caused me to change where and how I applied the gel and this resulted in an accurate reading indicating I needed an increase in the amount of gel I was using. The increase in the volume of gel meant for a longer application time and a change in the way I applied it.
I hope this clarifies my experience...but as I said in the my original response YMMV.
Liz
