Patches

[Jessica_Rose]

Although I switched to injections last year, estradiol patches worked very well for me. I switched because I grew tired of the dark ring of debris caused by the adhesive, and because injections were much cheaper. Here are some tips for those who use patches.

You should prep the area first. Make sure there is no hair in the way, then use an alcohol swab to make sure there are no oils or lotions in the area. Once you apply the patch, put some pressure on it with the heel of your hand for 20 - 30 seconds. I exercise quite a bit and perspire profusely, but my patches never surrender until I peel them off. If the patches refuse to cooperate, check with your doctor to see if they can prescribe a different brand which may have better adhesive. I normally stick the patches a few inches below and on either side of my belly button, or on my butt where I can reach them easily.

I've found that wetting the area down with baby oil for about 5 minutes after removing the patch makes the adhesive much easier to remove.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

[Jenn104]

I use patches.

This is all great advice. I place mine on my upper thigh, which seems to work well. My E went way up when I figured out my patches work best there. Anecdotally, I have a few friends who have similar experiences-- one location seemed to work better for test results than others. I suspect it is YMMV.

I am also super careful to rotate locations to keep from getting skin irritation.

Finally, it's odd how insurance is quirky. As many patches as I need are covered at no cost, injections are not covered. My insurance concierge verifies I could cover my body with 50 patches if prescribed.. but a single cheaper injection would never be covered.

Jenn

[Courtney G]

A lot of folks complain about patches, but they've worked quite well for me. My doc mentioned some studies that show that patches don't always result in high enough blood test E levels, despite their effectiveness. I don't know if it's true, but my E level hasn't gotten above 50 yet and my breasts are quite large, along with other desired changes.

The "ring" of adhesive is a bit of a pain, and some alcohol is required in order to remove it. Perhaps I'll switch to injections at some point, but patches are working for me for now. I apply them in my lower belly, the sides of my bikini area or on my upper thighs. The trick has been to find an area that doesn't expand and retract too much, as that can cause the patch to come partially off. I also try to position myself in the middle of the rang of motion of the area where the patch is to be applied, so the skin is neither compressed nor stretched out too much.

[D'Amalie]

Using two patches at a time for a few years now.  For the past few months they seem to be irritating my skin, red and itching like crazy after I pull them off to replace.  Very light scabbing.  I use upper thigh/hip/bum area alternating sides.  The adhesive ringing is variable.

Are you saying that you use the upper thigh on the front of your legs, or behind?

[davina61]

My patches are hard to remove, grip like a limpet but then I have very dry skin. Swop sides and inside and out side of thighs.

[Jenn104]

Are you saying that you use the upper thigh on the front of your legs, or behind?

Front, skewed toward the inner thigh slightly. I wear 3-- I put two on my thigh and one on my tummy below my navel.

~Jenn

[Courtney G]

Front, skewed toward the inner thigh slightly. I wear 3-- I put two on my thigh and one on my tummy below my navel.

~Jenn

I'm a fan of the inside/upper thigh area lately.

[D'Amalie]

I rotate the two patches around from upper/side of bum and upper thigh.

As for results, is there a better place to put this content?  Keeping within the guidelines of not spilling actual dosages, just results.  A really big deal to me even though this post is embarrassingly private/personal, but maybe will help others manage expectations YMMV sort of thing.

HRT since 2019 (5yrs to date), my doctor suggested matching a cis progression timeline, similar to a natal girl experience of hormone changes happening over a few years, not in a single year.

Spiro first ramping up over a few years.  Estradiol (patches to mitigate underlying health concerns) added January 2021 (3yrs to date) - Using 2 E patches changing every three days now.  My doctor suggested increase of E late last summer after a 2 1/2 years of single patch, following the slow increase over 2-3 years of Spiro alone. 

Results - Last week labs reported T suppressed to 13 with E steady at 100 - 110 over the last year.
Body hair - Under arm, leg and chest hair pretty low from the beginning of HRT.  Seven years of waxing and depilating paid off, I suppose.  I haven't had to shave my legs or under arms in 3 or so years. 
Scalp hair no change, just wearing it longer to brushing the shoulders/below collar length. It has gone pretty much totally white, probably more age related than any other reason.  I used to have black hair through my late 3o's, moving to grey somewhat normally through my 40's.
Breasts interestingly, Tanner 3-4.  C cup (by measurement of band vs bust and volume of cup filled).  Tanner 2-3 happened with Spiro alone.  More volume on top using the nipple location as an indicator.  If I'm honest that's the only disappointment.  Nipples are larger, about half dollar sized.  But I suppose I shouldn't expect perky teen results at my age.  I'm about where my mother was in her late 40's.  Nipple change looks more like the areolas are stretching over the last 4-6 months.  More on the top half than the bottom. They are twice as large as before HRT to be sure.

Strength and muscle really haven't changed at all, I'm still a resident jar opener and I can break a bolt free that my man mountain of a son struggles with.  Mybe more a function of experience, technique and dare I say wisdom?
[/pre]

[Devlyn]

You are allowed to post your dosages now, but if it seems like you're taking excessive risks, or disregarding safe medical advice, we still reserve the right to modify your posts. 

Good safe levels are more important to your health and development than what you're putting in (or on) your body.

We also do not allow people to give medical advice or recommend doses to other people.

Hugs, Devlyn

[EllenW]

I have been using patch's since I started HRT in 2018. I rotate the position on my stomach next to the bellybutton. I have never had a problem with them coming off and cleaning the ring just takes a little effort.

Since my GCS, my E level is where it should be for a 70-year-old woman. So, I will happily stay with the patches.


Ellen

 

[Courtney G]

I also titrated up over a few years, starting with herbs, then oral finasteride, then low-dose patches (yoyo-ed up and down a bit, due to dysphoria cycles), then slightly higher, then up to .200 mg/day (2 patches) now. And the results have far exceeded my expectations.

[imallie]

I've had good success with my patches, in terms of comfort. They haven't raised my levels very high yet (due for a test this week) but then I've been on a relatively low dose.

I go back and forth between right and left outer thigh, and the only prep I do is I make sure I keep those areas shaved. Although honestly even when I don't, I get a good clean contact.

Only on the rarest occasion, with this large round patch do I have issues with it starting to fall off, and only usually on the 6th or 7th day of the week. I bought some tape to use in those situations. I'm fortunate in that my skin suffers no irritation from either the patches or even the tape in those cases where I use it.

In terms of placement, though I highly suggest making sure the patch resides in a location where it will be completely covered by your underwear, or completely outside of it. I think if any of it rests on the seam, that's where you could have issues of the patch losing contact.

[Susannah]

For those who went from pills to patches, how much difference did it make for you?  I did sublingual for about 5 months, but it was not easy to take them regularly.  I feel like patches will be easier since you  need to apply them every few days to a week.  Did changes happen faster for you?  Thanks in advance.

[Courtney G]

For those who went from pills to patches, how much difference did it make for you?  I did sublingual for about 5 months, but it was not easy to take them regularly.  I feel like patches will be easier since you  need to apply them every few days to a week.  Did changes happen faster for you?  Thanks in advance.

Patches are easier, in my opinion, effective, and less stress on the liver than pills. The normal prescription is patches changed twice a week. You can wear as little as 1/2 patch or even 1/4 (I did this), and I think the max dosage is 4 patches. Some have complained about them not being effective. My endo told me that blood tests tend to show lower E levels on patches than other methods. If this is true, that might explain why some folks don't like them.

Some have trouble with skin irritation. I've found that the only time irritation occurs is when the patch is placed on the stretchy part of your body and long, hot showers allow water to get behind parts of the patch, which creates irritation.

Effectiveness? I have C cup breasts on my thin frame. For me, they've worked splendidly.

[big kim]

Couldn't get on with patches. The glue left a rash & they fell off too easily. Went back on pills & have been on Lenzetto spray for some time now

[Sarah B]

I have never had patches per se.  I'm vaguely aware that they existed last time I was on Susan's.  I have never been offered or prescribed them by any of my GP's and only two of them were closely intimate with transsexuals and did not offer them.

When I first got my HRT,  I religiously took my hormones on time.  This consisted of depo provera (which took care of  the testosterone) one injection every two weeks and premarin, 2mg tablets twice a day (which took care of estrogen).  After surgery there was a time, when I was lactating.  Which resulted in the depo provera being removed.

Fast forward a few years and there was a time when I was not taking any hormones.  I do not why this happened.  Maybe I was too busy with life, I was not sick and did not need to see the doctor or I was just plain lazy.  Anyway I know I was concerned for not taking them, because when I did have some hormone tablets, I said to myself, I need to take them more regularly.

The solution to this problem was a semi permanent injection.  That is a pellet was injected into bum and the pellet released the hormones over a period of time round about every 3 months.  This of course involved having your blood work checked every so often.

So I decided to go down this route.  In the long run this did not pan out because after the second injection.  I moved back home to family and the sporadic pill taking continued and the endocrinologist who gave me the injections was hounded out for some reason, I don't know why.  So today I take my progynova 2mg tablets twice a day, pretty much regularly, I now know, that it's extremely important to do so.  The benefits far out way the risks involved.

So why do I not take patches

• Well I'm a swimmer who is in the water virtually twice a day.
• Patches leave a sticky residue around the edges, although solutions exist for this
• Patches can cause skin irritation, rotation works to avoid this.
• Other methods vs patch are better?
• Maybe I'm set in my old ways!

Maybe I need to go back to semi permanent pellet injection.  That requires me to find a friendly endocrinologist.  I'm in the process of finding out what my hormone levels are and in the future I will be getting blood works regularly so that I can keep an eye open on what my hormone levels are.

Take care everyone
Sarah B

[ChrissyRyan]

I have not tried the patches, gels, or the pellets that were mentioned.

Use what medicine delivery method makes sense for you to use, as managed by your physicians.  Be sure to let her or him know of any concerns and questions. 

Sublingual works for me.


Chrissy

[Sarah B]

Hi ChrissyRyan

I love your new avatar, actually I changed my mind. I love your new hair coloring.  I wish I had the intestinal fortitude, to do what you have done.

Take care
Sarah B

 

[D'Amalie]

I'm back acound to upper buttocks.  I have six sites, rotating one position every 3 days.

[Susan]

Jessica,

I appreciate you sharing your experience with estradiol patches and switching to injections. Your tips for those using patches are indeed valuable. To ensure optimal adhesion, it's crucial to prepare the skin by removing any hair and cleansing the area with an alcohol swab to eliminate oils and lotions. Applying firm pressure on the patch for 20-30 seconds after placement can also enhance its stickiness. It's impressive that your patches remained secure despite heavy perspiration during exercise.

If anyone experiences issues with their patches not adhering properly, consulting a doctor for a possible alternative brand with a stronger adhesive is a wise suggestion. Your practice of applying the patches near the belly button or on easily reachable areas of the buttocks is a practical approach, facilitating both application and removal.

The use of baby oil to ease the removal of adhesive residue is an excellent tip. Allowing the oil to soak for about 5 minutes can simplify the process significantly.

Thank you for sharing these insights, I am sure other members will find them very useful.