Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I'm not quite at the HRT stage just yet, but I want to gather as much information as I can before that time. So here's a big one:

Do I slap a patch or pop a pill?

I'd like to hear about your experiences with either side, but I'd especially like to hear from those who have used both methods. (I know there are cremes, but I'm terrible with stuff like that. I can barely remember to put lotion on my new tattoos, and those are visible and itchy.(Also, I don't really want to do injections. Needles are a big scare factor for me.(Yes, I have tattoos and am scared of needles, shut up.(Man, there's a lot of deep threading in this aside...))))

I know that some people say that pills taste bad, but if it's a pill full of delicious E, I think I can handle it.

So, yeah... Thoughts?

I highly recommend that you choose patches

Patches avoid the first pass through the liver, but tend to be expensive, and some people don't tolerate the adhesive.

Pills are less expensive, but are harder on the liver.  We have many topics in the HRT board about these sorts of things.

I started my HRT experience with patches for about the first month and a half, and then switched to pills.

From my experience, patches are a total pain in the butt. The stupid things do NOT stay on. It took me almost a month to finally find a place on my body that I could stick them without them falling off after only 3 days, when they were supposed to last for 7. Also, they itch, and they left a bunch of ugly red rash marks behind, which took almost a month to clear up after I stopped using them. By the time I was done with the patches, my entire hip area was a giant patchwork of red marks. (There are 3-day patches that are much easier, but I still find them to be a pain in the butt.)

Pills are MUCH easier. And while others have mentioned that pills are hard on the liver, there is a solution for that: don't swallow them, take them sublingualy. Just put the pill under your tongue, and it will dissolve on its own right into your bloodstream, bypassing the first pass through the liver where most of the damage would be done. (There is still a risk, just not as high as if you were swallowing them.) And E pills do NOT taste bad. Quite the opposite. They actually taste very sweet... almost like estrogen candy, honestly.

I use patches, and am happy with them. I've always done it this way, though, so I may not be quite what you wanted to hear from.

I had the issues with sticking, adhesive leaving rashy red marks, and general annoyance with the generic of Climara, but since switching to Vivelle Dot I've had no problems with patches at all. (Bonus : Vivelle comes packaged to be used twice a week for menopausal cis women, so my insurance quit bugging me about "too high a dose/using too many.")

I have done over the years the patch, pills, gel and IM injections.

For me IM was great. 1 shot every other week. less to forget.
Now back on patch (over 50 and they do not have IM here anymore)

I found if you take just enough tape to cover the patch (make it more rigid) will help it to stay stuck for the 3 1/2 days.

Izzy

I like my pills and I dont do anything that could harm my liver just so I can keep taking them :D because I would be broke if I had to use patches seeming the average box of actate costs me 50$ a month where I live and spiro doesnt work on my body :D so I guess its really a money thing hey :D

I used 4 different methods back when I transitioned.
*injections
*patches*
*gel/cream
*pills

In the end I am sticking with pills. Injections were great for the start. They basically kick you right into a new world. the ones I got were a secret import via the back then new technology of the internet ;) - we gave us the injections ourselves, depot injections - last for a month or so and give a high dosage of estrogens. As I said, they really flipped a switch, but not recommended for later.
Patches were a pain. I took them because they were supposed to be better for the liver, but to wear that patch all the time is annoying, it has to be taken off when showering, they are expensive and they make something to the skin that makes it permeable for chemicals like the estrogens and who knows what else will come in along. My judgement was that this is at best something for people who have liver trouble already.
Gels/Creams were my second favourite solution. It is easy and fast to do that, but I had the same issue with skin permeability as with the patches. Still did that quit ea long while ago. It was easy to dose and had the additional benefit that it can be applied locally (on the package it say to not put it near the boobs but of course if you do just that, you might get more hormones in that area which can have some additional effects).
Pills are the easiest of all of them and this is why I stuck with them in the long run. Just take a pill together with your vitamins for breakfast and thats fine, hormone levels are stable and no weird patches or cream to handle. They even come with markers on what weekday it is so one does not forget to take it daily.

Thanks for all the info, ladies! You've given me some great food for thought.

Started on the patch this week - the bloody thing wouldn't stop wrinkling; I am already beyond annoyed. Instruction says: put it on your belly, needs to be tight round the edges, as if!

Quote from: primrose on September 06, 2013, 02:53:05 PM
Started on the patch this week - the bloody thing wouldn't stop wrinkling; I am already beyond annoyed. Instruction says: put it on your belly, needs to be tight round the edges, as if!

Sounds fun and even more fun if you have all your fat at just one part of your belly :D. You sure you cant use it on another region?

I couldn't get on with patches,I got a rash and it kept coming loose.A lot easier to have a pill first thing in the morning,someone will tell you different,what works for me may not work for you

I'm on the patch. I cover it with a clear waterproof bandage that is like a second skin. Stays on until you take it off. No rashes or red marks like from nicotine patches.

You can use the patches on your butt cheeks.

Quote from: Jamie de la Rosa on September 06, 2013, 06:26:08 PM
You can use the patches on your butt cheeks.

Yes I do the same thing right behind my hip bone so my panties are covering the patch. Never falls off anymore.

I just started the patch & so far it seems great. I placed it on my upper hip area & it seems just fine, no redness at all, amost invisible. Mine are 3 & 1/2 day type patches.

It's such a relief from pills 2 or 3 times a day.

Any other patch users????  Results to expect???

Hi Kristal,

Have you considered implants? I currently get 12 months out of mine.

http://www.collegepharmacy.com/images/download/BHRTPelletFAQ.pdf

Huggs
Catherine

I'm a gel girl.  Haven't tried anything else, but so far so good after 9 months.

My vote is for the patches...
I used oral Estradiol for several years & found that I had increased liver enzymes & also found that I was putting on more weight than I wanted.  Switching to the patch has eliminated the liver issue and weight has begun to improve.  However, I found that I noticed more "changes" using the oral.  So I guess, technically, I used oral in order to "transition" and now I'm using the patch for maintenance. 

I've been on the vivelle patch for approx 10 months & they worl very well for me.  I'm not sure if it really makes a difference or not, but I clean the area (right below panty line) with a cotton ball and alcohol first & let it dry & I haven't had any problem with them falling off.

Good Luck :)
Kim

I have week long Climara patches and they've been fine. I haven't had any issues with them falling off, but they do get a little dirty around the edges and there is some redness for a day or two after I replace it. I stick it on my hips, because I hope it will do magic there and make them curvier.

My Estradot patches sure are nice. Almost invisible & they stick through any shower, 3 & 1/2 days before changing. Sure is a lot easier than pills 2 or 3 times a day.

I first started HRT with injections of E. Shortly after my doctor comboed that up with patches of E. I must say, I hated patches and would never want to take them again. With pills, your doctor can really dial it in and get the maximum effects you want, at least in my case. I get my bloodwork at least twice a year to check my liver amongst other things. I do take gel too, but I found that to be HARSH sometimes.

I think I am going to try gel again. Those pills seem to have some downsides. I think it may be that it is because they wear off if I take them only once a day, so I wake up at 5 am feeling hot flashes. I think I will try using the gel 2 or 3 times a day instead and see if that improves.

I just dearly love my patches.

I use an average dosage per day from each patch. They are so easy, small & almost invisible. Mine are changed every 3 & 1/2 days.

I'll never take any more pills for estrogen!

Can all brands/generics of the estradiol pills be taken sublingually?

It's still a ways off for me, but I don't know that patches will be good for me -- I have sensitive skin and lots of hair (though maybe not so much hair by the time I start estrogen.... fingers crossed). Injections I could learn to do myself... but it freaks me out a little.

The patches do sound like a rather appealing method, unfortunately I have rather sensitive skin and I get an allergic reaction to adhesives

Quote from: V M on November 03, 2013, 07:01:54 AM
The patches do sound like a rather appealing method, unfortunately I have rather sensitive skin and I get an allergic reaction to adhesives

These patches are very small, maybe 3/4 of an inch wide & 1 & 1/2 inches long, tiny little things, clear, almost invisible, they stick like glue, shower all you want. Thank you for all your time to monitor our chatter & please have a great day. Just FYI on these patches.

Francis Ann : Sounds like you're on the Vivelle Dot, which is also my favorite. :) So tiny and convenient, and packaged to be changed every 3.5 days so they match what my endo wants me doing anyway.

I've never used anything but patches, but I've had fantastic results, so I'm happy with the method. I'm also so forgetful that even changing the patch twice a week means I have to set an alarm on my cell; I'd NEVER manage to remember pills 2X a day or more.

I also second that it's really important to clean where the patch goes, and wipe down with alcohol first. I was getting terrible rashes by not doing that; as soon as I started scrubbing the skin first, no rash anymore.

Not to mention that now that I'm post-op, it is really handy to be on a method common among menopausal women - I tell doctors that I'm in "surgical menopause" and using one of the standard Vivelle doses for it, and they have no problem understanding that and no awkward questions. (My regular GP knows the full story, but I don't see the need to get into it with eye doctors, allergists, etc. as long as they know the important bit : the medication and why.)

Jenna Marie, Thank you & I hope you are doing well. It seems that you are.

I just have no idea why I did not use patches long long ago, They were suggested however in those days long ago $ was very thin & I guess pills were cheaper.

Take care, Francis