Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I know it might sound funny but I feel as though my legs deflated like a balloon for literally three weeks once I changed from gel to patch. I was on a gel which I would rub into my thighs. Gradually my legs got rounder and bulkier. A month ago however I changed back to the patch which I'd place on my lower abdomen and my legs just lost volume but my breasts are now experiencing growth again! Needless to say I am shocked and a bit frustrated as I want my legs back! Is anyone familiar with such effects with regard to transdermal products and site of application and is it scientifically possible for my legs to change shape in such a short period of time?   :o

I use patches, but have never used gel.. I feel like I have seen significant changes to parts of my body, where it's almost as though the fat relocates to other parts.. I don't really mind it though. It's almost as though it's moving from my butt, to my breasts, & then to my cheeks. Maybe I'm just crazy in seeing these changes though...

I think fat redistribution is supposed the be normal.

That is an odd one alright but given you were rubbing the gel into your thighs it kind of makes sense. Personally though I'd take boob growth over thighs any day.

Fat redistribution is *slow,* in both directions (gaining and losing). Also, the location of the medication should not affect development, because that's caused by the hormones getting into the bloodstream first. So probably just coincidence?

The only cause I know of leg swelling on HRT is DVT, and that's bad and scary enough that you'd have noticed other symptoms, so...

Maybe the gel itself (the carrier) and massaging it in was just good for your legs and making the skin supple? Massage them with some lotion and see if that helps.

Jenna Maree makes a good point - also water retention could have been the cause.

I used patches for a long time, but I've also tried gel. My endo told me that people's absorption efficiency from patches varies a lot, and I don't think they worked very well for me. Gel was often very noticeable, but probably because I usually applied far to much, and together with patches.

Regarding water retention, I don't suppose you started using spiro when you changed?

From everything I've read I doubt where you apply patches or gel makes any difference. I read somewhere that the recommendations for location in the packet are due to testing and approvals - they tested in a particular place so that's what got approved. I don't know if either of these is actually true though.

Perhaps your breast growth when changing is just coincidence? Mine used to come and go, and was quite unpredictable. Its not stopped hurting at all since starting implants, which probably goes to show how ineffective patches were for me.