Susan's Place Transgender Resources

As above , has anyone or is anyone used/experience with hrt gel?

Thanks

Marie

Yes I used it for the last 12 months...what would you like to know

Well I'm on the patches at the moment but I think I'm allergic to the adhesive , so they have offered me the gel. Just wondered how you apply how often , is it as good etc?

Marie

I have just stopped using gel about 6 weeks ago and switched to the Patches. Everything was going fine and I was applying the GEL to my inner arms and having no real issues. Then after about a year I was tested for levels as I noted some changes that indicated my levels were low(which they were). My levels indicated they were through the roof(25000...yes that high) and repeated testing had my levels all over the place. In the end I was accused of self medicating and could still not get an accurate level. In the end it turns out despite using the opposite arm(for blood test) than the one I had applied the gel to that day, I was still contaminating the blood sample. Over the period of awhile if you use the gel on your arm it will build up in the fatty tissue. If it is not applied exactly right the levels will be low and it is easy to mess up.

I was tested after switching to patches only to find my levels were in my boots and was prescribed a larger dose. I also had to correct the way I was applying the it. The gel must be totally rubbed in and no residual left on the skin at all. As I was using more than one sachet, this turned out to be an arduous task taking about 15 minutes or more to apply.

I am back on patches...I did have difficulty getting them to stick but I just recently have managed to resolve that issue and am waiting to see what my levels are next week.

In the long term I was not happy with the gel...too messy, too long to apply and far too inconsistent for me however YMMV.

Hope all  that helps...I am happy to answer any questions and feel free to PM me if you want.

Liz

Hi, MarieLouise

I'm using gel as well. For me it's very nice. I was told to apply it to different places (e.g. low belly, inner thighs, low sides, low back, buttocks, etc. where I have no hair) on different days. Thus far I've had no problems...

As for comparisons—sorry, I can't since I've not been prescribed any other forms.

I'm at a whim now ..... I may ask if they do a tablet form ? Would be a lot easier really.

Thank you for your help ladies

Marie x

Quote from: zirconia on May 02, 2019, 09:29:50 AM
Hi, MarieLouise

I'm using gel as well. For me it's very nice. I was told to apply it to different places (e.g. low belly, inner thighs, low sides, low back, buttocks, etc. where I have no hair) on different days. Thus far I've had no problems...

As for comparisons—sorry, I can't since I've not been prescribed any other forms.

Same experience for me!

    Kind regards, Kirsten.


Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Same experience for me!  No issues, and levels have been rising, so, I am happy so far.

I do not however rub it in.  I was told to lay it on, and let it be absorbed in the skin.

Arms, inner thighs, buttocks are the main areas I use.

Bobbie

Hi, Liz

Quote from: LizK on May 02, 2019, 07:54:19 AM
The gel must be totally rubbed in and no residual left on the skin at all.

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?

I am using gel... just a small dosage.  I rub it on my inner thighs and alternate between the two thighs. I use my wrist (alternate depending on side of body) to rub it in until nothing remains and it is practically dry. Not tried the patches yet, got some to try but the dosage is a little too high for me right now. I like the gel to be honest... I put it on before bed, and watch a film or some drama while rubbing it dry. It's a nice little routine. To be honest, I was using my wrist to rub it in because I didn't want to contaminate my daughter with any residual before washing my hands in the bathroom, but apparently it helps absorb more... so win/win I guess...

Quote from: MarieLouise1982 on May 02, 2019, 10:39:56 AM
I'm at a whim now ..... I may ask if they do a tablet form ? Would be a lot easier really.

Thank you for your help ladies

Marie x

Hi Marie

I had problems with the Evorel patches and then tried gel (Oestrodose).  It really didn't work out well and I started detransitioning as my levels dropped through the floor.  After that I gave Estrodot patches a go (available privately or through the NHS) and they have revolutionised things for me.  They are tiny (the 100s are about an inch square), easily hidden on the bum, don't give me any skin reaction or the bleeding I was getting from the Evorel patches cutting my skin in hot weather or during sports.  Perhaps ask your doctor about a different brand and see if that helps

Charlotte

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 (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 (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,244601.0.html) (the entire thread about the issue I was having) asking if anyone knew why this may be happening and was directed to this information (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512203000434).

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 

Quote from: Charlotte F on May 02, 2019, 05:33:27 PM
Hi Marie

I had problems with the Evorel patches and then tried gel (Oestrodose).  It really didn't work out well and I started detransitioning as my levels dropped through the floor.  After that I gave Estrodot patches a go (available privately or through the NHS) and they have revolutionised things for me.  They are tiny (the 100s are about an inch square), easily hidden on the bum, don't give me any skin reaction or the bleeding I was getting from the Evorel patches cutting my skin in hot weather or during sports.  Perhaps ask your doctor about a different brand and see if that helps

Charlotte

I am using the these patches and I also have a history of glue sensitivity. In the case of the Estrodot patches I was having difficulty getting them to stick but have found a simple solution to this and they seem to be working  just fine now and no longer coming off. I now need to wait and see if there is an improvement in my Oestrogen levels.

Liz

Hi, Alice

Quote from: Alice (nym) on May 02, 2019, 03:25:48 PM
I use my wrist (alternate depending on side of body) to rub it in until nothing remains and it is practically dry.

Interesting... I assume this is the way your doctor told you to apply it as well? Did he tell you the rationale for continuing to rub until the area is practically dry?

Hi all

I'm not really keen on the gel , if I'm honest. So I've requested to try Estrodot patches. Let's keep fingers crossed.

Thanks again everyone :)

Marie

Sorry... I am being naughty... I just listened to the conversations of other people in my local trans group and followed the instructions I was given when I got the gel.

Quote from: MarieLouise1982 on May 03, 2019, 02:45:18 AM
Hi all

I'm not really keen on the gel , if I'm honest. So I've requested to try Estrodot patches. Let's keep fingers crossed.

Thanks again everyone :)

Marie

I don't know if you have tried this or not but when I was having issues with sensitivity to the glue on the Patches I used I did get some improvement from cleaning the area thoroughly, applying moisturiser, making sure it was fully absorbed then applying the patch. It did not take all the irritation completely away but did make it a bit more tolerable....

Liz

Quote from: MarieLouise1982 on May 02, 2019, 10:39:56 AM
I'm at a whim now ..... I may ask if they do a tablet form ? Would be a lot easier really.

???

I started on tablets, but my endo wants to switch me to gel or patches when he gets my levels worked out.

I would listen to your Dr.  Once you get good levels, get off the pills.

They have offered me pills but I have rufused them as I don't want to start getting liver issues etc

Marie

Quote from: MarieLouise1982 on May 03, 2019, 08:22:53 AM
They have offered me pills but I have rufused them as I don't want to start getting liver issues etc

What's the difference between tablets and pills?  I thought they were pretty much synonymous terms.

They are the same thing - pills and tablets :)

Marie

Quote from: MarieLouise1982 on May 03, 2019, 09:31:38 AM
They are the same thing - pills and tablets :)

Then why are you asking about taking tablets in one post and refusing to take pills in another???

QuoteThey have offered me pills but I have rufused them as I don't want to start getting liver issues etc

QuoteThey have offered me pills but I have rufused them as I don't want to start getting liver issues etc

Hi, I do injections ( I love sub Q injections) and my new HT doctor does not want me to do injections. She thinks it provides highs and lows.

So I was offered pills and I said no because I will forget to take them and I feel ups and down on pills.

I was offered a patch and said no because I shower at least once a day and I am active and sweat.

I have been on T gel for a while (just a dab) and that is fine so I said I will try E gel. Both T & E will be made in a compounding Pharmacy.

My E from injection was 740 ng/dl on the 13 of a 14day cycle. My doctor was concerned. When I started HRT I did not care as long as My T was 0 and E was high. Now after transition I need some T and do not want to hurt myself so off to trying something new.

Quote from: AnneK on May 03, 2019, 09:44:32 AM
Then why are you asking about taking tablets in one post and refusing to take pills in another???

Because I was thinking about going on the pills/tablets but after some research decided against the idea because of the damage they cause to your insides. People change their mind sometimes if they are given good reason , and I think it's a good enough reason to change my mind about what I put in my body???

Quote from: Rachel on May 03, 2019, 03:44:52 PM
Hi, I do injections ( I love sub Q injections) and my new HT doctor does not want me to do injections. She thinks it provides highs and lows.

So I was offered pills and I said no because I will forget to take them and I feel ups and down on pills.

I was offered a patch and said no because I shower at least once a day and I am active and sweat.

I have been on T gel for a while (just a dab) and that is fine so I said I will try E gel. Both T & E will be made in a compounding Pharmacy.

My E from injection was 740 ng/dl on the 13 of a 14day cycle. My doctor was concerned. When I started HRT I did not care as long as My T was 0 and E was high. Now after transition I need some T and do not want to hurt myself so off to trying something new.

Your braver than me ..... I hate injections :(

Sub Qs not bad at all. I use to do IM and even that became a routine. In fact for IM I would say the step and then do the step. Once I started I would just get through it.

With IM I did pass out twice when doing the training. After that I got better each time. Sub Q has a slow release and IM a quicker release.

Anyhow, I can get HRT with my current primary care, Mazzoni if I decide to switch later. So I will try using a compounding pharmacy and see how it goes. Perhaps I will love that. Anyhow, this current doctor measures E so I hope to have a lower E in a safe range. I think overall safety is the primary concern. That and being between 200 and 500 ng/dl E and below 50 ng/dl T.

I used Estrogel and I absolutely hated how long it took to dry up.
I had hot flashes all the time on gel.
I have been on low-dose E patches for years now and my levels are perfect. I rotate between Vivelle Dot and Evorel.
I use a few drops of ethanol to clean the skin and then apply the patch. They stick well.

My endo doctor just changed me from Evorel patches to Estrogel.  After a year on the patches I developed an allergic skin reaction to the glue.  Also, my blood estradiol level was low and she thought maybe the skin rash under the patch was blocking absorption.

I am interested in others experience, especially about where to place the gel.   The manufacturer's instructions say on the arm, but I would like to try other places like some of the posters have.   I am prescribed to apply the gel twice a day, so I need to spread it someplace other then just my arms.