Hello everyone. My spouse is about two months post op and we are trying to find the best option for hormones. She was on the estriodal pills but was going to have to increase the dosage to get desired results. She was worried about the effect on her liver bc she's already on a lot of other meds so we switched to the patch which works pretty good. The problem is that her skin is very sensitive and it is quite painful to remove the patches. So my questions are
-does anyone know a way to remove the patches that would be easier?
- is there some other option besides the pill , patch or injection?
- do the pills really have an impact on the liver?
- what are you using that you like?
- does she really have to take this for the rest of her life or can she cut back once she reaches the correct blood level?

Thank you for any information.

Marc

Try wetting it with alcohol, that's what I use to get the adhesive off my skin. There's always a pink irritated looking spot where my patch was for a few hours after I take one off. I figure if that's the only negative, it's a pretty low price to pay.

Hugs, Devlyn

Thanks Devlyn. We will try that. Hoping it works since this is a possibly lifetime thing.

I was in the hospital last week and the nurse wiped the tape securing my IV with alcohol and let it sit for a few seconds before she peeled it off. By the way, implantable pellets are available, as well as gels.

Hugs, Devlyn

Hi Marc,

implants are effective, but many insurance companies will not cover them.  My insurance company, Aetna, does not even cover injectables, but they will cover patches. As Devlyn mentioned, gels are a good option for your wife since she seems to absorb estradiol well from patches.

Pills are by far the cheapest dosage of estradiol and you can avoid first-pass liver metabolism by using them sublingually. That is what I do, and my serum E2 levels are around the 200 ng/mL range with normal transition doses of estradiol.

Hope that helps!

Terri

PS I think you are awesome for being so supportive of your wife!

 Soaking in warm bath should soften the adhesive, also you could try holding a warm compress on them for about 10 minutes before trying to remove them.

Quote from: marctravis on August 05, 2017, 09:44:46 AM
- does anyone know a way to remove the patches that would be easier?
- is there some other option besides the pill , patch or injection?
- do the pills really have an impact on the liver?
- what are you using that you like?
- does she really have to take this for the rest of her life or can she cut back once she reaches the correct blood level?

Gel/lotion is another option which I personally like. Estrogel, Elestrin, Divigel/Sandrena, Estrasorb. Also Evamist, a transdermal spray delivery.

Pills containing bio-identical estradiol have not been shown to ever cause damage to the liver in studies and their impact on hepatic markers, most notably proteins and factors related to clotting is far less than other pills containing non-bio-identical estrogens. Studies have even shown that in ciswomen with advanced breast cancer, very high doses of oral bio-identical estradiol produced a VERY low rate of thromboembolic complications (only one case) and in general, since the use of these estrogens in the transsexual population, the rate of complications has significantly gone down to almost negligible.

I have used oral in the past and did not react well to it, psychologically speaking but my breasts grew a lot. I switched to injections, with very high dose estrogen and had a positive response except my breasts actually decreased. I recently added Estrogel and feel good with slightly increased breast growth.

Estrogen has to be taken for the rest of her life to maintain female secondary sexual characteristics, avoid osteoporosis and other health complications such as increased risk of cardiovascular complications, insulin resistance, perhaps even breast cancer, cognitive impairments/neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's, Alzheimer's). No hormones in her body will make her probably feel lousy, fatigued, make her lose her general vitality, accelerate the ageing process, lead to memory problems on top of maybe hot flashes, night sweats and feeling anxious.

I just thought of a trick for removing labels that might work. Try olive or vegetable oil, or peanut butter. Most glues hate oil.

Hugs, Devlyn

Thanks all! You've given us a lot to consider. I'm glad to hear the pills are safe. And all the other options. We didn't realize there were so many. We have lots to think about. I'm grateful for your advice and knowledge.

And thanks Terri for the compliment.

Quote from: marctravis on August 05, 2017, 09:44:46 AM
- does she really have to take this for the rest of her life

Pretty much yes.

Quoteor can she cut back once she reaches the correct blood level?

It will go away once you stop taking it.