Has anyone got experience with the various estradiol gels? They seem quite unpopular for some reason, although they should be less dangerous than the oral route. I got them offered as an alternative to pills, but there seems to be very little information on whether they work well for mtf hrt.

Any pointers to relevant articles or experiences appreciated.

Yes, not interested in dosages as doctors tend to take care of that.

I can trivially find the product information for those gels and have looked at them, but those usually do not focus on the trans-aspects of things and finding more medical studies/articles comparing the alternative routes of administration would be nice.

For some reason gel appears to be unpopular in trans-circles - which seems odd because of the positive features it has. Thus I fear I am missing something important.

Quote from: PDREstradiol is a form of estrogen, a female sex hormone the regulates many processes in the body.

Estrogel is used to treat certain symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, and vaginal dryness, burning, and irritation.

Estrogel may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.


What should I discuss with my health care provider before using Estrogel?

Do not use Estrogel if you have:

a bleeding or blood-clotting disorder;

a history of stroke or circulation problems;

abnormal vaginal bleeding that a doctor has not checked; or

any type of breast, uterine, or hormone-dependent cancer.

Before using Estrogel, tell your doctor if you have:

high blood pressure, angina, or heart disease;

high cholesterol or triglycerides;

liver disease;
kidney disease;
asthma;

epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

migraines;

diabetes;

depression;

gallbladder disease;


If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use Estrogel, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

Long-term estradiol treatment may increase your risk of stroke. Talk with your doctor about your individual risks before using estradiol long-term. Your doctor should check your progress on a regular basis (every 3 to 6 months) to determine whether you should continue this treatment.

Estrogel hasn't been approved by the FDA as a treatment for transsexual individuals.  As any other form of estrogen, the use of Estrogel in any individual (transsexual or non-transsexual) has to be supervised by a physician.  I would suggest you talk to your doctor, endocrinologist or gender thereapist about this.


tinkerbell

The gels are just as effective as injections, pill, sublingual and patch form and each method has their own advantages and disadvantage.  For example pill form would not be recommended for someone with a liver problem, also some find that the patch leaves a rash, or is hard to adhere to the skin, and then there is the simple advantage/disadvantage of cost.  Often one is selected over the other because the patient is at risk with other methods of delivery, as each is metabolized differently in the body.  The method of delivery should be discussed with your doctor who should conduct blood tests to determine if there is a problem with the type prescribed.

Steph

Hi Tara, I've been on the gel for about 6 months. I tried the patch but they kept falling off. I really like the gel. It's alcohol based and dries quickly. Dosing  is simple and as far as the price($38 for 1 month) it is well worth it to me. Jolene 

Tara,
I hope you get this post.....My Endo also put me on the "gel" just last week (after starting out for the last 3 months on Estradiol pills).  She is not very communicative, and I was not very assertive in asking "why?".  I left her office totally confused.  Was I "failing" my transition, was my liver about to explode ?   I see my therapist today, and hopefully she has gotten a letter from my Endo. 
Read the posts left for me when I asked a similar question that you did.

My question for you.....It has possibly been 6 months that you have been on the "gel".  What has your experience been, good, bad, ugly ?   Has your HRT been successful on the gel?  What about blood levels, as well as the physiological effects of the gel  on your development of female features ?

I was hoping to find someone like yourself with 6 months or more on the gel to tell me what to expect.

Love to here back from you.

I went from the patch to the gel bout 4 month ago. There were no changes in my hormone levels. The only complaint I have with gel is that if you wake up late and have to put on clothes fast they stick to you for a while. Other than that they are great. No more rashes, or E-pills. The cost is also a little less than others, but not much.

Well it's been a whole 13 months with the gel and I have got no complaints with it at all. As far as I am concerned anything that bypasses the liver and is still effective has got my vote. Jolene 

     Hi,
       My doctor put me on estradiol gel, what kind if changes
     did you have, if any?
      Thanks,
       janis

What's the gel and dose you're using.  I started self medication on Estrace cream.  It's actually for vaginal use only, but the research showed that  grams used transdermally on the arms and around the stomach is a low dose that my body will tollerate well.  Over the last 3 years I have had medications that are Anti Androgens to control other health issues and that caused breast growth already.  After 2 weeks of estorgen my breasts are itching and hurting a little at night.  Although after 2 weeks it is impossible, I almost feel that there is a little enlargement.

   The estradiol gel he put me on is %
   Thanks,
   janis

Quote from: taru on January 28, 2007, 05:47:13 AM
Has anyone got experience with the various estradiol gels? They seem quite unpopular for some reason.......

This is probably because it's a bit of a pain to put on. You have to wait about 20 mins for it to be fully absorbed by skin otherwise it will take to your clothes- plus I'm on two sachets a day. So one in the morni,ng then about 12 hours later the other.

Actually it's annoying to have to put on if you're out after work, like at a pub or something. My doctor said you can place anywhere on a large patch of skin, yet the info sheets I have read say thighs or stomach, so I rotate. Left leg , stomach , right leg.

I am a little pedantic though. Want to make sure it's working, and according to blood tests. It is !!

Love

Jenny

OXOXOXOX

Has anyone tried estrogel?  is it effective? does it still increase your E levels?

Quote from: Mikka55 on September 30, 2016, 02:19:32 AM
Has anyone tried estrogel?  is it effective? does it still increase your E levels?

Woah, necropost. I think you might get better responses if you just start a new topic.